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Obama unveils $700-million border security plan
March 24th, 2009, 1:04 pm · 47 Comments · posted by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter
In response to Mexico’s escalating drug-related violence, President Barack Obama’s staff today released details on a $700-million plan to secure this country’s southwest border.
“(Obama) believes that the United States must continue to monitor the situation and guard against spillover in to the United States,” according to the press advisory from the White House. “And the president is firmly committed to ensuring our borders are secure and we are doing all we can to reduce illegal flows in both directions across the border.”
The $700 million already allocated by Congress will be used to collaborate with Mexico on law enforcement and judicial chores. Additionally, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and the Treasury “are all ramping up personnel and efforts directed at the Southwest border. There will also be a renewed commitment to reducing the demand for illegal drugs in the U.S.
Click here for details of the plan as released by the White House.
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DENA BUNIS, Washington bureau chief, 202-628-6381 or dbunis@ocregister.com
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Sounds like the only thing they left out was: to finish the fence, and add electricity to it!
Thanks Martin for keeping us in the loop!!!!!!
We will watch and observe the results!!!
I feel truly sorry for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as they are the ones who are shackled with repaying the great debt that is being racked up by the current administration, and I’m not just speaking about Mr. Obama, but his Democratic Congress and Senate as well!
The key words are “”The $700 million already allocated by Congress “”
All Barack Hussein Obama did was release the money approved by the last administration. In Obama’s last stimulus package the Kennedys got more money then this to try to repair there name and there legacy.
So, we don’t want them here but once they are here, we take exquisite care of them. Seems odd.
Collaborate with Mexico? These “spillovers” that cross into the US side are Mexican troops. There would be no need to collaborate if the Mexican army stayed on the southern side and the US finished the border fencing.
The President should go down and have a Town Hall meeting.
The so called War on Drugs has produced this problem for America and Mexico. This is a clear sign that it is time to end the war against drugs. Even to say the words, war against drugs does not make sense to me. We have wars with another nation, how can we have a war agains an international business.
Remember what prohibition did to us at the beginning of the last century. This is the same problem with a different drug. We can control alcohol and we can control so-called illegal drugs by decriminalizing them. If marijuana were made legal today the same people who use marijuana would continue its use, only the price would fall. For some people the price would fall to zero because they would grow their own. Anyone in California who wants marijuana can get it within 24-hours. Marijuana is one of the largest cash crops in several states in the United States. I do not use marijuana. If marijuana were made legal I still would not use the drug. I have had many opportunities to try use of marijuana, but turned them down because I have no use for its benefits. If I were suffering from cancer and my doctor recommended marijuana to help me resolve nausea, then I would follow her recommendations. I do drink alcohol, but not enough to cause trouble for me or anyone else.
Making drug use illegal only creates more criminal actions. As the price for their drug of choice increases the incentive to resort to crime to pay the drug lords also increases. We cannot win the war on drugs. We can end the war and begin to treat the people who are victimized by addiction to drugs. If we treat the problem as a public health issue, then we eliminate the need to smuggle in drugs. Abusive drug users are people with an illness, not criminals.
I hope the Obama Administration will begin to examine what is effective and study the history of prohibition. The problems of that era are the same problems we experience today–let us learn from our history. Let us help heal those who are sick because of illegal drug use.
Philip Henderson
$700 million “to monitor the situation and guard against spillover in to the United States.” I agree with Ron. How much of that goes towards building the electric fence?
How about finishing up that 18 foot pedestrian border fence as promised?
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/vassilaros/s_476994.html
http://www.azstarnet.com/news/284406.php
The emphasis of President Obama’s Border Security Plan on stifling or ending the drug cartel’s reign of terror is to be lauded. It is also significant that the government of Mexico realizes it needs to work with its neighbor to stop the flow of arms and drugs at the north and south end of transcontinental trafficking highway.
On taking this step, President Obama should also realize there are opportunities to jointly work with President Calderon on establishing
a human reference point for the start of neighbor-to-neighbor talks on the plight of Mexicans in their desire to secure a better future for themselves and their children.
This effort to stop the flow of drugs and guns will need increased intervention and healthcare for those who are hooked on hard drugs at home. Plus, an increased focus on how to put a stop on where it starts in the fields of South America and countries in other continents.
I say we declare the whole strip of the border a federal prison. If someone crosses illegally they’d have to break in and out of a federal prison. Use of deadly force is authorized in those cases.
I have yet to see the “transparency” in any of the trillions of dollars we are allocating every week for some reason. I think we should build the fence stronger and let Mexico handle their own problems for a change. The Mexican government blames the US for selling guns to the cartels, they blame the US for people using drugs, and they blame the US for luring illegal immigrants to this county with jobs, education, and healthcare. When is the Mexican government ever going to take responsibility for what happens in their own country.
