The Obama administration recently announced that it is serious about working on eliminating the country’s drug problem. However, the administration stressed that the focus should be on treatment for drug addicts rather than jail sentences. The belief is that treating addicts will cost the country less in the long run than incarceration. There has also been a problem in the United States with overcrowding of jails that has been tied to the incarceration of misdemeanor and repeat drug offenders.

Unfortunately, many states are voicing concerns about the financial feasibility of supporting drug rehabilitation programs. Drug programs are threatened by tight state budgets, and many people that are currently enrolled in programs are afraid that they will be left without help if budgets continue to tighten. Former addicts have expressed that rehabilitation programs have saved them from spending a lifetime in the jail system.

Sean from Beachway Therapy Center recently said “The only real answer is getting help for those with addiction problems. Throwing them in jail is not solving the real problem.” Beachway is a center located in Delray Beach, Florida that helps numerous people every month. They have seen tremendous growth and predict an even bigger 2012.

Drug rehabilitation experts back the Obama administration’s belief that people struggling with drug abuse would benefit more from treatment as opposed to time spent in jail. These experts warn that cutting such programs could be seriously detrimental to both the budgets and crime statistics of states. Not only could cutting treatment programs contribute to overcrowding in jails, but there are proven ties between drug abuse and domestic violence, child abuse and personal injuries that require attention from emergency medical personnel.

Treatment programs are projected to lower expenses related to drug enforcement over time. Treatment is aimed at significantly reducing the number of repeat offenders. Fewer repeat offenders will help ease the problem of overcrowding in jails and will save money with fewer inmates to financially support. Rehabilitation is also projected to lead to less money spent on emergency response and domestic violence support as incidences of domestic violence and personal injury related to drug use would presumably decrease.

Opposition to drug rehabilitation is not limited to the state level. Many local governments are opposed to the construction and organization of rehabilitation centers. Some of these governments have voiced concerns related to the proximity of such centers to schools, day care centers and residential communities.

If the Obama administration is able to gain support on the state and local level, the aim of the administration would be to allow drug offenders to serve time in a drug rehabilitation center rather than in a jail. While this is the ideal solution, continuing financial struggles related to state and local budgets could mean a long term delay.

While the Small Business Administration (SBA) does not directly offer loans, it does aim to connect small business owners with lenders. Loans that are found through the SBA can be used to start a new business or expand an existing business. SBA loans are easier to obtain than other forms of financing because the government guarantees up to 75 percent of the amount of the loan. This means that the government gives banks assurance that the loans will be paid back even if the small business owner is not able to personally pay back the loan.

Loan amounts range from $100,000 to $5 million. The amount of financing that a business can be approved for depends on the business plan and available assets.

Studies show that small business loans have decreased in recent history because small businesses are hesitant to borrow money in an unstable economy. However, government-backed loans make it easier for businesses to qualify for loans. Interest rates on loans available through the SBA have decreased, and this trend has made it an even better time for small businesses to secure financing.

Obtaining business loans that are sponsored by the SBA may be easier than a traditional bank loan, but there are still steps that businesses need to take to qualify for financing and increase the chance of business success. A solid, well thought out business plan is the most important part of applying for financing. The most successful businesses start with a good idea and expand on this idea by deciding on how to distribute financing, manufacture goods or set up services and establish an effective marketing plan.

The government has also been concerned with the development of businesses in rural communities. Because of this concern, the Business & Industry Guaranteed Loan Program is available to offer financing to businesses that wish to start running a company that benefits rural communities.

Businesses seeking financing for expansions or starting a new company can take advantage of government programs that aim to connect businesses with lenders that are likely to lend based on the business plan, assets and current success of the business. If you are a new company, visit www.startuploans.org for more information.

Infographic courtesy of StartupLoans.org

Ron Paul is also going to make it in the movies, where he will be playing the punkee to Sasha Baron Cohen’s Bruno. The scene, as described in Slate, is really funny. Bruno’s character is the flip side to Borat, a very heterosexual character who punked his way across America on the way to being a film sensation. Heck, the full title says it best about Bruno: Bruno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Males Visibly Uncomfortable in the Presence of a Gay Foreigner in a Mesh T-shirt.

