Pubdate: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA) Copyright: 2008 San Jose Mercury News Contact: http://www.mercurynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390 Author: Linda C. Mattis CUT PRISON TERMS FOR SOME CRIMES Possession of child pornography is a crime. So is possession of marijuana. California has a $15 billion deficit. Does anyone in our government know how much the deficit would be reduced if we changed the sentences for these two crimes? Some of us in California would prefer to make different choices, to have more money spent on educating our youth, or providing health coverage for the poor, than to lock people up in prison for lengthy terms for these crimes. I applaud our Republicans who are refusing to institute new taxes. Legislators need to adjust spending to fit income. LINDA C. MATTIS Sunnyvale - --- MAP posted-by: Steve Heath