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<\/a><\/p>\nSCHUYLKILL HAVEN \u2013 After last Tuesday\u2019s 9th Congressional District Debate, Republican Congressman Dan Meuser called federal plans for detention centers in western Schuylkill and northern Berks \u201ca mistake\u201d and said he is \u201cfighting like mad\u201d to recoup lost tax revenue because of them.<\/p>\n
The Department of Homeland Security purchased the former Big Lots distribution center at Rausch Creek and another warehouse near Hamburg to be used as detention centers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Those plans were later scrapped after fierce local opposition and concerns from local officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt looks like it was a big mistake on Homeland\u2019s part to buy those,\u201d Meuser said. \u201cThe secretary was relieved of her duties, not just for that but for a combination.\u201d<\/p>\n
He credited the advocacy of Republican County Commissioners Larry Padora and Barron \u2018Boots\u2019 Hetherington in \u201cexposing to [Homeland Security] that [the warehouses] aren\u2019t going to work.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Rausch Creek, Tremont Township, the Pine Grove Area School District, and Schuylkill County stood to lose a combined nearly $1 million in tax revenue.<\/p>\n
Asked by a Coal Region Canary reporter if there is a chance the communities could see that revenue return, Meuser said he \u201cis fighting like mad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOver my dead body aren\u2019t we going to,\u201d Meuser said. \u201cI\u2019m telling them, there\u2019s no way we\u2019re going to take a hit. We\u2019re already taking hits in a lot of different ways, we\u2019re not going to take this hit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meuser sparred with Democratic challenger Rachel Wallace in the only debate of the campaign and, while a wide variety of topics were covered, the detention centers did not come up during the debate itself.<\/p>\n
About Author<\/p>\n