Political Quotes

“Crime and all of the problems that come with it have caused considerable pain in parts of my district. There are neighborhoods and communities in both the inner-city and suburban areas of America where the crime rate is high and growing. Our citizens have expressed concern. They feel frightened for the safety of their children and themselves. In fact in a recent poll that I had taken in my district, crime was either the No. 1 or the No. 2 concern cited. So to say that my constituents and I and the rest of the citizen of this country are interested in finding a way to reduce the crime rate is quite an understatement. I am torn about this bill because it includes some important crime fighting measures as well as others which I think will actually cause harm. One of the helpful provisions provides for 50,000 more law enforcement officers to walk the beats of our cities and towns. Undoubtedly this is welcome news to the local governments throughout the country, most of whose resources are stretched to the breaking point. Similarly I believe that the $600 million funding stream for alternative punishments--i.e. boot camps, weekend incarceration, community service, et cetera--is a step in the right direction because we must look at alternative, cost-effective ways of dealing with youth offenders, especially if those ways hold some real promise of ending in rehabilitation.”