Lots of gloom and doom, the sky is falling in this press release in my opinion. Fear is and will continue to be the biggest motivator to move any herd in a wanted direction.
We live in unincorporated county, and I can't tell you the last time I saw a county car in this area, over a year maybe?
And as far a releasing dangerous criminals, they do it every single day. Drug related crimes...these low lives are offered drug court and are sent for rehab (most of them do not complete and are given a second and third chance) only to return to drugs and crime.
As for a parole or probation goes, we know a family whose adult child was sent to prison for drugs, served half the time given only to return to manufacture drugs, sell drugs and do drugs repeatedly and was ARRESTED for it while ON PAROLE. That person has managed to postpone court for over a year even though clearly in violation of their parole. In my opinion they should have been sent back to prison until they appeared in court again. But no, out enjoying drug life to the fullest.
The city, county and state are steeped so deeply in the typical Democratic sludge that they are pulling out the big guns to frighten elderly people and all citizens.
I appreciate our local officers and I appreciate our county officers, but until we vote in some judges that truly show they are in possession of a spine and a pair...nothing will change, regardless of much tax is paid or not paid. Unless you commit murder in this county, your "video judge" will nine times out of ten let you walk on your own recog...then when you don't show for three, four, five or more court dates, eventually they will throw out a body attachment or a bench warrent...if and only if, you are pulled over during a traffic stop...they won't find you....not in this county.
Personally, I see nothing changing, nothing regardless of a tax increase or a tax decrease.
JMO
PRESS RELEASE Sheriff John Lakin and State's Attorney Tom Gibbons
Sheriff, State's Attorney Warn Against Reckless Cuts on Public Safety
Proposed plan would reduce typical tax bill by $6, force layoffs of police, probation, and prosecutors
Edwardsville: At a meeting Wednesday morning, Sheriff John Lakin and State's Attorney Tom Gibbons briefed local law enforcement leaders on the 'dire consequences' a local petition drive will have on public safety. Lakin and Gibbons stressed that if this effort is successful, dangerous criminals will be released into the community. Together, your Sheriff, State's Attorney, local Police Chiefs and local residents are calling on citizens to "PROTECT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT - DO NOT SIGN THE PETITION!"
A local group is circulating petitions to put a measure limiting the County's maximum tax rate on the ballot this November. Lakin and Gibbons warned that the proposed artificial cap would drastically reduce the General Operating Fund, which funds the County's public safety and criminal justice programs. Current estimates indicate that the Sheriff's Office and Jail would be cut by over $600,000, and the cuts to the State's Attorney's Office would top $200,000. "The reckless cuts caused by this effort will take cops off the streets, let criminals out of jail, eliminate tracking of dangerous felons, and prevent prosecutors from holding criminals accountable in court," said Gibbons.
Dysfunction at the State and Federal level has already harmed funding for local law enforcement. Lakin and Gibbons continue to support true property tax reform and budget savings that eliminate abuse, waste and fraud. However, this local initiative is not true property tax reform and deceives citizens of its true consequences. They noted that his proposal is similar to the Governor's call to release 20% of the inmates from all Illinois prisons, in the same way this local proposal would put dangerous criminals back on the streets.
"We cannot stand silently by and allow citizens to be misled into signing a petition that puts their families, neighborhoods and communities at risk," Lakin said. "If this plan is implemented, the county's ability to patrol neighborhoods, investigate crimes, safely staff the jail, prosecute felons, and monitor people on probation would be threatened."
Based on the figures provided, the proposed reduction would force layoffs in General Fund Departments, which would include public safety positions such as sheriff deputies, jailers, probation officers, and prosecutors. Gibbons said the proposed tax rate cut would reduce the property tax bill on a $100,000 home by $6 per year, not the hundreds or thousands of dollars falsely claimed by the group pushing this reckless
"A safe community is our number one goal - and it is one of the top reasons people choose to call Madison County home," Gibbons said. "At a time when citizens are calling for tougher law enforcement, this proposal does the exact opposite. My office filed almost 300 more felony charges in 2015 than in 2014. Additionally, we are facing an increase in violent crimes in some areas of our County, while also facing an epidemic of drug addiction and the thousands of crimes that go along with it. I believe most of our residents would agree that it is worth $6 a year to keep those criminals off the street and keep our community safe."
Gibbons and Lakin noted that the numbers promoted by this group have been reviewed and they do not add up. Citizens are being misled on the amount of money this will save them and the true consequences if passed. Lakin and Gibbons are asking the citizens of Madison County to do their homework before being deceived into signing away their right to have a safe community.
on April 7, 2016, 11:26 am, in reply to "