PRISON GUARD UNION SNAPS AT TOP STATE DEMOCRATS

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - California's prison guard union is blaming several
high-ranking state Democrats for killing a plan to have the state foot the
bill for a $2 million correctional officer legal defense fund.

The union recently mailed a brochure to its 28,000 members and labeled
those Democrats as "powerful enemies" who were a threat to the union's
salary gains.

The tersely worded mailer took to task California Attorney General Bill
Lockyer, Democratic Sens. John Vasconcellos of San Jose and Richard Polanco
of Los Angeles, and Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown for their comments on cutting
prison spending and expanding inmate rights.

The union's top officer said the brochure was meant to be informative.

"My job is to educate the people in this line of work that there are
certain politicians who would rather hug an inmate than an officer," Don
Novey, president of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association,
told the San Francisco Chronicle for a story Friday.

The union earns about $16.8 million in annual dues, but wants to add $2
million to finance its 25-point "Gold Shield" reform package for their
profession, billed as making the union "battle-ready for the new century."