Paul Simon on Crime

Solving welfare by work will reduce crime

Finding work-related answers to the welfare problem might produce answers to the crime problem. The highest rate of unemployment is among young males, and they also represent the group committing the most crime. It is no accident that any area of high unemployment is also an area of high crime. That does not excuse the crime, but if responsible and caring citizens develop job alternatives to unemployment, the crime problem that plagues our nation can be substantially reduced. Source: The Dollar Crisis, p.135 Jul 2, 1996

Education is a strong anti-crime program

Sometimes crime and drug and alcohol are the dead ends for parents and students who have no hope, who have given up. We must give them hope.

It is of no small significance that of those in our prisons today-including local jails-82% are high school dropouts. If we want a strong anti-crime program, we must do a better job of educating the populace, particularly in the inner cities and rural areas.

Source: The Dollar Crisis, p.132 Jul 2, 1996

Voted NO on limiting death penalty appeals.

Vote to table, or kill, a motion to send the bill back to the joint House-Senate conference committee with instructions to delete the provisions in the bill that would make it harder for prisoners given the death penalty in state courts to appeal Bill S.735 ; vote number 1996-66 on Apr 17, 1996

Voted NO on limiting product liability punitive damage awards.

Approval of a limit on punitive damages in product liability cases.
Status: Conf Rpt Agreed to Y)59; N)40; NV)1 Reference: Conference Report on H.R. 956; Bill H. R. 956 ; vote number 1996-46 on Mar 21, 1996

Voted NO on restricting class-action lawsuits.

Restriction of class-action security lawsuits.
Status: Veto Overridden Y)68; N)30; P)1 Reference: H.R. 1058 passage over veto; Bill H.R. 1058 ; vote number 1995-612 on Dec 22, 1995

Voted NO on repealing federal speed limits.

Repeal federal speeding limits.
Status: Motion to Table Agreed to Y)64; N)36 Reference: Motion to table Lautenberg Amdt #1428; Bill S. 440 ; vote number 1995-270 on Jun 20, 1995

Voted NO on mandatory prison terms for crimes involving firearms.

Vote on the motion to instruct conferees on the bill to insist that the conference report include Mandatory prison terms for the use, possession, or carrying of a firearm or destructive device during a state crime of violence or drug trafficking Bill HR.3355 ; vote number 1994-126 on May 19, 1994

Voted NO on rejecting racial statistics in death penalty appeals.

Vote to express that the Omnibus Crime bill [H.R. 3355] should reject the Racial Justice Act provisions, which would enable prisoners appealing death penalty sentences to argue racial discrimination using sentencing statistics as part of their appeal. Bill S 1935 ; vote number 1994-106 on May 11, 1994

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