I’m for an electric fence, and gun turrets ! The vast majority of this country does not want illegal immigrants crossing the southern border. No MATTER WHAT THE LIBERAL MEDIA tries to sell us.
so that’s almost as much as he gave to ACORN in the last giveaway package. what a crook!
Bin Laden and company must be happy. All the attention the southern border is getting leads the northern border being left open since that is where they originaly crossed before they downed the towers. Dam druglords!!!
I like that invisible electric fence they have on the TV show “Lost.” Something like that would be pretty cool.
So now we are buying helicopters and funding the Mexican army ?
And all this help while they “retaliate” to use their words against us with through he roof tariffs because their trucks are not allowed access into the U.S. until they meet the safety standards we hold our own truckers too?
That is crazy.
Here’s the story on how our neighbors to the south treat us when we are in need:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509411,00.html
.
Why does Obummer want to destroy the USA
I know we’re helping Mexico, but what are they doing to help us? They don’t do anything about their illegals entering the U.S.. They”re pretty much saying, “That’s your problem.” Here we are trying to be good neighbors in helping them.
Where is he getting all of this Money ????????????
Obamanation- I have a plan = Spend, Spend, Spend.
In the old days we said that marijuana won’t be legal until the tobacco companies have control of it. Looks like that still holds true today. As for the border - this is one Democrat that says patrol it with armed troops. Be prepared for a big Mexican squawk when the drug dealers start getting shot though. They want the problem solved but are too corrupt to do it themselves and blame us for the guns that are used.
To all the obvious sore losers - Hey guys - suck it up! It took eight years to create the mess were in and only those who are brain dead would think that it would not cost anything to clean up the mess. Give our president a chance.
wow… more of the same. great lets throw more money at the war on drugs and see what happens.
Razor wire, electric fence, land mines, dogs, machine-gun turrets, laser detectors, and helicopter patrols.
Anyone attempting to cross our border without authorization is considered an invader and therefore an enemy of the state, and subject to open fire.
Take them all out.
If they’re looking for work, let them apply.
If we need them, we’ll let them in, if they can prove they speak English.
It’s time to stop dragging this country down to the level of the poorest, most ignorant peasant.
ACORN = Voter Fraud = Kickback from Obama (aka stimulus package)
this is why i want to become a cbp officer. illegals getting everything for free. and yes i am mexican.
Killing people? Really? And you guys said that Bush was violent. Sad.
Sounds to me like Philip Henderson is a local drug dealer.
Philip Henderson Says:
March 24th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
“We can end the war and begin to treat the people who are victimized by addiction to drugs”. Who’s paying for the one’s now, and the one’s in the future, you. Please be real.
Great that we have a president who jumps in to try to fix a mess rather than letting it just fester and grow - how refreshing and exciting to have a smart - get- the- job done guy at the top - after 8 miserable years - wonder how different Katrina would have been if Obama had been in charge - as well as how many Trillions of dollars and thousands of lives wouldn’t have been squandered recklessly in Iraq ….
“people who are “”"”VICTIMIZED”"”"”"by addiction to drugs”
No one is “victimized” that CHOOSES to do drugs.
People are “victimized” when they are run over by a car or shot by a criminal. PLEEZ
“The $700 million already allocated by Congress will be used to collaborate with Mexico on law enforcement and judicial chores.”
Did anybody actually read this one line. What a joke. We don’t need to collaborate with Mexican officials they are the biggest part of the problem. Helllllooooooo. Does the word Corrupt ring a bell to anyone.
Fence of that border. Start using our Military Technology to monitor the border. Start flying Predator’s and stop prosecuting our Border Patrol officers when they arrest these Drug Dealers, and stop sending them back. Build more prisons in the dessert and make this criminals do hard time.
How about we declare all hospitals, clinics and anywhere they go to have anchor babies “Diplomatic Zones” - therefore when they are born they automatically don’t become US Citizens.
All this frustration you people have…does nothing for you…you’re all talk.
Ride around Costa Mesa-nothing but “anchor babies”. To have one as soon as you illegally cross into the USA is obligatory. This law must be changed!
Where the $700million will go:
$150 million to ACORN to register illegal aliens
$150 million to LaRacist/LaRaza to promote communism and bilingual edu-macation
$150 million to Hilda Solis for facelifts and liposuction to help her deliver speaches and look like she knows what she is talking about
$150 million to take guns away from law-abiding US citizens along the border
$100 million to cover up the raw sewage and garbage that is being strewn everywhere in our national parks on the border.
$0 for border enforcement, apprehension of murdering raping drug dealing illegals, or deportation
i wonder how many miles of fence $700,000,000 buys now days???
