Cuts, Cuts, Cuts Everywhere

Can anyone post a link to the budget or a budget summary? (0.00 / 0)

I'm in the land of (Blanche) Lincoln blogging via phone and googling is just more than I can manage. The time honored method to get public support for actuaLly dealing with budget shortfalls is to cut something a lot of people use, or support - like the Lincoln Memorial. I would put the judicial system near the bottom of the list for cuts.

Work harder and work smarter!

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by: mooncat @ Sat Dec 19, 2009 at 22:29:57 PM CST

They won't do it (4.00 / 2)

But they really should consider breaking into the Wallace fund and using the money to cover the shortfall. By now there are billions in it and in the meantime the state should go ahead and create a new rainy day fund.

In Alabama almost always in good times we make sure to spend all the surplus and in bad times we prorate. Maybe even we stowed the money away in good times we'd be able to more easily whether the bad times.

 And I can't think of an Alabama governor whose never had to declare proration in the Wallace and beyond era with the possible exception of maybe Brewer.

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by: jacool @ Sun Dec 20, 2009 at 19:13:14 PM CST

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Novel idea that has worked elsewhere (4.00 / 1)

Commute sentences of all victimless drug offenders taking up space in the prisons.  I don't care if my neighbor smokes, or grows, or sells pot, but I care a lot about Medicaid.

A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead  

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by: piggieheart @ Sun Dec 20, 2009 at 09:07:50 AM CST

Some progress on that front (4.00 / 2)

The introduction of Drug Courts and Community Corrections are removing a lot of people charged with Possession (not sale) from the state prison system. Also Sentencing Guidelines (introduced a couple of years ago) are reducing the length of sentences for non violent crimes. However the Alabma Prison System is at something like 192% capacity.

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke

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by: Old Prosecutor @ Sun Dec 20, 2009 at 10:46:17 AM CST

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Drug courts and alternative sentencing (0.00 / 0)

The Anniston Star has a relevant editorial on the prison system's budget woes ...

While funding is a real concern, the system's overcrowding provides more proof that sentencing reform and alternative-sentencing options must become standard in the state.

It's good to remember that Allen is a proponent of expanding drug-court programs that would accommodate eligible offenders without placing them in already-overcrowded prisons. Allen also continues to urge judges to use the state's voluntary sentencing guidelines in an effort to reduce the prison population.

Both are high-quality, justifiable ideas. Alabama would benefit from their implementation.

Are any figures available on the cost of putting someone through drug court vs. the cost of incarceration?

Work harder and work smarter!

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by: mooncat @ Mon Dec 21, 2009 at 08:19:18 AM CST

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Makes sense to me (4.00 / 1)

But what the hell do I know? I'm a damned liberal...

"The War in Iraq is not the disease. The War in Iraq is a symptom. Arrogance is the disease" - Bill Richardson

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by: herding old cats @ Sun Dec 20, 2009 at 21:51:58 PM CST

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piggieheart, (4.00 / 1)

if this didn’t have your name on it I’d suspect Loretta Nall posted it.

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...."      Hosea 4:6

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by: driq @ Mon Dec 21, 2009 at 05:47:10 AM CST

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Some thoughts (4.00 / 2)

First, in the issue of funding, one perspective from today's News is this op-ed by Dr. Gerald Johnson of Auburn (and the director of the Capital Survey Research Center, AEA's polling group).  In it, he criticizes Rep. Canfield's proposal to do prior-year budgeting and putting the surplus in a reserve for lean years, arguing this would prevent the development of programs such as ARI among other things.

The funding issue is one that continues to hamper this state.  The mix of inadequate taxes and heavy earmarking (designating tax dollars for specific porgrams) contribute to this, and a number of "blue-ribbon" panels have brougth up solutions.  However, attempts at change, such as the Amedment One vote in 2003, have failed at the polls. 

Unfortunately, any candidate addressing tax reform will not get anywhere in the general election, so that will not be mentioned until afterwards.  In connecting the dots on constitutional reform, Artur Davis needs to tie inadequate funding to the constitution, addressing the way we appropropiate money.  Constitutional reform could at least get rid of the heavy earmarking that is done in this state.

Sparks has latched onto a solution that is not as politically risky as tax reform in expanding gambling.  However, he needs to answer questions on this, including aspects such as the rate to tax gambling, instead of making sure this is not presented as a silver bullet. 

 

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by: csduke @ Sun Dec 20, 2009 at 17:01:11 PM CST

I expect you're right that a candidate can't get anywhere on the issue, (4.00 / 1)

but it's a shame we can't have a real discussion on the need for tax reform.  The current structure's over-reliance on sales and income tax revenues only exacerbates shortfalls during economic hard times.

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by: Kathy @ Mon Dec 21, 2009 at 09:12:29 AM CST

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