Thomson prison takeover could mean 3,800 permanent new jobs
From ABC News:
President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers has prepared an economic analysis of job creation if the federal government takes over the underutilized Thomson Correctional Center in Illinois for the purposes of housing detainees currently at Guantanamo Bay, as the Obama administration is strongly considering doing.
Over the first four years, the CEA assesment states, the facility would create 840 – 910 temporary jobs and 3,180 – 3,880 ongoing jobs, increasing local earnings by a cumulative $793 to $1,015 million.
“Approximately 80% of all of the jobs created by the facility will be held by people residing in Illinois, while people in Iowa will fill the remaining jobs,” the study states. “These jobs could reduce the unemployment rate in Carroll County, Illinois, where Thomson is located, by 2 to 4 percentage points.”
Of course, Republicans scoff at the numbers, saying the CEA overestimated the effect the stimulus package would have in lowering unemployment.
So maybe the takeover would generate half as many jobs. That would about 1,900 jobs.
Those bastards.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
Just do it! Close Gitmo, get federal money and federal jobs. What’s not to like? With all the hand-wringing, political posturing and wearing of ignorance as a badge of honor that goes on in this country, it’s a wonder we ever get anything done. If I want to see theater, I’ll go to a play.
Hmmm … that over $260,000 per new job created. I could do better. So could you. And without importing terrorists, or giving terrorists more rights than a prisoner of war.
I costs $1 million a year to keep a soldier in Afghanistan. The Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that the detainees were entitled to constitutional protections. Justice Kennedy, a Reagan appointee, wrote the majority opinion. Why? Because this is the United States.
So the Obama administration is left to clean up this mess Bush created.
Gitmo detainees aren’t kept in Afghanistan they’re kept in Gitmo so what does the cost of keeping a soldier in Afghanistan have to do with anything? And where is that stat from anyway?
I think he’s trying to say that it often costs the government a lot to employ someone (1 soldier = $1M). Spending a lot of money is not a reason NOT to employ someone.
“And where is that stat from anyway?”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33936279/ns/politics-the_new_york_times/
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-troop-costs23-2009nov23,0,3233273.story
Afghanistan obviously is a separate issue, but Murrel apparently was making a point about government expenditures.
It doesn’t matter. This is NOT going to be a Dept of Justice, Bureau of Prisons operation anyway if indeed it goes ahead. It will be a DOD, Dept of Defense, pentagon operation. Durbin even acknowledged that they would be guarded by military–not civilian prison guards. So these jobs estimates are BS. The government would move military guards to Thomson. The hires would be negligable. And you know what? EVEN IF it was a DOJ, Bureau of Prisons operation, they would hire according to federal hiring rules ACROSS the nation and bring the people in that they need to.
When this Administration creates many fake congressional districts with a phony amount of stimulus money spent to try to document jobs created, they are just as likely to pull numbers out of their butts to push this initiative.
No, the jobs this creates won’t even be anywhere near half of this bogus estimate. Time will tell. But the old saying goes. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Remember, if this happens, lets see if Thomson becomes a DOJ or DOD operation. If it is DOJ there won’t be even half of this estimate but if it is DOD, there won’t be hardly any new jobs at all.
And who wants their grandma to serve on the jury of an AlQaeda leader? A leader whose followers cannot get anywhere near Guantanamo where the military tribunals should take place. But their followers sure as hell can get anywhere in Illinois. Especially grandma’s home if she finds em guilty. Sounds like fear mongering but it is the absolute truth. Real jurors, judges and prosecutors will become targets and are indefensible, and they don’t live behind security at Thomson prison.
The Liberal Pundit back at it.
As with any statistics from either side, they are bullshit, i.e. the museum numbers.
The question I am asking is why has it taken this long for a prison that could hold 1000+ prisoners to be utilized, especially with the “prison overcrowding”.
150ish minimum security prisoners does not a prison make. If they wanted to house Hitler, Bundy, Manson, Mussolini, and Dhamer there so be it. Just use the goddamn thing.
But those job numbers are bullshit.
That’s it. I call Godwin. No more comments.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law
This is not Godwin’s law, the law is about comparison to Nazis and or Hitler not merely citing his name.