cross-posted from my campaign blog
This morning, The Oregonian reports that as a result of budget cuts, Multnomah County has informed close to 200 "junkies, vandals and other 'low level' misdemeanor criminals" that they no longer have to report to probation. By next year, that number could top 800.
The 39th district, of course, is not in Multnomah County. But what happens in the region can affect every community in the region. So when Multnomah County stops requiring some criminals -- albeit non-violent criminals -- to check in with probation officers, there is an all too real possibility that these offenders will come into Clackamas County, into Oregon City and Canby, and revert back to their old ways.
There are real consequences to shortchanging our budgets, both on the state level and in our communities. Yes, there is waste in our budgets, and when I get to Salem in January I will work extremely hard to cut the fat by giving our state agencies monetary incentives to find savings in their budgets. But when criminals are let off the hook because there isn't enough money to administer their probation, we all pay the price.
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