Ron Wait opposed to Gitmo in Illinois

In reaction to Governor Quinn’s plan to sell the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Illinois to the federal government for use as a prison and detention facility for terrorists, I have signed on to House Resolution 762 calling for the immediate halt of the negotiations. Just because Obama has failed to follow through on his campaign promise to close Guantanamo Bay does not mean we should bail him out and ship terrorists within 100 miles of Belvidere and Rockford . This is a completely irresponsible plan from Governor Quinn just to help out his buddies in Washington .

Thomson Correctional Center was built in 2001 as an adult male maximum-security facility with 1,600 cells and a separate 200-bed minimum-security unit. Currently, only the 200-bed minimum-security unit is open due to state budget constraints. The center was controversial during its construction due to the negative impact on the environment, especially being so close to the Mississippi River .

I am calling for the correctional facility to be used as a conventional 1,600-bed maximum-security prison as originally intended. I am also not opposed to the sale of the facility to the Federal Bureau of Prisons as long as it is used as a conventional 1,600-bed maximum-security prison as originally intended. A 1,600-bed prison fully operating would be wonderful for the local economy. Restructuring the prison as a federal detention center for up to 200 detainees will house far fewer prisoners and create much fewer jobs. Not only are we risking the safety of our citizens, we will be creating far fewer jobs than the Democrats are promising.

People have warned the Obama administration and the American people that the persons detained in Guantanamo have allies around the world who can be expected to respond to these detentions with an ongoing threat of homicidal violence that will stretch indefinitely into the future due to the culture of militant Islam.

Thank you so much for reading my E-Newsletter. I hope that Governor Quinn will come to his senses and abandon this plan to bring terrorists into our state. With your continued support, I am confident that we can accomplish these feats and address the issues that matter to us the most. Again, thank you and God bless.