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The Town of Southwest Ranches, Corrections Corporation of American (CCA), and DHS / ICE want to build one of the largest immigration detention centers in the nation within walking distance of thousands of homes; thus, reducing the quality of our life and our community. We do not agree with the federal government privatizing our immigration detention centers throughout the nation when there is clear evidence that privatizing our prisons creates a clear public safety threat. For ICE to continue to privatize these institutions and bring this safety threat through their "secure communities Initiative" to our community is unacceptable. Depriving someone of their liberty is a non-delegable governmental function and privatizing of such a function is infecting our nation like a virus.

The Town of Southwest Ranches has now entered into it's THIRD Fire Contract within the last year now with the Town of Davie, costing taxpayers $120,000 in ramp up fees. They are now closing several roads in western Southwest Ranches charging the tax payers $80,000 for the gates. They have paid an unknown amount of money for lobbying with ICE regarding this prison. They have several lawsuits against the Town, 1- Involving Open Meeting Violations on a November 5th meeting concerning the ICE Detention Center, 2- Open Records Violations, and 3- The Town is putting together a lawsuit to sue Pembroke Pines for breach of contract because the City utilized their exit clause and cancelled for convenience their Fire/EMS contract which included water and sewer at the last minute for the CCA prison. In the contract it states that there should be no third party beneficiaries. CCA would be a third party in this instance.

CCA has also filed suit in Federal court against the City of Pembroke Pines saying they are denying them water however the City had never seen a water application. The City did file for a Declaratory Judgement in State Court but that has been put on hold until the Federal Court hears the suit from CCA.

Is ANYONE CONFUSED as to why the Pembroke Pines/Southwest Ranches Fire Agreement was cancelled? The Town Attorney Keith Poliakoff attempted to "slip" into the agreement a portion that guaranteed water for the prison at CCA's request. This is something that should have been brought up separately. CCA should have brought it forward on their own in a water application. This is sleight of hand that CCA and the Town attempted to do because they were so afraid of CCA being on the Pembroke Pines agenda.

As of June 2012, ICE put out a statement that the site selection was no longer needed due to the fact that the extra bedspace was no longer needed. READ UPDATE HERE!


Saturday, December 10, 2011

Take it by Eminent Domain!

At the December 8, 2011 Southwest Ranches Town Council meeting as well as prior meetings, various residents have made claims that it would cost some entity hundreds of millions of dollars for the 20 acres CCA owns if they were "denied" the "right" to put a 1500 to 2200 bed immigrant prison with dual rows of 15 foot high fences festooned with concertina wire on our front porches.


Feeling a bit incredulous, we decided to go to the Broward County Property Appraiser's website to get the truth of the matter.  Here's what we found:

Folio Date Purchase $ Assesment $ Acreage
513902040490 1/7/1998 $4,950,000 $751,090 5.64
513902040510 1/7/1998 $4,950,000 $1,143,780 8.59
513902040500 1/7/1998 $4,950,000 $756,620 5.69
Total
$14,850,000 $2,651,490 19.92

Our reading of the situation is that on January 7th, 1998 the three plats were purchased by CCA from Aligator Ron Bergeron for $14.850 MM dollars.  Apparently, Prison Inc.'s act of buying property immediately depressed the value of their own property!  Even THEY don't want a prison in THEIR back yard, possibly.  So, the assessed value is now a mere $2.651 MM.

Southwest Ranches should just take the property by eminent domain and make a wildlife preserve or Everglades restoration project.  They could get the land for a song... $2,651,490 to be exact, which is exactly what CCA and Lori Parrish  agree the property is worth.  Go figure.  Who knew it would be this easy?
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousDecember 11, 2011 at 5:08 AM

    We own 1 acre in SWR. Paid approx $3200.00 in taxes. CCA #1 --513902040490 5.64 acres paid $769.61, CCA #2--513902040510 8.59 acres paid $1,207.27, CCA #3--513902040500 5.69 acres paid $768.05. For a total Tax Bill $2,744.93 paid on 20 acres. CCA doesn't own cows. Bergeron must've lent them to CCA. Publish this in news.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousDecember 12, 2011 at 3:31 PM

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  3. AnonymousDecember 12, 2011 at 3:39 PM

    Actually, I'm fed up with McKay and the rest of them telling us we should have done our homework. Ditto. CCA should have done THEIR homework. They should have been so gullible as to think they'd screw over all the residents with their prison.

    Take it back by eminent domain for a "public" good. A private run prison is just disgusting and in no way be construed as a public good.

    ReplyDelete

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