This blog serves as my Stage 8 blog for my Texas State and Local Government class; this will also unfortunately be the last blog I get to write for this class! :-( I would like to take a moment and say thank you to my professor and classmates for making this semester a great adventure and a great time! I feel like I have learned a lot!
This blog will be in response to Kaileymein’s, or Kailey, blog entitled “WIC”. WIC, or Women, Infants and Children, is a social government program that is designed to assist needy families when they can not provide basic needs. In the blog Kailey details her experience with WIC and how her mother used WIC as a stepping stone to get back on her feet. The second paragraph goes into Kailey’s purposed limitations on the WIC program. Kailey states:
“I think there should be limitations on the program because there are a lot of people who get it and settle, they don’t learn their lesson the first time and receive more welfare the more children they have. First things first if you live in the US and can’t speak English you should not be eligible for any government welfare. How do we let people get by living their entire lives here and not ever being required to learn how to speak English but yet living from the support of taxpayers?”
She goes on to say that she searched several of the State’s WIC websites and discovered that Texas appears to be in the minority by putting both Spanish and English on its WIC website. Kailey does not detail what states she searched, or their proximity to the Mexican border. Kailey does mention her belief that “these people” have cell phones, cable, and nice shoes…which appear to represent to her that the system is being abused by the people it was made to help.
Kailey finishes her blog with:
“But I can say that after living in Texas I see a pattern, most of the people aren’t using it for assistance while they better their lives, their having multiple amounts of children when they couldn’t even take care one in the first place. They are staying on the welfare and doing nothing because they know the government will be there to help, maybe this is one reason Texas is ranking among the lowest of the states?”
Surmising her feelings, it would appear as if Kailey is facing the basic issue that most people who have problems with social programs have. Do we allow for people to use and abuse WIC, or do we disallow it and quiet possibly disregard the people who actually need it? Surely this is an ethical dilemma that we have all though about. She is frustrated that people can walk into a WIC office and get help, and meanwhile burn the rest of their money on luxury items that most “legitimate” workers can not afford. Kailey at the beginning of her blog states that her mother used the WIC program to help establish herself and get back on her feet. This seems to show that Kailey does acknowledge that the program is, at least some of the time, working properly. It would seem that Kailey is expressing the majority opinion of the critics of WIC and other social programs. Which is typically “somebody should do something!”, yet solutions of any value are rarely offered.
I have applied for and received WIC benefits during my son’s younger years and can say two things about it. Primarily, WIC helped me out greatly. When you pay $15 for a can of formula, $20 for diapers, and much more money on everything else a baby needs, it’s nice to have a little help! Secondly, I have seen the non-English speakers Kailey references. I have seen the 3 or four kids and have seen them receive nearly every social service offered by our state! In contrast to Kailey’s general opinion though, I’m not sure how luxurious the users of WIC are living. WIC in itself doesn’t allow for enough formula to feed an infant for a month, does not pay for diapers, and the food it pays for is supplemental. (IE not comprehensive enough for a month long supply of groceries) I would like to note that this and Kailey’s blog is regarding WIC, not comprehensive state benefits such as TANF and food stamps. So, how do we fairly balance out this issue? We can’t let children, our legacy, starve…but can we let the abuse continue? Perhaps a better idea would be for better administration and regulation of our social programs. WIC should be allowed to be a crutch for the family that needs it, but it should not be considered a way of saving money just because you can! The dual language issue could be addressed as a factor of the growing Hispanic population is Texas, and should be addressed on the education level versus a level of social service. I did find upon visiting the Texas WIC website that you have to click on a link to make the eintire page Spanish, and the original format appears in English.After all, we can’t help people if they don’t know help is there, and we can not justify hiding the services our government offers because some people are abusing them. It simply means that we should better detect and prosecute those that abuse the system, and keep the benefits for those that can use them! We should also better enable the people that use our social services to find employment, so they can legitimately work their way up the ladder and into success and most importantly off of state social services. For as a wise man once said “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Less corruption reports by Hispanics, means more corruption by Police Officers
This blog will serve as my stage 7 blog for my Texas State and Local Government class.
This blog will be on the subject of Texas State Trooper Michael Higgins, and his recent arrest and sentencing. It was reported that Higgins had been stealing money during traffic stops from people who “appeared” Hispanic and were not fluent in English. Higgins received 4 years in prison and a fine totaling to $850, the same amount he stole on the traffic stops. Higgins thievery was finally stopped when he stole 2 marked $100 bills from an undercover officer posing as a limited English speaker. He was convicted by jury trial on 4 counts of violating the civil rights of drivers.
