Seriously, legalization and taxation of on-line gambling, which was just recently outlawed by Bush with his last-secon UIGEA law attachment to the Ports bill, will surely add some needed tax relief.
We Americans believe [naively], "Can't happen here... this is AMERICA!" The early stages are happening right under our noses, and hardly anyone gets it.
Banning guns would be catastrophic. Don't get me wrong, gun bans CAN work to an extent (though I am morally opposed to them), but you have to understand just how saturated we are. There are probably well over a billion guns in this country, most of which do not have a paper trail. A gun ban will only take guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens... there's no way for our government to seize guns that are not voluntarily surrendered, and there will be enough undocumented leftovers to arm every criminal in the country. The drugs thing is spot-on, though. Instead of throwing millions of tax-paying citizens in jail (and spending ~$30,000/year each to provide them with food, medical care, etc.), let them out, legalize it and tax it. Drug-related crime goes way down, because: 1. It isn't profitable for illicit dealers anymore (and the vast majority of drug-related violence comes from the dealers.) 2. It's *much* cheaper (even with the taxes), and your average McDonald's-working (or welfare collecting) loser doesn't have to steal in order to support their habit. And if someone without self-control gets hooked on heroin, they can easy afford to escalate their dosage until they stop breathing--hence, fewer losers sucking down our welfare. Never understood why the conservatives were the ones pushing the War on Drugs... it needlessly expands our government, and it just doesn't make any kind of fiscal sense.
'let them out, legalize it and tax it.' I think tax payer cost is around $45K for each prisoner per year. I agree with let them out i.e. criminals but keep them under house arrest with tracker devices tied to their bodies. They can only go to work and return home. Such type restrictions will not only put them back in the taxpaying work force but also heal them better over time with more skills and self esteem etc. Utah is experimenting with 4 day work weeks for one year. More places should experiment with new ways of implementing programs without taking a chunk from the exhausted US Treasury. No need to pay the lobbyists etc. just local government makes a decision and quietly implements it on experiment basis. If the program is successful them public support and voice should defeat any lobby group and gang of mean politicians.
And also revoking probation because they have a beer or smoke a joint almost makes it a sure thing for most of those people to end up back in prison. The crap jobs an ex felon has to get and the crap place they have to live would make it hard for most to not escape in some way, and hell it's the American way to have a beer after work, and for some I guess a joint. To require an ex con not to drink a beer after work is, well un American.
If it was that easy, dont you think they wouldve been good hard working citizens BEFORE they went to jail? They ended up in jail because they didnt want to work, then committed crimes so they could have a quick buck. If someone commits a crime and their sentence is they gotta stay home, well thats not much of a punishment because those types of people usually are at home all the time. They aint gonna work. maybe if they are a first timer its good for them, but a repeat offender isnt going to go work and straighten out his life.