"Get Tough On Crime": Expensive and Unnecessary

With Canada's crime rate continuing to drop - even without Harper's "get tough on crime" laws in force - we might want to consider just how necessary that very political agenda is.

While the statistics show a long-term decline in crime rates, the federal government continues to stress the threat.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews own web site says: ``Unfortunately, our safe streets and healthy communities are increasingly under threat of gun, gang and drug violence.''

So...according to the HarperCon$, we need to spend more money on prisons, lengthier incarcerations and so on.

If we put more people in prison for longer, the natural consequence of that will be a need for more prisons. The United States has already gone down this particular road - and the US has the largest documented population of prisoners - at what cost?

Canada's taxpayers are going to foot the bill for Harper's fear-laden agenda - monies which arguably would be better used elsewhere - education, health care and the like come to mind as a starting point.

Instead of paying attention to the numbers, we find Harper's minions running about trying to make us all afraid, so that they can write more bad legislation.