It sucks to be poor all the time, but especially this time of year. Store with gleaming gifts and online ads with great deals mean nothing but added stress and a reminder of circumstances, the focus is on keeping the lights on and food in the fridge. So thanks to those who have brightened my dreary days and stuffed a few bills in my meager Christmas stocking. Thanks to them I’m almost halfway to solvency for the month, please consider a small holiday donation to my Paypal account at Darksydothemoon -at- aol if you can. Later this month I’ll have a snail mail address available for anyone who prefers that.
The only way viable path to decriminalize marijuana, so far, has been by voter referendum. Any politician who sticks their lone neck out on the issue takes a big risk: It’s just too easy for a political opponent to paint them as soft on crime, pro-drugs, anti-family, etc. So a few states like Colorado and Oregon have made it legal, turning it into an industry and revenue base. Which so far has worked out well for everybody, with the possible exception of big organized drug cartels.
This last election day, the District of Columbia followed suit. Initiative 71 passed by a whopping 70%, small amounts of the drug could now be legalized, a source of prison overcrowding and life-ruining policies softened, the people have spoken and some sanity has prevailed! At least until democrats reportedly offer themselves up to take the bullet for conservatives and others who can’t stand the thought of legal weed:
WaPo — An emerging deal to keep the federal government funded into next year would block the D.C. government from allowing legal sales of marijuana in the nation’s capital, according to multiple congressional aides with knowledge of the negotiations.
The spending package remains fluid, and aides warned that details could still change. But asked about the possible curb on D.C.’s marijuana initiative, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) conceded that it may be difficult to remove such language from the final bill.
So the plan is to starve the public’s will by not funding anything. Which can’t happen without support from House and Senate democrats. Although why they would be willing to piss off local voters, go against the consensus of their own party on the topic of decriminalization and the war on drugs, all to keep the GOP from shutting down the government and taking the PR hit that would come from that in the process, and help Republicans look good to their own base, is quite a mystery. The kind of puzzled, head scratching antics we see democrats embark on time and time again.
The thing is, there is no shortage of conservatives and independents who think drug laws are draconian and that laws against marijuana in particular are grossly counterproductive. The trend is rapidly moving toward legalization across the spectrum. There’s even a strand of libertarian conservatism that is definitely pro legalization. And they tend to have a loud voice. So I’m not sure who either party thinks they’re placating by going out of their way to strangle referendums that have passed fair and square, or which voters they think will be so very impressed given that this in DC, a district that has no senator or representative in the first place.
Given the demographics of states like Colorado and Oregon, versus the District of Columbia, it’s tempting to sniff the air here for the foul stench of racism and classism.
So are the Democrats agreeing to go along with the Republicans plan to overrule because of a threat to otherwise shut down the government?
That’s what it sounds like Matthew. I read the text last night of one such bill, it’s all full of ledge language, but there are some things in there that sound ominous. For example there was a rider enabling pension admins to short vested beneficiaries so that the plan wouldn’t have to be bailed out by the government. Pension benefits are supposed to be guaranteed by the government in much the same bank deposits are, and for much the same reason. It also weakens already weak financial regs and oversight. Maybe I read some of it wrong, but there was some disturbing stuff in there.
I’ll tell you who they’re placating: police organizations, the FBI, the commercial prison industry, and all those other powerful groups who make huge profits off the drug war.