Most support Illinois' vye for Guantanamo prisoners

For eight years, it's sat nearly empty. Now Thomson prison has grabbed national attention.

[daedalus]

If any men from Gitmo are sent to Thomson, I hope they are first given a fair trial, and if convicted, given an appropriate sentence. If they are just held indefinitely without trial, the name Thomson will go down in history beside the names Dachau (where the Nazis held political prisoners without charge), Manzana, (where the U.S. held Japanese American without cause, charge, or conviction) and Maze Prison (where the IRA hunger strikers died). If the government thinks they are guilty of crimes, then they should charge 'em and try 'em. If they are innocent, let them go. Strong countries apply the rule of law to all.

[Concerned]

In my opinion, I think that selling the Thomson Prison seems like a way for the state government to take all matters out of their hands, to be able to tell those hired as prison gaurds at the Thomson prison that there is nothing they can do and to finally end their embarassment at having a 145 million dollar facility sitting empty for 10 years. The Thomson Prison was supported by many people because we were promised jobs in the area 10 years ago, in the last year we have finally seen people getting prison gaurd jobs-elsewhere! In this story I'm hearing the same promises, more jobs and money for the area (probably giving us the highest estimates?), but this time I don't buy it. I have a feeling that many of those hired for this prison will be federal employees, many of those hired for the Thomson Prison might not even be qualified for this work according to the article. I look forward to hearing more about this subject, but I hope that it is actually looked at seriously by the Illinois legislators and is not just looked at as a quick way to make some money.

[No One Important]

Not sure who they polled, but I can assure you, I WASN'T POLLED.

If the prisoners are found GUILTY of a CAPTIAL CRIME, we shouldn't NEED A PRISON...immeidately EXECUTE THEM.

Don't bring them here...don't hold trials here....no one here wants them.

Stupidity of a claim that 50% support this idiocy?

NONSENSE. The nation doesn't WANT these monsters brought here.

Now, I know that Illinois is a hellhole of a state, but that doesn't mean you bring MONSTERS here and dump them here...I'd rather have a spent nuke rod STORAGE facility here than those monsters.

Leave them in GITMO, have their trials THERE, like there WAS going on, and this administration STOPPED those trials and brought them HERE FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON.

The idiocy of this move is beyond speechless...

And a swift execution no matter WHERE they are, means we don't even NEED a prison.

Unless of course, you plan on these monsters LANGUISHING on our death ROWS for 15 years like all the OTHER PARASITES.

Yea, isn't Obama great? Isn't Obama wonderful?

Man, he is SO outta here in 2012...he just keeps writing the campaign ads.

And so do the democrats who support this...say bye bye to lots of them in 2010. They're writing their own pink slips....

[No One Important]

This is absolutely ridiculous.

#1, the prison shouldn't have been built in the first place if the funds to operate it weren't there.

#2 Illinois may be a nasty state, but it doesn't mean I want the worlds most terrible monsters dumped here.

Those "unified" on this are democrats, desperate to save Obama's rear end and his absolute debacle of a policy about closing Gitmo.

Besides, there WAS a trial going on in Gitmo and OBAMA STOPPED IT. To bring them here?

If they're guilty, they can be tried and executed AT GITMO. We don't even NEED to bring them here, nor even NEED this prison.

It's insanity. And those democrats who support this are writing their own pink slips.

The nation is apalled at this behavior by this administration. And Illinois will be no less disgusted with this move.

Keep it up democrats. You just keep proving how completely out of step you are with the entire nation.

2010 can't get here soon enough.

[American]

I do not believe this should happen here for many reasons. The main reason, I believe is safety. How can you place these prisnors just miles away from Cordova and in the middle of the much needed farm production country. SAFTY! Would this now be a higher risk area? I believe so. If these people are a National Threat than a safer place must be found to house them. A desert complex far from larger family communities, nuclear power plants and ecomonic farming zones is very important... because these people may have friends ya know. Don't exchange our safty for CASH! Wake up folks before this happens.. if you agree with me... Please, help stop it from happening and express yourselves.
Signed, One who is concern for all around our region!

