How I’m voting for the environment on Nov. 7, 2006.

My vote on Prop 83: NO

Here’s another prop that SOUNDS really good. I mean, it’s called the “Sex Offenders, Sexually Violent Predators, Punishment, Residence Restrictions and Monitoring Initiative Statute.”

Who doesn’t want to protect children against sexual predators?

The problem is that the prop would cost a lotta money without actually doing much to protect children.

This is what the prop would do: increase sentences, require lifelong monitoring for some offenders and further restrict where registered sex offenders could live. The prop would also cost A LOT of money.

The thing is, we already have tough laws against sex offenders. Serious sexual predators already get 15 or 25 years to life in prison. We can even get a lil pic and addys for them on the Megan’s Law website — which lets me know I have exactly 13 registered sex offenders in my zip code.

Herein lies the problem with this prop: It would require expensive, hi-tech surveillance — including GPS monitoring — of many thous of ex-prisoners who don’t pose any serious risk. Not only is that a waste of our money, the practice’ll take resources away from watching high risk offenders who really need monitoring. Plus, the prop’d require longer sentences for less dangerous offenders, further crowding prisons and driving up costs.

There’s another problem too: These types of laws, when passed in other states, have pushed sex offenders into “rural and suburban neighborhoods where law enforcement is thin and where counseling, psychiatric and other social services that many mentally disordered offenders need are in short supply or nonexistent” (via SacBee). Not a good situation.

Pretty much all the orgs I like are either against or mum on this prop. I’ll try and ignore the fact that both the Calif. Democrats and Republicans are pro Prop 83, the idiots –

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