Is Arnold Terminating Common Sense in California's Budget Crisis?

By John W. Lillpop

Can sleeping with a Kennedy wipe out one's conservative DNA? How about sleeping with a Kennedy AND having a gay chief of staff named Susan Kennedy?

This seemingly impertinent query is posed in light of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's curious proposal to release as many as 20,000 "non-serious, non-violent" prisoners in order to stave off a budget deficit that is $14 billion, and counting.

An even more urgent question haunts one's fiduciary consciousness: Why in the hell has California spent even a nickel to house, fed, and provide medical care for 20,000 people whose indiscretions are so benign as to not be worth punishing?

In other words, why imprison these people to begin with? As a political pay back to the prison guard unions, perhaps?

Assuming that most, if not all, of the inmates are in prison for good and proper cause, why are California's lawmakers and governor not considering other cuts in spending such as these:

1. Illegal aliens are estimated to cost the state $10.5 billion each year! Why not cut all public services to those not in the U.S. legally?

WND:http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=42474

2. California legislators are the highest paid in the nation, at an average of more than $110,000 per year. Whatever happened to service and community spirit? Replaced by greed and opportunism?


3. Regulatory meddling in every aspect of life is driving businesses and middle class folks out of California. Productive citizens are being replaced by freeloaders and scam artists from south of our border.

California does not need to release any prisoners in order to balance the state budget. We do, however, need responsible governance when it comes to illegal aliens, excessive regulation, and the salaries of elected leaders!