In a Department of Justice release on the subject, Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez said:
"The defendant abused the power granted to him as a law enforcement officer to prey upon unsuspecting motorists for personal gain. He violated not only the law, but also public trust. I commend the Department of Public Safety and the FBI for their thorough investigation."
Upon glancing at this article it appears to be about a corrupt Texas State Trooper who received “justice” for violating the rights of Hispanics. Justice has won…at least that’s the perception of the article. I do believe that justice has prevailed, because a corrupt police office is repugnant to his own title. It is also imperative to mention that he was targeting Hispanics with limited English skills. What does all of this talk really mean?
It breaks down to a few basic points that we have to consider:
The Trooper was Anglo
The typical victim was Hispanic
The typical victim could not speak English fluently
Historically, victimization of non-fluent English speakers goes under or unreported, citizen or not.
Mexican Law Enforcement is not viewed in Mexico as Law Enforcement is viewed in America.
When we understand those basics facts it leads to another conclusion for me. Primarily is raises my concern that this sort of activity would not be reported by its victims. Citizen or not, it is an inherent right to be secure in oneself and your property. It would seem simple enough to those of us in the United States to simply report a crime, however in Mexico it may not be this simple. It is a known fact that a high percentage of corrupt police officers exist in Mexico. Mexican immigrants may take this “corrupt police” mentality across the border and apply it to American Law Enforcement, combined with opportunists like Trooper Higgins, this is a volatile mixture. This mixture could cause violence against law enforcement by immigrant groups that do not understand any other avenue of action against a perceived “corrupt” police officer besides direct violent resistance and/or evasion. This issue also could be seen through the eyes of some Anglos as a strike against a white police officer. These groups may allege it was all set up by “higher powers” and cause animosity towards Hispanic Americans, possibly resulting in violent actions towards Hispanics.
Whichever way you slice the pie, this is an issue that is in direct relation to illegal immigration and its effects on Texans. Even if every Hispanic stopped by Trooper Higgins was a legal American citizen, they did not speak English well, and this alone is a MASSIVE issue to border protectionists and thereby could cause anti-Hispanic sentiments and actions. It may be seen as yet another reason to “send them back”. At the very least, this issue could cause less sympathy for the Hispanic victims of Trooper Higgins and fizzle out, leaving more room for far more corruption of police officers. We should all, regardless of bias, recognize that it is not ok for anyone to be victimized by police. We should also recognize that this is no reason for police to be victimized by us. After all…can’t we all just get along?!
This blog will be on the subject of Texas State Trooper Michael Higgins, and his recent arrest and sentencing. It was reported that Higgins had been stealing money during traffic stops from people who “appeared” Hispanic and were not fluent in English. Higgins received 4 years in prison and a fine totaling to $850, the same amount he stole on the traffic stops. Higgins thievery was finally stopped when he stole 2 marked $100 bills from an undercover officer posing as a limited English speaker. He was convicted by jury trial on 4 counts of violating the civil rights of drivers.
In a Department of Justice release on the subject, Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez said:
"The defendant abused the power granted to him as a law enforcement officer to prey upon unsuspecting motorists for personal gain. He violated not only the law, but also public trust. I commend the Department of Public Safety and the FBI for their thorough investigation."
Upon glancing at this article it appears to be about a corrupt Texas State Trooper who received “justice” for violating the rights of Hispanics. Justice has won…at least that’s the perception of the article. I do believe that justice has prevailed, because a corrupt police office is repugnant to his own title. It is also imperative to mention that he was targeting Hispanics with limited English skills. What does all of this talk really mean?
It breaks down to a few basic points that we have to consider:
The Trooper was Anglo
The typical victim was Hispanic
The typical victim could not speak English fluently
Historically, victimization of non-fluent English speakers goes under or unreported, citizen or not.
Mexican Law Enforcement is not viewed in Mexico as Law Enforcement is viewed in America.
When we understand those basics facts it leads to another conclusion for me. Primarily is raises my concern that this sort of activity would not be reported by its victims. Citizen or not, it is an inherent right to be secure in oneself and your property. It would seem simple enough to those of us in the United States to simply report a crime, however in Mexico it may not be this simple. It is a known fact that a high percentage of corrupt police officers exist in Mexico. Mexican immigrants may take this “corrupt police” mentality across the border and apply it to American Law Enforcement, combined with opportunists like Trooper Higgins, this is a volatile mixture. This mixture could cause violence against law enforcement by immigrant groups that do not understand any other avenue of action against a perceived “corrupt” police officer besides direct violent resistance and/or evasion. This issue also could be seen through the eyes of some Anglos as a strike against a white police officer. These groups may allege it was all set up by “higher powers” and cause animosity towards Hispanic Americans, possibly resulting in violent actions towards Hispanics.
