Res ipsa loquitur
"Republicans were unhappy with the $1.2 billion cut to the state’s prison system - a 12 percent decrease over the prior year - and Democrats were angry about cuts to education and social programs." - from an article in the New York Times
One thing this passage adroitly avoids stating is that the Democrast were unhappy about $15 billion worth of cuts to social services. That's... let me pull up a calculator widget on my Dashboard ... 12.5 times the amount that the Republicans would lose from their beloved prisons.
Now. I agree that the prison system is just as cash-strapped as everything else in this doddering zombie of a State, but maybe (just maybe) the Republicans could see the value in being a party of "helping people" rather than "throwing people in jail." Except they're not. They've built their entire world philosophy (and propaganda) on "values" (i.e. if you're not a preaching Christian, you're not one of us), "law and order" (let's jail as many blacks and Hispanics as possible!") and "free market" (let's get rich on dodging taxes!)
Nothing (nothing!) they've done in recent years seems to undermine that view. Keep digging, assholes. Just keep digging.
One thing this passage adroitly avoids stating is that the Democrast were unhappy about $15 billion worth of cuts to social services. That's... let me pull up a calculator widget on my Dashboard ... 12.5 times the amount that the Republicans would lose from their beloved prisons.
Now. I agree that the prison system is just as cash-strapped as everything else in this doddering zombie of a State, but maybe (just maybe) the Republicans could see the value in being a party of "helping people" rather than "throwing people in jail." Except they're not. They've built their entire world philosophy (and propaganda) on "values" (i.e. if you're not a preaching Christian, you're not one of us), "law and order" (let's jail as many blacks and Hispanics as possible!") and "free market" (let's get rich on dodging taxes!)
Nothing (nothing!) they've done in recent years seems to undermine that view. Keep digging, assholes. Just keep digging.