Cain: "Electrified Fences at the border!" "I'll Kill You" to Latinos! Cain Funded by Tea Party's Rich, Big Business Koch Brothers!

Herman Cain is OFF OF HIS ROCKER! He plans to put a Barbed Wire, Electrified Fence along the Border Warning "It will Kill You!" to all Mexicans/Latinos. So says the Ron Paul website.
"It’s going to be 20 feet high. It’s going to have barbed wire on the top. It’s going to be electrified. And there’s going to be a sign on the other side saying, ‘It will kill you!"

Reports indicate Cain, the leading Tea Party Republican Presidential Candidate in 2012, and his campaign is heavily influenced and funded by the Koch Brothers. Cain's economic ideas, support and organization have close ties to two billionaire brothers who bankroll right-leaning causes through their group Americans for Prosperity.

Cain's campaign manager and a number of aides have worked for Americans for Prosperity, or AFP, the advocacy group founded with support from billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, which lobbies for lower taxes and less government regulation and spending. Cain credits a businessman who served on an AFP advisory board with helping devise his "9-9-9" plan to rewrite the nation's tax code. And his years of speaking at AFP events have given the businessman and radio host a network of loyal grassroots fans. The once little-known businessman's political activities are getting fresh scrutiny these days since he soared to the top of some national polls.

His links to the Koch brothers could undercut his outsider, non-political image among people who detest politics as usual and candidates connected with the party machine.

AFP tapped Cain as the public face of its "Prosperity Expansion Project," and he traveled the country in 2005 and 2006 speaking to activists who were starting state-based AFP chapters from Wisconsin to Virginia. Through his AFP work he met Mark Block, a longtime Wisconsin Republican operative hired to lead that state's AFP chapter in 2005 as he rebounded from an earlier campaign scandal that derailed his career.

Block and Cain sometimes traveled together as they built up AFP: Cain was the charismatic speaker preaching the ills of big government; Block was the operative helping with nuts and bolts.

When President Barack Obama's election helped spawn the tea party, Cain was positioned to take advantage. He became a draw at growing AFP-backed rallies, impressing activists with a mix of humor and hard-hitting rhetoric against Obama's stimulus, health care and budget policies.

Block is now Cain's campaign manager. Other aides who had done AFP work were also brought on board.

Cain's spokeswoman Ellen Carmichael, who recently left the campaign, was an AFP coordinator in Louisiana. His campaign's outside law firm is representing AFP in a case challenging Wisconsin campaign finance regulations. At least six other current and former paid employees and consultants for Cain's campaign have worked for AFP in various capacities. (see rest of article here)

Unbelievable News: Canadian Officials Upset! Don't Want Border Patrol to Treat Them Like Mexico!

The Canadians are upset that Janet Napolitano requested a review of US-Canada border security. Even though terrorists and the anthrax traveler came into America via lax and/or unguarded Canadian ports of entry, Canada is saying they do not want to be treated like Mexico.

the Canadian website Nationalpost.com reports:

Napolitano calms fears on Canada-U.S. border review

OTTAWA -- U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano sought to assure Canadians on Friday that a recent review of U.S-Canada border security was simply a fact-finding exercise, not necessarily a prelude to tougher border measures. In an unusual step, Ms. Napolitano held a teleconference with Canadian reporters, and expressed concern some of the media coverage north of the border had "misconstrued" the purpose of the review.
"While I'm very familiar with the border with Mexico, given that I was the governor of Arizona, I have very little actual experience with the Canadian border, and I wanted to get a sense on where we stood up there."
Ms. Napolitano declined to give an assessment of security at the border, other than to say it is a "big border" with some "sparsely populated" areas.
She said she'd like to visit the border first before jumping to any conclusions. Some experts on the Canada-U.S. border security have recently expressed concern that the review could lead to a "thickening" of the border.

DHS's Border Surveillance Program: Does it Work? Is it Big Brother? Or are we again allowing a Contractor to serve as Big Brother?

Recent news reports suggest the US Border Patrol has secured new technology that has the ability to "see" for up to 10 miles away and scan 180 degrees in about 10 seconds." The hype says "the system detected about 40,000 potential undocumented immigrants in the last three months of 2008." The key word here is "potential." In reality, the system has many bugs. Reports indicate it cannot tell the difference between a human vs a prairie dog. For $500,000 a tower, you would think the technology would better serve the Department of Homeland Security.

