Here is yet another reason why there is a special place In Hell for politicians. Imagine this.
Rep. Smith (not her real name) sees overcrowded prisons and that the cost to keep someone incarcerated is more than the cost of attending Stanford. After some digging, Rep. Smith comes up with a plan – to put low-risk offenders, like drug abusers, in halfway houses, where treatment is available, and a path to rehabilitation gives them a fighting chance to become productive taxpaying citizens.
And she calculates the savings a being potentially huge! With the money NOT spent on prisons, she could help shore up schools, fix roads, add more police, and help the ailing economy.
But then, a party colleague takes Ms. Smith aside and whispers “Best not do anything that would make you look soft on crime.” WHAT?!?!?
It’s tragic really. Millions of lost jobs. Foreclosed houses at record levels resulting in plummeting home values. Our auto industry on the verge of implosion along with 7 million related jobs. IRA and 401k values shrinking and forcing employees to work longer to retire. State and local governments teetering on bankruptcy. It’s bleak and there’s a lot of pain.