Napolitano Declares Emergency, OKs Funding for Border

AP ^ | 8/15/05 | Paul Davenport

[Ladycalif]

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano declared an emergency Monday in four border counties because of problems related to illegal immigration and moved to provide local governments in those counties with up to $1.5 million in state funding. Napolitano's order said failure by the federal government to secure the border allowed a flood of illegal immigration that threatened public health and safety, "thereby necessitating immediate action by the state ... to aid its border counties.'' Napolitano's order directly released $200,000 from the state's emergency fund for disasters while her emergency council released an additional $1.3 million, spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer said. The money is intended for use by counties and municipalities for a variety of purposes, including overtime pay for law enforcement officers, repairs of border fences, costs related to illegal immigrants' deaths, L'Ecuyer said. Napolitano's action followed by three days a similar declaration by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Arizona is the nation's busiest entry point for illegal border-crossings, and illegal immigration has emerged as a significant political issue. Crimes and other problems associated with the border include illegal immigration, vehicle thefts, drug smuggling and property damage. "All of this, bottom line every last bit of this, is a federal responsibility but the federal government has not done what it needs to do and has promised to do,'' said L'Ecuyer. She added that the actual damage and the level of frustration compelled Napolitano to act. The four counties — Cochise, Pima, Santa Cruz and Yuma — and local governments in those counties now will apply to the state Division of Emergency Management for money. Some already have approached the state with requests and decisions on funding could be made within four to six weeks, L'Ecuyer said. "Some of them already have a good idea in writing of what they need,'' L'Ecuyer said, citing the city of Nogales' desire for overtime pay for police patrols near the border and a similar requested by Santa Cruz County for overtime pay for deputies as well as money for crime scene kits, night-vision goggles, riot gear and radios. Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada said the funding was welcome but not enough. "We have obviously not received the attention and assistance from the federal government that we feel we deserve,'' Estrada said. Estrada said a measure of the severity of the border-related burdens placed on his county is evident in the inmate population of the county jail in Nogales. Half of the jail's 100 inmates are Mexican nationals, most of them illegal immigrations who were arrested for crimes committed in Arizona, he said. A Republican legislator who has introduced numerous bills targeted illegal immigration said Napolitano's action was welcome but "way, way overdue.'' "It's Janet come lately,'' said Rep. Russell Pearce of Mesa. "She should have done it months ago. She should have done it two years ago.'' Richardson's declaration Friday covered four New Mexico counties along the border and let him free up money to help law enforcement, to pay for a state Office of Homeland Security field office, to fence a Columbus-area livestock yard where cattle have been killed or stolen and other similar efforts. The executive order made $750,000 immediately available to Dona Ana, Luna, Grant and Hidalgo counties, and Richardson pledged an additional $1 million. Napolitano and Richardson are both Democrats. In a related development, U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake said Richardson's declaration indicates the need for Congress to act on immigration legislation. "As Arizonans well know, the federal government's inability to control the border has been a crisis for some time,'' Flake, R-Ariz., said Monday. Napolitano also has accused the federal government of repeatedly failing to act on illegal immigration, particularly on reimbursement of state and local government costs for apprehending, prosecuting and imprisoning illegal immigrants who commit crimes in Arizona. In July, Napolitano had the state Department of Public Safety convene a closed-door meeting of law enforcement officials to explore ways to lessen immigration problems in Arizona. Those talks included discussions of a pilot project being launched by the state to have a dozen DPS officers trained to assist local police and federal agents in immigration cases. Napolitano drew criticism earlier this year for vetoing a proposal to give state and local police authority to enforce federal immigration law. She said the bill didn't provide any money to carry out the duties.

[sarasmom]

President Bush and Republicans aint off the hook!
He absolutely adores illegals!
It will bring the RINO wing of the Republican party member gains to a screeching halt.
Only deluded professional politicians think they can overide the will of 80 percent of the populice and still maintain power...

[johnmecainrino]

Democrats are for illegals.

Have you heard Howard Dean just last week saying Republicans will bash immigrants the same way they bashed gays in 04. Howard dean is a kiss up ass kisser for illegals.

Howard Dean bashed Arnold for supporting the minutemen.

The whole democrat caucus in the senate voted for amnesty for illegals in the ag bill.

Almost the whole democrat caucus voted against more border agents and more detainee beds.

Dem legislatures are backing in state tuition for illegals.

The dem rep in southern california border duncan hunter's district is blocking him in congress from fortifying the fence and extending it on the whole southern california border.


We need a fence on the border and duncan hunter is pushing for it and the dems enviornmentalists are blocking him'

There is not one dem in the senate or house that is tough on illegals. Howard Dean bashed Tom Tancredo and James Sensennbrenner.

The dem governor of arizona is a two faced fraud she has blocked so many measures she is a joke.

[de Buillion]

"I think the "Rush to Cross the Border" is on."

Let me be the first on this thread to predict the next Guv to do the same will be Ahnold. Don't know if Perry will follow or not, probably not.

[concerned about politics]

What about TX?

Well....what is Texas waiting for? Close that border, boys!
This isn't a dem/Republican issue. This is a national issue. The whole country needs to get involved!

[de Buillion]

"Well....what is Texas waiting for? Close that border, boys! "

Seems like Hannity mentioned something about being on the TX border with the minitemen either this week or next.....

[SandRat]

Spread the word

----- Original Message -----
From: Call, Pat
To: Call, Pat
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 6:34 PM
Subject: [Norton AntiSpam] Border Issues

Briefly ...

I just received a call from the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Alan Stephens. He informed me that Governor Napolitano has just declared a state of emergency for the four border counties in Arizona because of the cost and concerns relative to the illegal immigration issue. Approximately $1.5 million dollars will be allocated to the four border counties.

