Chaos in the criminal justice system threatens everyone

We are happy to hear that Governor Deval Patrick plans to do something to address youth violence during his second term of office.

But, we hope that action is meaningful and also more encompassing. The plain truth is that the Massachusetts criminal justice system is in a state of chaos. It is threatening our safety and security, and needs immediate attention.

The grisly headlines speak for themselves: On the day after Christmas in 2009, a convenience store clerk is gunned down behind his counter, allegedly by a convicted murderer. In 2010, a pizza deliveryman is murdered for sport by teens. A toddler is gunned down in the streets, caught in the crossfire of an apparent robbery. And the day after Christmas in 2010, a Woburn police officer is murdered by a paroled armed robber who had been sentenced to serve three concurrent life sentences.

Sadly, the tragic list of cases goes on. Each is a solemn example of a system that is failing. If such failures occurred elsewhere, for example in our schools or hospitals, remedial measures would be taken instantly. But, for some reason, the criminal justice system seems immune to meaningful change as people continue to die in our streets.

We're not here to cast blame, and we'd like to specifically point out that police and prosecutors are not to blame. In fact, their tireless dedication and heroic efforts are betrayed the most by these heinous crimes because our criminal justice system works against them.

We're here to demand action. Our state's criminal justice system is too soft on crime, too short on resources, and too laden with politics and patronage to achieve effective results. The Ware Report on the probation department and the New Year's Eve resignation of Commissioner O'Brien leave little doubt that this is true.

Massachusetts needs to put politics aside and put an end to the violence.

State leaders should immediately appoint an independent, comprehensive commission to evaluate our current probation, parole, and sex offender registry systems. And, by a commission, we mean a real working commission that actually meets and achieves results. We must make sure dangerous felons are locked up, not liberated to the streets to reoffend. We need to competently evaluate the risk and monitor the whereabouts of those who are released early.

In addition, the Legislature should partner with judicial officials to undertake a comprehensive reevaluation of our criminal code to identify areas where our laws are failing us. The Legislature should revisit the idea of sentencing guidelines for crimes in this state. The Legislature also should reconsider recent changes to CORI so it is easier for the public to know criminals' violent tendencies.

Finally, we think the FY2012 state budget process should include a thorough, multi-disciplinary evaluation of the capital and operating needs of the criminal justice system. The state should develop a long-term criminal justice spending plan that would help to incorporate additional technology and other resources to assist law enforcement efforts statewide.

There are many components contributing to our crime crisis, including underlying social and economic factors. These will take time to solve. But immediate action is needed to stop the wave of violence sweeping across our state. An entire generation is at risk. Our state is under siege.

US national debt tops $14 trillion for the first time

According to the United States Treasury (Web site), the national public debt eclipsed $14 trillion on December 31, 2010.

This is the first time in history the debt has topped $14 trillion, and it brings to light several important issues which will demand immediate attention by the next Congress.

The first one is the sheer enormity of the debt itself. As we have said before, the per capita debt load (what it will cost each individual American) is now well over $45,000, and it exceeds 90 percent of our nation's gross national product. The debt has also risen sharply over time. When President Obama took office on January 20, 2009, the debt was $10.626 trillion, meaning that over the past two years, the national debt has increased by about 31 percent. Accumulating the first $13 trillion debt took our nation decades, but adding on the last trillion dollars took only about six months.

The second is the fact that a large share of the public debt is held by foreign nations, which complicates United States foreign policy. We cannot expect to exert independent influence in the foreign policy arena when about one-third of our debt is held by international power brokers.

The third issue is the statutory debt limit (how much money the government can borrow without receiving additional authorization from Congress), which was increased from $12.394 trillion to $14.294 trillion effective February 12, 2010. There is increasing pressure to increase the debt ceiling so the United States can borrow more money, but this is receiving opposition from House Republicans who say it's irresponsible to keep running up the meter on our debt.

The crushing burden of our national debt is an extremely important issue for everyone in the country, both now and for future generations. Congress must make it a top priority to start bringing down the size of the debt. And, there should be no increases in the debt ceiling unless necessary to avoid default, and then only if there are strict benchmarks put in place to reduce the size of the debt over time.

Sometimes less is really more

According to the Boston Globe, Governor Patrick has recommended a 0.5 percent pay cut for state lawmakers in 2011, worth about $300 off of legislators' base salary of $61,440. (Full Globe story)

We support the move. But, we think this could actually end up as a raise for some lawmakers. Here's why:

For several years now, a handful of state legislators have been refusing to accept salary increases as a matter of principle. The most recent example was in 2009, when certain members from both parties refused to accept a $3,203 raise (or pledged to donate it to charity) while the rest of the state was in financial difficulty.

Today's action by the Governor - appropriate and admirable on his part - raises an interesting possibility for legislators. We wonder: will legislators who refused the pay raise back in 2009 maintain their 2011 salary at $58,237? Or, will they 'accept' the Governor's pay cut and use it as cover to set their 2011 salary at $61,140 – for them, a pay increase of almost $3,000 from 2009 which also has implications for their pensions in the future.

If legislators do choose to increase their salaries this way, they could actually end up costing the state money: every $3,000 increase is worth about 10 cuts of $300 each. Not to mention the fact that it would be hypocritical.

Stay tuned.

Another business 'dogged' by bad state policies

Most residents of the North Shore are familiar with Lawton's Famous Frankfurters in Lawrence. Situated prominently on the corner of Broadway and Canal Streets, it has been a local landmark since first opening its doors in 1929.

We've eaten there. Heck, our grandparents even ate there many moons ago.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. In this case, Lawton's officially closed its doors on December 31, 2010 after 81 years of serving up lunchtime Hot Dog Specials.

The owners are talking of finding a new location sometime in the future, but for now at least, the business is gone.

Before you think this is just another blog posting about some defunct food stand or nostalgic times gone by, think again. There’s a story behind the story, and that's why it's the topic of our posting today.

If you ask the store owners why they closed, they will tell you it had to do with the ill effects of a state economic stimulus project, and regulatory opposition to opening a new location.

On a sign hanging in the store during its final days, store owners claimed they decided not to renew their lease at their current location because state bridge work on nearby Route 28 "hurt them badly."

Here is what the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune had to say about it: www.eagletribune.com/local/x862971453/Lawtons-could-be-gone-for-good-Dec-31

The bridge project is part of the state's Accelerated Bridge Program. In 2009, the Patrick-Murray Administration heralded bridge reconstruction in the area as "part of its Massachusetts Recovery Plan to secure the state's economic future."

www.mhd.state.ma.us/default.asp?pgid=content/releases/pr052709_LawrenceABP&sid=release

Ask anyone who used to eat or work at Lawton's what they think about that "economic recovery" plan today, and they'll likely give you 'the works.'

The story doesn't end there. Faced without viable business at their existing location, store owners then attempted to move to an abandoned car dealership property across town, which was going to be redeveloped. However, the local planning board blocked those plans due to neighborhood opposition. That property remains vacant to this day, the shell of another defunct business.

And so, like countless other Massachusetts businesses, Lawton's is now part of the economic history of our state, instead of a vital part of our economic future. And, it's the latest business in Lawrence to close its doors and to add to the unemployment woes of one of the most economically-depressed communities in the state. Basically, one of the first things you see when you drive into downtown Lawrence on Route 28 is an empty store that had been in business for generations.

Lawton's serves as an important case study for anyone who doubts the importance of state policies for business development and job growth here in the Bay State.

Will state officials get the message?

'Frankly,' we don't think so.