California continues to go to the well time and time again
letter to the editor
To the Editor:
California made headlines recently when Governor Jerry Brown allocated a record $11.4 billion to the state's corrections department in his May revision to the budget, translating to $75,560 per individual – the highest per-inmate cost in the nation. Media outlets couldn't help but compare this cost to the tuition at Harvard University and still have money leftover for pizza and beer. Yet, in consideration of decreasing prison populations and statewide "reforms," this five-figure sum is more alarming than amusing. Since 2006, California's inmate population has gone down a quarter, due in part to a Supreme Court mandate that found conditions in its over-crowded prisons to be "cruel and unusual punishment." The inmate population further declined after California passed a proposition in 2014 that reduced sentencing for nonviolent drug offenders. Still, the annual corrections budget has continued to increase, with current costs now double what they were in 2005.
But the very same budget report that allocates $11.3 billion to corrections also predicts an additional population decrease of 11,500 inmates over the next four years. What is going on that prison population has fallen dramatically and costs are still going up the roof? A good part of the problem lies in the nature of the prison union's death grip over Democratic politicians running the state. It is a classic case of how powerful public-sector unions keep states from getting spending under control.
The California Correctional Peace Officers Association is one of the most powerful public sector unions in the state. This includes a $2 million campaign contribution that the CCPOA made to Brown's gubernatorial bid in 2010. Is it any doubt then that Brown and almost all these Democratic politicians who accept these union contributions are "bought" friends in power? Is it any wonder why the correctional officers in California are the second-highest paid in the nation earning an average of $70,020 per year? That's more than the average salary of an assistant professor with a PhD at the University of California makes. Further, as the Associated Press reported, the CCPOA are currently negotiating the details of a contract that would cost taxpayers more than $1 billion extra over the next three years. Is it any wonder that government becomes dysfunctional when the inmates of the asylum control the institution?
California continues to go to the well time and time again its state income taxes are the highest in the country reaching a top level of 13.1 percent with its sales taxes among the highest in the country too. Even after that the state is wrestling with a deficit of up $3.3 billion this year. This is not even counting the projected unfunded liabilities facing its public sector pension and health care promises that according to estimates will top out over $1 trillion, that eventually has to be paid by the state's citizens. I think back at the recent attempt our present governor made in curtailing the unions' political power and was so soundly defeated in his attempt.
Tom Pahler
Strongsville
California made headlines recently when Governor Jerry Brown allocated a record $11.4 billion to the state's corrections department in his May revision to the budget, translating to $75,560 per individual – the highest per-inmate cost in the nation. Media outlets couldn't help but compare this cost to the tuition at Harvard University and still have money leftover for pizza and beer. Yet, in consideration of decreasing prison populations and statewide "reforms," this five-figure sum is more alarming than amusing. Since 2006, California's inmate population has gone down a quarter, due in part to a Supreme Court mandate that found conditions in its over-crowded prisons to be "cruel and unusual punishment." The inmate population further declined after California passed a proposition in 2014 that reduced sentencing for nonviolent drug offenders. Still, the annual corrections budget has continued to increase, with current costs now double what they were in 2005.
But the very same budget report that allocates $11.3 billion to corrections also predicts an additional population decrease of 11,500 inmates over the next four years. What is going on that prison population has fallen dramatically and costs are still going up the roof? A good part of the problem lies in the nature of the prison union's death grip over Democratic politicians running the state. It is a classic case of how powerful public-sector unions keep states from getting spending under control.
The California Correctional Peace Officers Association is one of the most powerful public sector unions in the state. This includes a $2 million campaign contribution that the CCPOA made to Brown's gubernatorial bid in 2010. Is it any doubt then that Brown and almost all these Democratic politicians who accept these union contributions are "bought" friends in power? Is it any wonder why the correctional officers in California are the second-highest paid in the nation earning an average of $70,020 per year? That's more than the average salary of an assistant professor with a PhD at the University of California makes. Further, as the Associated Press reported, the CCPOA are currently negotiating the details of a contract that would cost taxpayers more than $1 billion extra over the next three years. Is it any wonder that government becomes dysfunctional when the inmates of the asylum control the institution?
California continues to go to the well time and time again its state income taxes are the highest in the country reaching a top level of 13.1 percent with its sales taxes among the highest in the country too. Even after that the state is wrestling with a deficit of up $3.3 billion this year. This is not even counting the projected unfunded liabilities facing its public sector pension and health care promises that according to estimates will top out over $1 trillion, that eventually has to be paid by the state's citizens. I think back at the recent attempt our present governor made in curtailing the unions' political power and was so soundly defeated in his attempt.
Tom Pahler
Strongsville
