Tag Archives: crime

Jessica’s Law: Letting Visceral Emotion Trump Sound Policy Since 2006

Sen. George Runner is a fan of spending the state’s money. No, he won’t spend money on educating children or giving Californians opportunities, he’s more interested in locking people up and making them into better criminals when they are eventually released. But one of Runner’s greatest successes, or failures depending on how you look at it, was the disaster known as Jessica’s Law.

In a report released this week(PDF), the California Sex Offender Management Board cited housing as a major source of recidivism amongst sex offenders. Jessica’s Law, passed as Prop 83 in 2006, banned registered sex offenders from living within 2000 feet of a school, park, or other children gathering area.  This has severely limited housing availability for these paroled offenders. Since the law has been in place, homelessness amongst this population has increased by a factor of 12.  The SOMB has found housing for some of the offenders, but the problem has far outstripped their resources. And given the budget crisis, who knows how long we can keep even a modicum of a housing program.

Homeless sex offenders do not make us safer, just the opposite.  They are difficult to track, they are likely to live near schools anyway, and there is always the fact that the homeless are far more likely to commit crimes than those with stable housing.  

The SOMB is now calling for Jessica’s Law to be revised.  

Robert Coombs, a spokesman for the board’s chairwoman, said the members found it infeasible to call for abolishing the residency restrictions, given the sweeping voter approval of Proposition 83. He said state and local officials have the power to interpret the law to allow more housing for sex offenders, but the board believes that the likelihood of legislators fixing the problems in more comprehensive ways — at least in the short term — is slim.

“I can’t imagine a policymaker who would put their name on something that says we want to make it easier for sex offenders to find housing,” Coombs said. “Even though it’s a strong public safety concept,” lawmakers would be setting themselves up for political attack.(LAT 1/14/09)

This would require a 2/3 vote, as it was passed by the voters. Good luck getting a Republican to vote based on public policy rather than red meat to his base on this issue.   Apparently he is “going with his gut” over actually looking at what is really happening.  You see, he thought about this one night, and it seemed like a good idea, and he’s going to stick with it. Real world results be damned!

Meanwhile, Arnold’s people seem to be somewhat open to changing the residency restrictions.  Former Corrections Secretary Jeanne Woodford has even called for the complete abolition of the residency requirements. And the underlying facts behind Jessica’s Law are rarely put better than she put it:

“The bottom line is, this is really what happens when we allow our emotions to get the best of us, as opposed to dealing with the facts,” she said. (LAT 1/14/09)

Why the Death Row Report Kills Republicans on the Budget

As Robert dug into yesterday, the state death penalty system is buckling under its own weight.  The fundamental problem, when the 117-page report is boiled down (perhaps overly so), is a fundamental lack of resources- time, human, and monetary- to handle the case load. So I took a bit more notice today when Morgan Crinklaw could barely keep his seat blasting the notion (aka reality) that, as Assembly Budget Committee Chair Noreen Evans put it “We don’t have a spending problem.  We have a revenue problem.”

See, here’s the problem for state Republicans now. They only really have two issues anymore: Slashing the budget at every turn and being tough on crime. But now they’re stuck, because they find themselves without the money to be tough on crime. Do they start the push for increased funding and investment for tough-on-crime programs and making the death penalty system work faster and tougher? If so, how are they going to generate the money without…you know…addressing a revenue problem that they deny? Do they let the death penalty system fall apart completely? How do you scare voters in to line without promising to bring swift vengeance against the threats to status-quo living?

The Republicans who are manning the budgetary blockade in Sacramento can maybe get away with attempting cuts in areas like education and health care because they never really ran on those issues in the first place- they have no particular political allegiance to improving or protecting those areas. But if they can’t even afford to be tough on crime, well…

Immovable object, meet the irresistible force.

Meet The Face Of “Tough On Crime” California

I think the dictionary definition of “irony” just blew up.

Before Henry T. Nicholas III donated millions to rewrite California’s crime laws, the Republican billionaire was entangled in his own netherworld of prostitution, drug peddling, bribery and death threats, federal prosecutors say.

The salacious charges against Nicholas – made public in two federal grand jury indictments unsealed last Thursday – allege a pattern of criminal behavior by one of the state’s richest people and biggest political donors.

Nicholas, the 48-year-old co-founder of Broadcom, a computer chip-making company, has donated more than $9.4 million to various California candidates and causes in the past four years. He is a top donor to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

This year, the indicted Republican billionaire is the financial force behind two crime initiatives voters will consider in November – one to stiffen anti-gang statutes and another to bolster victims’ rights. Combined, he has given the measures $5.9 million – critical seed money used to collect signatures to qualify for the ballot.

