“Freeway Rick” talks about the trials and tribulations of being a big-time crack dealer. Specifically, this podcast from NPR: Planet Money tests various economic theories about crack dealing. But it’s a shame the economists have to “discover” this when better sociological and ethnographic work said this a long time ago. The drug stuff starts a minute into the podcast. And…
Tag: war on drugs
My head hurts
Talk about culture wars cognitive dissonance. No matter your political leanings, there’s something in this story to make your head explode. A man born a woman was fired for not being man from his $10/hour job at a drug treatment center watching people pee into cups for drug tests. He’s suing his former employer on the grounds of “gender-identity discrimination,”…
Slash and Burn
Aggressive crackdowns on criminal organizations in Mexico and Colombia have increasingly brought the powerful drug syndicates into Central America. We winning yet?
Civil Forfeiture for a Quarter-Ounce of Weed
So, if you have a quarter-ounce of weed in your home, should police be able to take all your possessions. That’s what can happen and has happened in Michigan. And the problem is getting worse in tight economic times. If you do think it is OK, why shouldn’t police be able to take your car when you speed, or better…
The cost for weed arrests just went up
Last week I reported that marijuana arrests in New York City cost the city $75 million per year. In truth, that’s a pretty conservative estimate. One thing left out is the cost of actually testing the drugs people are arrested for. Now if somebody takes a quick plea, the drugs may never be tested. But with 50,000 marijuana arrests, there…
The DEA and the Death Penalty
Good ol’ Radley has the most interesting take I’ve read. The subject is the DEA seizing death-penalty drugs in Georgia because they were… bought illegally from a foreign country.
OMG
I just read in the New York Times that kids are using Facebook! But Facebook says you’re supposed to be, like, 13. So, some kids are even [gulp] lying about their age! Says one concerned person: “It’s lying — and about age,” Ms. Kaune said. “What happens when they want to drink beer?” Uh, last time I checked, when you…
“I am therefore ill-equipped to be her judge in this matter.”
David Simon on Snoop’s Arrest from the Baltimore Sun: What follows is a personal statement from David Simon, Creator and Executive Producer of “The Wire” (and currently in production on “Treme”). First of all, Felicia’s entitled to the presumption of innocence. And I would note that a previous, but recent drug arrest that targeted her was later found to be…
Mexico Frustrated at US Inability to Control Border
At least when it comes to our guns and demand for drugs. Calderon and Obama met, and seemed to accomplish nothing. Of course the border can’t be sealed, not if we want free trade. So we’ll keep getting their drugs, because we want them and have money. And they’ll keep getting our guns, because they want them and have money.…
DEA Runs Out of Money
Don’t I wish! Actually, the DEA is just out of money to help localities clean up meth labs after they’re raided. Cleaning up a meth lab costs $2,500. Last year the DEA allocated just $10 million to the cause. Obama’s new budget cuts this funding. I guess when you’re as lean and trim as the DEA with their annual budget…