On the other hand, many on the ANTI side are opposing the new technology, especially the unmanned drones. They are saying this type of technology is one step away from "Big Brother." Who is to stop DHS from spying on good ole US neighborhoods they wonder.

I am a bit torn on the subject.

I agree that in this age of potential terroristic threats, we do need security on all borders, ports and terminals. I say ALL because we should not focus on just the southern border, but all borders, ports and terminals!

I also agree that we should use technology vs a 2000 mile border fence. I don't believe we should give our civil liberties away, however. So, who is to say what is the right answer?

The other down side of the story is that we are allowing one vendor, Boeing - as SBInet, to manage the project. This raises the question, are we contracting away our nation's security to the highest bidding contractor? Remember the bad experiences we've had with Blackwater and Halliburton.

My only hope is the new DHS, under Janet Napolitano, will be open enough to let us every day Americans know what is going on and have the ability to provide our input on whether policies are working or not working. Additionally, she should prevent this program from turning into "Big Brother."

Since it appears this program is well underway, all we can do at this point is wait and see.

References:

40,000 Undocumented Immigrants Detected By New Border System (hype)

Proposed SBInet Texas Mobile Project

Why “Open-Borders” makes for bad neighbors

SBInet , Boeing wikipedia

Prez pays off Cronies before Leaving Office! Chertoff Authorizes Seven Miles of Fence for $37M

As the Prez is leaving office, he is making his list and checking it twice! He wants to be sure all of his friends and cronies are taken care of before he leaves office.

Bush To Do List before he leaves Office:
1. Mortgage Co. Bailout
2. Gas prices through the roof ($5)
3. Nafta-Cafta extended to other countries
4. Filling up Crony Owned Private Prisons

5. Hiring Cronies to build the Border Fence in 3 sleepy little towns along the border! 7.6 miles of fence = $37M to cronies!

(List will be updated as the Prez updates it)

Who will build the fence?
U.S. government awards 3 contracts for border barrier construction - September 23, 2008 - 10:14PM
Contracts to build the border fence in Cameron County were awarded to three private companies Monday, after Congress approved a $378 million appropriations request to continue the barrier's construction.
Despite longstanding opposition from the county's residents and politicians, construction could begin soon on the Texas border's southernmost stretch. The contracts are for fence segments in Bluetown, Los Indios, El Calaboz and La Paloma, all rural communities established by 18th century Spanish land grants. The communities are now home to some of the border fence's most vociferous opponents, many of whom have been fighting the barrier in court for nearly a year.

Clute, Texas-based Jaco Construction, Colorado-based MCC Construction and Omaha-based Kiewit Corporation were each awarded contracts to build a total of 7.6 miles of fencing for almost $37 million. The government must now clear mounting judicial obstacles in order to meet Congress' mandate to build 670 miles of fencing by Dec. 31. So far, 340 miles of fencing have been constructed along the southwest border. Ninety-seven landowners in the Rio Grande Valley have refused to sell their property to the federal government, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Sept. 10. Some of those property owners, including Eloisa Tamez of El Calaboz, wonder how contracts can be awarded before lawsuits have been resolved. "(Homeland Security Secretary) Chertoff is going completely outside of the Constitution, not allowing the federal court to make its decision before he moves on," Tamez said. Cameron County Judge Carlos H. Cascos said he had always maintained that DHS was going to build "something" if the county did not offer an alternative to them. "I still think that the border/levee combo project was a viable alternative, and I'm just saddened that DHS thought it was not," Cascos said. "For now, we are just going to wait and see what the fence is going to look like." The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not announce when construction is expected to begin in Cameron County.

Peaceful Border March to Protest the Border Wall Aug 27 - Aug 31, 2008

A peaceful March is being called by the Citizens Against the Border Wall starting Wed. Aug 27 through Sunday Aug 31, 2008. They have asked all PRO Bloggers to help announce this event and ask all citizens that oppose the Border Wall to March in Peace with them. God Bless America!

