Legalizing drugs would bring
billions in U.S. tax revenue

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

I’d like to commend Richard Jazwinski on his article in Friday’s amcostarica.com on pointing out that non U.S. drug consumption is now greater than that in the US. It was most informative, and a little research on the net shows he is quite right. It is interesting to note that the U.S. 21st Amendment opened the doors to the underworld, and in my opinion the prohibition against drugs has certainly allowed the drug cartels to flourish. The repeal of the 21st Amendment certainly made common sense, so why don’t we legalize drugs as well? This is something I have strongly supported for years, but it will never happen – well never is a dangerous word, but it won’t happen in my lifetime. Why?

Because legalizing drugs will put too many people out of work. What would happen to all those who work for the Drug Enforcement Administration? What would happen to all the extra border patrol employees put on just to curb drug smuggling?  What would happen to all the prison personnel hired to keep track of the over 500,000 in jails for non-violent drug use?

“A 2008 study by Harvard economist Jeffrey A. Miron has estimated that legalizing drugs would inject $76.8 billion a year into the U.S. economy — $44.1 billion from law enforcement savings, and at least $32.7 billion in tax revenue ($6.7 billion from marijuana, $22.5 billion from cocaine and heroin, remainder from other drugs). Recent surveys help to confirm the consensus among economists to reform drug policy in the direction of decriminalization and legalization.” (Wikipedia)

This doesn’t sound like such a bad idea given the current economic climate in the U.S, but again it won’t happen because of the number of people it will put out of work. Those costs haven’t been studied, or at least to my knowledge they haven’t.

Finally, and of course this is an opinion, I’m sure that the drug cartels have found ways to launder their money so that they can funnel contributions to those who have the power to make legislation, and they would of course funnel it to the most outspoken politicians who are against making changes. It’s so sad, but such is the power of money.


Poorly planned ecotourism:
Threat to sustainable growth

Many Costa Rican biological hotspots have experienced a surge of foreign and local visitors in the last couple decades.  Despite the global recessions, tourist keep coming, and we tend to see ecotourism as a form of sustainable development.  However, poorly planned growth, can result in a type of development that is not sustainable.

On the bright side ecotourism can be a source of income that promotes conservation by displacing farming and other land uses.  It makes sense to switch from farming cattle or planting coffee, to farming nature loving tourist willing to pay for a walk thru your farm to see quetzals and monkeys, if you can make more money from the tourist, than from the cattle.  This way the average José is now preserving the existing forest, regenerating farmland and protecting biodiversity, not just the hardcore conservationists.

Tourism also gives rise to a sense of awareness for the need to protect nature. It is a monumental change in public awareness, it’s not only right thing to do: protecting wildlife is now what puts food on your table. These notions will extent beyond the key players, to the more general community, forging a public opinion, which favors conservation.

Ecotourism is therefore a feasible way to promote private conservation, but not without consequence. Very few would argue that a tourist looking to “take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints” causes less ecological damage than grazing cattle. If successful, however, a tourist industry will drive growth of infrastructure, and an increase on pollution.  Cars, buildings, and trash will send those nature-loving tourist away. If the tourist leave, and the average José goes back to farming cattle, this is not sustainable development.