Tom Ridge, the new chief of terrorist repression

by Jean-Guy Allard

George W Bush did not hesitate in selecting the head of new Office of 
Homeland Security, which from now on is responsible for supervising 40 
government agencies linked to the repression of terrorism in US territory: 
the "Strong Man of Philadelphia", Tom "Get-Tough" Ridge, governor of 
Pennsylvania, champion of the death penalty, crowded prisons, and the 
merciless repression of racial minorities.

As part of the dramatic response to the terrorist attacks, Bush has granted 
"Homeland Security" the mission of controlling and directing the multiple 
tentacles of a gigantic apparatus of investigation and repression. And 
Ridge, the new "czar" of homeland security who had virtually converted his 
state into a cage for tens of thousands of non-whites, has the President's 
blind trust.

Under the administration of Ridge and his get-tough policy, Pennsylvania 
spent more than US$1 billion per year to keep an average of 36,000 people, 
in their overwhelming majority blacks and Hispanics, in jail.

The king of repressive disparity

Of all the US states, Pennsylvania has the highest percentage of minorities 
behind bars. It has the sinister record for the highest disparity between 
white and non-white prisoners.

In this state, where whites comprise 86 per cent of the population, racial 
and ethnic minorities are incarcerated 13 times more often than whites.

More precisely, African-Americans are incarcerated 16 times more often than 
whites, while for Hispanics the ratio is a little less than nine times as 
high.

When the incarceration of whites in Pennsylvania is compared to the ratios 
in Western Europe, those of African-American and Hispanics are, thanks to 
Tom Ridge, some of the highest in the world, according to a study published 
in August by Barry Holman, director of the National Center for 
Institutional Alternatives (NCIA); Alan Knowlton Boal, also of the NCIA; 
and Jason Ziedenberg, senior analyst at the Justice Policy Institute.

In the middle of Tom Ridge's Pennsylvania, in Union County, correctional 
racism has reached such a high level that one has to read the data two or 
even three times to be convinced of the reality.

The following data comes from official sources, the April 2001 publication 
from the Office of Research and Evaluation of the United States Bureau of 
Prisons: "In Union County, 97 per cent of African-American males ages 20-55 
are incarcerated in one of three federal prisons.

"In the same county, 94 per cent of Hispanic males ages 20-55 are likewise 
incarcerated."

More than 200 execution orders

Tom Ridge, on the other hand, doesn't confine himself to incarcerations; he 
has also devoted himself to executions, and at the same rate as that of the 
former governor of Texas, George W Bush. As governor of Pennsylvania, he 
signed more than 200 execution orders.

But Tom Ridge's fame is not restricted to the issue of abusive repression. 
He is also notorious for his inability to act against any form of 
corruption.

On several occasions, the new chief of homeland security rejected proposals 
from his Democrat adversaries to take tougher action against white-collar 
crime.

As governor, he turned down various judicial complaints arguing for an 
increase in the budget for the Pennsylvania education system, noted for its 
low student test scores, decrepit buildings, and inadequate teachers' 
salaries.

Finally, Tom Ridge has exemplified himself with his tolerance of 
environmental polluters. Under his administration, Pennsylvania became the 
largest importer of toxic waste in the country, when he accepted the entry 
of enormous quantities of refuse from neighbouring states.

Now in charge of managing the anthrax panic — among many other things — 
Tom Ridge is to supervise the work of around 40 government agencies linked 
to the repression of terrorism.

His dangerous broad powers extend from the civil aviation security and 
foodstuffs vigilance to coordinating the utilisation of information on 
terrorism gathered by various specialised agencies.

"I call him Mr President"

In his new post, Tom Ridge has the rare privilege of having an office a few 
feet from President Bush's. As he explained at a press conference: "He 
calls me Tom, I call him Mr President".

The two have known each other for more than 20 years. Shortly after 
resigning from his position as governor of Pennsylvania, Ridge was sworn in 
by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

The ceremony was to have taken place in the presence of Vice President Dick 
Cheney. Demonstrating the reigning climate in Washington, at the last 
moment it was announced that Cheney was being taken to a secret location 
far from the White House.

Mr "Get-Tough" from Pennsylvania is the Bush team's latest acquisition 
among certain pearls from the Reagan school, such as Eliott Abrams, John 
Negroponte, Roger Noriega, Otto Reich and Condoleezza Rice.

One final detail: Czar Tom Ridge is a highly decorated veteran of the 
Vietnam War.

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