Feds can’t bid on Thomson prison
Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Another screwup…
The state’s effort to sell the Thomson Correctional Center hit a snag today when no one showed up to bid on the prison located along the Illinois-Iowa border.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons was expected to bid on the facility, but sent a letter saying it could not participate in the auction because of a conflict between state and federal law regarding the sale and purchase of the property.
The agency said it was still “very interested” in buying the prison, but still needed to come up with the necessary funds. By law the state could not sell the prison for less than its appraised value of $219.9 million.
Bureau spokeswoman Traci Billingsley said federal law does not allow for the agency to purchase property through an auction, though state law required the facility to be sold in such a manner. Further, she said Congress has not yet approved funding to buy the prison.
So, what genius came up with the idea of auctioning the prison when the feds can’t buy a property at auction? Sheesh, man. Get it together over there.
…Adding… The state’s surplus property law required an auction. That has been fulfilled. It’s not clear what comes next.
* Meanwhile…
The governor is pushing for an income tax increase and a borrowing scheme to make the state’s pension contribution, both controversial. He says he’s not waiting until the New Year to work lawmakers on these concerns. He’s talking to them before they return to the capital.
“It’s time for courage and backbone and people to do the right thing, not the political thing, the right thing,” he said. “And I’m going to be asking legislators of both parties in both houses to put Illinois first, our state, the common good. It’s time to do it.”
Quinn says as the economy improves, so will the state’s financial picture. He says the state public works program is partially responsible for declining unemployment. Illinois unemployment has declined eight months in a row, and is now lower than the national average for the first time in four years.
Quinn just left for Germany and won’t be back until Sunday, December 26th. He’s visiting troops (and paying for his own flight), so that’s fine, but the House reconvenes on January 2nd, so the clock is definitely ticking quite loudly.
* And a spot of good news…
SunCoke Energy, a subsidiary of Sunoco Inc., is investing $6.6 million to relocate its corporate headquarters from Knoxville, Tenn., to Arboretum Lakes in Lisle, Gov. Pat Quinn’s office announced Monday. The state is providing a $4.8 million business investment package to support the project, which will create 105 new jobs, a release from Quinn’s office said.
* Related…
* FutureGen narrows potential carbon sites to 4
* Quinn: SunCoke Energy to move headquarters to Ill.
* Governor Quinn attends Winick service and celebration of life
* ISP Trooper Mitchell asks for workers’ comp payment for the injuries he sustained in fatal crash
* Lisa Madigan gives $1.2 million to 8 Ill. food banks
* Internet safety not a lost cause for parents
- Responsa - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 11:44 am:
This poor prison has been nothing but an ongoing series of bureaucratic fiascos and embarrassment from the day it was authorized, and now culminating in the auction that didn’t happen and feds who are seriously interested– but have no money to purchase it.
I’m thinking maybe hiring it out to shoot movie prison scenes is Thomson’s best bet.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 11:51 am:
The Thomson deal has always been a screw up from day one. Why? Because the justification for the purchase never reflected reality.
When you review how this deal was handled compared to how similar deals were handled you discover so many attempts to overmanipulate this thing, you just know it just will not happen.
Too much political dealmaking with too little money and against the dictates of reality. Political pipedreams cannot work without billions to pad the chutes. Welcome to 21st Century reality Senator Durbin!
- Cincinnatus - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 12:16 pm:
If Illinois were to outsource prison management to a private firm, do you think somebody would be interested in buying it?
- John Bambenek - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 12:52 pm:
Not for $220 M…
Ain’t gonna happen.
Maybe we should, you know, open it and actually use it. It isn’t like we aren’t in need of beds, or for that matter, to close some of the other prisons for repairs.
- amalia - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 12:52 pm:
oh, Lisa Madigan’s office gives settlements to foodbanks. I thought it was the Lisa fund itself, cause, even today i got a holiday email asking for a donation to her.
- unspun - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 1:00 pm:
“If Illinois were to outsource prison management to a private firm, do you think somebody would be interested in buying it?”
Illinois law precludes such privatization.
- unspun - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 1:05 pm:
JB: Opening Thomson would cost between $50-$60 million per year. Closing another prison (Stateville or Pontiac) would be a virtual “wash” in terms of bedspace. By the way, Rod tried that before, with….shall we say….limited success.
- cassandra - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 1:54 pm:
But wait. I thought Quinn’s income tax increase was for “education.” Did it morph into the “pension payment” increase? The latter seems someone less sellable to the great majority of middle class citizens who will not have defined benefit pensions in their later years. On the other hand, first things first. Legislators will be wanting to ensure the safety of their own pensions if there is extra money to be had grabbed.
- Small Town Liberal - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 2:15 pm:
cassandra - Try reading this again:
“The governor is pushing for an income tax increase and a borrowing scheme to make the state’s pension contribution, both controversial.”
Do you happen to see something between “tax increase” and “state’s pension contribution”?
- cassandra - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 2:41 pm:
Well, you can read it both ways.
But, where do you think the money to pay off the
“pension loan” will be coming from.
- Cook County Commoner - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 3:19 pm:
Someone should suggest to Gov. Quinn that saying he’s in favor of a tax increase and more borrowing, regardless of the reason, is a red flag to the bond rating agencies. They operate in the real world which does not accept Gov. Quinn’s assumption that good old days are just around the corner. He also may wish to review the sell off presently going on in the municipal bond market. And funds holding California and Illinois paper are doing the worst. the “complacency” comment directed toward state governments in the recent 60 Minutes show doesn’t quite reach the attitude in Springfield.
- Small Town Liberal - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 3:34 pm:
- But, where do you think the money to pay off the
“pension loan” will be coming from. -
I don’t know, is that your point, that all state revenue is fungible? Kind of makes your other post seem pointless. What I do know is that skipping the payment is far more costly in the long run than borrowing, so if it’s a choice between the two, as a taxpayer I’ll take the cheaper one.
- PPHS - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 3:35 pm:
It’s not even able to operate, yet. Is it? I think it is just a shell, without desks, cameras, kitchen equipment, etc.
- cassandra - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 4:20 pm:
It is fungible. Quinn is not being honest when he talks about the tax increase being “for education” or for “the poor,” or even “for pensions.” If he is going to ask the electorate for six billion a year extra forever, he could at least tell the truth. it’s for everything so it’s for pensions too. Pensions few middle class workers will themselves have.
Skipping the payment is far more costly in the long run? If there are pensions in the long run, to paraphrase Chris Christie. Even in blue, union-controlled Illinois, it’s starting to look a little shaky.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Dec 21, 10 @ 5:48 pm:
What we have here are political leaders in Illinois unable to do a deal with a president from Illinois.
How incompetent are these people?
This seems to be a pretty clean cut goal, but it seems that these people cannot get from point A to point B. If they are as sloppy on this deal as they have been exposed as being, what chance to we have with political leaders like this on more complex issues?
The Thomson scenario demonstrates a serious problem among the major players within the Illinois Democratic Party. Even with a presidential administration, these people can’t shoot straight, read the rules, follow any guidelines, (guidelines they helped write), present a cognitive reason for their actions, come up with a few hundred million dollars, and understand the process they are supposed to know.
Boobs all around!