Editor:

In Mayor Kent Williams’ state of the city address, he characterized the controversy over a proposed ICE detention center as, “I don’t think this facility will change our community at all.”

I firmly believe the detention center will bring additional out-of-the-area traffic and increased crime to our community. How does that not change our community?

After covering this issue, one of the Herald’s own reporters clearly believes it is a bad proposition. Yet, we haven’t heard more about the details of MTC’s prior community issues and being sued over another facility.  Did our city leaders fully vet MTC? 

In our mayor’s words, “Business is what keeps us going. Our city government doesn’t create jobs, we support jobs.”

If this is true, why doesn’t the city actively recruit established out-of-state businesses? Texas has been doing this for years. It was announced last week that the city of Sheridan just lured away Weatherby Firearms from California.

There are thousands of businesses in California being burdened with endless taxes, non-business-friendly environmental rules and bizarre nanny-state requirements. I would think many of them would love to relocate if they only knew of the benefits here in Wyoming.

Any of these businesses would bring in hundreds of jobs and tens of thousands in revenue and a future for its employees and our community. Wouldn’t any of these businesses be more appealing to the community and I-80 travelers than being home to a federally-approved prison?

The mayor can continue to call it “a housing facility” — or a dollhouse, for all I care. The detainees, community and surrounding communities will call it a prison. How does that not change our community? 

Here’s a link to a California newspaper article on whether or not to call detention centers prisons and what life is like in a private jail: https://tinyurl.com/ybfujqjv

What happens when there is an escape from the facility? Will there be sirens, searchlights and racing police cars? What happens if a guard is taken hostage? What happens when a group of “Dreamers” or another pro-immigration group decides to protest in our town over the detention center?

What if the protest turns into a riot? What if local law enforcement has to call for mutual aid to restore order from the Wyoming Highway Patrol and maybe the Utah Highway Patrol? How does that not change our community?

Let’s acknowledge that this proposal is controversial and petition our leaders for a countywide referendum and see what the people outside of the mayor and county commissioners’ offices really believe and really want. It’s hard to believe that a third-rate “it’s not really a jail” jail is the best we can do.

I don’t think a jail of any stripe is achieving our city’s full potential. Demand a referendum. A referendum might not change our community, but it might preserve it. 

Mike Crichton

Evanston