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!
In reality, Congresswomen Debbie Wasserman Schultz's (D-FL20) Advisory Council is to provide our HOA presidents the opportunity to ask Prison, Inc. for the BEST prison we can get. This is as if she's misunderstood our opposition to the entire project as a demand to select the color of the curtains covering the window bars or the genus of shrub that will surround the razor-wired fences. It's a sham and a farce.
Sam Poole (Berger Singerman lawyer hired by CCA) has announced the Advisory Council will include the HOA Presidents from the following HOAs:
Deconstructing Debbie's shameless attempt to pretend she's encouraged our officials to listen to us; here are some of the blatant flaws:
We don't want an immigrant prison. Her creation of an advisory council changes the question as to what TYPE of prison do we want.
She did not establish the council to make officials listen to the resident's demands to KILL the project.
Prison, Inc. has severely limited membership as HOA presidents only are on the council.
Prison, Inc. has included non affected HOAs such as Sunshine Ranches who are EAST of 75 nearly 10 miles away.
The Rolling Oaks, Sunshine Ranches and Green Meadows presidents support the prison and the federal tax dollars it will bring. They are being sold a bill of goods.
Prison, Inc. probably included Chapel Trail because a Master Board member is Todd Nelson, brother of SWR Mayor Jeff Nelson.
The bottom line is that Wasserman Schultz is trying to pull a fast one. Many of these presidents have been wined and dined by Prison, Inc. and have even been given an expense paid vacation to Prison, Inc.'s Potemkin Village in Tennessee. Debbie, what part of "We Don't Want This Prison" don't you understand??
Good morning folks. This morning, FL20 (D) Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and DNC Chairwoman finally went on record regarding her continued support for her immigrant prison in Southwest Ranches and her refusal to remove her endorsement. Just listen to the spin she puts on it.
Folks, notice she said an advisory committee has been formed so we can have input into OUR prison? Notice how she mentioned the November 5th ICE meeting? Notice how she didn't tell you that of the 333 cards submitted there were only 7 in support of the prison?
Regarding the advisory committee, how many of YOU are on it? We know that none of us are on it. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is up for reelection (along will ALL of the House) in November.
Oh, if you think there's any sincerity to her, please read our blog posting of how it appears she took $1000 from CCA for the endorsement she speaks of. $1000 Endorsement
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.
As we all were confronted with our inability to process the truth by Jack Nicholson in this famous scene, the question is can Southwest Ranches government and her founders handle the truth?
Since our incorporation a short time ago in 2000, we have shown an amazing inability to manage ourselves. We are now going on our 5th Town Administrator in 11 years of existance. This is an average of 2 years and a few months tenure for each Administrator. One might consider that it takes approximately 2 years in a position to be truly effective. Our Town administration is very inexperienced at the very least.
Problematically, natura abhorret a vacuo. This translates to nature abhors a vacuum and in our contemporary parlance is power abhors a vacuum. In the absence of a strong administrator, the vacuum has been filled by the Poliakoff lineage. As Town Attorney responsible for the founding of the Town, Gary Poliakoff and his son Keith Poliakoff have run the town as their little kingdom. Notable investigative reporter Bob Norman ultimately concluded this about the Town and the Poliakoff's:
But Poliakoff -- who manages Becker & Poliakoff, one of the largest
legal and lobbying firms in the state -- is just as much to blame for
the town's blatant brand of corruption.
... With guys like Poliakoff running Southwest Ranches, the town will never get much better...
Anybody who's followed Keith Poliakoff's underhanded behavior in the entire CCA / ICE immigrant prison fiasco knows that he's acted in a very questionable manner including lying to Senator Bill Nelson's office regarding the prison roads, for example. Another example was reported by New Times and relates to Poliakoff's Cone of Silence which gagged the entire Town Council from talking with their constituents about the prison.
The establishment of the Poliakoff's fiefdom is so underhanded and premeditated that as a precursor to favorite son Keith now earning up to $600,000 for the year in legal service to the Town Papa Poliakoff enshrined their rule in the Town Charter itself. The charter can be found here: Southwest Ranches Town Charter .
The worst of corrupt, self serving poison pills is on page 8 and quoted:
Section 3.07. Town Attorney [appointment; removal; terms]. The Council shall appoint the Town Attorney for an indefinite term by an affirmative vote of at least four Council members. The Council members may remove the Town Attorney at any time by an affirmative vote of at least four Council members. The compensation and benefits of the Town Attorney shall be fixed by the Council. [underline added]
The Town Council has 5 voting members including the Mayor. So, Gary Poliakoff ensured his control of the Town by requiring a SUPER MAJORITY to fire the Attorney. The charter requires 4 out of 5 votes rather than the traditional simple majority of 3 to 5 votes. The bar is raised from requiring 60% of the governing body to remove the Attorney to an unrealistic 80%. This aspect of the Town Charter MUST be amended so that we have a shot of removing this corrupt force from our presence.
With guys like Poliakoff ... the town will never get much better. That's the truth. Can you all handle it?
If you can, then we all need to wake up to the fact that we need a competent administrator AND we need to BANISH the Poliakoff clan from our Town and let them do what they do best, which is lawyering.
