The following Legal Brief was sent to all PA Senators and Representatives, gratefully with the help of Chase Englund of the Pennsylvania Small Enterprise Foundation.
The Governor’s budget proposes legalizing marijuana to generate additional state revenue. However, this brief argues that the revenue gains would far outweigh the resulting social and economic costs. Specifically:
- Statistically insignificant changes to small business creation.
- Possible net fiscal losses to state and local governments.
- An estimated $135 million in new public social costs on an annual basis, related to substance abuse, crime-related issues, and homelessness.
- An estimated $20 million in estimated private productivity losses on an annual basis, related to absenteeism and other workplace issues.
We cannot afford policies that prioritize government revenue over the health, safety, and productivity of our workforce. We urge lawmakers to reject this proposal and focus instead on pro-growth policies that reduce taxes and regulations — not expand government-funded social problems.
Sincerely,
Tracey and Jeff Wakeen
Any Questions? Email me, tracey@gobigsmallbiz.com
