Four lokos: Facts Behind the Ban

After doing some research on the subject, I discovered there is a process to fight the ban on Four Loko, the infamous alcohol-and-caffeine energy drink that’s been all over the news lately. I am not, however, supporting Four Loko or its parent company.
I do feel the situation involving their products at Central Washington University was mishandled. Sadly, the abuse of alcohol is not a new craze to hit college campuses. People have been making alcoholic energy drinks from vodka and Red Bull and other like products before Four Loko, and they will do so after.
The real problem that needs to be addressed is underage drinking, including educating minors on the subject. We should be focusing on education, not on government intervention. If the public views this ban as successful, that could open the door for other such bans in the name of public safety. It’s also worth noting a ban on alcoholic energy drinks has twice failed in the Legislature.

Having conducted some research on the topic, I have broken down the legal process to fight the ban and the overall impact of the band as well. See the links below for information—pro and con:
Governor’s press release on the subject
Gov. Gregoire joins Liquor Control Board chair to announce ban on alcoholic energy drinks
 Liquor board "facts" sheet regarding the ban
WSLCB Q & A
Press release from Phusion Projects (Four Loko’s parent company)
Press Release
Phusion Projects response to the proposed ban
Phusion Statement in Response to Washington State Ban on Caffeinated Alcoholic Beverages
If you’re interested in fighting the ban, here are a few things you can do. Create and submit a petition. Contact your legislator. Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper to get your concern out to the general public.

As it stands now, this ban will go into effect in nine days. This ban, however, is not permanent and a law will have to follow to make the ban permanent. To learn more about how to fight the ban, click on the link below.

Petition for adoption, amendment, repeal — Agency action — Appeal.

And here is a time line for the ban.

Projected time line for the regular rule making

·         Nov. 10: Board approves filing the pre-proposal statement of inquiry (CR 101)

·         Dec. 1: Code Reviser publishes notice; WSLCB sends notice to rules distribution list

·         Jan. 3: End of written comment period

·         Jan. 12: Board is asked to approve filing the proposed rules (CR 102 filing)

·         Feb. 2: Code Reviser publishes notice; WSLCB sends notice to rules distribution list

·         Feb. 23: Public hearing held

·         Feb. 23: End of written comment period

·         March 2: Board asked to adopt rules

Thank You for Smoking

This just in FDA health panel discovers smoking can kill you. In order to drive this issue home the FDA has crafted new labels to include on cigarettes. Lucky the cost of printing  billions of additional color labels will only help stimulated the economy. Thus helping smokers everywhere quit smoking and employ people in the printing business. (That last parts is a lie).

Honesty the FDA must be running out of idea for how to convince people and had to turned to Hollywood for inspiration. This idea was the underlining plot for the 2005 film Thank you for smoking. In the film after a comical and emotional debate between the lobbyist and the panel of senators. The idea is shot down after they discussed the including of  warning signs on air plans and on fast food. But this whole idea of having to include the pictures on the cigarettes containers to further inform the public about the problem, is just an over extension of government influence. Like they said in the film, "if you can label cigarettes what would stop you from labeling anything and everything from cheddar cheese to air planes"?

This example of the nanny state, further shows the over zealous nature of the governments control. Instead of educating people and giving them the means to decide for themselves. They go after the companies and not the motivations behind the actions of the people.

"The most oppressive leaders are those that believe that only through them will salvation be found. For they're not after the money of the people but there hearts and minds and will not be content until they controls both."--Martin Luther          

Stories From the Nanny State: Banning Four Lokos

If you haven't heard, the Washington State Liquor Control Board decided to ban Four Loko. After the events at Central Washington University, some people think Four Loko is too dangerous to have in stores. The stories of “blackout in a can” are all over the media. 

Basic summary: Nine helpless CWU students were sickened after drinking too much of the lime and fruit punch flavored Four Loko after a rigorous Friday night of studying.

The whole Four Loko ban in and of itself is useless. So the state banned an energy drinks that contain alcohol...what’s going to stop people from buying energy drinks AND alcohol? Also, there are other alcoholic energy drinks on the market such as Sparks and Joose. Even Starbucks sells a coffee liquor to put in your super-powered lattes. So what’s the point of banning it? Underage drinking will still go on. People will still get “cocaine in a can,” as ABC News put it, but under different names, so what has the nanny state really accomplished? 

