Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Yes, Friends, It CAN Get Even Better

Remember the story about San Francisco's all-expense-paid trips for drug dealers?

Just wait, there's more.
When federal law enforcement authorities demanded that San Francisco halt the flights and began a criminal investigation, the city decided to house some of the dealers in long-term youth rehabilitation centers. Some of those centers are run by a nonprofitcompany called Silverlake Youth Services in mountain towns southeast of San Bernardino.

Eight Honduran juveniles who had been convicted of dealing drugs in San Francisco were sent within the past few weeks to the company's group homes, where one month's placement costs $7,000 per youth - an expense borne by San Francisco taxpayers.

Within 10 days of being sent to the unlocked group homes, however, all eight youths ran away, said Bill Siffermann, head of juvenile probation in San Francisco.

Meanwhile, Mayor Gavin Newsom insisted that he doesn't "have the authority" to order around the head of the Juvenile Probation Authority and its oversight commission, instead claiming that "the courts" were the ones forcing these methods.

Interesting, when you consider that Newsom appointed the head and the entire seven-member commission, neither of which report to the San Francisco court system and both of which report to him.

On the other hand, District Attorney Kamala Harris, who is responsible for prosecuting the criminals in question, could not be reached for comment -- probably because she's too busy trying to ensure that San Francisco's policies go national.

It makes one feel so good to know in a time in which the City is slashing services for law-abiding taxpayers left and right because of a ballooning deficit that it can not only afford punishment-free, expensive trips and vacations for its illegal-immigrant drug dealers and gang members, it can advertise for more of them.

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