Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 2011)
opinion Save ex-inmate Programs, Save money O ne of the first places state and federal governments look to make cutbacks in an attempt to balance their bal- looning budgets is in the penal system. As a result, ex-offender re-entry programs that help reha- bilitate those who are at risk for returning to prison are on the chopping block. Sure, cutting funding to these programs may help balance budgets in the short m atHiS ’ m ind Judge Greg Mathis incarcerate them. Additionally, communities and individuals will continue to be victimized by crime and trapped in a seemingly never- ending cycle. Recently, USA Today reported on these cutbacks and the impact In many states, the number of ex- offenders committing new crimes has increased, partly because of cuts to programs term. But, as ex-offenders become repeat offenders and return to jail or prison, we end up shelling out more money in the long run to they could have on states across the country. Florida, for example, saw a small decrease in the num- ber of ex-offenders who commit- ted a new felony while on proba- tion. Instead of looking at the big- ger picture and continuing to invest in programs designed to reduce recidivism, Florida, in an attempt to get its fiscal house in order, plans to cut such programs. Other states are also weighing sig- nificant budget cuts to all parts of their criminal justice systems. This is just bad business. In many states, the number of ex- offenders committing new crimes has increased, partly because of cuts to programs that help them transform their lives and stay out of prison. Any state considering such cuts should look to Michigan for guid- ance. Budget gaps and increasing- ly high unemployment rates have lead lawmakers there to address both problems with a novel plan: help ex-offenders find and keep jobs that will keep them out of prison. According to a report by the Institute for Research on Poverty, Michigan has used job avoid making budget cuts to prison re-entry programs at all costs. In these difficult economic Michigan has used job placement programs to cut the prison population by about 15 percent placement programs to cut the prison population by about 15 per- cent during the last four years and has saved more than $200 million each year. Here’s hoping other locales will follow Michigan’s lead. With your help, maybe they can. Call or write your county, state, and feder- al legislators and demand they not be so short sighted; ask that they times, it is only reasonable that lawmakers conserve resources where they can. The criminal jus- tice system, particularly ex- offender re-entry programs, is not the place to make these cuts. Our lawmakers must think about the effect these budget reductions will have on our overall safety and the economic impact they will have on taxpayers down the road. koch Brothers: libertarian, Free market enthusiasts A ccording to the lib- eral left media, Charles Koch is gearing up to help raise and spend $88 million during the 2012 election cycle. Most African Americans have never heard of billion- aire brothers Charles and David Koch, but if they could be “good people to know.” Charles and David Koch are the owners of Koch Industries, which is headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Their annual rev- enues are estimated to be $100 billion. Their holdings include: Oil refineries, four thousand miles of oil pipeline, Brawny paper towels, Dixie cups, Georgia-Pacific lumber, Stainmaster carpet, and Lycra. Koch Industries is the second-largest private company in the USA, after Cargill. If Koch Industries were a public company it would rank about 16 in the Fortune 500. Their com- bined fortune of $35 billion is exceeded only by those of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Charles Koch is Koch Industries, Inc’s chair- man of the board and chief executive officer. Charles and David Koch’s and his strategy for running a busi- ness, Market Based Management (MBM), is B uSineSS e XCHange William Reed described in his 2007 book The Science of Success, which promotes long-term planning for success even at the expense of short-term gains. The Kochs are empir- ical examples of successful capitalists. Koch is a liber- tarian and his philanthropy includes co-founding the Cato Institute, the Institute for Humane Studies, and the Mercatus Center. The Kochs and their affil- iates have recently been recipients of received nega- tive media coverage. Charles and David Koch were raised as Libertarians, and advocate individual lib- erty, especially freedom of expression and action. Liberal Democrats accused the Koch brothers of fund- ing opposition against Obama Administration’s policies. It’s a spurious argument, the Kochs and their foundations have been donating to many pro-free market organizations and think tanks long before Obama came into the White House. For more than 40 years these brothers have been steadfast proponents of individual and economic freedom. Through their per- sonal involvement and pri- vate foundations they law- fully support activities and causes consistent with their beliefs. Koch Industries is the source of funds for free market foundations and causes. Koch Industries and its subsidiaries spent more than $20 million on lobby- ing in 2008 and $12.3 mil- lion in 2009. Enterprising Black groups and individu- als may want to take note that the Kochs’ network of non-profit groups, once cen- tered around sleepy free- enterprise think tanks, seems to some to be emerg- ing as a more ideological counterweight to Bush-era GOP political operatives. This has cheered fiscal con- servatives seeking to reori- ent their political apparatus and aspirations around free- market, small government principles and candidates. In recent years the Koch brothers have increasingly focused their giving on more activist groups, and, perhaps more significantly, they have used their influ- ence to help guide millions more in contributions from other major conservative benefactors, primarily through twice-a-year donor summits they have been organizing since 2003. The conferences bring together roughly 150 wealthy con- servative business titans or their representatives to hear presentations from politi- they know not of.” Among the hundreds of organiza- tions that have received sup- port from Koch companies and/or the Koch founda- To prosper, Blacks should steer clear of ‘hating those they know not of’ cians and thought leaders to fund their non-profits. At the most recent summit in Rancho Mirage, Calif., the Kochs and their invited donors pledged to con- tribute $49 million towards an $88-million budget goal for policy and political proj- ects in the 2012 election cycle. To prosper, Blacks should steer clear of “hating those tions are Americans for Prosperity and Americans for Prosperity Foundation. Youth Entrepreneurs® Kansas (YEK) was founded in 1991 by the Charles G. Koch Foundation to teach business and entrepreneur- ial skills in high school classrooms, and offers hands-on experience to help students succeed as busi- ness owners or employees. YEK chapters teach free enterprise fundamentals through hands-on experi- ences and encourage stu- dents to start their own busi- ness, enhance their busi- ness skills for future career opportunities and continue into higher education. Many Koch-funded YEK programs are located in inner-cities. Students write a business plan, participate in classroom competitions, and receive school credit for successfully meeting class completion require- ments. YEK graduates’ involvement is maintained through the Alumni Program, which promotes continued learning opportu- nities and community serv- ice. william reed is available for speaking/seminar proj- ects via Baileygroup.org) What’s going on around the Northwest? And now you can add Your Own Announcements, Events and Public Services to The Skanner Website. Just go to http://www.theskanner.com/your-beat and register. February 16, 2011 The Seattle Skanner Page 5
