Category Archives: Politics

High Drama on the High Plains

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hardin downtownHardin, Montana, population approximately 3,500, situated on the remote northern Great Plains, not far from Little Bighorn.

Like countless other small towns, Hardin’s fortunes have waned as traditional industries have become less profitable or simply moved on.

In 2004 the city created the Two River Authority (TRA), a quasi-governmental economic development agency charged with creating jobs. TRA’s first project was the construction of a prison in conjunction with Corplan Corrections Inc., a Texas company that specializes in pushing detention centers on economically desperate small towns. The Hardin prison was touted as a no brainer; Montana had a growing inmate population and shortage of prisons. Convinced that a new facility would be quickly filled, TRA obtained $27.4 in revenue bonds for the new detention center. The bonds were to be repaid from the prison’s revenues and did not cost the taxpayers a dime.

By 2007 the jail was complete. There was, however, one small problem… it had no inmates. Relations between the TRA and the State of Montana had soured; the state was now claiming that there had never been any deal to house prisoners in the facility.

Community Education Centers, a for-profit prison corporation, and the jail’s preliminary operator, began to seek inmates from out-of-state. But when the Montana attorney general put the breaks on this plan, TRA was forced to take the case to court. A year later, the court granted TRA’s request to seek prisoners from beyond Montana’s borders; surely some states had extra prisoners in need of a new home. Even the new governor of Montana, skeptical of the program from the start, lent a hand, inviting officials from neighboring states, Indian tribes and the federal government to tour the facility. But none were impressed, and the jail sat empty; even the for-profit prison management corporation figured it was time to get out of town. TRA had built it, but nobody had come.

And so set in the desperation. First, upon hearing of President Obama’s plans to close Guantanamo, TRA began to pitch the facility as the ideal place to house the displaced enemy combatants. These efforts garnered international attention and led to such an outcry by Montana residents that state officials stepped and indicated that no such deal would be forthcoming. Though the Guantanamo plan ultimately failed, the media storm surrounding it had succeeded in broadcasting the woes of Hardin to the world. It was now mid-2009; the jail had been empty for over two years.

HiltonEnter Michael Hilton, President of the American Police Force (APF). Hilton, who prefers to be called “Captain Michael,” approached the TRA and explained that his company was eager to run the jail and build a large special-forces training center on adjacent land. APF (unlike Blackwater (Xe), DynCorp, or CACI) is a relative newcomer to the private security racket. Its militaristic website boasts a wide array of services, including: Special Forces Training, Convoy Security, and, until it was recently removed, International Arms Sales (including WMDs). In mid-August, 2009, APF and TRA signed an agreement stating that APF would operate the jail.

From the beginning, APF’s plans were met with skepticism. After Hardin city officials stated that prisoners from California would be housed in the facility, California officials responded that no such agreement had been made. Likewise, though APF claimed that the federal government was it biggest client, no trace of it could be found in federal contractor databases. Local media outlets, seeking information about APF’s operations, were denied any information, ostensibly for security reasons. Hardin residents were of two minds about the city’s potential benefactor; while some eagerly hoped to cash in on the promised job opportunities, others were beginning to question the legitimacy of the entire deal.

Montana JailOn September 24, 2009, APF came to Hardin, arriving in three black Mercedes SUVs emblazoned with “City of Hardin Police Department” decals. There was only one problem… the City of Hardin did not have a police department; the County Sheriff’s office was responsible for law enforcement within the city. Though TRA authorities attempted to assure a jittery populace that APF’s contract was limited to operation of the jail and training facility, the damage had been done. Though the decals were promptly removed, citizens who had been following this saga at arm’s length were suddenly up in arms.

Following APF’s inflammatory entry, it did little to endear itself to an increasingly skeptical population, refusing to reveal its parent company, financial backers or from where it would collect inmates for the facility. This excessive shroud of secrecy prompted detailed investigations by local and national media into APF and Hilton, its elusive and tight lipped leader. The results were stunning, though to many, hardly shocking. In 1993, Hilton had plead guilty to 14 felonies, including 10 counts of grant theft. He had been named as a defendant in multiple cases alleging fraud, breach of contract and breach of warranty. He had declared multiple bankruptcies, and, the coup de gras, had gone by over a dozen aliases. Hardin, it seemed, had been conned.

The Montana Attorney General got involved again, seeking answers to many of the same questions both wary citizens and dogged journalists had posed. Montana’s Governor went on the record stating that the people of Hardin had been duped, not just by APF, but by Corplan into building the white elephant in the first place.

Then, on October 9th, just two weeks after APF first rolled in to Hardin, it backed right out. The official reason given for cancelling the contract involved unforeseen costs associated with replacing an analog telephone system and damaged security cameras at the jail. But as details have emerged of Hilton’s pending court date in California regarding another scam gone awry, it seems clear that the jig is up.