Whichever way you slice the pie, this is an issue that is in direct relation to illegal immigration and its effects on Texans. Even if every Hispanic stopped by Trooper Higgins was a legal American citizen, they did not speak English well, and this alone is a MASSIVE issue to border protectionists and thereby could cause anti-Hispanic sentiments and actions. It may be seen as yet another reason to “send them back”. At the very least, this issue could cause less sympathy for the Hispanic victims of Trooper Higgins and fizzle out, leaving more room for far more corruption of police officers. We should all, regardless of bias, recognize that it is not ok for anyone to be victimized by police. We should also recognize that this is no reason for police to be victimized by us. After all…can’t we all just get along?!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Legal immigration and the lack thereof
This blog will serve as my stage 6 blog, in which I must write a commentary or a critique to a classmate’s blog. I will be critiquing jasonhol24’s blog “Immigration”. In his blog, jasonhol24 details State Rep. Leo Bermen’s attempt to deny state services to undocumented children and their American born children. In his blog jasonhol24
“Now, is this the right thing to do? Deny services, basically to children? Honestly, I'm on the fence with this proposal. No, because children who can't be taken care of because their parents can't take care of them for some reason or another needs help. But that's kind of where my sympathy stops.”
It is very true that we need to attend to the least of our society, the children. It is also true that illegal immigrants tend to be on the lower end of the financial spectrum. Does this automatically mean that Joe Taxpayer really needs to foot the bill for a child that for all intensive purposes shouldn’t even be in our country? I have found myself coming to the same conclusion as jasonhol24, which is begrudgingly yes. I can not stand to let children, the most innocent among us, be the casualty of a parent’s bad mistake and illegal activity. While my stance on and about illegal immigration is COMEPLETLY different, I can not snub the children.
There are several examples of government simply not being able to furnish the needs of its people. During those times, an independent advocacy group can be called on to provide for them. I’m not sure why the same couldn’t be done with illegal immigrants. Assuming their concern is genuine, why shouldn’t we expect the concerned part of the population to pay for the people they want staying here. Government services are reserved for the citizens and legal visitors of our state. It would seem that we would not have this issue if recognition of social status had not been put above immigration law.
Jasonhol24 continues:
“Look, I'm all for people, no matter where they are from, coming to America to make a better lives for themselves, but for god sakes, do it legally! Don't come to America to work, get paid under the table, not pay taxes, send your money back to Mexico, and not contribute a single thing to society! But most of all learn at least some English! At least enough to get by. If you are not going to do that, then good riddance! You or your children don't need to be taken care of! Leave the money for the people who do contribute.”
Illegal immigration is just that, ILLEGAL! This country was founded on immigration, and melded itself into its own American culture. Let us analyze the situation a bit more by presuming a Mexican “migrant worker” came to America illegally and worked. Normally illegal workers receive monetary compensation well below that of a normal legal worker, even if the normal worker makes minimum wage! So even to the migrant worker it would be beneficial to come into America legally. The safety concerns for these illegal migrants are also an issue. In 2003 18 dead illegal immigrants were found inside an 18 wheeler's trailer in Victoria, TX. They died due to suffocation and the heat. This happens a lot when Mexican citizens cross the border illegally.
The issue of culture is another good point by jasonhol24. He wants illegal immigrants to “…But most of all learn at least some English! At least enough to get by” and that is a big deal to me as well. One argument by illegal immigrant advocate groups has always been the illegal immigrant who is just coming over for a little bit and working to feed his starving family and many variations of the same story. However, no mention ever comes of how a large population of non-English speaking people affects the population at large. Businesses are inhibited by people who can not ask for what they want in an understandable language, communication between citizens and illegal immigrants are inhibited, as well as the influx of Hispanic culture over most things Texan and American. I regularly see signs advertizing ONLY in Spanish… HOW FAIR IS THAT?!
It’s not our fault that Mexico can not support its people, and it should not be America’s issue to just “grin and bear”. Eventually it just comes down to the fact that it is ILLEGAL and unethical to expect anything from a government where you are existing illegally! It has been long enough since this issue started to see the detrimental effects this illegal immigration has had both on our society and our government. We have problems with our own citizens being treated as well as illegal immigrants and that to me is the last straw. Our country should put its citizen’s problems first and let the other nations do the same, and if you commit a crime in this country you go to jail, so why does being an illegal immigrant garnish you any special treatment.
“Now, is this the right thing to do? Deny services, basically to children? Honestly, I'm on the fence with this proposal. No, because children who can't be taken care of because their parents can't take care of them for some reason or another needs help. But that's kind of where my sympathy stops.”
