Guest post from Leigh MacNeil, who is running for the New Hampshire House of Representatives, Merrimack County, District 4.
For the Monitor
September 29, 2010
Not only has the Legislature demonstrated a lack of common sense and fiscal restraint, but it has also shown to have little regard to the safety of our communities. The passing of Senate Bill 500 is a good example of this.
Between law enforcement and the justice department, we spend millions of dollars incarcerating violent criminals. Now in an effort to save a few pennies, over a five-year period, our Legislature finds no problem in setting the worst of the worst loose.
As a father of a 2-year-old girl, I am deeply concerned with the mindset of legislators when it comes to the safety and security of our citizens. You really have to scratch your head when the Legislature won’t even discuss the Kimberly Cates bill (SB 472), yet lawmakers are more than willing to let violent sex offenders loose on the street via SB 500, just to save a buck.
We overspend in every aspect of state government, and cuts need to be made. In the correctional system alone we spend over $3,300 more than the national average on each inmate, per year. The passage of this egregious legislation should make every father’s and mother’s stomach turn. To let our worst offenders loose, rather than find ways to spend our money wisely, is irresponsible.
Leigh MacNeil, Hopkinton