The conservative group Common Sense for Oregon is preening itself over a major victory: It’s gotten free soda pop taken away from Oregon prison inmates.
Common Sense jumped on the issue when it found out that prisoners were allowed to have free soda pop with their meals. “In May, Common Sense handed the Department of Corrections a Golden Fleece award when it was discovered that approximately $773,000 of the department’s budget was allocated for free soda pop at meal times at the expense of the taxpayers — an amount equivalent to putting three additional state troopers on patrol for two years,” reports the Oregon Catalyst blog.
“That’s right, the Oregon Department of Corrections spent $773,000 on free soda pop for prisoners,” Common Sense wrote when it awarded the Golden Fleece. “While Oregon schools are cutting days, murderers, rapists and other violent criminals are enjoying the Coke, Pepsi and Mountain Dew thanks to your tax dollars.”
Makes your blood boil, doesn’t it? What’s next – Dom Perignon and pate de foie gras?
But thanks to Common Sense, starting Dec. 31 prisoners will get tea with their meals instead of soda pop, unless they pay for the soda. The Department of Corrections thinks this will be healthier for the inmates (less sugar) as well as saving money.
But the state could save even more money if instead of tea it provided only a cup of cold water. And it could save still more if it stopped serving prisoners meals at all and just threw a moldy crust of bread into their cells three times a day. (Well, maybe also a moldy slice of fruitcake on Christmas.)
This outrageous pampering of Oregon prisoners with “tea” and “meals” at taxpayer expense has got to stop. Common Sense, what are you waiting for?
This article appears in Oct 15-21, 2009.
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Yeah. Just wait till the leftwing loonies get their soda tax passed, and the complete removal of soda pop from the schools.
Then what will you say?
Anyway, you just had to go to extremes, as usual, and suggest that prisoners should not be fed.
I’d say it’s the healthiest damned thing possible.
Banning “soda pop” outright is the healthiest damned thing possible.
‘Course, I’m no “leftwing loonie”.
Tax the fat…
“Anyway, you just had to go to extremes, as usual, and suggest that prisoners should not be fed.”
Uh, that was a JOKE, Kenny.
And I didn’t say they shouldn’t be fed; I said they should get three moldy crusts of bread a day.
Your “joke” about only feeding them moldy bread is a clear indication you dont agree with the ban of soda. Well free luxurys such as soda and cable tv, and internet should be banned from prisons. These are priveliges that arent gifted to the working class. These are not “rights” basic human or otherwise. These are a burden for the taxpayer, these are a burden for our schools, these are a burden for every other righteous aspect of our government (few as there are). I do agree with your water statement though, there is no need to flavor water for them either. It is nice to have tea over water, but not a life requirement. Just think they could leave prison adjusted and not addicted to sugar and caffeine. WOW stick to the man!!
I agree with Brianinredmond….prisoners should not have “luxuries” at the expense of the working class. I have always felt that inmates were coddled way too much. It’s bad enough that they get “3 hots and a cot”, but to GIVE them free cable, internet, soda and whatever else is handed to them is wrong. Convicts have it better than the working-stiff.
“Convicts have it better than the working-stiff.”
Steve–
That statement has to be a joke–like HBM’s. No sane, well-adjusted individual would ever trade places with someone in prison. There is more to life than “three hots and a cot.”
Our system of incarceration has gotten away from anything other than punishment. The high recidivism rate is self-fulfilling–forget about retraining and rehabilitation, punish them. I have no sympathy for those who break the law, are found guilty and must serve out the required sentence. I won’t begrudge them a couple of soda’s with their meals, though.
“It’s bad enough that they get “3 hots and a cot”
Absolutely, couldn’t agree more. A little straw on the floor of the cell should be enough for them to sleep on. (For humanitarian reasons, however, I believe some fresh straw should be thrown in once a year.)
I also understand they get hot showers daily — more outrageous pampering. The guards should just herd ’em out into the yard once a month and wash ’em down with fire hoses.
I checked out the Common Sense website. In May, the Golden Fleece went to the soda outrage. In June, the Portland Metropolitan Transit Agency for outrageous health insurance benefits for its employee–and based on the description, I have no problem with their award. And since then, they appear to be unable to find any governmental waste–No Further Fleeces. See what happens when Conservatives put their minds to it? Problems solved!
Frankly, I agree with Sheriff Arpaiao in Arizona.
Of course, the leftwing loonies are trying to shut him down just as they opposed “chain gangs” in Georgia, Louisiana, and other places.
I wonder if they get free tobacco.
Anyway, the money could go to a lot better uses like insurance for children, right?
