Yearly Archives: 2013

Must-read letter to the President

"Dear Mr. President: I am writing to you as a wife and mother of two young daughters, whose 34-year old husband, Matthew Davies, faces 10 years or more in federal prison for providing medical marijuana to sick people in California, even though he complied with state law concerning medicinal cannabis. My questions to you are simple: What has my husband done that would justify the federal government forcing my young daughters to grow up without a father? How can your Administration ignore the will of the California people and prosecute this good, law-abiding man for doing exactly what state law permits?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMust-read letter to the President

U.N. development chief slams War on Drugs

"Helen Clark, the head of the United Nations Development Program, has publicly slammed global strategies to combat drugs, claiming there is increasing evidence that 'the war on drugs' has failed. The former prime minister of New Zealand urged Latin American leaders to develop new policies to tackle drugs, which she says should be addressed as a public health problem rather than criminalized." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.N. development chief slams War on Drugs

Feds Give Up Trying to Seize a Motel Based on Drug Offenses by a Few Guests

"Today the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston said it will not appeal a ruling that blocked the federal government's attempt to seize and sell a family-owned motel in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, based on drug offenses committed by a tiny fraction of the people who stayed there. The government conceded that the owner, Russell Caswell, did not participate in those crimes and was not aware of them at the time, but it argued that he was 'willfully blind' to them." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFeds Give Up Trying to Seize a Motel Based on Drug Offenses by a Few Guests

California lieutenant governor: ‘Do the damn right thing’ and legalize marijuana

"California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday called on politicians to be honest about legalizing marijuana, claiming many lawmakers and officials secretly opposed the drug’s outlaw status. He noted that drug prohibition had been particularly harmful to racial minorities, who are imprisoned at a disproportionately high rate for drug offenses. Newsom opposed Proposition 19 in 2010, which would have legalized the recreational use of marijuana in California. Last December, however, he declared he no longer supported the prohibition of cannabis." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCalifornia lieutenant governor: ‘Do the damn right thing’ and legalize marijuana

Did You Smoke a Joint a Month Ago?

"In nine states you can be jailed and your driver's license suspended for 'DUI' even if you were not in the least bit high. THC is the chemical compound in marijuana that makes you high, but there are others as well that have no such effect. These latter chemicals can remain in your bloodstream for a month or so after smoking a single joint. Nine states now have laws that if such chemicals are detected by the police, then you can be jailed and fined and have your driver's license suspended, even if you are not accused of driving 'under the influence' of alcohol or any other substance. Call it revenge of the drug warriors over the inevitable national legalization of pot." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDid You Smoke a Joint a Month Ago?

Lawmakers Set To Debate ‘Policing For Profit’ Reforms

"Tennessee lawmakers are prepared to consider a major overhaul of laws that allow police to take cash off of drivers to fund their agencies. Rep. Barrett Rich's bill would completely outlaw the practice known as civil asset forfeiture. That practice allows police to take people's cash or property without charging them with a crime. A New Jersey man had $22,000 cash taken from him during a traffic stop. An officer took George Reby's money based on his suspicion that it might be drug money. The Monterey police officer had a judge to sign off on the seizure in a secret hearing, but he never told the judge about Reby's side of the story." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLawmakers Set To Debate ‘Policing For Profit’ Reforms

Official Inflation Measure Shows Strongest Climb in More Than Three Years

"U.S. consumer prices rose 0.7% in February for the largest gain since June 2009. Gasoline prices rose 9.1%, also making the largest jump since June 2009. The indexes for electricity, natural gas, and fuel oil also increased, leading to a 5.4 percent rise in the energy index. Among major grocery store food group indexes, the fruits and vegetables index rose 1.4 percent, with both the fresh fruits and fresh vegetables indexes increasing 1.8 percent. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs also rose in February, increasing 0.5 percent." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOfficial Inflation Measure Shows Strongest Climb in More Than Three Years

Debt addiction, USA: How much debt reduction has the crisis caused?

"The trend of ever-rising overall debt has thus continued. The deleveraging in the household and financial sector has, however, resulted in a reduced pace of debt accumulation overall, despite heavy borrowing from the federal government. In 2010, for the first time since 1992, the economy has grown faster than total debt, and this has continued in 2011 and in 2012, if at a slowing pace. Consequently, total debt stands at 359% of GDP today, slightly down from its peak of 381% in 2009. At 359% debt-to-GDP is back to where it was at in early 2007. Again, not much deleveraging has occurred in total." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDebt addiction, USA: How much debt reduction has the crisis caused?

U.S., French tax laws cause concern for expats of Switzerland

"The Swiss government signed the controversial Fatca deal with the US last month. Parliament is due to discuss it later this year and political parties on the right and left have already announced they will reject it. Fatca obliges foreign banks to report offshore accounts held by US tax payers, including expats. The law is part of a policy by the US authorities to crack down on tax dodgers. France has announced it wants to revise a 1953 accord in a bid to recover inheritance tax from its citizens living in Switzerland and force Swiss who own property in France to be taxed there. The Swiss Abroad community as well as the cantons strongly oppose the amendments." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S., French tax laws cause concern for expats of Switzerland