I was all set to sensationalize the story I've been pushing on a few forums online: the Florida Prison Privatization deal passed by the legislature, signed by the governor and rejected yesterday by a Leon county circuit judge.
In my zest for raising awareness and mistrust for the governor of this state, I'd constructed quite the lame novella about corruption and greed involved in trying to make Florida's prisons privately owned for-profit facilities. Reality, all sexed up. (But I digress)
The truth of the matter is, Geo Group is a private security company who specializes in prison systems, and is a subsidiary the larger Wackenhut corporation. You may know Wackenhut from the security guards at your local mall, which will give you the wrong impression of the company in many cases (no offense meant to ethical mall security guards).
Wackenhut was started in Florida in the 50's by 3 former FBI agents, and has grown into one of the largest private security firms in the world. It got a mention in Jeremy Scahill's book demonizing Blackwater a few years ago.
I read the story of the judge's ruling in my local newspaper, but I should back up a bit.
The sensationizing I've been doing online has been in following a certain aspect of this case, ie former DOC chief Ed Buss. The Palm Beach Post reported on his "resignation" last August, and Governor Scott's attempt to keep Mr Buss from being deposed in the privatization case.
And from there, the stories can get pretty wild. (extrapolations)
But rather than try to paint some silly portrait full of caracatures, I'd like to step back and view this within a global perspective. I just can't. This company will have the ability to decide the fate and livelyhood of an unfortunately sizeable number of Florida's citizens if privatization occurs. I reject this plan for reasons beyond simple greed and corruption, or even sensationalized stories about them.
There should be no private islands in this state where Floridians aren't in Florida any more than the citizens of this state should have the dictates of a private organization forcably impressed upon them in any way. It is our citizens who should decide and have direct oversight of the housing of those of us who cannot understand the proper ways to live within our structure of laws and rights.
So when I see things like:
The story of the governor's involvement includes a campaign fund raiser named Billy Rubin, who went to work for Geo Group after the governor was elected. This leads one to believe that Mr Billy Rubin either became the tie, or forged the tie between the company and the governor's office. (Shouldn't Billy Rubin be a health care lobbyist?)
But again, rather than taking that tired old road of beating on a man with a bad reputation already, I'd rather focus on the meaning of the law after he and anyone else involved today is gone.
moar to come
(wikipedia cites are taken as a given)
In my zest for raising awareness and mistrust for the governor of this state, I'd constructed quite the lame novella about corruption and greed involved in trying to make Florida's prisons privately owned for-profit facilities. Reality, all sexed up. (But I digress)
The truth of the matter is, Geo Group is a private security company who specializes in prison systems, and is a subsidiary the larger Wackenhut corporation. You may know Wackenhut from the security guards at your local mall, which will give you the wrong impression of the company in many cases (no offense meant to ethical mall security guards).
Wackenhut was started in Florida in the 50's by 3 former FBI agents, and has grown into one of the largest private security firms in the world. It got a mention in Jeremy Scahill's book demonizing Blackwater a few years ago.
I read the story of the judge's ruling in my local newspaper, but I should back up a bit.
The sensationizing I've been doing online has been in following a certain aspect of this case, ie former DOC chief Ed Buss. The Palm Beach Post reported on his "resignation" last August, and Governor Scott's attempt to keep Mr Buss from being deposed in the privatization case.
And from there, the stories can get pretty wild. (extrapolations)
But rather than try to paint some silly portrait full of caracatures, I'd like to step back and view this within a global perspective. I just can't. This company will have the ability to decide the fate and livelyhood of an unfortunately sizeable number of Florida's citizens if privatization occurs. I reject this plan for reasons beyond simple greed and corruption, or even sensationalized stories about them.
There should be no private islands in this state where Floridians aren't in Florida any more than the citizens of this state should have the dictates of a private organization forcably impressed upon them in any way. It is our citizens who should decide and have direct oversight of the housing of those of us who cannot understand the proper ways to live within our structure of laws and rights.
So when I see things like:
Buss also said in his deposition that Cloid Schuler, a GEO representative whom Buss knew from Indiana, rented a room at the same extended-stay hotel where Buss lived when he first came to Tallahassee in February, something that surprised Buss, according to his testimony.and:
When asked if he expeced Schuler to be at the same hotel, Buss said: "Not unless he wanted to meet me. ... I mean, I don't know that I'd stay in the same hotel, but I bet they could stay at better places, though."it disappoints me, because it's yet another case where the stain of the governor's past clouds the debate on this serious issue for the state.
The story of the governor's involvement includes a campaign fund raiser named Billy Rubin, who went to work for Geo Group after the governor was elected. This leads one to believe that Mr Billy Rubin either became the tie, or forged the tie between the company and the governor's office. (Shouldn't Billy Rubin be a health care lobbyist?)
But again, rather than taking that tired old road of beating on a man with a bad reputation already, I'd rather focus on the meaning of the law after he and anyone else involved today is gone.
moar to come
(wikipedia cites are taken as a given)
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