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Democrat 58% 41% 0% 58 total votes

Republican 92% 5% 1% 52 total votes

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privatization and truth in sentencing  by Anonymous Citizen on October 4, 2007 
both are unpalatible to those who don't support them.

privatization is unpalatible to the liberal, who fears the loss of control, the loss of an opportunity to tax, and the loss of an opportunity to turn 'disenfranchised citizens' to their cause.

'good time', and the loss of 'truth in sentencing' is unpalatible to the conservative who fears crime in the streets, and the 'early reliease' of criminals, invalidating the 'true sentence'.

both initiatives are put forward to 'save the state money'. if liberals support 'good time', the early release of inmates to save the state money, why don't they support the privatization of mental health care, in effect 'releasing' those inmates 'early' from jail, to save the state money?

is it perhaps they don't want to give up control of the 'purse strings'?

it's amazing that  by Anonymous Citizen on October 4, 2007 
tax and spend liberals like the ones currently in office would allow that to go on for over four years.

i'm totally 'BLOWN AWAY' by that.

Saddened Realtor  by Anonymous Citizen on October 3, 2007 
Thank you Senators Gleason and Brater. "Most vulnerable citizens" is absolutely right. We used to keep mentally ill patients in nice hospitals. Now we let them wander the streets and sleep under overpasses in the winter until they become disoriented or paranoid enough to commit a crime. Then they end up in a special section of our state prisons.

There are some people who work there who do their best to keep some of them alive. Psychiatric drugs raise temperatures and there's no air conditioning. Yes, they just lost one that way. Many others don't get so see a doctor about physical problems fast enough and die from drug allergy, bleeding, undiagnosed cancer, or you name it. The physical aspects of their medical treatment is handled by, you guessed it, a private service who puts its bottom line above lives. More psychiatrists would help, but the state doesn't pay enough to attract them, and the administration doesn't respect their authority enough to keep them when they become afraid of the liability from their overridden orders.

The problems with corrections is an administration that has a stink very near the top and perpetrates itself by often hiring, not the most experienced and qualified for supervisory positions, but rather those individuals they can totally control. Yes it needs a good housecleaning, but not from the mental health aspects.

If you aren't aware of the pending cases against the state after loved ones die in our prisons, you should be. They tend to get hushed up though. These are not hardened criminals. They are mostly young people with mental health problems. A society should be harshly judged by how it treats its "vulnerable" citizens, especially a society like ours running around in SUVs and paying $75 for concert tickets. Shame on those of you who would condemn more of them to an incarcerated death.

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