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2,000 new border agents aren't part of budget, [Bush] says
USA Today ^ | Jan. 25, 2005 | Mimi Hall

Posted on 01/25/2005 9:56:49 AM PST by citizen

2,000 new border agents aren't part of budget, Ridge says

President Bush (news - web sites) will not ask Congress for enough money to add 2,000 agents to patrol the nation's borders in his 2006 budget, even though he signed a bill last month authorizing the increase.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Monday that Bush's new budget, to be released in early February, will propose a "good incremental increase" in the number of agents. But he made it clear the number would not approach 2,000. The new agents were to be the first hires toward doubling the size of the force over five years.

As part of a sweeping intelligence bill passed in December, Congress called for nearly doubling the size of the Border Patrol by adding 10,000 agents over five years. The agency has about 11,000 agents; 90% work along the southern border with Mexico.

But in an interview with USA TODAY, Ridge scoffed at the notion of adding so many agents and said it would be an inefficient use of precious homeland security dollars.

"The notion that you're going to have 10,000 is sort of a fool's gold," Ridge said. "It's nice to say you're going to have 10,000 more Border Patrol agents in five years, but what other part of Homeland Security do you want to take the money from?"

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: aliens; border; borderinsecurity; bordersecurity; bush; bushamnesty; congress; dhs; homelabdsecurity; homelandsecurity; illegalaliens; illegals; immigrantlist; immigration; jorgebushamecha; openborders; ridge; security; term2; unfundedmandate; uspresident4mexico; w2; w2bushplan; wot
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To: taxed2death

BTT


81 posted on 01/25/2005 2:30:04 PM PST by JustAnotherSavage (When conservatives break their principles they seem to become casual about breaking the law, too.)
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To: citizen

Base to President Bush: Hello? Hello?


82 posted on 01/25/2005 2:59:15 PM PST by 4.1O dana super trac pak (Stop the open borders death cult)
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To: Marine Inspector

LOL!


83 posted on 01/25/2005 3:55:39 PM PST by Ajnin
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To: skeeter

If you knew the whole truth, you would march on DC...


84 posted on 01/25/2005 4:10:46 PM PST by ApesForEvolution (Pray for the Lord's hand in the Iraqi elections (& I ain't talkin bout the dead terrorist pedophile))
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To: citizen

I'd bet we could get a pretty good volunteer corp if they were actually allowed to SHOOT. Forget the budget.


85 posted on 01/25/2005 4:11:58 PM PST by madison10
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To: reelfoot
Mr. Bush is no conservative on this issue and his nonchalance about the porous condition of our southern border is outrageous.

I'm not defending him because I'm from Texas, but I'm going to say that Bush is not alone - the past three governors we've had have all buddied up to Mexico. Rick Perry is the same way (he's wanting to build one helluva boondoggle of a transportation project to funnel the Mexicans into the US even faster), and Ann Richards was the same way as well.

I think somebody in the Mexican government puts something in their water when they visit, because they tend to ignore all of the serious problems when they meet with Mexican officials, and just talk about things that aren't important to the rest of us in Texas. They ignore our water treaties/pacts, our border security, etc.
86 posted on 01/25/2005 4:25:30 PM PST by af_vet_rr
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To: JustAnotherSavage

What is the White House definition of "work with?"


87 posted on 01/25/2005 4:36:57 PM PST by nonliberal (Graduate: Curtis E. LeMay School of International Relations)
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To: adam_az
"On what basis do you believe that a "guest worker program" will in any way curb illegal crossings? "

If you were a Mexican laborer and you had a choice between driving across the border with a guest worker visa or paying a coyote $1,500.00 to guide you on a three day walk across the desert, which would you choose.

If you were a Mexican laborer and you had a choice between living and working legally in the U.S., or living and working illegally hiding from the law, which would you choose?

If you were an employer and had the choice between hiring someone who was legal, or hiring someone who was illegal, couldn't get a drivers license, might be deported without notice and subjected you to heavy fines if caught, which would you choose?

88 posted on 01/25/2005 4:54:47 PM PST by bayourod (America, the greatest nation in history is a nation of immigrants. Immigrants are an asset.)
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To: judgeandjury

I doubt that they come here at all if they know they are on the list.


89 posted on 01/25/2005 4:57:24 PM PST by bayourod (America, the greatest nation in history is a nation of immigrants. Immigrants are an asset.)
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To: Ol' Dan Tucker

When you finish laughing perhaps you can explain to us why a Mexican laborer would prefer to enter the US illegally when he could enter and work legally under the guest worker program.


