They’re going to be busy in St. Paul this year

Legalize Weed
Legalize Sport Book Betting
Rent Assistance Vouchers
Free School Lunches and Breakfast
12 Weeks Family Leave and up to 24
I didn’t see fishing 2 lines in open water.

Maybe the DNR officer is so high, he won’t notice your 2 lines… look for the good.

They would be dumb not to legalize the reefer. The amount of money those states make is crazy. And it’s banned for absolutely no reason. I’d rather be around folks who are stoned then drunks any day of the week.

I think the money lost with sports betting is likely larger than what would be gained from legalizing pot. Either way, both should be legal.

The crap that gets “voted into office”…

Don’t forget rebuilding what Wally let burn.

Weed is going to happen
2 lines is going to happen (but only on Minnesota River and P2)
Sports betting is not going to happen

I think Dutchboy secretly started this thread.

gim wrote:

I think Dutchboy secretly started this thread.

Burner acct?

Im sure gun restrictions will be next. We’ll be Seattle junior before you know it.

When are we going to see money back for that monstrous surplus that he promised? I wont hold my breath. Probably going toward the attorney fees for feeding our future.

CaptainMusky wrote:

I think the money lost with sports betting is likely larger than what would be gained from legalizing pot. Either way, both should be legal.

What state money would be lost on sports betting ? I’m asking because I have no research in to this topic as I am not much of a gambler

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>
I think Dutchboy secretly started this thread.

Burner acct?

I haven’t seen him post in a while now that I think about it. His annual Friday topic thread has been MIA.

So 2 fishing lines are going to happen?

The $$ brought in by legalized weed starts off high at the beginning and then slows WAY down after the initial honeymoon phase wears off. This is true in many states that have legalized it. The problem is because legal weed is stupid expensive compared to illegal weed. So the shiny new toy becomes so expensive people go right back to the way they were buying it before it became legal and the state stops making all that money.

I support legalizing it for the most part, but they won’t make as much money as people are saying unless they start to bring the prices down a bit.

Bearcat89 wrote:

What state money would be lost on sports betting ? I’m asking because I have no research in to this topic as I am not much of a gambler

Its all the tax revenue they are losing out to neighboring states who already have legalized sports betting.

mahtofire14 wrote:

The $$ brought in by legalized weed starts off high at the beginning and then slows WAY down after the initial honeymoon phase wears off. This is true in many states that have legalized it.

What states?

Year Colorado state marijuana tax revenue
2014 $67,594,323
2015 $130,411,173
2016 $193,604,810
2017 $247,368,473
2018 $266,529,637
2019 $302,458,426
2020 $387,480,110
2021 $423,486,053

Year California state marijuana tax revenue
2018 $397,720,611
2019 $638,081,178
2020 $1,031,879,926
2021 $1,294,632,799

Year Alaska state marijuana tax revenue
2017 $1,749,497
2018 $10,801,357
2019 $19,082,542
2020 $24,213,296
2021 $30,054,250

Year Massachusetts state marijuana tax revenue
2019 $22,058,544
2020 $81,734,083
2021 $176,731,045.43

Year Nevada state marijuana tax revenue
2018 $69,759,783
2019 $99,184,973
2020 $105,180,947
2021 $157,751,743

Year Oregon state marijuana tax revenue
2016 $20,652,983
2017 $70,263,897
2018 $82,203,729
2019 $102,094,948
2020 $133,150,349
2021 $178,262,488

Year Washington state marijuana tax revenue
2015 $64,630,000
2016 $186,000,000
2017 $315,200,000
2018 $362,000,000
2019 $390,400,000
2020 $469,159,137
2021 $559,493,474

Mike W wrote:

So 2 fishing lines are going to happen?

Only for Minnesota River and P2. It’s part of the DNR policy bill that failed last year, but just a matter of time until they get that stuff passed through. Most likely this year is my guess. 2 lines statewide will never happen under the DFL Gov Strommen/Parsons tenure.

CaptainMusky wrote:

When are we going to see money back for that monstrous surplus that he promised? I wont hold my breath. Probably going toward the attorney fees for feeding our future.

You won’t. They are fighting over how to spend it with little consideration toward returning it.

Hard Water Fan wrote:

You won’t. They are fighting over how to spend it with little consideration toward returning it.

This should infuriate everyone. We are one of if not the highest taxed states and have a massive surplus yet we wont get it back.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Its all the tax revenue they are losing out to neighboring states who already have legalized sports betting.

This “revenue loss” argument comes up a lot with both sports betting and legalized pot.

What I NEVER see any figures for is the total cost of creating or adding massively to the government agencies needed to regulate and police these new so-called “revenue enhancers”.

In other words, we see all the income projections from the side that’s for it, but we get nothing on the expense side of the ledger with what it costs to regulate, inspect, license, collect, audit, enforce, and so forth.

Do these activities REALLY make money? Or do they just provide enough revenue to counteract some of what amounts to a huge net loss every year?

Call me a cynic, but I find it very, very, very difficult to believe that financial dumpster fire states like California have somehow managed to create a massive government bureaucracy to manage legalized pot, yet they manage to make a profit after expenses.

Dude, Whats u talking about man?

