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News Release For Immediate Release Contact: Adrianne Marsh June 9, 2005 (202) 225-4796, (734) 395-4397
Stupak Blasts Panel Decision to Close Prisons; Says UP Unfairly Targeted for Job Loss WASHINGTON - Last week on a party-line vote, a Michigan State Senate Appropriations panel voted 3-2 to close the Newberry Correctional Facility and Camp Manistique despite recommendations from Governor Jennifer Granholm to close a private youth prison instead. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) sent a letter to the Michigan Senate and House Leadership urging them to amend the decision. "The reason the state's budget is in total disarray is because the Republican legislature continues to show a lack of leadership by choosing to cut off their nose to spite their face," Stupak said. "They are so focused on opposing this Governor on everything she proposes that they would vote to destroy a town before they'll vote for her recommendations. That is essentially what the Republican Legislators have done here. The closure of this prison will devastate Newberry and have unforeseeable negative impacts on the entire U.P. economy." In the letter to Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema, Senate Minority Leader Bob Emerson, Speaker of the House Craig DeRoche, and House Democratic Leader Dianne Byrum, Stupak noted that the Newberry Correctional Facility and Camp Manistique house approximately 1,144 prisoners and support 345 fill-time jobs. In addition to the job loss in a town with only 5,000 people being devastating, the ripple effect would cause horrific repercussions. "The closure of this Newberry facility will have far reaching effects that go beyond job losses," Stupak said. "Nearly 140 students in the Tahquamenon Area School District, about 13 percent of the total, have parents employed at the Newberry Corrections Facility. Using the state education "foundation" allowance of $6,000 per student for education, the school district would stand to lose $840,000 if these families were forced to relocate." The proposal made by Governor Granholm to close the privately run Michigan Youth Correctional Facility in Lake County that houses 480 inmates at a cost of $30 per day more per inmate than Newberry. Reports indicate that the Lake County youth prison is one of the most costly to run in the state. "I urge the Michigan Legislature to abandon this misguided plan and save the jobs at these prisons," Stupak said. "I am communicating with the leadership involved in the next stage of the budget process to express my deep concern over this proposal. The Michigan Legislature needs to understand just exactly what is at stake if these facilities close. They need to put their money where their mouth is - they talk a lot about saving jobs, now they need to vote that way." Stupak said that after recent funding cuts to Northern Michigan University (NMU), the Upper Peninsula economy was unfairly targeted to bear the brunt of budget shortfalls. "This is the second issue recently before the Legislature that unfairly targets jobs and funding to the Upper Peninsula," Stupak said. "It seems as though the Republican controlled state legislature doesn't care about the well-being of the economy or the people of the U.P. They have voted to significantly damage the economy in three U.P. towns. I don't see that happening anywhere else in the state." Among the 15 public universities, NMU is one of the two institutions receiving funding cuts in the state budget proposals. The cuts equate to $50 million in losses over the next five years. Stupak said the cuts disproportionately affect northern Michigan suggesting a ripple effect could potentially cost 1600 local jobs. *An actuality from Congressman Bart Stupak is available at 1-800-320-6091. Enter access code 2778. ### |