90 posted on 01/25/2005 5:00:33 PM PST by bayourod (America, the greatest nation in history is a nation of immigrants. Immigrants are an asset.)
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To: Marine Inspector
"Most illegals are hired under that table, and that is where they will stay. The guest worker program will not change this dynamic. "

Why? Why would a Mexican laborer prefer to remain illegal when he could just as easily become legal?

Why would an employer risk the fines of hiring an illegal worker when he could hire a legal one instead?

91 posted on 01/25/2005 5:04:20 PM PST by bayourod (America, the greatest nation in history is a nation of immigrants. Immigrants are an asset.)
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To: bayourod

Those are all interesting ideas, but what makes you think that the "legal" immigrant workers won't be outcompeted by the illegals, as happens now?

"If you were an employer and had the choice between hiring someone who was legal, or hiring someone who was illegal, couldn't get a drivers license, might be deported without notice and subjected you to heavy fines if caught, which would you choose?"

This is a JOKE - it's the kind of enforcement "they" tell us can't be done NOW. How gullible do you have to be to think it will happen LATER?


92 posted on 01/25/2005 5:04:35 PM PST by adam_az (UN out of the US! - http://www.moveamericaforward.org/?Page=Petition)
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To: bayourod

"When you finish laughing perhaps you can explain to us why a Mexican laborer would prefer to enter the US illegally when he could enter and work legally under the guest worker program."

Because it's easy and there are really no penalties for doing it.

Why would a Mexican come "legally" and have to pay taxes, when he could come illegally and do the same work for better money (no taxes) with no consequence?


93 posted on 01/25/2005 5:06:07 PM PST by adam_az (UN out of the US! - http://www.moveamericaforward.org/?Page=Petition)
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To: citizen

They need to let the Border Agents do their job by sweeping workplaces in CA first.

Operation Wet Back 2


94 posted on 01/25/2005 5:06:21 PM PST by BurbankKarl
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To: adam_az
"what makes you think that the "legal" immigrant workers won't be outcompeted by the illegals, as happens now? "

Because they are the same people, they'll just have an extra card in their billfold, the supply/demand ratio wouldn't change.

95 posted on 01/25/2005 5:08:21 PM PST by bayourod (America, the greatest nation in history is a nation of immigrants. Immigrants are an asset.)
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To: adam_az
"Why would a Mexican come "legally" and have to pay taxes, when he could come illegally and do the same work for better money (no taxes) with no consequence? "

They have to pay taxes whether legal or illegal. It's a myth that most of them are paid under the table in cash. If an employer pays off the books he can't deduct wages from gross income. He has to pay income taxes on that money, usually at a higher rate than the laborer would.

Companies with an bookkeeper/accountant/payroll office can't pay off the books.

If an employer gets audited by the IRS he could go to prison for tax evasion and failure to withhold.

It's easy to tell which posters have never had to make payroll.

Still laughing?

96 posted on 01/25/2005 5:18:21 PM PST by bayourod (America, the greatest nation in history is a nation of immigrants. Immigrants are an asset.)
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To: bayourod; Marine Inspector
>"If you want to decrease the workload, enact President Bush's guest laborer plan."<

-Rod, a security fence/wall would help decrease the border agents workload as well. I can't understand why you wouldn't want to help make the border patrol officers job less difficult, and more effective at stopping people from entering the country outside of a legal port of entry

Hey Marine Inspector, if a fence were built; (in at least the most vulnerable areas) wouldn't it drastically cut down on the number of people sneaking across the border?
97 posted on 01/25/2005 5:49:02 PM PST by FBD ("A nation without borders is not a nation." -- Ronald Reagan)
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To: bayourod

I notice you always use examples of mexicans in your cute little stories. Do you care about any other illegals or are you just focused on mexicans?


98 posted on 01/25/2005 5:53:05 PM PST by raybbr
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To: FBD
I have no objection to building a fence except that it is a Trojan horse issue that no responsible legislator would support.

Fences have been useful in high population areas but haven't completely stopped illegals even where there are guards almost shoulder to shoulder and more flood lights than a new car lot. People climb them in sight of the guards and try to outrun them. Some get caught and some don't. In urban areas there are even tunnels dug under the fences.

In desolate areas where the nearest guard may be miles away and there are no lights, fences will just be cut or torn down and stolen.

Fences for desolate areas are false solutions put forth by scam artists trying to con people with lower intelligence or emotional issues into sending money (or in Buchanan's case, to undermine Bush's base)

99 posted on 01/25/2005 6:40:53 PM PST by bayourod (America, the greatest nation in history is a nation of immigrants. Immigrants are an asset.)
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To: FBD

Yes. It worked in California.


100 posted on 01/25/2005 6:42:31 PM PST by Marine Inspector (Customs & Border Protection Officer)
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