Standish, Mich., City Council: Send Us Your Gitmo Detainees
The Michigan Messenger’s Todd Heywood reports:
“„The Standish City Council unanimously approved a resolution targeting President Barack Obama and federal authorities with one message: Send us your prisoners.
“„The city is staring down the short end of a deadline imposed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who has ordered the maximum security prison in this tiny town in Arenac County to shut down at the end of October. Officials from the town of 1,200 residents say the loss of the 350 jobs provided by the prison, as well as the sewer and water bills that were expected to keep the city’s water system functional, would economically devastate the community here.
“„So, the council passed a resolution on Monday telling the Obama administration to please send them prisoners, any prisoners, even the terror suspects from Guantanamo Bay, just keep the prison open. The resolution passed Monday night was originally slated for a vote weeks ago, but was tabled while city officials awaited word from the feds. No word came, but the council also used the time to expand the language to include all federal prisoners, not just those from Gitmo, Politico reports.
Shortly after taking office in January, President Obama ordered the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay closed by January 2010. Earlier this month, Attorney General Eric Holder raised the possibility that the administration may not meet that deadline.
