Friday, September 27, 2013

Where does Senator Tim Scott stand on mass incarceration and racial disparities in South Carolina?




Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on mandatory minimum sentencing brought about by the failed Drug War and has helped propel the United States into incarcerating more of its citizens than any other nation. Statics show that there are huge racial disparities in conviction rates and sentencing. Senate Bill 619 introduced by Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and fellow committee member Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) seeks to reform the sentencing guidelines. Research on South Carolina’s prison population follows the same national patterns with Blacks and non-Whites sentenced to more time than Whites and it shows that the Drug War is the leading cause of South Carolina incarceration rates. Occupy The Microphone put in a call to South Carolina Senator Tim Scott’s Greenville office to see where he stands on the issue. Scott was sent a letter earlier this year by a constituent asking him to address the issue.

Republicans like to cite various polls showing that Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unpopular but according to research, so did other federal social insurance programs until they were implemented. Republicans have tried hard to defund the Affordable Care Act and as we reported yesterday, they going as far as to threaten a government shut down.

A growing sinkhole in Louisiana is about the size of 20 football fields is still growing and the Natural Gas industry may be responsible. Corporations have been using underwater salt domes to store propane, butane and natural gas and hollowing out 53 caverns to use as storage facilities may be the cause the sinkhole that is threatening to swallow the town of Bayou Corne.

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