Illinois State Legislators just voted yes to selling prison to Federal Government. 7 to 4
Voted NO:
- Bill Brady
- Matt Murphy
- Patricia Bellock
- Raymond Poe
Voted YES; REMEMBER THEIR NAMES
- Jeffrey Schoenberg
- Michael Frerichs
- Dave Syverson - Does not want to close GITMO
- Donne Trotter
- Richard Myers
- Elaine Nekritz
- Al Riley
They did not have answers to many questions regarding national security; however, they said they trusted the federal government would determine how to keep Illinoisans safe.
This is the first stop, and it is a recommendaiton, however Lisa Madigan has confimed that Quinn has the authority to sell without legislative approval. Let's look for a governor candidate that will STOP THIS!
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THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability has moved its vote to THIS WEDNESDAY, JAN. 6th.
They STILL HAVE NOT POSTED THE VIDEO FROM THE MEETING HELD ON DEC.22 SO THE PUBLIC WHO WERE WORKING THAT DAY CAN VIEW THE PROCEEDINGS!
CALL! FAX! EMAIL! (click here for numbers)
Here is sample letter.
Attorney Genenral Lisa Madigan says Quinn CAN SELL Thomson without the legislature's approval. If this isn't tyranny we don't know what is!
And now we know that released Gitmo detainees were responsible for the successful Christmas Day bomb attack (thankfully it malfunctioned).
We now know that Ried (the shoe bomber) has successfully challenged his incarceration and restrictions. He was recently moved from an isoloation unit into another section where his mail, and contact with visitors and fellow inmates are subjected to less scrutiny. It takes a British paper to tell us this! (read here).
Under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), these terrorists will be allowed to meet with sympathetic muslim clerics.
At the meeting, we now know that there is a group that will challenge the constitutionality of holding terrorists if they are acquitted.(if the video was posted you would see thi .. the name of the group is "Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights."
The full video should be posted at the Commission site:http://www.ilga.gov/commission/cgfa2006/home.aspx (They told us it would be posted, but it is not!)
BUT IT ISN'T YET! This meeting took place on 12/22. Email / call and complain! We have a right to see the entire meeting in its entirety! THE FINAL VOTE WILL TAKE PLACE ON JAN. 15. Click here for email addresses of Commission members.
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Here is a
great summary from one of the MANY TEA Patriots who was there:
The Thomson Prison/Guantanamo Detainee Public Hearing Sham
Driving the 90 miles to Sterling, IL for the public hearing on the sale of Thomson Prison to the federal government, I was naively optimistic that the process itself would afford a learning opportunity for the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability and others involved in the eventual decision. What an enlightenment. In a nutshell, this particular hearing process was a pre-ordained effort to promote the appearance of job opportunities in NW Illinois while hiding the sophomoric statement of Barack Obama on his first day in office to close Guantanamo Prison – one of many kneejerk statements by our man-child President to repudiate any actions of George W. Bush. All of this effort and expense to support young Barry’s contention that Guantanamo was an evil institution (Bush’s fault) and that it’s closing would make Islamic terrorists like us more. You bet, Barry! Better brush up on your Facebook searches – I’m certain there will be hundreds of new jihadists waiting in line to become your newest ‘friends’.
The hearing was long, but then again, that’s the nature of the public hearing process – there was truly a lot to be shared and learned from all participants. Of course, for people like IL State Senator Jeffrey Schoenberg, (D, 9th District – northeast corner of Cook County; senator@jschoenberg.org) and commission co-chair, this event was clearly an inconvenience as he refused to acknowledge and allow the emotion-packed reactions to statements, banging his gavel at every applause and audience reaction – except, interestingly, when the applause suited his own political posture – the locals from the Thomson area as well as the Obama cronies were never ‘gaveled’ when expressing approval of their speakers.
