Administration bypasses laws to build border fence.
Administration bypasses laws to build border fence.
Federal officials announced today that 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:
Invoking the two legal waivers, which Congress authorized, will cut through bureaucratic red tape and sidestep environmental laws that currently impede the Homeland Security Department from building 267 miles of fencing in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, according to officials familiar with the plan. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly about it.
The move is the biggest use of legal waivers since the administration started building the fence, and it will cover a total of 470 miles along the Southwest border, the department said. Previously, the department has used its waiver authority for two portions of fence in Arizona and one portion in San Diego.
While he bypasses environmental laws today, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff lobbied for the border fence in October by stating, “Illegal migrants really degrade the environment.”
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Call me paranoid but I am starting to think this fence is to keep US in, not anyone else out.
April 1st, 2008 at 11:08 pmCouldn't we at least build a wall with some class? Sort of like Hadrian's, the Chinese, the Inca, Pink Floyd... Ours is so "white trash"
April 1st, 2008 at 11:22 pmMoat Moat Moat!!
April 1st, 2008 at 11:26 pmYou expect something other than white trash from Bush? :D
April 1st, 2008 at 11:30 pmIf Bush hadn't been born into money he would be living in a trailer park. He has never successfully run anything and wouldn't have made it in any business environment.
And he'd be screaming like a little kid for the government to help him. But he was born into money and is a heartless piece of $hit because of it.
April 1st, 2008 at 11:32 pmWhatever, Whatever, I do what I want. I smoke crack, I do drugs, I drink alcihaal. I once killed SIX baby seals with my bare hands.
~Cartman/Bush
April 1st, 2008 at 11:34 pmThats not Zooey...
Notice the difference between the 0O
April 1st, 2008 at 11:37 pmWhy doesn't this suprise me? Not only is this man wrong on virtually every issue of importance, he's also famous for his utter disregard for the rule of law.
So he's gonna break laws in order to keep the law breakers out, yeah, that'll work.
--Paul
April 1st, 2008 at 11:42 pmhttp://progressiveworldreview.com
It's me, Zep. :)
April 1st, 2008 at 11:43 pmZooey, alcihaal?
April 1st, 2008 at 11:47 pmXisithrus
April 1st, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Phonetic spelling of how he said the word "alcohol." :D
April 1st, 2008 at 11:48 pmZooey, I know.
April 1st, 2008 at 11:50 pmImpeach. Period. Trolls are paid to be here. Stop.
April 1st, 2008 at 11:51 pmThe headline is not slanted, the admin, thru comgress, bypassed laws.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:06 amTuesday's waivers do not apply to lawsuits filed by landowners contesting the department's right to survey their property for fence construction, department spokeswoman Laura Keehner said.
A U.S. judge's ruling last month -- that the Homeland Security Department must negotiate with landowners before condemning their property for survey rights -- threatened to delay construction on some portions of the fence.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:10 amI wonder if this means the Bushies will put up a fence where all the rich people had gotten an exemption? Country club? I kind of doubt it.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:11 amI'm betting no, gummitch. Laws don't apply to the rich or the republican.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:14 amGin, wasnt it Bush that wanted amnesty?
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:23 amhree weeks ago there was no one among Republican voters who would have said that fixing the problem of illegal immigration to the U.S. meant granting amnesty to an estimated eight million illegal aliens, the majority of whom have entered the U.S. without a visa by walking across our border with Mexico.
But that is precisely what President Bush said last week he intends to do, as he posed for pictures before a Mexican flag in Monterrey, Mexico. To his left was Mexican President Vicente Fox (search ), who -- in an even more alarming image -- was framed by the Stars and Stripes as he smiled for the cameras.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:27 amhttp://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,109026,00.html
Comments Gin?
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:28 amOf course Bush wants amnesty...gotta get that cheap labor for the corporations. It's ALWAYS about the corporations.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:29 amXisithrus Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:28 am
Comments Gin?
You want another non sequitor?
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:30 amYou want another non sequitor? -gummy
I am whore for them it seems =P and have no defense.
Heh.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:34 amSo? For the illegals already here there isn’t much else we can do with them, but it would be a good idea to slow down the flow.
So your pointing fingers?
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:35 amSuper Alpaca Says:
Wah wah wah. You've got a million miles to go to be a real llama, fool. Much less a wonder llama.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:38 amSuper Paca, Bush was for amnesty, which wasnt a Republican idea, that was the point. Is Bush a leftist?
