Preservationists are questioning plans by the Department of Homeland Security to move into the west campus of St. Elizabeths Hospital, a former lunatic asylum.
DHS plans to spend $3 billion restoring the 176-acre, 61-building campus, which at its peak held 7,000 mental patients, and completing its move in 2013.
But local historic preservationists plan to fight the move, concerned about the department holing itself up behind brick walls and security fences and not interacting with the community.
“The area is sorely in need of economic development,” said Rebecca A. Miller, executive director of the D.C. Preservation League. “A walled-off citadel on the site is not going to help.”
The Rev. Anthony Motley, a Congress Heights resident for 55 years and president of the Council of Churches of Greater Washington, said: “I’d like to see anything on the site but Homeland Security.
“It has a lot of potential for building the community, a community of residents on this side of the river,” said Motely, who recalled picnics, apple picking, ballgames and horseback riding there.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), ranking member on the House subcommittee that has oversight of the west campus, defended the plan. “The only developer in the U.S. that consistently puts up money for historic properties is the federal government,” she said. . . .
GSA spokesman Michael McGill said that his agency has conferred with the community, and he insisted that history will be respected. Norton maintained that security for Homeland Security would be no more stringent than for any other government building. “We don’t want to be precious about Homeland Security,” she says. “They’re just a bunch of paper pushers.” — Washington Post
Just a bunch of paper pushers. I suppose that’s apt, since they’re going to be pushing billions of paper dollars into this crazy project. For some reason, though, nobody seems to be upset with the insane price tag, which only covers the cost of restoring the facilities, not actually moving the department. That’s likely to cost billions more mad money.
But who else is going to pay to restore the hospital which is famous for holding Presidential assassins as well as those among the Washington elite who lose their minds? It’s so expensive that nobody in the market wants to touch it. So instead you’re going to be forced to pay for these nutcases to have their funny farm.
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Karl Marx would love the popular moves among politicians in various state governments and the federal government to ban so-called "junk" food in schools, and to "put healthy food in" convenience stores and on the tables of those they define as poor. It's a very elitist and arrogant mindset that promotes this ideology, and it needs to be addressed.
Ultimately, the war supporters in Congress prevailed in the vote on the resolution. Still, the vote was significant because it places every member of Congress on the record as supporting or not supporting the unconstitutional, costly, violent occupation of a country that never attacked us. This vote should serve as an important reminder to the American people of where their representatives really stand when it comes to policing the world, empire building, and war.
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Richard Braakman
Jul 03, 2007
I’d be all in favor of it if the asylum guards resume their traditional duty of keeping people in.
Maybe we can organize some tours to watch the feces-flinging.
Ray
Jul 03, 2007
Now given the actions that keep coming from the Department of Homeland Security maybe the idea of moving a big part of them to a lunatic asylum might be in order. Maybe with a special high security branch for the TSA.
Info..
Jul 03, 2007
If they are indeed a threat to National Security or themselves the hospital is a good idea. One problem with terrorists is germ infestation ( in some) due to improper sanitatiion and these germs cause extreme problems with thought processes. They also make them angry and they are not following The Nation of Islam true beliefs as listed in the book. They make medications to cleanse the body. This information was given to us by a group of researchers who did so in strict confidence. Better safe than sorry. They could stick to a better budget plan but, people must always come first. The price to repair the world we would lose is priceless. Once it is destroyed we can’t make a new one. Peace has the highest price tag. Americans and Brittish are not the enemies of Al Queda. People need to find a happy medium to accept people regardless of religion or beliefs in a peaceful way. We all share this world together and everyone has something special about them. Time is running out. As John Lennon sang “Imagine”. People need to always come first. Then money second. That sounds like a sound investment.
Improvement
Jul 03, 2007
With the release of the Brittish reporter being held, terror plots being foiled and less terrorism in the United States we can see that we are coming very far in the long battle to stop sensless acts of terrorism. Terrorism never solves anything but, adds to more problems that result in actions not approved by any religous order. It is good that they are investing in programs to help prevent it such as the asylum. Don’t you agree? Good luck in your important activism for freedom.