It was obviously a rough day for poor Jeffrey. Unlike the several hundred people that were also in attendance for the same amount of time and who traveled at least as far as if not much further than Sen. Schoenberg, they managed to listen intently for the entire duration. Senator Schoenberg, on the other hand, could frequently be observed propping his head on his hand – much like a immature school child. And while not pounding the gavel and appearing completely bored, he frequently turned to other committee members to conduct conversations while panelists were expressing their concerns and also managed to leave the session for what was much more than a bathroom break. Sorry to inconvenience you, Senator, but your purpose there was to listen and, God forbid, serve your role as a servant of the people.
The hearing began with officials representing both Illinois and Washington, D.C. agencies (Jack Lavin, Chief Operating Officer, Office of the Governor; Director Michael P. Randle, IL Dept. of Corrections; Director Jonathon Monken, IL State Police; Director Harley Lappin, U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons; and Principal Director Alan Liotta, U.S. Department of Defense/Office of Detainee Policy). Representing the whims of co-conspirators Obama and IL Governor Pat Quinn, their posturing and opinions were expected. They did, however, provide ample opportunity for the commission members to probe further with questions. With the exception of Rep. Al Riley and Sen. Donne Trotter, most of the questioning from the commission was done by Republican members, most notably, Sen. Matt Murphy, Sen. Bill Brady, Sen. Dave Syverson, Rep. Patricia Bellock, and Rep. Raymond Poe.
A dozen or more officials from various municipalities, counties, and legislative districts in NW Illinois also spoke. With the exception of Sen. Tim Bivins (R, 45th District – Dixon), every local representative expressed strong support for the federal takeover of Thomson and movement of the Guantanamo detainees to that site. Along with another 8-10 representatives from various economic development organizations in this area of Illinois, it was difficult to not appreciate the consistent message and economic strain upon the residents of this area. Juxtaposed, however, to the rest of Illinois and most of the country, their current unemployment rate of around 11% is not so dissimilar to the general population. Their concerns were confined to one arena and one arena only – jobs. Making casual references to prison employee and general population safety, it was clear they would be willing to overlook/sacrifice virtually anything in order to bring jobs to the community.
Approximately 5 representatives of prison unions also expressed their concerns. Admittedly, my own already-listening expected this to be another self-indulging set of diatribes on union entitlements. True to their respective roles, their primary interest was the availability of jobs. What proved to be an eye opener, however, was the contention they offered that there was no need to bring enemy combatants to our soil in order to save their jobs. Between over capacity at Joliet, Menard, and Pontiac prisons along with interest expressed by the state of Pennsylvania to move 1,500 prisoners from their overflow population to elsewhere outside of the state, the union representatives indicated this might provide them with the best economic opportunity. After all, the proposal to have the Department of Defense operate the Thomson facility with military staff would deny most of the job opportunities for people in this region. This information appeared to be enlightening to most of the commission.
Having seemingly stacked the deck with approximately 5 ? hours worth of pro-Thomson/Guantanamo supporters, finally at about 7:45 PM, speakers who had concerns beyond jobs were allowed to address the commission. What was truly unfortunate, however, was that the speakers from the first 5 ? hours left at this time – they truly needed to hear what followed as much as the commission members. Of the two dozen or so speakers that followed, there were 7 women who spoke (3 of whom I was unable to collect their names) and who awoke the commission members from their self-induced slumber and took them to task on a variety of concerns. Bev Perlson (founder, Band of Mothers – www.TheBandOfMothers.com), Denise Cattoni (Illinois Tea Party), Debbie Lee (President, America’s Mighty Warriors – www.AmericasMightyWarriors.org), and Mary Alger all acknowledged the economic plight of the Thomson area, but made impassioned pleas to the commission and audience to understand and put into perspective the relative importance of a solely economic focus for this region as opposed to the larger concurrent forces that are at work to destroy our national economy, our national sovereignty, our freedoms – all of which have been are being defended by the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. Our soldiers have not given their time, safety, and lives for us to bring the very animals that have conspired against us into our very midst. All the assurances of the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and the Illinois State Police does not mean squat when we see the misplaced priority given to ‘diversity’ over safety. The Fort Hood tragedy is a perfect example of what can and likely would happen after liberal politicians create a jihadist magnet at Thomson.
