Category Archives: Government

What Could We Expect in Federal, State and Local Revenue Increases if Recreational Drugs Were Legalized? . by Alice B. Clagett *

Written and published on 20 April 2018; updated

  • $27.8B FEDERAL DRUG CONTROL ANNUAL EXPENSE
  • $132B ESTIMATED ANNUAL INCREASE IN TAX REVENUES FROM NATIONWIDE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA
  • $708.6B ESTIMATED INCREASE IN TAX REVENUES FROM NATIONWIDE LEGALIZATION OF ALL RECREATIONAL DRUGS
  • $686.2B ESTIMATED ANNUAL NET IMPROVEMENT IN THE FEDERAL BOTTOM LINE
  • $17B ESTIMATED ANNUAL IMPROVEMENT IN THE STATE AND LOCAL BOTTOM LINE DUE TO ‘SIN TAX’ INCREASES
  • FEDERAL LEGISLATION THAT MIGHT GET AROUND THE MORAL ISSUE STATES HAVE WITH LEGALIZATION OF DRUGS
  • MORE INFORMATION

Dear Ones,

$27.8B FEDERAL DRUG CONTROL ANNUAL EXPENSE

According to Forbes, the war on drugs costs the United States over $78 billion a year

Link: “Doc Series ‘The Trade’: The War On Drugs Costs The U.S. Over $78B A Year,” by Dana Feldman, contributor, in Forbes, 9 February 2018 …  https://www.forbes.com/sites/danafeldman/2018/02/09/doc-series-the-trade-the-war-on-drugs-costs-the-u-s-over-78b-a-year/#3076314a2c1b .. 

However, this includes addiction treatment, healthcare, and lost job productivity in addition to federal drug control expense. As it is the federal drug control expense that would be curtailed by legalization, I looked that up. The federal drug control expense for 2018 is estimated to be $27.8 billion dollars … That would mean the other costs … addiction treatment, healthcare, and lost job productivity … tally about $50.2 billion dollars a year.

Link: “Total federal drug control spending in the United States from FY 2013 to FY 2020 (in million U.S. dollars),” by Matej Mikulic, 23 January 2020, in Statista: The Statistics Portal … https://www.statista.com/statistics/618857/total-federal-drug-control-spending-in-us/ ..

$132B ESTIMATED ANNUAL INCREASE IN TAX REVENUES FROM NATIONWIDE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

According to the Washington Post, nationwide legalization of marijuana might result in $132 billion tax revenues annually

Link: “Post Nation: Study: Legal marijuana could generate more than $132 billion in federal tax revenue and 1 million jobs,” by Katie Zezima, 10 January 2018 …  https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2018/01/10/study-legal-marijuana-could-generate-more-than-132-billion-in-federal-tax-revenue-and-1-million-jobs/?utm_term=.dee696c70135 ..

It seems to me that generation of jobs is a moot point in the above article, since the jobs are already there, in our economy, but just not included in the job statistics. Further, income tax revenue from legalization of these jobs is included as part of the $132 billion revenue figure in the above article.

So, the important figure there is the $132 billion annual revenue for nationwide legalization of marijuana, I note this figure takes into account payroll tax deductions, a retail sales tax of 15 percent, and business tax revenues, which seems appropriate to me. I note also they are calculating federal revenue rather than state or local revenue (i.e., ‘sin taxes’).

$708.6B ESTIMATED INCREASE IN TAX REVENUES FROM NATIONWIDE LEGALIZATION OF ALL RECREATIONAL DRUGS

I was unable to find comparable estimates for generation of revenue from legalization of sales of all categories of recreational drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and other recreational drugs. However, this may be estimated as follows:

According to a 2010 Cato Institute report, the ratio of tax revenues for legalization of all drugs, to tax revenues for legalization of marijuana, was 46.7B : 8.7B. For these data, see …

Link: “Commentary: Making an Economic Case for Legalizing Drugs,” by Jeffrey Miron and Katherine Waldock. This article appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer on 3 October 2010 … https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/making-economic-case-legalizing-drugs ..

Plugging this ratio into the more recent estimate of $132B annual marijuana revenue, we get:

46.7B / 8.7B = X / 132B  … and

X = $708.6B … X being the current estimated annual revenues for legalization of all drugs nationwide.

