Great post, Scott.

If Sen. Obama is as bad on drug policy/criminal justice issues as he seems, one has to wonder when our allies in the civil rights and public health organizations and also in the mainstream press will begin to force him to explain himself.

In any case, after reading a post about drug policy and New Orleans I can't help but mention the upcoming Students for Sensible Drug Policy (w Drug Policy Alliance and others) conference taking place there this December: http://conference.drugpolicy.org

I meant to include that. Indeed, while Barack Obama sees a city in need of a couple more drug cops, DPA sees a glaring example of how stretching our criminal justice system to its limits everyday has left us unprepared for a crisis of this magnitude. There's no role for the drug war in repairing Louisiana, rather this is a great opportunity to talk about moving beyond prohibition and building a sustainable criminal justice system.

Guess I won't vote for Obama. Ron Paul, what about you?

I was just thinking yesterday, on how great it would be, if we could take a metropolitan area, like New Orleans, and try the "Grand Experiment"!
"What is that?", you may ask!

Try something different. Why not start in the only large city to be under such stress, as had been brought on by Katrina. Did I read that the murders are up, there?!? Law enforcement officials are complaining, they can't do their job!. What about regulating drugs in the metropolitan area of New Orleans and finding out if the crime rate will actually drop? We really can't damage it any more than an act of nature did! Another, fascist, DEA office, is not going to help. It has long been shown that they are failing to deliver what they are being PAID FOR!!

By making the drugs more freely available, through regulation or decriminalization, we would be putting drug dealers out of business. That would, in my mind, stop a lot of the killing. Someone has to start practicing "harm reduction" or we will just keep harming our society with wasted bureaucracy and law enforcement.

That is not considering the damage being done to society with laws that encourage the incarceration of people that truely need medical care. The last thing I read says that the dealers are a dime a dozen! And, when one is busted, another person takes his place! We need NEW ideas and thinking, to take the advantage away from the collective known as "drug dealers"! Destroy their market! And, destroy the illegal drug trade (eliminate the profit), while we are at it!!

Whether the media won't allow it, or the candidates don't want to talk about it, neither will bring up the war on drugs and its cost and effects.

It's a $69 billion a year failure. By making substances illegal it creates a market for such illicit substances.

That in turn generates $500 billion a year in street sales. That is the primary source of funding for Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Too, the war on drugs is the cornerstone of US foreign policy. Nations won't get US funding if they don't impliment a similar war on drugs.

So why won't the policiticans address these legitimate national and international issues?

Why won't the news media raise these questions and force the politicians to answer them?

"The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government."

— Thomas Jefferson

We have had the War on Drugs for well over 20 years. Not only are we not winning, we are losing. We gave up in Korea and Vietnam in much less time than that. Rapists go free while pot smokers sit in jail that hurt no one. The judges must notice this. They are tight with the polititians. Don't they talk to each other about the rediculousness of this whole situation? Has our whole political system just lost its mind? Think of the tax revenue on legalized drugs. We could cut our income taxes by 10% or more. The problem are the tetotalers (sp?) that think since they don't want to do drugs, no one else should. These are mainly churchgoers, but not all. Some go to church and come home and have a joint. Some don't go to church and get in everyone's business. We, as a nation, have to live and let live. Stay out of your neighbors business, unless he is bothering you or someone you love. The world would be a much better place if everyone would just mind their own business. Think if al-Quaida would just live and let live. We would save 100s of billions of dollars and 1000s of lives. This world makes me sick.

al-Quaida would have to leave us alone if they had no more illegal drug revenue!!

Why bother talking about these police state wanta be rulers?

Just vote Ron Paul

It is important to never compromise on this issue. Any degree of illegality of a substance is against basic human rights. And obviously causes U.S. government crime against U.S. citizens (arrested and property stolen), and citizens of the world whose homes and farms and crops , "drugs" and food, our military and cia "dusts" with poisons! And millions of non-violent citizens in jail.. for what? Yes, have free (totally optional) rehab and counseling as a part of free health care, but really.. JAIL???!!??? SOOOO EVIL!!! SOOO SOOO SOOO EVIL!!!

I write about this stuff on my blog a lot, which you can check out at www.fantasyfreddy.com/cblog .. you can also hear my song "Bush Can Lick My Ass" there. enjoy! - Freddy

I have to say how disturbing it is to see that our future leaders are not doing anything about the drug crimes. Maybe it is not safe to allow a "leader " who, dabbled in the use of marijuana?

I guess the officials want a piece of pie from the money on the streets...but lacks of funding for Drug rehab centers!!!

This surely is ECONOMIC DISORDER!

His name is Wayne Allyn Root. His website is here: http://www.rootforamerica.com He wants to abolish the DEA. I'd call that a start! :) If he raises as much online cash as Ron Paul did, he might even get the chance to do it in 2012, or 2016. Let's start fighting like we intend to get what we want. It's the only way that we will ever end prohibition.

