A Better Way to Solve Death Row’s Problems

Re “Death Row Welcomes Media for Sales Pitch,” Feb. 12: Wonderful. California faces a $34.6-billion budget shortfall and Gov. Gray Davis wants to spend $220 million to create more comfortable digs for convicted murderers. Let’s see, that works out to $358,000 for each of the 614 death row prisoners. Why don’t we just build them luxury townhouses instead? Then, at least, when we finally eliminate these threats to society, we could sell the condos and recoup some of the cost.

I wonder if Davis would be asking for such outlandish sums if the prison guards union had not donated $251,000 to his recent reelection campaign.

I have an alternative solution to the death row problem. I will be happy to donate to the governor 20 feet of nice, thick rope. That will save the state $220 million in construction costs plus millions spent every year maintaining the death row population.

Paul McMenamin

Ventura

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Instead of spending $220 million on a new death row, here’s a novel idea: Actually execute people who have been sentenced to death.

Don Gately

Valencia