but only if tis written on slightly psychic paper.

tis=its

SilentStrider: tis=its

=THIS

Sounds like a good idea to me. This law would apply only to people who are so ill that they are no longer a threat to society. There's no reason for the taxpayers to support them medically. Let them deal with the cost themselves, and make room in the prisons for people who really need to be locked up.

True Ral, but the taxpayers will still likely be paying for them. Not like they will have medical coverage most likely - they'll show up to the ER and we'll pay for it as always.

That loud slapping sound you hear is a collective facepalm from every gym teacher in America.

Hrm, it seems to me that through the prison time, you've effectively removed their means of self-support until they actually need to support themselves to live... then you cut them loose. I can't say I'm for it... it seems to just be another way of scooting a death penalty along. Here, have a felony conviction, no job, no way to get health insurance through any private or state carriers, and have a nice day. The penalty for non-violent felonies should not include dying a slow, excruciating death from cancer.

Raise $140 million out of the pockets of anyone who pays for their own health insurance - costing such families about $79 per year - by upping a surcharge first created in 1997 to help fund doctor training. Since the insurance surcharge's creation, the state has siphoned off the revenue to help pay for general public-health programs.

Pay for your own health insurance and the state wants you to buy health care for everyone else. The old "Did you bring enough insurance for everybody?" deal. Glad I don't live in your state, Mr. Spitzer.

greenbeans_and_physics: True Ral, but the taxpayers will still likely be paying for them. Not like they will have medical coverage most likely - they'll show up to the ER and we'll pay for it as always.

but at least then it's an expense being sensibly applied, and can allow for better budgeting. if the ER has any benefits of scale over a prison infirmary it could end up cheaper to care for them there.

The Democratic governor's "compassionate release" plan would dramatically expand a little-used 1992 law that allows early parole to inmates suffering from terminal illnesses provided their convictions don't include murder or a sex offense.

Getting a terminal illness is a bit more than just a "doctor's note". Furthermore, none of the people getting released are murderers or rapists. I fail to see any kind of problem.

Seriously, what could possibly go wrong by having some doctors pen a few release notes on an absolutely unpredictable group of untreatable psychotics solely for economic reasons as outlined by the government?

I mean, he's already releasing the worst of the worst... The proposal, which comes on the heels of revelations that Spitzer's parole board is freeing violent felons at an increased rate...

I mean, it worked exceedingly well when Castro did it, right? I mean c'mon, the Mariel boatlift didn't screw Florida that badly, right?

I fail to see the problem here.

Michael Moore unavailable for comment

That'd be a first.

jjorsett: Raise $140 million out of the pockets of anyone who pays for their own health insurance - costing such families about $79 per year - by upping a surcharge first created in 1997 to help fund doctor training. Since the insurance surcharge's creation, the state has siphoned off the revenue to help pay for general public-health programs.

Pay for your own health insurance and the state wants you to buy health care for everyone else. The old "Did you bring enough insurance for everybody?" deal. Glad I don't live in your state, Mr. Spitzer.

Okay, so I wasn't the only one who read that and said "What the fark?"

It kind of seems to me that he's got it backwards. Maybe a tax relief for those who are paying health insurance out of their own pockets would make more sense.

It kind of seems to me that he's got it backwards. Maybe a tax relief for those who are paying health insurance out of their own pockets would make more sense.

No, no, he got it right. Spitzer is, after all, a contemporary Democrat.

Socialist income redistribution only works if you take from those who already have and give to those who haven't worked for it, but need it because government says that they do.

You read it correctly.

/long live the nanny state

ER Medicine is the most expensive primary care there is. Prison infirmary medicine is much cheaper to operate efficiently. I should know, I've been a doc in both settings.

And the prisoners got better care than our ER patients. I had more resources to give the prisoners by far than in my current (and previous for that matter) ER.

Some Days Immortality Sux: It kind of seems to me that he's got it backwards. Maybe a tax relief for those who are paying health insurance out of their own pockets would make more sense.

No, no, he got it right. Spitzer is, after all, a contemporary Democrat.

Socialist income redistribution only works if you take from those who already have and give to those who haven't worked for it, but need it because government says that they do.

You read it correctly.

