CityBeat Opposes Jail Tax
It's not easy for progressives to say no to Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune, whose career has so often been in service to the cause of equal rights, justice and open government. But he's wrong on the jail issue, and his proposal for a sales tax to build a new lockup deserves to be defeated.
In an endorsement editorial published today, CityBeat Co-Publisher John Fox urges voters to say no to Issue 27.
"Having more jail cells than the county needs certainly wouldn't provide any incentive for county officials to overhaul our criminal justice system," Fox writes. "Here’s hoping that being forced back to the drawing board will finally end the decades-old drumbeat of 'build more jails' and open a much-needed debate over how to design a fair and just justice system."
— Gregory Flannery
Way to go CityBeat! Thanks for having the courage to take this stance. This is not a vote against Todd Portune, it is a vote against a bad idea.
Criminalizing mental illness, poverty, and race is not only unjust and immoral, but this plan will not solve the problems it seeks to address.
Posted by: Janis | October 24, 2007 at 12:16 PM
Forget about the jail, and forget about the programs, pass the tax to put a Sheriff's Deputy on every corner.
Posted by: JFD | October 24, 2007 at 06:57 PM
How about a Sheriff's Deputy on every public toilet to be on the lookout for tapping feet from adjacent stalls?
Posted by: David E. Gallaher | October 25, 2007 at 01:00 AM
Agree. Gain weight? Buy bigger pants. More traffic? Add lanes to the highway. More crime? Build a bigger jail.
I don't think so. Besides, how is it crime keeps going up when the county population keeps going down?
Posted by: gerard | October 25, 2007 at 08:31 AM