McHenry County Blog

Congressional Quarterly blew the whistle on U.S. Senator Dick Durbin's effort to trade a religious freedom commission's continued existence for Federal purchase of Thomson Prison almost a month ago. The story is spreading as the December 16th drop dead date approaches.

Looks as if McHenry County Blog wasn’t the only one thinking Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin’s attempt to blackmail a Virginia Republican congressman who chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee that controls the U.S. prison system budget was a tad too much.

Congressman Frank Wolf is not only chairman of the subcommittee, but sponsor of the legislation to continue the commission that is charged with fighting religious prosecution.

Almost a month ago Congressional Quarterly’s Shawn Zeller wrote of the trade-off that Durbin anonymously set up by putting a “hold” on the House legislation.

As Chicago Tribune columnist and blogger Bryne points out, “Even Comedy Central found reason to comment on this clown.”

Comedy Central is running an article today calling Durbin “a Tea Party zealot” for his actions.

Mr. Smith wasn't saying, "If you just give buy my state's empty prison, I'll sit down and shut up."

“These heartwarming stories of semi-anonymous Senate holds always remind me of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” write columnist Ilya Gerner.

“If only Mr. Smith were a career politician willing to stand up to the influence of corrupt interest groups like ‘Big Refugee’ and ‘Big Persecuted Minority’ in order to advance the economic agenda of his home state,” she continued.

More locally, Bryne writes a post headlined,

Dick Durbin, hack that he is, thought he could get away with this dirty trick…

“but thanks to the blogosphere he won’t,” the first line of his article continues.
“Come on, Dick, even for you this is a bit far,” Byrne concludes.

Durbin’s tactic even got coverage in a Washington Post story by Michelle Boorstein.

Dick Durbin should be called out for wanting to trade the religious freedom watchdog agency for Federal purchase of Thomson Prison.

In typical Illinois style, U.S. Senate Dick Durbin has been fingered by CQ Weekly’a Shawn Zelle as the one who put a hold on the unanimous consent agreement passage of re-authorization of the US Commission on Religious Freedom.

This is the independent agency that is credited with pushing the Bush administration to understand the north–south conflict in Sudan as primarily a religious one, according to Nina Shea, the director of the Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute and one of the US Commission on Religious Freedom.

What’s Durbin price for allowing the bill to be passed by unanimous consent?

He wants the Federal government to buy the over ten-year old, barely used maximum security prison in Thomson, Illinois.

Thomson Prison watch tower.

That’s where President Barack Obama wanted to transfer terrorists being held at Guantanamo.

That’s what the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) reports.

The pressure point for the proposed blackmail (my word, you can call it “log rolling,” if you wish) Zeller says,

“…could be that Rep. Frank R. Wolf, the Virginia Republican who sponsored the legislation creating the commission in 1998, chairs the Appropriations subcommittee that funds federal prisons.”

“If true, it is appalling that Senator Durbin would tie the continuation of USCIRF to any other issue,” IRD’s Faith McDonnell wrote.

This press release explains the effort to keep Gitmo prisoners from being moved to the Thomson, Illinois, maximum security prison that Illinois hopes to sell to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Washington representatives associated with it are U.S. Senator Mark Kirk and Congressmen Don Manzullo, Joe Wlash, John Shimkus, Joe Walsh, Aaron Schock, Peter Roskam, Judy Biggert, Randy Hultgren, Adam Kinzinger and Bobby Schilling.

Kirk, Manzullo, IL Colleagues Urge President Obama to
Abandon Efforts to Move Gitmo Detainees to NW Illinois

Firm commitment needed so Congress can focus on opening Thomson as a federal prison

Congressmen Joe Walsh and Don Manzullo, plus U.S. Senator Mark Kirk appeared at a Town Hall Meeting in Crystal Lake at McHenry County College.

[WASHINGTON] Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Egan), Joe Walsh (E-McHenry) and seven of their Illinois colleagues today called on President Barack Obama to heed the bipartisan calls from Congress and abandon efforts to move terrorist detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (Gitmo), or elsewhere abroad, to a vacant state-owned prison in northwest Illinois.

In a letter to the President sent this afternoon, the federal legislators said Congress will never provide funds to purchase the vacant Thomson Correctional Center and run it as a federal prison as long as the Obama Administration continues to express its desire to house the Gitmo detainees there. In addition to Kirk and Manzullo (who represents Thomson), the letter was signed by U.S. Reps. John Shimkus (R-Collinsville), Judy Biggert (R-Hinsdale), Peter Roskam (R-Wheaton), Aaron Schock (R-Peoria), Randy Hultgren (R-Winfield), Joe Walsh (R-McHenry), Adam Kinzinger (R-Manteno), and Bobby Schilling (R-Colona).

