Quote:
Originally Posted by woj
Taxing those that work more, in order to support those that don't work, is one possible solution to the problem, but I don't agree it's the best one. System like that tends to REWARD the lazy / unsuccessful / etc.
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Not true. It costs a fortune to put so many people in prison for selling pot. We could legalize it and tax it. That would bring in some revenue, and create a few jobs, but it won't create enough good jobs for all the people who used to make money illegally selling pot at a black market premium. However, when you factor in the cost of prisons, it is CHEAPER to do it even if we have to subsidize their standard of living when they are out of prison.
We waste more money on prisons, emergency care for the uninsured and backward systems like that than we will ever spend on food stamps for poor people. It is a net loss financially to imprison dim people and treat them badly for being dim. It actually costs less to give them food, medications, shelter, clothing and the other basics without requiring them to commit a crime first. When a poor person gets a cold treated at an ER they don't pay anything, but the hospital and insurance companies tag that cost onto the bills of people who actually have insurance by raising rates and premiums. It costs LESS to provide free health clinics set up to handle people and charge zero for doing so.
We should be looking objectively at what is cost effective, efficient and sustainable... rather than emotionally cutting off our own nose to spite our face by making sure nobody gets more than they earn, no matter how dim they are or how little they get.
