Dear Andrea, We spoke not long ago by phone. I just want to let you know
that plans to bring in a private prison here are not going to sit well with
many of us. In fact, it will most likely bring about a repeat of the recent
Biomass issue. I don’t mean we are opposed to it. I mean we are vehemently
opposed to it. It seems that Allen Ricketts and the other Board members
don’t understand that Valdosta’s citizens don’t want to be informed of, for
example, what finished products and raw materials will be stored in the
distribution center slated to locate in Valdosta AFTER the contract has been
signed. We have a right to know beforehand what kind of facility it is and
what will be stored there. Informing us after the fact is not transparency.
This is an issue that will continue to be revisited as long as the VLCIA
continues to act unilaterally without considering the wishes of those who
live here. We don’t want to be presented with a fait accompli. Also, the
VLCIA is really not doing due diligence when it continues to court
businesses that raise concerns over the ethical standards of the Board
itself. Thanks. Matt Flumerfelt
A private prison in Lowndes County would be a bad business decision: it would not increase employment, it would be likely to close because of lack of “customers”, and it would drive away knowledge-based workers. The letter I read to the Industrial Authority Board and Staff Tuesday on behalf of some members of the community sumarizes
appended documentation of all those and other points.
If you’d also like to sign, I’m still collecting signatures,
and will periodically drop off more signed copies.
Or, even better, write your own letter and send it to the Industrial Authority.
Submit it to this blog and we’ll probably publish it.
Opposed to a private prison in Lowndes County, Georgia. —John S. Quarterman
Regular Meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
Norman Bennett, Tom Call, Roy Copeland chairman, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett,
Andrea Schruijer Executive Director, J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Allan Ricketts Project Manager,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 18 October 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
No Private Prison —John S. Quarterman
We are the 99%,
Marching to Occupy Valdosta, Occupy Valdosta,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 14 October 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Remember
FBI investigating CCA “Gladiator School”,
the CCA-run private prison in Idaho the FBI was investigating last year?
Well, it hasn’t improved much.
Cutting corners for private profit endangers prisoner safety and public
safety.
Is that what we want in Lowndes County, Georgia?
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — In the last four years, Idaho’s largest privately
run prison has faced federal lawsuits, widespread public scrutiny,
increased state oversight, changes in upper management and even an
ongoing FBI investigation.
Yet the Corrections Corp. of America-run Idaho Correctional Center
remains the most violent lockup in Idaho.
Records obtained by The Associated Press show that while the assault rate
improved somewhat in the four-year period examined, ICC inmates are still
more than twice as likely to be assaulted as those at other Idaho prisons.
Between September 2007 and September 2008, both ICC and the state-run
Idaho State Correctional Institution were medium-security prisons with
roughly 1,500 inmates each. But during that 12-month span, ICC had
132 inmate-on-inmate assaults, compared to just 42 at ISCI. In 2008,
ICC had more assaults than all other Idaho prisons combined.
By 2010, both prisons had grown with 2,080 inmates at ICC and 1,688
inmates at ISCI. Records collected by the AP showed that there were 118
inmate-on-inmate assaults at ICC compared to 38 at ISCI. And again last
year, ICC had more assaults than all the other prisons combined.
What improvement there has been is because multiple inmates filed lawsuits.
Even so, Idaho renewed and even increased its contract with CCA.
With one small improvement:
Continue reading →
People who look like you or people to do a job? —Jerome Tucker @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011
Why we oppose consolidation,
Community Forum, Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 4 October 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Former chair of
Community Partners in Education (CPIE) Jerome Tucker continued:
Three weeks ago, at JL Lomax, I had lunch at Southeast Elementary Community
Partners in Education.
I didn’t see a Chamber […] person there; I didn’t see a CUEE member there.
How in the world are you going to know what’s going on in school
if you don’t go in?
[Applause]
Jerome Tucker has experience in all the major local business organizations
and with both the local school systems.
He used to be the chair of the Community Partners in Education (CPIE)
that a CUEE board member had never heard of.
He is the voice of experience, and here’s what he said:
You told me not to cheerlead, but I’ve got the mic in my hand.
I don’t have the right to vote, but I’m encouraging
everybody to vote no.
I have friends in the city.
Call them; tell them to vote no.
[Applause.]
This is too important an issue in our community not to lead a cheer.
Then he established his personal credentials, stated the truth as he knows
it, and issue a challenge.
First he bragged on the local school systems:
Somebody’s supposed to be about business thinks we don’t have what it takes
to compete;
somebody make a statement, and I’m an old country boy.
My granny told me things that are said are the truth or a lie.
The things I say … this afternoon are what I’ve experienced.
That’s what I call a primary source.
He discussed other places that brag on our school systems, then:
I challenge anybody to have been as involved as consistently and as long as I have
in business and community development in and around Valdosta and Lowndes County.
I’ve served as chairman of the Industrial Authority.
I’ve served as chairman of the Tourism Authority.
I’ve served as chairman of the Valdosta Technical Board of Education.
I’ve been on the superintendent’s council of schools.
A member of CPIE since its inception.
I challenge anyone….
Jim Galloway quotes GA Ag. Commissioner Gary Black:
“One of the discussions we have to have is, do we want to have our
food produced here or somewhere else? I don’t think Wal-Mart is
going to cease to carry cucumbers. I think they’re going to get them
somewhere,”
The state agriculture commissioner is walking a fine line. “Let me
be clear. My position from a standpoint of amnesty and pathways to
citizenship has not changed one iota,” he said.
Nor has Black renounced HB 87. Rather, state efforts to enforce federal
immigration laws — blocked as a consequence of lawsuits — have
contributed to “a sea change” in Washington’s attitude, he said.
“Without HB 87 and some of the other proposals, I don’t know
that we’d be having this discussion about changing the guest-worker
program,” Black said.
Black seems to have organized some interesting timing of a report release
by his department:
Continue reading →
Things really have not changed have they? There are still people out
there who believe they can force their will on the people regardless
of the circumstances. I still cannot believe that we are here.
Consolidation, Unification, where did this come from? What mind first
came up with this idea and what is the real motive behind it?
Eight months ago when I heard that Rusty Griffin and his merry band
of followers were once again trying to force unification down peoples
throats, I never thought it would catch on and would just fizzle away.
Oh, how wrong.
Over the months this consolidation issue that I thought would never gain
steam is now on the ballot and could possible pass this Nov. 8th.
I have seen this thing divide friends, families, co-workers and even
that plans to bring in a private prison here are not going to sit well with many of us. In fact, it will most likely bring about a repeat of the recent Biomass issue. I don’t mean we are opposed to it. I mean we are vehemently opposed to it. It seems that Allen Ricketts and the other Board members don’t understand that Valdosta’s citizens don’t want to be informed of, for example, what finished products and raw materials will be stored in the distribution center slated to locate in Valdosta AFTER the contract has been signed. We have a right to know beforehand what kind of facility it is and what will be stored there. Informing us after the fact is not transparency. This is an issue that will continue to be revisited as long as the VLCIA continues to act unilaterally without considering the wishes of those who live here. We don’t want to be presented with a fait accompli. Also, the VLCIA is really not doing due diligence when it continues to court businesses that raise concerns over the ethical standards of the Board itself. Thanks. Matt Flumerfelt