“The only way Congress will ever seriously consider approving funds to acquire and operate Thomson as a federal prison is if the Administration commits to backing off its plan once and for all to move Gitmo detainees to Thomson. We implore your Administration abandon its efforts to house Gitmo detainees at Thomson and join us in turning it into a maximum-security federal prison,” the letter states.

The vacant Thomson prison in Carroll County, IL could house up to 2,600 maximum security federal inmates with very little renovation at a great price to taxpayers. It would immediately help reduce the federal prison system’s 52 percent overcrowding problem in its maximum security division while providing much needed jobs and economic opportunities to the people of northwest Illinois.

The signed letter is attached and the text appears here.

“Holy guano, Batman!”

Of the 760 employees at Menard Correctional Center in the Metro East part of Illinois, 389 have filed claims.

“That’s a big pile of guano, Robin!”

Belleville News-Democrat reporters George Pawlaczky and Beth Hundsdorfer have discovered “hundreds of guards and others have filed for or received taxpayer-funded settlements for ‘repetitive trauma’ they say was mainly caused by operating heavy cell locking mechanisms.”

Most people sense that the coming Democratic Party income tax hike will be to pay for overly-generous pensions for public employees.

Batman will assist the Illinois Department of Insurance.

Now, comes this report on Menard prison guards milking the Workers Comp system.

“Records show that some repetitive trauma awards for wrist and elbow injuries totaled more than $100,000,” reads one sentence in the story.

One commenter wrote, blockquote>“And it took an article in the newspaper to expose this. What does the Dept of Insurance do? Read newspapers & wait for something to investigate. Another worthwhile govt agency.”

Another said,

“Is it any wonder why that Illinois is considered one of the most corrupt states in the country? This is a whole bunch of State employees fleecing the system. And in this situation, apparently it starts at the top with a Warden of the prison. I’m sorry, but the large volume of claims from this one place, a prison, roars very loudly: SCAM! It is garbage like this that is about to Bankrupt the State of Illinois.”

During the mid-1980′s, Workers Comp was part of the Bureau of Benefits I managed in the Department of Central Management Services. We managed to convince the Department of Corrections to put control of Workers Comp claims in the performance standards for wardens.

And it at least deserves mentioning that if Menard had been closed and its maximum security prisoners been transferred to the virtually empty and new Thomson Correctional Center, these claims would not have been filed.

Congressman Don Manzullo will get his wish that Guantanamo terrorists not be transferred to the Thomson Prison in his 16th District. His press release below explains what happened in Washington Friday:

U.S. House Votes Overwhelmingly to Prohibit Transfer of GITMO Terrorists to United States

Manzullo supports fully utilizing Thomson as federal prison without terrorists

[WASHINGTON] The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly today to prohibit the transfer of the GITMO terrorists into the United States, scuttling the Administration’s plan to close GITMO and move the terrorists to the state-owned Thomson Correctional Center in northwest Illinois.

An amendment to the Department of Defense (DOD) authorization bill passed 282-131, with 114 Democrats joining 168 Republicans in approving the amendment that would prohibit the Administration from bringing any GITMO terrorists into the United States.

“Today’s overwhelmingly bipartisan vote reaffirms Congress’ strong opposition to moving the GITMO terrorists inside the United States, and it basically scuttles the President’s plan to move the terrorists to northwest Illinois.

Inside Thomson Correctional Center.

“This is what I expected when the Administration first announced the plan last November to bring the GITMO terrorists to Thomson and why I fought to separate the terrorist element from the legitimate plan to open Thomson as a stand alone federal prison without the terrorists.

“I was concerned the controversial GITMO side of the plan would swamp our efforts to open it as a federal prison and create much needed jobs for the people of northwest Illinois.

“I was relieved when I received a letter back from the Administration in March stating they planned to purchase and open Thomson as a federal prison even if they could not get authorization from Congress to move the GITMO terrorists there.

“With today’s devastating vote against moving the terrorists, I again call on the President to proceed with purchasing Thomson and fully utilizing it as a federal prison without the terrorists.”

In a letter to President Obama earlier this week, Manzullo said another 750 maximum security federal inmates could be incarcerated at Thomson if the Administration allowed the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to use the three pods (200 cells in each pod) currently set aside for GITMO terrorists. The BOP is planning to house 1,800 maximum security federal inmates in the other five pods at Thomson and would welcome the additional space.

“Housing an extra 750 federal prisoners at Thomson would create more civilian job opportunities while further reducing the current 52 percent overcrowding in the federal prison system’s maximum security division,” Manzullo said.  “I strongly urge the President to fully utilize Thomson as a federal prison without the terrorists.”

