I HAD A DREAM. . . (Or only in your dreams)

by Jack

I had a dream last night and I didn’t want it to end, it just kept getting better an better…it went something like this….

In a bold move the Mayor of the City of Chico, Ann Schwab, declared we will not tolerate drug dealers, violent crime and gang activity in this city anymore! Enough is enough and effective immediately, roving bands of delinquent juveniles out after 11 pm and creating mischief, will be stopped and if they are involved in criminal activity they will be arrested and the parents of said juveniles may be subject to fines and or incarceration too.

The Mayor proclaimed, “We have instructed our City Attorney to begin filing civil suits against the parents of juveniles habitually involved in serious crime and sometimes felonious crimes, and we will begin actions against the parents to hold the accountable. In addition these cases will also be referred to Child Protective Services and they (errant parents) could be liable for additional charges that include removal from welfare, fines and imprisonment.

Furthermore, people owning property or renting to persons where there is frequently reoccurring criminal activity are now subject to special abatement and possible forfeiture of said property. This could result its destruction or sale to pay for fines and penalties.”

And she said even more…summarizing as best I can recall…, effective immediately, City funding to low income housing that are deemed blighted shall cease and clean up enforcement and all associated costs shall be imposed on the negligent property owners and all subsidies to so-called shelters or low income housing will now be limited only to that as required by law after a complete investigation based on need. But, under no circumstances shall any City funded facility be constructed at a cost greater per square foot than that of the medium priced home in Chico.

In a televised speech to the citizens, Mayor Schwab, noted that any public funds in excess of the required minimum funding by law has only served as a magnet to attract the problems of other communities and even other states to Chico.

She declared that Chico will no longer be a dumping grounds for other communities or a soft touch for those healthy people who refuse to work and come here for the here-to-for well known “extra” benefits for the homeless. That all ends now.

And my dream got better…. The City in conjunction with the County Welfare office has set up a special one time, one way ticket on a bus out of state will be available for habitual indigents, responsible for petty thefts and vandalism, on condition the undesirables do not return.

Effectively immediately, the Sheriff of Butte County, recognizing the growing crime problem and jail overcrowding, is erecting 2 acres of tents in order to accommodate all inmates so they may serve out their complete sentences. Those wishing to shorten their time in custody may volunteer for hard labor on community projects including, but not limited too, park mowing, refuse pickup, street cleaning, pot hole patching and working in a 2.5 acre county garden that will be used to off set jail food costs. Sentences may also be reduced up to a maximum of 90 days for a voluntary prison or gang tattoo removal paid by the inmate.

The District Attorney for Butte County and our county probation department, recognizing the growing violent crime problem vows to press for upper term sentences and non-negotiable sentencing enhancements for violent crimes and further enhancement where a weapon is used and all Schedule One and Two illegal drug sales. Butte County will be know for dealing out the maximum sentences for such criminal enterprises. The D.A. will start RICO Act filings against local street gangs to aid local law enforcement in busting up these criminal enterprises.

And then my dream got downright ridiculously wonderful…. The Governor of the State of California, Jerry Brown, took to his bully pulpit to demand the State Legislature to do their job! He is demanding they pass an omnibus crime bill that must include a wide range of tougher laws, among them mandatory sterilization for sexual predators.

Further the Governor, by Executive Authority, ordered the immediate end to the practice of weight lifting equipment in prisons, an end to conjugal visitations, an end to prisoner unions and an end to prison law libraries. Forced “gang tattoo” removal or tattoo removal as may be determined appropriate by prison authorities will commence immediately because gang tattoo have been shown to reinforcement criminal behavior and obstruct rehab efforts in prison.

Among the new crime laws the Governor insisted on mandatory life imprisonment without the possibility of parole will soon become law for smuggling contraband, such as, weapons or narcotics into a prison or county jail facility. Any rapes or murders committed while in custody shall, upon conviction, result in an automatic life-term in solitary confinement.

He also declared that prisoners have no rights other to to humane treatment. Therefore, may no longer file writs. Writs must be filed by an attorney, one that is not funded by the taxpayers.

All prison reading material and radios shall be strictly forbidden.

Time credit for good behavior will end immediately and shall be replaced with enhanced sentence time for bad behavior. Good behavior while in custody is expected and should not be rewarded, bad behavior should be severely punished.

Then I envisioned that the Attorney General of the State of California and the Attorney General United States worked in concert and they both filed suit against the Mexican government for recovery of the billions of dollars in cost because of Mexican nationals in our prisons and for the use of taxpayer funded medical service that they refused to pay. I dreamed that Eric Holder said...”Should Mexico fail to reimburse the taxpayers costs, travel to Mexico will be prohibited by US citizens and deportation of green card holders and illegal Mexican aliens will be immediately enforced and this would create such a financial burden on Mexico they would have no choice but to pay up in silver, gold or oil to reimburse the US taxpayers.

And now it occurred to me that I must be dreaming, because in the last part of my dream the President of the United States actually warned Mexico’s new liberal government that a failure to deal with the murderous drug cartels infecting US cities and smuggling drugs into the United States will not be tolerated. The US, he said, reserves the right to use whatever military force he deems necessary, including drone strikes against cartel targets inside Mexico, should the Mexican government be found incapable or unwilling to shut down the cartels and halt the smuggling.

Obama used his power to declare a new Presidential Order to allow US Border Patrol Agent to use deadly force to stop suspected border smugglers due to national security interests and terrorist concerns.

That’s when I was so stunned and giddy with delight that I woke myself up and suddenly realized, rats, I’m still living with the same old self-serving, bureaucratic, incompetent, and corrupt system we’ve always had. Oh well…it was a nice dream while it lasted.