Sadly, this particular Whitewater scandal has nothing to do with the Clintons or Arkansas.

More to do with White Water, California, whose only claim to fame is the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm and a trout farm.

More importanly, White Water is located directly off Interstate 10, on the way from Palm Springs to Los Angeles. 

And there’s a plan in the works for a 7,200-bed jail in White Water.

Coachella Valley tourism organizations are up in arms over the proposal, saying that a big jail on an important gateway into Palm Springs will hurt their billion-dollar tourism industry.

The environmental report for the jail project came out clean, so owners of hotels in Palm Springs are ponying up $20,000 for an ‘independent’ study of the jail’s impact on tourism.

The hoteliers say the environmental report merely used state data and no local data was asked for or provided in Palm Springs.

County officials say it makes no difference. They offered Temecula’s flourishing wine tourism and the Southwest Detention Center as an example.

So why can’t you have a big jail and tourism in the same place? It’s all part of the vast hotelier wing conspiracy.

Posted on March 18th, 2010 by PLing
Filed under: California