Giving credit where credit is due, I applaud Sheriff Joe Arpaio for speaking out against Governor Ducey’s proposal–after cutting higher education to ribbons and leaving public education in peril–to BOOST spending by $52 million on yet another private prison in Arizona.

Sheriff Arpaio, according to the Republic, says that’s a waste of money and suggested the state house extra inmates in county jails.

He argues that private prisons are both costly and force the state to cede control over inmate rehabilitation to a private firm whose bottom line is to make a profit, not rehabilitate inmates.

The Republic quotes the sheriff saying, “I’m sure they (private-prisons operators) are happy and are ‘more the merrier’ when more inmates come into their facilities…I would be happy if no one came back to jail, but I don’t think a private prison would be happy if no one came back.”

For a change, Sheriff Joe is right! Thanks for speaking out.

I’m happy to see some lawmakers also questioning the Republican governor’s skewed priorities and I hope they say no to this ridiculous request and demand those funds go to education. We’re a LEADER in the nation on private prisons, while our children go to schools ranked 47th or 48th in the nation.

Anyone who can’t see how wrong that is shouldn’t be in office