Prison SpendingTaxes

Tony Thurmond Hits The Wrong Target

Still not walking his talk.

State Assembly Member Tony Thurmond has proposed legislation imposing a tax on private prisons in California to help fund early education. Early education is great but levying a tax on private prisons would generate next to no money for it. That’s because only 1.5% — less than $200 million — of California’s $12 billion of prison spending goes to private prison facility owners or operators.