Proponents are furiously backpedaling away from Nicholas’ involvement – even though he is the largest donor to both campaigns.

This guy was backdating stock options to the tune of $2.2 billion, supplied all kinds of drugs to associates and LISTED THEM ON INVOICES as “refreshments” and “party favors,” bribed a Broadcom employee a million dollars to get him to keep quiet about his drug use, and threatened physical violence to conceal the same.

He’s the one telling California how to manage their crime laws?

The two he’s funded for the November ballot are real doozies, considering that we’re in the midst of a prison overcrowding crisis.

This year, Nicholas is most closely tied to “Marsy’s Law,” which would expand the rights of crime victims and make it harder for convicts to obtain parole.

Nicholas wrote the measure, named it after his sister, and contributed all but $100 of the measure’s $4.85 million treasury […]

The second Nicholas-backed initiative, the Safe Neighborhoods Act, would stiffen penalties for gang members and increase law enforcement funding in the state.

Nicholas donated $1 million to the campaign, sponsored by Sen. George Runner and Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, two Lancaster Republicans.

Hypocrisy among Republicans is nothing new.  But this drive for ever tougher crime laws is fueled by growing the prison-industrial complex and keeping residents scared enough to send “law ‘n’ order” Republicans back to Sacramento.  It’s an insidious game, and the fact that its chief sponsor has committed more crimes BY HIMSELF than any he would address in his initiatives, seemingly, makes it even more unseemly.

We still have a grace period to determine how the state will manage this crisis and avoid a federal mandate to cap the prison population.  Hopefully there will be enough room for Henry Nicholas.

We’re #2! A dishonor amongst even the most dishonored

A new report by the University of San Francisco’s Center for Law and Global Justice, points out a dispicable statistic, via the LA Times:

California has sentenced more juveniles to life in prison without possibility of parole than any state in the nation except Pennsylvania, according to a new study by the University of San Francisco’s Center for Law and Global Justice. California currently has 227 inmates serving such sentences for crimes committed before they turned 18; Pennsylvania has 433.

The study, titled “Sentencing Children to Die in Prison,” also found that the United States has far more juveniles serving life terms than any other country — 2,387 at present — with Israel running a distant second at 7. Israel, the only other country that imprisons juveniles for life, according to the study, has not issued such a sentence since 2004.(LAT 11.19.07)

The full report can be viewed here (PDF).

A rush of adjectives come at me on this statistic, but I’m not sure if any are truly appropriate. Clearly we are failing our children, giving up entirely on the idea of rehabilitation, and dooming ourselves to failure. Surely there must be a better solution, both in California, and for our nation in general. We can’t afford to blindly pursue ToughOnCrimeTM without considering the consequences.

I should point out that Sen. Leland Yee (D-SF) has a bill pending in the Senate, SB 999, that would allow for the possibility of parole for all juvenile offenders after 25 years in prison. The Bill goes to the floor in January. Unfortunately it will need 2/3 support, and I’m not sure how many Repubs will be willing to look past their war drum to what is best for the state.

Anti-war Popular Culture: Pink’s “Dear Mr. President” Lyrics

Anti-war movements have their bases set in popular culture.  Political leaders will co-opt the popular culture in order to shape their images and to present their messages.  Being a pop culture leader in an anti-war movement is not without its peril.  Being the target of pop culture is similarly not without its peril.

The purveyors and icons of popular culture have to climb aboard the Peace Train (thank you, Dolly Parton) in order for an anti-war movement to advance.  We saw this in large measure during the Vietnam Civil War when artists like Bob Dylan, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and others wrote and performed anti-war rhetoric.  Norman Whitfield wrote the song “War” and wanted the the Temptations to perform it.  However, apparently in response to the conservative following of the Temptations, only Edwin Starr of the Temptations and Whitfield recorded the single so as not to alienate the fan base.

More recently, we have seen the results of The Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines making an off-handed remark and Michael Moore’s film-making which were excoriated and blown out of proportion by the Repugnants.  More specifically, fans of Maines, Emily Robison, and Martie Maguire were encouraged to destroy the group’s albums and CDs following Maine’s remarks about the embarrassment which is the so-called Pres. Bush.  However, The Dixie Chicks kept its stride and bounced back with with an amazing anti-war song, “Not Ready To Make Nice,” one of my favorite songs of all time.  The song and album won five Grammy Awards at the 49th Grammy Awards Ceremony.  I also personally credit The Dixie Chicks for helping to significantly turn the country away from the dominion of Darkness.  Michael Moore has similarly risked his life and standing in the community in order to present Truth to Power with his documentary films including “911.”  As with The Dixie Chicks, Moore has suffered at the hands of the Repugnants and their lackeys.

