 “They’ll be Back” |
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – A proposed plan to solve California’s budget crisis would reduce the state’s prison population by 27,000, it was reported Tuesday, as opposition to the new fiscal deal mounted.
The Los Angeles Times reported on its website that the budget deal, announced by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and bipartisan lawmakers on Monday, would involve the early release of thousands of inmates.
The Times said the reduction would be achieved through a combination of measures including allowing prisoners to finish their sentences on home detention and creating incentives for completion of rehabilitation plans. The prison inmate proposal would help save the state 1.2 billion dollars in the coming fiscal year, the Times reported. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca meanwhile condemned the proposed state budget, telling the Times that cuts to local government would force authorities across the state to shut down jails or slash officers from street patrol.
“I think it is one thing to have a natural disaster… but it is another thing to have local cities and counties hit by a disaster predicated on the irresponsible actions of the state legislators,” Baca told the Times. California’s fiscal woes have deepened as the state reels under the effects of the recession, which have sent unemployment and home foreclosures soaring and state revenues plunging to levels not seen since the 1990s. The budget crisis has pushed the state to the brink of bankruptcy and forced California to start paying its bills with IOUs earlier this month.
Excellent idea!
How is it that people who can be released (or put on home detention) are behind bars? They aren’t a threat to you or me (if so, they wouldn’t be in the group considered for release) but they are caged.
At the heart of this is the realization that caging people for non-violent crimes is a luxury (IMHO a perverted luxury).
In times of trouble we pull back from such luxuries, but of course when there’s money again we’ll take those who are no threat to anyone and put them behind bars. That’s what makes us a free country.
Conservatives can easily fix this…cut spending on bureaucrats…reams of them could go, saving so much money the state would have a surplus…then they could lower taxes on the rich and businesses…so both return to HIRE Californians.
Unfortunately for us, the poor don’t hire people, therefore liberals only know how to joblessness–taxing the rich into non existence or forcing them to move.
#21
Liberals repeat after me:
(More)Taxes = Bad
Deficits = Bad
Taxes in and of themselves are not bad. There is however a point of diminishing returns and we are long past that. If you think taxes are good, I’m more than happy to let you pay my share.
How is that the State with one of the largest per capita tax rates and the largest tax revenue cannot get by with what it has? CA does not have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem.
#42 Alfred1
Name the last president to reduce the size of the US federal government (~5000 employees)? That would be….Jimmy Carter!
You really are a crazy, apologist, nanny government, closet liberal.
I will simply give a bump to Post #1.
Ca has been over criminalizing its population for a long time. Thats no change in the last 5-10 years so as to bring on a deficit crises.
Is it “just” the accumulation of small yearly deficit programs that have finally amalgamated to a huge deficit and Legislature refuses to cut them all back?
“Usually” across the board cutting is a function of the cutter not knowing what to do.
“California to Release 27,000 Criminals To Ease Budget Concerns”
A new fund raising technique? Their motto: “Steal for the State!”
#40 That sounded like an “I love you, bro”. Here’s mine: I skip all of Alfred1 posts, I don’t miss 1 from you. Still, get some new words. “Wingnuts” and related got old already.