Bush Plan Would Kill $142 Million Earmarked for McDowell Prison

Federal and local officials vowed Thursday to fight a plan by President Bush to eliminate the $142 million already earmarked for the construction of a new federal prison in McDowell County .

“It is absolutely short-sighted for this White House to try to take away the dollars, already signed into law, for the new federal prison,” U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-Wva, said in a prepared statement. “This is a project t the federal Bureau of Prisons is firmly behind. The local community is firmly behind this project. And the need for new prison space is substantial. There is no logic in the White House plans.”

Byrd said the White House, in its budget request of the Congress, unveiled plans to eliminate the $142 million already set aside for the design and construction of the federal prison in Welch.

“My work to secure that $142 million means that there would be no delay in design and construction of the new McDowell County federal prison,” Byrd said. “Now, the White House wants to take that money away. I, for one, will not sit by and let that happen.”

McDowell County officials were shocked and outraged by the news Thursday.

“It's certainly devastating news,” Carl Urps, a member of the McDowell County Commission, said. “This is more than just McDowell County . This is all of southern West Virginia . This prison is going to help Mercer County , Wyoming County, and McDowell County . This is something we will have to work to overcome, and with Sen. Byrd and Congressman Rahall's help, I think we can do that. We need to garner our efforts together, and try to give them some assistance. Maybe this is an issue that will draw us together instead of arguing among each other. I would hope that id would unify us and let u all come together for a common cause.”

Byrd and U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., also sent a letter Thursday to Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez urging hum and the Bush Administration to withdraw its plan to cancel funding for construction of the federal prison, according to Byrd spokesman Tom Gavin.

Gordon Lambert, president of the commission, said the Bush administration was “playing politics” with Byrd at the expense of the future of McDowell County .

“They are just playing politics with us, and with Sen. Byrd – I'm sure,” Lambert said. “We have total confidence in Sen. Byrd that this is going to happen. There is no doubt with Byrd, Rockefeller, and Rahall behind it that this will happen. They have a lot of clout up there in Washington .”

Rahall said he would join Byrd in fighting the plan by Bush to cancel the federal hands.

“I applaud Sen. Byrd for standing firm and fighting for a critical national need which will at the same time have a major impact on McDowell County 's economy,” Rahall said in a prepared statement. “We are working together, using every resource at our disposal, to avoid any delay in moving the McDowell County federal prison forward.”

The Associated Press reported Thursday that Michael Truman with the federal Bureau of Prisons indicated in an e-mail that even though the Bush administration proposed cutting $142 million in prison construction, the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons plan to proceed with the procurement process and are hopeful of being able to award projects in West Virginia and other states.

Delegate Clif Moore, D-McDowell, said Gov. Joe Manchin will be enlisted in the battle administration to eliminate the federal funding comes on the eve of a day when county officials were planning to celebrate the official opening of a second state correctional center in Welch. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Stevens Correctional Center is scheduled for 4 p.m. today. Rahall, and other local, state, and federal officials are scheduled to attend.

--Charles Owens (Bluefield Daily Telegraph)