The BIG federal-local story this weekend in Illinois was the Chicago Tribune reporting that Barack Obama has considered a proposal to ship Guantanamo detainees to the almost entirely unused Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Illinois. The center has sat vacant since it was built for $1.2 billion in 2001 and it could now be used as a maximum security facility that would A.) help solve Obama’s problem of closing Guantanamo and B.) create 2,000 or so local jobs for an economically bleak town.

Illinois Republicans, though, immediately criticized the plan, warning of doomsday terrorist scenarios where resettled Guantanamo detainees blow up Chicago skyscrapers. This is either cynical politics or overheated national security tough talk: As Illinois Democrat Dick Durbin, the no. 2 in the U.S. Senate pointed out, there are currently 35 convicted terrorists currently held in Illinois prisons. And no convicted terrorist has ever escaped a U.S. prison.

But Durbin himself may be wrong in touting Obama’s proposal. I will take the Obama administration and Gov. Pat Quinn’s word for now that the project will create 2,000 jobs. But what exactly are these jobs? Are they one-time construction jobs? Or are they operational jobs, like guarding the prison? If so, the Illinois GOP may have a legit talking point: Do we want locals from Thomson working in this facility instead of FBI or other federal officials knowledgeable about the detainees?

I think that Guantanamo needs to be closed and the detainees should be brought to the U.S., maybe Thomson, Illinois. Residents of Thomson should just realize that a “Gitmo in the heartland” will be a federal agent outpost and ghoulish attraction first, and an economic boon second.

Comment RSS - You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.