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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!


Thursday, December 1, 2011

Innocent Victims: The Shameful Legacy Of Senator Nelson, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Mayor Nelson?

I'm not one to engage in hyperbole to make a point.  However, I think in this case I will demonstrate how I felt as I was reading through all the cards that you filled out at the CCA / ICE prison "informational" meeting that was held on November 5th in Pembroke Pines.  We have just picked up copies of all 333 cards that you were required to fill out and state your position on the prison as a requirement to enter the public meeting.  This was after you were questioned by our police apparatus if you were "here as protesters." This document trove came from a public records request made of the Town of Southwest Ranches.

As I was reading through the NEAR UNANIMOUS opposition to the prison, I crossed one card that first hit me in the gut and then brought a tear to my eye.  At that point, I was harshly reminded of what we are fighting for. Here's the card that shook me.  Tell me if it hits you the same way it hit me:

It shook me to realize just how perverted in thinking that Democratic National Committee Chairwoman and FL-20 Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Senator Bill Nelson (D) and Southwest Ranches Mayor Jeff Nelson are in trying to CONVINCE us that we want a post American century corporate-police-state-type world.  A world where they, as leaders, have created an environment so devoid of hope and so lacking the quintessential aspects of the American dream (for all, INCLUDING immigrant families) that all they offer us are 300 near minimum wage jobs as private corrections officers in our "upscale community."

If you oppose this prison and EVERYTHING wrong that it stands for, email us at notprisontown@gmail.com and ask what you can do to help YOUR community.  WE live here and WE have a right to say that we don't want this facility irrespective of what our COMPROMISED politicians tell us.  THEY work for US.  Not the other way around.

Also note that Senator Bill Nelson, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Mayor Jeff Nelson are ALL up for reelection in 2012.  Don't forget that AFTER this meeting, Mayor Jeff Nelson went on the record saying that he believed the majority of SWR residents support this prison. 

We will blog the very interesting statistics regarding those who attended the ICE meeting on November 5th and their position(s) on the prison within the next couple of days.  Stay tuned.

6 comments:

  1. Yes, the comment shook me too. But, I've heard it before. I work in an elementary school in Weston, where many of the students live within a mile of the proposed prison site. They are scared. They say they'll no longer be able to go outside to play or ride their bikes to the store. They ask why isn't anyone listening to them or their parents. One 5th grade student created a petition. Almost 100 of his 5th grade classmates have signed AGAINST the prison. He proudly claims, "Even the principal signed it!" I can't tell him that an administrator at the high school he may attend has been instrumental in bringing the prison to his neighborhood. When did money become more important than our children? This is disgraceful!

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  2. It really paints a bleak outlook for this area. Would you like to email a copy of it so we can include it in our submissions? Or would he like to give it to someone? I think the congresswoman would be an appropriate person to give it to. Let us know and we can arrange something. notprisontown at gmail dot com

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  3. There is no good or logical justification for placing a prison facility in the midst of schools and residential neighborhoods when there is plenty of isolated land just 30 minute up the road on North US-27. Such a location would keep the prison at least 10 miles from ANYBODY. There is plenty of old sugar cane land available since the Sugar Industry moved much of the operations to Mexico.

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  4. As a resident of SWR I protest the construction of this MONSTROSITY I thank those comments above for including our children. Some of these children will have to walk past this JAIL on their way home from school. That's assuming they get a ride in the A.M. Isn't sad that an Administrator at school who is involved with these children ADAMANTLY APPROVES it's CONSTRUCTION, and is forcing it down our throats.

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  5. 19,000 school children within a 5 mile radius of this proposed facility!! This is about the safety of our children! How dare they jeopardize it! Does Debbie Wasserman Schultz and SWR not care about children? Apparently!!

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  6. you should personally hand in the letter the 5th grader wrote to SWR town clerk.

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