Here is a breakdown of the August 27-31protest march against the border wall.
August 27(Wed). Kick off cultural event in Fort Hancock.
August 28 (Thu). From Fort Hancock, walk to Alamo Alto.
August 29 (Fri). From Alamo Alto, walk to Tornillo, hold community event. End in Fabens.
August 30 (Sat). From Fabens, walk to San Elizario, hold community event. End in San Ysleta del Sur with the Tiguas community.
August 31(Sun). Morning ceremony in San Ysleta del Sur . Then to El Paso. After arriving in El Paso, a bi-national event will be held in Anapra, Chihuahua and Sundland Park, NM.


For More Information about the March, contact Javier Perez (915) 474-4930 or via email chamucos00@hotmail.com

"Come Hell or High Water, I´m Building the Fence!"

Michael Chertoff, head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says, "Come Hell or High Water! I´m Building the Fence before the end of this year!" Never mind if the fence crosses college campuses, private property, sacred Native American sites or dividing livestock - resulting in chaos for the property owners and the community. He says he is building it whether it makes sense or not.

US races to erect controversial steel fence on Mexican border Aug 5 09:27 AM US/Eastern

The US Department of Homeland Security is racing to meet a December 31 deadline to raise 670 miles of steel fences and vehicle barriers along the 3,200 kilometer (2,000 mile) long southern border. About half has been completed, including this six kilometer (four mile) segment at New Mexico's Santa Teresa Port of Entry.
But DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff faces a flurry of lawsuits by environmentalists and border communities that could stop construction cold. To meet his deadline, Chertoff is using sweeping authority Congress granted in 2005 to waive 36 federal laws protecting water, air quality, endangered animals, and native American sites. The fence "is a political initiative meant to satisfy conservatives in Congress who have played to fears about all immigrants being terrorists, criminals, and living off the dole," El Paso County Attorney Jose Rodriguez fumed. The El Paso lawsuit argues that Chertoff's authority to waive federal law is unconstitutional. Dozens of groups have joined the suit, including the Tigua Indian tribe, which for centuries has held religious ceremonies on the banks of the Rio Grande, which marks the border between Texas and Mexico.
In El Paso, Chertoff's waiver overrides local rules on managing land use, air quality, and river water. "We have no idea to what extent we can enforce our own (US City) laws," said Rodriguez.

eMails from Minutemen

I remind all Campo residents to have their cameras ready this weekend and to stay inside. In the meantime, I received these emails from the Minutemen in California. They are having many disagreements amongst each other. Meanwhile, the Minutemens´ "Operation Secure America Now!" is set to roll ALL this weekend!! Border Residents, Please Be Careful and have your Video Cameras Ready!!! (Send them to me and I will publish them! I promise to keep your names Private!) dee_perezscott@yahoo.com

I spent a great deal of time thinking about whether I should publish these emails or not.
I decided I will publish them and leave it to the viewers to decide what they mean:
----- Original Message -----
From: Century21Minuteman
To: 'Jeff Schwilk'
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2008 8:20 AM
Subject: RE: fish i say, fish

Private Schwilk,

You are busted once again back to E-1. Keep up the attacks and the incoherent rhetoric and you will only proliferate the infighting. So far, you are the only Marine that I do not like.

The video is all over the internet. Duncan Hunter, Jr. has put his campaign at serious risk if he associates with Lil mutt. Keep lil mutt away from that event tomorrow. The media are certain to connect lil dog and his “shoot Mexicans to death” video with Hunter and they will go public with it.

One So. Cal newspaper is already querying about it.

Good luck, private. America is counting on you.


Cheers,
Jim Gilchrist, BAJ, BSBA, MBA, CPA - Founder and President
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jeff Schwilk [mailto:jeffschwilk@cox.net] Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 10:23 PMTo: Century21Minuteman; 'Campo Minutemen'; 'STEWART REEVES'Cc: 'sean weatherford'Subject: Re: fish i say, fish

Jimmy, you are clueless as usual. Shut the Fxxx up! The video is a year old. Old news. Back when you and Lil Dog were partners and good compadres.

The video is fake, get over it.

Please get back on your meds before someone gets hurt!


Jeff SchwilkFounder, www.SanDiegoMinutemen.com
Demanding Our Government Enforce the Law Since 2005!
----- Original Message -----
From: Century21Minuteman
To: 'Campo Minutemen' ; 'Jeff Schwilk' ; 'STEWART REEVES'
Cc: 'sean weatherford' ; 'bill Oreilly'
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 8:27 PM
Subject: RE: fish i say, fish

Enrique was referring to mountain minutemen. SPLC is blasting lil mutt’s “shoot a Mexican to death” everywhere. Some people are just plain dumb. Lil mutt just set the mm movement back to square one. Some have already bailed on him. More to follow.


