Dear Canada - Please don't go the way of the U.S.

Dear Canada,


While searching for information on incarceration rates, I ran across the following article:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/19/private-prison-companies-canada-lawsuits


Have you seen what happened in the U.S. after private prisons began operations?  Please have a look at the following Wiki article:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_States


It tells a chilling tale of how incarceration in the U.S. has skyrocketed since 1980.  And the main reason:  Violence?  No!  It is all due to policy change.  Now you may ask yourself how would policy change make such an impact?  What drives this policy change?


Here is a nice little on-line tool you can use to see who has donated to politicians in the U.S.:


http://influenceexplorer.com/


If you take the time and use this tool, you will see that CCA and The GEO group, the two biggest for profit prisons (traded on Wall Street) have donated millions to American politicians.  For what purpose?  To ensure policy that will guarantee a steady stream of inmates.


Please make it known in the great country of Canada that you do not want these scum influencing your politicians for the sole purpose of selling your sons and daughters into slavery.


I am all for incarceration of violent criminals, but as you can see from the Wiki link above, that is not what is driving the highest incarceration rates in the world - that of the U.S.


I wish you all the best in avoiding this tragedy.


Ozzie

Cash for Kids - coming to a towm near you!!

Please, before you read any further, go to Google and type in "cash for kids".  You will soon find that a couple of Pennsylvania judges were taking bribes to sentence teenagers to privately run juvenile facilities for minor offenses.


In my previous post, I mentioned CCA, and how anyone can look up their donation records at Data Influence Explorer.  While I was there, I decided to check up on another company GEO as well.  Now, it would be nearly impossible to track down every judge, and see if their name sowed up, but I thought of another angle - States Attorney Generals!

As it turns out, CCA appears to spend a lot more on attorney generals than GEO does.  GEO gives to slightly more attorney generals, but in really small amounts.  My research shows that state attorney generals from Virginia receive an awful lot of contributions from CCA.  Now, this is the way you do it - you take a "contribution", not a bribe.


Now, what could an attorney general do in return for generous donations?  Here are the names, the amounts, and the year the money was received:

State	AG	CCA Total	Year
Virginia	Cuccinelli, Ken	$10,000.00	2009
Virginia	McDonnell, Robert F.	$4,000.00	2005
Virginia	McDonnell, Robert F.	$28,500.00	2009
Virginia	Kilgore, Jerry W.	$20,000.00	2001
Virginia	Kilgore, Jerry W.	$63,500.00	2005
Virginia	Earley, Mark	$35,000.00	2001
Virginia	Coleman, J. Marshall	$4,000.00	1994

You can draw your own conclusions.  Here are mine:

1) The privatization of prisons has nothing to do with saving tax money, and everything to do with a source of campaign contributions, or, in the case of the "Cash for Kids" scandal, outright bribery.

2) The United States accounts for roughly 5% of the population of the world, yet 25% of the incarceration.

3) Incarceration in the United States doubled from 1940 to 1980 - going from 250,000 to 500,000.  From 1980 to 1990, just 10 years, it doubled, and from 1990 to 2000, it doubled again.

As far as I am concerned, it should be so costly to incarcerate people that any money spent on intervention and preventative measures would be miniscule by comparison.  By turning it into a for profit industry, we are guaranteed to see a steady increase in incarceration, after all, these companies are traded on the New York Stock Exchange!  They have shareholders that must be appeased, and will spare no expense to "buy" favorable legislation and or policy to ensure a steady flow of prisoners.

Americas Corporate Prisons and Political Donations

I know a political opinion on a blog about fractal art may seem odd, but if you don't have a political opinion, you are either brain dead or so complacent as to be confused for a common garden slug.

Well, as I have been posting on Twitter, my feelings regarding the shameful, for profit prison corporations.  If you need a little more insight as to why I feel they are shameful, please check out the following article:

http://publicampaign.org/reports/unholyalliance#_ftnref

So, to satisfy my own curiosity, I decided to look up CCA (the largest private prison corporation), and see who they donate to.

Well, well, well - what do you know - Mitt Romney collected 5 donations of $2,500.00, totaling $12,500 in 2011.  This can be verified here:

http://data.influenceexplorer.com/contributions/#b3JnYW5pemF0aW9uX2Z0PWNjYSZmb3JfYWdhaW5zdD1mb3ImY3ljbGU9MjAxMg==

More information about CCA can be found here:

http://www.followthemoney.org/database/topcontributor.phtml?u=695&y=0

Now, what could a politician offer in exchange for a donation from such a corporations?  I mean, it's not like Mitt can force anyone to break the law and be sentenced to prison.

