Proving that it still leads the country in fruit and nut production, California's retread Governor Jerry Brown has just approved a new contract for state prison guards. They can now retire and cash out an unlimited number of vacation days. Most California employees may only cash out 80 days. Thus many guards will receive lump sums exceeding $100,000. I'm sure it's a coincidence that the prison guard's union contributed $2 million to Brown's election.
In 1980, 10% of California's general fund went to higher education and 3 % to prisons. In 2010 it was 11 % to prisons and 7.5% to higher education. The national average cost of incarceration is $29,000 per inmate. In California it is $49,000. It would be cheaper to send the prisoners to Ivy League colleges. Dartmouth costs $42,000 a year.
Brown wanted to get a referendum on this year's ballot to extend several "temporary" taxes and fees imposed in 2009 and due to expire. He needed two thirds of the legislature to approve putting such a measure in the ballot. He needed two Republican votes in each house of the legislature. To their credit, the Republicans hung tough and agreed to support such a referendum IF Brown agreed to certain reforms. Including to a pension system where more than 12,000 state and municipal retirees collect more than $100,000 per year. Brown refused so no referendum and thus no extension of the taxes and fees. Nonetheless the state is still taking in some $90 billion a year in revenue.
Ronald Reagan got elected by over a million votes in 1966, in part, as a result of the fiscal irresponsibility of Brown's father Pat. At the time, California was still a relatively low tax state. Now it is one of the highest. But nobody in California ever has to hold a benefit for a retired prison guard.



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