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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: KLP who wrote (118210)	6/5/2005 12:10:50 PM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793727

the same taxes should be applied to marijuana as they are applied to alcohol....and ALL taxes for both should be put in special funds, not the general fund. They could be used for two purposes: 1) To help in the rehabilitation of the people who become addicted to either, and 2) to help the people who are harmed (or their survivors) by someone who was using either item and therefore caused harm and/or death... You raise an interesting philosophical issue here. To what extent should the government tax legal products and use those taxes exclusively to address problems caused the people using those products. For example, should there be a special tax on fooda that contain excess sodium, to be put in a special fund to treat those who get hypertension from too much sodium, and to help the survivors of people who die from such hypertension? Should there be a special tax on products containing cholesterol to be put in special fund to help heart attack victims whose attacks were caused by too much cholesterol? Should there be special taxes on such sporting goods as baseballs (recent reports that children hit in the eye by baseballs is one of the most frequent sports injuries), snowboards, skis, ATVs, dirt bikes, etc. with the proceeds put in special accounts to help those who are injured by using these legal products? Should there be a special tax on condoms with the proceeds ut into a special fund to help people who get diseases or get pregnant when these products fail? I think you and I differ fundamentally on the extent to which government should provide treatment and other asstistance to people who are choose to use legal products and suffer harm by doing so.