Tehachapi News

larger view

A show of hands in a standing-room-only crowd singled out just three supporters willing to speak out in favor of the proposed expansion of CCI Tehachapi during a second, Readers Digest version of the California Department of Corrections (CDCR) public presentation. With lots of finger pointing to follow in public comments, the majority crowd eagerly waved their opposition in a display that could have been titled, “hands across Tehachapi.”

“We’re getting severe pressure state-wide” to complete the self-lead, Environmental Impact Report (EIR) within the proposed three month period, said CDCR representatives. “We’re just like a developer except we’re our own lead agency.”

The CDCR’s condensed presentation gave a brief overview of the AB900 inspired plan to build a 110-acre stand-alone facility inside the existing prison walls, adding 2,200 new inmate beds increasing the maximum inmate capacity from 6,158 beds to 8,358 beds. Staff is estimated to increase from the present 2,058 to 2,890.

Those few who spoke out in favor of expansion cited “good job opportunities” and said that the school system and continued growth contribute to the traffic issues on Highway 202.

One of those former employees, Dave Winnett, spent 20 years with the CDCR as an associate warden. He urged the council to join with other cities in opposition to the state-wide expansion.

“No state has ever built their way out of overcrowding,” he said. “Just say no to prison expansion. Consider a community college that handles 2,200 students instead.”

Concerns previously reported in the Tehachapi News following the April 14 scoping meeting held in Stallion Springs were reiterated — and expanded.

The issue of “trust” was raised repeatedly, as both council members and audience members pointed out that “promises” allegedly made by the state during the last expansion have never materialized. Representatives for the CDCR said they would need to research any documentation of those “promises,” before they could speak on the subject.

Councilman Phil Smith, also a member of KernCog’s transportation committee, was the first speak out about previously unmet “promises to include a cap on 202,” comparing peak traffic on the rural main artery into the prison with that of Highway 58: 23,300 for Highway 202 — 24,800 for Highway 58

He also noted that citizens have been reluctant to pass a half cent transportation tax increase, and the state currently has a $20 million backlog for roads projects — with a 10-15 year waiting list just to get started.

“We’ll see the impact right now and any mitigation might come much later,” he said adding, “It would be much cheaper for the state to buy land in a desert area.”

“I didn’t hear LA on your list [of expansion projects]. They come from LA, they’re the source. Why are we the dumping ground? We are not their Australia,” said Mayor Deborah Hand.

Other council members shared Smith’s position, and continued to question the CDCR’s track record on mitigation of impacts.

“I don’t know how you’re going to mitigate all these issues. Promises are not good enough,” said Councilman Ed Grimes adding that the lack of follow-throu

gh on CCI’s sewage treatment plant,  “leaves a bad taste.”

Mayor Hand expressed a willingness to work with the state and local prison representatives but also questioned the legality of AB900, which was the basis for a lawsuit filed last week by a citizens group, claiming it bypasses voters’

constitutional right to vote on debt (California Constitution Article XVI, section 1) and is and illegal waste of scarce government resources (Code of Civil Procedure section 526a).

According to a report issued by economist Dr. Adam Werner, of CRA International, “The use of lease-revenue bonds to finance these facilities is irrational from a purely economic perspective given the cost differential between using lease revenue and general obligation bonds.”

Werner calculates the unnecessary costs to total an additional $2 billion in interest payments and the total cost to taxpayers of borrowing $7.4 billion is at least $12 billion, according to a press release issued by the proponents of the lawsuit.

“One possibility is that lease revenue bonds are used to finance prisons because state officials believe that voters would reject the use of general obligation bonds for the projects in question,” wrote Werner.

Taxpayers reluctance to ease up on their “tough on crime”stance has placed the CDCR “between and a hard place,”  said Mayor Hand, adding that the city can’t continue to “absorb” the costs of supporting a non-taxpaying entity such as CCI.
“It’s taken the last 15-20 years for us to absorb [the costs associated with] the last expansion. It was particularly devastating to our schools,” she said.

Hand also said that a one-time $800 per bed mitigation fee won’t cover the costs associated with providing services to an expanding prison community, explaining that as housing values drop, fewer properties actually pay for their share of those services.

The CDCR said the public has through May 16 to submit written comments on the EIR process to:
Nancy MacKenzie
Senior Environmental Planner
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
9838 Old Placerville Road, Suite B
Sacramento, CA 95827