Cheers,
Jim Gilchrist, BAJ, BSBA, MBA, CPA - Founder and President

Campo Border Towns, Be SAFE! Keep Videos Rolling!

I ask all Campo, CA and Rancho/Tecate, MX residents to be careful and be safe this long holiday weekend. Please keep your cameras rolling.

Please do not go near the Border area, particularly near the Campo Indian Reservation. The minutemen will be out en masse, training new minutemen to "guard the border."

Breaking News: Minutemen Planning "Operation Secure America Now!" July 3 - 6

Border Residents Beware and Be Careful next weekend! The Minuteman Civil Defense Corp (MCDC) is planning a four day event at their Border Camp near Campo, California starting on July 3, 2008 and running through July 6, 2008. Special Guests to the event include MCDC Leader, Chris Simcox who recently called for "Operation Open Season" (as I reported, the next weekend, 3 Mexicans shot and 1 murdered on the Mexican side of the Border). Also due to attend: San Diego MM Leader, Jeff Schwilk who was the 1st to report those shootings. We are waiting to see if Hal Turner will be attending. He was the 1st to acknowledge responsibility for the shootings. It is expected that members from Save our State and the heinous Mountain Minutemen (who posted shootings of Mexicans on You Tube) will also be in attendance.

The event is being held at the MCDC Camp near Campo they call "Camp Vigilance."

Here is their agenda:

July 3: Set up Camp, Border Tours & Training for Border Watchers

July 4: Full day event of speakers. (many ANTI political candidates including Duncan Hunter)

July 5, 6: Operation TBS (Turn Back South) Around the Clock Border Watch and Lockdown of the Border.

All of us need to be aware of this event and watch for any random shootings and murders in the Campo area. This means BOTH SIDES of the Border! BE ON ALERT!!!!

Breaking News! Minutemen Vigilantes Declare "Operation Open Season!" and Promptly 3 Mexicans are Shot on the Mexican Side of the Border!

The Minutemen are at it again! According to their Fearless Leader, Chris Simcox, he is fed up! He has announced "Operation Open Season!" along the border. Two days later, perhaps the most heinous of MM groups, the San Diego Minutemen, patrolled the Mexican border near Campo. They patrolled with their shotguns and pickup trucks. They were the first to report shootings of three Mexicans near the border. Operation Open Season begins! Their comrade, Hal Turner, bragged about the shootings on his website!

Two days later, the Pink Flamingo writes a report, "Are San Diego MMs responsible for Friday Night Shootings!?" The next day, his Blog is hacked and taken off line. He is still busily repairing it. Note: Blog Hacking is familiar territory for Schwilk and his crowd. Just ask former girlfriend Christie about Jeff and Co. hacking her many blog sites.

Timeline:

June 11, 2008

Ex Con and former mental patient Chris Simcox, President, Minuteman Civil Defense Corp, announces Operation Open Season! "The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps’ volunteers at the border will continue their mission, in support of our disgracefully under-staffed, under-supplied and now under-supported U.S. Border Patrol rank and file agents."

June 13, 2008

SignOnSanDiego reports - Three Mexicans are shot on the Mexican side of the border. The first to discuss the shots was a minuteman in an email to Jeff Schwilk, heinous, infamous leader of the San Diego Minutemen. "CAMPO – At least three people were hit by gunfire Friday night on the Mexican side of the border near Campo, authorities said...In an e-mail from the San Diego Minutemen founder Jeff Schwilk, an associate claimed Minutemen were in the area when shooting broke out among Mexicans on their side of the border, and at least three people were dead. In Chula Vista, several residents called police after 11 p.m. to complain about cars speeding through town. Police stopped one driver, who turned out to be a Border Patrol agent in an unmarked car heading toward the Campo scene from the Border Patrol's Chula Vista office."

