The politicalizing of issues once considered morality issues can stagger even the savviest of voters.
Tuesday a group calling themselves Oklahomans for Sensible Marijuana Laws delivered 164,000 signatures to the Oklahoma Secretary of State in hopes of getting their Question 820 on the ballot for the November 2022 ballot.
Sensible? The spin of using words like “sensible” for an issue like marijuana is misleading at best. Oklahomans already have voted in medical marijuana for those who believe they are medically benefitting from marijuana, but sensible recreational use is just crazy.
The spin doctors who produce the propaganda to get these issues passed reach deep into the pockets of consumer, totally bypassing giving the full story.
Major retailers like Wal-Mart, Costco, Whole Foods and beer distributors dumped big money into the campaign to put high point beer and wine into their stores all under the auspice of “Modernization of Oklahoma Liquor Laws.” To most, it sounded like a practical thing to do. After all, it must be great fun to buy wine at grocery stores. Problem is the small print on State Question 792 which changed the distribution system of spirits ultimately resulting in increased spirit prices of 20-30 percent higher and has left many liquor store shelves in small markets empty. It has been a tremendous detriment to most liquor stores. This is the result of so-called “Modernization.”
Going back even further, when the “buckle of the Bible belt” — Oklahoma — passed the lottery they sold it to voters as “Lottery for Education” tricking voters into thinking it would provide additional money for education, only to find out lottery revenues just supplanted the education revenues once allocated from the state’s budget. More money has not gone into education because of the lottery.
And, in 1982 Oklahoma voters passed pari-mutuel betting on race tracks under the promise it would grow the racing industry in Oklahoma and set it apart as a premiere horse racing state in the United States. Unfortunately Oklahoma still does not rank high for quarter horse racing and it has not brought in the revenues once promised.
So, buyer beware when we see the flood of marketing promoting changing the original values of Oklahomans claiming voting yes will open the gates to prosperity.