Davie Fire/EMS Contract with SWR

The Town of Davie has just posted a contract with their agenda item to discuss providing the town of Southwest Ranches with Fire/EMS services, coverage that would extend to the plans the Town has for a future 2500 bed 500,000 sq. ft. detention center.  

See the excerpt taken from contract below.

  

Remember back in November when they said they were going to cap it at 1500 beds?  We didn't believe them, and now we see that we were right to not trust the Town and CCA capping the beds at 1500.  All the Town and CCA care about is showing them the money because their Town is drowning in liabilities for parks brought in from the Canada days...  

Now they have almost doubled this facility from 1500 beds to 2500 which would be 4.5 times the size of Krome brought into West Broward County.  Krome is a 500 bed facility.  To put this in terms that you might understand better we are going to do some Wal-Mart math.

The average Walmart store is approximately 97,000 square feet, while Walmart's larger stores, referred to as Super Centers, carries a square footage of approximately 186,000.  - Ask.com

So we are bringing a facility approx 5 times the size of a regular sized Wal-Mart.   Or, if that doesn't make sense, try 2.5 times the size of a Super Wal-Mart!   Filled with 2500 Detainees, that ICE will be letting out of this facility through the Alternatives to Detention plan ICE uses, laid out in a previous post called, We agree! It's Not a Prison!

How do you like THEM apples? 

If not, email the Davie Council and make your voice heard by asking them not to allow this to happen.  Email your Officials.  Better Yet, ATTEND the Davie Town Council meeting located at 6591 Orange Drive on Wednesday, May 2nd at 6:30 pm.  Pembroke Pines said they didn't have a vote on the Detention Center yet they were called on it for providing Fire/EMS and Water/Sewer for it in the Fire/EMS Agreement.  Politifact did a nice article on that.

Do they not realize how secure communities and this detention center will ruin our community? 

Download the entire Davie Fire/EMS contract here.

CCA rebuttal 7.pdf

Elementary School Student Opposition Artwork

A couple of weeks ago I received an image from a nearby elementary school in Weston, Manatee Bay Elementary.  I guess they were drawing about things they didn't need and the student felt the urge to express their opposition and draw about the Southwest Ranches ICE Prison.

It says "NO JAIL!  People need new homes, But people don't need new jails! We need to bail the jail! Do the right thing!" It pictures a person behind bars wearing a striped jumpsuit saying "Let Me Out!"

Isn't it sad that children have to draw about this?  There is a petition circulating at this elementary school with over 100 student signatures that was presented at one of the Southwest Ranches Town Council meetings so that must be how the word is getting around to all of the students.  It's good to see these children are expressing their first amendment rights just like their parents are.

Will this simple message of how we don't need more prisons in this country and how it's unacceptable that the amount of prisons in this country has grown exponentially get through to our lawmakers??  It is a sad state our country has come to where we lock people up for profit instead of educating them...  Instead our legislators are busy accepting special interest money for their reelection campaigns.

Our founding fathers would be so proud of the country they helped create.  Are you?
If not, get involved in this non-partisan issue effecting our community and start making a difference... Take Action!

By: Ryann Greenberg

ACLU sounds off on Southwest Ranches Prison Plans

Throughout this fight people have taken sides or decided not to depending on how vocal or politically involved they feel they should be.  Today, the American Civil Liberties Union has taken a side in the fight against this prison in the Town of Southwest Ranches. 

They published an Op Ed piece in the Sun Sentinel today (4/21/2012) calling on leaders to stop the project.  The ACLU argues that,

Privatized incarceration presents a grave threat to human rights.   

This part will continue to fall on the deaf ears of the town council and "leaders" in Southwest Ranches who seem to not care about the proliferation of private prisons and the violence that goes on inside them.  I think the more poignant statements that they may/may not actually listen to is when they combat CCA's claims that this will bring jobs and growth.

CCA claims that its prisons "can mean a real difference in the quality of life for local residents." But new prisons, whether public or private, deliver few benefits. A 2010 study by researchers at Washington State University and Ohio State University noted "the failure of prisons to spur growth."
Two weeks ago, the government announced the deal was off, only to backpedal hours later. What that dance means is anyone's guess, but this much is certain: the project should be stopped.

The town's ardent prison supporters keep claiming that this prison will create growth, jobs or even lower taxes...  I think that this argument can finally be put to rest.  What we see is a new town that has over committed to parks, museums and similar liabilities.  Combine this with much needed road and infrastructure improvements and you've got a hole in a budget so huge you're looking for anything to fill it.  Is this poor budget management on the Town Council's part?

Another reason why the Town should not be obligated to this prison scheme comes directly from CCA attorney Sam Poole. He said that the "Town is not obligated to enter into the IGSA with ICE" (public statement made at Country Estates HOA Meeting on April 2, 2012).   CCA is free to exercise it's property rights, however bringing the Town into a deal for them to exercise those property rights should never have been on the table and is in no way apart of CCA being able to exercise those rights. 

For what possible reason could there be now for the Town to sign the IGSA with ICE?  I will leave you with your own conclusions...

This article was written by Ryann Greenberg

Debbie Wasserman Schultz's Complicity in the Prison

Hello Neighbors,

This Cuentame video was shot in SWR and Pines late last year.; We thank the folks at Brave New Foundation for their presentation as voices from all sides of this debate are welcome to this forum.  The video highlights Senator Bill Nelson's and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz's complicity and lack of accountability to their constituents.

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 Murray Knowler signed 4 hours agoDebbie, you have the chance to make a real difference in immigration policy here.  ...  I really believe that your decision on this issue could well make or break your political career.... 

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 Kristen Hernandez signed 8 hours agoStop making money off innocent people. Stop using the immigration problem as a slimy, cheap shot at profiteering off of other people’s misery, fear and racism.

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We ask you to sign Cuentame's petition asking Debbie to Say No To CCA.   The petition is found here.  There are already 6800 7338 8422 8797 9321 10156 10457 10922 11158 11234 11705 people who have signed this petition.  Send Debbie yet another clear message by signing this petition.

Al Jazeera's Faultlines Punishment and Profits-Immigration Detention

Please check out the Al Jazeera Faultines Episode on detention for profit.  Although Josh Rushing recorded hours of video in Southwest Ranches, they did not make it into the segment.  However, very interesting footage of the GEO run Broward Transitional Center in Deerfield Beach did make it. Deefield Beach is in Broward County, so our County Commissioners are very comfortable with private run immigrant prisons.

This expose provides a very powerful overview of the forces we are dealing with in terms of ICE, Prison Inc., and immigration itself.  Please click below to see the episode:

Punishment and Profits: Immigration Detention - Fault Lines - Al Jazeera English