August 7, 2005

Boland, IA legislator explore idea for use of Thompson Prison

From the Quad City Times...

One Illinois legislator is ready to look across the river for a new use for the vacant Thomson correctional center.

Rep. Mike Boland, D-East Moline, said he has been talking with Iowa Rep. Joe Hutter, R-Bettendorf, about the State of Iowa using the Thomson maximum-security prison that was completed in 2001 but never opened because of Illinois budget shortages.

Boland said that Iowa is shipping prisoners to other states because of overcrowding. He said the conversations have been "to see if we can get them interested in housing prisoners at Thomson and helping us and helping them."

The Illinois representative also said Cook County struggles with overcrowding in its jails, and Thomson might be an option.

Hutter said he has submitted a request for a bill to establish a study committee to look at the idea of Iowa using the nearby Illinois facility that cost $140 million to build and is considered state-of-the-art.

He thought of the idea after reading a recent Legislative Study Report that Iowa would need to build three new prisons at $50 million each by 2014.

About three weeks ago, Hutter toured the Thomson facility and realized it was only about 12 miles from Clinton. He said there seems to be no reason to build a prison in Iowa when an unused one is so close. Hutter said he also talked with other Illinois officials about the idea.

There could be many aspects of an agreement with Illinois, such as whether some of the guards and other workers could live in Iowa, Hutter said. He said there are many benefits to the area and state by using the Thomson prison.

The Bettendorf representative hopes the bill will be supported in the session starting in January so the idea can be investigated fully.

11 Comments:

At 8/07/2005 8:11 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well I guess Ahern's only issue against Boland could be going away.

 
At 8/07/2005 11:58 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

How come 'Young Mike Jacobs' didn't think of that if he's sooo great!
Because you know he'll take credit for it if it happens!

 
At 8/07/2005 12:18 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Case Property
WIU (no public college here)
8.7% Unemployment in Carroll County
Erosion of our young, college educated here in W.Illinois
33-38K manufacturing jobs gone in last ten years in the 71st
Hwy 30 expansion and school consolidation issues in Whiteside County
hog lot concerns (72nd right now)



yea.. no issues in forgotonnia. GMAB

 
At 8/07/2005 12:30 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

comon Ahern - ID yourself you big chicken....

 
At 8/07/2005 12:48 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

that's funny ahern...
so are you going to buck the party and run? Isn't your buddy, Senator Mike Jacobs, thru his alter-ego headusher telling everyone that he is going to support Mr. Boland? How's that make you feel? friends like that, who needs...

 
At 8/07/2005 9:54 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Usher what victory?? The meeting that went as predicted? No victory here.

As Diehard has predicted, Mike Jacobs is going to once again try and take credit for what Boland (or anyone else doing something) is doing with an issue.

Boland won't include Jacobs even if he said he'd play nice so Jacobs will hold his own press conference and claim some "victory" of some type.

Even if he does win as Senator next fall, it won't be a real victory for anyone.

 
At 8/08/2005 9:45 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

hmmmmm :)

people need to get out their history books!

the first volley in the Boland v. Jacobs war was not fired by Boland as many believe!

the story according to the Jacob's is that Mike Boland started the fued - but what they don't say is that Denny Jacob's was the first one to endorse a Republican!

Back when Denny was EM Mayor and Boland hadn't been elected to anything yet, Boland decided to take a run at South Moline Township Supervisor (as a Democrat). And then Mayor Denny Jacobs crassed party lines to endorse the Republican Candidate!

that's where the fued started people! go back in the newspapers and read for yourself - like Yogi Berra said - you can look it up!

 
At 8/08/2005 12:59 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

to get back on track - the idea of the prison at thompson was denny jacobs's origiinally. boland jsut resurected it

 
At 8/08/2005 4:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's not a matter of who did what, when or why. The long simmering Boland/Jacobs fued is over, now forever the two men are one!

 
At 8/08/2005 8:51 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Exactly!

 
At 8/12/2005 2:07 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

jealousy is a green eyed monster!

 

Post a Comment

<< Home