It is very true that we need to attend to the least of our society, the children. It is also true that illegal immigrants tend to be on the lower end of the financial spectrum. Does this automatically mean that Joe Taxpayer really needs to foot the bill for a child that for all intensive purposes shouldn’t even be in our country? I have found myself coming to the same conclusion as jasonhol24, which is begrudgingly yes. I can not stand to let children, the most innocent among us, be the casualty of a parent’s bad mistake and illegal activity. While my stance on and about illegal immigration is COMEPLETLY different, I can not snub the children.
There are several examples of government simply not being able to furnish the needs of its people. During those times, an independent advocacy group can be called on to provide for them. I’m not sure why the same couldn’t be done with illegal immigrants. Assuming their concern is genuine, why shouldn’t we expect the concerned part of the population to pay for the people they want staying here. Government services are reserved for the citizens and legal visitors of our state. It would seem that we would not have this issue if recognition of social status had not been put above immigration law.
Jasonhol24 continues:
“Look, I'm all for people, no matter where they are from, coming to America to make a better lives for themselves, but for god sakes, do it legally! Don't come to America to work, get paid under the table, not pay taxes, send your money back to Mexico, and not contribute a single thing to society! But most of all learn at least some English! At least enough to get by. If you are not going to do that, then good riddance! You or your children don't need to be taken care of! Leave the money for the people who do contribute.”
Illegal immigration is just that, ILLEGAL! This country was founded on immigration, and melded itself into its own American culture. Let us analyze the situation a bit more by presuming a Mexican “migrant worker” came to America illegally and worked. Normally illegal workers receive monetary compensation well below that of a normal legal worker, even if the normal worker makes minimum wage! So even to the migrant worker it would be beneficial to come into America legally. The safety concerns for these illegal migrants are also an issue. In 2003 18 dead illegal immigrants were found inside an 18 wheeler's trailer in Victoria, TX. They died due to suffocation and the heat. This happens a lot when Mexican citizens cross the border illegally.
The issue of culture is another good point by jasonhol24. He wants illegal immigrants to “…But most of all learn at least some English! At least enough to get by” and that is a big deal to me as well. One argument by illegal immigrant advocate groups has always been the illegal immigrant who is just coming over for a little bit and working to feed his starving family and many variations of the same story. However, no mention ever comes of how a large population of non-English speaking people affects the population at large. Businesses are inhibited by people who can not ask for what they want in an understandable language, communication between citizens and illegal immigrants are inhibited, as well as the influx of Hispanic culture over most things Texan and American. I regularly see signs advertizing ONLY in Spanish… HOW FAIR IS THAT?!
It’s not our fault that Mexico can not support its people, and it should not be America’s issue to just “grin and bear”. Eventually it just comes down to the fact that it is ILLEGAL and unethical to expect anything from a government where you are existing illegally! It has been long enough since this issue started to see the detrimental effects this illegal immigration has had both on our society and our government. We have problems with our own citizens being treated as well as illegal immigrants and that to me is the last straw. Our country should put its citizen’s problems first and let the other nations do the same, and if you commit a crime in this country you go to jail, so why does being an illegal immigrant garnish you any special treatment.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
State of the State
Our beloved State of Texas was founded in 1836 and since then, its people have remained a proud and unique people. Throughout our long history, Mexico has been both friend and foe and sometimes both at the same time. Many Texas musicians wrote songs of border towns and enjoying the Mexican lifestyle it provided. Today Mexico is again at the forefront of Texas politics. Issues such as illegal immigration and taking Texan’s jobs were the first to emerge. Today we see the same issues on the Texas table, now accentuated with violence. Did this violence spring up overnight, or have we simply allowed the issues to continue until we “have” to deal with them?
The Main Cartels
1. The Sinaloa Cartel
2. The Juárez Cartel
3. The Gulf Cartel
4. The Los Zetas
In the recent years Mexican and Central American drug cartels, armed to the teeth, have brought havoc to Trans-Texas border towns. They posses nearly as much fire power as the Mexican military. The Los Zetas have threatened parents they would kill their children if a bribe of 5000 pesos was not turned over to them. Children in these border towns have to turn their heads from the violence nearly every day. They see their friends, their family, and sometimes themselves in the midst of a dangerous situation usually resulting death. An Arizona rancher was killed by suspected illegal immigrants while out in his field. Authorities found foot prints leading back to the border. Several times the drug cartels will dress up like Mexican military or police forces to achieve their illegal goals. American reporters have had their lives threatened if they report on these issues. A Border Patrol agent was recently severely assaulted by a group of illegal immigrants. Reported today, April 11, 2010, drug cartels are using IED’s or improvised explosive devises similar to those used by insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan to attack American Consulates in Mexico. Keep in mind this is within a few miles of our own border with Mexico.