I agree with many posts but we all know that with more inpatient drug rehab we will see an improvement with society.

Not to mention but the more cocaine treatment we have the better America will be as a country.

Yes that is correct, the more Detox centers and Drug rehab centers we have the better our society will be as well as our future!!

This maddness has to come to an end, get the drugs off the streets so we can make the future for the younger generation a safer place to live.

Lora

http://www.new-york-drug-rehab.org/

i think its to long for anybody to read

With our economy falling behind, the war on terror, pork barreling legislation, corruption, and criminal activity on the rise, payday loans should be the last thing on politicians’ minds. Yet, for some reason, high profile politicians like Obama are focusing on this issue. Some states have banned them, such as Georgia and North Carolina, and more are in the process. Instead of fixing the important issues, they are trying to take out the payday loan industry for personal and political gain. Payday loans are simply for short term financial assistance for the all-American family to cover some cost that wasn’t budgeted or an emergency that they couldn’t pay for at that moment. They provide help to citizens during these financially troubling times with loans that the government otherwise couldn’t provide themselves. Stop the potential loss of thousands of jobs and the loss of a viable financial option by voicing your opinion to the legislature, before a nationwide ban becomes in effect.

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The payday loan industry is in danger because there are politicians who wish to wipe out the entire industry. But that is not what is best for the people. For instance, in Georgia, the bankruptcy filings, bounced checks and foreclosures all skyrocketed after the cash advance product was done away with. With no disregard for these negative statistics, following the closure of payday loans in these states, several other governors continue to try and follow suit. Top national politicians are now stepping out in hopes of wiping the industry completely off the map. Should such politicians succeed, there is a big possibility that there will be increased unemployment rates, more debt, more foreclosures and an even more damaged economy.

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You should always have all of the facts before you make any type of decision, especially in an instance when you take a course of action based on those misinformed facts. The pros and cons of payday loans, and what the future holds for the industry often can fall victim to this. Some politicians from both parties are attempting to pass legislation that would restrict or take away your ability to get a payday loan. Unfortunately, some of these politicians have succeeded in passing their legislation. . Some politicians have even gone as far as outlawing the industry all together. Many of these laws are based on the assumption that payday lenders are run under the same ethics as illegal loan sharks. Please don’t be misinformed on the facts, follow facts and not opinions and statements based on assumption.

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If you buy into the wrong information about payday loans then you are in for an unfortunate situation. Especially when you proceed down a path based on that misinformation. The pluses and minuses of payday loans and the unknown future of the industry often can fall victim to this. Some politicians from all parties are attempting to pass legislation that would restrict or take away your right to get a payday loan. In this growing battle, some politicians have already succeeded in passing their legislation. Some politicians have already outlawed the whole industry in their states. Many of these laws are based on the misinformation that the payday loan industry is exactly the same as loans sharks. Please don’t jump to conclusions, and educate yourself, family, and friends on the right to financial independence.

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Being misinformed before you make a decision on anything, no matter how small, can bring major consequences if you act on faulty information or assumptions. If you’re in a cash crunch, and are considering a payday loans, this certainly is no exception. Many people fall victim to misunderstanding just what they are getting themselves into. Currently, some politicians are trying to pass legislation to restrict or outlaw these financial services. Some have even succeeded. Their assumption is that payday loan lenders are in the same category in their ethics and practices as mafia loan sharks. They couldn’t be more wrong. Do not be misled, and educate yourself, and your family and friends on your options in financially tough times.

Many politicians are no friend to the payday loans industry. In order to raise voter support they choose to ignore what is best for the citizens. Some states including, Georgia, North Carolina, and Oregon have completely driven out the payday loan companies. Politicians still choose to disregard the benefits of the industry even though statistics in these states show a spike in bankruptcy filings, bounced checks and foreclosures. Even though these negative statistics have come to light, several governors are still trying to follow suit. If the efforts to wipe the industry completely off the map prove successful, some possible repercussions might consist of increased unemployment rates, more debt, more foreclosures and an even more inapt economy.

