Let me just get the good part out of the way and say that in regards to drunk drivers who kill you are right on. That is an offense I would put up there with the BTK guy. Taxes; Jesus H. Christ my property tax bill came for the next half and it went up 7%..thats 7%. I pay 7200.00$ per yr for a little 3 bdrm 1 1/2 bath house on a small lot. Thats not to mention state sales tax and the rest of the onerous tax burden on the middle class. The tax anology hit's too close to home I see; bad choice. I am afraid I must insist on seperating out crime from infractions. The entire drug law as written is draconian. How can an insurance company pay for an alchoholic to be treated as a person with a disease then put the same guy in jail for having that disease. Maybe thats a better analogy. Know anyone who's been divorced? See whats left of their check at the end of the week? I mean it could drive people to do things they would regret..right? The purpose of our penal system is supposed to be rehabilitation. If you think the bill for these services is high now...think about the aging of the prison population and the amazingly high amount of prisoners we have incarcerated for a first world nation. All of these guys are going to need massive amounts of health care in the near future; some committ crimes to be re-instated just to get the health care they need and can't get on the outside. You should go to prison for capital crimes only. And those guys should fullfill the whole sentence. The rest should be made to provide restitution. I am only concerned with getting the guy out of prison and making sure he stays there. If you create an animal in there from abusive and punishing behaviour he will be right back; you can be assured. Sometime you have to bite the bullet and do the positive thing. Most people think jail is another country; but it is amazing how close many people come to that line without even thinking about it. A few boat drinks and you have a dead eleven year old like we had here in Suffolk last year. That may end in a guy doing time; a guy who never thought it could happen to him.