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By Kristen Schorsch and Oscar Avila
Chicago Tribune
STERLING, Ill. • Federal and state authorities faced harsh questioning from Republican lawmakers and a chilly reception from an audience in Sterling Tuesday afternoon over a plan to bring terrorism suspects to western Illinois.
State lawmakers organized a public hearing here over a plan to sell the state prison in Thomson to the federal government.
Alan Liotta, principal director for detainee policy at the Defense Department, said the goal is to remove Guantanamo as a recruiting tool for terrorists.
“I appreciate your optimism. I can’t say that I share it,” said state Sen. Matt Murphy, a Republican.
Jack Lavin, a top aide to Gov. Pat Quinn, invoked a sequence of leading Republicans such as John McCain who also support closing the facility at Guantanamo.
Lavin noted that about 200 Illinois citizens have died in combat since the 2001 terrorist attacks. Utilizing Thomson would be another way Illinois can help keep the U.S. safe.
“We all have the duty to sacrifice for each other,” he said.
State officials were frequently interrupted by boos and jeers, causing panel co-chair Jeffrey Schoenberg to call for “decorum” and even threaten to remove audience members.
Murphy, who is also running for lieutenant governor, pressed state officials on whether they think the risk for the state will increase by moving a symbol of the U.S. war on terror to Illinois.
Jonathon Monken, director of the Illinois State Police, said the only way state authorities can mitigate the risk is if federal authorities enter into a long-term financial arrangement.
Monken estimated that the state police will need at least $1 million up front to manage the risk.
State Sen. Bill Brady, a Republican who is running for governor, expressed skepticism.
“We are in a time of war. Our enemy is the terrorists. We are detaining their troops,” he said.
Hundreds attended the public hearing at Sterling High School, east of Thomson.
The panel, the state Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, can merely offer an advisory opinion.
Before the hearing opened, several dozen opponents were holding signs and ringing “liberty bells.” One opponent held a sign criticizing the governor: “Quinn to Jihad: Come on inn!”
“If there is any way to change it — that would be awesome. But I think they’ve made up their minds,” said Jill Weber, 48, of Sterling.
Sheryl Noble, 60, of Rock Falls, Ill., said the plan’s economic benefits are overstated, compared with the risks. “I think it’s wrong to bring terrorists here, especially when we don’t know if their ’little friends’ will be coming, too,” she said.
(EDITORS: STORY CAN END HERE)
Earlier Tuesday, some state lawmakers took a tour of the prison.
State Rep. Dan Brady, a Republican from Bloomington, said he supports the sale. “We have the potential to have some gain out of it, put people to work, help the community out and to have the benefit to use a facility that’s been built, that’s been a drain on our finances of the state of Illinois and I think it can be done in a very safe way,” Brady said.
Before the hearing, Murphy said he is confident the prison could prevent escapes. “That isn’t so much my issue,” he said. “I don’t see the advantage to the United States to have (detainees) leave Guantanamo Bay. More locally, we actually need this prison. My concern is that we’re going to sell it and not have enough money to replace it. And I’d rather lease it.”
Tuesday morning, about two dozen reporters and photographers walked through several wings of the prison.
It’s not clear which part of Thomson would house detainees, said Shelith Hansbro, chief of constituent services for the state Department of Corrections. The prison now has about 200 minimum security prisoners who are part of a work camp, according to information released at the hearing.
Six towers and two layers of 12-feet-high perimeter fences — the inner fence is electrified — are topped with coiled barbed wire, said Guy Pierce, warden of the Pontiac state prison who led the media tour.
Inside the programs building is an unused medical unit with a few stretchers. A hallway of classrooms is where inmates can learn how to write resumes and conduct mock interviews. The library has three wooden tables, a few typewriters and shelves stacked with academic and fictional books, including “Our Country!” and “The Fourth Deadly Sin.”
The drafty prison consists of four numbered buildings with four wings each of 7 feet by 15 feet cells. Inside each cell is a poured concrete bed and a cushion, a poured concrete shelf and a stainless steel mirror, toilet and sink. Some cells have one bed; others have bunk beds.
A window in each cell allows inmates to see outside. In one cell, inmates get to look out onto a recreation area with a netless basketball hoop and concrete walls topped with coiled barbed wire. That’s a contrast from the Supermax prison in Florence, Colo., the nation’s highest security prison.
