Gov. Newsom, AB 2147: Wiping criminal records clean
To the Editor:
You have got to be kidding me, governor? Inmate firefighters get their felony records expunged for working on fires?
When I started with CDF (now Cal Fire), you needed a four-year degree (at least for those of us with white privilege) to get a permanent job. It was called “affirmative action.” Talk about privilege. Now, instead of four years in college, it's four years in prison.
Get yourself two weeks of minimal training on how to use a shovel and Pulaski at Sierra Conservation Center then serve maybe one day on a Cal Fire hand crew, potentially never go to a fire, and get your criminal record wiped clean and handed a firefighting career? WHAT?
Imagine the incarcerated criminals that will try to get into the conservation camp program just so they can get their records expunged. Who thought it was a good idea
to introduce this segment of society in such large numbers into a trusted profession?
I call on our elected representatives Bigelow and Borgeas to introduce legislation to repeal this misguided attempt at social engineering. This law tarnishes the fine reputation of professional firefighters everywhere.
I've seen the inmate firefighting labor force referred to as slave labor. Nothing could be further from the truth. In exchange for their labor, inmates are housed in a nonviolent setting free from barbed wire, cells, and small exercise yards and receive higher quality food. Make no mistake, a conservation camp is good duty in comparison to a prison yard. As a society, we owe them nothing more, period.
Write or call our representatives and demand a repeal of AB 2147. Andreas Borgeas 8th Senate District (209) 267-5033 and Frank Bigelow 5th Assembly District (209) 267-0500
Recall Gavin Newsom!
Barry Rudolph Columbia contradicted by any evidence. All you hear is the same old whining from the manchild.
Veterans, active and retired military: “Active military personnel and retirees pay federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and state taxes on your base pay.” Average federal tax is 12 percent, or roughly $6,000 per year.
Now, according to the guy who claims to be our commander-in-chief, that black and white POW/MIA flag means “losers,” “suckers.” For John Mccain and 108 of his fellow prisoners of war, “commander bone spurs” says, “They're not heroes, for me heroes don't get captured.”
Joe Biden said, “They really are heroes – the president does not understand duty, honor, and country.” Joe gets it.
Bottom line – for Americans to win – Joe Biden must win the 2020 election.
Be safe, mask up, distance, save lives. Domenic Torchia
Columbia