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National Guardsmen weld a section of wall being erected along the international border that separates San Luis, Mexico, and San Luis, Ariz., in this May 30, 2007, file photo. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Well since I last posted about our immigration problems the administration and the Dept. of Homeland Security are going to follow through with finishing the fence along our borders.

AP WASHINGTON — The Bush administration will use its authority to bypass more than 30 laws and regulations to finish building 670 miles of fence along the southwest U.S. border by the end of 2008, federal officials said Tuesday.

Hooray....finally we're getting tougher. But the environmentalists are going to pitch fits about this even though they've been working with the DHS all along, trying to come up with viable solutions to what they perceive are going to harm the environment. More specific...wild cats, the ocelot and the jaguarundi which supposedly are on the endangered species list. They won't be able to cross the Rio Grande to mate.

But the environmentalists aren't the only people concerned with this fence:

Residents and property owners along the U.S.-Mexico border have complained about the fence construction. In South Texas, where opposition has been widespread, land owners refused to give the government access to property along the fence route. The government has since sued more than 50 property owners in South Texas to gain access to the land.

Even as the fence is being built, debate continues about whether it will stem illegal immigration.

Fernando Carrillo, a 32-year-old construction worker who was deported from Arizona six months ago, said the added security wouldn't stop him from trying to get back to his wife and three children in Phoenix. His youngest child was born while he was in Mexico.

"They can do what they want, but we will keep trying," he said while walking Tuesday with two other migrants along the newly built wall west of Nogales.

Now I haven't heard anything yet but I'm betting that many liberals are going to start screaming foul....saying that Bush and his administration are breaking laws. Much like they did with the terrorist wiretaps. Maybe the Church of The New York Times will get involved....much like they did when they exposed secrets that they weren't supposed to.

Here's how it breaks down in miles and legalities:

One waiver will address the construction of a 22-mile levee barrier in Hidalgo County, Texas. The other waiver will cover 30 miles of fencing and technology deployment on environmentally sensitive ground in San Diego, southern Arizona and the Rio Grande; and 215 miles in California, Arizona and Texas that face other legal impediments due to administrative processes. For instance, building in some areas requires assessments and studies that — if conducted — could not be completed in time to finish the fence by the end of the year.

Chertoff had said using the waivers would be a last resort. The department has held more than 100 meetings with lawmakers, environmental groups and residents in an effort to work out obstacles and objections to fence construction.

Sounds pretty reasonable to me. And one of the issues addressed is curbing the in-flow of drugs coming into the United States. A fence will make a difference, although we know that these drug cartels, drug dealers and drug runners are pretty crafty, and will try hard to find ways to beat the fence. Hopefully the new surveillance equipment being installed at the same time as the fence will help. If nothing else...help identify those that are bringing the drugs across. As Chertoff says:

"Criminal activity at the border does not stop for endless debate or protracted litigation," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a statement. "These waivers will enable important security projects to keep moving."

So...that's it. Quickly I want to change the subject to Barack Obama. We're getting a lot of his and Hillary's TV campaign ads now and in Obama's ads he's telling us that, "I don't take money from big oil companies" and "I don't take money from Washington lobbiests."

Well we're finding out that he does take money from people who work for big oil companies....$33,000 to be exact. Yet the liberal mainstream media is not calling him on this; why the hell is that?? If John McCain was going around saying things like that, that weren't so, you could easily bet that that same media would be all over it! Obama seems to be getting another free pass and you can see just how bias the mainstream media is.

Not only is it frustrating as hell but maddening as well. The least that Obama could do is not make claims like this....it's not right, and it's showing that along with this, and the other issues that don't seem to be going away, that he's just another politician.

As far as I'm concerned...."Change we can believe in." Just flew out the window.

