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Trump To Sign Border Bill, Declare Emergency For More Wall Money


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Trump to Sign Border Bill, Declare Emergency for More Wall Money

46cde240-c663-11e8-bb5f-ab13f4d70c8bErik Wasson, Laura Litvan and Anna Edgerton  February 14, 2019
2c2891b0ac810904a4d347b34d318474
 
Trump to Sign Border Bill, Declare Emergency for More Wall Money

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump will sign compromise spending legislation that would avert another government shutdown and declare a national emergency to get more money for a border wall from other parts of the federal budget.

“President Trump will sign the government funding bill, and as he has stated before, he will also take other executive action - including a national emergency - to ensure we stop the national security and humanitarian crisis at the border,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

After getting word from the White House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate will vote on the plan at 3:30 Washington time Thursday. The House is set to vote later in the evening.

Democrats threatened to challenge an emergency declaration by Trump in court and some Republicans had sought to steer the president away from such an action by shifting money in other accounts. But McConnell said he “indicated to him I’m going to support the national emergency declaration.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned that an emergency declaration could set a precedent that a Democratic president could take similar action in the future on an issue such as gun violence. She said Democrats would review their legal options.

Although the deal was crafted by Republicans and Democrats and leaders of both parties predicted easy passage, some GOP senators had balked at voting on the bipartisan measure until they got a clear signal from the president that he would sign it.

"Nobody wants to enter into a pointless exercise if the president will veto this,” Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, said before McConnell’s announcement.

New Fencing

The plan provides $1.375 billion for 55 new miles of fencing on the U.S.-Mexico border, far short of the $5.7 billion in wall money the president sought to fulfill a campaign promise, and provides funding for nine federal departments through the end of the fiscal year Sept. 30. Trump’s administration has been examining how to use executive authority to shift money from other government accounts to put more money into border barriers.

Friday Midnight Deadline

The spending measure must be passed by both chambers and signed by the president before midnight Friday to avoid a shutdown of about one-fourth of the government.

In December, Trump refused to back a short-term bipartisan spending plan, after initially suggesting he’d support it even though it lacked the wall money he wanted, after conservative pundits and lawmakers criticized him. That prompted a 35-day government shutdown that ended Jan. 25 when Trump accepted a short-term spending bill without extra wall funding.

House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey, a New York Democrat, said after the bill was introduced late Wednesday that the plan would allow Trump to construct only existing styles of border barriers. Democrats also see victories in increased funding for humanitarian aid at the border, alternatives to detention and aid to Central America.

The bill would give federal civilian workers a 1.9 percent pay raise, overriding a pay freeze signed by Trump during the shutdown. It also would fund a new polar ice-breaker for the Coast Guard.

Republicans touted that the bill provides 55 miles of barrier in the Border Patrol’s highest priority areas, a $942 million increase to Customs and Border Protection for 800 new officers, and $615 million for new equipment at ports of entry. It includes a total of $22.54 billion for border security, according to the statement from Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby’s office.

Democrats successfully pushed to exclude some areas in Texas from fence construction, including the National Butterfly Center and a SpaceX launch pad, and to give local officials more say in placement of the fencing.

The Appropriations panel’s top Democrat, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, said that he and Shelby "understand how grownups have to act in the Congress."

Four Dissidents

However, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and three other newly elected progressive Democrats who’ve been bucking party leadership said they’d vote against the compromise. They objected to giving more funding for the “abusive’’ agencies on the front line of immigration enforcement: Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

 

Congressional Republicans have been pointing Trump to pots of federal money he could tap for a wall to steer him away from using a politically difficult emergency declaration to bypass Congress, a strategy sure to be challenged in court.

The president was pressured by his conservative allies to use executive action to bypass Congress to build the wall.

Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows of North Carolina said there would be no “political liability” from conservatives if he signs the measure and “also takes executive action.”

Military Construction

Other possible sources of money include military construction funds, Army Corps of Engineers projects, and money forfeited by convicted criminals. Senate Armed Services Chairman Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma said he warned Trump not to touch military construction funds, but he could live with using Army Corps funds.

The measure would fund through Sept. 30 the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, Justice, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development, as well as independent agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency.

Democrats said the bill provides $1 billion for the Census while housing programs will get a $1.3 billion boost. As a bargain with Trump on infrastructure remains elusive, the package includes $1.2 billion more for such purposes.

