Matter of Opinion

Mon., March 3, 2008

Weekend editorials

Saturday's editorial explained the necessity of maintaining the current tenth-of-a-percent sales tax for maintenance of existing county jails.

While we can't afford to let the jails go, there are deeper underlying problems in our criminal justice system that are troublesome in light of the separate discussion on a new jail. One of Sunday's editorials urged a solution to the problem of over-incarceration, specifically addressing the large mentally ill population in U.S. jails.

The other editorial demanded up-front accounting regarding the war costs, which have been recently estimated at $3 trillion. That's about $10,000 per American.

Jails and overseas conflict are costing Americans a pretty penny. Are they the investment you're willing to make?

Posted March 3, 2008, 9:02 a.m.

A Matter of Opinion is really a matter of three opinions – those held by the people responsible for the opinion pages of The Spokesman-Review. Check in regularly to find out what they’re up to, what they think and where they differ and to joust with them if you want.