While many of us struggle to make ends meet these days, there probably hasn’t been a better time to be a thug in America than right now. The worse things get economically, the bolder the criminal element becomes. Stockton for example has shattered it's all time murder rate with 60 homicides to date in 2012---without about 60 more days of Mayhem on the calendar Oh yes, the business model for being a criminal these days is so good, it’s probably being studied at the Harvard Business school. And where better to ply ones trade, breaking and entering, theft, drug dealing, rape or murder, than right here in California. Most of the year, the weather is superb, making indoor or outdoor criminal activity more or less climate controlled. Because of budget cuts, ---there are fewer cops on the street. Because of The US Supreme Court's puzzling decision there are more criminals being sent to less secure county jails or getting a pre mature get out of jail free card.

There are fewer parole officers to make sure established criminals walk the straight and narrow. The paroled stooges have become commodity traders, fencing hot metals obtained from like copper rich utility poles or the platinum infused catalytic converters that are easily removed from high riding SUV’s and with Gold north of 17 hundred bucks an ounce…ladies flaunt those pretty chains and bracelets at their own peril.

And now, if Prop 34 is approved it appears California’s thugs can stop worrying about another impediment to their long term business plans, the complication of being executed in the event they’re convicted of killing someone in the commission of a crime or for simply murdering someone they didn’t like, or just killed for the perverse pleasure of the deed.

New research suggests California is going broke, in part, by trying to inflict the ultimate punishment. Since the state put the death penalty back on the books in 1975, more than 700 murders have been sentenced to death, but incredibly only 13 have been executed. To date the state has spent more than 4 billion dollars on the entire capital punishment process with each execution costing more than 300 million dollars to administer, or a little less than what it will cost Sacramento to build a new sports arena.

Some years ago I saw an injured race horse put out of its misery with a lethal injection. The horse was out----stone dead---- in a matter of seconds. You may have noticed a similar, painless swiftness if you ever had the sad task of having a family pet put down. Yet the state has spent 5 years and tens of millions of dollars in an execution holding pattern, because some crusading death penalty opponents insist subjecting the vilest people in the state to a peaceful final sleep is cruel and inhuman punishment.

Why is the death penalty so expensive? The facts are mind boggling. Court challenges are a big expense as is security. We wouldn’t want to mix the condemned cons in with the general population. We apparently want to keep them perfectly safe until we can make them perfectly dead.

It's argued that there dangerous to the general population. Not so sure. They're tough guys when they over power an 90 year old lady or a 14 year old girl or when they walk into a movie theatre or army barracks with 4 guns and a hundred rounds of ammunition mano a mano at San Quentin...the mart money's on the other cons...

And cost not withstanding, anyone sentenced to death today will probably be taking nourishment and breathing air in San Quentin until the year 2036. Correct, the average death row inmate can wait 25 years before riding the needle.

Do the math. 714 death row inmates. At 300 million dollars per execution, we’ll go broke at the current rate carrying out the sentences, and sooner or later, the great minds at the capital will get together and outlaw capital…or go with The Crane Capital Option. Anyone sentenced to death can get a one time 250 thousand dollar payment-it can go to their families their victims families or charity offering these miscreants a final chance to do some good before they’re gone. Ah, but there's a catch…take the money and the state takes your life----execution within 72 hours. The state saves money---there’s one less murderous creep in the state---and the money does some good for someone.