 

https://news.yahoo.com/trump-seeks-clarification-border-deal-193536163.html

 

McConnell is loving this....he and his cronies will be officially off the hook and the government stays open, and for less wall money than when it was closed in December, no skin off his nose.  He just has to put on a good face for Trump when the Emergency declaration ends up in court.....the Congressional "old guard" Left and Right played Donald like a fiddle....Of course it's not signed yet, still needs Hannity and Coulter approval.   As always, just my very unpopular opinion.  

 

GO RV, then BV

Edited by Shabibilicious
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White House begged Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham to frame border deal as loss for Pelosi: CNN

 
 
Tana Ganeva
TANA GANEVA
14 FEB 2019 AT 13:59 ET                   
 
 
hannity-800x430.jpg
Fox News' Sean Hannity. Image via screengrab.
 

As the threat of yet another government shutdown looms, the White House has been calling right-wing critics of the border wall deal, like Fox News’ Sean Hannity and begging them to spin the negotiations as a win for the President, CNN reports.

After negotiators reached a tentative deal to prevent another government shutdown, public figures like Sean Hannity ripped the deal, with Hannity calling it “garbage” and advising the president to declare a national emergency.

According to CNN, the Trump administration has been reaching out to critics of the deal, hoping to sway them into backing the president on it.

“You saw a big change in tone from people like Sean Hannity when he said he wasn’t happy with the deal but he believed the president would take some kind of executive action if he did sign the deal to avoid a government shutdown,” CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported.

“We learned in the 24-hour period [there] was a slew of phone calls from the White House to people like Sean Hannity, Laura Ingram, three people out of the president’s favorites telling them two things, one that this was a loss in part for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi because she said the president wasn’t going to get over one dollar for his wall in this deal and now he has over a billion and saying the president if he does sign this will declare some kind of national emergency or take executive action to secure further funding for the wall,” she continued.

“Right now they are not saying whether or not the president is going to sign this. They say they are still going through all the texts. We know the White House aides are privately relieved because they feel like they have run out of options. They don’t have a lot of leverage. They are happy that so far the president has indicated that he will sign this and try to avoid another government shutdown.”

 

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/02/white-house-begged-sean-hannity-laura-ingraham-frame-border-deal-loss-pelosi-cnn/

 

GO RV, then BV

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With the party gridlock in DC....these clowns will never get any resolution on border security.....my own belief is that with the geo-political troubles ahead for for Central and South America we will be seeing caravans in the next year ballooning to perhaps 100,000.....

 

So why not take this step.....and let the courts decide what can or can't be done....at least that way there will be some movement......

 

These "declarations" picked up speed when Carter had his Iran moment......and have been used in 40+ situations since then......

 

My own belief is there is plenty of reason currently to address enhanced border security right now........and a great deal more trouble coming in the not too distant future......

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Walls, as old an archaic as people say, do work.  They are a great physical deterrent that slow down or all together prevent people from getting in.  It also allow less man power needed to patrol a designated section as  more time is allotted , due to the obstacle of the wall. for personnel to respond to illegal crossings.   It will also assist in providing the Border Patrol with protection from small arms fire.  The wall combined with a modern surveillance system is, and always has been, a good idea.  We had walls around every base in Iraq and  Afghanistan for a reason.  They keep people out and provide protection.   JMO

 

Have a great day!

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When I worked at nuclear power plant we had some of the best surveillance and detection systems around our perimeter.  They were great at detecting the smallest animal, as well as people, when they came up to our perimeter which allowed as plenty of time to take the necessary actions. But the actual barrier itself was just a fence which could be breached somewhat quickly.  The difference between that system and a wall is that at a nuclear power plant people crossing the barrier are assumed to be intent on causing radio-logical sabotage and death.  That kind of action is to be met with deadly force and the barrier is there to slow them down so we can take aim and neutralize the threat,  The perimeter is planted with many towers with armed security, roving patrols and additional armed responders  in order to neutralize the threat.

 

Illegal crossing of the border does not require deadly force but it does require an obstacle to dramatically slow down the crossing process so that there is ample time to get to the location.  Again this would require less Border Patrol officers.  Along with ground sensors, cameras, drones and regular physical patrols it should be and effective deterrent.

 

 

Edited by cranman
wrong words
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Trump declares national emergency to build a wall

Christopher Wilson 35 minutes ago 
 
  • President Trump speaks in the White House Rose Garden to declare a national emergency in order to build a wall along the southern border, Feb. 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
President Trump speaks in the White House Rose Garden to declare a national emergency in order to build a wall along the southern border, Feb. 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

In a rambling, teleprompter-free diatribe, President Trump announced that he was declaring a national emergency in order to build a wall at the southern border.

