Robbing Peter to pay for OTMs

Yesterday the Senate voted against two bills: one would have added 2000 more Border Patrol agents, and the other would have added 8000 more beds to detention centers. As previously discussed, Other-Than-Mexicans ("OTMs") who sneak across the border in Texas have been taking advantage of the lack of detention space: they're ordered to appear, released into the community, and the vast majority are never heard from again.

But, the Senators have an excuse: apparently both bills would have been paid for by taking money that would have gone to states and localities to pay for first responders.

Tough-talkin' Hillary Clinton voted against both bills, Ken Salazar (D-CO) voted for both. Details in "Senate shuns attempt to add agents".

Of course, one wonders why they were given such a Hobbesian choice in the first place.

Politics · Fri, 07/15/2005 - 09:15 · · Importance: 1

Comments

It could be a setup to make it look like the majority doesn't want to enforce immigration laws or defend the borders; but who is supposed to be fooled?

Posted by: John S Bolton at Jul 15, 2005 2:58 PM

24Ahead.com

Independent, in-depth coverage of immigration, politics, and media bias since 2002. Also: multiculturalism, Los Angeles, California, privacy, and occasionally celebrities and wacky humor...

If you can't find what you're looking for, see the About page or use the navigation features to the right.

Start here