The Sacramento Bee newspaper reported on August 11 that California Governor Schwarzenegger will, despite the approx. $ 20 billion state budget deficit and the lack of a budget for the current fiscal year, borrow $ 65 million from the State general fund to begin building a new 1,152 bed death row at San Quentin.
The article quotes Assembly Jared Huffman, a Democrat from San Rafael, as saying that this is “stunningly hypocritical” that the Governor would take State general fund like this at the same time the State faces a $20 billion deficit and the Governor is attempting to furlough State employees to avoid a cash crisis.
According to the article, bids are about to be released for this construction.
One has to wonder if rather than build new and expanded death row beds the alternative has been considered. Vacancies at the Inn could be made to happen if anyone in a leadership position simply had the intestinal fortitude to carry out some of the sentences. Orange County could step up to the plate and offer the sentenced gang bangers and other thugs from this county as the first contingent. Guess it is easier to spend money we don’t have.
THAT OR…
Save buku-billions by discontinuing this barbaric practice of state-sanctioned murder. Costs a lot less just to keep the bastids behind bars for the rest of their lives. And remember every now and then, one of them turns out to be innocent!
The Prison guards union must be in fear of losing some jobs so they are twisting arms in the capitol.
Perhaps they should take a pay cut if they really think this expansion is so important.