So, what happens now? Surely our national government would help, because they see that this will only spread further north, right?! No, simply and plainly. Does this mean Texas and other border states are going to have to deal with the issues alone? If so, what does this mean for our state? How will we as a state, protect ourselves from this violence emerging from the border? U.S. Representative Ciro Rodriguez asked Governor Rick Perry for $15 million on top of the already $60 million in homeland security funds being spent for this purpose. Governor Perry also can activate the Texas National Guard if he so chooses, but has not done s at this point. It is my belief that if this violence does not stop by way of military force, the violence will only continue. These cartels are armed with weapons such as military assault rifles, grenades, and now IED’s. Law Enforcement in its present state is not equipped to fight a threat of this magnitude, leaving the cartels to take over wherever they want, and leaving many American and Mexican bodies in their wake. It is time for Texas to accelerate a military response directly to the border and eliminate this threat. Without it, we may all soon be a third world country.
The Main Cartels
1. The Sinaloa Cartel
2. The Juárez Cartel
3. The Gulf Cartel
4. The Los Zetas
In the recent years Mexican and Central American drug cartels, armed to the teeth, have brought havoc to Trans-Texas border towns. They posses nearly as much fire power as the Mexican military. The Los Zetas have threatened parents they would kill their children if a bribe of 5000 pesos was not turned over to them. Children in these border towns have to turn their heads from the violence nearly every day. They see their friends, their family, and sometimes themselves in the midst of a dangerous situation usually resulting death. An Arizona rancher was killed by suspected illegal immigrants while out in his field. Authorities found foot prints leading back to the border. Several times the drug cartels will dress up like Mexican military or police forces to achieve their illegal goals. American reporters have had their lives threatened if they report on these issues. A Border Patrol agent was recently severely assaulted by a group of illegal immigrants. Reported today, April 11, 2010, drug cartels are using IED’s or improvised explosive devises similar to those used by insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan to attack American Consulates in Mexico. Keep in mind this is within a few miles of our own border with Mexico.
So, what happens now? Surely our national government would help, because they see that this will only spread further north, right?! No, simply and plainly. Does this mean Texas and other border states are going to have to deal with the issues alone? If so, what does this mean for our state? How will we as a state, protect ourselves from this violence emerging from the border? U.S. Representative Ciro Rodriguez asked Governor Rick Perry for $15 million on top of the already $60 million in homeland security funds being spent for this purpose. Governor Perry also can activate the Texas National Guard if he so chooses, but has not done s at this point. It is my belief that if this violence does not stop by way of military force, the violence will only continue. These cartels are armed with weapons such as military assault rifles, grenades, and now IED’s. Law Enforcement in its present state is not equipped to fight a threat of this magnitude, leaving the cartels to take over wherever they want, and leaving many American and Mexican bodies in their wake. It is time for Texas to accelerate a military response directly to the border and eliminate this threat. Without it, we may all soon be a third world country.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Defend the border!
Stage 4 blog - Texas State and Local Government 2306
I have chosen to review an article by Texas Fred detailing the events near the Mexican border entitled “Texas Town on High Alert - Braces for Cartel Gun Battle”. In the article Fred sites news articles by Fox News and the Christian Science Monitor. The Fox News article reports on a small Texas border town, Fort Hancock, that is receiving “political refugees” seeking refuge from a coming onslaught by a powerful drug cartel. The second articles tells of an Arizona rancher that was killed and the trail of the suspect led to the Mexican border, leading to speculation that the killer may be an illegal immigrant. Fred Expresses a typical South Texas attitude of “I told ya so!”, which in my opinion as a south Texan is ab-so-lutley correct! He expresses his frustration at the typical citizens ignorance of the issues right on their own border.
While Fred expresses his opinions in a fashion seen on Fox News tickers, he has it very right in this situation. The violence in Mexico Has come to a point and place where it may threaten U.S. safety. The drug cartels were reported in the article to be extorting money from local parents, telling them they will kill their child if 5000 pesos (roughly $500) is not paid. This has caused a spill over into the Unites States of people asking for political asylum. While I’m not sure how much “politics” is involved in the need of their asylum I will not say it should be denied either. The American ideal is that all people are created equal and deserve rights, I see no reason why this should not apply to innocent civilians.
