Cross-posted from Mike's campaign blog
Today The Oregonian's Editorial Board writes a very interesting piece on Oregon's early prisoner release program. In short, the board finds that the program, which was passed unanimously by the state legislature in 2003 (which included my opponent, House Majority Leader Wayne Scott), is open to abuse, citing the case of career criminal Timothy Joseph Boyd, who was arrested not long after being released from prison before his term was up, among others.
Supporters of the early release program claim that it reduces recidivism rate by 35 percent, which is certainly a good thing. But the anecdotal evidence offered by the board seems to indicate that this is further proof of Oregon's criminals not being held fully accountable for their actions. Last month, we learned that as a result of budget cuts, Multnomah County has let 200 "junkies, vandals and other 'low level' misdemeanor criminals" off of probation. As I wrote then,
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.
I do not believe that the answer to this question is raising taxes on hard-working Oregonians or instituting a sales tax. But minor tweaks can and should be made to our tax code so that we can pay for all of our necessary services -- including probation for criminals.
I believe we need to increase the "$10 Corporate Minimum Tax" so that huge corporations pay their fair share. I also believe that we need to get rid of the corporate kicker. Taken together, these two steps will relieve some of the stress on our state budget so that we can recuce class sizes, ensure that all children have access to insurance and quality healthcare, and make sure that that criminals fulfill their sentences.
We can prioritize to ensure that are children receive the best education possible, our working families have access to quality healthcare and all of our citizens are kept safe and secure. We just need real leadership in Salem that cares more about improving the lives of all Oregonians instead of playing political games and fighting on behalf of the big special interests.
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Mike Caudle is the Democratic nominee for the Oregon House of Representatives from the 39th district, which encompasses Oregon City, Canby and surrounding Clackamas County. To learn more about Mike, visit mikecaudle.com, Mike's campaign blog, Mike's Facebook group or Mike's ActBlue page.