San Jose Mercury News, 17 Oct 2010 – Supporters of Proposition 19 portray marijuana legalization as a panacea for all of California’s problems. They argue that it will fix California’s budget crisis, vanquish drug cartels, save law enforcement resources and relieve prison overcrowding. It will accomplish none of these things. Proposition 19 won’t even legalize marijuana, which would remain punishable by federal law. The reality is that Proposition 19 is a poorly constructed and misleading initiative funded mainly by the personal fortune of one marijuana dealer. It will increase drug use among our youth, waste taxpayer dollars and create new regulatory burdens for local governments.