Noted, but easily lost in the emotions of the hearing, was the lack of responsibility of the Illinois legislature in permitting the construction of Thomson Prison to begin with – a $128 million (estimates ranged from $128 - $145 million) facility that has never come close to its prisoner capacity and for which operational funding has been woefully inadequate – what politicians can and will so with our taxes never ceases to amaze. As one of the panelists stated, for the commission to consider approval of this Thomson/detainee proposal, it essentially makes them the same type of ‘political whores’ that are populating Washington, D.C. taking government favors for their support. In the words of a couple of these panelists, the actions and words of the commission, the local residents, and the sponsoring politicians were appalling – that they had literally sold their souls for the sake of economic gain. Our founding fathers would be embarrassed and angry.
A couple of the final panelists summarized this hearing for how it appeared – a disgusting sham. Conducting this meeting 3 days before Christmas when most people had enough on their plates already was probably a strategy that the commission, Obama, and Quinn hoped would minimize a public outcry. Sorry to burst the bubble of people such as Senator Schoenberg and inconvenience them with public opinion, but Americans have awoken to the charades and are fed up with the arrogant antics and misplaced values of such self-serving politicians. Though we hold out hope that common sense and patriotism will prevail in addressing this issue, rest assured that in the longer run, Senator Schoenberg and his ilk will be in our electoral ‘sites’.
From Patriot Rick in Wayne
THOMSON FINAL VOTE. 1/15/10!
The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability will make a final vote on their recommendation.
Below are the commissioners voting on Wednesday:
SENATORS:
Jeffrey Schoenberg - Co-Chairman - (217) 782-2119; (847) 492-1200; senator@jschoenberg.org
Bill Brady -309.664.4440; (217) 782-6216; FAX: (309) 664-8597 FAX billbrady@senatorbillbrady.com
Michael Frerichs- (217) 782-2507; (217) 355-5252; FAX (217) 355-5255email online click here
Matt Murphy - (217) 782-4471; (847) 776-1490; FAX (847) 776-1494 email online click here
Dave Syverson - (217) 782-5413; (815) 987-7555; FAX (815) 987-7563 info@SenatorDaveSyverson.com
Donne Trotter - (217) 782-3201; (773) 933-7715; FAX: (773) 933-5498 FAX
HOUSE:
Richard Myers - Co-Chariman; (217) 782-0416; (309) 836-2707; FAX (217) 782-5257
Patricia Bellock - (217) 782-1448; (630) 852-8633; FAX -(630) 852-6530 (represents Westmont/DuPage Co.))
Kevin McCarthy - (217) 782-3316; (708) 226-1999; FAX (708) 226-9068
Elaine Nekritz - (217) 558-1004; (847) 257-0450; FAX (847) 257-0452
Raymond Poe - (217) 782-0044; (217) 782-0044; FAX: (217) 782-0897; email: poe@ilga.gov
Al Riley- (217) 558-1007; (708) 799-4364; FAX: (708) 799-4481; email: rep.riley38@sbcglobal.net
> PLEASE SIGN THE petition... NO TO GITMO IN ILLINOIS! It will ask you to donate after you place your name, but you do not have to donate to have your signature counted!
On line Petition - We will present this on the 22nd.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/illinoisgitmo/
>Ideas for signs. click here.
This is a public meeting conducted by the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. We have been told there will be an opportunity for public input. We are not sure which public officials will be present. Please check back for updated information.
> Download flyer
> Download press release.
> Link to "leaked" presidential memo ordering immediate action on Thomson. (thank you biggovernment.com!)
NO OTHER COUNTRY WILL TAKE THEM, BUT ILLINOIS WILL?