Speaking in the White House Rose Garden Friday morning, after a long digression in which he touched on trade policy with China, the war on ISIS and other subjects, Trump announced he would take executive action to divert federal money to declare a national emergency for “virtual invasion purposes.” In doing so, he brought up many of the discredited arguments he has been relying on over the last several months. He said drugs coming across the southern border don’t come through official ports of entry (not true), that El Paso, Texas, was dangerous before the construction of a wall (not true) and that women are being trafficked across the unguarded portions of the border (no evidence exists of this). Trump also disputed studies that have found undocumented immigrants commit crimes at a lower rate than native-born citizens.

An emergency declaration would allow Trump to divert funds appropriated for other purposes to build the wall. Trump has said he would shift the money from “far less important” government programs, including the Department of Defense. A Pentagon official told the New York Times that one likely scenario would be to divert up to $2.5 billion in counternarcotics funds to the Army Corps of Engineers.

This is a departure from Trump’s original campaign promise that Mexico would pay for the wall. The administration did not press for money to build a wall during the two years when Republicans had control of both the Senate and House. Illegal border crossings have declined during that time, and the administration has not explained why the border situation is now an emergency. If, as seems likely, there is a constitutional challenge to the declaration, it may hinge in part on Trump’s admission in his remarks that “I could do the wall over a longer period of time. I didn’t need to do this.”

A deadlock with Congress over border security issues led to the 35-day partial government shutdown that ended last month. Congress passed a continuing resolution Thursday to fund the government and avert a second shutdown, and Trump has agreed to sign it, but he made no mention of it in his remarks.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has the option of triggering a vote on Trump’s declaration, forcing Republicans to go on the record about whether they support the emergency wall. Two Democratic representatives, Joaquin Castro of Texas and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, have already announced plans to introduce a resolution that would terminate the emergency declaration.

But even if the declaration survives congressional challenges over appropriations, actually building the wall could face legal challenges from landowners along the border whose property would need to be acquired. Trump acknowledged that this act would likely face a legal challenge that could reach the Supreme Court.

While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was supportive of Trump declaring a national emergency, many of his Republican colleagues were less enthusiastic. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida called it a “bad idea,” Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said it was “of dubious constitutionality” and Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said, “It would be a pretty dramatic expansion of how this was used in the past.”

On Thursday, Pelosi warned that a future Democratic president could use the precedent of declaring a national emergency for other purposes, such as gun control, citing the anniversary of the Parkland, Fla., mass shooting that left 17 dead.

"Because if the president can declare an emergency on something that he’s created as an emergency, an illusion he wants to convey, just think what a president with different values could present to the American people,” said Pelosi. “You want to talk about a national emergency? Let's talk about today. The one-year anniversary of another manifestation of the epidemic of gun violence in America. That's a national emergency. Why don't you declare that emergency, Mr. President? I wish you would. But a Democratic president can do that. A Democratic president can declare emergencies as well."

All the major network and cable news outlets carried Trump’s Rose Garden announcement live. But as the president’s rambling speech wore on, CBS cut away and returned to its regularly scheduled programming — which, on the East Coast, was “The Price Is Right.” Trump’s declaration of a national emergency came hours before he was scheduled to depart the White House for his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., for the weekend.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-declares-national-emergency-to-build-a-wall-162757209.html

 

The possibility of a National Emergency Declaration to thwart gun violence, or climate change some time in the future just got very real.  Yikes....God help us all.  :o

 

GO RV, then BV

Edited by Shabibilicious
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1 minute ago, Indraman said:

Like I said, the Democrats would never give money for the wall...

 

I am worried at the precedent being set here, however. This could come back to bite Conservatives as the next Democrat President will use this moment for other perceived National Emergencies.

 

Indy

 

Exactly right.....not a good scenario at all.  Reeks of dictatorial policy....checks and balances be damned.  

 

GO RV, then BV

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3 minutes ago, Indraman said:

Like I said, the Democrats would never give money for the wall...

 

I am worried at the precedent being set here, however. This could come back to bite Conservatives as the next Democrat President will use this moment for other perceived National Emergencies.

 

Indy

 

You are correct... But some people have to live in the here and now... Instant gratification... This will come back to haunt after the next election.

 

B/A

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The man who chased down an alleged child abductor and saved a 6-year-old girl from what could have been a horrible fate will be honored as a hero Friday. But he is also gaining a new kind of celebrity: as a poster child of sorts for immigration rights in state and national immigration debates.