June 14, 2008

Hal Turner, an associate of Simcox and Schwilk wrote on his site: "Got 3 more! At Least Three Shot Trying To Cross U.S. - Mexico Border: Our People are now actively shooting illegal aliens and we will continue to do so
I am proud to report that at least three more people trying to cross into the US illegally, have been shot. They are the latest in our effort to halt illegal immigration. The shooting will continue.When planning this activity, it was decided that shootings would take place on the Mexican side of the border since law enforcement in that nation is so ill-equipped, the chance of getting caught is almost zero.We will continue to shoot illegal aliens as they try to cross the border until the stench of blood and rotting corpses discourages further illegal attempts to enter this country.

June 14, 2008

The Pink Flamingo publishes Blog, "Are SD MM responsible for Friday Night Shootings?!"

June 15, 2008

The Pink Flamingo is hacked and taken off line. Still under repair!

Readers, the Minutemen Vigilantes must be stopped! I encourage all readers to listen and watch for any more vigilante shootings along the border! I promise I will publish all news and updates relating to this and future shootings!

Blackwater Commandos Sneak in Plans to Patrol our Borders!

As I reported here and here, last year, Blackwater International bought a defunct chicken ranch in the mountains about 40 miles east of San Diego with plans for converting it into a training camp for local and federal (military) law enforcement, including Border Patrol. Local advocates protested Blackwaters´presence. The company dropped those plans this March.

signon SanDiego reports: The same month, Blackwater, sneakingly using the name "Raven Development Co", applied and city inspectors approved permit applications for a 61,000 square-foot indoor facility in Otay Mesa, an industrial warehouse park along the U.S.-Mexico border, just several miles away. They applied for routine inspection permits under the name Raven Development Group, a name its lawyers said the company had used for other projects, and never explicitly sought permission to convert a warehouse into a school in part because the area is already zoned for vocational facilities.
Opponents against Blackwater say, “This whole process flunks the smell test. They don't ever give us the whole picture of what they're here for. Blackwater can't start using its new facility in the industrial Otay Mesa area until the project is approved by the city planning commission."
Blackwater lawyers told Huff they had been honest in their dealings with city inspection agencies. They argued it was too late for the city to demand they go to the planning commission because inspectors had already approved the required permits.
Attorney Michael Neil said the company risked losing part of a $400 million Navy contract if it could not begin training sailors in counterterrorist defense tactics by next week. The program is part of a firearms training initiative launched after the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in a Yemeni port by terrorists in a small boat.
“Blackwater will suffer, the Department of the Navy will suffer and to some extent the security of our country will suffer if sailors aren't fully trained,” Neil said. Blackwater has argued in court filings that elected officials moved to block the project for political reasons ahead of next week's primary election.

About Blackwater Worldwide: founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and Al Clark, is a private military company and one of the GOP´s largest PAC Contributors. The company recieves multi millions in government contracts. It has been referred to as a security contractor or a mercenary organization by numerous reports in the international media. The company trains more than 40,000 people a year, from U.S. or foreign military and police services, as well as other U.S. government agencies. The training consists of military offensive and defensive operations, as well as smaller scale personnel security. Technologies used and techniques trained are not limited by U.S. domestic law, although it is unclear what legal status Blackwater operates under in the U.S. and other countries, or what protection the U.S. extends to Blackwater operations globally.

Blackwater, the largest private security firm in Iraq, has been under scrutiny as a federal grand jury in Washington investigates the company's involvement in the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians. The firm is also under investigation for possible weapons smuggling allegations – violations the firm strongly denies.

Angry Nutcase Tancredo tells US City of Brownsville: "I suggest you build this fence around the northern part of your city!"

Tom Tancredo lost his last marble.
Tancredo was an invited guest in Brownsville, Texas last week to discuss solutions to the issues regarding the Border Fence in this border city. Those constructing the Border Fence say it is not feasibile to build the wall along the existing border, the Rio Grande, and they were discussing optimum alternatives. Some of the alternatives included building the fence on US property (see map below). The residents voiced their concerns about this, which is logical, since their land is within a US city and they prefer not to be fenced off from the US. During the extremely confrontational debate, Tancredo, an invited guest, insulted the local Brownsville citizens when he angrily proclaimed, "I suggest you build this fence around the NORTHERN part of your city!"
Local Brownsville citizens were taken aback and some responded with boos and jeers to his outrageous remarks. (Note: Brownsville, TX is a majority Latino citizen city)
Some of the comments among the audience members included:

