They're Here to Help Us - Part V

Today's Statesman Journal had a front page article that the Oregon prison population should go down by 11% because of new discretionary sentencing guidelines directed primarily at property and drug offenders. That's a nice way to say burglars, thieves, meth heads, etc. and it's deja vu.

Perhaps a little more discretion is warranted but give an inch and they will take a mile. The last time it was finally the voters who put an end to the monkey business by requiring mandatory sentences for a host of crimes. Not surprisingly, crime went down. Now the politicians again want more money to buy votes and are taking it from prisons but they are cloaking it under the "compassionate" mantle of "treatment and transitional care." Does anyone remember "community mental health" and how well that worked? The state threw all but the most dangerous mentally ill out on the street and let them fend for themselves. Compassionate indeed. Bull.

And the rest of us? Let's see - the Great Karnak has looked into his crystal ball and sees property crime rates going up about 11% in the next couple of years. It's probably a good time to buy a home security system.