/long live the nanny state


Now: hand over all the lupins you've got.

Doctor's note could serve as "get out of jail free" card

It already does, dumbass.

Hmm, six months to live, released from prison, homeless, jobless, nothing to lose...


/yea, good idea.

Now: hand over all the lupins you've got.

Don't shoot! Just take them, they're yours!!!1!



Sorry, you mess with a horticulturist, you get the petals...

Hoboclown: The Democratic governor's "compassionate release" plan would dramatically expand a little-used 1992 law that allows early parole to inmates suffering from terminal illnesses provided their convictions don't include murder or a sex offense.

Getting a terminal illness is a bit more than just a "doctor's note". Furthermore, none of the people getting released are murderers or rapists. I fail to see any kind of problem.

Yup... No murderers or rapists. However, you're overlooking all the people in prison for aggravated assault, stalking, domestic violence, etc.

Just so long as they haven't committed murder or rape... yet... and they're already dying. I mean, it isn't like they won't figure that they have nothing to lose and decide to go out and get themselves some of that there Revenge ™ against the people that helped put them in prison. Right?

Come now. They can't have commited a murder or sex offence, and they need to be judged to not present a reasonable risk. If they meet those criteria, Give them a cardboard box, a sharpie, and let them work for food on the street corners instead relaxing in a free 6x4 apartment with utilites included. Jail is practically a gated community compared to where these guys are headed.

greenbeans_and_physics: True Ral, but the taxpayers will still likely be paying for them. Not like they will have medical coverage most likely - they'll show up to the ER and we'll pay for it as always.

Yeah, like non-violent drug users.

ShavedApe: Just so long as they haven't committed murder or rape... yet... and they're already dying. I mean, it isn't like they won't figure that they have nothing to lose and decide to go out and get themselves some of that there Revenge ™ against the people that helped put them in prison. Right?

I think you watch too many movies.

johnphantom: greenbeans_and_physics: True Ral, but the taxpayers will still likely be paying for them. Not like they will have medical coverage most likely - they'll show up to the ER and we'll pay for it as always.

Yeah, like non-violent drug users any other criminal.


Just to be clear on that.

Wait, he calls it "compassionate release"? My god, the hypocrisy in this story is stifling.

So these are really ill individuals, terminal cancer, end-stage heart failure, etc. In jail the get food, shelter, and medical care. He wants to "compassionately" put them into a situation with unsure housing and food (they're too ill to work) and with very uncertain access to medication (what about their REALLY EXPENSIVE and now interrupted chemotherapy?).

Now, I can understand this. I'm sure several will not be able to get medicaid (certainly not right away). Some won't do to the paperwork due to access issues, difficulty with reading/filling out long forms, or maybe starting to smoke crack again. These people will just die and the state will no longer have to pay for their care. The others will end up on social security/disability, homecare, or in nursing homes. Yeah, I'm sure they're better off in nursing homes and the staff there will really appreciate it, and the taxpayer will still be handling their bill, but there WILL be less due to the death or lack of medical care for the others.

If Spitzer really wants to cut down on costs in the prison system, he could start by not jailing non-violent drug offenders for 10+ years, rather than letting felons out.

firefly212: Hrm, it seems to me that through the prison time, you've effectively removed their means of self-support until they actually need to support themselves to live... then you cut them loose. I can't say I'm for it... it seems to just be another way of scooting a death penalty along. Here, have a felony conviction, no job, no way to get health insurance through any private or state carriers, and have a nice day. The penalty for non-violent felonies should not include dying a slow, excruciating death from cancer.

That is what medicaid is for.

greenbeans_and_physics Not like they will have medical coverage most likely - they'll show up to the ER and we'll pay for it as always.

From the sound of it they'll be going straight to a nursing home on full Medicare/Medicaid. So they will have medical coverage, but more of the cost will be paid with federal dollars instead of NY state.

I expect to see Spitzer in jail before the end of his second term. Corruption flows through his office like the sewer juice.

Kasira: If Spitzer really wants to cut down on costs in the prison system, he could start by not jailing non-violent drug offenders for 10+ years, rather than letting felons out.

But wait, aren't some felons non-violent drug offenders?

