Onto something here....
Belgian Sheepdog Adictee
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: In Today
Posts: 6,101
Here's another angle to look at:
With a budget exceeding 2.415 billion dollars, DEA employs over 10800. Now, WHAT IF our government disbanded the DEA and instead used that 2.4+ Billion a year to oversee and issue the various drugs, thus being able to tax them, but it would probably still be at prices cheaper than what dealers charge, and use the majority of the money to retrain those agents and open rehab centers.
With the addicts being able to buy their DOC at lower prices and consistent content, the Dealers and Cartels would be put out of business. And the stores where they purchased same would be logging their purchases on a central computer, thus there would be a means of tracking the addicts and getting them to treatment.
Would that be "Big Brother?" Maybe, but I personally think we would end up with a lot more working viable citizens contributing to the economy and living healthy lives.
Seems to me that all the money that we have have spent on the DEA sure isn't showing much progress. Matter of fact the DEA has done Jack Chit in my opinion.
Down here at the border, they have now brought in the National Guard, 90 more ATF agents to try to prevent GUNS from going over the borders to the Cartels. The Mexican government has sent Federales to Juarez and has taken the guns away from the Juarez police as many of them are on the Cartel's payroll. They have also brought in 45 more FBI to the area, as the Mexican government is asking for FBI help.
You don't see that in the news. You don't see how much marijuana is confiscated every day or how much cocaine in the news, but it is amounting to millions of dollars worth almost daily. And that is only a drop in the bucket, so you figure how much is getting through to end up on our streets.
If the Cartel had no buyers ....................................... well you figure it out. If the $2.41+ Billion could be better spent on rehabilitation, .....................................well wouldn't that make more sense?
As to drug testing by Welfare, I know that here in NM they are authorized to random test. When one applies and then also any time they recertify. Recertification can be anywhere from once every 3 months to once a year. I don't believe it has really helped that much as I see practicing users getting aid and assistance all the time.
All of the above is J M H O. lol
Love and hugs,
With a budget exceeding 2.415 billion dollars, DEA employs over 10800. Now, WHAT IF our government disbanded the DEA and instead used that 2.4+ Billion a year to oversee and issue the various drugs, thus being able to tax them, but it would probably still be at prices cheaper than what dealers charge, and use the majority of the money to retrain those agents and open rehab centers.
With the addicts being able to buy their DOC at lower prices and consistent content, the Dealers and Cartels would be put out of business. And the stores where they purchased same would be logging their purchases on a central computer, thus there would be a means of tracking the addicts and getting them to treatment.
Would that be "Big Brother?" Maybe, but I personally think we would end up with a lot more working viable citizens contributing to the economy and living healthy lives.
Seems to me that all the money that we have have spent on the DEA sure isn't showing much progress. Matter of fact the DEA has done Jack Chit in my opinion.
Down here at the border, they have now brought in the National Guard, 90 more ATF agents to try to prevent GUNS from going over the borders to the Cartels. The Mexican government has sent Federales to Juarez and has taken the guns away from the Juarez police as many of them are on the Cartel's payroll. They have also brought in 45 more FBI to the area, as the Mexican government is asking for FBI help.
You don't see that in the news. You don't see how much marijuana is confiscated every day or how much cocaine in the news, but it is amounting to millions of dollars worth almost daily. And that is only a drop in the bucket, so you figure how much is getting through to end up on our streets.
If the Cartel had no buyers ....................................... well you figure it out. If the $2.41+ Billion could be better spent on rehabilitation, .....................................well wouldn't that make more sense?
As to drug testing by Welfare, I know that here in NM they are authorized to random test. When one applies and then also any time they recertify. Recertification can be anywhere from once every 3 months to once a year. I don't believe it has really helped that much as I see practicing users getting aid and assistance all the time.
All of the above is J M H O. lol
Love and hugs,
Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Midwest
Posts: 545
Principle and money have always been at odds... really! If the government could really fix things... wouldn't the problems already be fixed... Honestly welfare was going to fix poverty and whats happened? We still have poverty! In the day of bailouts and people asking for a bailout... if you want assistance here's the price you have to pay and it shouldn't take an act of Congress to do it!
Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Stumbling toward happiness
Posts: 4,706
Originally Posted by Freedom1990 
I'll be the devil's advocate here. If we're going to do that, then we need to start screening for other things, like gambling addictions, eating disorders, all sorts of addictions that are costing the taxpayers money in one way or another whether it's through the welfare checks, medical cards, etc. Addictions in general are costly. We can't discriminate if you're going to look at it that way.
Every day I walk down the street and see people who always have money for cigarettes but can't afford their rent, I see morbidly overweight people who are jacking up the cost of healthcare for all, and examples of other addictions that carry a social cost.
Unless we're planning on controlling everything, we may not want to get started there. There are no easy answers, as much as we'd like there to be. As for taking public assistance away from addicts, anyone who has seen an addict feed their addiction before feeding their own children knows how that will work out. The children can get removed, sure, but then the cost has just shifted to another government program, no net gain.
Now an EXTRA benefit for passing a drug test, perhaps placed in a special fund to help with job training/home ownership/etc.? Or maybe a reduced healthcare premium (or an annual "health refund" - like a tax refund) for those who can prove they are working at healthy habits? Maybe those kinds of incentives would work, for those who truly are trying?
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
