If You Can't Beat 'Em....

From the WBIR website:

"
Tennessee "Crack Tax" brings in nearly $2 million in first year
Amanda Dill, Producer
Last Updated: 1/24/2006 4:55:27 PM
During its first year, Tennessee's "Crack Tax" has brought in nearly $2 million dollars in state revenue.
The illegal substances tax went into effect last January.
Basically, drug dealers are supposed to pay taxes on illegal drugs and alcohol.
They pay confidentially, and when they do, they get a stamp.
If they're caught without the stamp, they'll be prosecuted for not only selling drugs, but for not paying their taxes too.
All money made from the stamps goes to fighting drugs.
"

So Harry and Suzy Lawmaker in Tennessee finally admitted that they can't win the war on drugs. In addition to that, they had some relatives looking for work. So they're thinking went something like this:

Well, we can't stop the drug traffic, so let's try to profit from it and extort money from the dealers. We also need to find jobs for our friends and relatives, so let's set up a bogus drug task force and put them on it. And let's make it all seem legit and create some laws ands statutes on it. Hey! Let's create a tax on illegal drugs! We'll allow the dealers to keep dealing and won't harrass them as long as they give us a piece of their profit. Then we'll use that money to pay our "task force". Great idea!

How could something so stupid and counterproductive ever get enacted into law?