Antonio Diaz Chacon, 23, is a Mexican citizen married to an American and has been in the country for four years. But Chacon says he abandoned attempts to get legal residency because the process was difficult and expensive.

Diaz Chacon, who works in Albuquerque as a mechanic, revealed his immigration status to the Spanish-language Univision TV network this week, prompting chatter on the Internet and social networking sites that his case underscored immigrant rights positions in two ongoing political debates.

"I came to work, to work hard," he told Univision. "The only problem is I entered the country illegally and now we can't afford a lawyer to file the immigration papers."

Some argue he is an example of the kind of immigrant the federal government will now largely leave alone. The Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that deportations would focus on criminals.

"As exceptional as his story is," said Christina Parker, a spokeswoman for Border Network for Human Rights in El Paso, "It points to the fact that most undocumented immigrants living in the United States are not criminals. He's more than not a criminal now. He's a hero."

Others used it to blast New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez's ongoing attempts to repeal a state law that allows foreign nationals, including illegal immigrants, to obtain a driver's license. The governor has put the repeal — which was defeated in the regular session earlier this year — on the agenda for a September special session.

 
 

Diaz Chacon's status didn't play a role in Albuquerque's decision to honor his bravery.

Mayor Richard Berry declared Friday Antonio Diaz Chacon Day and held an afternoon ceremony where he presented Diaz Chacon a Spanish language plaque recognizing his bravery in jumping in his pickup and chasing the suspect until he crashed into a light pole. Diaz Chacon then rescued the girl as the driver of the disabled van ran into the desert. The suspect was arrested later by police.

Diaz Chacon, with his wife and two daughters, was all smiles at the ceremony, which was also attended by the officers who eventually arrested accused kidnapper Phillip Garcia.

"He says he is really happy and content and there's no larger words for it," his wife Martha, who was translating from Spanish for him, said. "It is a real large happiness."

Asked in a telephone interview with the AP Thursday what would be the best reward for his actions, he said he had already gotten it: a thank you letter from the little girl.

In deciding to hold the ceremony, city officials said the question of Diaz Chacon's immigration status never even came up.

"Today's proclamation for Mr. Diaz Chacon is to celebrate the heroic actions that he demonstrated when he saved the life of a 6-year-old girl in danger," the mayor's spokesman, Chris Ramirez, said in a statement. "Mayor Berry is proud of Mr. Diaz Chacon's actions and joins the community in honoring his heroism."

Story: Offers pour in for man who thwarted child's abduction

The governor's office said it's position was unchanged and accused immigrants rights groups of exploiting Diaz Chacon.

"The Governor believes foreign nationals here legally, whether through work permits or visas, should be able to receive driver's licenses, but is opposed to giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants," Martinez's office said in a statement.

"The radical special interest groups shamefully exploiting this man, who may or may not be here illegally, to further their cause cannot ignore the litany of well-documented cases of this policy that put the public at risk, one of which occurred literally a few blocks away at a Denny's restaurant in 2009 when gang members from El Salvador who had driver's licenses committed a murder."

Marcela Diaz, with the Santa Fe-based Somos Un Pueblo Unido, said the larger question was the fact that Diaz Chacon could admit to being illegal in New Mexico without fear of being deported, but the same might not be the case in other states.

"The question I would ask is, 'Would this have played out the same way if we were in Arizona, or Georgia or Alabama?' " she said.

For his part, Diaz Chacon, a father of two, isn't worried and said he doesn't regret saving the girl.

"I'm not worried. Why should I?," he said. "It's not like I committed a murder or a felony."

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/44206940/ns/us_news-life/t/man-who-saved-girl-says-hes-illegal-immigrant/#.XGcjJ_ZFye8

 

 

I wonder what these parents think.

B/A

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5 minutes ago, bostonangler said:

The man who chased down an alleged child abductor and saved a 6-year-old girl from what could have been a horrible fate will be honored as a hero Friday. But he is also gaining a new kind of celebrity: as a poster child of sorts for immigration rights in state and national immigration debates.

Antonio Diaz Chacon, 23, is a Mexican citizen married to an American and has been in the country for four years. But Chacon says he abandoned attempts to get legal residency because the process was difficult and expensive.

Diaz Chacon, who works in Albuquerque as a mechanic, revealed his immigration status to the Spanish-language Univision TV network this week, prompting chatter on the Internet and social networking sites that his case underscored immigrant rights positions in two ongoing political debates.

