Pubdate: Sun, 22 May 2016
Source: Trentonian, The (NJ)
Copyright: 2016 The Trentonian
Contact:  http://www.trentonian.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1006
Author: Jeff Edelstein

JUST YOUR AVERAGE BUDGET DEFICIT/ MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION DISCUSSION

FACT I'M NEITHER PROUD NOR ASHAMED OF: I used to smoke a lot of 
marijuana. I was pretty much high all the time from September 1990 
(when I was a freshman in college) until June of 1999, at which point 
I decided I didn't want to be high all the time. And really: I was 
high all the time. I also managed to graduate college, write a book, 
win journalism awards, meet my future wife, land full time jobs, and 
be a decent member of society.

MEDICAL FACT: Marijuana killed the sum total of zero people in 2014, 
according to the Centers for Disease Control.

SEEMINGLY UNRELATED FACT, BUT TRUST ME AND KEEP READING: The 
nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services (OLS) announced last week 
New Jersey will face a $487 million budget shortfall this year and a 
$622 million shortfall next year. The reason? Income tax collections are down.

RIDICULOUS FACT: David Tepper used to be New Jersey's wealthiest 
resident, with a personal net worth of $11.4 billion, according to a 
Forbes article. I say "used to be" because he moved to Florida 
earlier this year. Frank Haines of OLS, according to the same 
article, estimated his leaving could cause a one percent forecasting 
error in the income-tax estimate or a $140 million gap." Which means 
one man may be responsible for 29 percent of this year's budget shortfall.

NOT SURPRISING FACT: According to a 2015 Rutgers Eagleton poll, 58 
percent of New Jersey adults support legalizing marijuana for personal use.

SAD FACT: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has said he would never sign 
marijuana legalization laws, and I'd have to imagine the 
pharmaceutical lobby would have something to say about it as well.

LIFE FACT: Money makes the world go around.

FACT I BET YOU HAD NO IDEA ABOUT: The phrase "money makes the world 
go around" comes from the musical "Cabaret."

BIG NUMBER FACT #1: According to state budget estimates, New Jersey 
is set to take in $9.199 billion in sales taxes this year.

BIG NUMBER FACT #2: There are roughly 7 million New Jersey adults, 
which means there are roughly 4 million New Jersey adults who support 
marijuana legalization.

BIG NUMBER FACT #3: New Jersey adults who support legalizing 
marijuana pitch in about $14.5 million a day to the state's coffers 
in sales tax.

SAD FACT #2: Rich people like Tepper mean more to the state than 
schlubs like us. But schlubs like us - New Jersey residents who 
support legalizing marijuana - can be just like Tepper. We could 
cause a budget shortfall if stop buying stuff. It would take 10 days 
to get to $140 million in sales tax receipts.

IF I HAVEN'T LOST YOU YET, THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART WHERE I TAKE 
ALL THE FACTS AND GIVE YOU THIS: How about a little tax revolt in New 
Jersey, staged by people who are sick and tired of the marijuana 
laws? How about we take 10 days out of the calendar and simply stop 
buying stuff in New Jersey? Go to Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware to 
buy whatever you need for 10 days. Go online and order what you need 
from sites that don't collect sales tax. If there was a co-ordinated 
effort to do this - maybe next April 20-30? - the message would come 
through loud and clear. Because this much is probably true: If New 
Jersey is worried about rich people leaving, they should also worry 
about people who want to smoke marijuana in peace leaving as well.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom