Use Prostitution to Pay for Roads

[I.J. Reilly]

This article puts forth the argument that legalizing and then taxing all forms of vice would actually be a net gain for our country. This idea has been around for a long time it seems to have been gaining steam in these hard economic times.

While I'm not against legalizing some things that have historically been outlawed (mostly marajuana), I have a strong aversion to some of the other things that he mentions here, specifically hard drugs like heroin and cocaine and across the board legalization of gambling.

While people may be adults and should be allowed to make their own choices, I feel that there are some things that have too large a negative effect that would be realized if we were to open them up for use. Many studies have born out the fact that the installation of a casino in a neighborhood has a strong correlation with the increase of crime. Some drugs like cocaine and heroin can completely take over a person's life to where they can go far beyond the point of making rational decisions and their subsequent decisions can impose much harm on others.

What does everyone else think? How would the legalization of our vices help or hurt our country?

[KillerDog]

This article puts forth the argument that legalizing and then taxing all forms of vice would actually be a net gain for our country. This idea has been around for a long time it seems to have been gaining steam in these hard economic times.

While I'm not against legalizing some things that have historically been outlawed (mostly marajuana), I have a strong aversion to some of the other things that he mentions here, specifically hard drugs like heroin and cocaine and across the board legalization of gambling.

While people may be adults and should be allowed to make their own choices, I feel that there are some things that have too large a negative effect that would be realized if we were to open them up for use. Many studies have born out the fact that the installation of a casino in a neighborhood has a strong correlation with the increase of crime. Some drugs like cocaine and heroin can completely take over a person's life to where they can go far beyond the point of making rational decisions and their subsequent decisions can impose much harm on others.

What does everyone else think? How would the legalization of our vices help or hurt our country?

I think we have made too many things illegal for moral reasons and need to allow people to make their own decisions. In cases where there isn't direct harm against an innocent, we should allow people to be idiots, if we then decide to tax that action to raise money and discourage it, that sounds fine to me.

For example, I don't think there should be laws concerning seatbelt use for people over 12 y.o. I'm for the legalization of drugs, prostitution, and gambling.

[I.J. Reilly]

I think we have made too many things illegal for moral reasons and need to allow people to make their own decisions. In cases where there isn't direct harm against an innocent, we should allow people to be idiots, if we then decide to tax that action to raise money and discourage it, that sounds fine to me.

For example, I don't think there should be laws concerning seatbelt use for people over 12 y.o. I'm for the legalization of drugs, prostitution, and gambling.

When you say drugs do you mean all drugs from prescription medicine on down to heroin? If not, where do you draw the line and why? Do you have any other reasons for wanting to take off the restrictions placed on these vices besides allowing people to make their own decisions?

[Goatnapper'96]

This article puts forth the argument that legalizing and then taxing all forms of vice would actually be a net gain for our country. This idea has been around for a long time it seems to have been gaining steam in these hard economic times.

While I'm not against legalizing some things that have historically been outlawed (mostly marajuana), I have a strong aversion to some of the other things that he mentions here, specifically hard drugs like heroin and cocaine and across the board legalization of gambling.

While people may be adults and should be allowed to make their own choices, I feel that there are some things that have too large a negative effect that would be realized if we were to open them up for use. Many studies have born out the fact that the installation of a casino in a neighborhood has a strong correlation with the increase of crime. Some drugs like cocaine and heroin can completely take over a person's life to where they can go far beyond the point of making rational decisions and their subsequent decisions can impose much harm on others.

What does everyone else think? How would the legalization of our vices help or hurt our country?

I am a social libertarian and so I agree with K-dog's comments. Saying that I can recall that in Idaho the promises from some were that all of the school funding issues would be solved by the Lottery. So I guess my idea is legalize it but not because we want to tax it. It seems to me that eventually this slush fund of new found taxes that are going to cure all woes will be exhausted and we will be searching for more and more and more, just as the Idaho Lottery did not exactly provide for school funding indefinitely. Government has a habit of spending any money they have and I might be wrong but it appears our federal government spends more than it has. But that is OK as between the green revolution and decreasing health care costs we are all going to be just peachy! Responsible and accountable sort of peachy!

[KillerDog]

When you say drugs do you mean all drugs from prescription medicine on down to heroin? If not, where do you draw the line and why? Do you have any other reasons for wanting to take off the restrictions placed on these vices besides allowing people to make their own decisions?

I don't see a difference between heroin and oxycotin. I don't know why we have arbitrarily drawn the drug lines we've drawn but I think they don't make sense and we should legalize drugs...all of them.

