“We have not seen any evidence” of violence spilling over."
Posted on 03/10/2009 6:36:26 AM PDT by laotzu
AUSTIN — Mexican drug cartel violence is not spilling into Texas, several frustrated border mayors told a state legislative committee Monday in an effort to dispel public perceptions that their communities are under siege.
“For me to believe that our cities are so endangered by all this violence that we need to send the military to the border is a knee-jerk reaction,” McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez told the House Border and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee.
Cortez, mayor for 19 years, said his daughter in San Antonio recently called to express apprehension about his re-election because of fears he might become an assassination target.
“That was confirmation that people are getting the wrong information,” Cortez said.
Border mayors worry that artificially inflamed fear will result in a demand for military troops, with images of danger and violence leading to reduced commerce. Any military support should be restricted to clerical and support roles that free up more Border Patrol agents and others for front-line duty, they told the committee.
But a disbelieving Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Canton, told the border mayors: “I'm at a loss to hear you all say that there's no violence coming over.”
Noting that Mexico had recently deployed 5,000 troops to Juarez, across the river from El Paso, Flynn suggested the Mexican military would push the cartels to the Texas side of the border.
“It's a violent war,” he said.
All of Texas is affected by what happens on the border, said committee Chairwoman Veronica Gonzales, D-McAllen. Last year, Texas exported $62.1 billion worth of goods to Mexico — far surpassing the second-biggest exporting state to Mexico, California with $20.5 billion.
“That's why we want to hear from you,” Gonzales told the mayors.
Demand for illegal drugs in the United States is fueling the drug trade, and various Mexican cartel lords are fighting for staging areas. But that battle is taking place in Mexican communities and not spreading to Texas, the border mayors emphasized.
“We have not seen any evidence” of violence spilling over, Brownsville Mayor Pat Ahumada said.
He blamed media hype for harming his community economically.
Hidalgo has been spared any kidnappings or murders, Mayor John David Franz said. His community expected as many as 700 square dancers for a weekend event but only 80 showed up after the U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory.
“There is a cloud of fear hanging over us,” he said.
Demand for illegal drugs in the United States is fueling the drug trade
Its not their fault for selling drugs, its our fault for buying them.
Its not their fault for buying and using guns, it our fault for selling them.
There are no sharks here in Amity.
There’s been a MSM blackout on the border war. Anyone here seen stats/reports from north of the Rio Grande on violence seepage? I recall reading here that Phoenix now leads the US in kidnappings...
....so those kidnap stories about Arizona are all wrong?
Oh, Phoenix doesn’t count because it isn’t on the border.
“There are no sharks here in Amity.”
That is the best quote on naked self-interest that I have seen.
Great! Let’s go for a swim...
Whether the violence is “spilling over” or not, they should build the dang wall. It’s a shovel-ready project. Put Americans to work. Guard the border — why is this so difficult?
We’re gonna need a bigger boat...
“We have not seen any evidence” of violence spilling over."
Okey dokey then we can station the NG along a line some 30 miles north of the border and post “No Man’s Land” signs. Let the border mayors deal with whatever comes their way. We wouldn’t want to interfer with crossings by animal or criminal.
This makes a case for protecting our borders and deporting illegal aliens. Mexico is an enemy nation.
Sgt Schultz.....that’s perfect. Har!!
I’ve not heard Mayor Sanders (the mayor of San Diego) say the violence hasn’t spilled across the border. In fact, I’d say just the opposite. We know it has and we have the headless bodies to prove it!
I found it interesting several years ago that what ever small town I stumbled upon during an odyssey, there was one Mexican and one Chinese restaurant. How they found the town unless it was organized was beyond me. In each restaurant there was ONE person who spoke poor English and a bunch of non English speaking, presumably illegal future Democrat voters. The Mx drug cartels explains one aspect, so what's with the Chinese?
With six kilos, you get egg roll.
Anyone just watch Megan Kelly hand Juan Valdez his azz on FNC just now? LOL!
Err, Juan Hernandez, I mean. The other guy picks my coffee beans and bundles up coke.
“Mexican drug cartel violence is not spilling into Texas”
And there were no American’s at the Baghdad Airport either.
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