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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, March 10, 2012

Our Future, Eloy Style

A number of very disturbing articles regarding the CCA Eloy immigrant prison have been in the news lately. First is this story:

WATCH IMPORTANT VIDEO ABOUT CCA'S ELOY IMMIGRANT PRISON:


 http://www.nocretedetentioncenter.com/2012/03/09/cbs-5-news-report-on-cca-eloy-detention-center/



The next story shows that the municipality that signed the ICE contract is not immune from lawsuits. SWR puts itself at risk.

http://www.kpho.com/story/16204021/lawsuit-filed-in-guard-attack-at-eloy-detention-center

The most important line from the story is:
The ACLU lawsuit targets CCA, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and the City of Eloy. It charges that local and federal officials failed to protect Tanya Guzman-Martinez from abusive male staff members at the facility in Eloy, even after being notified about the sexual attack and ongoing harassment by staff and other male detainees. 
So, to Marygay Chaples, John Eastman, Vince Faletta, and the others who think this will be great for the town...Bone up on your research, neighbors.  Do you want to invite these types of lawsuits to the town?

Next, we have statements from our public records requests that CCA will build the facility for 1500 beds and then get Town Council t approve expansion once they get the go ahead for the 1500 beds.  Look at this article on the expansion of the Eloy detention center.

http://www.kpho.com/story/15239997/arizona-to-add-private-prison-beds
The first meeting was held Tuesday night in Eloy. So many people showed up that many were forced to stand outside in the heat. 
The proposal presented was by Corrections Corporation of America. Many in attendance were CCA employees.
A constant theme, isn't it?  Not enough space to house the public when meetings are held....  soup de jour for CCA and the small towns they target.

CCA's proposes 4,500 beds in existing prison facilities in Eloy. Right now, those facilities primarily house inmates from California. According to CCA, if their bid is successful, those inmates would be moved to other facilities. 

4500 bed facility.  Do you think it can't happen here?  What's the population of the Ranches?  7200.  Put that into perspective Mr. Eastman, Mrs. Chaples and Mr. Faletta.  That's what prison town means.  Do you really think CCA doesn't have its sights set on the BCI facility and the 4000 bed Broward plat?

Have a great weekend.  No matter what they throw at you, do not lose your resolve.  Don't let them threaten and bully you into accepting them.

Get more signs on the ground in SWR.  If you read this, contact us to get 10 signs which you will then get your neighbors to put up.

Thieves in the east, in Rolling Oaks and around Councilman Breitkreuz's house are stealing our signs because they don't want our voices heard.  We are not the 7 town founders, so we have no say in the town.  Get signs out.  Don't let Eloy happen to us because our town mothers and fathers are so stale that they have no vision of greatness other than being "Prison Town."



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8 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 10, 2012 at 10:06 PM

    A huge thank you to all of the "vocal minority" who have worked so hard, and continue to work, to keep CCA out of our community!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 11, 2012 at 12:37 AM

    Folks should seriously organized to change power at the HOA level.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. country estates residentMarch 11, 2012 at 11:37 AM

      Agreed. it appears HOA presidents are misrepresenting the residents at the CCA and ICE HOA meetings

      Delete
  3. AnonymousMarch 11, 2012 at 5:50 PM

    It would seem some HOA presidents are reflecting their personal views and not those of the people they supposedly represent.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousMarch 11, 2012 at 6:57 PM

      It really seems like maybe the HOA presidents have accepted "something" from CCA for their support. How else can any rational person think that a prison would be good for their community?

      Delete
    2. AnonymousMarch 13, 2012 at 2:08 PM

      As a HOA Representative on the Citizens Committee I can assure you that not everyone there has swallowed the CCA kool-aid. The members are 50/50 on their stance. The Committee needs reps from all the HOA's invited to be able to obtain first-hand info about CCA's plans. The only thing "offered" to the Committee was a 1-day trip to tour the CCA Houston facility. We are rational representatives of the communities and half of the members stand with our neighbors against the prison.

      Delete
    3. No CCA Immigrant Prison in Southwest RanchesMarch 16, 2012 at 5:34 AM

      Merely attending these meetings undermines the prison opposition. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and CCA have pointed out that CCA, ICE, and SWR are working with the community to address all of your concerns at these meetings. You are negotiating with them and giving them credibility.

      The first rule in negotiating with a hostile force is that you do not negotiate. You withdraw ambassadors and then you fight.

      It is our group's request that all those in attendance stop lending credibility to this farce by boycotting the meetings. They are not public meetings. They are by invitation only. They are not in the spirit of open government.

      If you want information, simply call Sam Poole, ICE or Poliakoff and ask them what you want to know.

      The most effective things that can be done are to get signs up everywhere, attend SWR council meetings in mass and express opposition, raise money, and take on the task of getting rid of Nelson, Breitkreuz, McKay, Jablonski, Fisikelli and Poliakoff.

      Attending farce advisory meetings is simply negotiation by their very own playbook. You need to reread the NIC brief on siting prisons and other controversial facilities. It's here: http://static.nicic.gov/Library/010591.pdf

      The key excerpt follows. Notice they say that the advisory meetings should welcome "broadbased" membership? Broadbased includes skeptics such as yourself. You are being manipulated in a well published and articulated plan for overcoming public opposition. You are undermining us.

      How can the public be made to feel a part of the decisionmaking process?
      The agency should consider adopting a formal siting program to promote public participation.
      Common elements of successful siting programs include:
      · Forming, early in the planning process, a community advisory committee, with broadbased
      membership from influential segments of the community.
      · Affording community leaders visits to or video tours of existing facilities comparable to
      the one proposed for their area.
      · Providing opportunities for community and neighborhood leaders to meet with their
      counterparts from areas where public participation options have been used successfully to
      site facilities.
      · Providing communities with funds for technical assistance to provide additional unbiased
      information.
      · Limiting the time period for decisionmaking.
      · Disseminating information through brief, descriptive written materials, and informational
      meetings.
      · Mitigating the perceived effects of the facility by offering a compensation package.

      Delete
  4. AnonymousMarch 11, 2012 at 9:27 PM

    Our Federal Government/ICE should NEVER (EVER!) do business with private companies like CCA....ICE has to pull the plug with these for-profit corporations!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete

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