http://joeweisel.blogspot.com/2011/06/in...sance.html

I think your blog entry can easily branch out into multiple discussion topics. The legalization of drugs is a thorny issue, and my personal thoughts are that illegal activities are the wellspring from which organized crime blossoms. On the flip side, there are certain drugs that are so ruinous to society that I find it very difficult to justify legalizing them (heroin, crack cocaine, and other opium derived drugs). I can see a case for legalizing marijuana and possibly cocaine in a less pure form (like in the original coca cola). However, another thing to consider is that legalizing drugs may accelerate the demise of the inner city. Drugs are a form of escape from reality. If the inner city mentality is that life is difficult, and you couple that with a drop in price in drugs due to decriminalizing them, I can see it become the bane of inner city life on a far greater scale than it currently is.

I think the biggest barrier to inner city revitalization is based purely on economic competition. Business will flock to those regions that have 1) lower corporate taxes, 2) an educated work force in the community 3) lower crime (?) and 4) transportation/logistics. The cities have point 4 in spades; however, points 1, 2 and 3 are a huge disadvantage to the inner city vs the more prosperous suburbs. To revitalize the inner city, corporate taxes have to come down and education must improve. Crime is an effect of other underlying causes - like a lack of jobs - so it may not deserve its own point. Anyways, these are my quick thoughts on how to revitalize the inner city. I think taxes are the biggest problem and the easiest to fix in the short term.

Its a what comes first, the chicken or the egg. If people in the neighborhood had something to look for they'd pay more attention in school and got educated. What I'm proposing is a jumpstart. It would be up to those still there to continue to make it work.

I also think drug usage would become worse before it gets better. I just think there needs to be a better way to distribute them IE a doctors prescription and you pick up a month supply-of whatever-at he drug store. Plus if/when the small business plan works, the general outlook of the city will improve because people are working again. Therefore, you wouldn't need that outlet to get away from regular everyday life.

Making drugs legal, or decriminalizing them, would take a lot of the allure off for kids. When you were a kid, how often did you do something just because it was forbidden? It would also remove drug pushers from the areas around schools, where many hang out now...

(06-04-2011 12:22 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  Making drugs legal, or decriminalizing them, would take a lot of the allure off for kids. When you were a kid, how often did you do something just because it was forbidden? It would also remove drug pushers from the areas around schools, where many hang out now...

totally agree.

Another thing to remember is that Dealers love to flaunt their money and that flaunting gives kids the impression that dealing is a great lifestyle. Take away that aspect and kids are forced to set goals that are of a totally different lifestyle. And that is a good thing.