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:38 amX, you are a glutton for punishment.
What happened to your blog? It's gone missing.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:39 amEveryone in this reckless (mis)administration degrades the environment.
Is there anyway to put a fence around them?
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:42 amSuper Alpaca Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:41 am
Jihadi presence I meant to write.
It makes no difference if you have a typo. Your post is thoroughly moronic even if spelled correctly.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:44 amX, you are a glutton for punishment.
What happened to your blog? It’s gone missing.
Please, the punishers are wienies that hide behind six words. Fools that think they cant be seen.
Glutton for punishment? From your POV, perhaps, but I am not bothered by what others say.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:45 amAnd your corrections keep the record straight. I applaud you. I don't have your patience with some of these idiots.
What happened to your blog? I love reading it.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:49 amWhat happened to your blog? I love reading it. -MsJ
Perhaps one day I'll write again, I doubt it. But thanks for reading what I did write.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:54 amWhat happened?? Do you have my email addy?
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:56 amOT, but a fascinating look at a very under reported happening. Worth reading as it should be one of the issues that our next President deals with.
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/print/174906/Tomgram%253A%2520%2520Philip%2520K.%2520Dick%2520Meet%2520George%2520W.%2520Bush
An excerpt:
"Assassinations by air" are, writes David Case in Mother Jones magazine, "a relatively new tactic in warfare." By the beginning of 2006, however, U.S. Predator drones "bearing Hellfire missiles -- the preferred weapon in decapitation [strikes] -- had already hit 'terrorist suspects overseas' at least 19 times since 9/11." Such strikes and other similar operations by air, land, and sea have been a crucial follow-on to the Bush administration's proclamations, immediately after 9/11, that there would be no "safe havens" for terrorists on the planet, nor safety for those countries which housed them, inadvertently or otherwise. Within days of the destruction of the World Trade Center towers, Bush administration officials were already identifying up to 60 countries-cum-targets.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:00 amThis aspect of the Bush Doctrine, of what the President likes to call staying "on the offensive," when mixed with a couple of decades of "advances" in air warfare, including the development of sophisticated, missile-armed drones, "smart bombs," "precision-guided munitions," and the like, has resulted in a lethal globalizing brew of assassination and destruction. It recognizes neither boundaries, nor sovereignty across much of the planet.
Your a good person MsJ.
Take care.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:00 amYou too, X.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:01 amMerlin, that doesn't surprise me at all.
McNutcase is now talking about the evils of Russia (another oil rich country). I wonder if that's who he'll bomb after Iran.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:03 amAn add on comment to #41 above.
It is interesting to note as the article points out, there have been no air strikes in London, Paris etc. even though there are terrorists in them that we no doubt have intellegence on.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:04 amGin Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:33 am
Xisithrus Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:23 am
Gin, wasnt it Bush that wanted amnesty?
So? For the illegals already here there isn’t much else we can do with them, but it would be a good idea to slow down the flow.
How 'bout we slow down the flow of bathtub Gin, too?
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:19 amSuper Alpaca Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:40 am
I’m for legalization of those that are working, haven’t commited crimes and not from Islamic countries. Those that are criminals and are from Isla mic countries I want to deport. I also want a border fence with Canada due to the increasing Jiadi presence there.
You stated the above and asked what we propose as a solution in your post @ 29.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:26 amHow about your getting out there and building your own damn fence? No skills? I thought not. Let someone else do the hard work, loser. You're nothing but another Republic welfare queen.
No. Quite the contrary, I'm all for border security. The first thing we should do is secure our borders by inspecting each and every shipping container coming into this country. This means overseas shipping containers and those coming across our Mexican and Canadian borders
Next step would be to give a 5 year jail sentence and a $10,000 fine to any employer who hires more than 3 illegal aliens. Second offense--$500,000 fine and 20 years. Next,remove all tax encentives for companies that take their operations offshore-this means manufacturing, management, sales and executive offices. First offense-fine of total gross, not net, profit fine equal to last 12 months of operations and 5 years in jail of top three operating officers.
Third step would be to require a US passport or visa to enter the country.
I'm sure you'd agree that this would do a great deal to secure our borders.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:46 amOh, by the way, can you tell me which of the steps I recommended above that the Republic administration and the Republic controlled Congress from 2000-2006 have enacted. Proposed? Recommended? Suggested? Hinted at?
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:49 amFrom the AP link @Raw Story
"Residents and property owners along the U.S.-Mexico border have complained about the construction of fencing. In South Texas, where opposition has been widespread, land owners refused to give the government access to property along the fence route."
