There is an
interesting trend in areas of the state as Illinois preparing for the legal
sale of recreational pot in January. Many of the more affluent communities are
saying they don’t want sales in their towns.
DuPage
became the first county in the state to ban pot sales. Communities like
Arlington Heights, Bolingbrook, Chatham, Decatur, Glen Carbon, Grayslake, Lake
Forest, Morton, O’Fallon and Wheaton….just to name a few….have also said no to
allowing sales within.
Those are
some pretty upscale towns.
But here,
when County Board member Gordon Endsley asked for a vote having Wayne County
opt out of sales, the majority of the board voted against him.
I think it
is important to keep track of this issue, especially since the Fairfield City
Council is going to hold a public hearing on the matter tomorrow night at 5:30.
If you have an opinion, now would be the time to voice it. It might also be a
good idea for you to find your county board member and give them your two
cents.
When it
comes to Fairfield and Wayne County, the issue will likely be decided in the
next few weeks.
It might be
that people are a whole lot more liberal in this area than advertised. It might
be because of the whole pot industry growing like a weed in nearby Edwards
County. It could be there are so many people using medicinal pot that people
think it is a lost cause.
Or… it might
be because the people who are against it just don’t have the guts to speak
their minds.
The negative consequences of not passing local sales far outweigh the negative consequences of passing local sales.
ReplyDeleteThe people who are against local sales don't have THE KNOWLEDGE to express themselves. I couldn't help but notice that Mike was unable. ;)~
Here are some drugs that are more physically dangerous than Marijuana: Tylenol and
ReplyDeleteAspirin (and anything more dangerous than these).
To allow the legal sale of alcohol and tobacco but not the legal sale of marijuana is ludicrous.
The US claims to be a free country but ranks outside of the top 20 in personal freedoms. Joining the World's top 20 in personal freedoms is in the best interests of our military moral and enlistment efforts.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.prosperity.com/globe/united-states
In case you don't want to click the link, Legatum currently has the US at #22 in personal freedoms.
DeleteI believe Cato has us at 24.
DeleteMorale* yikes
DeleteWe have a seemingly endless supply of reasons why folks want to leave. I'm betting that legalizing recreational sales won't be among them. Think on it?
ReplyDeleteHow much money does the county stand to "not gain" over the next 20 years by denying sales?
DeleteMaybe we could use some Cannabis tax $ to buy new radios for the Sheriff's department, improving the safety of our local officers?
ReplyDeleteSome folks are worried about the affect legalizing recreational sales will have on local roads. Don't be. 90%+ of the folks who will purchase locally sold legal marijuana are already purchasing it legally or illegally elsewhere (the closest medical sale facility is currently in Harrisburg), and the effects on local roads have been apparent for a long time (expect no major accident changes).
ReplyDeleteThe main difference would be that local folks would spend less time on the road driving to get their medicines (driving to Fairfield instead of all the way to Harrisburg {or Mount Vernon in the new year perhaps}).
Give it a quick Google and you will see that in places that have legalized recreational sales, almost no change in "how dangerous the roads are" occurred.
We sure as h*LL can't say the same for alcohol.
the effect* legalizing
DeleteIf anyone would like to read these comments at the board meeting, feel free. It's a free country HAHA
ReplyDeleteThe question we (Our town?) should be seeking the answer to is: "What is the local tax rate that would create the most tax revenue while remaining at or below other semi-local tax rates?"
ReplyDeleteYou wouldn't want to legalize sales here only to shoot yourself in the foot by making the local taxes on recreational sales high enough that prudent folks buy from 30 minutes away instead of spending money locally. Any chance we have to get folks out spending locally should be embraced (within reason, imo).
"What should the created revenue be used for?"
DeleteThe Christian God Weighs In:
ReplyDeleteGenesis 1:29-30 King James Version (KJV)
29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
To deny man (or beast) a
Deletesingle herb would be in violation of the very word of God, according to scholarly Christians.