As a Californian, I know we can do better than this. Our state budget is a record-setting 74 days late, and there’s no deal in sight. To put pressure on legislators, the governor says he won’t sign any legislation until there’s a budget. To put pressure on the governor, the prison guards say they will finance a recall campaign against him. It’s a total deadlock!

Do you think we can rely on Sacramento to bring the reform we need? I don’t either. We’ve waited long enough for Sacramento to do the right thing.

There’s no mystery about what needs to be done: year (2006) after year (2007) after year (2008) experts have told legislators that the state’s policies toward nonviolent offenders, especially low-level drug offenders, have been wrong, costly and counterproductive. The experts have said again (Juvenile Justice Reform) and again (Expert Panel on Corrections Reform) that what we need to do is address young people’s drug problems as early as possible and expand access to drug treatment and rehabilitation for nonviolent offenders both in the community and behind bars.

The sad truth is that Sacramento lacks the political will to implement these proven reforms because it would mean going against the entrenched law enforcement lobby. This is the same lobby that is now leading the fight against Prop. 5 — precisely because the measure follows the experts’ advice and, in so doing, violates law enforcement’s “lock ‘em up and throw away the key” philosophy.

Want some good news out of California this week? There are only 53 more days to wait! Prop. 5 combines decades of expert recommendations into one historic reform package — and gives voters the power.

We’ve waited long enough for Sacramento. Tell your friends: it’s up to them on November 4!

Support Prop. 5: visit Prop 5 Yes on Facebook and join our cause on Facebook (Yes on 5!). You must be logged into Facebook to view this cause.

P.S. Make sure you are registered to vote!