In the Christian Science Monitor article it tells of an Arizona rancher that was killed and left in his ATV with tracks leading straight to the border, assumingly left by his killer, possibly an illegal immigrant. The article also quotes Arizona Governor Bill Richardson as saying he would call the National Guard out if the violence continued. You may remember Gov. Richardson from the Republican presidential primary. It is also notable to say the Gov. Richardson is of Hispanic origin. Congratulations go to Gov. Richardson on having the values in American leadership to stand up for a united country, versus an attempt by some people to break this violent issue down to racism.
I may digress but some of the major issues with cartels are occurring from the rivalry of the Gulf Cartel and the Los Zetas. The former allies are now fighting a costly war with each other and many innocent people are being killed in the crossfire. The Los Zetas are reported to have connections to the ‘Ndrangheta , an Italian mob. The “original” Los Zetas were also recruited from the elite Mexican special forces unit GAFE, and they are reported as having training camps located near the border. The Gulf Cartel is not defenseless themselves… they carry large arsenals as well. What does all this mean? Can it be true? Mexican mob wars crossing into America? Yes people, it is true! The Zetas and their rivals have elite paramilitary units that are ready to fight. They are highly dangerous and trained in sophisticated military tactics. This being the case, they should be handled how they operate…as an army! Military involvement on either a state or federal level is only a matter of time, and understandably drug activity is typically a law enforcement role but military action must happen. They can not be allowed to threaten children and families! Bill Richardson may be the first to recognize the need for a military force on the border while this violence occurs, but he will not be the last. The longer this goes on the more north it goes and the closer it comes to me and my family. Surely if we are willing to chase after WMD’s in the desert we can defend our own borders!
Texas Town on High Alert – Braces for Cartel Gun Battle
I have chosen to review an article by Texas Fred detailing the events near the Mexican border entitled “Texas Town on High Alert - Braces for Cartel Gun Battle”. In the article Fred sites news articles by Fox News and the Christian Science Monitor. The Fox News article reports on a small Texas border town, Fort Hancock, that is receiving “political refugees” seeking refuge from a coming onslaught by a powerful drug cartel. The second articles tells of an Arizona rancher that was killed and the trail of the suspect led to the Mexican border, leading to speculation that the killer may be an illegal immigrant. Fred Expresses a typical South Texas attitude of “I told ya so!”, which in my opinion as a south Texan is ab-so-lutley correct! He expresses his frustration at the typical citizens ignorance of the issues right on their own border.
While Fred expresses his opinions in a fashion seen on Fox News tickers, he has it very right in this situation. The violence in Mexico Has come to a point and place where it may threaten U.S. safety. The drug cartels were reported in the article to be extorting money from local parents, telling them they will kill their child if 5000 pesos (roughly $500) is not paid. This has caused a spill over into the Unites States of people asking for political asylum. While I’m not sure how much “politics” is involved in the need of their asylum I will not say it should be denied either. The American ideal is that all people are created equal and deserve rights, I see no reason why this should not apply to innocent civilians.
In the Christian Science Monitor article it tells of an Arizona rancher that was killed and left in his ATV with tracks leading straight to the border, assumingly left by his killer, possibly an illegal immigrant. The article also quotes Arizona Governor Bill Richardson as saying he would call the National Guard out if the violence continued. You may remember Gov. Richardson from the Republican presidential primary. It is also notable to say the Gov. Richardson is of Hispanic origin. Congratulations go to Gov. Richardson on having the values in American leadership to stand up for a united country, versus an attempt by some people to break this violent issue down to racism.
I may digress but some of the major issues with cartels are occurring from the rivalry of the Gulf Cartel and the Los Zetas. The former allies are now fighting a costly war with each other and many innocent people are being killed in the crossfire. The Los Zetas are reported to have connections to the ‘Ndrangheta , an Italian mob. The “original” Los Zetas were also recruited from the elite Mexican special forces unit GAFE, and they are reported as having training camps located near the border. The Gulf Cartel is not defenseless themselves… they carry large arsenals as well. What does all this mean? Can it be true? Mexican mob wars crossing into America? Yes people, it is true! The Zetas and their rivals have elite paramilitary units that are ready to fight. They are highly dangerous and trained in sophisticated military tactics. This being the case, they should be handled how they operate…as an army! Military involvement on either a state or federal level is only a matter of time, and understandably drug activity is typically a law enforcement role but military action must happen. They can not be allowed to threaten children and families! Bill Richardson may be the first to recognize the need for a military force on the border while this violence occurs, but he will not be the last. The longer this goes on the more north it goes and the closer it comes to me and my family. Surely if we are willing to chase after WMD’s in the desert we can defend our own borders!
Texas Town on High Alert – Braces for Cartel Gun Battle
Saturday, March 20, 2010
No... Your a racist!
