LAO: Schwarzenegger's prison-higher ed plan 'ill-conceived'

SaC bee ^ | 1/26/10 | Kevin Yamamura

[NormsRevenge]

In a four-page review, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office said today that lawmakers should reject Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed ballot measure to dedicate more money to public universities than prisons.

"It is an unnecessary, ill-conceived measure that would do serious harm to the budget process," the LAO report concludes.

Schwarzenegger's constitutional amendment would require the state to spend no more than 7 percent of general fund money on corrections and no less than 10 percent on the University of California and California State University systems.

In 2009-10, the state is spending 5.7 percent of general fund money on UC and CSU, compared to 9.5 percent on corrections in the governor's revised budget.

LAO points out that corrections has received an increasing share of state budget funds because the number of inmates and parolees has increased, federal judges have imposed additional costs due to prison health care lawsuits and correctional officer compensation has increased.

But LAO says that the percentage figures don't tell the whole story. The UC and CSU totals don't include Cal Grant money that helps pay for tuition. At the same time, California -- as have other states -- has increasingly shifted costs to students as a policy change.

[Cyman]

Hell Mexico will love this plan. Get California to foot the bill and then spend 1/10 of the money on construction with the rest going into “consultation” fees, using below spec construction materials, shoving triple the amount of prisoners into those walls, make the prisoners families bring in food and last but not least, let the prisoners bribe the guards so that they can spend their nights and weekends at home or dealing drugs.

Win,win,win,win, and win

[Carry_Okie]

Hire Sheriff Joe to do run the system, and watch the liberals scream. :-)

[Cyman]

Now THAT’s a solution!