$686.2B ESTIMATED ANNUAL NET IMPROVEMENT IN THE FEDERAL BOTTOM LINE

This estimate of $708.6B may be on the high side. However, going with this figure, and using the prior bolded figures, let’s consider what federal revenue changes might take place if all recreational drugs were legalized nationwide.

  • The current $50.2 billion dollar cost for addiction treatment, healthcare, and lost job productivity would stay roughly the same.
  • The current $27.8 billion dollar annual federal drug control expense would be greatly curtailed.
  • The current estimated annual revenues for legalization of all drugs nationwide would be $708.6B.

On the plus side for the federal government are the last two bullets: $27.8B plus $708.6B = a total of $736.4B total ‘fattening of the federal coffers’.

This increase in the federal bottom line might resolve the issue of the first-bullet minus: A portion of the federal increase might be set aside to completely cover the $50.2 billion dollar annual cost for addiction treatment, healthcare, and lost job productivity would stay roughly the same.

This would leave a net improvement in the federal bottom line of $736.4B less $50.2B = net $686.2B. 

$17B ESTIMATED ANNUAL IMPROVEMENT IN THE STATE AND LOCAL BOTTOM LINE DUE TO ‘SIN TAX’ INCREASES

An added plus would be sin taxes on that might optionally be levied by state and local governments. In 2014, state sin taxes for were $32.5B for currently legal activities and products such as alcohol, tobacco, casino, racino, and gaming. The largest category was tobacco at $16.9B.

The retail value of 2017 annual tobacco sales in the United States was about $121B

Link: “Market value of tobacco in the United States from 2013 to 2018 (in million U.S. dollars),” in Statista: The Statistics Portal,” https://www.statista.com/statistics/491709/tobacco-united-states-market-value/ ..

From 2000 to 2010, Americans spend about $100B annually on illegal drugs, including cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine, according to the RAND Drug Policy Research Center for the Office of National Drug Control Policy. This is the most recent figure I have on the market value of illegal drugs in the United States, so I’ll go with this.

Link: “Americans Spent About A Trillion Dollars On Illegal Drugs In The Last Decade,” by Matt Ferner, 13 March 2014, in Huffington Post … https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/13/americans-trillion-dollars-drugs_n_4943601.html ..

Looking at these two figures: 2017 annual tobacco sales at $121B, and 2010 estimated annual illegal drug sales at $100 billion, we might consider these to be roughly equal.

Thus the sin tax on legalized recreational drugs sales might be anticipated to be about what states and local governments receive in annual sin tax for tobacco: that is, about $17B annually.

FEDERAL LEGISLATION THAT MIGHT GET AROUND THE MORAL ISSUE STATES HAVE WITH LEGALIZATION OF DRUGS

This crunching of the figures makes it clear that the most logical thing to do would be to legalize all recreational drugs, and generate federal and state revenues from their sales. However, many people in the United States have strong moral stands on recreational drugs.

In fact, the fury over legalization, or criminalization, of recreational drug use in America today is very similar to the fury over alcohol use that resulted in Prohibition … a ban on alcohol sales and use from 1920 to 1933. As I understand it, criminal activity around ‘bootlegging’ skyrocketed during those years. Then when Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the crime wave abated, and federal and local governments began to benefit from liquor revenues.

I feel we might have the same benefits with regard to recreational drugs in this way …

  • The federal government might legalize all recreational drug use and sales.
  • States might have the power to prohibit recreational drug use and sales, either altogether or in part.
  • Those states that legalize recreational drug use and sales, either altogether or in part, might get the benefit of remuneration by the federal government, based on increased federal revenues from recreational drug sales in their state.
  • Federal remuneration to states that decide to legalize recreational drugs might be earmarked for drug-use-related health care, addiction treatment, and health education for schools, and for drug users and their families.

In love, light and joy
This is Alice B. Clagett.
I Am of the Stars … and so are you!

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MORE INFORMATION

Tobacco tax revenues in the United States are expected to be about $14 billion dollars for the year 2018 …

Link: “Tobacco tax revenue and forecast in the United States from 2000 to 2025 (in billion U.S. dollars).” by Erin Duffin, 4 March 2020, in Statista: The Statistics Portal … https://www.statista.com/statistics/248964/revenues-from-tobacco-tax-and-forecast-in-the-us/ ..

