1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

Vote no on President Trump's $152 million budget request to reopen Alcatraz as a federal prison. This is a wasteful vanity project that throws away taxpayer money while destroying a revenue-generating national landmark. Alcatraz currently brings in $60 million annually and welcomes 1.2 million visitors as a historic site and bird sanctuary. Converting it to a prison would eliminate that revenue and cost hundreds of millions more beyond the initial $152 million, since the island has no running water or sewage system and requires boat transport for all supplies. The facility has been crumbling for decades. This isn't fiscal responsibility. The president chose this location because it's "foreboding" and "surrounded by sharks." That's not a corrections policy. That's theater. We don't need a symbolic fortress when existing federal prisons have capacity and modern infrastructure already in place. This money could fund actual public safety programs or reduce the deficit instead of rebuilding a 90-year-old relic to house prisoners at astronomical cost. Reject this budget request and protect both taxpayer dollars and a national treasure.