Pubdate: Sat, 31 Mar 2001 Source: Santa Barbara News-Press (CA) Copyright: 2001 Santa Barbara News-Press Contact: http://www.newspress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/393 Author: Molly Machin THE DAYS OF WINE OR PRISONS IN LOMPOC The wine industry has discovered that Lompoc is one of the few areas that is cool enough and foggy enough to produce the grapes that go into premium wines. While it will take five years for the grapes being planted along Highway 246 to mature, Lompoc may see economic benefits from the wine industry sooner. The grape processing plant/wine tasting room proposed for the old Grefco site should infuse $50 million into the local economy annually. According to Vic Motto, industry analyst, most communities welcome the wine industry because in the past it has proven to be recession-proof. The wine industry is considered a growth industry since beer drinkers are switching to wine. Motto further said that vineyards require extensive capital improvements. This translates into jobs and higher property tax revenue to the county. The other entity looking to expand into Lompoc is The Federal Bureau of Prisons. The FBOP proposes to build a 1,000 bed high-security prison, adding to the four existing federal facilities in Lompoc. FBOP officials are quick to point out that the town will benefit from the $4.1 million in salaries generated by the influx of 250 new staff. If you divide 250 into 4.1 million you calculate that prison employees would earn an average of $16,400. These new staffers will not easily fit into the local community. According to a 1999 market study 23 percent of Lompoc residence earn $50,000-$75,000 annually. The average selling price of a home is $166,000. While expansion of grape farming in Lompoc Valley represents little risk to public safety, the same is not true of a new prison. At any given time, 10 percent of prison populations test positive for illegal drugs. Prison officials must concede that a criminal element has to at least pass through Lompoc to supply illegal drugs to inmates. It is no coincidence that the seven inmates who recently went on a crime spree escaped from a prison in Texas. Construction of a high-security prison would be bad for Lompoc and bad for Santa Barbara County. Tell the FBOP to build the new facility in one of the 14 states that have no federal prison or reopen the federal prison in Boron that was recently mothballed. Molly Machin, Lompoc - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D