Opinion: Globe City Council Has Failed Us

By Jim Moss 9/21/2010 (Edited)

Monday night's City Council meeting may represent a low point in Globe City Council leadership.

The Mayor and the majority of the Council have demonstrated a profound lack of common sense and good judgment about the private prison industry issue from the very beginning. Back in April it took them a mere 7 days to pass a Resolution supporting a plan to bring a big for-profit prison to Globe.

The majority decision on April 19 to support the private prison industry was made with virtually no due dilligence conducted and with virtually no input or feedback from Globe citizens. Five months later, after ample opportunity to review objective research that demonstrates the permanent, negative consequences of a big prison in a small town, and after hearing from hundreds of citizens opposed to their prison project--this Mayor and Council stubbornly refuse to act with common sense, good judgment or to acknowledge the will of their constituents.

Instead, this Mayor and Council have chosen to play games with this critical issue. They want our community to believe the issue is dead, that it is "moot" due to the temporary cancellation of private prison bids by the AZ Dept. of Corrections.

Our "first line of defense" against the private prison industry setting up shop in Globe is our elected City government. The vast majority of citizens do not want another prison in Globe. Our Mayor and Council has failed us. The community remains vulnerable to the prison industry. When will Mayor Shipley and Council listen to the majority of citizens and pass the Resolution that we have been asking for? WHEN?

More:
Opinion: Globe Politicians Still Want a Private Prison!
Globe-City of Hospitality or Prison Town?