Philly Closes 23 Public Schools, Generously Builds $400 Million Prison Where Kids Can Hang Instead
Priorities are out of whack in Pennsylvania.
Kristen Gwynne is an associate editor and drug policy reporter
June 7, 2013
Philadelphia is so broke the city is closing 23 public schools, never mind that it (Pennsylvania) has the cash to build a $400 million prison.
Construction on the penitentiary said to be "the second-most expensive state project ever" began just days after the Pennsylvania School Reform Commission voted down a plan to close only four of the 27 schools scheduled to die.
The penitentiary, which is technically two facilities, will supplement at least two existing jails, the Western Penitentiary at Pittsburgh and Fayette County Jail. Pittsburgh's Western Penitentiary was built in 2003 with the original intention of replacing Fayette County Jail, but the prison has struggled with lawsuits claiming widespread physical and sexual abuse of prisoners.
Scheduled to be completed in 2015, the new prison's cell blocks and classroom will be capable of housing almost 5,000 inmates. Officials said there will be buildings for female inmates, the mentally ill and a death row population.
The youths of color disproportionately affected by school closings can just hang out there.
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Chicago to Close 50 Public Schools While Spending $100 Million on Basketball Arena
By Omar Rivero
May 28, 2013
Two months ago, the city of Chicago enraged progressives by unveiling plans to close over 50 schools, mostly in the poorest African-American areas, in order to make up for a budget shortfall caused by the Bush Recession and their bloated corporate welfare system.
Adding insult to injury, the city has just announced that it plans to dedicate as much as $100 million in public funds to the privately funded DePaul University for the construction of their new basketball arena.
Yes, you've read that correctly: The city cares more about collegiate sports than they do about educating already-struggling African-American youth.
The city's plan sparked fierce opposition from the people, culminating in last week's massive protests on the streets of downtown. The protesters made the argument that the school closings would put children at risk by forcing them to travel further to overcrowded schools, making their already deplorable educational situation even worse.
The rallies and marches were organized by a coalition including the Chicago Teachers Union, which emphasized the point that the school closures were targeted at predominantly poor and African-American school districts.
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