Now, Pink has joined the fray.  I love her song and lyrics “Dear Mr. President” that features the Indigo Girls and adore the accompanying video as well.  If you have not heard the song, check it out at i-tunes.  If you have not seen the video, it is now playing on Time Warner Cable On Demand, at least in the Beaumont/Banning area:

More below the flip…

The lyrics are from lyricsandsongs.com

Artist:  Pink
Album: “I’m not Dead” (2006)
Dear Mr. President (Feat. Indigo Girls) Lyrics

Dear Mr. President
Come take a walk with me
Let’s pretend we’re just two people and
You’re not better than me
I’d like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep
What do you feel when you look in the mirror
Are you proud?

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why?

Dear Mr. President
Were you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
How can you say
No child is left behind
We’re not dumb and we’re not blind
They’re all sitting in your cells
While you pay the road to hell.

What kind of father would take his own daughter’s rights away
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You’ve come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye?

Let me tell you bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don’t know nothing bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh!

How do you sleep at night
How do you walk with your head held high
Dear Mr. President
You’d never take a walk with me
Would you?

Here is a list of anti-war songs that can be found at onegoodmove.org:

  • The Price of Oil-Billy Bragg
  • CodePINK For Peace-Pat Humphries/Sandy Opatow
  • Bombs Over Baghdad-John Trudell
  • The Bell-Stephan Smith, Pete Seeger, Mary Harris, Dean Ween
  • My Hero Mr President-Paula Cole
  • To Washington-John Mellencamp
  • Jacobs Ladder-Chumbawamba (not in our name)
  • Bomb The World-Michael Franti and Spearhead
  • March of Death-Zack de la Rocha & DJ Shadow
  • A World Gone Mad…-Beastie Boys
  • The Final Straw-R.E.M.
  • We Want Peace-Lenny Kravitz
  • Life During Wartime-Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)
  • We’re the Enemy-The John Kasper Band
  • Freestyle Live From No Man’s Land-Saul Williams (not in our name)
  • Perfectly Comfortable-Alan Fletcher
  • Bomb The World (Armageddon Version)-Michael Franti and Spearhead
  • Bush and Saddam-Everton Blender
  • Self Evident-Ani di Franco
  • I would appeal to the artistic community to become more visible in the anti-war movement.  Songwriters, musicians, actors, screenwriters, producers, filmmakers, arise!

Republican Culture of Corruption: 2007 So Far

[First, a cheap plug for my blog Senate 2008 Guru: Following the Races.]

Does it seem like there’s a new Republican scandal in the news every single week?  Well, that may be because there is.

That seems like an awful lot of corruption, scandal, hypocrisy, impropriety, and jail-worthy crime, huh?  A lot of corruption.  One might say an entire Culture of Corruption.

July 9, 2007 Blog Roundup

( – promoted by jsw)

Today’s Blog Roundup on the flip.

More on the
Schwarzenegger Resource Board Train Wreck

Other Environment Reports

Crime In San Francisco

Continuing Land Use
Conversations in Davis

Everything Else

Irvine’s Crime Prevention Programs and the Crime Rate

(OK, fixed! : ) – promoted by atdleft)

Today, the FBI confirmed what CA AG Jerry Brown said in May, Irvine is one safe city. In fact, it’s the safest in the nation:

For the third year running, Irvine tops all large cities in the nation with the lowest incidence of violent crime after posting a nearly 17 percent drop in 2006, according to a report by the FBI. Reported violent crimes for the city – which include homicide, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault – fell from a total of 151 in 2005 to 126 in 2006, for a rate of 67 per 100,000 in the preliminary posting of the 2006 FBI Annual Uniform Crime Report. (OC Reg 6/5/07)

Last time, I talked about the importance of parks and recreation.  And of course, economic factors surely weigh into the amount of crime. Given that Irvine has a pretty high per capita income, it’s not surprising to see a low rate of crime. But Irvine actually does better than similarly sized cities with higher per capita income. Take that Sunnyvale! (Ok…Sunnyvale is #2 on the AG safe city list, but that’s one slot below #1).