Greg Smith IIAs if all of this is not interesting enough, there are two side-stories worth noting. The first concerns Greg Smith, former executive director of TRA. Just two days after TRA announced the deal with APF, Smith was placed on paid leave; to this date, no reason has been given for his suspension. Smith’s wife, Kerri, is currently a finalist in the city’s mayoral race. Hilton had stated on record that he advised Kerri to call him about a job with APF should her bid for mayor be unsuccessful. On October 5th, in a closed door meeting, Greg Smith formally resigned from TRA.

ShayThe second mini-drama involves Becky Shay, a former reporter with the Billings Gazette and APF’s current spokesman. Shay abruptly quit her job with the Gazette the day after APF arrived in Hardin, morphing quickly from reporter to stonewaller. In a press conference held days before the deal fell apart, Shay broke down in tears multiple times. It is unclear whether Shay will remain as APF’s spokesman or if her first paycheck will clear.

There’s more… the Billings Gazette has uncovered that the original agreement, ostensibly regarding the jail, also contained a clause which might explain the “Hardin Police Department” SUVs. TRA granted APF the right to submit a proposal to provide police services to the city. Indeed, the concern about private mercenaries patrolling the streets of Hardin under the color of law constituted the bulk of early rumors surrounding the whole deal.

So what’s the moral to this story? Is it just a sad case of desperate people getting conned? Corrupt local politics? That’s part of it, but there’s more going on here. This saga speaks to the moral and visionary bankruptcy of modern America. An economically depressed town pins its future hopes on a prison, peddled by a private corporation seeking to profit from increased incarceration. A simple fact about corporations is that they must grow to survive and please their stakeholders. Corporations in the business of constructing or managing prisons want more Americans behind bars, and will work towards that goal. A strange video slideshow (archived – download and open in browser) on the TRA website presents the Hardin jail as a wonderful place just waiting to be brought to life. But a prison is hardly a place of great promise; we should be ashamed that incarceration is one of our few remaining growth industries. Prisons should not be for-profit.

And how about civics? Privatizing Hardin’s police force is against the Montana constitution, but this is just what TRA seemed to have had in the works.

What about the glorification of militarism? APF’s website attempts to impress with dark colors, rousing music, and pictures of soldiers, weapons and war machines. When did war become chic, rather than the nightmare that it is?

And how about due diligence? How could TRA and city leaders go on record day after day praising APF when simple investigations would have revealed information that ought to have given any reasonable person pause?

But there’s an upside too. The public unraveling of APF in Hardin was fostered by a combination of traditional and new media. Local television stations and newspapers reported on the story as it unfolded while investigative blogs and personal bloggers spread the story around the internet. Some good investigative journalism happened here, without which, Hardin, Montana might just have been duped, once again.

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Health Care

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It is unfortunate that Barak Obama was not able to move his health care agenda along faster. From never granting the single-payer option a seat at the table to distractions over racial profiling in Cambridge, he didn’t get ahead of the opposition on this issue. This is a shame. As a result, expect, starting now, a great uprising from the fringe right, led by types such as Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. They are fomenting extremist racial hatred in opposition of meaningful health care reform. Click here to read a good take on the true motivations of the anti-reform crowd.

This kinda of action is sick, and it shows that we progressives need to fight back. If these people will not accept that the demographics of America are changing, and are willing to disrupt legitimate public debate to broadcast their fear and ignorance, it is our duty as progressives to take them on, head on. In this regard, I’d like to ask you to click the banner to the right and sign up to be a part of the movement to get health care reform passed through the grassroots. Remember, this is how President Obama was elected, and hopefully, this is how we can stand our ground against well funded interests hell bent on maintaining the status quo. Thank You.

Change, 140 Characters or Less

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So many interesting things going on in the world.

First, there have been major protests in Chisinau, Moldova. When I was in Romania, I had a good friend from Uzbekistan who was stationed in Chisinau. I was lucky enough to be able to visit him, and I can tell you that Moldova is not a place that has been going in the right direction as of late. Many, if not most Romanians believe that Moldova is rightly a part of Romania. The official language of Moldova (Moldovan) is nearly identical to Romanian. The interesting part about the protests is that word of them was distributed by cell phone, facebook, twitter and other social networking tools. With all the hype about technology and it is good to see it being used to help individuals come together against oppressive regimes. I wonder if this unrest will continue and the people of Moldova might one day be allowed to join their more forward-thinking neighbors, and perhaps even the EU…

FMI/Video: http://tvr.ro/articol.php?id=60799&c=47

Two interesting stories from the Times.

