The deal is done. But we aren't.

No Skook Detention

— 2 min read
The deal is done. But we aren't.
Photo by Jon Tyson / Unsplash

Mere days after being told that “Everybody’s getting worked up and there’s no confirmation of this in any way, shape, or form” by our commissioner, the deal is done. The United States Federal Government paid $119,515,000 for the Big Lots warehouse in Tremont.

And only a few miles from our southern border in Berks County, the feds bought another warehouse in Upper Bern Township for $87.4M. That'll be a detention center, too.

Our elected officials didn't seek input from Schuylkill County residents. Our commissioners didn't. Our state reps didn't. Our state senators didn't. Our congressman didn't. Our senators didn't. Our governor didn't.

This is unacceptable.

Why are we being left in the dark?

Who is benefiting from this? It sure ain't us.

What we're doing

We're sending a letter to our congressman, senators, and governor demanding information and a meeting. The letter will be posted here tomorrow.

We're in contact with other communities and groups fighting the detention facilities proposed in their areas.

We're calling our elected officials. You should too. Called them yesterday? Call them again today.

When you call, ask them:

  • Why are you letting PA become the detention center capital of the Northeast?
  • Why aren't you coming here to listen to our concerns?
  • How will you ensure the safety of our residents?
  • Who will pay for the infrastructure and utility upgrades? And who will maintain them 20 years from now?
  • How will we make up for all the lost tax revenue?

If they tell you they "can't do anything" and try to pass the buck to another level of government (like one of our state senator's staffers did today when we called), tell them that other towns, counties, and states are putting up a fight instead of just letting their constituents get fleeced.

This facility is a danger to our safety, our infrastructure, our tax dollars, and our future economic prosperity. We'll fight this shady deal.

A lot has happened very quickly. In the coming days, we'll be adding some news articles to the News tab so you can get up to speed. And we'll be providing some background info on the company that will likely run the detention center, GEO Group.

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