Corporate Con Game: How the private prison industry helped shape Arizona’s anti-immigrant law

from In These Times:



Corporate Con Game
How the private prison industry helped shape Arizona’s anti-immigrant law.

By Beau Hodai


Beside my brothers and my sisters, I’ll proudly take a stand. When liberty’s in jeopardy, I’ll always do what’s right. I’m out here on the frontline, sleep in peace tonight. American soldier, I’m an American soldier…”

So goes the ringtone of Arizona State Sen. Russell Pearce’s (R-Mesa) phone—as performed by Toby “we put a boot up your ass, it’s the American way” Keith. Seconds into any conversation with Pearce about illegal immigration, you’ll discover that the song fits. In his mind, Pearce is an “American soldier” fighting a war that he believes threatens the very fiber of the nation.

“There’s been 133 nations identified crossing that border. Not just Mexicans, not just Hondurans, not just El Salvadorians, but 133 nations. Many of those are nations of interest, which means that they either harbor, aid and abet, or are somehow connected to terrorist activities,” says Pearce. “And yet they continue to cross that border. We’ve got prayer rugs that have been found down there, other things that have been found down there—and yet they continue to do nothing.”

So Pearce decided to do something. He became the proud and primary sponsor of S.B. 1070—the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act—signed into law by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer in April and set to take effect on July 29.

Yet the fact is, some backers of S.B. 1070 are wrapping themselves in the flag all the way to the bank. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/6084/corporate_con_game

I almost lost interest and didn't click through.

My Gaud, ALEC.

ALEC is comprised of 10 task forces, each responsible for developing “model legislation,” which ALEC member lawmakers then sponsor and introduce in their home states.


So that's how all these conservative laws keep getting on state's books.

SourceWatch says:

ALEC is a conservative organisation that pushes legislation that favours big business and rollbacks environmental regulations. ALEC says that its membership exceeds 2,400 state legislators from both political parties, which is over 30 percent of all state lawmakers in America.

In 2002, two environmental groups, Defenders of Wildlife and the Natural Resources Defense Council, described ALEC as "corrosive, secretive and highly influential" and a "tax-exempt screen for major U.S. corporations and trade associations that use it to influence legislative activities at the state level."

FAIL, Pearce.

YOU ...and CCA and GEO Group are the poster children for what's wrong with America.

Anything goes as long as you cretins make a buck.

Big shock...the good news is that if they run their prisons like they've run everything else, those prisons won't be standing six months after the top CEO's collect their bonuses...