My stage three blog will be about an Austin American Statesman Article Written by Alberta Phillips. As with my last news article source, the article details the claim of a racist electorate in the Texas Railroad Commissioners race. Phillips is sympathetic to the reasoning of Victor Carrillo, who was defeated in the race by David Porter, an Anglo. This article was written for a growing Hispanic population in Texas, and in my opinion aims to levy a heavy charge upon the Texas GOP and its voters. Phillips believes that the GOP has not done enough to persuade voters, presumably white, to vote for Hispanic candidates over white ones. Phillips argues that while Governor Rick Perry has appointed several Hispanics to state office, the Tea Party movement is causing anti-immigration sentiments and by proxy anti-Hispanic sentiments. Phillips states that most of Rick Perry’s Hispanic appointments don’t win their next election. The Tea Party is a grassroots GOP movement that bases their ideology on personal freedom and supposed “old school” conservatism. The Tea Party also holds several prominent GOP members, including Governor Rick Perry, who appointed Carrillo in the first place!
Also in the article she claims that this racist voting is not just on the GOP side. She states that Harris County straight-party voting democrats elected all but 4 democrats, and speculates that the 4 democrats lost due to “uncommon”, or non-white, names. She mentions the fact that David Porter spent about $30,000 on a winning campaign, while Carrillo could not win and spent $600,000, yet Phillips fails to mention that Carrillo’s campaign was also hindered by personal tragedy and health problems. Phillips also fails to mention that Carrillo lost is several majority Hispanic counties. Phillips also informs the reader that Carrillo won his first election in 2004, yet unrelentingly disqualifies it as a lucky win and quotes Carrillo as saying "I saw it last time but was able to win because the "non-Carrillo" vote was spread among three Anglo GOP primary opponents instead of just one." So after being appointed by an Anglo Governor who is a Tea Party member and receiving an election win in 2004, is it still racism that cost him a victory? I believe the simplest answer to this is no. Racism exists, that is undeniable. Racism would also cause some voters to vote for the “white guy” over a Hispanic just because of race. Yet, I doubt that the “racist” voters of Texas could go to the voting booth and cause enough disruption to cost Carrillo the race! Pulling the “race card” on voters just seems like a bad thing to do! I have a hard time comprehending any positive action that Carrillo hopes to achieve by leveling racist accusations at me and other voters. It would seem that while Carrillo believes racism cost him the race, he is simply a sore loser and as a voting causation male I feel offended at being called a racist! If anyone is a racist it is Carrillo, and it is his fault for not running a good campaign. Carrillo obviously has not given any forward thought to getting elected to any office ever again, or else he would not accuse his electorate of racism. Carrillo needs to fade from the political lime light and realize that he can do nothing about it now. He is making the voters mad and that isn’t going to help his cause. What also baffles me is that election results are the “will of the people” and Carrillo can not concede that the will of the people is for him not to be in office.
Link: http://www.statesman.com/opinion/gops-message-of-adios-is-not-lost-on-336321.html
Also in the article she claims that this racist voting is not just on the GOP side. She states that Harris County straight-party voting democrats elected all but 4 democrats, and speculates that the 4 democrats lost due to “uncommon”, or non-white, names. She mentions the fact that David Porter spent about $30,000 on a winning campaign, while Carrillo could not win and spent $600,000, yet Phillips fails to mention that Carrillo’s campaign was also hindered by personal tragedy and health problems. Phillips also fails to mention that Carrillo lost is several majority Hispanic counties. Phillips also informs the reader that Carrillo won his first election in 2004, yet unrelentingly disqualifies it as a lucky win and quotes Carrillo as saying "I saw it last time but was able to win because the "non-Carrillo" vote was spread among three Anglo GOP primary opponents instead of just one." So after being appointed by an Anglo Governor who is a Tea Party member and receiving an election win in 2004, is it still racism that cost him a victory? I believe the simplest answer to this is no. Racism exists, that is undeniable. Racism would also cause some voters to vote for the “white guy” over a Hispanic just because of race. Yet, I doubt that the “racist” voters of Texas could go to the voting booth and cause enough disruption to cost Carrillo the race! Pulling the “race card” on voters just seems like a bad thing to do! I have a hard time comprehending any positive action that Carrillo hopes to achieve by leveling racist accusations at me and other voters. It would seem that while Carrillo believes racism cost him the race, he is simply a sore loser and as a voting causation male I feel offended at being called a racist! If anyone is a racist it is Carrillo, and it is his fault for not running a good campaign. Carrillo obviously has not given any forward thought to getting elected to any office ever again, or else he would not accuse his electorate of racism. Carrillo needs to fade from the political lime light and realize that he can do nothing about it now. He is making the voters mad and that isn’t going to help his cause. What also baffles me is that election results are the “will of the people” and Carrillo can not concede that the will of the people is for him not to be in office.
