Political Quotes

“on the issue of crime, I feel compelled to ask my colleagues whether our intent is to play politics or substantively and responsibly address the issue. From the rhetoric I have heard in recent days, it seems that many of my fellow Members have chosen to follow the misguided lead of the Senate and enact gimmicks such as the ill-defined three-time loser, new mandatory minimum sentences, and requiring 13-year-olds to be tried as adults. I can only hope that when this body continues its deliberations on crime, it will resist the political posturing of those individuals more interested in campaign propaganda than preventing the crime that has robbed, raped, and murdered our communities. There is no evidence that the three-time-loser bill, or new death penalties will have any effect on reducing crime. Education and jobs, the very elements which received little attention in the $22 billion crime bill, have been proven to reduce crime. I invite everyone to step off of their pedestals and deal with this issue responsibly. Politics is for campaigns; it is out of place in a responsible debate on crime.”