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On Wednesday, October 14, 2008, Americans tuned in to the third and final U.S. Presidential Debate in Hempstead, New York. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois went into the debate with an eight-point lead, based on CNN’s compilation of national poll averages. It looked as though Obama was satisfied to sit on his lead, but Arizona Senator John McCain took full advantage of Obama’s contentment. McCain tested the strength and validity of Obama’s policies, judgment and qualities of character. Obama countered the challenge by pointing out the failures of the economic policies enacted by the Bush Administration over the past eight years. McCain argued that he is “not President Bush.” McCain stated that, if elected, he would sanction an “across the board spending freeze.” Obama’s position sounded more conservative because he intends to “go through the federal budget page by page, line by line” to allocate taxpayers’ money to the appropriate programs and to cut the programs that aren’t working as they should. Both presidential hopefuls think their economic plans will bring America the change it needs. However, their policies could eliminate consumer access to payday loans. Americans live in “the land of the free,” and special interest groups (i.e. banks and credit unions) shouldn’t be able to rob us of the freedoms that make this country as great as it is.Post Courtesy of Personal Money StoreProfessional Blogging TeamFeed Back: 1-866-641-3406Home: http://personalmoneystore.com/NoFaxPaydayLoans.htmlBlog: http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyb

We already know that lending is not a crime, and we all know that today generation we can not avoid to can not engage into a loan.
The bells are ringing; the Philadelphia Phillies have won the World Series 2008. It has been 28 years since their last victory when Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose and Steve Carlton showed the American League the meaning of spirited, winning baseball. Twenty-four-year-old Cole Hamels was named the World Series MVP in only his 3rd season in the Major Leagues. Victory roared across Philadelphia as emotions ran high while the city prepared the celebration of the boys bringing home the Commissioner’s Trophy. However, supporters of the community are also preparing for something else; mass rioting. Temple University recently sent out an email to its students detailing the many ways they will be arrested while they celebrate the Phillies World Championship. In the email they stated, “Students involved in vandalism, refusal to disperse, destruction of property, etc. will face both criminal and University disciplinary action. Sanctions may range from fines up to and including immediate suspension. Surveillance – including videotaping – is heightened during the Series on campus and throughout the city.”
Is there really a need for police state crackdown? People should be more respectful; it’s the adult thing to do. However, if someone less respectful of property as you leaves you with a smashed windshield and you need help to take care of it before you’re paid again, affordable personal loans are available. Keep your spirits rolling with victory.

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At last, the controversial Election Day is over, and we now know who our next President of United States will be. Hopefully, America has made wise decisions. I hope the American people really thought about the issues in play before casting their vote last November 4. It’s sad that the reality of how much people think about their political choices is less than studied. Some of us put more thought into whether to take out a payday advance than what the issues are. Listen to this brief audio snippet for instance. It‘s a recent episode of “The Howard Stern Show,” posted courtesy of BPM Deejays of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Roving Reporter Sal roamed the streets of Harlem, New York to get the opinions of men and women, to see whether they supported Barack Obama or John McCain for President. In actual fact, this was to determine whether African-Americans would automatically vote for Barack Obama simply because he’s black. Sal reverses the candidates’ positions on issues like the pro-life argument, stem cell research, the war in Iraq and who Sarah Palin is. Shockingly, many of the responses were brainless. Sal gets people to admit that they support Obama despite what policies he represented. This discussion has exposed something truly depressing. The truth is that many people are uninformed as to the issues. Many people try to play a part of popular opinions.
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I invite you all to imagine that this year, all drugs produced and trafficked around the world, were seized: the dream of law enforcement agencies. Well, when we wake up having had this dream, we would realize that the same amount of drugs - hundreds of tons of heroin, cocaine and cannabis - would be produced again next year. In other words, this first dream shows that, while law enforcement is necessary for drug control, it is not sufficient. New supply would keep coming on stream, year after year. So let's dream a second time. Let's dream that, by some miracle, we can convince farmers around the world to eradicate the thousands of hectares of drug crops, replaced by the fruits of development assistance (in Afghanistan, Colombia, Morocco, and Myanmar). A great dream of course, but yet again one that would not on its own solve the world drug problem. Why? Because when we wake up after this second dream we would realize that other sources of supply would inevitably open up somewhere else on the planet, to satisfy the craving of millions of drug users around the world.
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neil jones

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I think this is the most ridiculous to think that it is amazing to think that there is some issues on payday loans, which is, its not applicable to the payday loans. It’s ridiculous to think that payday loans are responsible for the economic mess in America. Apparently, economists have marked December 2007 the “official” beginning of our current recession. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) identifies top activity at this point, and the U.S economy has been deteriorating since then. The NBER describes recession as “a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in production, employment, real income, and other indicators. it’s as close to official as possible. These conclusions are based upon unemployment, incomes, industrial output and sales data. The highest point in employment and incomes was marked that December. In January, industrial output peaked and five months later, in the month of June, sales peaked. Democrats claimed this wasn’t a shock and called for an economic stimulus package. “The announcement simply makes official what we have long known: with rising costs of living, rising unemployment, record foreclosures and depleting savings, we must do more to help families make ends meet,” says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. So, this would mean that the proposal to ban payday loans is not a good plan. Reid highlighted that a recovery package must create more jobs, cut middle class taxes and instill confidence in the market and the people. Payday loans, and any other similar form of lending, have proven once again the magnitude of their importance in our economy. Click here for more information about Payday Loans.