That’s what the 16th District Congressman’s press release below says.

Manzullo Urges President Obama to Fully Utilize
Thomson as a Federal Prison Without Terrorists

[WASHINGTON] With Congress continuing to oppose moving GITMO terrorists inside the United States, Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) today called on the President to purchase and fully utilize the vacant Thomson Correctional Center in northwest Illinois as a maximum security federal prison without the terrorists.

In a letter to President Obama, Manzullo said another 750 maximum security federal inmates could be incarcerated at the state-owned Thomson facility if the Administration allowed the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to use the three pods (200 cells in each pod) currently set aside for GITMO terrorists. The BOP is planning to house 1,800 maximum security federal inmates in the other five pods at Thomson and would welcome the additional space.

“Housing an extra 750 federal prisoners at Thomson would create more civilian job opportunities while further reducing the current 52 percent overcrowding in the federal prison system’s maximum security division,” Manzullo said.  “It is my understanding that the federal prison population is expected to grow by 10,000 to 14,000 inmates over the next two years.  This has become a critical safety issue that reduces the guard to prison ratio, and jeopardizes the security of our federal personnel who work in these facilities. I strongly urge the President to fully utilize Thomson as a federal prison without the terrorists.”

Manzullo’s letter to the President comes on the heels of another strong bipartisan vote in Congress this past week against bringing the GITMO terrorists into the United States. On Thursday, the House Armed Services Committee voted 59-0 for the FY 2011 Defense Authorization bill (H.R. 5136) that includes the following language: “(t)he committee firmly believes that the construction or modification of any facility in the U.S. to detain or imprison individuals currently being held at Guantanamo must be accompanied by a thorough and comprehensive plan that outlines the merits, costs and risks associated with utilizing such a facility.  No such plan has been presented to date.” As a result of this unanimous legislative action, even Illinois Governor Pat Quinn acknowledged to the Chicago Tribune on Friday it is less likely the GITMO terrorist detainees will come to Illinois.

Manzullo suspects the outrageous price tag of moving the GITMO terrorists to Thomson — $350 million – is also a driving force behind Congress’ opposition to the plan, along with concerns that moving GITMO to Thomson will simply transfer the threat and hatred to northwest Illinois.

“With this latest bipartisan vote in Congress, it is apparent the President will not get the Congressional support he needs to move the terrorists to Thomson,” Manzullo said. “I strongly urge him to free up the extra pods at the prison so we can house another 750 federal prison inmates and further reduce the extreme overcrowding in the federal maximum security system.”

16th District Congressman Don Manzullo received an encouraging letter yesterday, March 18th.

Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich wrote,

“With respect to your suggestion to move forward whether (or not) detainees from Guantanamo are moved there, the President has directed the Department of Justice to acquire the facility to fulfill both the goals of reducing federal prison overcrowding and transferring a limited number of detainees out of Guantanamo.”

So, Illinois will have two really secure Federal prisons. One at Marion in Southern Illinois and one at Thomson in Northwestern Illinois.

And the goal of Governor George Ryan to provide jobs to his constituents up there will be fulfilled…if eight years after it could have been, had Democratic Party successor Rod Blagojevich been alert enough to rent out the space for imported prisoners from other states.

Below is the text of the letter Manzullo received:

This responds to your letter to the President, dated November 30,2009, expressing strong support for establishing a federal prison at the Thomson, Illinois Correctional Center. We agree with your assessment that the facility “is ideally suited to help the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons meet their growing demands for more prison capacity.”

Thomson Correctional Center where Barack Obama originally wanted to incarcerate Gitmo terrorists, some of whom trained in Yemen, as did the Detroit Christmas bomber

As you stated in your letter, Harley Lappin, Director of the Bureau of Prisons, has briefed you and other Members of the Illinois congressional delegation numerous times about the critical overcrowding problem in the federal prison system, including a particularly urgent need for “supermax” type bedspace. Director Lappin has also been working closely with local and state officials on the process of obtaining appraisals and meeting other federal and state requirements for the sale.

With respect to your suggestion to move forward on the acquisition regardless of whether detainees from Guantanamo are moved there, the President has directed the Department of Justice to acquire the facility to fulfill both the goals of reducing federal prison overcrowding and transferring a limited number of detainees out of Guantanamo. The Department has made clear, however, that it would be seeking to purchase the facility in Thomson even if detainees were not being considered for transfer there. (Emphasis added.)

As you may know, the Department of Justice requested $237 million in its Fiscal Year 2011 budget to acquire, activate, and operate the facility in Thomson. We appreciate your support for this request and look forward to working with you as this process moves forward.

