As a P.S. to my previous post, “Diane Feinstien Is Right About Gitmo” .
According to a FoxNew report, Senator Feinstien supports bringing the Gitmo prisoners to American soil. By way of illustration, she suggested that the Gitmo prisoners could be safely housed in a maximum security facility in Colorado.
As a Californian, I would like to suggest that they be could be housed in California, instead. Our American soil is just as good as the suggested Colorado soil, and we have our own proven, and secure, prison facility, that would ensure the safety of the populace, in the from of Alcatraz Prison.
Alcatraz is a former Federal prison, and it is till owned by the Federal government.
It still has prison walls, and buildings, and structures, and cell blocks, etc, etc, however, they would need to be renovated for use; but, how much renovation would it need to be better than Gitmo ?
Alcatraz is on an island in the middle of San Francisco Bay. The nearest shore is a minimum of 1 1/4 miles, to 1 3/4 miles, depending on the currents. All approaches to the island are easily observed, especially with modern day technology. It is secure from prisoner escapes, and from outside attack.
Everyone knows how broke we are, in California; my goodness, we are tettering on the brink of bankruptcy.
Having the Gitmo prisoners will be an economic boon to any municipality that can provide the needed services. This is not for a small-town; it is a city-size project.
San Francisco is an ideal choice. It can provide all the required service; air transportation, hotel rooms, meal, transportation, and supporting services, and,
and a large and varied labor pool.
We all know how a single high profile criminal case can cost several million dollars; just think what 240 trials will cost, 60-80 of which are truly high profile cases.
Bringing the Gitmo prisoners here will generate hundreds of millions of dollars in addition revenue for any municipality that will have them. They need to be housed, and fed, and the cost of the necessary legal proceedings will be astronomical. Just think how much revenue would be generated by hiring 240 lawyers, alone, not to mention support staff, judges, and court personnel, and sheriffs, and guards, and cooks, and prison management, and maintenance,etc, etc, etc. It goes on, and on.
And what about the media ? Hundreds of reporters, and their staff, will be camped-out at each trial. Media vans will be ferried to the island. The world will see San Francisco, and they will want o visit..
Alcatraz is already a very popular tourist destination. While tourist visits to the island will be stopped, people still come to San Francisco just to see the island from a distance.
And in a decade, or two, when the novelty wears-out, the island can be reopened to the public, the public will again be able to visit and tour the island. They could even be charged a premium fee to actual observe a genuine Gitmo prisoner. It would be a wayt for th prisoners to help pay their keep.
This whole idea is fantastic Stimulus Package that any city would be glad to have.
And it is a stimulus that won’t even peak for several years, and will have an ongoing revenue stream for many decades of housing the prisoners who are convicted.
It will employ a ton of lawyers, and support staff; judges and court personnel; sheriffs; prison guards; prison management; prison maintenance.
The city will enjoy an increase in hotel occupancy, meals, transportation, air flights, etc. ,etc., etc, we all know how business is generated.
We all know how a single high profile criminal case can cost several million dollars, just think what 240 trials will cost, 60-80 of which are truly high profile cases.
And that is not even the half of it. It will not be over and done wit for many years, plus, we can always expect even more prisoners to be moved in from Iraq, and Afghanistan, and other unnamed places around the world.
