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County DA supports call for drug law reform ROSEN SAYS MANY REFORMS ALREADY IN PLACE; ACLU OFFICIAL SAYS MORE CAN BE DONE By Nick Veronin
passed Proposition 36, which ow-level drug offenders required those caught in posdon’t belong in jail — session or under the influence they belong in treatment. of controlled substances be sent That was the message deliv- to drug treatment. ered by U.S. Attorney General “That proposition had a very Eric Holder earlier this month positive effect in the state,” when he ordered all federal Rosen said, estimating that it prosecutors to stop pursuing has saved at least $2 billion and so-called “mandatory mini- reduced the number of Calimum sentences” for individuals fornia inmates incarcerated caught possessing or under the for drug-related offenses by 50 influence of small amounts of percent. illicit drugs. According to a data analysis by Santa Clara County District the Northern California office Attorney Jeff Rosof the American Civen said he agrees il Liberties Union, with Holder and Rosen and his office his ultimate goal are indeed working ‘California to keep non-violent — shrinking the country’s prison addicts out of county really needs jail. Will Matthews, population and keeping commusenior communicaa total nities together tions officer with the by reducing the ACLU, said it seems reevaluation Santa Clara County number of nonviolent addicts in could be doing a betof all of its American prister job when it comes ons. to helping drug abusdrug laws.’ ers. That said, Rosen added that he Matthews, WILL MATTHEWS, doesn’t expect who leads an ACLU ACLU SPOKESMAN much to change campaign aimed at locally as a result reforming Califorof the Attorney niaís criminal justice General’s order. system, pointed to a That’s because county Civil Grand the state and county already Jury report from 2012 that have laws and policies aimed at found that about 80 percent of keeping low-level drug offend- the total county jail populaers out of jail. tion is dealing with a substance “Jail is very expensive,” Rosen abuse problem. “Being addicted said, explaining that he person- to drugs can be the animator ally prefers helping get drug for all sorts of crime,” Matusers into treatment over incar- thews said, noting that many cerating them. “It’s cheaper of those inmates with drug and for the state to have people in alcohol issues might have been drug treatment outside of jail. better off going into a drug We want to reserve prisons for treatment program — espeserious, violent and dangerous cially if their crimes were nonoffenders — not use that space violent and were committed in for low-level drug users.” an effort to fuel their addiction. Rosen said county district “We’d be better off if we didn’t attorneys try to push such rely so much on incarceration low-level users into treatment to address social and mental programs by offering rehab and health problems,” he said. counseling as an alternative to Looking at the bigger picture, being locked up — and in many Matthews said that there are cases district attorneys have to take this route. In 2000 voters See DRUG LAW, page 16
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GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Brian finds his name tag on his first day of kindergarten, before heading to teacher Gene Wood’s classroom at Mariano Castro Elementary School on Monday, Aug. 19. Mountain View’s public elementary and high schools are back in session this week, and Mountain View police are stepping up traffic patrols and warning motorists to take extra care, especially around children walking and biking to school.
Hospital district improving transparency, agency says AFTER CRITICAL GRAND JURY REPORT, EL CAMINO MAKING STRIDES By Nick Veronin
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better website, a distinguishing name change and modifications to the way the organization keeps track of taxpayer money have made the El Camino Healthcare District more transparent and accountable to the public, according to an official with the Local Agency Formation Commission of Santa Clara County.
After being publicly criticized last year by the LAFCO board and the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury for a lack of openness and questionable business practices, ECH and the district are turning their act around, said Margaret AbeKoga, a member of the LAFCO board and the Mountain View City Council. “From what we’ve seen, it seems they have actually made quite a few changes and a lot of
progress has been made,” AbeKoga said, referring to a report, which officials from the local healthcare organization delivered before the LAFCO board on Aug. 7. In the report, ECH and ECHD leaders highlighted a number of changes made over the past year aimed at improving transparency. Officials noted that a much See HOSPITAL, page 7
Judge: Rail funding plan violated law DECISION WON’T HALT STATE’S HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECT By Gennady Sheyner
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he California High-Speed Rail Authority had violated state law and “abused its discretion” in proceeding with the controversial San Franciscoto-Los Angeles train system without first identifying the funding sources for the line’s first
usable segment, a Sacramento Superior Court judge wrote in a Friday decision. The decision by Judge Michael Kenny presents a new setback for the rail authority, the agency charged with building the voterapproved project. The decision was prompted by a 2011 lawsuit from residents of Kings County,
who argued that the rail authority’s funding plan did not comply with Proposition 1A, the 2008 measure that authorized $9 billion in state funds for the line. Attorneys for the plaintiffs included rail critic Michael Brady, an attorney from Redwood See HIGH-SPEED RAIL, page 12
August 23, 2013 ■ Mountain View Voice ■ MountainViewOnline.com ■
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