Comments (17) | Add Comment | Link

At 10:41, April 2, 2008, deadonthesofa said:
	I second that. How disappointing! Add Comment \| Link \| \|

At 11:24, April 2, 2008, Eclectablog said:
	I don't have a problem with the fence from a philosophical point of view. I just think it's a boondoggle that's going to do very little to staunch the flow. Sort of a "throw lots of money at the problem so people think we're actually doing something even though it's ineffective" kind of thing. Hadn't heard about the Obama thing so I won't comment until I know more. Add Comment \| Link \| \|

At 11:31, April 2, 2008, Eclectablog said:

Okay, just read THIS. Does seem pretty weasely. I would have expected more from him but it's hardly an outright lie. Just a "depends on what is is" kinda thing, I guess. Or like McCain claiming to be Mr. Anti-Lobbyist when he's got several of them working directly for his campaign and one was actually caught lobbying while on McCain's Straight Talk Express bus. So, yes, I agree, politicians can weasely bastards at times. Problem is: they ALL are.

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At 12:01, April 2, 2008, Rubicon said:

That's just it "E"...they're all politicians pulling the same crap that politicians pull.
I hadn't seen that report, it was good and thanks for sending that along. And like I asked earlier: why the hell isn't the liberal mainstream media reporting on this? It would seem that the standard by which they report on Hillary Clinton doesn't apply to Barack Obama. In other words....a double standard.

I think that most of us who want this wall built still have questions about how effective it might be in the end. If it helps to curb the influx that we have now it's a start. But we still need to bring on board the 8,000 new border patrol agents to keep from being spread so thin, as they are now.

Hey deadonthesofa....welcome! Stop by any 'ole time....

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At 12:09, April 2, 2008, lisalisabobisa said:
	I don't believe that any politicians are 100% honest...just my opinion. As for the fence, I'm all for it. Add Comment \| Link \| \|

At 12:13, April 2, 2008, Eclectablog said:
	They've only been running the ads for a few days. I'd be willing to bet you'll see something fairly soon. As far as the idea that Obama's getting a pass, I just don't see it. He's gotten plenty of bad press over the past month or so. Add Comment \| Link \| \|

At 12:56, April 2, 2008, LauriesAsylum said:
	What exactly is the fence made of? I'm sure they'll be able to find a way to cut through it. Unless it's made of some sort of steel, that might work. Hey, at least it's a try. Add Comment \| Link \| \|

At 02:02, April 2, 2008, Eclectablog said:
	Looks like this: Add Comment \| Link \| \|

At 02:41, April 2, 2008, Rubicon said:

Yes...that's the first part of the fence. Then there's a road on the US side that allows border patrol agents to travel back and forth along the fence looking for illegals trying to get in or over. And then in some cases on the other side of the road there's more like a chain-link fence with razor wire at the top.
Some of the fencing down in southern California, around the San Diego area is made of concrete.

"E"...those commercials have been showing here for a couple of weeks now, as well as Hillary's ridiculous ads making her ridiculous claims. It's true that last month was a tough one for Obama with the Rev. Wright business....and it may not go away anytime too soon since the guy still hasn't shut his mouth. Plus...many people don't think that Obama's conciliatory speech was enough to assuage the feelings of both the Democratic and Republican parties. His excuse that he never heard any of the God-damning of America and racist sermons by Wright just doesn't fly.

But you'd think that if the mainstream media decides to cover the Wright fiasco that they would cover this story. Especially knowing the truth and knowing that some of the cable news and print news sources are covering it. ABC Nightly News of late, to give them some credit, has been doing rather well in fair and balanced reporting, even where Obama's concerned. But as they all do...eventually they go back to their bias reporting, or non-reporting and as in many cases throughout the country, their's is the only news that many people get...or don't get! So it's hard for those folks to make any kind of fair assessment about the issue.

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At 02:53, April 2, 2008, DeeJay said:
	I hate to say it, but I don't think the fence will deter those that are bound and determined to get into the United States. Add Comment \| Link \| \|

At 03:14, April 2, 2008, Eclectablog said:
	I'm not so sure that the headline "POLITICIAN STRETCHES THE TRUTH IN TELEVISION COMMERCIAL!!!" is really news. Most people will yawn, methinks, no matter WHO it is! LOL Add Comment \| Link \| \|

At 05:51, April 2, 2008, texican said:
	The fence will help but it's only a band-aid. The real problem is Mexico, itself. It is a country full of natural resources and riches, yet able-bodied workers are leaving in droves. The real fix is to somehow call the Mexican government on the rampant corruption that abounds and give those "immigrants" a good reason to stay in their own country. Add Comment \| Link \| \|

At 09:15, April 3, 2008, Rubicon said:

"The real fix is to somehow call the Mexican government on the rampant corruption that abounds and give those "immigrants" a good reason to stay in their own country."

