MENTOR, Minn. - Thirty years ago, only one American in a thousand was in prison. Today, more than seven Americans in a thousand are incarcerated.
Building prison cells is the fastest-growing housing development in our nation. We have the highest incarceration rate in the world.
Rehabilitation was a major goal when sentencing those arrested before the 1980s. Significant investments were made in recovery and rehabilitation opportunities. During the 1980s, there was a mood change in our nation. Politicians realized that pledging to cut taxes and "getting tough on crime" was more appealing to voters than promises to improve rehabilitation programs. We have seen the results, cuts in rehabilitation programs and harsher sentences. The focus now is on punishment.
We need to remember that the vast majority of the men and women sitting in our prisons are there for nonviolent crimes. It is a tragedy when we fail to offer them appropriate rehabilitation opportunities.
I do not fault our country, courts or the staff of our Regional Correctional Center. Many genuinely are concerned for the inmates. It is the inadequate funding from the state that limits their options for rehabilitation. How much better and safer our communities would be if we had well-funded programs available to those who are seeking to rise above their addictions and dysfunctional behavior patterns.
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Many inmates have shared with me their need for treatment and a desire to get their life in order. As they are processed through the court system, they feel the lack of concern for their rehabilitation. For their sake, and our sake, it is imperative that we restore rehabilitation as a major goal and provide adequate funding for these programs. Morally and economically, this is the right thing to do.
The reality is that the state does not have the ability to restore the funds lost by state budget cuts to schools, nursing homes and the host of other public institutions, including the criminal justice system.
To provide the needed funds will require a major attitude adjustment for us as citizens concerning taxes. We need to be convinced that maintaining the quality of our public institutions is worth the price.
Passing the state's funding responsibilities to local property taxes must stop. Raising progressive income taxes is the fairest and simplest option. Milo Mathison Dems need to get serious
about property tax reliefDEVILS LAKE - Thanks to past spending restraint and a strong economy, North Dakota now has the resources to provide property tax relief without raising other state taxes.
To be effective, however, any tax relief plan must have direct reductions in current property taxes and limit their future growth. Republicans are trying to do just that.
For years, Democratic legislators have been complaining about property taxes. In fact, a few years ago, they wanted to pass huge state tax increases so they could use the additional revenue to lower property taxes.
Like then, their current plan to increase spending on counties, cities and schools is really just a massive increase in state spending with no guarantee of meaningful, lasting tax relief.
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The truth is many Democrats have opposed real property tax relief. They voted against proposals to provide direct property tax relief and against limiting the future growth of property taxes.
If Democratic legislators are serious about property tax relief, it is time for them to get on board. Richard Kunkel
