Would You Accept A 1 Cent Sales Tax Increase?
One of the biggest issues facing Governor Jan Brewer is the budget deficit. Arizona is facing a $2 Billion shortfall, and all state agencies have been asked to come up with a plan to cut nearly 15% of their budgets.On Thursday, the Department of Corrections released their cuts.
That 15% represents about $153 Million and would result in the loss of 1,500 employees.
It would also mean the early release of nearly 13,000 prisoners here in Arizona, as well as cutting time served by 15% for some serious felonies.
Hey folks -
My name's Peggy - I run the Arizona Prison Watch blog. I just cut and paste something from your site with a long comment about whether or not we might have some common ground, so thought I should drop in and introduce myself. I figured it would be pretty rude not to even ask your permission to use the post. Here's the link to it - tell me if you have a problem:
http://arizonaprisonwatch.blogspot.com/2009/11/....
I'm a prison abolitionist, something of an anti-authoritarian - which isn't a challenge to you, it's just something you should know about my political orientation. Basically, it means that I'm looking towards a future of fewer prisons, more restorative justice, less economic inequality, and less crime and criminalization - not just turning all the prisoners loose tomorrow (that would be disastrous).
Anyway, you may want to check out the site a bit before accepting this invitation - I can be somewhat contentious and have more volatile blogs on prison issues, but am open to honest criticism - which at least would begin a dialogue.
Most of my own allies are ex-prisoners and family members, and a few folks in the anti-prison activist and peace and justice communities.
But that doesn't need to make us all antagonists - we still have a few common interests, and protecting them may require that we ignore traditional barriers erected by our institutional roles to work together.
Whenever an ex-prisoner relates their experience to me (mostly the women), they never say AZs prison was decent in some ways: it was a humiliating, desperate ordeal that yanked than out of their families and lives into a hell where they didn't even have control over who touched their bodies. But they do always mention the "good people" that worked there - the few people who treated them with some measure of respect for their humanity. That's who I'm looking for here, I guess.
So, if anyone's interested in seeing what we're up to, drop in - let us know if you have any ideas for how we might work together, even behind the scenes (I don't suppose Ryan would be too happy about such an alliance). We don't have to have the same politics, I don't think - I'm sure you'll find plenty to take issue with me. I can be pretty radical.
Still, if we have common goals, targets, or actions, I can at least publish planned demonstrations and legislative call-ins, coordinate messaging, organize solidarity actions - we have a range of ways to be supportive, and a few angry moms who know how to use list-serves to get the word out.
The media says the private prisons aren't biting at AZs statewide offer, but I think it's a ruse to sweeten the deal for the profiteers and get the heat off the state while they come up with something that Pearce or Burns will slip into a dense unrelated legislative package and fast-track - something's going on, and we shouldn't let up.
Thanks for your time - hope you drop by. In any event - good luck, and be careful.
Peggy (Arizona Prison Watch)
Looks like we should be looking for a new job.
looks like azcpoa/azcops leaders duran and larry lopez, kicking ass and laying it on the line, get involved. what are the other unions doing?
get on board and help stop privatization............... the union needs all the 4000 members and their families to get involved,, posted by insider
Just heard about this... http://www.azcpoapac.com/get-involved has lots of information about privatization.
http://protectaz.com/ http://arizonaprisonwatch.blogspot.com/ http://realcostofprisons.org/blog/
*yawn* It's a scare tactic folks. Anyone that thinks the department is just going to release 13,000 convicted felons is out of their mind. Can you imagine the political fallout? #1 reason why it won't happen right there. Releasing prisoners is political suicide and our legislators know it.
This whole 15% thing is just a worst case scenario brainstorm that all state agencies had to send to the governor. Don't let people use it to scare you.
They won't release them, they will transfer them to private prisons soon to be build within the next three years. Is for real.. CCA and GEO are pitching hard with Pearce and Brewer and they will win if not stopped.