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Politics : Right Wing Extremist Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (3867)	1/31/2001 4:31:03 PM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 59480

I was not inclined to go out over the weekend, although I do want to see Traffic, assuming it remains available. I consciously passed on 28 Days, but maybe will take a look on video. Rehab is very costly, and almost pointless unless there is strong motivation to succeed, so the potential for serious damage to persons with addictive propensities and their families is very high. That is why I remain in favor of interdiction, even if imperfect. I do not think the consenting adult argument is sufficient when the risk is so high, and the social fallout so grave.....

To: Ilaine who wrote (3867)	1/31/2001 5:22:51 PM
From: The Philosopher	Respond to of 59480

Coincidentally, I heard on NPR yesterday that nationwide the states pay more for drug rehab and treatment than they do for public school education. I would want that one verified. It sounds like a false statistic. Some possible factors: In many states, public education is almost entirely paid for by local property taxes, so technically the states don't include the money in their budgets. So maybe in those states the amount the STATE pays for dr&t is greater than they pay for pse, but not the combined budgets. Or, did they include prison costs and the police, court systems, etc. in dr&e? If you include those, maybe, but I still doubt it. In Washington, our school money all goes through the state budget. I just looked it up, and for 1997-1999 (we budget by bienniums) the State spent a total of 19 billion dollars of state money, of which 8.8 billion went to public schools, and 2.2 billion to higher education. All human services combined totaled 6.0 billion. I think this includes police, corrections, social services, etc. So for Washington, at least, that statistic is pure bunk. If you add in other funds, presumably mostly Federal funds run through the state, the total expenditures are 37.7 billion, public school education is up to 9.5 billion, higher education is up to 5.3 billion (I didn't realize how much othe rmoney went to our colleges--maybe they include fund raising in that), and human services is up to 14 billion. So it's theoretically possible, but is still totally false, since much or most of that additional spending on human services will be medicaid reimbursement. Either you heard wrong, or NPR is playing fast and loose with statistics, which wouldn't surprise me a bit. Source for Wn. budget info: ofm.wa.gov

To: Ilaine who wrote (3867)	1/31/2001 6:53:47 PM
From: Lazarus_Long	Respond to of 59480

So rehab doesn't work.... and jail doesn't work.... and legalization won't work (maybe).... So what now? Of course, Message 15277937 questions that staistic about rehab costs. (There's always the Saudi solution: death penalty for dealing. Some do it anyway. But they only get caught once.) (Of course the justice system works a little differently there. Appeals? What are they.)

To: Ilaine who wrote (3867)	2/1/2001 10:55:41 AM
From: John Lacelle	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 59480

True Right Wing Extremists are for decriminalization. I remember that William F. Buckley jr. once sailed out into the Atlantic on a yacht to a point beyond the 200 mile limit. This was all so that he could smoke some marijuana without violating US law. His experience was what most people say. That this is pretty much harmless stuff. Compared to all the death and destruction caused by cigarettes, there certainly are some questions about where our values lie. -John