California Already Spends More Than 4 Times More Per Prisoner Than Per Public School Student—Prop 9 Would Make That Worse

Children are the most important aspect to our society. Education is crucial to our existence in the world economy! Our crimminals enjoy a lifestyle to be admired by most, other then freedom to move at will, all benefits are provided that on the outside one cannot afford. Perhaps if prison was truly an undesirable place to be we might have less crime!!!

Maybe if the Teachers Unions would withhold contributions to legislators that support giving the Prison Guards outrageous raises and benefits the cost of housing prisoners would come down. Furthermore a quality education is not dependent on spending more money on public schools, the vast majority of kids who are pulled out of the public schools and are home schooled are exceptionally well prepared for college. Parental involvement trumps public spending every time and lack of parental involvement will result in failure regardless of how much money is spent.

Pam & Sean is RIGHT ON with their comments.

Further, I see convicts living in tents with no TV nor work out facilities, etc., working off their sentence besides roadsides and picking crops and the like as another way to reduce the cost of their incarceration/penance to society.

And all the money "saved" by this lessoning cost of incarceration will go to education.

Who amongst the left will join in this endeavor?

I am so thrilled to see that the teacher's unions are finally connecting the dots. Educators have an immediate stake in the obsese prison budget because it starves other government programs. Every extra dollar we spend on prisons will be a dollar we take away from somewhere else.

I hope CTA will have the courage and foresight to join CFT in this dire struggle.

Mr. Hittleman makes an argument that giving victims of violent crime a standing and constitutional rights in the criminal justice system somehow takes money away from education. I strongly disagree and will send Mr. Hittleman a point by point answer; I believe he is a fair man and will give it serious consideration. Victims believe the same as society, many of us are union members; we want education excellence, we support teachers and their unions. We are shocked that our desires for victim’s equity and justice are attacked, and that we are characterized as simplistic boobs who want a "feel good" law at the expense of education. That is not true: victims want children in safe class rooms, and, we want violent criminals - murderers, rapists, violent thugs and molesters - in jail and prison!

Victims are in earnest that the criminal justice system be balanced and that we have standing and a voice in the crimes that affect, or ruin, our lives. Most opposition spokespersons have not talked to victims or tried to understand our need and the intensity we have. When you hear our stories, Prop 9 will be put in context; you will understand why we want change.

I have a niece who is a wonderful teacher in California; she is an avid union member and negotiator. Our daughter, her cousin, was brutally murdered, stabbed over 40 times, on a dark campus parking lot. My niece has seen how the justice system has jerked our family around, has excluded our family and Robbin's friends from having any voice. I think many teachers have suffered crime, been a victim themselves, or experienced it through family and friends. Is their union telling them to vote against Prop 9, vote against victim justice, vote against what their head and heart know is right, in order to be a good member? I hope not.

Let the victims educate you on why Prop 9 is a fight worth winning for all union members. If the population of teachers resembles society at large, then a large portion have been affected by crime and they understand the need for Prop 9.

Victims are good citizens, not dupes or emotional fools trying to raid the treasury to build more jails. We do want to keep murders, violent thugs, rapists and molesters in prison, not in your neighborhoods, not near your schools.

Thank you for reading this. I appreciate your comments on the Friends of Marsy's Law - Vote YES on Prop 9 blog at www.friendsofmarsyslaw.org

Victims are not your enemies.

Note: the National Tax Limitation Committee recommends a YES vote on Prop 9. Their comments are: "California's constitution guarantees rights for murderers, child molesters and dangerous criminals. Prop 9 levels the playing field, guaranteeing crime victims the right to justice and due process ending further victimization of innocent people by a system that frequently neglects, ignores and forever punishes them."

Amen!!

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