[woot]

I don't see a difference between heroin and oxycotin. I don't know why we have arbitrarily drawn the drug lines we've drawn but I think they don't make sense and we should legalize drugs...all of them.

While I strongly advocate the legalization of marijuana, the arguments I use in that case do not apply very well to other drugs. Weed is harmless. Other drugs are not. By saying we should legalize all drugs, does that mean they should all be available over the counter, or only that they should all be available to physicians to prescribe?

[Non Sequitur]

I don't see a difference between heroin and oxycotin.

There's a huge difference. There aren't a lot of lobbyists looking out for the interests of Heroin dealers.

[RobinFinderson]

The whole idea of paying for things with 'sin taxes' should be anathema to true fiscal conservatives. Why make the 'sinners' pay more than their fair share?

One could argue that they should pay because their 'sinning' has a social cost that isn't represented in the market price of the 'sin.' But that holds true for all kinds of industry, where much of the cost is externalized (pollution, poor working conditions, gov. subsidies, etc).

[Fiyero]

Why are the people who enjoy hookers and smoking being singled out to pay such exorbitant taxes? Let's see the fatties start ponying up 50% for their krispy kremes, oreos and pepsi. Maybe they'll start eating less and put Frito-Lay out of business.

[Non Sequitur]

While I strongly advocate the legalization of marijuana, the arguments I use in that case do not apply very well to other drugs. Weed is harmless. Other drugs are not. By saying we should legalize all drugs, does that mean they should all be available over the counter, or only that they should all be available to physicians to prescribe?

A super-sized Whopper with curly fries is not harmless. What say we ban that too?

[woot]

A super-sized Whopper with curly fries is not harmless. What say we ban that too?

Yes, you're preaching to the choir. I just don't find this sort of thing useful until we can at least get weed legalized. Until we can at least get things legalized that are certainly safer than alcohol, it doesn't seem useful to go beyond that. I do think that it becomes an interesting discussion, however. I'd be interested to see responses to my question concerning how much power we want to take away from physicians regarding prescriptions.

[RobinFinderson]

A super-sized Whopper with curly fries is not harmless. What say we ban that too?

I had a 1x1 at In N' Out the other day. I got home and decided to check out the calories for a typical In n' Out meal that I have enjoyed in the past:

DoubleDouble = 670 calories
French Fries = 400 calories
Chocolate Shake = 690 calories

One meal sum = 1760 calories

Many people enjoy their fries 'monster style' which means it is covered in mayonnaise ketchup and sugar. For some reason In-N-Out's nutritional facts page doesn't list the additional calories in 'monster style.'

[il Padrino Ute]

I had a 1x1 at In N' Out the other day. I got home and decided to check out the calories for a typical In n' Out meal that I have enjoyed in the past:

DoubleDouble = 670 calories
French Fries = 400 calories
Chocolate Shake = 690 calories

One meal sum = 1760 calories

Many people enjoy their fries 'monster style' which means it is covered in mayonnaise ketchup and sugar. For some reason In-N-Out's nutritional facts page doesn't list the additional calories in 'monster style.'

You ate food that you would prevent others from eating if you could have it your way?

[RobinFinderson]

You ate food that you would prevent others from eating if you could have it your way?

I would never 'prevent' people from eating these things. The questions that I ask have to do with what we collectively choose to 'accommodate.'

I would also make a stark distinction between the 'rights' of individuals vs. the 'rights' of corporations. IMO, these should be different sets of rights. A person should have the right to raise a cow, slaughter it, make a hamburger and eat it. Once a person chooses to SELL that burger, s/he must accept a greater degree of responsibility for the product. Responsibility can be expensive, and for 'harmful' goods, that cost may be prohibitively expensive. This would be my approach to 'junk food.' Get rid of it by making the cost of it too expensive. Work the REAL, unaccommodated cost be reflected in the price, and see how many people are willing to spend $20 on a fast food burger.

[smokymountainrain]

Why are the people who enjoy hookers and smoking being singled out to pay such exorbitant taxes? Let's see the fatties start ponying up 50% for their krispy kremes, oreos and pepsi. Maybe they'll start eating less and put Frito-Lay out of business.

Bingo. My sister just came to our house after going out to eat with some her homies from the old neighborhood. There is a mother and two daughters that are among the group. All of them make Michael Moore look like Andrei Kirilenko.

One of the daughters - the biggest - ordered two big cheese enchiladas, beans and rice a large side of fries with ranch dressing. When the main course was over, according to my sister, this family complained about the fact that this restaurant didn't serve dessert. But they understand that you don't complain - you do something about it. That's right, these three fatties went to a different restaurant for dessert.