CA: Donna Warren former Green Party Candidate for Lt Govenor Impressed by Daniel Juarez, candidate for Mayor of Hawthorne responses to her question on 3 Stikes Law

For all who are interested in amending the 3 Strikes Law to violent felonies only so non-violent offenders will not spend the rest of their lives in prison at an average cost of $49,300 per person (money which is taken from schools and social services) you may be interested in Mr. Juarez's answers to my questions.  I was impressed by his answer to questions 2a.

 

If you live in Hawthorne, I strongly suggest you vote for Daniel Juarez.  The incumbent, Larry Guidi is a strong advocate for the 3 Strikes Law as it now stands, that is, prisons not schools.

 

Here's Mr. Juarez's answers:

 

Please answer my two questions.

1. The 3 Strikes Law has a dramatic effect on the California's budget, communities of color, families and the individual inmate himself/herself.  Can you tell me what you know about this effect in terms of finance, mental and physical distress? 

Yes, I support California’s “Three Strikes” law.  Although this law acts as a deterrent for some criminals, it also has been criticized as applying a one-size-fits-all sentence mentality to repeat offenders.  There are flaws with this law.  The law destroys the flexibility of the courts and the judge; is unjust in certain conditions (i.e. - victimless crimes, young criminals, etc.); criminals often plea bargain their first two convictions; violates the 8th Amendment to the Constitution; an arrest of someone with two convictions almost guarantees the cost and time of a trial; and the law adds more criminals to an already crowded and expensive prison system. 

2a. Are you in favor of amending the 3 Strikes Law to violent felonies only? 

I feel that California's Three-Strikes Law needs to be amended.  The law should be changed so that it only applies to violent and serious crimes. Minor offenders who steal a loaf of bread or a bottle of shampoo should not be given 25 to life sentences. As written, the Three-Strikes Law currently applies to nonviolent petty and violent crimes. 

If the law were changed, then the revision would do the following: return the law back to what the voters originally intended - a law to keep violent criminals in prison; require mandatory increased sentences only when convictions are for a violent felony such as rape, robbery or murder; preserve the original intent of the three-strikes law so that violent, dangerous criminals will continue to be punished harshly, with mandatory sentences of double-time for a second violent felony and 25 years-to-life for a third violent felony; be consistent with 26 other states (California's law is the only one that applies to non-violent crimes); allow prisoners now serving Three-Strikes sentences to apply for and receive a re-sentencing hearing.  As many as 35,000 could qualify for one because their offense would no longer count as a strike; save the State as much as 700 million dollars a year in prison operating costs, and more than a billion dollars for construction of new prisons.

2b. If elected, would you support an amendment of the law in the Hawthorne City Council?

As you know I am already a sitting councilmember.  As far as supporting an amendment of the law at a municipal level, I would need to check with our city attorney.  This issue needs to be carried to the state by our local state legislators.  As mayor, I would work in collaboration with our new assemblyman and state senator to author an amendment.

Donna Warren publicly slammed by some greens in an election scenario; Supported by others

Donna Warren

by Diane F White diane@dlighten.com

In “An Open Letter” written by Jack Lindblad and signed by a group of long-time Green Party members and other independent community activists who are running for KPFK's Local Station Board Election, Lindblad claims he and the group led by Mike Feinstein are exposing anomalies about the candidacies of California Green Party members Donna Warren and Jack Wenger.

I do not know all the characters in this CA/Pacifica Radio story, but somehow, this dig on Donna Warren is way out of line. Donna Warren, a long time member of the California Green Party, two-time Green Party of California candidate for Lt Governor and a founding member of the Green Party Black Caucus, is still a respected Green.

Apparently Donna Warren is being unfairly targeted for standing up to Mike Feinstein and Jack Lindblad.

According to California sources Feinstein, a trust fund baby who may have really needed money when he was accused of misappropriating green money in the thousands, now the beneficiary of lots of money, has never had a real job, unless part-time work on the Santa Monica City Council is considered work.

Jack Lindblad, sources tell us, is an archetect who hasn't worked in a long time and can't seem to get a job. Yet Donna Warren, a single African American, mother and grandmother is being slammed for being a "Pentagon auditor". Go figure.

Donna Warren has never denied that she retired from the DoD as a supervisory auditor. She has paid her own way since the age of 19, supported her mother for the last five years of her life, supported her children even when they were grown, and is supporting her two granddaughters right now.

