PROP 36 IS A FARCE, AND MUST BE REPEALED

Synopsis of presentations by Linda Taylor, Founder, Repeal Prop 36 Fund; Judge Michael Cummins; DA Birgit Fladager; Jerry Powers, Probation Office; and Assembly Member Greg Aghazarian

According to a UC Berkeley report, in 2003 there were 500,000 reported cases of child abuse in California.  According to Linda, only 1 in 6 cases of child abuse are ever reported, which computes to 3 million cases of child abuse in California alone.  The abusers?  96% are parents, and 53% of those are meth users. 

Linda Taylor, a guardian herself, has seen firsthand the devastation to young lives from drug using parents.  A 15 year old who cuts her own arms, saying it hurts less than dealing with a mother who uses meth.  A 17 year old living in a drug house where a murder took place.  Children need a voice, and Linda chose to be that voice.

After months of letter writing, Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian agreed to author a bill (AB253) that would hold drug using parents accountable for child abuse.  Together, they shared the dubious experience of trying to address the Assembly Public Safety Committee in February 2005, expecting approval.  Instead, it was voted down.

A closer look at the members of the committee shows why.

The Chair of the committee is Mark Leno, a long time pro drug advocate, high on the list of recipients of Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) campaign contributions.  He strongly supported Prop 215, the medical marijuana hoax perpetrated on California voters; Proposition S in San Francisco, which directed officials to consider growing and distributing “medical marijuana”; AB 1147 which will allow hemp farming in California, another lame excuse for growing marijuana; and a strong promoter of Prop 36.  Says Linda, “As a Democrat, I am appalled by his blatant disregard for our safety..… Chairman Leno, resign your position immediately!!!”  While we are at it, maybe everyone on DPA’s contribution list should resign.

Greg Aghazarian says “…..the Public Safety Committee should be renamed the Public Endangerment Committee.”   It is bad enough that the chairman is aligned with the druggies, but so also are committee members Rebecca Cohn, Mervyn Dymally and Jackie Goldberg; four out of the six members, all of whom seem to have abandoned their primary responsibility to protect those they were elected to serve, in favor of campaign contributions ranging from $2,000 to $3,200.   Are our young people worth so little?

Linda states, “Prop 36 is a fraud; a carefully crafted lie that has been sold to the people of California, calling for treatment, not incarceration.   Proponents of the bill have one goal  ….. to decriminalize the use and sale of all drugs.  The initiative was conceived of and funded by George Soros and two other out of state billionaires, Peter Lewis and John Sperling, whose stated goal is to legalize all drugs.  I like to compare Soros to Charles Manson.

Neither did the killing but both are masterminds behind the slaughter.  But Manson is prison.  Soros is free, and very wealthy, still causing death and destruction.  It is time Californians knew the truth.”

The propaganda campaign that duped California voters into believing Prop 36 would save money and compassionately direct non-violent drug users and dealers into treatment instead of  incarceration, simply does not work.  25% of those ordered to treatment don’t even show up, and only 36% of those ordered to complete treatment actually do so. 

Any cost saving related to incarceration has been dwarfed by the additional social and economic cost to society has been enormous.  The average drug addict commits 100 crimes per year, and most addicts won’t seek treatment anyway without incarceration, or the threat of it.  The unanimous outcry from Modesto Judge Michael Cummins; DA Birgit Fladagar; Jerry Powers, Probation Officer; Modesto Police Chief Roy Wasden and Turlock Sheriff Mark Puthuff was the same:   The Drug Court model works, where judges have the power to act, and treatment is monitored.  Prop 36 does not work, and in order to protect citizens and manage tax dollars intelligently, it must be repealed or changed.