let us pay our taxes

[wakka]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 6, 2007
Contact: Clifford Schaffer, tel: 661-268-0442, e-mail: info@letuspaytaxes.com


Marijuana Dealers Offer Schwarzenegger One Billion Dollars


August 6 -- A coalition of California marijuana growers and dealers has offered Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger one billion dollars to solve the current state budget crisis. The group, calling itself Let Us Pay Taxes makes the offer through its web site LetUsPayTaxes.com. The offer comes at a time when the California legislature is deadlocked on a new budget and California has stopped issuing checks for vitally needed social services. Legislators are currently arguing over which programs will be cut in order to balance the budget.


"It is ridiculous that California can't pay its bills," said spokesman Clifford Schaffer. "It is a tragedy that they will cut badly needed services and programs such as medical care for the elderly and prison drug treatment when the money to fund all these programs and more is there and available. Everyone who is currently waiting for a check from the state should be enraged at this foolishness."


Regulation and taxation of marijuana could produce six billion dollars in additional tax revenue, according to economic studies linked from their web site LetUsPayTaxes.com. In addition, it could save up to ten billion dollars in enforcement costs. "That is a conservative estimate," said Schaffer. "By other estimates, the revenues could be five times that. The economists are with us all the way on this one. Marijuana prohibition is an economic disaster."


"Let's face reality," Schaffer says. "Marijuana legalization is inevitable. The situation is already beyond control in California. The state and local authorities have offered safe harbor for medical marijuana use and the Federal Government simply doesn't have the resources for effective control." More importantly, says Schaffer, the operators of the medical marijuana clubs are no longer afraid of the Federal Government. "If you talk to them, you will find that they know they are going to win this battle. They know that the DEA is vastly outnumbered and can't begin to prosecute all of them. The few that are prosecuted are accepting their fate as martyrs because they know that what they are doing is right. They are willing to sacrifice themselves to make the point that the Federal Government has just gone too far in interfering with very personal and private decisions. There is no way the DEA is going to win this battle. At this point, it is all over but the counting of the money – and the victims of the DEA."


Schaffer went on to say that the national market for marijuana has been estimated from a low of ten billion dollars per year to more than fifty billion dollars per year. "The first states to regulate and tax marijuana will receive an economic bonanza bigger than the original California Gold Rush," says Schaffer. "Some states will get rich like the Saudis." Schaffer predicts that it will not take long for some local areas to wake up to the economic possibilities. "We are talking potentially big bucks here," he said. "The Canadians are already starting to take note of a cannabis-fueled economic boom in some areas. Politicians can't resist fresh cash, especially when it is coming to their local community. There will be big winners and losers here. The winners will be the ones who recognize the foregone conclusion first."


The group also cites foreign terrorism as a reason to regulate and tax marijuana. "Drug Czar John Walters is being dishonest when he says that marijuana money goes to criminals and terrorists. The only reason any of that money goes to criminals or terrorists is because of the prohibition that Walters supports," said Schaffer. "Marijuana prohibition makes criminals rich just like alcohol prohibition did. The criminals are now so rich and powerful that they can challenge the legitimate governments of their own countries. There is no reason to send billions of dollars per year to foreign criminal gangs when patriotic Americans make the best products in the world. There is no reason to suffer such a huge foreign trade deficit when that money could be providing jobs and funding badly needed services right here in the USA."


Let Us Pay Taxes calls upon all US citizens to sign their petition at their web site http://LetUsPayTaxes.com and press the issue with their lawmakers. "Take the money, please," said Schaffer. "These people want to contribute. Now it is up to our politicians to tell us why they want to send those billions to foreign criminal gangs rather than to their own voters."

[wakka]

California's budget impasse has passed the one-month mark, social
services aren't getting state-funded help they need to stay open, and
other legislative priorities are being put off the table until the
legislature can come to agreement.

One California resident thinks he has the answer: Legalize the growth
and sales of marijuana.

Clifford Schaffer, who runs a marijuana advocacy Web site in his spare
time from his day job as a computer programmer, says that California
could easily clear up the $700 million budget gap still facing state
lawmakers, and as a plus, the measure could even help improve national
security. He has started a petition, and the number of those supporting
his idea is growing rapidly.

"We would honestly hope that they take our suggestion. Failing that, you
know, what are the options?" Schaffer said in a telephone interview from
his Agua Dulce, Calif., home. Otherwise, he said, "They're going to send
another few billion to the drug lords in Mexico who are challenging the
Mexican government."

Citing a study that estimates gross U.S. spending on marijuana at
roughly $10 billion a year, he said California could corner the market
on taxes gleaned from a legalized marijuana trade, generating $1 billion
in revenues. That money would stay within the state instead of going to
foreign drug cartels.

The governor's office on Thursday dismissed the notion.

"We're not responding to publicity stunts, which is what I think that
is," said Aaron McLear, press secretary to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

McLear said the governor has signaled his satisfaction with the last
proposal that made it out of the state Assembly, but blamed a bloc of
state Senate Republicans for killing the proposal. The $145 billion
measure would have narrowed the budget gap from an expected $1.4 billion
down to roughly $700 million, and Schwarzenegger said he would use the
line-item veto to reduce the rest of the red ink.

As a result of the budget impasse, the Assembly leaders have said they
will not handle any other legislation until the budget is passed. McLear
said that is affecting administration priorities, which include health
care and political reforms, as well as water storage revisions.

"These are things that the governor had hoped to tackle this year, but
are frankly on hold until the budget gets done," McLear said. "One
hundred percent of the focus of the administration is getting this
budget passed."

Schaffer said he was prompted to start his petition campaign this week
by two things: first, a photo last week in The Los Angeles Times showing
a despondent Schwarzenegger, and secondly, a bit of local politics
before the L.A. City Council.

The L.A. City Council recently set into motion a policy that will make
room for the sales of medical marijuana through local "cannabis clubs,"
or medical marijuana dispensaries. But during the meeting that the
council approved the measure, one of the leading cannabis club operators
— who was at the meeting being congratulated for his upstanding business
— had his own club raided by the Drug Enforcement Agency, Schaffer said.

Schaffer admits that he hopes to get more attention to his proposal, but
said he thinks it is a serious solution, too. He cited other studies on
his Web site that show — despite marijuana's tendency to reduce
individual productivity — overall economic activity would not be
affected negatively.

Schaffer also said that fears over the need for increased police
presence also are unfounded, saying that violence that surrounds
marijuana results from the underground economy created from the
prohibition on marijuana, not the affects of marijuana itself.

So far, about 2,000 people have signed the petition, which he hopes will
prompt action in the Assembly. For the time being, he's not seeking a
ballot initiative, but is looking to other marijuana advocacy groups
like California NORML to begin organizing protests in Sacramento to
bring more attention to the issue.

Mike Gray, a longtime marijuana advocate and president of the L.A.-based
Common Sense for Drug Policy, said this movement has more fervor than
others he's seen.

"I've seen a flood of e-mail unlike anything I've ever seen. ... just in
the last 48 hours," Gray said. He added that he will be fundraising to
drive the movement in hopes of getting friendly ears in Sacramento. He
said so far, no lawmakers he's aware of have expressed interest in the
idea.

At root, however, Schaffer says his proposal is more than just a ploy to
bring marijuana to the masses.

"My first hope is that they would take my offer and fund the desperately
needed programs that need to be funded," Schaffer said.
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"We're not responding to publicity stunts, which is what I think that
is," said Aaron McLear, press secretary to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

don't lie dude, you didn't think......