We need more programs to help with people finding a drug rehab to help a person overcome his or her addiction.

Until now, people seeking concise, accurate information on South Carolina's earthquakes and their hazards faced a major challenge. Comprehensive information was impossible to find in any one place, because federal, state, and local government websites typically provide information solely from their own base of expertise, mission, or point of view. In addition, some of that information is either inaccurate or as much as forty years out of date. The economy has clearly taken a toll on many people, especially on their finances. The last thing anyone would want to do is to take out a payday loan, their emergency resource, to fix drywall. Unfortunately, it looks like the people of Charleston, South Carolina may not have a choice. A 3.6 magnitude earthquake shook the place last week, leaving residents financial grief to cope with. Luckily, the only thing hurt by the small quake was the drywall on the homes in the area and the residents’ budget. It seems, however, that the earthquake came in perfect timing for Charleston county school district’s supervisor. Apparently, he has been trying to invest money in local schools partially as precautionary measures for future earthquakes. I’m sure he won’t have any problem getting help now. It appears South Carolina is as bad as California when it comes to earthquakes. Apparently back in 1886, they had one that cost the equivalent of $103 million in today's currency and killed more than a hundred people. In some estimates, it measured a big 10 in magnitude. That would take a lot more than a payday loan to cover the damages. Let’s just hope this event serves as a warning sign that bigger things may come. Thus, we must make major preventative measures today in case something like this, or worse, comes crashing down tomorrow. You can read the article called "Charleston Earthquake | Payday Will Be Spent Fixing Drywall," on the payday loan news blog at personalmoneystore.com.

President-elect Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are crafting a plan to offer about $300 billion of tax cuts to individuals and businesses, a move aimed at attracting Republican support for an economic-stimulus package and prodding companies to create jobs. Barack Obama is hatching a plan to get you extra cash on payday so you won't need a payday loan. He is proposing a tax cut and what he calls the Make Work Pay Credit. It’s a different strategy for stimulating the economy. So far all the efforts that have been made by the current administration to get the economy back on track seem to be hurting instead of helping and the need for a payday loan with many people has increased. It’s impossible to tell the future; maybe the steps that have already been taken will help straighten things out in the long run. But the economy has been growing steadily worse since the mortgage crisis and the credit crunch hit.

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The proposal for a change would for everything. Obama wanted to fully change America. Well, the economy is in disaster. The government imposes bailout as a solution for the income shortage. Also, there is the stimulus package that they tell this would be the way for the economy to back into track. The Treasury Department released a report of its activities, having allocated $386 million to 23 banks. The federal government has been reacting to the call for more transparency in what is done with our money, the kind of disclosure you get from a lender of payday advance loans, after half of the bailout fund disappeared before its usage was tracked. Banks across the nation and Puerto Rico have been receiving Treasury funds to keep them afloat, like payday advance loans. Read more about payday loans for banks at the Money Blog.

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The mortgage crisis was caused by a combination of greedy lending practices, irresponsible borrowing by individuals, job loss and the recent strengthening of the Community Reinvestment Act which many experts believed pressured banks to serve poor borrowers and poor regions of the country . But the fact is, after lenders realized the mess they got themselves into through questionable lending practices, some of the biggest lenders in the mortgage industry righted themselves by already suspending foreclosures before Obama made this decision. Many were already working with home owners by extending the life of the mortgage and/or lowering interest rates. So in reality, what was this spending plan for? It most likely will be rewarding home owners who should not own a home in the first place based on their income. In short, it promotes bad behavior such as irresponsible borrowing. And it leaves the home owners who do pay on time, to flip the bill. If borrowers cannot sustain the very reasonable mortgage loan re modifications that were already being offered, it's time to move out and rent. The government should not intervene. Let the free market take its course as it has done so for over 200 years in United States. Americans have this obsession that everyone is entitled to owning a home. The reality is everyone is not. Why is renting not considered an option to those who cannot afford a mortgage? payday loans canada

While we have a population of self-reliant individuals, an influx of young people devoted to community service and an emergence of small non-profits and social entrepreneurs dedicated to creating a better city, we still need back-up from the federal government to reach a full recovery.
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I thought about Obama's acknowledgment that our hassles “are serious and they are many. They will be able to not be met easily or in a short span of time." New Orleanians intimately understand just how serious America's tribulations are. And, as Lafcadio Hearn wrote of post-Reconstruction New Orleans, "times are not smart here." But consequently that night, listening to Obama talk throughout the importance of neighborhoods I realized that there is no place I'd rather be right now--and no place I'd alternatively witness history--than my neighborhood: New Orleans. Payday Loans in Edmonton Alberta,
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Our city is strong, resourceful and very self relient. That being said any help the federal government can provide will be greatly appreciated. The employees at Trading Forex Review.Com
would like to thank all those volunteers that have provided us support.