But something else is also at play here, that is the role of the city’s various crime prevention programs. Irvine has implemented geographic policing, neighborhood watch programs, and Internet reporting.  Follow me over the flip for more..

So for a city of about 200,000 people, how the heck does Irvine stay so safe? Well, how about the Police Department’s various programs. One such program is geographic policing.  This program gets beat officers out from behind desks and in the community, where they are visible. Irvine’s neighborhood alert has also been effective. Knowing your neighbors helps reduce crime and creates a more livable city. Or is it the WatchMail program? Can the internet actually be used as a tool to reduce crime in the community? Whatever they are doing, the Crime Prevention Unit of the Irvine Police Department is proving to be quite effective.

And clearly, it seems like Irvine has enough patrol officers to cover the entire community. And perhaps now that the Irvine Police Department now does “geographic policing”, officers really are connecting more with the community. And maybe, their Crime Analysis Unit is having some effect. Perhaps by finding out what had gone wrong, they can then work with the community to make things right. Whatever is happening, the Irvine Police Department must be doing something right.

And clearly Irvine’s Progressive Mayor and Police Chief know how tough it can be to keep such a big city so safe. Yet for the last three years, they have been remarkably successful in leading the way not just for Orange County, and not just California, but for the entire nation. From The OC Register:

“When you are the safest city in America, you have to work especially hard to maintain that position,” Irvine Mayor Beth Krom said. “This is a source of pride for the entire community.” […]

“Getting to know the people who live and work in these areas helps them to be able to identify the problems in these areas and any impacts on the quality of life,” said Irvine Police Chief David L. Maggard.

And how has Irvine been able to avoid what the other major cities in Orange County are suffering from?

The national crime trends were largely echoed in Orange County, with all eight cities with populations of 100,000 or above recording increases in robberies, and a sharp decline in property crime.

There were 19 more murders in Orange County’s biggest cities in 2006 than the previous year – a jump that can be largely result of a spike in gang violence in Santa Ana, which recorded nine more murders in 2006.

However, car thefts, arsons and other property crimes dipped across the nation for the second straight year, the data show. Huntington Beach – which saw a 12.6 percent drop in violent crime – was the only large Orange County city to see a rise in property crime, recording 365 more property crimes last year compared to 2005.

Huntington Beach must now worry about property crime becoming more prevalent throughout town. Santa Ana is now facing a crisis of escalating gang violence. Up in North Orange County, the cities of Orange and Fullerton are grappling with dramatic increases in violent crisis. Take a look at the major California cities on the FBI’s list, and things aren’t looking very good not just in OC, but throughout the state.

So what is Irvine doing right that other cities in California aren’t? Are Irvine’s police services that much better? Are they doing a better job of preventing crime? Are the parks and community services really making that much of a difference? There’s a secret to Irvine’s success, and more communities should try to learn this secret to figure out how to take a real bite out of crime.

Mike Carona, “America’s Sheriff”: An Officer & A Sleazebag

Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona appointed 86 political allies, campaign contributors, friends and relatives to the sheriff’s reserve program soon after he was elected in January 1999, a supervisor who once ran the program said in a deposition released Wednesday.

Ah, the sheriff! Yes, the one who sexually harasses his female staff members! Yes, the one who loves to hang out with THE LAS VEGAS MAFIA! Yes, the one who breached the county’s top-secret anti-terrorism plans to a con-artist! Well, it looks like Mike Carona has found himself in new trouble… And this time, it’s The OC Register that’s actually reporting it!

Go ahead and follow me after the flip for the latest on our favorite perverted politician… Oops, didn’t I mean “law enforcement officer”? You know you want to… ; )

So how has this latest scandal surfaced? Well, you can thank one trigger-happy reserve officer for this!

Lt. Jeff Bardzik’s deposition was taken earlier this month as part of a $4 million lawsuit brought by two golfers who allege the sheriff’s one-time friend and former reserve deputy, Raymond Yi, flashed a reserve badge and threatened them with a department-issued gun. Bardzik testified that he recommended the sheriff’s department take away Yi’s gun and badge. Yi, whose reserve status was suspended, also faces a criminal trial June 11 for his actions.

The sheriff himself is scheduled to give a deposition in the golfers’ lawsuit. But in a motion filed May 1, Carona asked a judge to seal the testimony to stop it from being given to the media. […]

On Wednesday, Bardzik declined to comment on his deposition because of his own ongoing lawsuit against Carona, which also contains the same criticisms of the sheriff’s reserve division. The 22-year veteran also alleges he was demoted because he did not support the sheriff during the 2006 election.

