Taxing pot and using tax dollars for pre-K are both bad ideas

Your recent editorial (”Pre-K and pot,” Aug. 22) was mainly confusing but correct in taking to task two of the gubernatorial candidates (although you again failed to find out the Libertarian candidate’s position on this issue). There seems to be no real rationale for providing pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds. Of course, both parties look to new tax sources to provide more government involvement with children’s lives. But what struck me most were two inconsistent statements — one supporting an expansion of pre-K and the second acknowledging the state’s failings: “If our experience so far with medical marijuana tells us anything, it’s that Maryland is fully capable of screwing up a sure thing like legalizing pot.”

What makes you think that the state of Maryland won’t “screw up” pre-K just like they have not always wisely spent the money they currently have for the rest of public education? You really should strive to be logically consistent concerning the expected level of incompetence shown by government. By the way, I agree that the state has not addressed the legalization of marijuana in an appropriate manner — possession of pot should not be prohibited by the state and should not necessarily be a newsource of tax revenue.