"I think he's just ignorant," said student Alexis Fruia. "He doesn't really know where we stand here."
"A congressman in the United States of America saying that about the same city in the USA, its just outrageous," said student Chris Martinez.
For the students and staff, his strong statements hit especially close to home.
"It might take some of our campus away and we've come a long way to have this university," explained Fitness Instructor Diana Rojas. "And that's just something that not just me, but a lot of people don't agree with it."
Fruia said the fence would complicate going to classes. "I go to school in the education building on the other side of campus and they were saying we were going to need a passport to go to class." But, despite the controversy on campus, students and staff say they're glad even those with a different viewpoint on the border wall came to their school for the hearing.
"I was glad they were here to see campus and what was going to be destroyed by this border wall," explained Martinez.
Fruia agreed. "This is where I live, this is my background, this is my life," Fruia added. "Suggesting we're in Mexico? I live in the U.S."
Texas State Representative Eddie Lucio III said he doesn't believe they changed anyone's minds in the hearings Tuesday, he does believe that the Rio Grande Valley made a strong stand showing of unity against the border wall.

Calm Before the Storm - Outing the Secret Immigration Bills!

Of late, all has been quiet on the Immigration Reform front. Discussion Boards, both PRO and ANTI, have been quiet. Blogs have been quiet. There has been a significant amount of Political discussion, including here on my blog, but very little Immigration Talk.

For a while, I thought the quiet was due to the fact that all three candidates, HRC, BHO and JSM (John Sidney McCain), support Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR).

Then, I started thinking it could be due to the RNC controlled media focus being taken off of Immigration since the McCain nomination. We know that Fox and the AMJocks are funded by the Right. I still think there is something to this possibility or maybe, just maybe, this is the calm before the storm.

I am hearing some rumblings that new Immigration Bills are being documented in very hush, hush privacy. Some of these bills are PRO - CIR. Some of them are ANTI.

Here are two articles re some of these Hush Hush activities:

Immigration Becomes a Political Football (Again)
The question of border security and the threat to U.S. security is back on the table even as the Presidential campaign progresses to the next phases. Senate Republicans plan to introduce a package of as many as 11 bills (could actually grow to 14) that establishes a hard line on illegal immigration. Even though experts consider it unlikely that these bills will reach the floor for debate, they reflect a move toward harsher immigration rhetoric and legislative proposals from both parties since Congress failed to pass a comprehensive overhaul in 2007. While some of the language in these possible pieces of legislation echo House bills, they go further. These bills include provisions to dock states 10% of their highway funds if they issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. Another bill would extend the presence of National Guard on the border and still another would curtail language assistance at federal agencies and the voting booth for people with limited English ability. Senator Jeff Sessions, R-Ala, one of the leaders of the Republican efforts is offering a bill that would impose a maximum two-year sentence for the second offense of crossing the border illegally. Other bills:
● Block federal funding from cities that bar their police from asking about immigration status.
● Give the Department of Homeland Security the authority to use information from the Social Security Administration to target illegal immigrants.
● Require construction of 700 miles of fencing along the Southern border, not including vehicle barriers.
● Impose sanctions on countries that refuse to repatriate their citizens.
● Deport any immigrant, legal or illegal, for one drunken-driving conviction.
● Enable local and state police to enforce federal immigration laws
Its clear that immigration remains a political football in this Presidential election year. This includes the possibility of giving Senator McCain an opportunity to endorse one of the tougher bills to help distance him from some of his previous positions. Posturing or not, maybe some real immigration reform and border security measures will emerge from this, even though its an election year.

Immigration: New bills, old borders
By: David Rogers and Patrick O'Connor Mar 5, 2008 05:40 AM EST
For seasonal employers, whether crabbers in Maryland or grand hotels in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the real calendar — not politics — makes the pressure very real and immediate. Immigration reform is raising its head again in Congress, stirring old hopes and fears among Democrats and forcing Republicans to re-evaluate their tactics given the re-emergence of John McCain. Nothing is anticipated on the scale of the comprehensive immigration bill that collapsed in the Senate last year. But seasonal employers, such as the restaurant and tourism industries, are pressing hard for more H-2B visas for lower-skilled workers this summer, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised Hispanic lawmakers an opportunity to add provisions addressing concerns in their community. A third potential piece is a bipartisan bill introduced by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) — with the support of fellow “Blue Dog” Democratic moderates — that takes a more conservative approach: beefing up border security and requiring employers to use a government database to verify that their workers are in the U.S. legally. By Jay Fraser on March 5, 2008 at 10:53 PM

I have two questions for my readers:

1. Do you think either of these secret proposals will have any chance of passing before the election?

2. How will this impact the Political Debate, given the 3 candidates support CIR?

Border Residents Ask Presidential Candidates to Listen to their Perspective!