Liquor tax revenues in the United States are expected to be about $10 billion dollars for the year 2018 …

Link: “Alcohol tax revenue in the United States from 2000 to 2025 (in billion U.S. dollars),” by Erin Duffin, 4 March 2020, in Statista: The Statistics Portal … https://www.statista.com/statistics/248952/revenues-from-alcohol-tax-and-forecast-in-the-us/ ..

By comparison, total United States government receipts for 2018 are expected to be about 3.65 trillion dollars

Link: “Total receipts of the U.S. government in fiscal years 2000 to 2025 (in trillion U.S. dollars),” by Erin Duffin, 3 March 2020, in Statista: The Statistics Portal … https://www.statista.com/statistics/200405/receipts-of-the-us-government-since-fiscal-year-2000/ ..

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government, law, drug use, legalization of drugs, economy, federal revenues, state and local revenues, sin tax, Prohibition, crime, law enforcement, social issues, mores, morals, drug use, addiction, community health, history, economics, health, education,

Journal Entry: Dark Fluid versus Dark Matter . by Alice B. Clagett

Written on 22 January 2018; published on 13 March 2018

  • JOURNAL ENTRY: DARK FLUID VS DARK MATTER
    • Sidebar: Does Dark Matter Exist?
    • Cosmological Implications
    • Theology to Psychology to Instantaneous Physical Healing
    • Predestination versus Free Will
    • On the Presence of God in Our Lives
    • On the Stances and Interactions of the Governments of Gaia
    • Quantum Research: The Leap from the Causal Realm to the Fifth Dimension
    • Planet Nibiru and New Life on New Earth

Dear Ones,

Here is a Journal entry inspired by an abstract of a physics paper on dark fluid versus dark matter. It is in outline form. My hope is that it will raise questions that spark the imagination …

JOURNAL ENTRY: DARK FLUID VS DARK MATTER
22 January 2018

In re fears of dark planet Nibiru and concerns about dark matter … which I peg to the illusion of Duality … I gather from SuspiciousObservers that there has been some wrassling around about whether dark matter really exists.

………………..
Sidebar: Does Dark Matter Exist?

Link: Abstract of “Darkness Without Dark Matter and Energy — Generalized Unimodular Gravity” by O.Barvinsky and A.Yu.Kamenshchik, Physics Letters B, Vol. 774, 10 November 2017, pages 59-63 … http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269317307578 … CC BY 4.0

Abstract: “We suggest a Lorentz non-invariant generalization of the unimodular gravity theory, which is classically equivalent to general relativity with a locally inert (devoid of local degrees of freedom) perfect fluid having an equation of state with a constant parameter w. For the range of w near −1 this dark fluid can play the role of dark energy, while for w=0 this dark dust admits spatial inhomogeneities and can be interpreted as dark matter. We discuss possible implications of this model in the cosmological initial conditions problem. In particular, this is the extension of known microcanonical density matrix predictions for the initial quantum state of the closed cosmology to the case of spatially open Universe, based on the imitation of the spatial curvature by the dark fluid density. We also briefly discuss quantization of this model necessarily involving the method of gauge systems with reducible constraints and the effect of this method on the treatment of recently! suggested mechanism of vacuum energy sequestering.”

………………..

So now there is a model utilizing dark fluid, and chucking out dark matter and dark energy. Flow.

Cosmological Implications

On the cosmological plane, I see a side-by-side to do with my blog category: Advaita – nonduality – duality    

Theology to Psychology to Instantaneous Physical Healing

In the theological realm, I see the ‘dark matter’ concept reducing from the cosmological conflict …

See my blog categories: Angelic Realm …  Demonic realm  …  Fallen angels  … and …  Satan – Satanism

… to the inner psychological conflict, my blog category: Shadow of our personality – dweller on the threshold  … and …  Dark body

… keeping in mind that the ‘Shadow of our personality’ and the “Dark body’ are but fluctuations or flow or relative Dark in our Body of Light.

This model, then, admits of instantaneous physical healing.