Another $700 million give-a-way bonanza! That’s going to buy alot of stuff for the mexican cops. Isn’t it the mexican’s responnsibility to keep their garbage out of our country? That would be like me dumping a load of my trash into my neighbor’s yard and then demanding that she pay for the cleanup! Hilarious! This country is so backasswards it’s amazing. And the sad thing is that the american people take the bait hook, line and sinker! ha. It’s an upsidedown world for sure! Make me king for 3 months. I guarantee I would win your drug war for you. See, they don’t want to win the war. It’s a billion dollar business! Full employment program for the criminal justice system! And alot of white collar types on this side of the border are making a zillion dollars on the importation of the dope into our country! So the war will go on forever. Long after you and I are gone. Follow the money trail!
If Mexico wants us to stop rhe arms smuggeling why don’t they stop the flow of illegals into the US. If they do their job I am sure we will do ours
I will be happy when the National Guard is on the Border with orders to defend it, not watch it and the fence is completed and an order comes down to stop the sanctuary city policies.
Hopefully, we will continue to search out and deport criminal illegal aliens and seriously start going after employers of illegal aliens.
That money would be better spent on deporting illegal aliens stealing our jobs and benefits. But then if Obama did this, his party wouldn’t have all those future voters when they grant another amnesty. And it’s been alot longer than 8 years that this has been going on. None of the laws that were put in effect after the 1986 amnesty have ever been enforced. Obama and his pro illegal pals are just more in a long line of do nothing to protect American citizens agenda’s. He has stopped workplace raids, and is now pushing for another amnesty. American citizens must start bombarding their reps and congressrats now to stop this from happening.
This is all double talk. The money for the border fence and hiring 900 more Border patrol agents was allocated under Bush and the money still sits. Obama’s problem is a little more difficult , he has to beef up the border and make sure no illegal aliens are caught .
I watched the Security committee discuss how drug money was getting back to Mexico on C-span, but not one senator had the guts to bring up names like Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citibank, ect. All these banks will allow you to open an account with nothing more then a bogus Matricula Consular card and the bank will even help you get a tax ID number. Money orders, bank transfers, anytime you want as long as it’s under $10,000.
We will probably give some of that 700 billion to Mexico to fight guns going south and drugs going north, but some of the Mexican army is loyal to the drug cartels.
Correction, I should have said $700 million, but its unusual to read the word million come out of this white house.
We should start by deporting all illegal immigrants. Then we can filter back in any that really want to be Americans and productive citizens.
Targeting illegal immigrants
A proposed California ballot initiative takes aim at U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants.
May 9, 2009
What is it about illegal immigration that unhinges otherwise reasonable people, leading them to propose inhumane and unworkable remedies to the problem? Yes, it is frustrating to have 11 million or 12 million people living in the shadows of our society. We get it: They shouldn’t have come here illegally. They should have worked through proper channels and not jumped ahead of other immigrants seeking a life in the United States. Furthermore, this is a moment of profound economic tension and competition for resources. Driven by necessity, American citizens are haunting day-labor sites and taking jobs in orchards and fields alongside the illegal immigrants who once did most of such work.
But that’s no excuse for legalizing discrimination, which is precisely what would happen under a state ballot initiative now in the signature-gathering stage and targeted for next year’s June election. If passed, it would require all parents of newborns in California to prove U.S. citizenship or legal residency in order to receive their baby’s birth certificate. Those who could not would have to pay a $75 fee for a certificate noting the child’s “Birth to a Foreign Parent.” The U.S. Department of Homeland Security would be alerted to the discrepancy. And finally, in willful ignorance of previous California Supreme Court rulings, the measure would attempt to deny health benefits to illegal immigrants. Those are federally mandated benefits, beyond the reach of state law.
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Of course, the real goal of Taxpayer Revolution, the anti-tax group that’s sponsoring the initiative, isn’t just to slap a scarlet letter on these children, or even merely to intimidate pregnant women to the extent that they forgo medical help when in the throes of labor. Capitalizing on the heightened anti-immigrant sentiment that always accompanies hard economic times, the group’s ultimateaim is to undo generations of constitutional law and deny the children of illegal immigrants citizenship.
Although neither the U.S. Supreme Court nor Congress has ever explicitly ruled on whether the U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants are entitled to citizenship under the 14th Amendment, the assumption has long been that they are. If there are genuine doubts about whether that assumption is wrong, then let’s have that debate. But don’t sneak it into an initiative promoted as a tool to “reduce crime” and keep deported criminal “aliens” from returning to the U.S. because their citizen children are here.
This measure doesn’t consider the weight of law, custom and the complex social ramifications involved in bestowing and withdrawing citizenship. It’s just simplistic and mean.