Well certainly...and both President Bush's have tried on several occasions and Bill Clinton tried giving them handouts...handouts that should have gone to us, and that still didn't help to solve the "rampant corruption" problem that the Mexican government knows so well.
I think that since corruption is all they know and it works for the so-called elite then why do anything to change it. And besides....their government enjoys their people coming over here, illegal or otherwise. It takes more of the burden off of them...less they have to deal with!

Yep Rene....if only we could successfully call that government on the carpet and successfully have them change in an effort to finally help their own people instead of pawning them off on us. Eventually we'll crumble under their weight.

I dunno "E"....: "POLITICIAN STRETCHES THE TRUTH IN TELEVISION COMMERCIAL!!!"

While I'm yawning now knowing that politicians are just that...politicians, I think that I'm going to stop yawning soon the way things are going. I've been reading excerpts from Obama's autobiography, "Dreams From My Father", which I'll be posting some of here shortly, and I'm tellin' ya'...race really plays a factor with this man and if you look at the race and hate sermons from this Rev. Wright coupled with his background and the proxy ties to Farrahkan...well, I'm just waiting for the "N"-word to start cropping up. This could turn pretty ugly before its all over.

But no...I don't think any headline like that is going to have much of an impact on the American people. But I think what will is when folks start to get more wind of this new "Pig Book" thats come out showing where all of this 72 million in earmarks, "pork", is going, and where the politicians are on the list. I'll also be posting on that as well.

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At 11:13, April 3, 2008, Eclectablog said:

...proxy ties to Farrahkan...

That is so lame, I can't even believe you're trotting that out. It really highlights the weaknesses in your arguments that you feel you have to resort to such ridiculous statements. Obama's publicly denounced Farrakhan and what he stands for many times even after he offered his endorsement. It's such a non-issue as to be laughable. It's not even a tenuous connection. It's NON-connection!

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At 11:46, April 3, 2008, Aielman said:

The real problem is Mexico, itself.

No. The real problem is right here in the US. We continue to allow companies to hire illegals with no reprisal or consequnce, we continue to give benefits to illegals despite the fact that they've broken the law and entered the country illegally, and we make no move to deport illegals who are caught.

If we took away business licenses and confiscated the assets of companies who hire illegals then you'd find there would suddenly be far less demand for their services. If we stopped giving them free education, medical care, and other social services, there'd be even less illegal immigration.

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At 03:19, April 3, 2008, texican said:
	Actually, the real problem is with both countries. I think we're both right. If Mexicans actually had a shot at a decent life, they would stay in their home country. If the US did (and should do) as you've suggested, then they might have more incentive to bring about change in Mexico. Right now, it's just too easy for them to say, "Screw it...let's cross the border." Add Comment \| Link \| \|

At 09:31, April 4, 2008, Rubicon said:

Obama's Wright affair is not going away...and what's funny is your trying to compare McCain and in this Rev.Parsley guy's relationship to that of Obama and Rev. Wright. That is what "highlights weaknesses". I'm anxiously awaiting for the media to bring this one to our attention.
I don't laugh or mock your like for and admiration for Barack Obama...nor would I presume to try and sway your vote. But these are some pretty serious problems that Obama faces. And since not even 40% of the country even knows who Obama is, it could be become a growing problem, (sort of like a prostrate problem...lol!) Actually :E"...I'm not trotting out the Farrahkan ties, I'm merely pointing it out just as you would should the roles be reversed.

I did point out in my first post on immigration that penalizing employers here would make a huge difference, and go a long way in curbing illegal immigration.

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