Posted on 05/17/2006 3:35:29 AM PDT by billorites
ON DEC. 17, 2004, President Bush signed the National Intelligence Reform Act, which, among other things, required that the federal government hire 2,000 new Border Patrol agents a year for five years, starting in 2006. In the 2006 budget Bush proposed, he funded exactly 210 Border Patrol agents. That single act is a more accurate reflection of his border security priorities than his Monday night speech.
Under President Bush, the number of Border Patrol agents has risen to just over 12,000. But the agency has become much less effective. In 1995, the Border Patrol arrested more than 1.3 million illegals. In 2005, it had more than twice as many agents but arrested fewer than 1.2 million illegals, USA Today reported last month. Agents say that is because they have been ordered literally to stay in their positions along the border and not chase down aliens.
Bush cares about enforcing immigration laws only to the extent that doing so helps him politically, hence his Monday night speech. If he were truly interested in securing the border, he would have done so before now.
The key to securing the country’s borders is enforcing current laws against hiring illegal aliens. Go after the employers, dry up the job market for illegals, and the ocean of border jumpers will shrink to a stream, freeing Homeland Security to concentrate on preventing terrorists and criminals from sneaking in.
Sending 6,000 National Guard troops to the Mexican border is a sham designed to make the President appear tough. It is a poor use of our already overtaxed Guard, and it comes just before hurricane season, when Guard troops who are not in Iraq or Afghanistan will be needed to help with disaster relief.
If the President really believed in controlling immigration, he would not pay lip service to border security while pushing new laws that will encourage more to skip across the border illegally.
Bush has turned into Bill Clinton with an (R) after his name in so many ways. To hell with the stinkin polls. Just do the right thing.
Yep, do what's right and, given time, the polls will catch up. It's called courageous leadership.
"Sending 6,000 National Guard troops to the Mexican border is a sham"
That's 6,000 *over 12 months*, which is also the duration of the program, if you listened to the speech carefully.
Put them on 1 month rotations (quite probable and actually reasonable), and that's 500 per month.
This article is absolutely correct. Except that it is ALL of the DC Establishment that is supportive of an open border with Mexico.
They want to create a Hemisphere wide Free Trade Zone that will morph into something very much like the European Union.
That can also be phrased to say that due to more effective border control, arrest of illegals is down since 1995.
If they can't cross, they can't be arrested.
There will be a full-time cadre of some unknown size, what National Guard Bureau Chief LTG Steven Blum calls a "continuity force," to which other Guardsmen with specific skills will be added to complete tasking set by Homeland Security and the Border Patrol.
At this point, it looks like the number and duration of service is task dependent. Since mid-June is cited as the probable kick off date, we ought to know some specifics pretty darn quick (I hope)
We've seen Dubya do that in the past, but I don't think we'll see it here. He's made up his mind.
I'm sure I'll catch hell for this but I don't think the president meant any of the speech on monday night.
Before the flames pour in......I've seen it from almost every freeper here that post regularly.
"Dubya, is at his best when he speaks his mind and believes what he says", and their right
On monday though , I saw a man without alot of passion, hollow eyes and thats Dubya being forced to say something he doesn't believe or want. He's a smart man that knows what he wants and when his hand is forced he doesn't like it and he can't hide it.
Thats why I think what was said on monday was just lip service and we will get cooked numbers and more of the same old policy if not an increase in illegals.
Thats my honest opinion of where we are at.
Spend way to much of my money, enlarge govt. beyond necessity, and fail to seal my borders and fail to throw out those here illegally.
Fail to secure my vote.
"That can also be phrased to say that due to more effective border control, arrest of illegals is down since 1995."
The arrest has no meaning if they are deported and infiltrate at will. One does not solve the problem of a breached dam by filling cups with water 20 miles downstream and then pouring the water back into the lake that is behind the dam.
Don't know where you guys studied government, but the President doesn't get to fund anything - if underfunding of the project is the issue, perhaps it might be a good idea to look at those that control the purse strings in the Congress.......
I agree completely. I don't believe a word he says re immigration, & I'm starting to question his truthfulness in other areas - Iraq, Israel, & especially oil.
I don't recall saying anything about funding.
And with four shifts, they're down to 125 at any given time.
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You said:" That can also be phrased to say that due to more effective border control, arrest of illegals is down since 1995.
If they can't cross, they can't be arrested"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you have data showing that fewer are crossing please share it....I am sure that we will all be surprised and thankful.
6,000 NG over 12 months ("up to 6,000 Guard members will be deployed ...would last for a period of one year.") <= (less than or equal to) 125 per shift at any given time covering a 2,000 mile border and supplementing 12,000 F/T Border Patrol employees.
I think that about nails it.
Smoke and mirrors.