My first throught when I saw this Saturday’s Chicago Tribune headline about trying 9/11 terrorist mastermind in Thomson, Illinois, was

”In Your Guts You Know They’re Nuts!”

but I thought the understated “Oh, Joy” might be appropriate.

Bryon Nuclear Power Plants

Obviously, the “key presidential advisers” don’t live downwind from a nuclear power plant.

Which way do the winds blow?

But, they probably have friends in the currently planned trial site, New York City.

In keeping with my goal to allow politicians to give their messages to the public in an unfiltered manner, the following message from Illinois State Representative Michael W. Tryon is provided:

Dear friend,

Mike Tryon

The spring legislative session has begun in earnest, and already hundreds of bills have been introduced for consideration by the legislature.
Last month, the House of Representatives approved a bill that I sponsored which will require legislative input and consent on certain property transactions by the state.

The legislation, House Bill 4744, would require the State to receive approval from the General Assembly prior to selling any piece of surplus property that is worth more than $1 million. This is a change from current law which states that if a piece of property is “surplus” property, then the State can sell it immediately after appraisal and without any requirement for the consent of the General Assembly.

I strongly believe that properties worth more than $1 million, like the Thomson Correction Center, should not be sold in the dead of night by administrative procedure, but in the light of day with legislative approval. Other state legislatures are required to approve similar transactions in their respective states, and there’s no reason it should be any different in Illinois.

It is my hope that my colleagues in the Senate will also approve this bill to provide safeguards to the rightful owners of state property in Illinois, the taxpayers.

Truth in Accounting

Weighing heavy on the minds of legislators, as well as residents throughout the state, is the financial crisis facing Illinois.  With a $13 billion budget deficit, service providers, state contractors and even local schools are already making drastic cuts and in some cases closing their doors due to the state’s inability to pay its bills on time and in full.

To help shed light on the state budget, and improve the state budget process, I’ve introduced the Truth in Accounting Act of 2010. This bill, House Bill 5212, is the culmination of work between me, the Institute for Truth in Accounting and the Americans for Prosperity. Among other things, the legislation would:

• Require all state government agencies to switch to full accrual accounting standards as promulgated by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB);
• Prohibit the General Assembly from approving any appropriations bill during a fiscal year until both houses of the General Assembly have adopted a joint resolution scrutinizing, accepting, and if necessary amending the budget estimates generated by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA);
• Require the electronic publication of all appropriation bills;
• Requires the Comptroller to publish a Consolidated Annual Financial Report (CAFR), prepared in accordance with the principles of full accrual accounting, no more than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year. This report must explain any differences that exist between the estimates accepted by the General Assembly prior to the fiscal year, and the actual outcomes achieved by the State during that fiscal year.
• If we truly want to reign in spending, put an end to borrow-and-spend budgeting, and address the massive debt facing this state, we must reform the budget process through accountability and transparency. This legislation will put everyone involved in the process on the same page by offering a real look at the fiscal condition of the state annually and allow the legislature to focus on long-term, responsible budgeting, instead of the ineffective, piecemeal approach that it currently takes.
  As always, do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding state issues.  It is an honor to serve you in Springfield.

Sincerely,

Michael Tryon
State Representative – 64th District

Mike Tryon

It was “just” a surplus property issue.

Should it take approval of the Illinois General Assembly to dispose of surplus property worth more than $1 million?

But House Bill 4744 was aimed by Crystal Lake State Representative Mike Tryon directly at the Democratic (and some regional Republican) Party politicians promoting turning maximum security Thomson Correctional Center into terrorist central.

How creative!

President Barack Obama, Governor Pat Quinn and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin think it is such a wonderful idea.

But, led by not-yet-nominated-for-U.S.-Senate Congressman Mark Kirk, Republicans, including Congressman Don Manzullo, in whose district the prison is located, attacked the idea, not once, but repeatedly. All over TV.

Liberals pooh-poohed the unreasonable fear of opponents. When Manzullo pointed out that the terrorists would likely be tried in Rockford, the Obama Administration rushed in with the alternative that the courtroom would be behind the prison’s walls.

Then the would-be Christmas airplane bomber turned out to be from Yemen, the same country as most of the Guantanamo terrorists President Obama wants to transfer to Northwestern Illinois.

Byron nuclear power plants as seen from Interstate 39, upwind from McHenry County.

That got me thinking about

those Byron nuclear power plants we see on our annual pilgrimage to the Springfield Old Capitol Art Fair.

A terrorist act there releasing radiation would float right over McHenry County.

Enter Tryon with his bill.

It got out of committee, indicating House Speaker Mike Madigan’s approval.

And, it passed overwhelmingly. 81 of 116 voting “Yes.”