Last week wasn’t a good one for Arizona’s unelected governor, Jan Brewer. First, a judge issued an injunction, stopping Brewer’s “Show me your papers, Herr Immigrant” law, AKA SB-1070, in its tracks. (Der Fuhrerette later said she’d try to tweak the law to make it less objectionable, but she also said she’d take the case all the way to the Supreme Court, so who knows?). Then, Arizona crime statistics which flatly contradict the paranoid rantings of Brewer and her followers drew a lot of media attention, including in this blog. And now, the rest of the nation’s media has caught on to an incredible report 10 days ago by Phoenix news station KPHO (CBS 5).
The station’s report begins with Arizona hotel owners complaining that they’re losing money due to a serious drop in tourism, which they largely blame on Arizona politicians, whose election-year scare tactics and bogus stories of headless bodies in the desert and the like are frightening away tourists.
The meat of KPHO’s story is an investigation that reveals close connections between the Brewer administration and Corrections Corporation of America, the nation’s largest private, for-profit prison company (2009 revenues of $1.7 billion), which currently houses illegal immigrant detainees for the federal government. The report shows that Brewer’s campaign chairman/policy adviser also doubles as owner of a lobbying company that lobbies for CCA; also, her deputy chief of staff is a former lobbyist for CCA and his wife currently lobbies for them. CCA stands to make a mint from increased arrests of illegal aliens, and Brewer & Co. are doing all they can to help them out.
For years, CCA has been the focus of investigations and protest by Grassroots Leadership, the Charlotte-based organizing group which was highlighted in a recent CL cover story . GL’s executive director, Donna Red Wing, says that as the Arizona governor starts soliciting donations to fund the defense of SB-1070 in court, “Gov. Brewer will find a well-funded and politically strong ally in the for-profit correctional industry. If this bill goes into effect, the number of immigrant detainees in Arizona will spike, and the private prison complex is poised to meet the demand. For justice’s sake, we need to have transparency around the Governor of Arizona and her ties to the private prison industry.”
This article appears in Jul 27 – Aug 2, 2010.
Judge Bolton is trying to have it both ways. Solomon like she tried to split the baby. In her opinion it is proper for cities to enforce Federal law (they cannot become sanctuary cities by ignoring federal law), yet the state does not have the authority to enforce federal law. If her ruling stands, it might be improper for local law enforcement to make an arrest of nanyone breaking federal law. Who is to arrest the robber of a federal bank or the person who commits a crime in a Federal park? If the interstate highway is federal, why is the State highway patrol enforcing the law outside their jurisdiction? What a can of worms!
I am being somewhat fascitious, but you get the point.
Yes, I get the point. You are grasping at straws in a desperate attempt to support your xenophobia.
Armed robbery is a state crime, even if it occurs in a bank or on federal property. The fact that there is a similar, more narrowly focused, federal law is irrelevant. It is not the same as a state trying to trump a federal responsibility like immigration. If Arizona cannot arrest a citizen of Arkansas for being in Arizona without a visa, then it is not a state function.
It’s not a can of worms at all.
You’re just too stupid and narrow minded to understand it is all.
Well the AZ Jan Brewer did it again, she signed into law to allow “Private Prisons”. Even even if Corrections Director Ryan pleaded with her in his epistle, “Undoubtedly, a private company would pay its employees significantly lower wages and provide them lesser training to realize cost savings. This would lead to higher staff turnover, low morale and place public protection at risk”.
I marvel if its “Corrections Corporation of America (CCA)” the same one that two of her staff members actively lobby for “Private Prisons”, no, it could be, say it ain’t so. Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) will also benefit from Arizona’s criminalization of undocumented immigrants and their being held as prisoners under SB 1070, it takes dread mongering to a additional level.
These “Private Prisons” were only suppose to be for DUI prisoners but now we find out that escaped prisoner Tracy Alan Province and John Charles McCluskey, escaped, were being kept there.
These prisoners were convicted of murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, so what did they do, they carjacked someone’s vehicle, helped by family (ensuing in the arrest of one of their mothers), possibly killed an Oklahoma couple visiting New Mexico, before they were finally capured.
Way to go Brewer, you do not care about public saftey, just as long as you get your political contributions check, incredible.
Mr. Gooms,
That’s my cartoon, the Jan Brewer Voodoo Doll, from my Doodle Blog. Please provide either a link to my blog or credit.
Barbara Broido
Ms. Broido,
If you’ll look closer, you’ll see that we gave credit to your blog, located under the illustration.
Its a return to the Bush/Cheney/Republican/Republicorp idea: STEP 1- Spread panic and fear through propaganda. Then: STEP 2- Provide a (private and costly) solution for your corporate cronies to exploit. Last time it was Bush’s oil buddies and Cheney’s defense contractor pals (Halliburton/Blackwater, etc.) who benefitted under the battle cry of terrorism. This time it is Jan Brewer’s private prison cronies (CCA) who will benefit. And the battle cry is against immigrants. AND AS ALWAYS…IT IS WE TAXPAYERS WHO PAY THE TAB.
What I find interesting, is that I haven’t heard word one regarding this unholy alliance on Fox News. I guess they are waiting until after the election, if ever, to acknowledge this revelation.
Corporate Investigation : Contact Rix Investigators located in Mesa, AZ today for more information.