Yeah, yeah tax it! Thats the ticket!

While the CZar and ‘Puter over at the Gormogons have been debating legalization of drugs, I’m reminded one thing I never see discussed.

During the discussion of whether taxing it will bring in additional revenue, nobody EVER discusses whether legalizing something for tax reasons is reasonable. If something is illegal for moral or societal reasons then it needs to be illegal. If there is a reasonable logical argument that something should not be illegal, then it needs to be legal. But we should never pass laws that determine whether or not I am allowed to own something just because you can tax me on it. Laws should be based on the need of the society, not on the need of the government’s pocketbook.

Taxes are a necessary evil. They are not an end unto themselves. The argument “because we can raise more tax money” should never taken into serious consideration in a legal debate.

While I personally waffle on the drug issue, I find anyone who suddenly switches their views to legalization purely for economic reasons a coward who has no moral fiber nor confidence in their own decisions.