Link: http://www.statesman.com/opinion/gops-message-of-adios-is-not-lost-on-336321.html
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Racial Bias in the 2010 Texas Primary?
We have seen political candidates voted out of office in nearly every election. Normally this is seen as the "will of the people" and gracefully accepted by the defeated candidate. This time however, two candidates are striking back at the voters who elected them the first time. A Houston Chronicle article describes the ordeal. During the 2010 Texas primary election Texas Railroad Commissioner Victor Carrillo faced off against little known CPA David Porter. Porter won the race for Railroad Commissioner by 21 percentage points. After facing the reality of his loss, Carrillo alleged that people were not informed on what it was that the Railroad Commissioner did or who his opponents were. Carrillo took it one step further by stating “Given the choice between “Porter” and “Carrillo” — unfortunately, the Hispanic-surname was a serious setback from which I could never recover although I did all in my power to overcome this built-in bias.” Carrillo failed to mention that he also suffered losses in traditionally Hispanic voting counties in south Texas.
Also in the story was Hispanic Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Leo Vasquez. He described his defeat as having "many similarities" to the Victor Carrillo race; a no-name candidate spending little money and successfully achieving victory. Vasquez failed to mention that his girlfriend/campaign manager was still married to another man while they were living together. Steve Hotze, a local social conservative leader, believes the provocative relationship along with Vasquez's handling of a voter-registration lawsuit and property tax issues caused Vasquez to be voted out of office. Vasquez contended that the relationship was not in question while he was giving money and performing other grass-roots work for the Republicans.
It would seem that while both the candidates suffered legitimate losses, they both believe that racial bias played a part in their loss. That seems like a very heavy accusation to levy upon voters, especially when Carrillo also lost in Hispanic voting counties. Vasquez seemed to imply more than directly state that race was a factor in his loss. This accusation of racial bias on the part of the voters seems like more of a grudge against losing than it does an actual representation of the Texas and Harris County electorate. After all, these candidates were incumbents, and were not seeking their first election to office. It was also noted in the article that in the Supreme Court Place 9 race more than 1.1 million ballots were cast that gave Eva Guzman a win over Rose Vela. This means that some of the "racist" voters who voted for porter, also voted for one of the Hispanic women in the Supreme Court election.
Carrillo suffered with personal tragedy in the death of his brother and father in the year prior to the election. He also underwent surgery for a benign brain tumor. These issues kept Carrillo from launching a full on political campaign. These tragedies would keep anyone down, but they still are in no way related to racism at the voting booth. It is simple to find other reasons why both of the candidates in this article lost. As the ending quote from Republican consultant Ted Delisi states “In the end, a bad campaign is just a bad campaign.” Playing the "race card" seems to just make them look like a sore losers.
Artical Link: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6898049.html
Also in the story was Hispanic Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Leo Vasquez. He described his defeat as having "many similarities" to the Victor Carrillo race; a no-name candidate spending little money and successfully achieving victory. Vasquez failed to mention that his girlfriend/campaign manager was still married to another man while they were living together. Steve Hotze, a local social conservative leader, believes the provocative relationship along with Vasquez's handling of a voter-registration lawsuit and property tax issues caused Vasquez to be voted out of office. Vasquez contended that the relationship was not in question while he was giving money and performing other grass-roots work for the Republicans.
It would seem that while both the candidates suffered legitimate losses, they both believe that racial bias played a part in their loss. That seems like a very heavy accusation to levy upon voters, especially when Carrillo also lost in Hispanic voting counties. Vasquez seemed to imply more than directly state that race was a factor in his loss. This accusation of racial bias on the part of the voters seems like more of a grudge against losing than it does an actual representation of the Texas and Harris County electorate. After all, these candidates were incumbents, and were not seeking their first election to office. It was also noted in the article that in the Supreme Court Place 9 race more than 1.1 million ballots were cast that gave Eva Guzman a win over Rose Vela. This means that some of the "racist" voters who voted for porter, also voted for one of the Hispanic women in the Supreme Court election.
Carrillo suffered with personal tragedy in the death of his brother and father in the year prior to the election. He also underwent surgery for a benign brain tumor. These issues kept Carrillo from launching a full on political campaign. These tragedies would keep anyone down, but they still are in no way related to racism at the voting booth. It is simple to find other reasons why both of the candidates in this article lost. As the ending quote from Republican consultant Ted Delisi states “In the end, a bad campaign is just a bad campaign.” Playing the "race card" seems to just make them look like a sore losers.
Artical Link: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6898049.html
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