Everybody these days seems to have an opinion on the giant private ICE planned for immigrant detainees in Southwest Ranches.
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz likes it (even though as a private prison that could conceivably replace Guantanamo, it would seem to be against many of her Democratic principles).
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Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, a Republican, doesn't like it.
Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat, supports it. Republican George LeMieux, who is running in hopes of unseating Nelson, has written a letter opposing it.
In other words, the prison has become a political football, or maybe I should say basketball, since now stalwart Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem, one of many professional athletes who lives in Southwest Ranches, has written a letter about the project as well.
Haslem is opposed. Here's the letter:
December 8, 2011
Dear SWR town council,
My name is Udonis Haslem and I am a resident of Southwest Ranches ... I am extremely upset that you are under talks with CCA Corporation and the Department of Homeland Security in regards to building an immigration detention center in SWR. I do not support this in anyway and hope that this project does not happen.
If there is anything more that I can do to voice my opinion about this project, please let me know,
Thanks,
From the desk of Southwest Ranches Resident
Udonis Haslem
-- The Sun-Sentinel this morning followed the story we broke Wednesday on the investigation of state Rep. Hazelle Rogers. In it Rogers, who seemed to be confused when we questioned her about the case Wednesday morning, admits that she's not talking on the advice of her attorney.
To recap: Hazelle Rogers receives $50,000 from construction contractor (and NFL Hall of Fame center) Dwight Stephenson while he's trying to get a $7 million library contract from Lauderdale Lakes where Rogers is then serving as a city commissioner.
Before the city's vote to award to give the contract to Stephenson, Rogers says she has a conflict with Stephenson, but doesn't explain it, fails to abstain from the vote, and never files state-mandated conflict documents.
At the same time, the FBI is investigating Rogers' close political ally, Miramar Commissioner Fitzroy Salesman. Undercover agents get Rogers on tape talking about how she skirted taxes when she sold her house.
The feds begin an investigation of Rogers -- including the $50,000 payment and the Stephenson vote. The claim is made that the money was paid by Stephenson to Rogers to lobby for his construction firm in Miramar, where he was awarded millions in construction contracts.
The state, as I reported Wednesday, appears to be focusing on Rogers' failure to properly disclose the conflict. But that's the least of it. No matter what anyone says, the timing of the payment stinks, since it came as Stephenson was trying to obtain a big contract in Rogers' city. And if Rogers lobbied for Stephenson in Miramar, it's a case of influence peddling at its worst.
Question: If Rogers got the money for lobbying, what exactly did she do to earn $50,000? I'm told it comes down to a dinner or a attending a party. Questions:
Would a jury buy that all that money came from "lobbying"?
If not, why is this is not an unlawful compensation case?
Should Rogers resign?