In California, state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco has sponsored a bill to legalize marijuana growth, possession and sale. The bill would also ban local and state authorities from enforcing federal drug laws related to marijuana. A state tax of $50 per ounce would be levied, which according to some published accounts would produce over a billion dollars per year in new revenues, some of which would go toward "drug abuse prevention." And on the other side of the ledger, law enforcement could stop enforcing marijuana laws leaving it free to enforce other things.
And then of course, government agencies running lotteries are attempting to protect "their" gambling from Internet gaming, claiming that it cuts into "the people's revenues," some of which go to fund "gambling addiction" programs.
Government seems to think it can profit from the poison while throwing coins at some supposed antidote. It is jumping into profitable ventures and legislating against "the competition." And to that extent, it is failing to carry out its duties to protect and serve society and the public. Government entangled in "sin-tax" revenues may lose sight of the mission in pursuit of the gold.