Bearcat89 wrote:

They would be dumb not to legalize the reefer. The amount of money those states make is crazy. And it’s banned for absolutely no reason. I’d rather be around folks who are stoned then drunks any day of the week.

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Hard Water Fan wrote:</div>
You won’t. They are fighting over how to spend it with little consideration toward returning it.

This should infuriate everyone. We are one of if not the highest taxed states and have a massive surplus yet we wont get it back.

You’re not getting it back, and your taxes are going up to pay for universal school lunches (which I am for), and probably more to come. Tighten the belt, we have DFL led everything and a record surplus in MN, the money is going to rain with no regard for when the tab is due.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

This “revenue loss” argument comes up a lot with both sports betting and legalized pot.

The information is out there Grouse just have to dig a bit. Dont think for a second that any “cost” isnt billed via some other fee or application.
https://www.mpp.org/issues/legalization/financial-information-on-states-with-adult-use-legalization/

mahtofire14 wrote:

The $$ brought in by legalized weed starts off high at the beginning and then slows WAY down after the initial honeymoon phase wears off. This is true in many states that have legalized it. The problem is because legal weed is stupid expensive compared to illegal weed. So the shiny new toy becomes so expensive people go right back to the way they were buying it before it became legal and the state stops making all that money.

I support legalizing it for the most part, but they won’t make as much money as people are saying unless they start to bring the prices down a bit.

This is not correct. I just got back from Illinois, the lines were out and around the building every day. And I could also get some from the guy at the bar, the quality was 10x better with the legal. 100 percent worth the extra few bucks. It shows in the numbers. Just look it up.

3Rivers wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Mike W wrote:</div>
So 2 fishing lines are going to happen?

Only for Minnesota River and P2. It’s part of the DNR policy bill that failed last year, but just a matter of time until they get that stuff passed through. Most likely this year is my guess. 2 lines statewide will never happen under the DFL Gov Strommen/Parsons tenure.

Fantastic. Atleast they are getting something worth while done.

CaptainMusky wrote:

The information is out there Grouse just have to dig a bit. Dont think for a second that any “cost” isnt billed via some other fee or application.

The link you provide is a pro-pot lobbying organization and their revenue figures are loaded with licensing fees and other one-time or limited revenue enhancements to present the picture they want to present. They also include little or none of the huge indirect costs like increased law enforcement, investigators, auditing, courts, etc, etc. That’s all buried in the budgets of other agencies who have to spend more to make up for this activity that is supposed to be generating a “profit”.

I’m not saying I’m for or against it, I’m just suspicious when it comes to claims that there’s this massive pile of easy money that we could make just by creating what amounts to a business that the government will then run efficiently and profitably.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>CaptainMusky wrote:</div>
The information is out there Grouse just have to dig a bit. Dont think for a second that any “cost” isnt billed via some other fee or application.

The link you provide is a pro-pot lobbying organization and their revenue figures are loaded with licensing fees and other one-time or limited revenue enhancements to present the picture they want to present. They also include little or none of the huge indirect costs like increased law enforcement, investigators, auditing, courts, etc, etc. That’s all buried in the budgets of other agencies who have to spend more to make up for this activity that is supposed to be generating a “profit”.

I’m not saying I’m for or against it, I’m just suspicious when it comes to claims that there’s this massive pile of easy money that we could make just by creating what amounts to a business that the government will then run efficiently and profitably.

When the government runs it, there is nothing good to come for it. But for many many people legalizing weed would be a huge benefit.
Legalizing alcohol was the same thing, but no benefit to the people only to the government.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

government will then run efficiently and profitably.

Are you aware of ANYTHING the government has control over that runs efficiently and profitably? The only thing that gets lined are politicians pockets. How does a public servant with a net worth of a few hundred thousand dollars somehow because a multi-millionaire while getting a $150k per year paycheck for being a politician?

From an article about our leader’s inauguration speech.
“Democratic Gov. Tim Walz pledged Monday to make the largest investments in public education in Minnesota history as he took the oath of office for his second term.
Minnesota has a “historic opportunity” with its $17.6 billion projected budget surplus to become the best state in the country for children and families, the former teacher said during inauguration ceremonies at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. He’ll unveil his two-year budget plan in three weeks but is expected to roll out some major proposals sooner. “Now is the time to be bold,” Walz said. “To build that bright future for Minnesotans. And now is the time to deliver. We can lead the nation in ending child poverty, making sure that every child receives that world-class education. And in doing so, we’ll continue to make sure that Minnesota is the best place to raise a family.”

“The era of gridlock in St. Paul is over,” Walz proclaimed.”

Giggty! The thing to remember is that any added spending put in place because of this surplus will never go away.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Are you aware of ANYTHING the government has control over that runs efficiently and profitably?

Technically the government is not a business. There is no profit involved. It is there to provide service to the poeple, not make money. Government operates on tax revenue. Sometimes there is a surplus, sometimes there is a deficit.

Obviously our deficit is enormous and out of control, so we just keep spending money faster than we can print on a federal level. That isn’t anything new though.

The postal service is supposed to solely rely on revenue from stamps and shipping to operate – not public funding authorized by legislators. That would be the closest example of government operation that is designed for profit. However, they’ve been operating in the red for years now and have needed bail outs to keep going. Do we really still need mail delivered 6 days/week?