There the most heinous prisoners have a long skinny window about an inch wide that doesn’t even let them see the towering Rocky Mountains that surround the prison, said Florence City Clerk Dori Williams.
Thomson also features large numbers identifying cells and buildings as well as signs above doors that read, “Sit down when shots are fired.”
The Supermax in Florence was designed to keep prisoners from knowing where in the complex they are, according to residents who have toured that prison.
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(c) 2009, Chicago Tribune.
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AP-NY-12-22-09 1913EST
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For many English (EFL) teachers that come to Thailand, teaching in Bangkok is the last thing they want to do. With teaching opportunities all over Thailand, where are some of the best cities to teach and what is there to do there?
Chiang Mai - An hour's flight north from Bangkok is Chiang Mai, the second most popular city in Thailand for teachers. Chiang Mai is a beautiful city with less of the traffic and pollution problems of Bangkok, yet still has job opportunities for teachers. The drawback with Chiang Mai is, even though the cost of living is about the same as Bangkok, the teaching jobs pay a lot less. Average salary for a full-time job in Chiang Mai is only 28,000-30,000 baht ($848-$900) a month, with schools and language schools being the main employers as well as opportunities at Chiang Mai University. However, you can pick up a part-time job or several private students and soon make a good teaching salary. The beauty of living and teaching in Chiang Mai though is the more relaxed atmosphere, the lovely town, the excellent restaurants, bars, and markets. And, of course, the friendly local people as well as the large expat population.
Chiang Rai - Another of Thailand's popular cities is Chiang Rai in far north Thailand near the borders of Laos and Myanmar. With less than 65,000 people living in Chiang Rai, however, English teaching opportunities are low and salaries are in the 25,000-28,000 baht range (less than $850 a month). Chiang Rai is much cheaper than Bangkok though, with a one room apartment being as cheap as 2,500 baht a month ($75) so you can live much cheaper here. Main teaching jobs in Chiang Rai are at small government schools or private students, with the possibility of making around 35,000 baht ($1,030) a month if you have a part-time job on top of your full-time job. Chiang Rai isn't for those who need to make money, but it is a lovely city if you want a relaxed lifestyle in a truly beautiful place.
Khon Kaen - Khon Kaen is another popular city for English teachers in Thailand. Located in Isaan, one of the poorest areas of the country, Khon Kaen is actually a regional center for education, so there are a fair few teaching opportunities here. The city has 150,000 inhabitants, beautiful temples, a fun night market, a lovely lake with daytime activities like boating and is the commercial center of Isaan. For teaching opportunities, you'll find several language schools, government and bi-lingual schools and, of course, private students. I know several teachers who live there who have told me they're turning private students away, they have so many interested in learning, which is a definite bonus if you're going to be living on the average 25,000-30,000 baht per month salary.
Ubon Ratchathani - Ubon Ratchathani is another city in the Isaan region of Thailand. With 100,000 people living there, it's a fair sized town with most teaching jobs being at government schools, language schools or at the Ubon Ratchathani University. Average salaries again are in the 28,000 baht range, but Ubon Ratchathani is much cheaper to live in than Bangkok and with a lot less of the distractions that cause people to spend money. Ubon Ratchathani still has wonderful restaurants, bars and cafes, a fun night market, interesting temples and some gorgeous national parks, if you like the outdoor life. A nice apartment starts at about 2,500 baht ($75), so, again, accommodation is cheap, a meal at a street stall is less than $1, and with good public transportation it's cheap to get around too.
Phuket - Of course, many teachers want to live on Phuket, the island just off the coast of Thailand, as it's one of Thailand's most beautiful places. Gorgeous sandy beaches, intense blue ocean, fine restaurants, bars and trendy cafes, bookshops, good shopping, excellent supermarkets etc - something for everyone. The drawback to Phuket, like most places outside Bangkok, is that teaching salaries are low. There are several international schools that pay excellent salaries, but they usually hire teachers from outside Thailand. Teaching jobs otherwise are the usual government and language schools with private classes, and salaries from 25,000-35,000 baht a month. Apartments too are more expensive on Phuket with low-end being at least 5,000 baht a month and usually more than that, so your cost of living will be higher than somewhere like Khon Kaen or Chiang Rai. But, if you want to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world and can live on a lower salary, go for it. It is simply gorgeous.
These are just five of the main cities you can teach English in Thailand outside of Bangkok, and there are many more. If you want a lifestyle away from the pollution, traffic and hectic lifestyle of Bangkok, one of them may be for you.
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