Thirst for Jobs Drives Towns to Beg Feds for Guantanamo Detainees

In a reversal of the not-in-my-backyard approach many lawmakers and communities took to the idea of housing the detainees stateside, the thirst for prison-centered employment has caused several U.S. towns to plead with federal officials to let them host dozens of detainees.

It's like the Olympics host-city selection all over again. A handful of towns are locked in tight competition for the privilege of hosting international guests -- only instead of Olympians, they're jockeying to welcome Guantanamo Bay detainees to their home towns.

In a reversal of the not-in-my-backyard approach many lawmakers and communities have taken to the idea of housing the terror detainees stateside, the thirst for prison-centered employment has caused several U.S. towns to plead with federal officials to let them become permanent hosts to dozens of alleged killers.

The prospect still has some residents and officials up in arms, but the fact that hosting terrorist suspects has generated strong local support for economic reasons is just the latest sign of the times -- hard times.

"At a time when Illinois is facing recession ... this is a lifeline. This is an opportunity," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told reporters Monday, predicting that high-paying jobs with benefits packages would accompany a proposal to bring up to 100 detainees, in a revamped federal prison, to his state. "These people deserve a fighting chance to save their communities ... and this project will give them that chance." Durbin called it a "competition."

Thomson is in my backyard so I’m not objective, but I do see both sides. The folks there have been reconciled to the idea of having a STATE prison in their town since 2001 (the prison was built under the George Ryan administration, who is presently occupying a federal prison cell himself). People bought and expanded businesses and the town invested in a new school and water system because of the impact the prison would have. Then, due to chronic mismanagement and corruption of IL state gov’t - it never opened.

There’s no question it would create new jobs, federal jobs that would probably pay even better than state ones, to an area that badly needs them, and would provide a way for those who invested to recover somewhat.

If the feds were just talking about buying it as an expansion of the federal prison system, I think everyone would be in favor. But tying it to the closing of Gitmo drags partisan politics into a decision that will have long-lasting impact on peoples lives. And all because of the wrong-headed ill-conceived notion that Obama has, to bring suspected terrorists and very dangerous people onto the US Mainland.

Why? For what reason? Because he got wound up and made a campaign promise and now feels he’s got to fulfill it to satisfy the left-wing loons who are beating him up for all his other broken campaign promises?

Whether or not to buy the prison ought to be a separate discussion. But in typical Obama fashion, he’s proving the truth of Rush’s description: “Immature, inexperienced, and in over his head”.

This will have the ironic twist of wishing to keep people in jail so the prison guards can continue to be paid.

When I lived in California, one of the biggest and best-paid unions was the prison guards. They howled when Arnold wanted to let prisoner go and they wound up winning.

The move of GITMO detainees to Illinois smacks of good old boy Chicago politics. I’m certain the Federal Bureaus of Prisons would pay the state of Illinois an inflated price for the floundering Illinois facility and then spend millions for union labor from Chicago to remodel the facility. If Illinois is selected I’m sure there will be plenty of palms waiting to be greased.

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