SF Chron excludes progressive views on prison issues

My letter to the SF Chronicle (which was not be printed) responding to their 7/7/06 editorial re: failure of Angelides and Schwarzenegger to deal with real solution to prison crisis: sentencing reform.

Third Party candidates do address Sentencing Reform
To: "Editor Chronicle"
Dear Editor;

The Chronicle is correct to point out that California cannot build its way out of the prison overcrowding crisis, and that neither candidate of the incumbent duopoly parties will deal with sentencing reform. However, the Chronicle fails to inform voters that there are candidates for Governor, and Attorney General, who do have the courage to address the need to overturn the draconian three strikes laws and stop the mandatory minimum sentencing craze.

Janice Jordan, the Peace and Freedom Party's candidate for Governor, has a long track record working for prison reform and advocating for the rights of women prisoners in particular. Peter Camejo of the Green Party has a progressive platform for prison reform, and the Libertarian Party is at the forefront of efforts to end the mandatory minimum sentencing fiasco that has imprisoned thousands of recreational drug users.

Unfortunately, voters will never hear about these alternative views because the bipartisan political hacks who pre-determine who is electable won't allow a true debate on this or any other issue. They exclude and censor 'minor party' candidates when they should be sponsoring debates that include all six ballot qualified parties. Nor will the Chronicle offer free and equal access to the independent voices who aren't bought off by the corporate profiteers who want to build more prisons, or the prison guards union which sells its soul to whichever party will increase the budget to lock up more youth.

The Chronicle does a disservice to voters by excluding the views of the candidates running for statewide office who present progressive alternatives to the failed policies of the Demopublicans and Republicrats.