Some Days Immortality Sux: It kind of seems to me that he's got it backwards. Maybe a tax relief for those who are paying health insurance out of their own pockets would make more sense.

No, no, he got it right. Spitzer is, after all, a contemporary Democrat.

Socialist income redistribution only works if you take from those who already have and give to those who haven't worked for it, but need it because government says that they do.

You read it correctly.

/long live the nanny state

Rather than Conservative Republican income distribution which shucks money from the public and gives it to corporate cronies on a no-bid basis.

Kasira If Spitzer really wants to cut down on costs in the prison system, he could start by not jailing non-violent drug offenders for 10+ years, rather than letting felons out.

You are assuming those non-violent drug dealers will find gainful employment elsewhere. Maybe flipping burgers or something? Not likely. I'd kind of prefer they make their living selling drugs.

greenbeans_and_physics: I should know, I've been a doc in both settings.

Are you getting a kick out of these responses?

/obligatory

article (budget item farther down): * Generate $15 million annually by installing license plate-tracking technology along state highways and bridges to nab commercial truckers who aren't paying their fair share of the highway-use tax.

Yeah, sure, that's the reason they want to install the license-plate trackers.

If that's what they really wanted, they'd put them at weigh stations to avoid tracking everyone else.

People now stay away from EZPass so they won't get tracked -- now that people have caught on and the government isn't getting all the surveillance data it wants, it has to find another excuse.

SlowTimedRapid: article (budget item farther down): * Generate $15 million annually by installing license plate-tracking technology along state highways and bridges to nab commercial truckers who aren't paying their fair share of the highway-use tax.

Yeah, sure, that's the reason they want to install the license-plate trackers.

If that's what they really wanted, they'd put them at weigh stations to avoid tracking everyone else.

People now stay away from EZPass so they won't get tracked -- now that people have caught on and the government isn't getting all the surveillance data it wants, it has to find another excuse.

This information is even more valuable to corporations who purchase it from the government and use it for their 'data-mining' operations.

my plan is to go to an old KOA campground, get a bunch of dumpsters, and blankets, and a little food and booze and just let all the old sick reprobates spend there last days in "Spitzerburg."

/all my compassion was used up on the victims of crimes, got none left for criminals.

Sure, you'll be paying 140 million extra... but you'll save nearly 2 million by putting criminals on the streets!

How to save money in the prison system - don't privatize the prison system.

Seriously, most private prisons have been built and used on non-competetive contracting, and the government has been letting itself get ripped off. It would be much better to employ a few hundred unemployed/laid off citizens who are willing to work to build and staff prisons than to funnel public money to these privatized security companies who happen to be allied with (guess who) the GOP.

Next week, kiddies, we'll look into the best reasons not to privatize health care and infrastructure building and maintenance.

Spitzer would extend that option to inmates who suffer from permanent conditions that... prevent them from posing a "reasonable" threat to society.

So if they pose an unreasonable threat, that's okay?

/sorry

They may be off the prisons expense, but they will go right on to Medicare, as well as get disability insurance so they will be costing a lot more.

Medical expense will be the worse when you consider what the prison system will provide and the costs they are allowed to pass on compared to your average hospital visit.

ssrat: They may be off the prisons expense, but they will go right on to Medicare, as well as get disability insurance so they will be costing a lot more.

Medical expense will be the worse when you consider what the prison system will provide and the costs they are allowed to pass on compared to your average hospital visit.

Or worse yet, they will be treated as uninsured (where the cost is passed on to your insurance company and back to you) - since when public hospitals have to treat the uninsured who cannot pay, they raise their price of care to compensate for the difference between the services they are reimbursed for and the services they aren't.

Therefore, if everyone in America had open access to primary and preventative care as a condition of their citizenship, the actual cost of healthcare as a whole would be decreased, saving our economy billions of dollars.

firefly212:
Hrm, it seems to me that through the prison time, you've effectively removed their means of self-support until they actually need to support themselves to live... then you cut them loose. I can't say I'm for it... it seems to just be another way of scooting a death penalty along. Here, have a felony conviction, no job, no way to get health insurance through any private or state carriers, and have a nice day. The penalty for non-violent felonies should not include dying a slow, excruciating death from cancer

But why not?