The Prison Debate: Week Two. Public & Employee Safety

By: Linda Gross

(Update: Thursday)  This blog post was recently updated to reflect the correct source of the “Report on Prison Privatization” as being the Prison Corrections Institute”, and providing the actual PDF for readers to access.)

This week’s debate in the AZ Silverbelt, centers on public and employee safety.

Zache, speaking on behalf of the EDC who is backing the effort to bring a private prison to Globe, quotes Geoffrey Segal of the Reason Foundation, as identifying 17 studies that conclude “quality at private facilities is as good or better than at government-run facilities. Segal goes on to to tout the benefits of these private prisons ending with the statement that “there is clear and significant evidence that private prisons actually improve quality.”

Wow!  Sounds good. You can hardly question an organization with a name like the Reason Foundation, can you? Kinda like “Fly Safe Airways.” Just makes you want to book a flight.

Well, turns out the Reason Foundation which was established in 2004, is funded by the Private Prison Industry. We question politicians motives when we discover they are being bought off by special interests. Perhaps, before making a decision based on the claims of The Reason Foundation, and it’s spokesman, George F. Seagal, you might consider the roots of the organization.

In the same May 2010 press release by the Prison Corrections Institute refutes much of the Reason Foundation findings in a piece entitled: Report on Prison Privatization Plagued with Conflicts of Interest,Faulty data, Political Connections, PCI press release re Reason report 2010 (2)-2 . In it they also mention the American Correctional Association, also cited by Zache in this week’s debate as being a legit mechanism for accredidation. The PCI report differs on this point.

… Continue Reading

Pet Project OR Progressive Leadership?

By: Jim Moss

Can you think of one significant community project resulting in improved quality of life — that did not require foresight and strategic planning?  Do you recall any major municipal improvement that came without a price tag, or without controversy?
So it shall be with a recent Globe City Council decision to move toward a revitalization of our Public Library.
Is the Council’s majority decision to purchase the real estate on both sides of the existing Library (as a first step toward revitalization) — an example of visionary leadership OR irresponsible city governance? … Continue Reading

New Senior Housing Development breaks ground

Floyd Crank, Mayor Fernando Shipley, Clay McReynolds of Pacific Companies, Supervisor Mike Pastor, Mark Shellenberger, Ed Dawson

It was a tough slog to get to this point according to the developer and political leaders who attended Friday’s ground breaking ceremony for a new 48-unit senior housing development. Despite being billed as a senior housing development with the express intent of serving an older population who face special needs and fixed incomes, there was local opposition to the project from those who felt the development might turn into a low-income, drug-infested housing development – or those who simply didn’t want a building development of this size “in their back yard.” It took over three years and multiple city hall meetings, planning and zoning debates, meetings at local and state levels and closed door meetings to arrive at a point where bulldozers could go in and break ground on the project.

The final approvals coincided with the economic upheaval in September of ’08 and while the events of ’08 caused a delay in the project, according to Clay McReynolds,  the investors and banks held firm in their support of this project. A final vote on the project was put before the Globe City Council. The vote was 3-For and 3-Against.  The tie vote generated a discussion to table the vote for more discussion, or vote again. It was decided to vote again and with it still tied it was Mayor Fernando Shipley who stepped in to break the tie and cast the deciding yes vote to insure the project moved forward. … Continue Reading

Photo Radar comes to Globe

By: Linda Gross

The Globe City Council  voted last month, 3-2 to install photo radar in the city of Globe. The vote came after hearing public comment which ranged from concerns about Big Brother , and a perception that the cameras represent a violation of rights… to destroying the quality of small town life. Despite the emotions which ran high at the meeting, the effort of the Mayor and Council to stay the course and move forward with the contract to Redflex is grounded in a belief that a limited number of photo radar units will actually serve to protect small town life by making streets and roads safer for all who live and work in the area, as well as visitors who come here. They point to such dangerous stretches of road as the curve on Hwy 60 near DeMarcos where people pulling out into traffic have to compete with poor visibility and drivers going – on average- 20 miles over the 45mph posted limit. … Continue Reading