Drugs, Money, and Crabs

AUGUST 31, 2010 E-MAIL THIS PRINTER FRIENDLY

Three articles caught my eye as I was reading the news this morning, each one focusing on an issue that nearly every resident of Maryland cares about -- drugs, money, and (of course) crabs. Each of the three articles was what my father, a good parent and a well-educated economist, might refer to as a “teachable moment.”

I’ll start with the drugs. The nation’s drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske, recently declared that the war on drugs is over. Sure -- maybe in the same way that the war in Iraq is “over.” We may say that it’s over, but people are still living and dying for it, both in Baltimore and everywhere else in the world. If you ask me, that suggests that things are far from over.

Kerlikowske points to new treatments facilities that help addicts find a life outside the world of drugs and updated enforcement policies that focus on the “lions and tigers and bears” rather than the minor users as evidence that the war is over. But drug-related crime is still rampant worldwide (just as the border towns of Mexico), and will continue to be as long as we continue to make drug trafficking profitable by banning substances.

The comments to the Baltimore Sun article make a point that is at least worth considering -- why not legalize, tax, and regulate as a way to both reduce crime and increase government revenue? Imagine how many treatment facilities the government could open if it was them reaping the benefits from the sale of controlled substances instead of the drug lords.

Now let’s move onto money. Both Ehrlich and O’Malley recently came out with the unofficial reports of their earnings over the past few years and people are already complaining that they earn so much that they must be out of touch with working-class Marylanders. This makes me wonder -- do people really expect these two men to be any different from most other politicians, the vast majority of whom are far better off than the average American?

Even if people didn’t expect Ehrlich and O’Malley to be in a class alone, why would this be such an important issue? Most people I know would probably hope to be the same person they are today regardless of whether they have twice as much money or half as much. How much money a candidate earned during the past year says little about them (assuming the money was earned legitimately) or their ability to govern. Many of us have been raised not to think better or worse of someone solely based on their income. Why change the rules when that person is a politician? Let’s focus on the issues.

Finally and arguably most important to your average Marylander, there is the issue of the crab population. Things are looking up for the Maryland blue crab population this year, as a combination of favorable conditions and regulated fishing have allowed it to return to what experts deem a minimum sustainable level. Unfortunately, crabbers are already clamoring for fewer restrictions, and environmentalists fear that their wishes will be granted because this is an election year, the time when a politician’s focus turns to securing votes.

I can certainly sympathize with the crabbers on this one. Two weeks ago I was told by one restaurant that a dozen extra-large crabs would run me almost $70. At the same time, though, I don’t want to see overfishing result in the extinction of such a delicious animal. The last thing we need as a state is our famous crabs declared an endangered species that can no longer be steamed with Old Bay.

Of course, all manner of regulation has already been tossed around to help fishermen get what they want and preservationists to ensure the crabs’ survival. But why aren’t we considering privatizing the whole affair? We don’t need to grow crabs in test tubes or anything, but if fishermen had private ownership of a crab population then they would be motivated to let it thrive as much as possible just to keep the gravy-train going.

Privatization of fishing and hunting has been tried successfully in a variety of places around the world. Do a study of what worked and what didn’t, make some changes based on what we know about our crabs, and try it out. If our government wasn’t so naturally mistrusting of private enterprise, maybe we’d find that there are simpler solutions to many of life’s problems.

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