Mayor: Cut thumbs off graffiti 'punks'

CNN ^ | Nov 3rd, 2005

[laney]

RENO, Nevada (AP) -- The mayor of Las Vegas has suggested that people who deface freeways with graffiti should have their thumbs cut off on television.

"In the old days in France, they had beheadings of people who commit heinous crimes," Mayor Oscar Goodman said Wednesday on the TV show "Nevada Newsmakers."

Goodman said the city has a beautiful highway landscaping project and "these punks come along and deface it."

"I'm saying maybe you put them on TV and cut off a thumb," the mayor said. "That may be the right thing to do."

Goodman also suggested whippings should be brought back for children who get into trouble.

[CarrotAndStick]

I think they do that in squeaky clean Singapore.

[teenyelliott]

*sigh*

A mayor after my own heart.

[YouPosting2Me]

Sounds like "Fonze's Law"

"Ayyyyyyyyyy"

[ma bell]

what is the crime rate in Singapore?..lol

I'm for hard labor for sentencing. Make people work hard doing peddly things that consist of hard labor... Making big rocks into small rocks with "Sister Sledge" (hammer) :)) Instead of sitting in prison. Tire them out so much they won't have the energy to fight other prisoners...:)

[bpjam]

Goodman is a mob lawyer, a Democrat and an alcoholic (of which the Democrat part is the only one which is a problem). Even as a Republican, I have to say that I'm not entirely unhappy that he is the mayor. He is not as corrupt as Harry Reids family and Goodmans wife and kids are all proud GOPers. And as a Democrat, when he picks fights with tagger or homeless advocates he can get away with a lot more than we ever could.

This is the same guy who recommended that we use one of the empty prisons 30 miles outside of town to house the homeless (which they promptly turned down as being heartless and cruel). Goodmans response was that he offered them food and housing and if they dont want it then he will just start having them arrested for being vagrants and bothering tourists. (Vegas has one of the smaller homeless populations per capita in the country).

And Goodman has been very, very pro-business and pro-development in areas which have been armpits (think 1980's Time Square). As long as he doesn't attempt to run for higher office, nobody will touch him even if he does cut the thumbs off some scumbag taggers.

[Archangel86]

Alright... the whole thumb severing thing might be a little harsh, but some form of physical punishment would definitely be more effective than anything else we have nowadays.

[polymuser]

They should also have a pedal-powered generator system for power in the cells (lights, TVs, radios).

[CarrotAndStick]

Slightly different in Singapore..for such a crime, they cane your @ss till it rips apart. I am not kidding. Google-Image 'singapore caning'.

[Ben Mugged]

The city of San Jose Ca was plagued with massive amounts of graffiti in the early 90's. The police began to photograph each instance of graffiti and log it into a database. Once the amount of damage reached $5,000, a felony john doe warrant was issued against the tagger. If the tagger was then caught, he did some serious time in lockup. Tags are like signatures and each tagger leaves tags with similar characteristics making it possible to associate a group of tags to a single tagger.

[mtbopfuyn]

Remember the caning that punk kid got a few years ago.

[highball]

"In the old days in France, they had beheadings of people who commit heinous crimes," Mayor Oscar Goodman said Wednesday

Since when do we look to France for any guidance on how to run a country?

[Alice au Wonderland]

We've had problems with local "youths" defacing our 300 year old church and tombstones.

I have proposed bringing back the stocks and setting one up on our very busy intersection. There are no shade trees on this corner and no way to hide from passersby.

Offenders should be made to stand in the stocks for 24 hours wearing a sign that lists their name, their parents' names, their home address, and the offense that they have committed.

It'd be a lot more effective than the BS "community service" sentences that are never enforced.

[Sarajevo]

I vote for the reinstatement of the chain gang. Then force the perps to remove their graffiti.

[austinaero]

Kinda reminds me of those videos where Saddam's henchmen were amputating body parts in public...

this guy is the mayor?

[CommandoFrank]

They should also have a pedal-powered generator system for power in the cells (lights, TVs, radios).

Now that's the best idea I've heard of in a very long time...LOL

[teenyelliott]

Me, too. I love that sheriff who makes the prisoners live in tents, wear pink, and eat pb&j all the time.

Once again, p.c. run amok has made prison far more comfortable for many individuals than the life they had on the street.

My opinion is, if you treat criminals really badly, perhaps they won't want to be a repeat offender. But I am just a stupid citizen, I suppose.

[talleyman]

Hmmm, I'm not sure - might be regarded as
"cruel & thumbusual punishment"...
(ducking)

[Old Grumpy]

"Remember the caning that punk kid got a few years ago."

I remember it and I thoroughly approved!

[ma bell]

yep...many desperados would rather risk a beating once a month from another prisoner in return for a roof, 3 meals and cable tv.

Guarantee, take that away, make it physically demanding (sounds like aghast - work!!), they will stay think twice, but will most likely do it but not as frequently.