Florida GOP prison privatization proposals open door for politically connected GEO Group

[seafan]

Let's bring on the corruption, boys!


Florida prison privatization proposals open door for politically connected GEO Group

By Steve Bousquet
April 3, 2011

TALLAHASSEE — The Legislature's push to privatize many more prisons, its most far-reaching cost-cutting plan in years, opens a lucrative door to politically connected vendors who stand to profit.

Senate and House budgets require the state to privatize prisons in South Florida, home to one-fifth of the statewide inmate population of 101,000. The region is the home of the GEO Group, the nation's second-largest private prison operator that currently runs two private prisons, including the largest private lockup, Blackwater River Correctional Facility in Milton.

GEO also operates five state psychiatric hospitals, including South Florida State Hospital in Pembroke Pines, which got its long-sought accreditation following GEO's takeover.

The Boca Raton company, a reliable contributor to the Republican Party, employs more than 2,000 people and a stable of 16 well-connected Capitol lobbyists. It donated $25,000 to Gov. Rick Scott's inaugural celebration in January. A top transition budget adviser to Scott, Donna Arduin, is a former trustee of a GEO real estate company, Correctional Properties Trust. The company's health care subsidiary, GEO Care, is led by Jorge Dominicis, a familiar figure in the Capitol from years of lobbying on behalf of the sugar industry.

.....

As the hard right now hold all the cards, Florida succumbs to ruin.

[KaryninMiami]

1. Yup. Privatizing prisons and hospitals, brought to us by our new Gov

Not to mention drug tests for all state workers and anyone who is collecting services which will cost us millions and will benefit Scott who is a major investor in the medical testing companies. We had better recall this criminal soon- I do hope this is truly in the works (besides on FB) because he is truly terrifying. Compared to this monster, Jeb Bush (who brought us those wonderful touch screen voting machines), was a walk in the park. Very scary times here in Florida.

[Zephie]

2. I'm waiting for the recall with bated breath.

[KaryninMiami]

3. I'm praying for it but it's hard to tell whether we can pull it off here.

There are 9000 on one of the FB pages- not huge but it's a start. No idea what the timing is or when we can start the process...

[Zephie]

5. I'm sure there are many many more than that

I personally don't have a facebook and I know several people who also do not so that's probably a vast underestimation. Still, a start's a start! Scott's antics are truly deplorable and it takes a either a very naive or cold soul to ignore them.

[howaboutme]

4. Public private partnerships are ticket to corruption

Anytime public assets are privatized the predictable corruption will follow. Not only are the costs going up but the pandering and bribery and abuse follows. As occurred in PA the judges will be bought off in order to send more innocent victims to fill the jails.

http://inthepublicinterest.org/case/pennsylvania-kids-cash-conspiracy

http://privatizationwatch.org/index.php?/categories/1-News

[onethatcares]

6. at the present time there is no way to recall prickscott,

there is a bill that is being introduced to allow such a thing, but with the state in the hands of the repukes, do you actually think it will go anywhere?

Sorry folks, Floridas' time in the sun is over, we are going to be in for 4 years of hell, privatizations, bribery, scorn for the less well off, and more jobs lost.

This state is gonna look worse than Honduras in 2015. Bet on it.