President Donald Trump has taken a firm stance against the progressive cashless-bail "reforms," a move that is not only justifiable but necessary, even though the federal government has limited power to counteract the state lawmakers who have implemented them.
According to The New York Post, Trump recently signed an executive order directing the attorney general to identify "states and local jurisdictions" that have "substantially eliminated cash bail." The intention is to potentially reduce federal funding for these areas.
The White House's stance is justified, citing how no-bail laws enable "repeat criminals who mock our justice system by committing crime after crime without consequence." Trump's frustration is understandable, as such jurisdictions "waste" funds and pose "a threat to public safety" by releasing individuals with "pending criminal charges or criminal history."
However, the current law only allows for limited leveraging of some federal funds. There is a concern that legislators in states like New York may be all too ready to raise taxes to compensate for the loss and to disregard any budgetary gaps this creates in local government.
Despite this, Albany seems to have no issue imposing its own billion-dollar burdens on City Hall. Nevertheless, the President's initiative is, overall, a sound policy and a politically astute move.
Primarily, it brings a national focus to a debate that progressives prefer to confine to areas where they hold sway, forcing them to defend these policies. Policies that inform criminals they will face no immediate severe repercussions for their crimes, thereby increasing recidivism rates.
Policies that result in police having to re-arrest individuals released while awaiting trial for crimes, sometimes just days or mere hours after their initial arrests.
Since former Governor Andrew Cuomo endorsed the Empire State's no-bail madness in 2019, New York City has witnessed numerous individuals arrested for serious crimes but released without bail, only to be apprehended again for new crimes shortly thereafter.
Cases like Enyerbert Blanco, a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member, who was inexplicably released without bail after an arrest, then arrested on drug charges and released in Florida, and finally apprehended a third time for sex-trafficking a 15-year-old New York City runaway. Or the serial shoplifter who was arrested an astonishing 254 times but consistently released on "supervised release."
Some may argue against using the threat of federal funding cuts as a weapon against state laws, but this tactic has been employed for decades, and the left was fully supportive when President Barack Obama used it to advance trans rights in school bathrooms and President Joe Biden did the same to influence state abortion and labor laws.
Regarding the political implications: Yes, most Americans want criminals behind bars. After Albany implemented cashless bail, it was blamed for the crime surge by a margin of 64% to 24%.
The President is absolutely correct to compel Democrats to take a position on this issue and, hopefully, disavow this folly. "I think the Democrats better get smart," Trump advised Monday in response to Governor JB Pritzker's complaints about his new initiative. He is entirely correct: until they do, voters will hesitate to grant them any power in Washington again.
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