I don't recall saying anything about funding, either. While controlling the purse strings is important, it is not required for showing leadership on an issue (especially if you're the President).
If you have data showing that fewer are crossing please share it....I am sure that we will all be surprised and thankful.
Since 9-11, there have been many closings of border crossings in Texas and $10,000 fines (applied to citizens and non-citizens) have been mandated for using these crossings. I don't have a source but, I've seen the ones around Big Bend National Park.
Well then, do you think it might have been at least prudent to mention that GWB's 12 million "guest worker visas" must be processed by the CIS/INS, which is conventionally known on Capitol Hill as not only "broken", but as "the worst agency in the federal government" (stated to me personally by several Congressional staffers and State Dept. visa lawyers).
Do you think GWB might have mentioned that adding 12 million visas to a CIS system that cannot handle its existing 2-4 million application workload might somehow introduce a few problems, and that to be even at parity, the CIS budget might have to increase five-fold?
All unanswered questions. But even worse, questions that the DC immigration cabal does not even want you to know about.
That's the kicker! ...or maybe I should have said kickback?
I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out what I said that elicits this response and the previous one. Bush has turned into a pitiful excuse for a leader, hence my comment that he's no better than Bill Clinton in many ways, when he should be acting more like Abraham Lincoln or Teddy Roosevelt.
They want to create a HISPANisphere ...........
Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas is seriously considering a Run for the White House. Let me warn all of you, that if you're disappointed with the way Bush is pandering to the Ilegals, here's what Huckabee said yesterday:
""Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Tuesday that he believes he knows what's behind the anti-immigrations feelings of some Americans.
""If I were to say some if it is driven by just sheer racism, I think I would be telling you the truth," Huckabee said"...snip.
Groan...
sw
I don't know how many noticed Bush's body language at one point in the speech when he said "Mexico is our friend". His hands, instead of going out in the "all encompassing" gesture toward the audience to accentuate "our", instead his right hand went to his heart. His lips were saying "our friend" while his heart/mind were saying "my friend". Dufus is in bed with Vincente, big time!!!
bttt!
That was my question -- what money does the President actually control? I know he can propose a budget, but I "thought" congress controlled the actual checkbook.
On monday though , I saw a man without alot of passion, hollow eyes and thats Dubya being forced to say something he doesn't believe or want. He's a smart man that knows what he wants and when his hand is forced he doesn't like it and he can't hide it.
Thats why I think what was said on monday was just lip service and we will get cooked numbers and more of the same old policy if not an increase in illegals.
Thats my honest opinion of where we are at.
I agree with your assesment 100% his poker face didn't come through, his words were hollow...there was no fire in his presentation like after 9/11.
Put them on 1 month rotations (quite probable and actually reasonable), and that's 500 per month.
I hear the plan is to have the Guardsman serve their yearly 2-week duty period on border duty. Is this correct?
This may be politically smart but it's operationally cumbersome to rotate personnel out just as they have learned their tasks.
"I agree completely. I don't believe a word he says re immigration, & I'm starting to question his truthfulness in other areas - Iraq, Israel, & especially oil."
I too, seem to be doing a complete reassessment of this man. If there is any truthful interest in dealing with illegal immigration, and the serious present and potential problems, border security first is a no brainer. He's now become a mystery to me. And a mystery I don't like at all. Perhaps he will explain more clearly, why he wants the problems in place.
Everyone knew his stance on Mexican immigration in 2000.
Why are they disappointed or angry now, like they didn't know?
Precisely.
If he cared about improving his reputation on border security and establishing faith, he'd endorse enforcement first. He knows, we ALL know, when done together last time the enforcement people got shafted. He knows they'll be shafted again, by his own administration. He lied, and he knew he was lying. Which probably explains his unexcited expression. I'm sure there was guilt felt, but he still did it. And lost respect for it.
"Everyone knew his stance on Mexican immigration in 2000.
Why are they disappointed or angry now, like they didn't know?"
Exactly... it seems like people are just discovering/waking up to Bush's immigration beliefs. Where were you guys in 01, 02, 03, 04???? When he was at 90% in the polls after 9/11, no one here he was beating him up on immigration. He's been pushing the same guest worker plan since he ran for office.
His speech was good Monday night. Although I don't agree 100% with this plan, he's sincere in what he believes. Shows that.
Forced?! Not hardly, IMO.
I saw a basically good man trying to deal with a difficult situation by effectively lying to us about the current status of the situation and about his present and future plans to deal with these problems. Hence, the woodenness.
No matter how good a man Bush is, he's still a politician trying to sell us a load of baloney. What his true motives are will come to light some day, I guess. However, following the Constitution and strengthening our sovereignty clearly aren't among those motives.
For those who heard VP Cheney on Rush yesterday, I myself didn't think he sounded all that enthused about the plan. Yes, he was the good soldier and supported his president but his excitement level was underwhelming.
