The DEA does not make money, except for people working in the DEA, which is the real reason why they can’t get rid of it, since all those people would be out of jobs.
Valete,
Vox Imperatoris
Oh yeah. Well… this was the Attorney General saying it, so… hell, I don’t know.
They could move all those people to some sort of desk jobs elsewhere in the government until they age out, and just not hire anyone to replace them. Might cost a bit more than just cutting everyone loose, but they’d still save money in the long run, plus they’d still be getting the pot tax money.
e: The DEA had 10,759 employees as of last year. Surely they could find some place to stick them.
I didn’t say the DEA was making money. I was saying the government would be making money through fines, court fees, etc… that extend to all portions of federal, state, and local municipalities. And eventually private citizens benefit through roads, schools, infrastructure and lawyers get their cut too.
I understand the DEA folks just get their regular salaries and likely do not benefit financially when say a $10MM bust occurs. That money, while I don’t know where it goes after it leaves the evidence locker, likely goes to the public in some fashion.
The DEA could make tons of money if they resold all the stuff they confiscate.
Seriously though, even if grass and coke were legalized, the DEA would still be around, to crack down on the illegal importation of it. They’d be burning tons of beautiful, beautiful kilos that weren’t bearing the appropriate tax stamps.
Damn right! Like finding a job and getting stoned to stay calm though the whole mess!
I didn’t read through the whole thread yet, but here in CA, NO MORE RAIDS ON POT SHOPS! And in San Fran, a bill is proposed to legalize it all, tax it and make money.
Well, well, well… after all these years, only when desperate, we get an idea for production. If we had done this 30 years ago, recession? What recession?
First, don’t kid yourself, we’d have found a way to overspend, and it’s a depression.
Second, DEA is actually saving money busting up these shops, there’s very little intel needed, very little recon and far less in the way of the big, expensive tactical resources. All that said, I think it’s far past time to legalize and tax weed. Then, in 20 years when the first of the legal tokers dies from lung cancer, the big marijuana lobby will be in front of congress trying to head off the lawsuits that threaten to bankrupt them.
Seriously though, the conservatives will NEVER and I repeat NEVER allow that federally. Don’t anyone forget, Bush was elected twice. TWICE. The conservatives had a powerful voice and if they find something like this to get behind, well, you’ll hear that voice again. medijuana may fly state-to-state, but this is not a national solution to our economic ills, sorry to say.