A Philadelphia newspaper recently reported that U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.), U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Philadelphia) and Democrat mayoral candidate Michael Nutter talked about the need for strong federal funding for crime-fighting efforts for the city in North Philadelphia yesterday.
I disagree. I do not think the government needs more funding for crime-fighting. Instead, they simply need to focus their resources more sensibly.
The federal government as well as local governments waste massive amounts of money enforcing authoritarian drug laws. For example, 25% of the United States inmate population are in on non-violent drug charges, and unsurprisingly jails and prisons complain of overcrowding and insufficient funding and resources to manage the huge inmate population. As another example, marijuana prohibition costs the United States $41 billion per year.
Like I already said, the crime-fighting efforts do not need more funding. They need to use the funds they already have to actually protect people from victimization. They need to use the funds to protect innocent people from rapists, murderers, thieves, and other victimizers. They need to do that rather than waste resources bothering innocuous people solely over drug offenses and other victimless crimes such as prostitution.
Imagine how many rapists we could stop with that $42 billion wasted every year on marijuana prohibition.
What do you think?
Sunday, October 14th 2007 at 1:06 am
What do I think? I think Ron Paul in ’08. Where is his media coverage?
Thursday, October 11th 2007 at 3:44 am
From what i have read, i disagree with government need more funding. Government are totally use with non proper way as they just use to protect for people victimization.