Vt. senator wants US-Canada border crossing closed

hosted ^ | May 23

[JoeProBono]

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) -- Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont is asking Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to close the little-used Canadian border crossing at Morses Line.

The Democratic senator told Napolitano in a letter Sunday that he's prepared to close the port during the Appropriations process, if necessary.

[historyrepeatz]

The Dems want to close borders where illegals AREN’T crossing.

[Frantzie]

Close the border with Mexico.

[JoeProBono]

Homeland Security wants eminent domain over a Vermont farm at the border

[JoeProBono]

[reg45]

I’m waiting for Stephen Harper to call Patrick Leahy a racist.

[pepsionice]

How many illegal Canadian immigrants have crossed the border into the US over the past five years? What? A hundred? Maybe two hundred? We are putting a vast amount of resources at the wrong border.

[jmaroneps37]

They can’t sign up illegal Canadians as new Democrats so this is show business.

[JoeProBono]

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/23391

[GoldenPup]

Probably the first time in my life that I agree with Leahy.

The idiot "homeland insecurity" wants to spend big bucks to "update" a border crossing that is little used , and take a chunk of some poor guy's farm to do it. Have to protect us from all those illegal Canadian aliens. What a bunch of typical washington morons!!

[Carley]

The maoist wants to seize a Vermont farm to enhance the crossing which accommodates 40 cars a day.

There has been publicity about this man being unwilling to give up his farmland.

[JoeProBono]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2505141/posts

[K-oneTexas]

Some things would be impossible to do.


Derby Line, Vermont/Stanstead, Quebec. Here's the Canada-US border through the public library:



Canusa Avenue. Canada on the left, United States on the right:



So, as far as being close to Canada -- you couldn't get any closer -- this beautiful old building -- built at the turn of last century -- has quite a history and a tale to tell. If you like history, odd facts and old architecture, then this is the place for you. It is so close to Canada that half of the building is IN Canada. It even has BOTH a Canadian (Quebec) and American (Vermont) address. It has even been reported that when this building underwent renovations a few years ago, special permits and agreements had to be made in order to accommodate the building codes and workers from both sides of the border.

Anyhow, they have a working Opera House with a full schedule of shows throughout the spring and summer months. The opera house is supposedly designed after the old Boston Opera House -- but on a smaller scale.

The library itself has 20,000 books in both english and french and there is a deliniation across the floor which indicates the Canadian and American border which this building stradles.

[Paladin2]

For once, I agree with old Leaky.

[wally_bert]

(2:25)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpUM47y7uT4

[Faith]

Thanks for the great photos. Fascinating!

[PallMal]

Similar to Derby Line, VT., I was in Blaine, WA. last week.

The USA/Canada border there is a small ditch off the side of the road, the ditch being about 18" in width and 1 foot deep, and in some places, no ditch and just a demarcation of perpendicular lines on the street that denoted the Canadian side of the border. There was no real border patrol there, as all the border and custom patrol are done on the I-5/Route 99 highway, about 1/4 mile from the real border.

In one place on this border, there is a "you are leaving the USA" sign on the US side, and a "keep your dog on a leash" on the Canadian side of the same sign. Weird, but true. Heck, I saw a couple of dog walkers on the Canadian side, and their dog went in the border ditch to sniff around, and went back to the Canadian side.

In the hour I spent in the park located there, I didn't see one person on the USA cross this border, and I didn't see anyone on the Canadian side (except for the dog), cross into the USA. Try that type of setup at the Mexican border.

[K-oneTexas]

Compared to our southern border with Mexico (approx. 2,000 miles) the numbers of illegal immigrants coming into the US from Canada (approx. 9,000 miles) is minuscule.

I think our northern border got more action with the Underground Railroad and illegal booze during Prohibition than it gets today.

Now our southern border is a REAL problem that Washington would prefer to ignore.

The major border problem would be the huge numbers of illegal immigrants from what ever source nation crossing the southern border. However I would guess the next biggest problem would be drug smuggling and it would be on both borders.

[jujube]

Wow. Madness. So what if I’m legal in the States but not in Canada and then wander into that library and accidentally cross the line? They got guys waiting to swoop? They do an ID check when you come out the opera? Amazing.