The lesson to be taken away from this is the individuals in question should have known better. We should focus on educating people on the dangers of these drinks, not banning them. As previously stated, you can still make these drinks by combining energy drinks and alcoholic beverages, or simply buy other energy-alcohol drinks. The only way to stop or limit underage drinking is education in the home and enforcement of the laws on the streets. The best way to summarize this issue is a comment someone posted on The Seattle Times website in regards to this issue:

“Dear Washington State liquor Board.... I'm sorry to inform you that your application to be my mother has been denied.” – Unknown

FWI: You can still buy Four Loko in Idaho and Canada.

The Student Freedom Project

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” - Gandhi

The Student Freedom Project is the newest project from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation.  The project was created to give tools and educational services to college student and young voters. In order to have their voices heard in the local and national government.  More often than not the youth are used and manipulated by the political parties for the “betterment of the whole” at the expense of the youth. The national debt is one such example when those in power are mortgaging our futures for the betterment of society.

The Student Freedom Projects aims to free college students from the over powering political parties and give students the ability to have their voices heard. The official mission is as follows.

The Student Freedom Project’s mission is to advance limited and accountable government, individual liberty, and free market enterprise by equipping and informing students on college campuses. Our goal is to enable college students to take an active role in shaping the future they will graduate into.
 

To learn more go to studentfreedomproject.blogspot.com

War of the Worlds: The Urban Rural Divide

“The wills of the many outweigh the wills of the few.”

So some have said, but is this true of American politics? Should one class of people be able to decide the outcome for another? Should the voices of the majority silence the voices of the minority?  Most Americans would say, “No!” After all, protecting the underrepresented is about as American as apple pie. Throughout our history we have debated about ways to protect against the tyranny from below.  James Madison discussed this very issue 223 years ago in the Federalist Papers:

 “Complaints are everywhere heard from our most considerate and virtuous citizens, equally the friends of public and private faith, and of public and personal liberty, that our governments are too unstable, that the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties, and that measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority.”      

 This conflict seemed to rear its ugly head during the midterm election. The urban versus rural debate seemed to be an underlying theme to all aspects of the election, from job creation to economic recovery. With any tax-based system we weigh the needs of the few with the needs of the many. Do we increase taxes on the few to benefit the masses? Should we cut taxes for the majority, but remove the services that a minority of people rely on? The age-old question of economic priorities was what a lot of voter were paying attention to. They didn’t care who was in office as long as the politicians didn’t negatively affect their lifestyle. But what if one group’s lifestyles needs required the confiscation of another’s?

In Washington state this happens quite often. We have a habit of taxing people in Spokane for bridges in Seattle, and taxing farmers for social programs they will never use. In the last election—like most elections in this state—King County was the deciding factor. Ironically, the western side of the state is the also recipient of the majority of pork from the other Washington (D.C.). Government pork, as we know, is the government giving us part of our tax money back via directing it to a certain group or organization. King County is the most populous county in Washington state, so it’s justified in having the power it does right? When we compare the issues and lifestyles of the urban and rural populations, should one group have to pay for the lifestyle of the other? When it comes to the spending cuts that must be made, who will the government side with? Who will get priority when it comes to spending taxpayer money? In a war between social and class divisions, who will win?

Where the Axe falls: Reducing the Deficit

With the new officials in office real change is coming to Washington. The biggest issue on the minds of Americans and congress is the deficit. With the economy propped up by borrowed money, cuts and reductions will have to be made. But to whom will the axe fall? What programs will our legislatures cut?

Much of the hard choices that will have to made in the next two years, will be influence by us. As voters we have a say in what happens in the future of our nation. Which is why more then ever, we will have to be willing to write and contact our senators and representatives to help them decide on what government programs to cut back on.


Reports of cuts to higher education funding is a very likely possibility. Along with reduction in number of staff for government agencies. But deciding which group will be hit the hardest relies realistically  not on who needs it more, but to whom the congressmen value the most. So if your worried about losing you benefits or college funding, contact your legislature. Voting is only a part of getting our nation headed in the right direction. Only by being involved will your voice be heard.