If we increase spending, we have got to raise taxes or any combination.

Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments.

Studies have shown that inmate participation in education, vocational and job training, prison work skills development, drug abuse, mental health and other treatment programs, all reduce recidivism, significantly.

We can play politics, or we can reduce crime.

The promise of equal educational opportunity envisioned by the Brown decision remains unfulfilled.

Obviously, there has to be a profound change in direction. Otherwise, interest on the national debt will start eating up virtually every penny that we have.

Rather than following through on the proven crime and violence prevention techniques that work, we are back to tough-talking sound byte policies that have been proven to not only fail to reduce crime but actually increase crime, waste taxpayers' money and discriminate against minorities.