Perdue, Taylor talk tough on crime, illegal immigration

http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/pol ... 906394.htm

By Shannon McCaffrey
ASSOCIATED PRESS

ATLANTA - When it comes to crime and illegal immigration, the candidates for governor both talk tough.

Gov. Sonny Perdue claims that under his administration Georgia has become a leader in fighting illegal immigration. He touts his funding for more prison beds and said he plans to hire more police to crack down on methamphetamine dealers and Internet sex predators.

Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor argues the state needs to build more prisons to prevent violent criminals from being let out early. Taylor has proposed the death penalty for repeat violent child molesters. And he has pledged that - unlike Perdue - he would not make cuts to law enforcement.

The candidates for governor of Georgia outlined their positions on crime and illegal immigration in responses to an election questionnaire from The Associated Press.

In the survey, Perdue suggested for the first time that the state's sex offender law might need modifying. A portion of the law banning sex offenders from living, working or congregating near bus stops has been blocked by the courts.

"As with any bold and comprehensive piece of legislation, efforts to amend and perfect might be necessary," Perdue said.

Taylor continued to assert that the law does not overreach. However, he said that he would have provided additional funding to local officials to help them enforce the sweeping law.

On illegal immigration - the most heated topic of the last legislative session - Perdue touted the measures he signed into law that deny state-administered benefits to those in the country legally and would eventually sanction employers who hire illegal immigrants. Perdue stayed largely out of the bitter debate over the legislation earlier this year although GOP lawmakers have said he played a role behind the scenes.

Taylor, who remained largely quiet on the topic during the session, said tougher laws are needed to penalize employers who hire illegal immigrants. However, Taylor accused the Perdue administration of being complacent on the issue for most of his term, allowing the state to become a magnet for illegal immigrants.

Meanwhile, Georgia's tough crime laws have made prison overcrowding a problem. Perdue pointed to $48 million the state has spent this year to add 4,400 more prison beds. But Perdue added, "there is no cheap silver bullet."

Taylor has pledged to push a constitutional amendment to end parole for violent felons, which stands to clog the prisons still further. He said what the state needs are new prisons.

"I believe that a prison sentence should be more than just words," Taylor said.

Perdue's own recent campaign pledges on law enforcement have been relatively modest. He has proposed adding 13 new agents and investigators to tackle Internet sex predators and 15 new agents to crack down on methamphetamine use. Perdue said he has made meth a priority, creating a state task force to focus on production and trafficking of the drug.

Taylor said the solution to Georgia's drug problem is to fund law enforcement adequately. He pointed to Perdue administration cuts during lean budget years that are impacting the state's crime labs and law enforcement.

"For me, public safety is a priority every year not just in election years," Taylor said.

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IN THEIR WORDS: PERDUE, TAYLOR ON CRIME
Responses from Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue and Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor to a survey from The Associated Press:

QUESTION: The state of Georgia has tough crime laws but not enough prison space. Even with more beds authorized under the new state budget there still is not enough room and some criminals are being released before their parole dates. How should the state solve this crunch?
PERDUE: Just this past year, the state spent $48 million more on prison beds, increasing bed space by 4,400 beds. And criminals in Georgia's prisons are serving a higher percentage of their sentences before parole than anytime in the past 30 years. There is no cheap silver bullet. The solution is to stay vigilant, year by year, working to build prison space and keep criminals off the street.

TAYLOR: I will build new prisons. Recently, Georgia started releasing violent criminals before they've even come close to serving their full sentences, and I think that's wrong. As governor, I'll work to pass a constitutional amendment to abolish parole for violent criminals. I believe that a prison sentence should be more than just words.

QUESTION: Beyond placing pressure on federal officials, what else can the state do to control illegal immigrants in Georgia? Would you support a law to penalize landlords who rent property to illegal immigrants, such as a law in Pennsylvania does? Why/why not?

PERDUE: Georgia now has one of the toughest laws in the nation for illegal aliens. We have eliminated state benefits for illegal aliens in the state (i.e. access to state funded citizen services such as Medicaid). And we have sent our National Guard to the border to help keep illegal aliens from entering the country. Georgia has been and will continue to be a national leader in the effort to address illegal immigrants.

TAYLOR: The current administration showed no leadership on SB 529 while illegal immigrants have continued to flow into Georgia. Over the past four years, more than 250,000 illegal immigrants have come to Georgia looking for work. We need tougher laws penalizing employers for hiring those who are in this country illegally. Regarding landlords, penalties should be left up to the local authorities.

QUESTION: Georgia has taken steps to crack down on methamphetamine production. What more needs to be done? What can the state now do to combat the rising problem of trafficking methamphetamine and other illegal drugs?

PERDUE: I have recently proposed doubling the state "Methforce" that is focused on reducing meth production and trafficking. This initiative will increase the total number of GBI agents to 30 dedicated to fighting meth.
We have taken many steps to combat methamphetamines in Georgia, including created a state "MethForce" in the GBI to focus on meth production and trafficking; funded $1 million for methamphetamine substance abuse treatment to treat approximately 200 adults with families affected by the drug; signed legislation to combat the manufacture and abuse of methamphetamine by requiring products with pseudoephredine as the sole active ingredient to be sold behind the counter of a retail or pharmacy store; proposed and signed into law stiffer penalties for manufacturing or possessing methamphetamine or a chemical substance intended to be used in the manufacture of methamphetamine in the presence of a child; and proposed and signed into law legislation that strengthened criminal penalties for the manufacture, transfer and possession of methamphetamine and criminalized the transport of materials used in its illegal production.

TAYLOR: For me, public safety is a priority every year, not just in election years. The Georgia State Patrol, the GBI and our local law enforcement deserve the resources and support they need to stay safe and get the job done. When I am governor, I will always stand behind law enforcement 100 percent. Cuts to our state law enforcement agencies are not an option; our Georgia families deserve to know that their children are safe.
Without a fully staffed laboratory to process the evidence and fully staff departments to respond to and investigate criminal activity we cannot succeed. We also need to end budget cuts to substance abuse and drug-education programs within our state.

QUESTION: Did the state's new sex offender law - a portion of which has been blocked by the courts - overreach? If so, what parts? Should Georgia's sex offender registry be modified so that the restrictions are based on the seriousness of the offender's crime and the likelihood to reoffend?

PERDUE: Georgia's new sex offender law is bold and will help ensure that our children are safe from the threat of sex offenders in our communities. As with any bold and comprehensive piece of legislation, efforts to amend and perfect might be necessary. I look forward to working with the Legislature if they consider any changes to this legislation.

TAYLOR: No, but funding should have come with new so our local officials can fully implement it. When I am governor, repeat sexual predators will not get a free pass, they will get the death penalty.