cash for inmates, don't tell me how to spend your money, and give us real judges...

ignored in the important questions of whether octo-mom was going to do porn or whether keeping a chimp as a pet is moronic was one of the biggest flashing neon signs trying to tell us that our criminal justice system is broken...pennsylvania judges sending juveniles to jail for a little cash under the table. two judges were shipping kids to jail that had no business being there because the private prison company that ran the place wanted bodies to fill the beds so they could milk the tax payers for more money. kids lives were destroyed so the bottom line could be fatter and the judge's vacation sunnier. we should still be talking about this, not where octomom got the money for a big house. we should be taking note that when you have a for-profit prison industry it creates incredibly perverse and counterproductive incentives - lock 'em up and throw away the key. our priorities got so incredibly fucked up with the bullshit "war on drugs" and "crack down on crime" that we created a multi-billion dollar industry with an interest in rising crime rates. let that sink in. our fucked up system is not interested in protecting the community, rehabilitation, responsibility, etc...it is interested in money. we created a huge money machine with an interest in squashing any talk of responsibly addressing issues of crime and drug use in our communities. and now we would rather talk about some crazy bitch that wanted a giant family for weeks on end. god help us.

speaking of wasting tax payer money...the financial sector is now starting to say they don't want the capital injection afterall. at least not if we get to tell them how to spend our money. (not that they had any problem with telling you that their loan to you had to be spent in a certain way). my favorite, signature bank of new york is going to give back the money because it doesn't like the idea of limiting executive pay. that's right - they don't want the $120 million if they can't spend it on bonuses. and now lots of banks are chiming in that they want to refund the money rather than deal with the strings attached to federal funds (the same rules that we all abide by when getting federal funds). which raises the question...why the fuck did they get the money in the first place? if they can manage without it, why are we pissing our tax dollars away on them? are they really so devoid of humanity that they wanted the money to cover bonuses rather than keep families in their homes? maybe it is time for a bank holiday...

hidden beneath all the huge moves that this administration is taking (and while the Man might not be pleased with them actually doing something, us regular ass folk are quite pleased that someone is willing to take a risk on our behalf once every 80 years or so) is the fact that the president will begin to appoint judges to the federal courts. and with this knowledge I have a simply plea...give us real judges. compromise on whatever else the fuck you want (except maybe the bullshit brain-dead failed tax cuts cure all philosophy of the elephantile class), but absolutely refuse to compromise on the courts. pack the fuck out of them. add judgeships everywhere as much as you can. throw the youngest, most liberal, thurgood marshall mold jurists you can find into those slots. and start with the 10th circuit...because they have lost their damn minds up in denver. and when you are done...on your way out of office, appoint yourself to the supreme court please. god knows we could use a mind like yours on the bench for the next 20 years.

thank god the ghansta's back...