Eagle Scout Assemblyman Hagman discusses the Assembly’s decision to reject a State Resolution that would have honored the Boy Scouts of America.

One hundred years ago, the Boy Scouts of America was founded, inspiring generations of young men to become outstanding citizens and community leaders. Why did the Assembly Democrats adopt a resolution recognizing the Girl Scouts, yet at the same time reject the proposal to honor the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts? It is disappointing that in today’s California political climate, equality for atheists, gays and lesbians is now brought into the arena of Scouting. The State Capitol’s political agenda has gotten in the way of recognizing a great institution. As an Eagle Scout, and co-author of the Boy Scout resolution, I am one of the millions of young men who proudly served as a Scout.

This is yet another instance of just how out-of-sync some politicians are with the values of California families. Assembly Democrats decided to defeat the resolution. Analysis of the bill, written by Democrat staff, even attacked the young men for saying the Scout Oath and Law. According to them, this bill suddenly became “a controversial resolution” because the Boy Scouts do not adhere to the same political views as the Democratic party. It is truly ridiculous that a resolution to honor young men who volunteer in the community, learn to be good citizens and safeguard our natural resources be chastised for their beliefs.

Mainstream America knows that Scouting has contributed to the positive development of Presidents, astronauts, current members of Congress and even today’s Legislature. But the Democratic Staff Report listed the Boy Scouts as “an organization that has long discriminated against individuals.” Even worse, Democrats congratulate themselves for killing similar resolutions to honor the Boy Scouts, which they have done eight times in the past decade. In reality, Scouts do not discriminate against any religious faith. Scout troops are chartered by churches and groups of many religious faiths, including numerous Christian denominations, the Jewish faith, Buddhism, and Islam, among others. They do not discriminate against any one religion. Atheists and others are free to join or form any group they wish. When you look at the overall record of Scouting, I am certain sensible people will agree that this is hardly an organization deserving of such scorn.

So why would the Democrats proudly lead the charge to condemn an organization that has done so much good for so many young people? Is sexual orientation and atheistic recognition so vital that they would refuse to honor and recognize one of our nation’s largest organizations? The truth is in what happened to each resolution. For the Girl Scout’s, language was added to recognize them for “inclusion of all sexual orientations”, so the resolution passed. Assembly Republicans refused to include such language to the Boy Scout resolution, so it failed. Comments were made that the Boy Scouts “steadfastly continue to discriminate against individuals because of their sexual orientation or religious views. Not allowing atheists into Scouts defies both American and Scouting values.” It was improper to introduce sexuality and religion into what should have been innocent proclamations of support for two iconic youth groups.

I value everything I learned from my Scoutmasters; especially their lessons on patriotism, citizenship, service and respect. California’s Boy Scouts should be recognized for their commitment to our state and communities. Scouts have over 2.8 million participants, 35 million hours of community service in 2008 alone, and those countless volunteer hours from parents. They deserve the praise and congratulations from the California Legislature for their legacy of work and service to our nation. It is unfortunate that sexual orientation and religion has entered into this well-deserved recognition. As for me, I am sending a 100th Anniversary Certificate to every Boy Scout Troop in the 60th Assembly district as an expression of my appreciation for their service.

A Sacramento County man was arrested on suspicion of attempted rape Wednesday, just a day after he was released early from a county jail because of new state guidelines aimed at decreasing the state’s inmate population.

Arrest of newly freed prisoner fuels controversy over early releases
James Rufus Koren, Staff Writer
Created: 02/04/2010 07:04:47 PM PST

A Sacramento County man was arrested on suspicion of attempted rape Wednesday, just a day after he was released early from a county jail because of new state guidelines aimed at decreasing the state’s inmate population.

The arrest set of a chorus of I-told-you-sos from Republican lawmakers, who, along with some Democrats, voted against the plan in August and September.

“This criminal was sentenced in 2008 for assault with a deadly weapon but somehow he was classified as a non-violent offender,” Assemblyman Curt Hagman, R-Chino Hills, said in a statement. “If we are unable to tell who the dangerous criminals are we have no business issuing get-out-of-jail-free cards.”

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that the man, Kevin Eugene Peterson, was released because of the early release plan.

Hagman, vice chairman of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, said he has called for a halt to early releases.

This summer, lawmakers approved a bill that changed many of the state’s sentencing guidelines. The law took effect Jan. 25, and both state and local authorities have been reviewing prisoner records and releasing inmates.

As of Wednesday, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department had released 404 prisoners from its four county jails, spokeswoman Jodi Miller said, and found more than 1,100 prisoners who will meet the early release guidelines at some point. Another 62 prisoners will have hearings to determine if they meet the new guidelines.

San Bernardino Police Chief Keith Kilmer said local agencies need to re-evaluate who they are releasing in light of Wednesday’s arrest.

“We need to be real careful about what the criteria are for release,” Kilmer said. “We really need to make sure we’re communicating, the state and local agencies, as far as who is being released.”

Assemblyman Steve Knight, R-Palmdale, said the early releases could lead to more crime, both because of more criminals being released and less fear of prosecution among criminals because of the shortened sentences.

“You’ve got people that will offend out on the street, and now they know their penalty is being reduced,” said Knight, a former Los Angeles police officer. “It’s risk and reward: If the risk is not that big of a deal but the reward is OK, then you’re going to be enticed.”

