Concepts as compromise, accepting less than we think is right, tolerance, changing opinions when faced with more accurate information and truthfully speaking our minds are not politically correct at this time. Sadly, getting all of what we want is “all” we want, is usually impossible and always far too expensive. The old saying “Half a loaf is better than none” may not be such a bad deal when faced with the alternatives. I think it is time for a lot of us to face reality and start to make the best of things that are not about to be stopped or go away. Mostly, in this time of poor economy, it is not a matter of what is good or right, it is a matter of how much we can afford.
I think marijuana is a good example of this sort of problem, particularly with the recent increase of “synthetic pot” that is both as potent as the real stuff and is not illegal (yet). Worse, there are apparently so many synthetics that if one becomes illegal, several more pop up and people are not going to stop using some form of it. The other side is the high cost to the state trying to eliminate it. The amount of funds, water use, ecological damage, corrections, and such, presently used for the purpose is substantial and probably could be used to better purposes throughout the state. There are at least two potential benefits: Taxing marijuana as we do alcohol and tobacco; and enabling industrial hemp as a viable agricultural product (as it is in the rest of the world) and taxable as such. I suspect that those who wish to use marijuana already do and usage would not show much growth, but probably legalizing pot would have a vast impact on their costs, put a crimp in associated crime, and on the correctional system by lowering inmate population.
To me, illegal immigration is another example of something that will never be eliminated, but is wrong and should be controlled as best we can without going bankrupt. Been going strong ever since the Pilgrims landed without permission in the wrong place and, as long as the United States offers more than someone”s originating country, always will. As part of the controversy, we need to really consider what benefits the illegals bring to us in partial exchange. The complaints that outline the “cost” usually contain only the (alleged) payments paid to illegals, and it is a lot. But, because “someone else” is always supposed to step in (after being displaced by illegal labor), no one ever suggests that they probably are more productive than our “citizen welfare recipients” when compared. I was recently sent an e-mail saying that there were 3.5 million illegals in Southern California and the “savings” the country would realize if they all left. But it would be spent ? and more ? when the Southern California economy crashed because of it! We need to mitigate immigration, including special treatment for potentially valuable applicants, as best we can and learn to control the existing problem. And, I suspect, we the people will have to give up some of our freedom to establish control.
There are a number of similar (economic versus ego) considerations I feel we need to face up to on the road to savings: Terrorism and the security problem, CO2 and warming, overseas troop deployment and the amount of sacrifice required to lower the national debt and deficits, as examples.
Guthrie “Guff” Worth is a retired resident of Lakeport who has been writing with enough regularity that we have now named his column.