How's that, that the people most effected don't want the dang thing? It is nothing more than a PR stunt to produce the illusion of a Bush accomplishment.
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:03 amSuper Alpaca Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:54 am
“Next,remove all tax encentives for companies that take their operations offshore-this means manufacturing, management, sales and executive offices”
Don’t forget Information Technology. We need to protect our Technological base. Also let’s end the H1-B visa program. We have plenty of qualified people here in America and it depresses wages and takes jobs.
Get rid of rightists and the GOP and those problems will go away. And don't be surprised when predator drones are used against us and our allies, and when black ops are used to take out our own government officials. We have lowered the bar to that level, and every terrorist organization in the world now takes their measure from the world's biggest terrorist, George Bush. He has made himself and us fair game. Thanks to you, Stupid alpaca, for 9/11.
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:10 amH1-B visa program is the law. We also have copyright laws are also in place, they just need to be enforced.
I'll cut to the chase here. The Republic party, at least those who actually control the Republic party, have no intention of trying to deport illegal aliens or prevent them from entering the country. Why, because the businesses that are owned by the most prominent donors to the Republic party rely on them to supply a pool of cheap labor and drive down wages for the rest of us to maximize profits.
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:25 amClowns like Tancredo and Duncan Hunter bloviate and bluster about this to placate their constituencies but have no intention of enforcing immigration laws. If you believe their feigned outrage and ostensible 'tough stand' you're being played for a fool. You might note how far they got in the Republic primaries if you want a more accurate gauge of how your party REALLY feels about immigration. All the rest is pure BS.
Super Alpaca Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:24 am
Merlin,
Are you against Predator drones?
This is not an honest question and thus does not deserve an answer.
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:03 amThe department is suppose to conduct Environmental Assessments. But the waiver allows them to start building before the assessment is completed.
How can you plan accordingly to meet the needs of the Environmental Assessment when you are building before it's completed?? Does that mean you will tear the wall down and redo it to meet the Environmental Needs? Probably not.
So it doesn't matter that two wildcats could possible become more endangered or extinct. I think we should protect them and try to work a solution that is not harmful too them.
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:07 amWhile "good fences make good neighbors," this is a bad fence and yet another taxpayer rip off. Yet another crony enriched so funds can be fed back into the RNC and the repugnant noise machines like the American Enterprise Institute of Intellectual Prostitutes.
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:12 amSuper Alpaca Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:40 am
I’m for legalization of those that are working, haven’t commited crimes and not from Islamic countries. Those that are criminals and are from Isla mic countries I want to deport. I also want a border fence with Canada due to the increasing Jiadi presence there.
Amazing how proudly someone can espouse such a racist position. The evil Islamofascists aren't going to attack your white trash trailer park, so take off the diaper and come out from under your mom's bed. What a pathetic racist coward you are.
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:17 amwe can dig a moat too and then put in sharks with friggin' laser beams on their heads too!
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:59 amBush is desperately searching for some sort of legacy to leave.
...and make a few more bucks for KBR and Blackwater in the process.
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:59 amAwwwww, Georgie & Dickie are werkin hahd again to keep Americans in because they hate us. Are they afraid of Mexicans coming in? Hell no! They're cheap labor for their buddies. They're afraid REAL AMERICANS will leave the country or try to escape their regime at some point! This kind of thing looks bad to narcissist people, see?
April 2nd, 2008 at 7:00 amSuper Alpaca Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:52 am
woodguy,
I agree with you. However don’t you feel the criminal Illegals should be deported? Like the ones in MS-13. The Republicans didn’t do jack crap, but neither are the Democrat controlled Congress hasn’t done jack crap neither.
Keep in mind also Clinton didn’t do nothing also. To blame one party is ridiculous.
I watched a documentary awhile back about MS-13 and guess what? The MS-13 members who were deported out of the country eventually came back into America.
April 2nd, 2008 at 7:02 amWhy the vendetta against Mexico?
April 2nd, 2008 at 7:08 amCanada has a porous border.
We need a wall keeping those damn Canadians out!!
It's aboot time!!
Super Alpaca Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:40 am
I’m for legalization of those that are working, haven’t commited crimes and not from Islamic countries. Those that are criminals and are from Isla mic countries I want to deport. I also want a border fence with Canada due to the increasing Jiadi presence there.
You know, studies show that Muslim immigrants to America are better-integrated, more well-off, and more moderate than Muslim immigrants to Europe.