Ah, isn’t Mikey Carona precious? Hasn’t he named some fantastic reserve officers? Don’t you trust these individuals with YOUR safety? Well, if Carona had continued to have his way, you probably wouldn’t be able to trust them.

An April 2001 audit by Peace Officers Standards and Training, uncovered the appointments, and most of the volunteers were decertified due to their lack of training and not passing background checks.

About 5,000 reserve officers volunteer statewide. Their duties range from crowd control to helping transport prisoners to patrolling neighborhoods. They are allowed to carry guns on duty. In Orange County, there are 240 reserve deputies, said sheriff’s Capt. Dave Wilson.

But I guess these aren’t the duties that Mikey Carona cares about! No, he has far more important things on his mind. Like patronage. Like rewarding loyalty. Like hot chicks. Like getting a little help from a few good fellas in Vegas. Yes, Sheriff Carona knows what really matters here.

And this is someone that Arnold has named as a “homeland security adviser”? This is someone that Bush considers to be a “homeland security adviser”? Cheese, louise! I guess we still can’t really consider ourselves safe.

And this is Mike Carona, “America’s Sheriff“?

It’s Not About “How Latino” Santa Ana Mayor Pulido Is

Dana, what irks us with Mayor Pulido is his lack of accessibility and what seems to be a lack of willingness to lead. The LA Times did an article about three years ago which discussed his nickname “The Invisible Mayor.” Gustavo “The Mexican” Arellano has nicknamed him the “Howard Hughes of Orange County.” All this goes back to his lack of accessibility. Until this last election cycle, virtually the only times we ever saw Mayor Pulido was every first and third Monday of the month. He was often a no show at dozens of community events, it is almost like he is bored of his duties as Mayor. When Santa Ana was being taken over by unruly protests in March of 2006, he was nowhere to be found. His job that day was to be a leader and once again he was MIA. None of it involved marching or protesting. The topic of the protests was immigration, but when the city is on the verge of a riot, it is not a federal issue, it is a local one. Exactly how is that “behind the the scenes” leadership?

That’s Claudio Gallegos in today’s Orange Juice, responding to Dana Parson’s recent profile of Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido in The LA Times. I guess he’s taking issue with Dana Parsons’ assertion that those of us who decry Pulido’s lack of leadership are doing so just because Pulido isn’t “Latino enough”. No, it’s much more than that. It’s the crappy state of our roads, closing libraries, lack of parks, and much, much more.

Follow me after the flip as we examine why people in Santa Ana really are irritated with the Mayor

So why are we angry with Miguel Pulido? It isn’t because he doesn’t give awesome speeches at immigrants’ rights rallies. It isn’t because he doesn’t declare allegiance to Aztlan. Basically, it isn’t because he isn’t some firebrand for radical causes. It’s because he just doesn’t seem to care about the people in the City of Santa Ana.

I like how Claudio says it

During his “invisible years”, our streets began to crumble, many playgrounds and park equipment fell into disrepair, after years of a lowered crime rate, crime and grafitti have returned with a vengeance, and a nationally recognized organization labeled Santa Ana one of the hardest places to raise a family financially. Fixing these problems did not require marching or carrying signs. People want leadership.

Or as I said it earlier this week…

Here are some more reasons why Pulido is so controversial here. He hasn’t done anything about the recent spat of gang violence in Santa Ana. He hasn’t done anything about opening more parks in a city that’s in such dire need of open space. He hasn’t done a good job of keeping our roads in good working condition, as some parts of town look like third-world countries due to the crappy state of their streets. He hasn’t improved our libraries… Oh wait, that’s right, HE’S CLOSED THEM! In his twenty years on the City Council and twelve years as Mayor, I’m struggling just to find good things that Pulido has done in this city.

So have we made that clear now? It’s not about “how Latino” Miguel Pulido is. It’s not about how much “Chicano Pride” he displays. It’s not about the color of Miguel Pulido’s skin.

It’s about how the Mayor is doing his job. It’s about our decrepit roads. It’s about the dearth of green in this town. It’s about the gangs that roam the decrepit roads at night. It’s about where the kids have to go when there’s such a dearth of nice, green open spaces. It’s about the dire state of the lives of way too many working people in this city.

And does this Mayor care? Does he care about the people in this city? I think Dana Parsons missed that point when he spoke with Miguel Pulido. Pulido’s not controversial here because he’s not “Latino enough”. He’s controversial because he doesn’t care enough about this city.