Some of the more vocal critics of the prison realignment plan, which would shift thousands of prisoners from state to local control, held a press conference mildly supporting the plan in the belief that the money will be made available.  But that’s really not hypocrisy, so much as a reasoned shift of perception based on changed information.  All reasonable.

What isn’t reasonable? Well, that would be this quote from Assemblyman Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber) with some statistics that really aren’t worth repeating because they clearly emerged no more worthwhile than the soothsayer at the carnival. I’ll just get to it:

“The public safety realignment is a public safety disaster, an egregious breach of justice,” he told reporters outside the governor’s news conference. “There will be mass victimization, a great injustice. … The bottom line is you don’t mess with parole policies and sentencing policies without really seriously considering the long term impacts… The blood will be on the streets, and the citizens are going to look where the blood is, whoever the authority is that’s in charge. That’s going to be the local police and fire services.”(SF Gate)

The streets will run with the blood of a new carnage…that will never come.  At some level, this is just the same ol’ lock-em-up-and-throw-away-the-key BS that we see with Republicans (and some Democrats) all the time.  But Nielson just really outdoes himself with this little tirade, and is made to look all that much more ridiculous when the police chiefs, DAs and Sheriff’s association at least semi-support the plan.  Of course, Nielsen has no problem with a little demagoguery from time to time, check out his ranting against any tax increases over the flip.

Asm. Nielsen on Gov. Brown’s Budget* from CA Assembly GOP on Vimeo.