Grammar junkies -- what is "for government spending" referring to here? I've been trying to figure this out since I first saw it but I swear it's just dangling there:
"The legislature eliminated, without a vote of the people, agricultural excise tax preferences for various aspects of the marijuana industry, costing an estimated 24.9m in the first ten years, for government spending."
Taking out the assumed parenthetical clauses it would read:
"The legislature eliminated agricultural excise tax preferences for various aspects of the marijuana industry for government spending."
@1: I agree it's a poorly constructed sentence, but doesn't "for government spending" simply mean "money that the government will spend" (i.e. "revenue")?
I'm so sorry that the political process of casting a non-binding vote annoys you all. How many nanoseconds did it take away from your day? Maybe you'll make up that time the next time you get the green light while driving to the pot shop.
@5 --but it *did* cost money and time in order to appear on the ballot. Just because it wasn't yours personally, doesn't mean it wasn't a waste to appear on the ballot at all. Now who's being petty?
@5: "the political process of casting a non-binding vote"? like this is an essential feature of democracy? if it's non-binding, WHY ARE WE VOTING ON IT?
However, what is being missed here is the data from the advisory votes can be used by our legislators to help them in their jobs to be better representatives for their constituents.
"The legislature eliminated, without a vote of the people, agricultural excise tax preferences for various aspects of the marijuana industry, costing an estimated 24.9m in the first ten years, for government spending."
Taking out the assumed parenthetical clauses it would read:
"The legislature eliminated agricultural excise tax preferences for various aspects of the marijuana industry for government spending."
What's missing?
Irony lives.