Blog #2

After Prison, Few Places for Sex Offenders to Live By Stephanie Chen

This article discusses a very controversial issue that relates to the rights of criminals. The rights of former criminals are constantly debated, as we saw in class the other day. Many people do not support giving criminals the right to vote because they believe it is a privilege, not a right, while others completely disagree by saying the criminals have done their time and we cannot deprive our citizens of their rights. Similar to this debate, this idea of stringent laws on sex offenders is infringing upon their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness which is one rights defined in the bill of rights. These sex offenders are struggling to find places to live, especially in the state of Georgia where laws are particularly strict. Their inability to find a place to live infringes upon their ability to live a happy life according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. If they end up being unable to fulfill their basic needs, such as shelter, they will never be able to reach happiness. With increased restrictions of areas sex offenders are not allowed to live due to their proximity to schools, playgrounds, and other areas where children often are. These housing restrictions have also caused these sex offenders to have difficulties in finding and keeping a job due to the fact that they are constantly forced to move around in search of a home that follows the laws. Another problem with these strict laws is that they are applied to all sex offenders from those who committed heinous crimes to those who were convicted due to a woman deciding later that it was not consensual. This issue is very controversial because although protecting its citizens is important, infringing upon the rights of other citizens is immoral. Most critics justify this immorality by saying that criminals have lost some of their rights due to their actions and they must accept the consequences. There is no right answer in regards to addressing this problem. The United States' courts have made their decisions based on what they believed was the common good for the majority of society. The majority of society are not sex offenders and benefit from these restrictions, therefore the justification for these restrictions is often made using these reasons.

California Senator Feels Heat

This article discusses how right now California is facing a huge financial crisis due to $42 billion deficit in their budget. Since I am from California this article caught my attention. It is very surprising to me how a state that was financially well off and stable after the technology boom in the Silicon Valley, my home, has quickly taken a downfall and is now caught up in a budget crisis. Although there are many reasons as to why this budget deficit has occurred, I would be very interested to further investigate the reasons and the possible remedies proposed for solving this problem. Currently, the Senate is meeting in regards to close California's $42 billion deficit. Speed is the key in regards to passing this bill because in a couple more weeks California will have ran out of money and will begin to have to distribute IOU's, and other drastic measures. They have already halted production projects and halted the distribution of tax refunds, however, even these measures have not been enough to slow down this increasingly delicate situation. A Republican Senator, Maldonado, a California native with a Hispanic background, has surfaced as the focus of the passing of this bill because he is considered to be the swing vote. He has expressed that he too believes the passing of this bill is necessary, and time cannot wait much longer to keep debating over the issue. However, he also has his own interests such as open primary elections and a pay cut for lawmakers if they fail to meet the budget deadline. This article clearly displays the prominence of specific governmental officials input of their own interests into certain bills. Our government has become so tangled up in pushing special interests from specific groups pushing this interests to specific officials. Individuals' desires to have their interests on the agenda has created a lot of controversy and problems within lawmaking. It makes the process of passing a bill very slow and tedious, as it shifts back and forth as individuals continue to add their interests and desires. The end results of these bills don't always recognize every one's desires and also they often include many superfluous and unnecessary measures.

Lawmakers Weigh Hollywood Tax Break

In relation to the last article, this article also addresses California's budget deficit and the debate over how to attempt to cure this problem. There is no right or quick answer in regards to relieving the financial crisis within California, however, there are many creative and inventive ideas about addressing the problem. One of these ideas is addressed in this article. Hollywood, California, has always been known as the home of the film industry. However, more recently, there has been a shift in locations for movies. For example, many movies are now being produced in New York because they have offered a 35% tax credit. As the competition has been growing in regards to which state will control the film industry, the power has been shifting from California's hands and being spread out among other states. One idea in regards to aiding this budget deficit is implementing a "20% tax credit on the first $75 million of much of the film's production costs, or a 25% tax credit for independent films with budgets less than $10 million dollars and for television shows returning from out of state". This action would allow for California to be more competitive within the film industry and gain their power back. However this action is highly criticized because it would be giving more money to an industry that is already flooded with money. There is also a possibility that many movies and films that would have been filmed in California regardless of this tax break will be funded by these tax breaks, which gives unfair advantages to certain producers and companies. However, this action would be in attempt to regain business activity within California again. California is desperate to dig itself out of its hole it has created in regards to its budget deficit, therefore this bill is probable.