California is bankrupt with surging unemployment and a population shrinking by a third of a million people a year; meanwhile state lawmakers are working on legalizing Marijuana.
First, they estimate nearly a billion dollars in tax income based off an estimated consumption of Marijuana, considering and Marijuana is largely illegal, I consider their estimate unreliable. Second, we must assume the vast network of illicit drug producers, traders and customers will suddenly want to start paying taxes, it’s important to keep in mind that successful business without taxes is far more profitable for producers and far more affordable for consumers. Considering the acceptance of illegality of this industry and it’s consumers I doubt much tax income for the foreseeable future.
If the state of California is really serious about financial solvency, it needs to enforce the anti union laws against the state workers union and cutback on public housing and welfare.
The problem isn’t the section 8 people, the problem is the state being broke, which can be corrected by breaking up the illegal state workers union and by cutting back or eliminating section 8. Legalizing illicit drugs and identifying new tax income opportunities isn’t going to correct state leadership which isn’t interested in balanced check books, what’s gained without sweat is given away without regret, and that is how the state treats tax income.
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/politics/Planting-the-Seed-for-Legal-Pot-81222877.html