As we approach the March 4 Texas primary, all eyes are on Texas. The following are excerpts from area newspapers and advocacy groups.

Texas Border Residents Report:

"If Barack Obama wants to win Texas big, if he wants to win the hearts of the real Texas grassroots, if he wants to garner the Hispanic vote, if he wants to be the champion of the poor, he needs go no farther then the Texas-Mexico border. It is here that the poorest region of all America exists, where hundreds of thousands of neglected Veterans live, where the highest percentage of Texas Hispanics live. He would need to convince us that he will stop the border wall, that he will stop the internment camps (Detention Centers), that he will stop the ICE raids and the ENDGAME, that he will end the militarization of American soil and the harassment of American citizens of color, that he will treat our neighboring country and Number 1 trading partner with love and respect, that he will stop the economic slavery of NAFTA, that he will insure that children are not imprisoned for profit, that he will not allow private and public land to be seized for something as totalitarian as an “iron curtain”. He will have to convince “we the people” of South Texas that that he will stand WITH us in leadership."

From the Houston Chronicle:

Border locals complain DHS uncompromising
By SUZANNE GAMBOA Associated Press Writer © 2008 The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Border residents complained to a House panel Thursday that the Homeland Security Department has been unwilling to listen to them as it builds a security fence along the U.S-Mexico border.
The complaints stem from the federal government's effort to build 700 miles of fence along the southern border, required by a 2006 law signed by President Bush. The Homeland Security Department wants to finish about 370 miles by the end of the year. But local officials said the department has ignored them and their concerns in its rush to meet that goal. For example, some landowners want the department to leave in place barbed wire fencing that costs $8,000 to $10,000 a mile. The fencing is being ripped out as vehicle barriers are erected along the border, said Nan Stockholm Walden, an Arizona farmer and rancher. "There's been a breakdown in trust," she said. "There seems to be no willingness to compromise or listen at all and that's where people become suspicious and tell DHS they won't let them on their land." The Homeland Security Department has filed dozens of condemnation lawsuits against landowners in Texas, Arizona and California to get access to their property. Recently, Homeland Security agreed to a local plan to improve levees on the Rio Grande near Hidalgo County in response to opposition to plans that would put homes behind the fence. The hearing was held by a House Appropriations subcommittee that approves the Homeland Security Department's budget.
Last year, Congress required the Homeland Security Department to consult with other government agencies as well as local officials as a condition of getting money for the border fence. Subcommittee chairman David Price questioned how meaningful the consultation has been. He said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is ignoring "the fact that consultation leads to an outcome that may be superior". Eagle Pass Mayor Chad Foster asked the panel to "use your muscle to bring them to the table and work with us." "We were told that the (Customs and Border Protection) had held 18 town hall meetings that, on investigation, turned out to be meals in restaurants and phone calls," said Foster, chairman of the Texas Border Coalition of elected officials and business owners. Foster's city has been sued for access to city owned property. Eagle Pass has opposed plans for a fence that would run through the municipal golf course. But city officials have agreed to improve a golf cart path so Border Patrol vehicles can use it and have agreed to have light towers erected to illuminate the course. Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar, speaking to reporters, defended his department's consultation with local officials and communities. "I think it is important to recognize there is a massive amount of outreach going on," he said. He said the city of Eagle Pass is the only land owner in the El Paso, Marfa, Laredo and Del Rio Border Patrol sectors that has refused to allow the Border Patrol on its land. Many residents in the Rio Grande Valley, including the city of Brownsville, has refused the Border Patrol access.
"While DHS certainly has a duty to secure our borders and ports of entry and to enforce our immigration laws, the department also has a duty to be considerate of citizens' rights — especially law abiding citizens — while carrying out the mission of securing our borders," said Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky, the committee's top Republican.