Asking Quote by James P. Gray
“Since you control a federal budget that has just been increased from $17.8 billion last year to $19.2 billion this year, is asking people like you if we should continue with our nation's current drug policy like a person asking a barber if one needs a haircut?”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Congressional testimony, 2023
Budget authority does not equate expertise in drug policy; expertise matters more than funding level.
In simple terms: Money doesn’t make you an expert on drugs.
Key Takeaway
Seek knowledgeable input, not just budget size.
Themes
policy
expertise
budget
drug reform
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
political
policy
When to use this quote
- budget hearings
- policy debates
- healthcare planning
- public advocacy
Key Concepts
public health
fiscal responsibility
legislative oversight
Questions to Reflect On
- How can expertise be better integrated into budget decisions?
- What role should public health data play in policy?
A Different Perspective
Funding increase alone cannot solve complex drug issues.
![“With drug use related harms, explanatory models are often presented as predictive tools, even though they ‘are [rarely if ever] predictive of consequent behavior’ or outcomes. Hence, we feel confident in asserting at outset, that prohibition based approaches in drug policy lack a sound basis in…” quote by Daniel Waterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e7b/daniel-waterman-25499_belief_with-drug-use-related-harms-explanatory_303076.jpg)