[RANDY]

IT WOULD SEEM THAT ANY ARGUMENT AGAINST A "MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON"
WOULD HAVE BEEN MADE LONG BEFORE IT WAS STANDIND UNUSED OR UNDER USED IN THE COMMUNITY FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THE TOWN AND REGION HAS BEEN BEGGING FOR YEARS TO PUT THIS FACILITY TO WORK. I THINK THE OLD PHRASE "HIGHEST AND BEST USE" APPLIES HERE.THIS BUILDING REALLY ISN'T GOING TO BE USED AS AN ICE CREAM SHOP OR STRIP MALL ANYTIME SOON AND SHOULD BE PUT TO WORK IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE STATE AND ITS TAX PAYERS BY BECOMING A FEDERAL PRISON AND THE WORK IT WAS DESIGNED TO PERFORM.

[Kelly]

No one seems to mention its only 40+ miles to a Nuclear plant real nice. Terrorists and their families in close proximity. Smart real smart

[Clarence Darrow]

There is a chance that these people will get off on a technicality like illegal seizure by the US Government or they ould be a prisoner of war. That might be the deal the Obama Adminstration has with Al-Queda to end the War.

[Sherry]

As a resident of carroll county I have faced job loss do to the factory in Lanark back in 2001 and the prision oprning in Thompson was going to be great. Wow the biggist bed and breakfst still sits empty amd Carroll County is in double digits in unemployment. We need the jobs people wake up.

[CDMelton]

Kelly mentions terrorists and their families. What families are you talking about? You really think they'd move all over trying to get close? Why? There are NO visiting hours for a super-max prison. And new terrorists coming here? I'm pretty sure, having lived in this white-bread area my whole life, that any middle eastern person moving to Thomson (population 500 or so) would attract notice, something terrorists are notoriously unlikely to do since it botches their chances of getting away with terrorizing people. I'm not sure there are a dozen non WASP people in all of Thomson so I think new non-prison-employee people, let alone foreigners, would stand out like a sore thumb.

This was always a maximum security prison. It was ALWAYS going to house serial killers and gangs and bombers and child rapist/killers. But state prisons bring with them an influx of visitors (and friends of inmates tend to be former and future inmates) and prison gypsies. Prison gypsies are the families of inmates who move from town to town as the inmate is transferred between prisons, to stay close to their loved one, because the state will send a welfare check to any address. The difference now? No gypsies, no visitors, more security. We already house terrorists on US soil.( http://www.slate.com/id/2219268/ ) Why not let Thomson have some of the money now?

[No One Important]

I say, turn Thomson into a spent nuke rod storage facility. Maximum security, etc.

Obama DEFUNDED yucca mountain now. And guess what ladies and gentlemen!

THAT just put the nail in the coffin for NUCLEAR ENERGY in this nation. NO WHERE to go with the spent rods now.

That's right boys and girls...all those rods...in casks.. under water...waiting RIGHT NOW for Yucca mountain to open...13 BILLION dollars of YOUR money...you paid fees on YOUR utility bills, to go toward that facility...

Obama just DEFUNDED.. he shut it down.

NOW what are ya gonna do with the rods? Hmmm? The apache Indian nation probably doesn't have too much more room (yes boys and girls, the apache INDIANS saved our nuclear energy industry when CLINTON famously gutted it. The ONLY nation willing to stand up, was the Apache nation, to store the rods.)

Whateryagonnadonow? Huh?

I say, the idiots who BUILT that prison that never FUNDED THE OPERATION, we turn it into a spent fuel rod storage.

It's a max security, we retrofit it, enlarge it...and push it into service. And YES, that's an industry that would generate JOBS ALSO...LOTS OF JOBS.

Betcha didn't know that Obama gutted the nuclear energy in this nation, didja? When you were all screaming about the HC debacle, then the bad unemployment numbers...etc...

