USA - California Senate President Holds Strong on Alternative to Incarceration

[Heretic.Ape.]

[top]California Senate President Holds Strong on Alternative to Incarceration

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

A handful of California politicians are trying to undermine the state's successful treatment-instead-of-incarceration initiative, Proposition 36, in a budget battle that could culminate in a vote at the end of this month.

Republicans in the state Senate have introduced a proposal to end state funding for the program, despite the fact that Prop. 36 has saved taxpayers $1.8 billion and kept tens of thousands of Californians out of prison in just six years. State-contracted research shows the program saves $2.50 for every $1 invested in it.

Margaret Dooley, Prop. 36 Coordinator for the Drug Policy Alliance, said, “The proposal sadly illustrates that Senate Republicans’ distaste for drug treatment outweighs their interest in fiscally responsible policies. The more the state spends on Prop. 36, the more tax dollars we'll save and the more people we'll help become taxpayers instead of tax-spenders. De-funding this treatment alternative now would be the height of fiscal irresponsibility.”

The Senate Republicans' proposal to zero out funding follows a July vote by the state Assembly to reduce spending for Prop. 36 in 2007-08 to $120 million--a $25 million reduction from the previous year--while approving $500 million in tax cuts for large corporations.

Fortunately, Senate President pro Tem Don Perata is holding strong against the pressure to cut funding in exchange for corporate tax gifts. Before the Assembly voted to cut Prop. 36 spending, Senator Perata encouraged the Assembly Speaker to rethink the plan, writing, “I am alarmed and dismayed by rumors that you are considering a half a billion dollars in tax breaks for special interests…. Even the increases we proposed to the state’s Prop 36 program - aimed at keeping non-violent drug offenders out of prison and putting them into treatment programs - has fallen victim to concerns about the state’s long-term deficit…. We cannot continue to fund education, higher education and crucial human services issues…by providing tax giveaways.”

When the Senate returns to debate the budget, expected late this month, the Republicans are expected to put Prop. 36 funding up for negotiation again. However, the Senate President's strong support bodes well for the program. The final decision will be up to the governor, who has the ability to reduce any line-item in the legislature-approved budget before signing it into law.

Prop. 36 has national significance as a model for shifting the response to drug use away from the criminal justice system. DPA is closely involved in the ongoing fight to protect the program and raise awareness of its success in reducing drug addiction and saving taxpayer dollars.


http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/080807prop36.cfm

Republicans are insane. I still have not been able to bend my mind to understand the mysteries of their twisted minds. If you are in CA you may want to contact your representative about this. If you go to the website of drug policy alliance they have information about how to contact your representative if you do not know how.
h.a.

[hoodabudda]

well legalizing pot would cut the need for funding by 25% or so

[Heretic.Ape.]

Perhaps self-righteousness is the one thing republicans love more than money... wait a minute! They do still care just as much about the money... they just don't care about how fucked spending is on public issues, only about their special interests! So obvious, can't believe it took me a minute to pinpoint it. Someday I will fully comprehend where they are coming from and perhaps then I will be able to speak to them in their own language to understand if they realize they are evil.
Next I'll start trying to understand Democrat, and ask them in their language why they are a bunch of sell out pussies!

[Broshious]

Originally Posted by heretic.ape.

Perhaps self-righteousness is the one thing republicans love more than money... wait a minute! They do still care just as much about the money... they just don't care about how fucked spending is on public issues, only about their special interests! So obvious, can't believe it took me a minute to pinpoint it. Someday I will fully comprehend where they are coming from and perhaps then I will be able to speak to them in their own language to understand if they realize they are evil.
Next I'll start trying to understand Democrat, and ask them in their language why they are a bunch of sell out pussies!

Not that Democrats are just pussies, but they're equally self-righteous as Republicans just about different things. A Republican wants to make you not have gay sex. A Democrat wants to make you give money to the poor.

And they seem to feed righteousness off of eachother. It seems like they are thinking "Well, since we KNOW they're wrong that means we must be that much more right".

[chrisn]

Republicans in this day and age are completely for sale. The laws they propose and support are based completely on who gives them contributions.

Example: my uncle and his firm developed some sort of filters for reducing diesel emissions. The republicans told him, give us a lot of money, and we'll work to get laws passed to require better diesel emission standards so that more people use your product.

[hoodabudda]

Originally Posted by chrisn

Republicans in this day and age are completely for sale. The laws they propose and support are based completely on who gives them contributions.

Example: my uncle and his firm developed some sort of filters for reducing diesel emissions. The republicans told him, give us a lot of money, and we'll work to get laws passed to require better diesel emission standards so that more people use your product.

that could be used to our advantage though...if norml was to pay them off to legalize.

[FuBai]

Originally Posted by chrisn

Republicans in this day and age are completely for sale. The laws they propose and support are based completely on who gives them contributions.

Example: my uncle and his firm developed some sort of filters for reducing diesel emissions. The republicans told him, give us a lot of money, and we'll work to get laws passed to require better diesel emission standards so that more people use your product.

So vote for Federal funding for elections with no external money spend allowed. If you want to crack down on this mess of donations and corporate domination then you have to reduce individual interest - a senatorial seat costs around 5 million in election costs alone and in the 2008 presidential elections the final candidates are expected to spend more than 1 billion each on campaigns. If you have federal funded election campaigns only to ensure that fair chance is given to everyone you will also kill alot of that sort of corruption.