"When possible, I supplement my retirement income with contract jobs", says Warren - "lately for the California Personnel Employment Retirement System (CalPERS) and with Families to Amend California's Three Strikes (FACTS). At present, I am doing work for FACTS for free trying to raise $1.5 million to put an initiative on the November 2008 ballot to amend California's horrible 3 Strikes Law."

So what have Feinstein or Lindblad done for anyone except themselves? Why are independent greens and official representatives from the Green Party of California following them in cult like fashion?

At the Riverside, CA Plenary in July, Feinstein went to the mike and said two times "we cannot let Ralph Nader have a free ride again". Imagine that. Now he's slamming Donna Warren. Is there a pattern here? Both Ralph Nader and Donna Warren made major contributions to the Green Party, a fact that can't be denied no matter which side of the fence one chooses to sit on. Now Feinstein wants to publicly bash them both? Why? At one time he endorsed and supported them both.

The people of Santa Monica know Mike Feinstein. He didn't get re-elected to the Santa Monica City Council even after serving on the council and rotating into the mayor's spot. Feinstein was the second highest spender in the last election and still he came in 7th. Could it be that Feinstein is the one who is causing the problem? Could he be trying to take-over the Los Angeles County council with the help of others by ignoring the mandate of the legitimate Los Angeles County council and trying to destroy the green party at the state level.

Cynthia watch your back.

Follow up story:

Los Angeles Independent Media Center

Original article: http://la.indymedia.org/news/2007/12/211090.php

VOTE FOR WARREN AND WENGER FOR KPFK BOARD
by Mike Wyman Monday, Dec. 03, 2007 at 6:15 PM
mswyman@comcast.net 415-785-3448

Supporters of Donna Warren and John Wenger for KPFK Board Reply to
Swiftboating Attack on their Candidacies

Dear KPFK members,

It is regretable that some Greens have attempted to bring internal GreenParty conflicts into the KPFK election. It is unfortunate enough that ourparty has such problems, without having Green Party members bringing ourinternal disputes into an election as important as that to the KPFK board.

The charges made in their letter are, of course, completely without foundation.

You may be unaware, but the Green Party of Los Angeles County has been involved in a years-long struggle over internal democracy, democratic accountability, political and financial ethics, and the future of Green Politics.

Donna Warren and John Wenger have been in the forefront of the struggle by the majority of Los Angeles County Greens to preserve and protect grassroots democracy, and high standards of ethical behavior and democratic process in the Green Party both locally and statewide.

Because of the stands they have taken to protect, preserve and promote all that is decent and honorable in the Green Party today, they have angered those Green Party members who feel threatened by any semblance of rank and file democracy or political morality in our party.

The struggle Donna Warren and John Wenger and others have waged in our party to preserve, enhance and protect the values of our party has been nothing short of heroic, and demonstrates precisely the strength of character KPFK needs on its board.

Please vote for Donna and John with an open heart and a clear conscience. You will be voting for the best the Green Party has, and you will never regret it.

Signed,

-Peter Camejo - Green Party Candidate for Governor.

-Nativo. V. Lopez “ National President, Mexican-American Political
Association (MAPA) and Hermanidad Mexicana Latinoamericana;

-Ceil Sorenson - Female Co-Coordinator (with John Wenger, Male
Co-Coordinator) of the County Council of the Green Party of Los Angeles
County;

-Ellen Maisen “ At-Large Representative to the Coordinating Committee of the
Green Party of California; Member, County Council of the Green Party of Los
Angeles County

-Jim Odling - County Councilor of the Green Party of Los Angeles County and
Green Party of California Regional Representative, Los Angeles County;

-Will Yeager “ Green Party of California Regional Representative, Los
Angeles County; Green Party Nominee 38th Congressional District, 1996;
Treasurer, Southern California Green Assembly, 1988-1989; Corresponding
Secretary, Green Party of Los Angeles County County Council, 1992-1994;

-Matt Leslie “ County Council of the Green Party of Orange County, Former
Regional Representative for Orange County, San Bernardino County, and
Riverside County, Green Party of California State Coordinating Committee;

-Lynda A. Hernandez - Chair, Green Party of Orange County 2002 Council
member and Treasurer 2003-2004;

-Todd Van Etten - County Council of the Green Party of Orange County;

-Mike Wyman - Former Treasurer, Green Party of California; Candidate for
Attorney General of California; Second Alternate for North Bay Region, Green
Party of California State Coordinating Committee;

-Shane Que Hee - LA County Green and Co-Coordinator, Green Party of
California Platform Committee

- Carole and Andre LaFlamme“ Member and Supporter of Women in Black

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