Now you have to ask yourself why an obvious doper like Obama doesn't want an end to Prohibition? Simple. It is the source of his power.Origins and Growth of Al Capone’s Outfit: Chicago’s First Ward Democratic Organization and its Aftermath
Barack Obama ran for President with his headquarters in downtown Chicago. Obama's election night victory speech was just blocks away in Chicago's Grant Park. To historians of organized crime both locations are located in a significant place: Chicago's old First Ward. This valuable plot of land is where Chicago's Democratic Machine and Al Capone's criminal organization both began. The connection between the two is of great historical significance. Why? Because the Chicago Mob is nothing but an outgrowth of Chicago's old First Ward Democratic Organization.
And then at the same link I came across this:
Holder is in charge of the prosecutors who are going after the Medical Cannabis dispensaries. My guess is that they are cutting into mob profits.Lurking in the background of the Blagojevich criminal case is a casino license that was to be auctioned off. The license was by far the most valuable asset Blagojevich had control over. Blagojevich wanted the casino built in the Chicago Mob dominated suburb of Rosemont. The Chicago Mob also wanted the casino built there. In November of 2005, Blagojevich brought in Eric Holder to give Rosemont a clean bill of health. Holder and Blagojevich had a news conference outside the Thompson Building, which is in the old First Ward.
The mob connection extends beyond the Blagojevich case. In their drive to retain President Obama's U.S. Senate seat, the frontrunner is Obama’s friend, Alexi Giannoulis. He is so tainted by Chicago Mob allegations that Illinois Democratic Party Chairman Mike Madigan refused to endorse him in a past race for State Treasurer.
As the Senate race heats up, these connections between the Chicago machine and the mob could prove embarrassing at least for the man the machine has helped elevate to the White House.
So what would I expect from the current wave of legalization? Customers will no longer be arrested. But only the mob will be allowed to supply the market. In addition if legal sales are eventually allowed taxes will be set high enough to keep the black market in business.
Think about the high taxes for cigarettes in New York: http://classicalvalues.com/2013/03/thos ... f-freedom/
Well lets do the math: .8 grams of tobacco in 1 cigarette. That is 16 grams in a pack. .565 ounces. Current price in NY with tax? About $17.70 an ounce. Taxes being mooted for pot? $50 an ounce. The mob should do quite nicely with that level of taxation. Not as well as they are doing now. But they are adaptable.
Vice taxes support criminals. So the question is: how much criminality do the good citizens of America want to support?