BETTER TAX IDEAS

To the editor:

The new Indiana tax law helps business and homeowners. But all of us will
pay higher sales taxes. This especially hurts lower-income people.

Indiana legislators had a better option. This option would have improved
public health, reduced crime, reduced prison overcrowding, and brought the
victims of certain laws back into our society. It would have provided all
these benefits with no increase in taxes.

Does this sound to good to be true? We simply need to decriminalize,
license, regulate and tax certain victimless crimes. These crimes are
recreational gambling, recreational marijuana use and courtesan commerce.

Indiana's recreational gambling industry provides three-quarters of a
billion dollars per year in tax benefits to Hoosiers. Additional social and
economic benefits are possible by decriminalizing, licensing, regulating
and taxing marijuana use and courtesan services. Canada and European
countries have made progress in these areas and have models on how to
regulate these industries.

The U.S. Constitution requires for separation between the church and state.
Indiana laws should be created for public safety and welfare, not for
enforcement of religious doctrines.

John Griner

Bloomington