Looks to be working fine thus far. Where's the 'Jurassic Park' electrification?
Posted on 10/26/2006 7:10:43 AM PDT by radar101
President Bush signed a bill Thursday authorizing 700 miles of new fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, hoping to give Republican candidates a pre-election platform for asserting they're tough on illegal immigration.
"Unfortunately the United States has not been in complete control of its borders for decades and therefore illegal immigration has been on the rise," Bush said at a signing ceremony.
"We have a responsibility to enforce our laws," he said. "We have a responsibility to secure our borders. We take this responsibility serious."
He called the fence bill "an important step in our nation's efforts to secure our borders."
The centerpiece of Bush's immigration policy, a guest worker program, remains stalled in Congress.
And a handful of House Republican are at the brakes, blocking negotiations with the Senate for a bill that includes the president's proposal.
Still, Bush argues that it would be easier to get his guest worker program passed if Republicans keep their majorities in the House and Senate after the Nov. 7 elections. His proposal would allow legal employment for foreigners and give some of the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States a shot at becoming American citizens.
The measure Bush put into law Thursday before heading for campaign stops in Iowa and Michigan offers no money for the fence project covering one-third of the 2,100-mile border.
Its cost is not known, although a homeland security spending measure the president signed earlier this month makes a $1.2 billion down payment on the project. The money also can be used for access roads, vehicle barriers, lighting, high-tech equipment and other tools to secure the border.
Mexican officials have criticized the fence. Outgoing Mexican President Vicente Fox, who has spent much of his six years in office lobbying for a new guest worker program and a chance at citizenship for the millions of Mexicans working illegally in the U.S., calls the fence "shameful" and compares it to the Berlin Wall.
Others have doubts about its effectiveness.
"A fence will slow people down by a minute or two, but if you don't have the agents to stop them it does no good. We're not talking about some impenetrable barrier," T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representing Border Patrol agents, said Wednesday.
Customs and Border Protection statistics show that apprehensions at border crossings are down 8 percent nationally for the budget year that just ended, Bonner said. Apprehensions were up in the San Diego sector, he said, an area of the nearly 2,000-mile border that has the most fencing.
A spokesman for Customs and Border Protection would not confirm the statistics or discuss reasons for the increase in the San Diego sector.
Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison, both Texas Republicans, had wanted to amend the fence bill to give local governments more say about where fencing is erected. They lost that battle, but Republican leaders assured them the Homeland Security Department would have flexibility to choose other options instead of fencing, if needed.
Cornyn said he voted for the fence because he wanted to help demonstrate that Congress was serious about border security.
"The choice we were presented was: Are we going to vote to enhance border security, or against it?" Cornyn said. "I think that's how the vote was viewed."
Hummmm....
"offers no money for the fence project covering one-third of the 2,100-mile border?"
One week they save it's funded, the next week they say it isn't!
I wish we could get one FRIGGIN' STARIGHT ANSWER on this bill.
Hell. the Chinese built the Great Wall in less time than it's takin' these clowns in D.C. to erect a friggin' fence on the border!!!
Here's the latest WH release on this issue:
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
(ext. sarc.)
http://www.scrappleface.com/?p=2370
Bush Approves 700-Mile ‘Concept Fence’ at Border
by Scott Ott
(2006-10-26) — President George Bush today signed into law a bill that authorizes a 700-mile long “concept fence” on the U.S.-Mexico border.
The concept fence, a project approved but not funded by Congress, is similar to a concept car, administration officials said.
According to an unnamed bill sponsor, “The concept fence is an insurmoutable barrier that will shut off the steady, daily flow of illegal aliens invading our country to take our jobs, boost our crime rate, burden our social welfare system and potentially bear contagious diseases or weapons of mass destruction. The concept fence is impossibly high, supercharged with 1.21 jigowatts of electricity, and each mile is guarded by a battalion of National Guard troops and a squadron of A-10 Warthog fighter jets.”
If the concept proves popular, officials said, Congress may eventually fund the actual “production fence” which will be a three-foot high hedge of juniper bushes.
Human rights advocates responded to the new law by charging that the 700-mile fence would force undocumented workers to squeeze through the remaining 1,400 mile border gap, possibly causing lacerations and brush burns.
That is actually quite brilliant.
Well, thank you! That was one of the clearest WH statements about illegal immigration to date! Now, will the Congress ever get around to voting for fence funding? Their virtually certain answer: Et nihil hoc ad nos!
Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes !!!
Maybe the House should send up Bush's next Iraq War budget in the same way....
Looks to be working fine thus far. Where's the 'Jurassic Park' electrification?
LOL!
>>"We have a responsibility to enforce our laws," he said. "We have a responsibility to secure our borders. We take this responsibility serious."<<
So, when is he going to take this responsibility seriously?
Could we deal with the FACTS ONE time instead of manufactured angst drummed up by political con men trying to keep the donations flowing to their activist "Anti Illegals" groups?
The hypocrisy on the illegal alien issue from BOTH PARTIEs reeks to high heaven. Dems like illegals and hate voter identification requirements -- hint, hint....
Business lobbies like cheap labor, and put cash into Repub campaigns.
IMO, this issue could be solved easily if existing laws fining employers for hiring illegals were enforced. If a business risked a $10K fine if INS discovered a so-called undocumented worker, the demand would evaporate, and there would be little reason for the vast majority of illegals to wade across the river.
The fence would help with the drug runners and criminals that cross over the border to wreak havoc.
Could we deal with the FACTS ONE time instead of manufactured angst drummed up by political con men trying to keep the donations flowing to their activist "Anti Illegals" groups?
I don't know what you mean, MN.
"Read the bill here"
no thanks, I already have a headache and an upset stomach. LOL
BTTT
"Outgoing Mexican President Vicente Fox, who has spent much of his six years in office lobbying for a new guest worker program and a chance at citizenship for the millions of Mexicans working illegally in the U.S., calls the fence "shameful" and compares it to the Berlin Wall."
Except for the fact that the Berlin Wall was built to keep oppressed people in Berlin....This is being built to keep illegals out. As a citizen, I can still travel in and out of the country at will. Nice attempt though to try an cloud the issue and obfuscate your failings as the President of Mexico.
Yep, it appears as though this was a scam. They made it *appear* as though it was funded when it really wasn't. Why? Because the 1.2 billion 'down payment' was blanket funding to the Dept. of HS and was not *specifically* allocated to the fence. Slick but disgusting. This was all a ploy to trick, fool, and placate the conservative grass-roots.
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