Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST ONLINE COMMENTS
The story: Arizona spent a higher percentage of its general fund on corrections in fiscal 2008 than all but three other states. About $9.50 of every $100 was spent on incarceration.
Your take: Some members of the Citizen’s online community make the correlation between Arizona’s high spending on incarceration and low spending on education. Others see a connection between spending money on jails and (surprise!) illegal immigration.
Some representative comments:
• “Education is important . . . but we also need to keep our communities safe. I’d rather see money going to lock up heinous offenders if need be.” – hopeofglorycomesoon
• “Our burden comes from the illegals’ invasion.” – mustberight
• “Spend it on education or you spend it on prisons. All the redneck hicks here in Arizona (at least the ones in the state Legislature) think spending it on prisons is the way to go. This just makes me sick.” – dparizek
• “I really do believe if the border couldn’t be breached and all the illegals returned (to Mexico), our crime stats would be in correlation with the ‘average’ state spending.” – azmouse
• “(1) spend more money on education, generate more productive citizens, attract high quality jobs, and live in a safe environment, or (2) spend more money on prisons, generate more effective criminals, tear down our economic infrastructure, and live behind bulletproof walls fearfully clutching our weapons. Which do you choose?” – miller
Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH
pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com
The big debate:
Spending on prisons
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