To the editor: I was disappointed to read the Times editorial opposing Proposition 36, a ballot measure that would reclassify some misdemeanors as felonies and also create a new category of crime called a “compulsory treatment felony.”
For clarity, I am the Deputy Executive Director of the California District Attorneys Association, which is one of the sponsors of Proposition 36.
Prop 36 is a measured approach to addressing the horrible situation we find ourselves in. It makes smart, surgical modifications to Prop 47, a well-intentioned but problematic measure passed 10 years ago. I hope your readers will take a look at the San Jose Mercury News editorial that calls Prop 36 a “smart response” to crime, addiction and homelessness.
A recent, well-respected poll found that 71 percent of likely California voters favored the measure. They include people who have lost loved ones to fentanyl and are fed up with going to CVS and seeing socks and razors under lock and key.
Contrary to the rhetoric of Prop 36 opponents, no one wants to return to the days of unequally incarcerating Black and brown people. The goal is to make us safer and help those living with addiction, mental illness, and homelessness.
Prop 36 won't solve the problem, but it will be a small step in the right direction.
Jonathan Raven, Davis, California.
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To the editor: The decisions we make have consequences. When people make bad decisions, such as committing a third robbery, those people should suffer negative consequences.
California politicians have created policies and a culture that have resulted in a lack of appropriate negative consequences for people who make bad decisions. Instead, those consequences fall on society.
Homeless people who break the law and refuse help are allowed to continue destroying themselves and our communities, while consequences like fires and hazardous waste plague the rest of us. Thieves who steal everything from detergent to copper wiring go largely unpunished, while the rest of us wait for keys to locking cabinets and walk down dark, unsafe sidewalks.
The editorial board's opposition to Prop 36 shows its disconnect with reality. A kindergartener learns that choices have consequences. We Angelenos have learned what happens when our leaders and law enforcement officials fail to hold people accountable for their actions.
Progressive indulgence has resulted in the dirty city we have today. We must hold everyone accountable to the same standards and legal consequences. Don't steal the pizza.
Victoria Mordecai, San Marino