Didn't know that didja? Didn't exactly make the front page news, did it?

Yep. NO WHERE, in the entire nation, to go with spent fuel rods, because he defunded the massive storage facility in yucca mountain. It never even opened.

Spent rods, all across the nation, in pools, waiting for it to open...

And what happens now to all those nuke plants functioning now...hmmmmmmmmmmmmm? What are they going to do with their rods when their temporary holding pools are full?

Oh yea, Obama phoecked us good on that one... and none of you even noticed it...

[CDMelton]

Fine, you hate Obama and you have a beef about spent rods. we get it. Now get back on topic and quit ranting. You sound like a lunatic.

[Hoppe]

We do not want the Guantanamo Prisioners in Illinois or the United States of America.

Please do not have the trails in NY or US

Please pay attention to to our wishes and leave the US alone!!!!

[Lynn]

I don't believe that people are believing the tiresome Republican scare tactics and fear mongering. It's ridiculous to think that "Terrorists" will be roaming Carroll county roads or creeping through the corn fields. NO ONE has EVER escaped from a super-max prison. We already have over 300 terrorists imprisoned in the U.S. with no incident. The building of a 1500 man military base by the prison should add to the security. These people will buy the vacant houses, shop and pay taxes. The 900+ new local jobs will revitalize the area and attract new businesses. Wake up people and think for yourselves... stop believing the "fear card" The only reason Republicans are even interested is NOT because they worry about you... they meerly want to obstruct anything our President tries to do. As they admitted.. the only thing that matters to them is that the President fails.

[John]

I Just want to know what is going to happen to the guards that work there now and the 150 or so that were forced to move throughout the state if they wanted to keep their jobs. That would be my deciding factor. Am i scared of terrorist in the area, NO!!!! BUT I AM SCARED OF THE EMPTY PROMISES THIS STATE MAKES TO ITS PEOPLE AND EMPLOYEES!!! I personally know people hired at Thomson and they are just praying for the state to open it so they can finally return home to their family and friends.

[No One Important]

CDMelton wrote:

Fine, you hate Obama and you have a beef about spent rods. we get it. Now get back on topic and quit ranting. You sound like a lunatic.

Actually Melton, I AM on topic.

I think the facility should be turned into a spent rod facility.

I don't think it should be used as a prison.

It has the space, the max security, it just needs some retrofitting.

JOBS pal...construction jobs.

And we don't bring ugly hateful terrorists to our state.

A majority of the ENTIRE NATION disagrees with bringing those monsters here to the US. And NO ONE wants these monsters here in Illinois except a few people who are desperate for jobs, those jobs that are on the GOVERNMENT PAYROLL...

The only people TOUTING it are the liberal sycophants trying to salvage obama's sorry idiot arse and his policies.

Obama is sinking faster than the titanic in the polls. The independents are absolutely livid. The GOP wins in Tuesday elections are terrifying the democrats.

Obama is blithering about a "jobs summit" now that even LIBERAL columnists are using phrases like "tone deaf" and "clueless" and "out of touch"....

They're forcasting 12% unemployment. Yep...We're at 10.2% with a real negative 17.5% effected. That's 27 million people right now. That's like Pennsylvania, Illinois and Oregon, all at the same time, unemployed or under employed...

12% forcast, will probably translate into a 20.4% negative impact.

The great depression hit 24%.

We've lost more homes to forclosure in THIS SINGLE YEAR, than were lost in the entire DECADE of the great depression.

But do we hear a clarion call to the houses to focus on the economy? Nooooooooo, this idiot POTUS is gonna have a JOBS SUMMIT, he's gonna TALLLLLLLLLLLLLK about 27 million people on the edge of destitution.

Where's the whistlestop barnstorming through the country telling them he's gonna focus on that? Ohhhhhhh, that's right, he wasted almost a YEAR trying to tell you watering the lawn was the asnwer while the HOUSE BURNS DOWN..(hc reform is the answer to the crisis.) Nero fiddles while rome burns....