“Anyway, the money could go to a lot better uses like insurance for children, right?”
Come on, Kenny, you wouldn’t support that either — you’d call it “socialism.”
H. Bruce Miller says:
Come on, Kenny, you wouldn’t support that either — you’d call it “socialism.”
Well Brucey, would that not have been better then taxing the poor for their tobacco use as the feds, and the State did, to pay for the health insurance of the children of people earning up to 80,000 a year? How much tax revenue did they say that would bring in?
In any event, it doesn’t matter what I support. The lefties are in control, and what is best for the people as an entire group is not in their agenda. As an example, how much did they spend to provide free housing for “artists” who can’t make it on their own?
“In any event, it doesn’t matter what I support.”
You finally got something right, Kenny. Your policies and your party’s were thoroughly repudiated at the last general election, after proving to be monumental failures.
“As an example, how much did they spend to provide free housing for “artists” who can’t make it on their own?”
I have no idea what you’re talking about. Is this something from the New Deal era?
H. Bruce Miller says:
You finally got something right, Kenny. Your policies and your party’s were thoroughly repudiated at the last general election, after proving to be monumental failures.”
Again, it is not my party. Conservative values have never been repudiated, they have only been suppressed as many people are now figuring out. If Obama had been White he would never have been elected. Believing in “hope and change” is like the “chicken in every pot” promises of the past. Where is the transparency, change, ethics, lowering the deficit, etc. that Obama promised? We have seen none of it. All we have seen is more attacks on Conservative values, higher deficits, wealth redistribution to the rich, lies, and false hope.
What was repudiated was the big spending actions of the Republicans which the Democrats craftily played upon. Now we have even higher deficits, and irresponsible spending which could have been forecasted considering the leftwing history. Obama has kept very few of his promises, and the Democratic Party has shown it cannot be fiscally conservative. Now has it shown it has any regard for the Constitution, or individual rights.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Is this something from the New Deal era?”
Nope. I would have to do some research to find exactly where the story is at. It was last year I think where the city of Portland, or it may have been Multnomah county, or even the year before, bought a piece of land, and then built houses on it for artists to live in. The project cost over 2 million.
“If Obama had been White he would never have been elected.”
You reveal yourself as a bigot as well as an ignoramus. If anything, Obama’s race hurt him more than it helped him. It hurt him with many white voters, and black voters would have voted for the Democratic candidate anyway, white or black; they’ve voted overwhelmingly Democrat ever since the early 1960s (about the same time Southern whites started voting overwhelmingly Republican).
Because you cannot bring yourself to admit that the utter FAILURE of Bush administration policies at home and abroad had anything to do with the Republican defeat a year ago, you have to attribute it to race — “those people” propelled Obama into the White House because he was one of their own..
I’m finished with you, Swipies. Whatever you post from now on, I won’t reply to it. Enjoy arguing with yourself.
H. Bruce Miller says:
You reveal yourself as a bigot as well as an ignoramus. If anything, Obama’s race hurt him more than it helped him. It hurt him with many white voters, and black voters would have voted for the Democratic candidate anyway, white or black; they’ve voted overwhelmingly Democrat ever since the early 1960s (about the same time Southern whites started voting overwhelmingly Republican).”
Blacks have traditionally voted for Democrats since the Democratic Party supported the KKK, and the lynching, beating, whatever, of Blacks that tried to vote Republican in the early 1900’s. And if you had bothered to read any of the links I posted in another thread you would understand how that has destroyed the Black community. And you would understand how illinformed you are as to what I assume you are referring to was called the “Southern Strategy”.
“Because you cannot bring yourself to admit that the utter FAILURE of Bush administration policies at home and abroad had anything to do with the Republican defeat a year ago, you have to attribute it to race — “those people” propelled Obama into the White House because he was one of their own..”
While Bush was not the greatest President we have ever had, his administration was not a total failure. People like you seem eager to forget any good he might have done. For months prior to the election we saw monumental articles about the “first Black man” to run for President, and his candidacy, and the historical significance of such an event. Very little about his qualifications which he had none of. After the election Tom Brokaw, and Charlie Rose, were having a conversation on the Charlie Rose show, and they even admitted they knew very little of what Obama stood for. Do you seriously think that if Obama had been a White man, and a freshman Senator for less then 2 years, who’s only claim to fame was as a Chicago community organizor, that he would have been elected?
“I’m finished with you, Swipies. Whatever you post from now on, I won’t reply to it. Enjoy arguing with yourself.”
Doesn’t matter now does it. Reality is not in your scheme of ideas as you consistently demonstrate.