Predestination versus Free Will

Again in the realm of theology, I see relevance to the debate between the concepts of predestination and free will …

See my blog category: Free will – will power

On the Presence of God in Our Lives

Also in the realm of theology, this equates to the debate about God indwelling and transcendent, about theological canon and the mystical experience.

See my blog categories: Mysticism … and … Advaita – nonduality – duality … and the various subcategories under the general category:  Religions of the world

On the Stances and Interactions of the Governments of Gaia

On the governmental plane, we have the dispute about Defense versus humanitarian outreach.

See my blog category: War and peace – imprisonment and freedom

Quantum Research: The Leap from the Causal Realm to the Fifth Dimension

In quantum research, we have a turning from the causal plane to fractal dispersal. This frees the tangles in the Dark Network through freely mixing Dark and Light.

See my blog category: Causality – synchronicity

Planet Nibiru and New Life on New Earth

To me, Planet Nibiru represents the culmination of the Duality play mental filter.

This thought of cataclysm of the world we know as Reality with the shadow realm we know as being beyond a door behind which evil lurks … as is so eloquently stated in “The Great Invocation” of Djwhal Khul, channeled here …

Video: “The Great Invocation” . by Djwhal Khul . Channeled by Alice B. Clagett, filmed on 19 November 2014, published on 3 July 2019 … https://youtu.be/IrE4QJg_Ai0 ..

And here are the words to the prayer … Link: “The Great Invocation,” by Djwhal Khul, through Alice Bailey, in Theosophy Wiki … https://theosophy.wiki/en/Great_Invocation ..

This prayer represents the rising to multidimensional Awareness of the left brain, and especially of the male population of Earth.

What we have in this new physical model is the beginning of an approach to a logical way of conceiving the One Light from which the Universe flows, the fluid flutter of Darkness and Light upon the lens of the human eye, and the Soul’s reaction to the ebb and flow of the Dark.

In love, light and joy
This is Alice B. Clagett.
I Am of the Stars … and so are you!

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astrogeophysics, dark fluid, dark matter, theology, psychology, healing, free will, predestination, government, social issues, Gaia, quantum physics, causality, synchronicity, Planet Nibiru, New Earth, Fifth Dimension, mysticism, advaita, religions of the world, shadow of the personality, angelic realm, demonic realm, Djwhal Khul, military, defense, humanitarianism, Nibiru, Dark Network,

You Are Welcome to Your Thoughts . by Alice B. Clagett

  • VIDEO 1 BY ALICE
  • SUMMARY OF VIDEO 1
    • Where the Thoughts that Assail You Come From
    • On Coming Upon Clouds of Thoughts
    • On Belief Thought Forms
    • How to Send Thought Forms Lumbering Off
      • “Affirmation: Welcome to Your Thoughts,” by Alice B. Clagett, Soundtrack and Lyrics
    • On Batting Back Other People’s Thought Forms
    • Other People’s Motives, Expressed in Their Thoughts
  • VIDEO 2 BY ALICE
  • SUMMARY OF VIDEO 2
    • “Song: Welcome to Your Thoughts,” by Alice B. Clagett, Soundtrack and Lyrics
    • Photos by Alice

Dear Ones,

Here are two videos on the chant, “You’re welcome to your thoughts,” which can be used to waft the unwanted thoughts of other people … like big, lumbering butterflies … out of your head and back into theirs.

The first video offers a description of thought forms, and a spoken version of the chant. The second video offers a sung version of the chant and a video clip of Rincon Beach in California. There are edited Summaries after the videos …

VIDEO 1 BY ALICE

SUMMARY OF VIDEO 1

Hello, Dear Ones, It’s Alice. I Am of the Stars.

I have something that has proved extremely helpful, in the last day, to fend off thought forms from other people, that seem to be obnoxious, or upsetting, or that cause the heart to falter or to tighten up … like that. The kind of thoughts that are the opposite of heart Awareness thoughts.