None of our representatives, either federal or state, were informed of this action. We as citizens were not asked. These terrorists will have full rights of US citizens once they step foot on American soil. What's wrong with this picture?
EVEN OUR SENATE, IN A RARE BIPARITSAN VOTE (90 - 6) VOTED TO BLOCK THE FUNDING TO CLOSE GITMO! Click here for full story.
Click here for initial story of Thomson plans.
Click here for what you can do.
Key Issues:
> This weekend, Russia experienced yet another terrorist attack when a bomb blasted through a train. Could this have been a dry run for a major US city, such as Chicago? Just in 2009, there have been 243 terrorist attacks around the world; 2,434 people have died and 5.403 have been injured. (click here for full list)
> Senator Durbin said, "Some of the things that have been raised … this threat to Chicago 150 miles away are pretty far fetched.” And how far away was the Pentagon from Boston?
> We should have faith in our courts. Like the sentence given for the terrorist who plotted to bring down the Sears Tower? click here for full story
"Narseal Batiste, the ringleader of a group of men convicted of plotting to take down Chicago's Sears Tower and bomb FBI offices here and elsewhere, was sentenced to 13 ? years. Authorities had asked for a much longer sentence for Batiste, who faced a maximum of 70-years in prison from U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard.
Following two mistrials, Batiste and four other men were convicted last May of supporting terrorism, conspiring to wage war on the U.S. and other charges. Two other men were acquitted." (11.20.09)
>There has never been one single escape from a super max facility. We are not concerned with escapes, we are concerned about the ability to plan and plot on our soil. We are concerned with becoming a lightening rod of terrorist activity and revenge.
Batiste (see above) said on tape, "I can get 5,000... soldiers in Chicago."
> This summer, the largest gathering of radical Islamics met on the south-side of Chicago. A group committed to establishing an international Islamic empire and reportedly linked to Al Qaeda is stepping up its Western recruitment efforts by holding its first official conference in the U.S. … Now, it is coming out of the shadows and openly hosting a July 19 conference entitled, The Fall of Capitalism and the Rise of Islam, at a posh Hilton hotel in a suburb of Chicago. (click here for more)
> Alavi Foundation, an organization that had its assets seized by the federal government because of illegal ties to Iran's nuclear development and Al-Queada, holds the mortgage on a facility in Naperville, IL. (click here for more)
> The Guantanamo detainees will be isolated from other prisoners and supervised by the DOD.
The DOD who so aptly identified and contained Dr. Nadal Hasan at Fort Hood?
> What happens when they are either acquitted (no Miranda rights) or serve just a few years like Batiste?
> Are we in a safer world today than in 1960? Our expenditures for national defense have been approximately cut in half compared to 1960.Click here for these charts and full federal spending and budget information from 1792 to today.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
> Call and write!! Here is a link to find YOUR STATE SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE. click here.
CALL QUINN'S office - 217.782.0244 AND 312.814.2121 and tell him we do not want terrorists in Illinois!
> CALL, FAX, EMAIL COMMISSION MEMBERS who are voting on this! (click here)
Other numbers:
Sen. Dick Durbin: 217-492-4062 or 312-353-4952
Congressman Don Manzullo (in his district) - 815-394-1231 or 815-356-9800
State Senator: Dave Syverson (his district) - 815-987-7555
> Click here for sample letter in word document
> Call, write, or email Pres. Obama, VP Biden, our senators and your representative with one click. Make sure you change/fill in the appropriate information as this is set-up for the healthcare issue. (click here for link)
> Call, write, or email Gov. Quinn. (click here)
> Call the Village of Thomson and leave a message for the mayor, Mr. Jerry Hebeler. Phone number is (815) 259-3905.
> Write to Mr. Jerry Hebeler, Mayor of Thomson. Address: Thomson Village Hall, P.O. Box 244, Thomson, IL 61285. |