And they generally don't come across the Mexican or Canadian borders. Usually the one at international airports is quite sufficient.
April 2nd, 2008 at 7:09 amAll I'm going to say is if we documented everyone coming over the border (take their picture, their fingerprints, maybe some blood for testing too) we'd know exactly who is here even if they made up a name for themselves.
Instead of a fence, we need to crackdown on the companies that are hiring immigrants illegally so they don't have to pay good wages, taxes, etc.
April 2nd, 2008 at 7:13 amHere is another very good reason why they are dragging there feet over illegal immigrants:
The IRS created a nine-digit Individual Tax Identification Number in 1996 for foreigners who don’t have Social Security numbers but need to file taxes in the U.S. But it is increasingly used by undocumented workers to file taxes, apply for credit, get bank accounts or even buy a home.
The IRS issued 1.5 million ITINs in 2006 — a 30 percent increase from the previous year. All told, the tax liability of ITIN filers between 1996 and 2003 was $50 billion. The agency has no way to track how many were immigrants, but it’s widely believed most people using ITINS are in the United States illegally.
One number hints at the number of illegal immigrants having income taxes deducted from their paychecks.
In 2004, the IRS got 7.9 million W-2s with names that didn’t match a Social Security Number. More than half were from California, Texas, Florida and Illinois, states with large immigrant populations, leading experts to believe they likely represent the wages of illegal immigrants. Even immigrants who use ITINs to file taxes are forced to make up a Social Security Number when they get a job.
Many do pay taxes, they just can't file for a refund. So the government gets to keep all that money that is unclaimed by them.
April 2nd, 2008 at 7:41 amThere's not a day that goes by that this "administration" doesn't surprise me with its arrogance and stupidity. This is just another day.
Again, I ask: Would someone please give bush a b.j. so he can be impeached?
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:35 amDoc Rock Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:12 am
While “good fences make good neighbors,”
This passage in Frost's poem, Mending Wall, http://writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/frost-mending.html
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:56 amis loaded with irony. The point of the poem is that fences are put up by bad neighbors, that fences are antithetical to nature's purpose and need constant mending to maintain. Much like this fence.
I assume this impenetrable border fence will continue to stop at golf courses and other large properties owned by Bush pioneers, then continue on the other side of these properties. Some would view this as obvious holes in the fence, but when you put your I Love Bush glasses on you can't see them.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:23 amThe fence is for show. Without it being manned by armed guards it's no real barrier. It's just a big symbol. And while it's a symbol of xenophobia, isolationism, and just plain meanness, it's still just a symbol.
I live in a neighborhood with a lot of Hispanics. They're good people. Friendly, helpful, family oriented--and the Hispanic produce stores make live immeasurably better.
They're here to work, to earn money, and to build a better life for their kids. And any of the kids who have grown up here know English as well as anybody (and they don't watch Telemundo. Are you kidding?)
Currently our immigration regulations allow for NO unskilled immigration from Mexico. Why is that? There's plenty of work.
(If the problem is cultural purity, why do the regulations allow educated and skilled Mexicans to immigrate? It seems to me they'd be more of a threat.)
America criminalized an activity arbitrarily that had been completely legal for a century and a half, Before 1921--the unbelievably corrupt Harding administration!--you could come to America, and all it required was courage. Suddenly thanks to the Republicans, where you were from allowed bureaucrats to stop letting you in.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:39 amIt's been official policy to deny people a chance to come and live and work in America because they're Mexican. It's been an outright ban.And in the meantime American business is saying "No, no, come on! Plenty of work!" and using La Migra to keep them in line.
And all the while the same people are screaming that Social Security is in trouble because there aren't enough workers.
Let them in. Lt them stay. Let them work.
You know what will happen to American culture? Absolutely nothing.
Super Alpaca Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:50 am
pbg,
I’m Latin you idiot!
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Smalles like The Joker.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:00 pm*Smells
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:01 pmAsk the people of Eagle Pass, Texas what they think of Bush's Great Wall, ask land owners along the Rio Grande and also do not forget the land owned by a single family since 1784 in El Calaboz, a rural community that shadows the Rio Grande 10 miles west of Brownsville.
http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/land_82682___article.html/border_tamez.html
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:09 pmI read somewhere that there's a golf course and some Texas billionaire Bush-friend's property that's exempted from having the fence on their property.....Something about people needing to be able to get to work, perhaps?
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:29 pm