Obama is pushing for higher energy costs. He just gutted the nuke energy capabilities of this nation....

We need somewhere to go with spent fuel rods...

NO ONE agrees with this decision. And THAT sentiment cuts across ALL party lines.. liberal, democrat, GOP, conservative, libertarian...no one wants these monsters brought to civilian trials here in the US...

Tell me to stay on topic? I AM ON TOPIC PAL...everything this idiot POTUS does is somehow a sucker punch to this nation...

After 9/11, Bush spent his presidency doing everything he could to keep us safe. He endured TERRIBLE attacks by lefties screaming about “civil rights” etc. Bush never lost sight of the belief “sleep well, for nothing will harm you on my watch.” He did everything he could to safeguard YOUR life, and your CHILDRENS’ lives.

Bush did what he thought he could to keep you safe and to the MONSTERS far AWAY from us....

Obama is bringing the monsters TO us....

Bush did everything he possibly could to protect your LIFE....that was his opinion of his duty....

Obama is RISKING your life because of HIS opinion....

Something is terribly, terribly wrong with this picture.....

[CDMelton]

I find it VERY telling that you put the term civil rights in quotes. It shows how much respect you have for them. We are a country built upon the notion of civil rights for ALL, not just for some and not just for American citizens. What you see as Bush doing everything within his power to keep us safe, I see as Bush doing whatever he could at the cost of this country. I saw him try to kill what this country stood for, civil rights, checks and balances, liberty. He tried to keep people alive, MAYBE, but at what cost? He cr@pped on the bill of rights, and you put the words civil liberties in quotes.

We are the nation of due process, of innocent until proven guilty, of not just declaring people evil and shooting them on sight without a trial. It's what America was built on and it's what we stand for. It's why we shouldn't torture and it's why we should give SUSPECTS, unconvicted suspects some of whom may actually turn out to be innocent (it's been known to happen) a chance. ANd it's why we should close down Gitmo. The rest of the world sees us now as one of the bad guys based on Bush's policies of extreme rendition and "enhanced interrogation techniques". Yes, the bad guys do worse, but we aren't them and we shouldn't be happy with just being a little over that bar. We are supposed to stand up as the nation of honor, and dignity, and moral certicude. You may disagree with Obama, and it's clear you do, but Bush was no winner when he declared himself and the US above all authority. We don't need to be the bully nation anymore. We can and should close Gitmo (even your precious Bush was willing to do that), and as long as we need to move those guys somewhere, it might as well be where federal paychecks will go in local coffers.

I won't argue you on nuclear rods, because I haven't reasearched that subject. But I would personally feel safer with gitmo detainees in Thomson than nuclear waste.

[Stephanie]

Bottom line, bring the jobs to this rural community and surrounding areas! This will boost the economy. You do not have to work for the prison, but this will open so many other opportunities. At some point we have to set politics aside and think about what would be best for our community.

[John]

There aren't even enough people in the area that meet the requirements to work at the fed prison. What they need to do is open Thomson as a state prison, it will pay better, create more than enough jobs, boost economy and home sales, and more jobs will open in the area. I am from that area, and my family still lives there. The absolute best thing to do is open thomson as a state prison. Stop the overcrowding in other max prisons in the state, bring the thomson employees home, then when its time vote for anyone running against Quinn.

[Dan Warden]

daedalus wrote:

If any men from Gitmo are sent to Thomson, I hope they are first given a fair trial, and if convicted, given an appropriate sentence. If they are just held indefinitely without trial, the name Thomson will go down in history beside the names Dachau (where the Nazis held political prisoners without charge), Manzana,(where the U.S. held Japanese American without cause, charge, or conviction) and Maze Prison (where the IRA hunger strikers died). If the government thinks they are guilty of crimes, then they should charge 'em and try 'em. If they are innocent, let them go. Strong countries apply the rule of law to all.

Anyone know what strong countries this guy is talking about? Name 1 that is more fair than the U.S.