Posted on 10/28/2006 6:24:15 AM PDT by bennyjakobowski
WASHINGTON, DC (AgapePress) - A Republican senator is hailing it as the strongest effort to secure the U.S. border with Mexico in his lifetime. But one expert on political violence and terrorism doubts the border fence authorized by President Bush's signature on Thursday will ever become reality.
Yesterday the president signed a law authorizing construction of 700 miles of fence along a third of the U.S.-Mexico border. At the signing Bush acknowledged "the United States has not been in complete control of its border for decades." If the barrier is built as planned, the state of Arizona would be virtually sealed from Mexico. Congress had earlier authorized $1.2 billion for construction of the double-layered fence, but most observers agree that will not be enough to build the entire fence.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham says immigration reform is not possible without a secure border. "We have doubled the budget for border security since President Bush has been in office from $4 billion to $10 billion," he notes. "By 2008, we will have doubled the number of Border Patrol agents from 9,000 to 18,000. This particular piece of legislation authorizes 700 miles of fencing in urban areas where people can literally walk across the street at our borders."
Graham says in addition, the National Guard has been deployed to the borders, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles and other sensors to control the wilderness area of the border. Still, he laments, more must be done to cut back on the number of illegal aliens flooding into the U.S.
"We must address why illegal immigrants [are crossing the border] -- and that's to get jobs," says Graham. "We need to hold employers accountable for who they hire, give them a chance to document their workforce, [and] come up with a temporary worker program that will allow the American economy to flourish and immigrants to do jobs that Americans choose not to do." Although the senator says he opposes amnesty, he supports a "guest worker" program for illegal immigrants.
Doubt Expressed About Reality of Fence
Skeptics say the money to build the full 700 miles of border fence will never materialize. But the leader of a coalition group has a different opinion on the matter. He contends the fence will never actually be built because of a secret agreement the president reached with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and former Mexican President Vicente Fox last year in Waco, Texas.
Jerome Corsi with the "Coalition to Block the North American Union" says Bush pledged to Martin and Fox that he would do everything within his power to erase America's borders with Canada and Mexico. The Coalition contends the "Security and Prosperity Partnership" (SPP) plan would erase U.S. borders, replace the dollar with the "amero," and allow unfettered immigration. Corsi -- along with Howard Phillips of the Conservative Caucus and Phyllis Schlafly of Eagle Forum -- is urging passage of House resolution that would effectively block the SPP.
"We want to draw attention to the congressmen and the senators to demand the 110th Congress have open investigations and hearings on what SPP.gov is doing," Corsi said during a news conference at the National Press Club on Wednesday. "And we challenge President Bush ... that if SPP.gov is doing nothing except improving our commerce and prosperity, then there's no reason not to hold hearings. Why are the documents of spp.gov being held secret from the American people?"
And Corsi has his doubts concerning the effectiveness of a fence should it be built. He is convinced that protecting the border around North America will not stop terrorists from getting into the U.S. He believes the American public casts doubt on the seriousness of President Bush to wage a war on terror in Iraq because he is allowing Middle Easterners to cross into the U.S. from Mexico and form sleeper cells in the U.S.
"President Bush will have no war on terror as long as Mexico is whom we're relying upon to secure our borders of North America," Corsi stated.
Graham joins his cohorts across the aisle to embrace a "guest voter" program.
Let's not join the chorus of, but it will never be built. I heard but the House and Senate will never pass the bills. Then it was but Bush won't sign the bills. Then it was but the money won't be appropriated when it already had been. I am willing to give it a couple of months before I start singing the same song as liberals.
Jerome Corsi with the "Coalition to Block the North American Union" says Bush pledged to Martin and Fox that he would do everything within his power to erase America's borders with Canada and Mexico. The Coalition contends the "Security and Prosperity Partnership" (SPP) plan would erase U.S. borders, replace the dollar with the "amero," and allow unfettered immigration.
About as likely as getting rid of the income tax and IRS.
Show me in the bill where the money was appropriated for a "fence".
If memory serves, Homeland security says it will be built within five years. Let's see now----2 million illegals a year times five years---10 million more illegals to deal with.
That fence had better be built and all measures taken to enforce stopping wet backs from illegally entering the country.
The politicians don't seem to realize how the majority of Americans feel about this issue - they should know it had better be stopped or we are going to have a third party to dump these nincompoops who think they know better than the voters in the country.
'08 is not going to look pretty.
Perhaps it hasn't occurred to ya', but it's that "chorus" you deride, that's got US to where we are today. I intend to keep the chorus going until "they" announce the last ILLEGAL has left the Country and the last "Brick in the Wall" has been laid. Blackbird.
Here is some funding and timeline information. (I'm not holding my breath while I wait for construction to begin.)
The measure Bush put into law Thursday [Border Security Fence, HR 6061] 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.Here is a partial timeline:[HOWEVER]
... a homeland security spending measure the president signed earlier this month makes a $1.2 billion down payment on the project.
[BUT]
The money also can be used for access roads, vehicle barriers, lighting, high-tech equipment and other tools to secure the border.
Speaker Previews Tomorrow's White House Signing of the 'Secure Fence Act'
Secure Fence Act of 2006 (H.R.6061)snip
SEC. 3. CONSTRUCTION OF FENCING AND SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS IN BORDER AREA FROM PACIFIC OCEAN TO GULF OF MEXICO.
Section 102(b) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-208; 8 U.S.C. 1103 note) is amended--
(1) in the subsection heading by striking `Near San Diego, California´; and
(2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
`(1) SECURITY FEATURES-
`(A) REINFORCED FENCING- In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide for least 2 layers of reinforced fencing, the installation of additional physical barriers, roads, lighting, cameras, and sensors--
`(i) extending from 10 miles west of the Tecate, California, port of entry to 10 miles east of the Tecate, California, port of entry;
`(ii) extending from 10 miles west of the Calexico, California, port of entry to 5 miles east of the Douglas, Arizona, port of entry;
`(iii) extending from 5 miles west of the Columbus, New Mexico, port of entry to 10 miles east of El Paso, Texas;
`(iv) extending from 5 miles northwest of the Del Rio, Texas, port of entry to 5 miles southeast of the Eagle Pass, Texas, port of entry; and
`(v) extending 15 miles northwest of the Laredo, Texas, port of entry to the Brownsville, Texas, port of entry.
`(B) PRIORITY AREAS- With respect to the border described--
`(i) in subparagraph (A)(ii), the Secretary shall ensure that an interlocking surveillance camera system is installed along such area by May 30, 2007, and that fence construction is completed by May 30, 2008; and
`(ii) in subparagraph (A)(v), the Secretary shall ensure that fence construction from 15 miles northwest of the Laredo, Texas, port of entry to 15 southeast of the Laredo, Texas, port of entry is completed by December 31, 2008.
`(C) EXCEPTION- If the topography of a specific area has an elevation grade that exceeds 10 percent, the Secretary may use other means to secure such area, including the use of surveillance and barrier tools.´.
snip
"Border Fence Authorized"
Yes, it has been authorized. It must be authorized before it is built. Check step one off the list. Now for step two, three and so on, until it has been built.
Hopefully, no FReeper is going to cut and run on building the fence.
A CASE OF BULLETS WOULD BE CHEAPER
I've got any easy way to finance this puppy. Add a check box on the 1040 for " Contribute 10 dollars of your refund to build a border fence".
Not till the last dollar is bled from the public treasury by various Unions..
Put a few check boxes to chose: $10, $50, $100.
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