Are we fools for allowing government legislators to stump us?
The Chicago Tribune article titled, TV travel guide Rick Steves stumps for legal pot in Illinois, reports how he spoke out :on his favorite side project, legalizing marijuana.
This post is to present an opposing argument so as to not allow us to be “stumped” “ by politicians and profiteers.
Because Rick compared legalized pot to legalized alcohol. I will compare both plus a few more foolish choices for you to wisely judge the other side of his argument.
Three thousand years ago, King Solomon judged numerous court arguments and wrote this proverb to caution listeners before making a decision whether or not any argument is right or wrong, or wise or foolish.
King Solomon
In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines. (Proverbs 18:17)
My Argument
Frankly, I and probably a lot more people do not personally care if anyone chooses to live their lives as a drug addict, alcoholic, STD diseased, or because of their free choices, live a shortened happy or miserable life.
The only ones who really care are the family, friends, victims, affected by the foolish choices people make in life. Of course, thankfully, there are many caring people who feel their calling in life is to become involved in caring. However, unless they are saints, in time many will become discouraged and give up on caring especially when they have to pay the costs for needed care and/or do not have access to needed funds.
However,
I do personally care that myself and everyone else in our nation is being forced to pay the costs for people who make foolish choices of their own volition. That is my basic argument that needs to be addressed in our nation.
Why Legislators Want to Approve Legalized Marijuana
You will read and hear various benefits Rick talked about. However, the politicians main interest is tax revenue. Tax revenue tderived from legalizing marijuana that will be used to fund their pet projects.
My argument is the taxes from legalized marijuana, alcohol, cigarettes, which politicians call vice taxes, should be considered user taxes. Taxes exclusively used to pay for all the misery caused by the addicts, or vice choices the foolish choices of users who choose to harm themselves.
Rather than people who wisely choose not to make foolish vice choices in their lives.
For Example
Anyone who understands how insurance companies remain in business knows that insurers rely on a pool of numerous people, wise or foolish, to pool the premiums to pay for the costs to care for the fools or unfortunate victims of sickness or accidents.
In other words, the wise insurers life choices must pay for the foolish choices made by others in the pool instead of lower insurance costs that would be realized if there was a user tax to pay instead.
The exception being someone who becomes ill or accident not as a result of their choice or fault.
That is the main reason why Obamacare must be tax subsidized by all taxpayers.
For example, drug addicts medical costs are paid by Medicaid. Most cigarette smokers will in time have lung cancer. Alcoholics will wind up with liver diseases, STD and HIV/AIDs will need costly drugs, etc. etc.
User Taxes Argument
Users and those who profit from products that cause addiction should pay for the costs that cause the misery the users will incur in time instead of making everyone in a pool pay higher insurance premiums.
All taxes collected for vice products should be pooled and exclusively used to pay for the results that will incur in time instead of being used to pay other State or City expenses.
If insurers are given options to ask if a person who unses d or engages in any of the vices and be allowed to charge them higher premiums, that would in effect be a user added cost which may discourage a person to use vice products.
Today’s modern medicine can easily detect if a person is on drugs with a blood test which would prove if a insured lied on their insurance application and result in they having to pay their medical costs instead.
In other words, if any person wants to play, they must pay instead of leeching on others to pay for their foolish choices..
If interested, read a King Solomon proverb about leeches HERE
In My Opinion
The end result of a user tax on vice products would be most users will not be able to afford to pay for their vice products.
Would a black market occur for the products and all the benefits that will offset all of he benefits Rich is stumping?
Identification Requirements
Because if a person is high on drugs and is involved in a car accident, there is no test to determine a drug user caused the accident same as a DUI.
I believe when Illinois passes legalized recreational marijuana, they should make anyone who wants to purchase it have to produce a drivers license that states he or she is a recreational user. This would clue a police officer to observe any driver in an auto accident for being high while driving. Police must be trained to observe dilated eyes and other clues for drugs and laws to allow them to search cars for drugs to use as evidence for arrest or lawsuits for damages.
You Decide
Do you mind paying for the medical costs incurred by foolish choices of others?
Would you prefer a user tax instead?
Do you ever feel like legislators are representing our best interests, or are stumping us as fools to do their bidding?
Regards and goodwill blogging
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