Evidently Cohen, playing Bruno, talked Paul into an interview in a suite at a Washington hotel. When a light blew out on the set Cohen and Ron Paul retired to another room while the engineers set about fixing the problem. That’s when Bruno went to work, with soft lights and mellow music. The story, according to Slate, is that Ron Paul stormed out of the room when he realized Bruno/Cohen was attempting to seduce him, muttering the word “queer” several times ont he way out. Lew Rockwell is all angry, of course, as are many Ron Paul supporters. And there’s the usual litany of Republican whiney excuses and recriminations. From Slate:

A spokeswoman for Paul confirmed that the episode took place but declined to provide details. “We don’t want it to distract from his message,” said press secretary Rachel Mills. “Now is the time when people need to be listening to him on economic issues.”

Mills, who was present at the taping, did elaborate on the “queer” line. “I heard him say –weird,’ ” she wrote in an e-mail. “In any case, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Queer as Folk … it’s not exactly a shocking term if that’s what he did say.”

Mills also noted that Cohen’s people were “very deceptive in their tactics.” At the time, she thought they were “legitimate,” but now confesses to some concern. “I’m familiar with his work, so you can imagine how I feel about it,” she said.

Look, I’m not going to get into anything about the ideas of Ron Paul. But let’s face it. When he did this interview in early 2008 he was trying to convince the country that he could be President of the United States. Sure, Sasha Baron Cohen is good, but it is ridiculous for a Presidential candidate, with all the layers of campaign and PR people surrounding him, to be so thoroughly fooled. He disqualifies himself as Presidential material, and that’s the bottom line.

Now I’m going to get all sorts of comments on here defending Mr. Paul. His people are all about that. But I want to warn them that they are now targets of investigators in Missorui. Yeah, that’s the “Dangerous” part of the title up there. The State of Missouri recently put out a report called the “Modern Militia Movement,” and it gives out telltale signs of what to look for in a homegrown terrorist. That Ron Paul Bumper Sticker? It’s on the list. From KansasCity.com:

A new document meant to help Missouri law enforcement agencies identify militia members or domestic terrorists has drawn criticism for some of the warning signs mentioned.

The Feb. 20 report called “The Modern Militia Movement” mentions such red flags as political bumper stickers for third-party candidates, such as U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, who ran for president last year; talk of conspiracy theories, such as the plan for a superhighway linking Canada to Mexico; and possession of subversive literature.

Of course this is getting blown all out of proportion by the Paul people. There’s whining at the American Conservative, at Right Side News, at Gather.com, and at Prison Planet. I particularly like Lew Rockwell’s frothing at the mouth, titling his blog post, “If you’re reading this blog, you could be a terrorist…”

Let’s get real. Police need to compile ways of keeping track of the possibility of homegrown terrorists. It is pretty clear in this country that those folks share some of the beliefs of Ron Paul, coming as it does from trend data about milit

Sitemeter, which is the service that we use to track traffic on ASZ, is having a nervous breakdown today. Anyone visiting ASZ using Internet Explorer over the past several hours has been receiving an error due to a broken Sitemeter script on their server. This problem does not occur in Firefox. We’ve removed the offending code from ASZ, and will reinstall when the folks at Sitemeter get the problem fixed.

Note to Blogmasters: If you use Sitemeter, you’re having the same problem. Simply remove the Sitemeter code from your blog, and the issue will go away.

Note to Zonebots: If you’re still using IE, do you need another reason to switch to Firefox? Why not download and install it today? Browse happy…

Update, 8/3: The problem at Sitemeter has been resolved. All is well in blogtopia (and yes, Skippy coined that phrase).

h/t to Case Wagenvoord for the head’s up! I would have never noticed the problem, because I use Firefox…

As any long time reader of ASZ should probably know, I am adamantly anti-drug prohibition and don’t think any should be illegal. However, as long as the entire law enforcement industry is dependent upon drug prohibition money, there should be an even higher standard set, and greater punishment for police breaking the laws they’re sworn to uphold.

But, y’know they’re also known for

From the “law of unintended consequences” file…

There’s a perfect storm brewing in the food supply chain, and it centers on grain products. A portion of the issue (skyrocketing corn prices and lack of availability) is being blamed on 1) corn being diverted into the more lucrative ethanol production market rather than into the food consumption chain, and 2)