Californians
increasingly may be on their own against criminals because of state and local
budget problems. Two recent reports are scary.
KCBS wrote,
"Burglaries are up a startling 43 percent in Oakland this year compared to
last, part of an ever-growing crime problem in the city.... The city could be
down to a little more than 600 [police] officers by February, which would be
200 fewer than in 2008."
In San Bernardino,
according to CBS News, "[City Attorney Jim] Penman said the city is
dealing with bankruptcy, which has forced officials to cut its police force by
about 80 officers." Consequently, there's been growing criticism about the
police department's response time.
"Let's
be honest, we don't have enough police officers. We have too many criminals
living in this city. We have had 45 murders this year ... that's far too high
for a city of this size," Penman said.
Talking
to a local group, Mr. Penman also said, "Go home, lock your doors and load
your gun."
"Penman
was stating the obvious in what is happening throughout the state," Sam
Paredes told us; he's the executive director of Gun Owners of California, a gun
rights group. "Law-abiding citizens are buying more guns than ever."
He estimated that 1 million guns will be sold in the state this year.
"With all the stories and articles about prison realignment," in
which state prisoners have been released, or sent to local jails, "people
are realizing that their primary means of defense is themselves."
"Thunderdome
in California?" queried Walter Russell Mead in the liberal American
Prospect publication. He was referring to the 1985 movie, "Mad Max: Beyond
Thunderdome," starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner. Thunderdome is a caged
arena where post-apocalyptic fights settle matters. Mr. Mead wrote, "This
is the dystopia where blue [as in Democratic Blue State policies] ultimately
leads. As money gets tight, cities have to choose between paying pensioners or
paying for vital services. If California's courts rule for the pensioners,
they'll be forcing a harsh reality on San Bernardino's residents. Fighting for
scraps in the ruins of a higher civilization?"
The
common thread is a lack of resources due to city budget problems, which in San
Bernardino have been so severe that the city filed for bankruptcy in August.
After halting pension payments, the city is in a legal wrangle with the
California Public Employees Retirement System.
"He's
on to something," Jack Dean told us of Mr. Mead's comments. Mr. Dean
publishes PensionTsunami.com, which details the California and national pension
crises. "I believe things will just get worse. Although threats of
increases in crime may just be fear tactics of the public-safety unions."
On
the positive side, Mr. Dean said the crisis might bring an amelioration of
strict drug laws. He cited Colorado and Washington state both passing
initiatives that legalized marijuana at the state level, although a federal ban
remains in effect. He said putting less stress on drugs would free scarce
police resources to concentrate on "home invasions and gangs."
Unfortunately,
the Democrats' new two-thirds-plus supermajority in the Legislature may
embolden them to go to extremes. Mr. Paredes warned that Democrats will try to
pass more gun-control legislation, in particular requiring the registration of
ammunition and defining "assault weapons" so narrowly as to include
hunting rifles.
Mr.
Dean cautioned that Democrats may use the need for more law enforcement funds
as a reason to assault Proposition 13, the 1978 tax-limitation initiative. A
year from now, Californians could find themselves paying higher taxes on homes
they will find it harder to defend on their own.
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