tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4092775041710446078.post3216205434708396575..comments2022-11-14T07:03:49.162-06:00Comments on by a cynical libertarian: Marijuana & Social SecurityKyla Denaehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04079377672682346142noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4092775041710446078.post-75220354943725290732010-10-16T09:01:40.696-05:002010-10-16T09:01:40.696-05:00Technically payments to Social Security should not...Technically payments to Social Security should not have gone up over the last two years. Assuming they indexed it to inflation, inflation's been almost zero anyway (although it's been higher if you're retired and have lots of medications, etc). The only reason it goes up is that it has a built-in COLA rather than inflation indexing. In practice, payments could have DECREASED last year rather than gone up as they actually did. The other two budgetary problems for it are certainly at issue, but because SS is budgeted differently in this magical part of the budget, it technically "doesn't matter" how much we spend on anything else. Except that we're supposedly allowed to use the surplus from it to fund other things (only there hasn't been a surplus the last two years)... It'd be nice if we treated it like an actual problem that needs solving though. <br /><br />Also, in practice, if California does pass Prop 19, the ability of the federal government to actually halt legalisation will be almost zero anyway (saving action through the courts). Without police enforcing those laws on the ground, the drug war would be effectively over in California. There just aren't that many federal agents to go around and they've had trouble enough raiding legal (or quasi-legal) production and distribution for medical marijuana clinics across the country. Of course... they also weren't supposed to still be raiding those either, but this is America.Sun Tzuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03435848395263035323noreply@blogger.com