Kilmer agreed, saying he expects an increase in property crime because of the new guidelines.

Assemblywoman Norma Torres, D-Ontario, who voted for the early release bill, said Wednesday’s arrest makes clear the stakes lawmakers have to consider when making cuts to the prison system or changing sentencing laws.

“There are huge budgetary issues in the state of California,” she said. “People are comparing prison budgets to school budgets and saying we don’t want to fund prisons. When they don’t want to fund prisons, we have to make some very, very tough decisions.”

james.koren@inlandnewspapers.com
909-386-3826

During my years of service to our community, I have made public safety one of my highest priorities. If California’s families cannot feel safe in their neighborhoods, little else of what government does matters.

Perspectives: Privatizing Prisons: Contracting out can help reduce costs
By Assemblyman Curt Hagman
Posted: 01/30/2010 06:12:25 AM PST

During my years of service to our community, I have made public safety one of my highest priorities. If California’s families cannot feel safe in their neighborhoods, little else of what government does matters.

That is why I am committed to doing everything possible in the state Assembly to ensure that law enforcement and the state prison system have everything they need to do their jobs.

As I enter the debate of how to address California’s $20 billion budget deficit, I will continue to make public safety a top priority. At the same time, lawmakers must take responsible steps to diminish spending in every area of government, and our prison system is no exception. All of us know that prisons are facing considerable challenges, including overcrowding and mismanagement under the current model.

Nevertheless, the status quo in our prisons is intolerable and releasing prisoners to cut costs is certainly not an option.

Here are the facts: California spends a staggering $50,000 per prisoner each year, while the next 10 largest states in the nation spend an average of only $32,000. Texas, which holds nearly as many inmates as California, spends less than $20,000 per inmate, clearly showing that our state is paying much more than it should to keep criminals behind bars.

And yet, even though we pay more than twice as much per prisoner as Texas, our prison facilities are still overcrowded and antiquated. Our prison system has become
unsustainable. Lawmakers need to fundamentally rethink the way California manages its inmates.

Over the past three years, the cost of California’s prison bureaucracy has increased 105 percent, even though the inmate population has remained relatively stable. Health care costs alone soared 325 percent in the past 12 years, and we now spend more on an inmate’s health care than on a law-abiding Californian. With all of these costs spiraling out-of-control, the state must pursue innovative reforms immediately.

Every idea for restructuring must be on the table, including building cheaper modular prisons and allowing non-governmental businesses to deliver services such as inmate health care. Private business can play a significant role in reducing costs by billions of dollars each year. If California’s costs were cut to the average of other large states, we could save up to $4 billion in taxpayer dollars a year, without releasing criminals early. Those funds can then be spent to protect the state’s other priorities, such as education.

Whether it is building new prisons or delivering inmate health care, turning to others will help.

One advantage of allowing the private sector to deliver services is that it introduces competition. If a company fails to perform, we can hold it accountable and allow another company to take over. The same can’t be said of government. Companies are not saddled with the same high, inflexible overhead. Even achieving a little bit of savings can go a long way toward addressing the state’s budget deficit.

I will work hard with my colleagues in the coming weeks to address our budget deficit in ways that do not put Californians in harm’s way or jeopardize the integrity of our justice system.

Make no mistake. Turning to non-state entities is not a cure-all for our prison system or an excuse for the Legislature to maintain wasteful spending in the bureaucracy. We cannot just pass reforms; we must restructure the state’s business in a new way.

Curt Hagman, R-Chino Hills, represents the 60th Assembly District which includes all or parts of Anaheim, Chino Hills, Diamond Bar, Industry, La Habra, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, Orange, Rowland Heights, San Dimas, Villa Park, Walnut, Whittier and Yorba Linda.

Assemblyman Curt Hagman wants to make sure that if you enter into an animal enclosure in a zoo, you are guilty of a misdemeanor. Hagman, R-Chino Hills, introduced AB 1675 this week in response to an incident at the San Francisco Zoo in which a 21-year-old man entered its grizzly-bear exhibit.

It’s Politics: Life’s a zoo for Assemblyman Curt Hagman Posted: 01/29/2010 04:48:28 PM PST Assemblyman Curt Hagman wants to make sure that if you enter into an animal enclosure in a zoo, you are guilty of a misdemeanor. Hagman, R-Chino Hills, introduced AB 1675 this week in response to an incident at the San Francisco Zoo in which a 21-year-old man entered its grizzly-bear exhibit.

A Superior Court judge eventually tossed the trespassing charges because the intruder had no intention of staying in the enclosure overnight. “We’re basically trying to close up this loophole,” Hagman said. “You don’t need intent to spend a certain period of time when a normal person knows it’s completely wrong to break through two fences.” Hagman said he’s been told there already have been copycat offenses. Because he’s on the Assembly Public Safety Committee, he was asked by representatives of the zoos to introduce the bill. It would – with exemptions for employees and public officers – make it a misdemeanor to enter an animal enclosure at a zoo without the consent of the zoo.

Read more: It’s Politics: Life’s a zoo for Assemblyman Curt Hagman – Whittier Daily News http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_14296958#ixzz0fQtC3W1s