Posted on 06/06/2007 5:16:11 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
EDINBURG, Texas — Flanked by South Texas sheriffs and local and state officials, Gov. Rick Perry signed a compromise homeland security bill on Wednesday that he said would continue the state's efforts to step in where the federal government has failed to secure the border.
"I don't suppose there is a greater defining issue of the recently concluded legislative session than this issue of homeland security," Perry told a room crowded with sheriff's deputies. "You can't have border security unless you empower the men and women that are in this audience, those individuals who wear the badge, wear the uniform."
Perry also signed the bill at an earlier event in San Antonio.
The new law is separate from the more than $100 million in the state budget that already is earmarked for homeland security.
It creates a Border Security Council appointed by the governor to assist in allocating funding, establishes a system for mutual aid during emergencies and expands law enforcement agencies' ability to use wiretapping.
Perry said the wiretapping would help bring down violent drug and human smuggling gangs.
He said the mutual aid system will help neighboring localities by setting up disaster districts and helping assisting municipalities get reimbursed.
"This bill removes bureaucratic hurdles when seconds count and lives are in the balance," he said.
The measure also calls for a registry of immunization and medication administered during a disaster, adds two members to the Department of Public Safety Commission and allows state officials with amateur radio licenses to assist in emergencies.
Provisions that did not make in into the law include requiring localities to enforce immigration laws, mention of a highly criticized homeland security database and limits on sales of prepaid cellular telephones.
Maverick County Sheriff Tomas Herrera, head of the Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition, praised Perry for "stepping up to the plate" when the federal government had given beleaguered border sheriffs the run-around. The sheriffs have said they cannot keep up with the increasing violence coming from across the border.
"We were fed up," he said. "We wanted to take back our counties to protect our citizens."
Perry pledged the vast majority of the state's homeland security funding would go to the region.
Perry got his biggest applause when he came out against the 700 miles of border fencing Congress passed into law last year. He said it was a waste of money and would be ineffective.
"If you build a 30-foot wall or fence, the 32-foot ladder business is going to get real good," he said.
Where is the poll of Texas who are f\’For’ and ‘Against’ building the fence? I never saw one ... guess the Gov. went door-to-door. Funny he missed mine.
How about no state money to Texas cities that give sanctuary? There is always some excuse for not building a fence. Any thing that deters easy crossing is a going to help.
A bill to compromise border security?
Funny Gov. Goodhair waited until re-election to (A) declare he lied to voters and (B) push through his real plans (not just immigration but privatizing the state lottery, selling off tollroads to foreign interests, etc...).
What a stupid governor and stupid statement. If you put a 32 foot ladder against a 30 foot wall or fence and climb to the top, then what?????????????Tell me about step #33????????Do you jump or float down 30 feet?
Perry Ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
Step #33 is going to be a real b!tch.
Then you and I can stand there yelling "Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!"
Every one gets a slice of “American” pie and nothing gets done. Same old stuff. Perry won’t get my vote next time around.
Or, yell (in Spanish), "Hold still -- you're messing up my sight picture!"
If they can get to the top of it they’ll find a way down.......
Then you pull up the second ladder you brought along and lower it on the US side of the fence. Up one ladder and down the other. Or you use a 60 foot long rope ladder.
A physical barrier is only part of a solution. You need monitoring and fast response as well. At least a fence — even if it isn’t 30 feet high, but is just multiple layers of razorwire — creates a bottleneck so you don’t have hundreds of people rushing through all at once.
Rather than waiting 6 months while a fence is built across the border, I’d like to see the razorwire immediately and monitoring towers. It wouldn’t take more than a few weeks to get razorwire up.
The SeaBees could do it in a week. All it would take is to promise them a steak dinner and free some beer.
Duncan Hunter talks about 6 months for the 854 miles of fence that was already approved. That is less than half the total needed (IMO), so I’d go with the razor wire in the meantime.
I just looked and found a company called Cochrane that makes machines that can string a pyramid of 6 coils of razor wire at a rate of 25 miles per hour !
What good is this going to do; if they just walk through the open gate?
.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee was just on Hannity & Colmes making up Bush-Kennedy poll numbers:
“...60% of Americans want this
bill padded...”
-
Current Rasmussen poll:
“...83% of Americans are against this bill...”
-
I cannot stand Sheila Jackson Lee. I think of her and Maxine Waters as the ‘shriekers’!
She is lying or else only hearing from ‘her’ constituents.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.