However, there is the possibility that he could offer support for legislation that would "under the guise of being tough on crime", cause more Americans to be sent to prison.

Oh wait - that is really a stretch - if that were true, if such a corporation received these kinds of favors, then there would have to be an explosion of prison population to back it up...

Ooooops - apparently, there is:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_States

Anyway, I thought I'd hop on over to the Mitt Romney campaign and as a question about the donations.  This is the question I posed:

"Given that Mitt received 5 donations from CCA - the private prison corporations, totaling $12,500, I would like to know what Mitt plans to offer them.  Perhaps the ability to imprison more Americans for non-violent offenses.  I'd really like to see a reply to this - I am interested in seeing the spin you put on any response."

I don't really expect a reply, but if I do, I will follow up with another post.

Good Friday Evening!!!

Flame

Flame

Flame

Good Saturday Evening!!!

Flame

Flame

Flame

Good Saturday Evening!!

Flame

Flame

Flame

Flame
 

Good Sunday Evening!!

Flame

Flame

Good Tuesday Evening!!

Flame

Flame

Flame

Good Saturday Evening!!

Flame

Flame

Flame

Flame

In respone to NORML Video

NORML Video

Politicians have never been swayed by facts.  They will only be swayed by voters.  In a democracy, if that is what you like to call this government, politicians are whores - for sale to the highest bidder.  Policy will only change when it becomes evident that they will need the "marijuana vote" to stay in office.

If any liberty, in any form is important to you, then you should be standing up for liberty for all - across the board, whether you agree with the particular choice or not.  "Give me liberty of give me death".  Does that ring any bells?

Also, keep in mind - the founding fathers were law breakers, until they won their liberty from the British.

Also - B.O. - You said:  "I don't know what this says about the on-line community" - get a clue, and fast.  We are the ones who will put you out of the white house in November.

Good Thursday Evening!!

Flame

Flame

Good Wednesday Evening!!

Flame

Flame

Good Monday Evening!!

Flame

Good Sunday Evening!!

Flame

Flame

Flame

Flame

Good Saturday Evening!!

Flame

Flame

Flame

Good Friday Evening!!

Flame

Flame

Flame

Good Thursday Evening!!

Flame

Flame

I Am

I Am, I Am
   though sleeping sound
In thought alone
   I know no bound
But thought and word
   both plant like seed
And flower there
   for all to see
No bound at all
   in reality

Good Wednesday Evening!!

Flame

Fire of Knowing

My beliefs are like embers
   radiant and glowing
But, I'd trade them all
   for the Fire of Knowing

Michigan Senate Bill 0977 (2012)

Apparently some Michigan senators don't think the democratic process is serving them very well.

Consider for instance, Michigan Senate Bill 977.  This bill would seek to restrict the voter approved medical marijuana law, preventing glaucoma patients from obtaining marijuana legally.

I find it odd, that voters actually have to organize, and work to get something on the ballot, and senators can seek to overturn a voter approved law by simply introducing a bill.  Although I'm sure it's equally hard to stuff your wallet with contributions from the alcohol lobby.

Any senator that feels the democratic process no longer works for them should vacate their office, the sooner the better.

In particular, these "gentlemen" - a real covey of clowns:

Rick Jones
Roger Kahn
James Marleau
John Pappageorge

Good Tuesday Evening!!

Flame

Flame

Flame

Teachers

Here I Am
In the current age
Longing for meaning
To jump from the page
Come then, teachers
Angels of light and love
Stir the very depths of my soul
Light the way
That I might see
My way,
The only way for me

Good Monday Evening!!

Flame

Flame

Flame

Flame

Good Sunday Evening

The flame file for this is available here.

License for the use of my images

Hello All,

I have been thinking about a new license for the use of the images on this blog.  I know there are creative common licenses and all that, but I propose something even less restrictive.  So, here, in all its glory is the IRDGARA license in its entirety:

IRDGARA = "I really don't give a rats ass"

That's right, I don't give a rats ass what you do with the images from this blog.  Do you want to take them, and post them on another site claiming them to be your own?  Well, I don't give a rats ass.  Would you like to credit me?  I really don't give a rats ass.

These were all made, unless otherwise stated, with Apophysis - either the 3D hack version, or one of the regular versions.  This is open source software, and, as such, I feel it my duty to allow you the freedom to do whatever you like with the images I post.

Peace,

Ozzie

Good Sunday Morning!!

Three More:

. . . And another

Yet Another Apophysis Render