[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento

At the heart of any discussion of the state’s budget deficit lies funding for public education. In the late 1980’s, California’s voters determined that at least 40% of the state’s general fund revenues should be used to back up local property taxes – limited by 1978’s Proposition 13.

That means any cuts in state spending that exclude k-12 funding will fall upon the remaining 60% of the general fund. That means huge cuts in higher education, corrections, and health/welfare spending. To avoid these cuts, which could mean the early release of felons from state prisons, the GOP looks to cut public education – then to claim that the cuts won’t matter.

GOP leader Mike Villines is specific: “We can get more money in the classrooms without raising the deficit” (or raising taxes).

Villines would do this by shifting money from urban school districts to rural and suburban seats. Or, should we call them “Republican” school districts.

While the courts restrained the legislature’s natural desire to provide more money to districts represented by the majority, the use of mandates and categorical aid has at least let the urban school districts grab the lion’s share of funding to deal with their lion’s share of the problem.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Major study debunks fear of crime wave from those who cross border from Mexico

By Frank D. Russo

A study released today by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) should lay to rest the myth that immigrants, including those who are here in California illegally, are responsible for crime waves. In fact, it is just the opposite of what some xenophobes would have you believe when they try to whip up fears about crime from those who cross over from Mexico to California. Even amongst this group, the rate of criminal activities is substantially lower than those who are native born Americans.

“Crime, Corrections, and California: What Does Immigration Have to Do with it?”, based on U.S. Census data, looks at the data from multiple points of view and probes for a different outcome. But in 26 pages of rigorous analysis, this is what the authors conclude:

• People born outside the United States make up about 35 percent of California’s adult population but represent only about 17 percent of the state prison population.

• U.S.-born adult men are incarcerated in state prisons at rates up to 3.3 times higher than foreign-born men.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Paul Krekorian
Member
California State Assembly

California’s prisons are in crisis. The system is so grossly overcrowded that a federal judge is on the verge of taking control of it away from the state’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. If the overcrowding is not immediately remedied, the prisons may be forced to release felons early – possibly including murderers, gang leaders and others with a history of violence.

So why are we wasting bed space and guards on inmates who are in a coma?

The cost of imprisoning terminally ill and medically incapacitated prisoners is an unnecessary, exorbitant expense for California taxpayers, often exceeding $120,000 a year for a single inmate. Not only must the state pay for expensive end-of-life medical care, but also the cost of round-the-clock guards for a person who is incapable of posing any threat to society. Using correctional officers to guard such inmates also takes them away from more important security responsibilities, creating unnecessary risks to prison personnel, inmates and the public.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Governor Schwarzenegger has vetoed legislation that would provide unfettered media access to the state’s prisons, thus joining the ranks of former governors, including Gray Davis andPete Wilson, who also vetoed similar bills. According to the SF Chron,State Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles), the sponsor of the bill,believes that it would improve the transparency of the state prisonsystem, while the Governor believes it would “glamorize murderers” and“traumatize crime victims and their families.” On the other hand,there's nothing glamorous about the condition of our prisons, either.

Acommittee commissioned by the Governor to come up with a proposal toimplement the reduction in carbon emissions mandated by AB 32 has endorsed setting up a carbon cap-and-trade systemfor the state of California, according to the Torrance Daily Breeze.Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols supports setting up amarket for carbon credits, but many Democrats and environmentalists arerightly insisting that strong regulations be put in place first. TheSan Jose Merc outlines the report’s specific recommendations here.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Candid comments in hearing and no nonsense letter to Governor lay out the problems in department and demand action

By Frank D. Russo

Senate President pro Tem Don Perata sent Governor Schwarzenegger a strongly worded letter about the state prisons shortly after the Senate Rules Committee unanimously confirmed James Tilton as Secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

Perata's letter advises the Governor that CDCR, which is in charge of the prisons, is structurally flawed, still misses key leadership appointments, fails to meet basic objectives including establishing a clear chain of command, and has repeatedly not responded to direct court orders.

Tilton's confirmation will now go to the full Senate where he should have no problem receiving final approval. While Tilton had many supporters testify on his behalf, there were many in attendance who personally testified or submitted information of horror problems experienced by inmates in the system.

The committee held two long hearings delving into the many problems faced by the prison system and its managers before taking the vote.

At the hearing, Perata said to Tilton:

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

From today's LA Times:

Two appointees whom Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sent to fix California's dysfunctional prison healthcare system pushed a $26-million, no-bid contract for outside medical services while contract reviewers steadfastly maintained it was overpriced and illegal, records and interviews show.

But instead of providing a strong step toward reforming the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's $1.8-billion medical system, the handling of this relatively small contract erupted into a fight that forced out the two appointees and highlights what critics say are systemic contracting breakdowns that helped bloat healthcare costs at the state's 33 prisons. (LA Times 6/4/07)

Well, I guess I would add one thing. Privatization is not the answer to all things public. If Arnold wants to get this stuff done, then he should be willing to pump money into prison health care. This little debacle was a disaster from the get-go, but the conservatives just love their privatization and had to help build the prison-industrial complex. But like most other conservative privatization efforts, it was a debacle. Well, at least prisoners get single payer health care...

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

There's an old saw that not much happens in the State Capitol in Sacramento until the weather heats up into single digits. The mid 90's are predicted for today, but there is still a lot going on in the legislature that you might not know if you just read your local newspaper.

Take the state's prisons, for instance. There has been a fair amount of coverage about the massive prison bed construction bill that was passed in blitzkrieg fashion by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor last week. That was major news in light of the threatened Federal court takeover of our prisons due to overcrowding and because a solution had been elusive for so long with a two-thirds vote in both houses needed.

But this week a number of bills are up for votes in committees and on the floors of the legislature that will help to make sure that sentences are appropriate to fit the crimes, that prisons fulfill their role in rehabilitating those incarcerated, and that those convicted are in fact guilty.