Longtime readers know I’ve devoted untold column inches to documenting the sins and sorrows of my native state, California. When its voters show some evidence of sanity, fairness moves me to note that as well.
In the election just concluded the state as a whole passed Proposition 36, which undoes many of the sins of Prop. 47, backed by Harris. Prop. 47 decriminalized some offenses and reduced others from felony to misdemeanor. Prop. 36 makes penalties more harsh, particularly retail theft or shoplifting.
In addition, the voters of Los Angeles refused to reelect soft-on-crime DA George Gascón and elected in his place a law and order man. Taken together, these two acts suggest the voters remaining in CA are beginning to understand coddling criminals begets more crime … an obvious truth.
With the reminder that one robin does not suggest spring has arrived, and one wise act does not signal a renaissance of sanity in CA, we should applaud any moves in the sensible direction. I hope you liked the wordplay in my title.