How the money will be allocated, how soon and so on is unknown to me at the moment. I’m sure details will be forthcoming very soon. I’m assuming that the county will be able to use the money to deal with law enforcement and public health issues as they relate to illegal immigrants crossing our county.

In any case, this is exceptionally good news.

Pat Call.

~~~ This is a broadcast email. From time to time I send out information I think will be of interest to residents in the greater Sierra Vista, Hereford and Palominas areas. If you change your email address, if you don't want to be on the list or if you know someone who would like to be on the list, please let me know. Feel free to forward this email to whomever you wish. ~~~

[Enterprise]

A prior poster basically made the point that a lot of the problems caused by illegal immigration is due to massive neglect by the Democrats. Now, that it has become a political issue, the Democrats change their position and stomp on the people they originally hoped to have as voters. Hypocrites, frauds and thieves.

[Spiff]

Until either Democrat governor calls out the National Guard to react to this emergency, then they're just posturing to make Republicans look bad. Apart for a few exceptions the Republicans have left open a vulnerable spot - immigration and border security - that any intelligent Democrat would exploit to his advantage. The Republicans have brought this upon themselves by following a President who has the WRONG idea about the border and some of their congressional leaders who have similarly wrong ideas.

[bayareablues]

"Hillary will be the dems nominee in 08 and she has a pro illegal voting record she can't hide from."

Tragically, bill and hillary can hide from anything.

[Truth Speaker]

When a State of Emergency is declared does this mean the governors of NM and AZ can prevent the Minutemen from performing their tasks planned?

This thought occurred to me.... "Could this be the real reason for the declaration?"

[luv2ski]

Until either Democrat governor calls out the National Guard to react to this emergency, then they're just posturing to make Republicans look bad. Apart for a few exceptions the Republicans have left open a vulnerable spot - immigration and border security - that any intelligent Democrat would exploit to his advantage. The Republicans have brought this upon themselves by following a President who has the WRONG idea about the border and some of their congressional leaders who have similarly wrong ideas.

What doesn't make sense is that they are doing what WE want to try to trump us on the issue. hmmm. Seems pretty bass-ackwards to me! The only reason this hasn't happened before is that people on both sides were afraid of the political fall out. Nothing has changed in that arena. Plus, I saw Richardson on Fox tonight and Bill O asked him if he was going to call out the National Guard. He hemmed and hawed and said that that wasn't necessary yet- that the problems they were dealing with were mostly criminal cases of drug trafficking, etc. He is a big phony! and Janet is, too!

[c-b 1]

This year, folks! And 3 days after Gov. Richardson's surprise declaration she's a become an anti-illegal immigrant warrior princess...

This year folks, the anti-illegal immigrant warrior princess is pandering for votes with tax dollars.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

First dem gov of NM, now here in Dem gov AZ, I smell a dem rat, something evil slithers this way.

[Mike Darancette]

Now we need similar action in Texas, California

If GOP Governors do it, it will be called racist.

[John Robertson]

"First Governor Richardson and now Governor Napolitano. Moving quickly to take this issue away from President Bush."

With all the respect our president is due...you can't take an issue away from him if he hasn't embraced it yet.

By the way, this is Hilary's Western Strategy: Use this issue to nail down a handful of western states that almost always go Republican. Hello, Whitehouse.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Things are happening in California:

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Monday, August 15th, 2005

PETITION SIGNING!

Posted by The John and Ken Show @ 3:00 pm  

Support the California Border Police This Friday in Ontario!

John & Ken will kick-off petition signings for the California Border Police Initiative with a live broadcast from the Ayres Hotel Ontario Airport in Ontario at 1945 E Holt Blvd this Friday from 3-7pm. The California Border Police will be a state police force (like the CHP) established in the state constitution and under the authority of the Governor.

Click here for directions to the Ayres Hotel Ontario Airport.

To have a petition mailed to you, go to www.calborderpolice.com

[DH]

Even though these liberal chameleons are seeming to take some type of action to protect our borders, it is good.

It is good for a single reason...it may finally make Bush and his band of timid, PC, sensitive and diversity driven senators and congressmen get up off their asses and REALLY do something about it.  The only fear they have is that their party may be damaged by outraged citizens following the democrats who have finally found an issue to run with.  One that the people are outraged about due to inaction by the republicans who are courting the hispanic vote in lieu of representing all of Americans.

If it takes pure fear and horror (an issue that has heavy impact on the next election) to wake them up, then the democrats have done us conservatives a favor by waking a sleeping giant.

[Rudder]

Man, that's what I call a paragraph!

[jackbenimble]

U.S. Constitution - Article 4 Section 4
Article 4 - The States
Section 4 - Republican government
The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.

The obvious next step for these Governors to complete their humiliation of President Bush and his glaring failure to defend the borders is for them to make an "Application" for protection.

I believe Congress is in recess right now so it appears that this application should be appropriately made directly to the Executive. That leaves the President in the position of calling the Congress back from recess or taking personal initiative to meet his Constitutionally mandated duty or punting and looking very foolish and weak in the war on terror.

They could further embarrass the President by calling out or threatening to call out their State militias.

Frankly I think the President and the Congress richly deserve some humiliation and embarrassment on this issue. I can't stand either Richardson or Napolitano and I fully recognize that they have both been miserable on this issue in the past and that they are grandstanding now. But I could careless because the President has damn near begged for this treatment and he deserves what he gets.

[Amerigomag]

Moving quickly to take this issue away from President Bush.

If my memory serves me correctly Bush never had the issue and doesn't want the issue. Since January 7, 2003, Bush has encouraged illegal immigration and deterred more responsible folks from acting to defend our sovereignty against the invasion from Mexico. His infamous "vigilante" remark speaks volumes.