Sheriff Pushes for New North County Jail

Oh come on, we don't need another jail, we need to stop arresting non-violent drug offenders. Half of the inmates in jail in this country are non-violent drug offenders. It is a complete waste of money, most of those people never hurt anybody else. Jail is for people who pose a danger to society. If you think that what they sell is dangerous, then don't buy it!! That's YOUR decision.

Stop asking government to use violent force on your behalf, let the government arrest people who steal, injur or defraud people. The government is here to uphold contracts, not to try to force some idealized society, idealized by the majority, onto the minority, by use of force. That is completely immoral.

Our economy is already bad enough, we don't need more taxes.

While I don’t always think more jails are the answer (and certainly we have an over dependence on prisons) - in this instance we need the North County Jail WITH the funds for prevention, treatment and programs. Offenders do better if family can visit and funds for re-entry will be key to the overall safety of the entire county.

Isn't that like the butcher asking for an increase to buy pork chops?

Already, we can't afford this. Economic hardship is the number one cause for crime. Recivitism can be close to 90%. Non violent offenders are the majority of inmates within the jail system.

Maybe the State with its $56.3 Million pledge can instead apply those funds toward domestic public health services - since so many citizens had to suddenly go without certain critical services recently.

Merely building a new jail block would strain against the economy further - wheras in Germany back in the 30's, people were said to be exterminated because the government couldn't afford to keep feeding 'em!

This instead appears to be a State Agency Union interest agenda for more job security under the Department of Corrections. Pretty gross.

While the County suddenly imposed an anti smoking policy anywhere on public property including beaches, outside county buildings, parking lots - something here smells like a liberal fascist agenda similar to the movement in Nazi Germany.

This was a number one line item agenda for the Nazi Party back in the 30's - and we have to wonder if this is where they intend to house all the smokers, then.

Expending time, attention, money and resources to emasculate a cop by assigning him to interfere with people's private lives - over something that doesn't even qualify public safety isn't a great sign, either.

The Sherriff doesn't happen to look like an intellectual in this particular photo shoot.

We really need to get rid of the electronic voting method.

Oh my!

Only (4) comments into this thread, and "SantaNa" has already activated Godwin's Law (©1990)!!!

Game over.

An incideous mind play, 'magicianry' attempts to also deflate the merits in findings, or analogy, by self-refuting methods.

This article talks loosly about recividtism.

Yet, vaguely mentions preventative measures or even how, why, what, when, where, people enter into violence, homelessness, drug trafficking - and just serves to pander while stripping the general fund and tax base from domestic public health or other forms of economic vitality.

Say, maybe we shouldn't stop with eliminating the electronic voting method - but eliminate what is quickly becoming the archaic method in patrolling the public since someone said somewhere that smart phones allow greater advantage in allowing the public to monitor against crime.

What do you think, "Godwin?"

Murphy's Law trump the Godwin's Law here and we really get sick of supporting State Agency Union interest - that does nothing but interfere with peoples lives and stifle the persuit of prosperity with their freeloader, ambitious ways !

I'm sure your argument makes sense in whatever language you are writing in, SantaNa.

loonpt (first post) is spot on. Not one more dime for jails because the overcrowding results from incarcerating "weed people", an incredibly senseless policy.

Consider the feel-good incentives Brown throws into the pot: "day reporting centers, work furlough, truancy, and vocational and educational training". NONE of these have anything to do with substance abuse, the #1 contributor to the jail population.

Sheriff Brown, here's my vote: NO.

SantaNa, electronic voting is WAY off topic here. There is no such thing as a "State Agency Union". Maybe you need to check in somewhere to get some help.

If I were the Sheriff, this would make sense to me. But these are hard hard economic times. I don't care if another tax is sunsetting. More taxes are not OK. This is the same policy approach that social services, mental health -- everyone -- thinks should happen to fund their own personal view of improved public services.

Get with it people. Figure out how to fund your projects within existing resources.

Your approach and use of taxation is driving away business and residents, folks who can no longer afford to pay.

There is no value added by jails. Sales taxes like this hit the little guy the hardest.

The County in the last 4 years has wasted enough money to have built that darn jail up north.

So I am voting NO because of all the wasteful spending that is currently taking place in County government.

However now that Michael Brown is leaving maybe the County can rebound back to a time when we were operating efficiently.

Instead the County is broke. Thanks Michael Borwn.

So my vote is NO on any more money until you learn how to spend what you have in the right way.

"Your [the Sheriff] approach and use of taxation is driving away business and residents, folks who can no longer afford to pay. "

--RoboRider

The population of the County is dropping? Who knew?

"The County in the last 4 years has wasted enough money to have built that darn jail up north."

--detokevilla

That's just idle speculation. That's $20 million per year. Do you have ANY evidence for this.

Look, I agree that the jail is a bad idea. But let's not use bad arguments against it.

SezMe,

My speculation is based on the fact that the Board of Supervisors has known for more than 20 years that a new jail is needed.

Over that time the County's budget has ballooned from about $450 million to well over $800 million this year and that is not adding up all the capital improvement projects (e.g. this year the Board voted to, among other wasteful projects, build an expensive and elaborate Board Hearing Room in Santa Maria -- maybe it ia needed but is it a priority? and should it have been done this year of all years?).

In just the last four years the Board of Supervisors has exhausted their strategic reserve funds, leaving a bare minimum after spending a great deal of this year. Four years ago it was approaching $40 million (approximately). I think it is down to about $7.5 million in real dollars.

There is more that is the basis of my specualtion.

And yes I am only a private citizen so I am speculating.

However common sense dictates that when a public body knows full well what they ought to be taking of and ignores that need for all these years (made especially persuasive when they were rolling in cash in the good years); then to ask the public for more money is simply wrong.

I do not fault Sheriff Brown and in fact I support what he wants and needs to do.

But the fact is, I really do not think the public will support a new TAX, irregardless of the use of that new TAX.

The latter is not speculation but it is instinct that leads me to believe based on public opinion that there will not be the necessary support for a new TAX.

I really don't see it happening. At least not as a ballot measure in the November 2010 election.

Keep in mind in October or a month before the election, the Board will have to make drastic cuts because they will have to meet the impacts of a state budget that will cut into their available reserves which are not enough to meet the state budget cuts.

Do you really think the public will support a new TAX when that October quarterly report is made public? Assuming of course the County accurately the public the truth of the financial hole they are in at that time.