38°Quick links: Valentine photo contest • Washington Legislature • Idaho Legislature • Gonzaga hoops • WSU hoops
Former Idaho Sen. Larry Craig’s new consulting firm, New West Strategies, has been hired by Cassia and Minidoka counties to help Cassia County land a $300 million federal prison. The Twin Falls Times-News reports that both counties’ commissioners agreed Monday to pay Craig’s firm a monthly fee of $5,000 plus a $500 monthly travel budget. The city of Burley also plans to chip in for the contract. Craig, who retired from the Senate amid scandal after he was cited in a Minneapolis airport men’s room sex sting, formed the consulting firm this year with partner Michael Ware, his former chief of staff/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Would you want a federal prison located anywhere in North Idaho?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
999 W. Riverside, Spokane, WA 99201
P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210
Main switchboard: (509) 459-5000 • (800) 338-8801
Newsroom: (509) 459-5400 • (800) 789-0029
Customer service: (800) 338-8801
© Copyright 2010, The Spokesman-Review
redman on October 07 at 2:57 p.m.
only if it is equipped with the latest tap tap comodes
Flag as inappropriate
wheels on October 07 at 2:57 p.m.
Considering the image that's being promoted here I'd say absolutely NOT! My take is that we're getting a little carried away/the corections bus. here.
Flag as inappropriate
redman on October 07 at 2:57 p.m.
Craig’s Firm Tries To Lure Prison…..
enough said
Flag as inappropriate
wheels on October 07 at 3:00 p.m.
To funny Redman.Seems we were keying at the same moment.Zero comments when I started.
Flag as inappropriate
Kage_Mann on October 07 at 3:02 p.m.
There is already a prison near Orofino.
Flag as inappropriate
moscow_minidoka on October 07 at 3:02 p.m.
My question is: How on earth can Cassia and Minidoka counties afford the $5000/month+ to pay for this? They aren't exactly rolling in money…
Flag as inappropriate
Me on October 07 at 3:09 p.m.
Strange stuff going on in Hardin Montana……
http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-…
Flag as inappropriate
Cis on October 07 at 3:17 p.m.
With Montana and Oregon both sitting there with brand new prisons… empty, never been used, and no prisoners in sight… and he wants to put one in Idaho??? Why for heaven's sake…. Mr. Craig..GO AWAY.. we don't need some disgraced old senator to tell Idaho how to spend our money.. we have enough people already telling us.
Flag as inappropriate
danofthecounty on October 07 at 3:19 p.m.
Properly built, staffed, and administrated this could be quite a boon for local communities and potential job seekers. They are usually good paying federal jobs with benefits.
But not if it's some cut rate private prison with substandard wages and no heath benefits for employees.
Flag as inappropriate
Kage_Mann on October 07 at 3:22 p.m.
I could of sworn, there was talk of housing some of the Guantanamo Bay inmates (enemy combatants) there in Hardin,Mt.
Flag as inappropriate
Aliasjax on October 07 at 3:27 p.m.
Yes…then throw all our elected officials inside.
Flag as inappropriate
LarrySpencer on October 07 at 4:14 p.m.
@ me
Strange stuff going on in Hardin Montana……
“The agreement with American Police Force has been heavily promoted by members of the city's economic development branch, the Two Rivers Authority.”
It reads like willy wonka and the chocolate factory!!!! Don't anybody tell Tony Berns!
Flag as inappropriate
mike_s on October 07 at 4:32 p.m.
Spencer, can you explain your Willy Wonka analogy?
Flag as inappropriate
Soaf on October 07 at 4:36 p.m.
mike_s on October 07 at 4:32 p.m.
Spencer, can you explain your Willy Wonka analogy?
–––––––––––––––––––––––—
This should be good!
;-)
Flag as inappropriate
poolman on October 07 at 4:41 p.m.
Yes new prisons can provide jobs to depressed areas. They also generate huge economic windfalls for many fortune 500 companies who vie for everything from cloths to soap to long distance phone service. Contracting companies like Brown & Root and Halliburton and engineering firms like CH2MHILL also stand to make huge profit margins on new facilities. But, you can feel safer because it gives us the ability to put even more people in jail.
No civilized nation in the world has a higher percentage of its population in prison. Why - because it's good biz. The criminal justice system is probably the biggest organized racket in this country and no one makes a peep about it. And why is that? Because they play on the one emotion people have no ability to reconcile – FEAR. Fear sells more prisons and more cops, fear gets politicians elected and fear gets people to buy newspapers and watch TV.
Flag as inappropriate
LarrySpencer on October 07 at 4:42 p.m.
Mike/Soaf
Did you read the story?
Flag as inappropriate
mike_s on October 07 at 4:48 p.m.
Larry, I read it. Still, can you explain your Willy Wonka analogy?
Flag as inappropriate
Soaf on October 07 at 4:49 p.m.
@Larry,
Yup, and since I don't have the ability nor the inclination to read your mind,,,,, I fail to make the connection.
In other words,,,,, What's your point?
******Heading Down the Rabbit hole********
;-)
Flag as inappropriate
LarrySpencer on October 07 at 5:02 p.m.
Soaf, it is starting to get creepy the way you post together with MikeS, almost like you are sitting right beside him and you agree before you post what each of you will say! Strange, if you ask me.
Flag as inappropriate
mike_s on October 07 at 5:09 p.m.
Guess I won't waste any more time trying to decipher Spencer language, and the personal secret code that only he understands. Willy Wonka?
Flag as inappropriate
Soaf on October 07 at 5:16 p.m.
No body asked you Spence.
Flag as inappropriate
LarrySpencer on October 07 at 5:33 p.m.
I would keep talklng to you, but I know you can't respond at this time. It has been fun though!
Flag as inappropriate
Soaf on October 07 at 5:38 p.m.
Awwwwwww,,,, Spencer thinks I'm Mikey!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's so cute!!!!
Spencer wanna cookie?????
:-P
Flag as inappropriate
Escapee on October 07 at 8:59 p.m.
I think the greater question is, should Larry Craig be consulting anyone on anything?
Flag as inappropriate
HonestGeorge on October 07 at 9:08 p.m.
If it was located in a small town - and I lived there then I would say NIMBY.
If a prison is built, and unless it's patterned after some medieval facility, it will allow family visitations. The local motels and restaraunts should then see benefits. The local hospital would have a larger supporting base because federally insured workers carry good health insurance. All to the good - but the downside includes a stigma when identified as a prison community. If 200 jobs is the end goal - period - then no sweat. But if the community is trying for a broader development vision e.g. developing a tourist destination image, then image becomes important.
Indigent health care costs could rise as some prisoner's families settle in for the long haul. Ditto welfare costs - and possibly crime. A large enough community could absorb all this with little consequence but a small community might not be so lucky.
Flag as inappropriate
Fishwife on October 08 at 7:54 a.m.
I wouldn't want the toe tapper lobbying for my city. Have they no pride? And, no, I want no part of the prison industrial complex.
Flag as inappropriate