Gays in Iraq are becoming more visible as the levels of violence abate. The article surveys some young gay males, all of whom have seen many of their friends killed. Interestingly, most of the killings appear to be “honor killings” by family members seeking to redress the shame that these gays have brought upon the family name. I was honestly quite surprised to hear that there were individuals who would dare to be so open in Iraq at all. While there are certainly gays in all cultures, including oppressive ones such as Uzbekistan, most keep their private lives strictly private. It will be interesting to see what becomes of this subculture in Iraq.

The Last Jew in Afghanistan is a touching video op-ed. This man’s fate is like the that of Jews in so many parts of the world. I will never forget the small community of older Jews I met in Romania. Most of them were survivors whose children were pursuing lives either in Israel or the United States. Whether those who stayed did so by choice or necessity, it was an honor to celebrate some of the Sacred Jewish traditions with them. As we approach Passover, I’ll think of them as they gather for a communal feast, a bright moment in what is otherwise a rather lonely existence.

Great News

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I really like the “Open for Questions” feature that has been going on over at change.gov. For this second round (which was recently completed,) the new white house press secretary responded to the questions in a short video. Not only am I thrilled to see such an adaptation of modern technology at the highest levels of the Executive, but I also really like what I hear. Please watch this video to the end (or fast forward to 4:15) for some great news. A million small steps.

ARPA-E

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President Obama has selected Steve Chu to be Energy Secretary. Chu is a seriously brilliant scientist and economist. In 2007, he served on the “Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of the 21st Century,” which was created in response to the following Congressional query:

What are the top 10 actions, in priority order, that federal policymakers could take to enhance the science and technology enterprise so that the United States can successfully compete, prosper, and be secure in the global community of the 21st century? What strategy, with several concrete steps, could be used to implement each of those actions?

The report (of which I’ve only read the Executive Summary,) outlines major investments to be made by the Federal Government into math and science research in this country. Some hilights of the proposal include:

  1. Establish a national launching program for scientists by fully funding a launching program with a teaching requirement… ($20K/yr for 4 years in exchange for five years in public K-12 schools.)
  2. Increase federal investment in research with an emphasis on physical sciences, engineering, mathamatics, information sciences and DOD.
  3. Create in the DOE an agency modeled off of DARPA called ARPA-E… (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy.)
  4. Reform patent system… make things more inclusive/logical.

In support of these recommendations, the report presents some interesting statistics from a variety of disciplines. Some that caught my eye:

  1. General Motors spends more on healthcare than on steel.
  2. Chemical companies closed 70 facilities in the United States in 2004 and tagged 40 more for shutdown. Of 120 chemical plants being built around the world with price tags of $1 billion or more, one is in the United States and 50 are in China. No new refineries have been built in the United
    States since 1976.
  3. A company can hire nine factory workers in Mexico for the cost of one in America. A company can hire eight young professional engineers in India for the cost of one in America.
  4. The United States ranks only 12th among OECD countries in the number of broadband connections per 100 inhabitants.
  5. American youth spend more time watching television than in school.
  6. In 2001, US industry spend more on tort litigation than on research.
  7. “We go where the smart people are. Now our business operations are two-thirds in the U.S. and one-third overseas. But that ratio will flip over the next ten years.” —Intel Corporation spokesman Howard High

All in all not not a rosy picture. However the report is hopeful and coherent, and I strongly support it. I am particularly interested in the ARPA-E aspect of the project. That led me over to http://science.house.gov where I found out that the project had been signed into law on August 9th, 2007. Selections from the bill:

  1. This section establishes the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) within the Department of Energy. Similar to the Department of Defense’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), this new organizational structure will support revolutionary and transformational energy research where risk and pay offs are high.
  2. ARPA-E shall be headed by a Director, appointed by the Secretary.
  3. Funds may be used for activities in any stage of the innovation spectrum from early-stage basic research to late-stage demonstration. A special emphasis should be placed on activities that serve to bridge between these stages and, ultimately, across the “valley of death” to commercial applications of the technologies.
  4. As with DARPA, the Director of ARPA-E will have special authority to hire program managers and other technical, managerial, and financial staff for limited terms, and at a salary commensurate with what such staff would expect to make in the private sector.

This is all part of the America COMPETES Act, the fruition of the work of Chu and the other members of the committee. Now that Chu is Energy Secretary, he will be able to appoint the Director of ARPA-E. What will be interesting to watch is how the development of this program unfolds. Since DARPA brought us the internet, one can only hope that ARPA-E will be able to deliver as revolutionary a result. This is a great step forward (likely cemented by Al Gore,) that shows a real commitment to create a 21st Century energy infrastructure that will be the envy of the world and the engine of our economy.