Where the Thoughts that Assail You Come From 

  • And these may even come from friends and family … people that we know … but from different timelines and dimensions that they are not expressing in your Awareness timeline.
  • You never know. They may come from the world at large.
  • Or from mass media that everyone is watching at once.
  • And they might be simply free floating thoughts … which happens once in a while …

On Coming Upon Clouds of Thoughts

  • You are walking past a place of business, and you come across thoughts that have been piling up and just hanging out there in swarms and clouds.
  • Or in some places where people are angry, it is like walking into a swarm of angry hornets. You know?
  • And if you walk into a church or place of worship, or like that, you are likely to be assailed by sweet, kind, peaceful thoughts. You know?

On Belief Thought Forms

There are thought forms everywhere. and there are also belief thought forms everywhere.

For instance, every church has its special belief thought forms. You may want to just go in for a quiet moment, in which case you do not want to get involved in the beliefs, you know? Like that.

How to Send Thought Forms Lumbering Off

So: Thought forms … good or bad … Here is the solution; it is ever so simple. You sense the thought incoming, and you say …

. . . . .

“Affirmation: Welcome to Your Thoughts”
by Alice B. Clagett
Soundtrack and Lyrics
16 January 2018

 

You are welcome to your thoughts!

. . . . .

And imagine the person that sent the thoughts. Just imagine a warm feeling in your own heart. And imagine them receiving their own thoughts, and having their own thoughts, and being entitled to their own thoughts.

So, all you are saying is: You are welcome to your thoughts! You are welcome to your thoughts! … Slowly, kindly, sweetly …

On Batting Back Other People’s Thought Forms

And it works much better than that ‘batting them back’ thing that I sometimes find myself doing when I am very annoyed by other people’s repetitive thoughts and so forth …

  • Thoughts that are intended to ‘get my goat’ …
  • Game-playing thoughts; ‘gamester’ thoughts, and like that. And my heart will tighten up because I do not know what to do; I do not know what the game is. You know?

Other People’s Motives, Expressed in Their Thoughts

Or it may be motives that are very different from my own motives. My motive might be to keep my heart always open, so as to be a beacon of joy for the world, right?

But other people have all different kinds of agendas. They might be acting out of …

  • jealousy, or
  • greed, or
  • anger, or even
  • rage, or
  • fear, or
  • anxiety, or
  • feeling caught in karmic circumstances ..

… Just a lot of different things that are within their thought field, you know? These are the thoughts that they are emitting all the time. Or …

  • Believe what I believe, or else! That kind of thing, you know?
  • Or: I have my heart open, and your heart is less open! And so therefore …! … One-upmanship, and things like that.
  • Or: I have lots of money, and you do not! So therefore …!

That is the scoop; is just to say: You are welcome to your thoughts! … And do not make it sound like you belittle them, or anything. But let them feel that they are entitled to the liberty of their own thoughts … of thinking their own thoughts. And that way it becomes a very positive force in the world. It becomes a space where the unity and harmony of New Earth can exist.

VIDEO 2 BY ALICE

SUMMARY OF VIDEO 2

This is a sung version of “Welcome to your thoughts,” along with a short video of surf breaking on Rincon Beach in California …

. . . . .

“Song: Welcome to Your Thoughts”
by Alice B. Clagett
Soundtrack and Lyrics
16 January 2018

 

You are welcome to your thoughts!  (x3)

. . . . .

Photos by Alice

Image: Keyhole of Light at Rincon Beach, by Alice B. Clagett,13 January 2018, CC BY-SA 4.0 International, from “Awakening with Planet Earth,” https://awakeningwithplanetearth.com ..

Image: Keyhole of Light at Rincon Beach, by Alice B. Clagett,13 January 2018, CC BY-SA 4.0 International, from “Awakening with Planet Earth,” https://awakeningwithplanetearth.com ..  

. . . . .

In love, light and joy
This is Alice B. Clagett.
I Am of the Stars … and so are you!

Written and published on 16 January 2018; revised on 23 March 2023

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). Attribution: By Alice B. Clagett.
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thought forms, New Earth, unity, harmony, anger, jealousy, greed, rage, fear, anxiety, karma, beliefs, game playing, one-upmanship, pride, motives, affirmations, songs, songs by Alice, affirmations by Alice, affirmations, freedom of thought, freedom of speech, democratic principles, theosophy, government, Rincon Beach, United States Constitution, Awareness timeline, photos by Alice, emotions, 2u3d,