I think he has done the right thing for the right reasons. President Bush has been a public supporter of a guest worker program for more than a decade. I believe that the conviction that shapes his leadership on immigration will translate into an immediate significant upsurge in public support for his Presidency. It bothers me that so many social conservatives have allowed themselves to become disconnected from the reality of our modern economic world. How can you turn on a man who is advocating what he always believed? More important, he told you what he wanted a long time ago. Now you betray him because he simply is what he says he was.
That's easy to answer, at least for me.
In 2000 I had not quite perceived the seriousness & the magnitude of the problem. It was an issue but not a number one issue for me.
Judges, taxes, get honor back in the WH, wow - control Congress and the presidency at the same time, those were the issues. Honor, ha, gotta laugh [or cry] at that one now.
"We are one, big happy hemisphere,
one hemisphere, one hemisphere,
we are one, big happy hemisphere,
one hemisphere are we."
Children will be taught this new version in public schools very soon.
"Although I don't agree 100% with this plan..."
I never liked his immigration stance. But I voted for him in 2000 and 2004 despite his border policies. I'm not ready to give up on him now because of it.
Okay, we think his immigration policies stink. They always have.
All this backlash from republicans against Pres. Bush, just causes the democrats to drool.
Attack the policies, not the man.
New York City alone has over 35,000 police officers. Even 6000 is a drop in the bucket.
"That's easy to answer, at least for me.
In 2000 I had not quite perceived the seriousness & the magnitude of the problem. It was an issue but not a number one issue for me.
Judges, taxes, get honor back in the WH, wow - control Congress and the presidency at the same time, those were the issues. Honor, ha, gotta laugh [or cry] at that one now."
I agree with that. Also, I'm not so sure I'd disagree with his Mexican immigration ideas. If they are needed economically, they are needed. I can understand that.
What I don't like, is the ILLEGAL and UNDOCUMENTED part, that he seems to be just blowing off, when a wonderful opportunity to try and fix it, has arisen.
Color me still puzzeled.
Arizona is going to be a blue state in the next election, with several other reliable red states following because of the influx of latinos. People who will break the law to come into a country have no qualms about breaking the laws by voting in those who will give them things. Mark my words, I see this state changing day by day.
"Attack the policies, not the man."
Well said!
The inacted policy is the man. Deeds, not words, matter.
Well that sounds good, but the reality is illegals are coming in by the droves. There is no shortage of illegals, and this article is correct, Border Patrol is not allowed to patrol any more. The agency needs to change their name to border sitters or be allowed to do their job.
I can look out my windows and see whether or not border policy is working; it is not. I was right here looking out my window in 1995 also, and I didn't see as many illegals as I see today. Border control is not more effective than it was in 1995, it is less effective.
His policy hasn't really changed.
If you were ignorant of the immigration problem 6 yrs ago, that's not his fault or anyone else's. He's consistent.
Condemning Bush is just fodder for the liberals.
He spoke of the importance of border security, I for one believed him. He has not secured the border; if the border was secure there would be more support for his plan to deal with illegals that are already here. I truly believed President Bush understood the importance of securing the border when he talked about it during his first campaign and the several times he has spoke of it since.
Refusing to change flawed policy despite the passionate cry from the people throughout the land is not good leadership.
Refusing to change flawed policy in the face of overwhelming evidences that his beliefs are indeed harmful to the country is not good leadership.
It's especially galling that Bush believes he can do these things while not being direct and honest about his plans and goals and their effects on future generations.
I never thought he'd change his stance with regards to Mexican immigration when I voted for him in 2000.
He doesn't believe his policy is harmful. He believes he's doing the right thing. I don't agree, but he's just being consistent and sticking to his beliefs.
"It's especially galling that Bush believes he can do these things while not being direct and honest about his plans and goals and their effects on future generations."
I'm sorry you're so 'galled' with the President.
I think you should save some of your gall for our other representatives - let's see what they do about this issue.
In the meantime, the liberals are enjoying the republican condemnation of Pres. Bush very much.
Ditto here too although it is not his truthfulness on other areas. For me it's why should I care about the other areas when you're going to destroy our country anyway.
I was a staunch supporter of the war on Iraq and believe we need to do something militarily in Iran. But if being an American doesn't mean anything anymore and we're giving citizenship away to whoever wants it. Then just what are we fighting for?
The final problem I have is that we are told we can't do anything about the 12+ million illeagals now. They won't go after employers they haven't done anything to secure the border. Bush's answer: lets let keep the 12 million and let in 12 million more but they'll have 'cards'. What good is a card if you never going to deport them and if you're never going to go after employers? Our leaders are delusional at best.
Well, there goes your main talking point. Now what are you going to say?
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