According to this morning’s paper VDT, the contract between
private prison company CCA and the Valdosta-Lowndes County
Industrial Authority has expired.
The land owner could sell the land to CCA anyway,
but that would be
without a state or federal customer for the prison
and without $5 or $6 million in
economic incentives
VLCIA was going to arrange, including
without water and sewer.
According to
the letter Brad Lofton signed and VLCIA sent to CCA 12 November 2009,
the total of incentives was more like $9 million dollars
of tax abatements for CCA or tax-funded work, all of which the rest of us
taxpayers would have to pay for one way or another.
All that plus the prison itself would have been paid for with our tax dollars.
Tax dollars that now can go to rehabilitation or education instead.
So the people of the community win!
Congratulations to
Drive Away CCA and all others who helped oppose this private prison project,
and congratulations to the Industrial Authority
for finally saying what is going on.
Perhaps now the Industrial Authority can get on with bringing in industry
that will actually contribute to the community.
How about industry that people would be proud to move next to?
Industry that would employ local people?
Industry that would attract knowledge-based workers and businesses?
Maybe that’s what VLCIA’s
Strategic Plan Process is about.
If so, let’s all help the Industrial Authority achieve it.
-jsq