"I came to work, to work hard," he told Univision. "The only problem is I entered the country illegally and now we can't afford a lawyer to file the immigration papers."

Some argue he is an example of the kind of immigrant the federal government will now largely leave alone. The Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that deportations would focus on criminals.

"As exceptional as his story is," said Christina Parker, a spokeswoman for Border Network for Human Rights in El Paso, "It points to the fact that most undocumented immigrants living in the United States are not criminals. He's more than not a criminal now. He's a hero."

Others used it to blast New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez's ongoing attempts to repeal a state law that allows foreign nationals, including illegal immigrants, to obtain a driver's license. The governor has put the repeal — which was defeated in the regular session earlier this year — on the agenda for a September special session.

 
 

Diaz Chacon's status didn't play a role in Albuquerque's decision to honor his bravery.

Mayor Richard Berry declared Friday Antonio Diaz Chacon Day and held an afternoon ceremony where he presented Diaz Chacon a Spanish language plaque recognizing his bravery in jumping in his pickup and chasing the suspect until he crashed into a light pole. Diaz Chacon then rescued the girl as the driver of the disabled van ran into the desert. The suspect was arrested later by police.

Diaz Chacon, with his wife and two daughters, was all smiles at the ceremony, which was also attended by the officers who eventually arrested accused kidnapper Phillip Garcia.

"He says he is really happy and content and there's no larger words for it," his wife Martha, who was translating from Spanish for him, said. "It is a real large happiness."

Asked in a telephone interview with the AP Thursday what would be the best reward for his actions, he said he had already gotten it: a thank you letter from the little girl.

In deciding to hold the ceremony, city officials said the question of Diaz Chacon's immigration status never even came up.

"Today's proclamation for Mr. Diaz Chacon is to celebrate the heroic actions that he demonstrated when he saved the life of a 6-year-old girl in danger," the mayor's spokesman, Chris Ramirez, said in a statement. "Mayor Berry is proud of Mr. Diaz Chacon's actions and joins the community in honoring his heroism."

Story: Offers pour in for man who thwarted child's abduction

The governor's office said it's position was unchanged and accused immigrants rights groups of exploiting Diaz Chacon.

"The Governor believes foreign nationals here legally, whether through work permits or visas, should be able to receive driver's licenses, but is opposed to giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants," Martinez's office said in a statement.

"The radical special interest groups shamefully exploiting this man, who may or may not be here illegally, to further their cause cannot ignore the litany of well-documented cases of this policy that put the public at risk, one of which occurred literally a few blocks away at a Denny's restaurant in 2009 when gang members from El Salvador who had driver's licenses committed a murder."

Marcela Diaz, with the Santa Fe-based Somos Un Pueblo Unido, said the larger question was the fact that Diaz Chacon could admit to being illegal in New Mexico without fear of being deported, but the same might not be the case in other states.

"The question I would ask is, 'Would this have played out the same way if we were in Arizona, or Georgia or Alabama?' " she said.

For his part, Diaz Chacon, a father of two, isn't worried and said he doesn't regret saving the girl.

"I'm not worried. Why should I?," he said. "It's not like I committed a murder or a felony."

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/44206940/ns/us_news-life/t/man-who-saved-girl-says-hes-illegal-immigrant/#.XGcjJ_ZFye8

 

 

I wonder what these parents think.

B/A

I would bet good money that they're very happy. However, what you are failing to understand is the man that save their child's life was a criminal just by being here. What you were failing to understand is the

driver that killed the baby was committing two  felonies by being here and drinking while driving. You and the left and the middle of the road wannabes love to overlook certain laws that don't apply to your agenda. Whereas those  on the right, or as you like to say the extreme right, to us all laws apply to everyone all the time.

 

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33 U.S. Code § 2293 - Reprogramming during national emergencies

 

 

(a)Termination or deferment of civil works projects; application of resources to national defense projects

In the event of a declaration of war or a declaration by the President of a national emergency in accordance with the National Emergencies Act [50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.] that requires or may require use of the Armed Forces, the Secretary, without regard to any other provision of law, may (1) terminate or defer the construction, operation, maintenance, or repair of any Department of the Army civil works project that he deems not essential to the national defense, and (2) apply the resources of the Department of the Army’s civil works program, including funds, personnel, and equipment, to construct or assist in the construction,operation, maintenance, and repair of authorized civil works, military construction, and civil defense projects that are essential to the national defense.

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It is also not dictorial and Trump has the Constituional right to do what he believes is needed to protect our borders. 

 

This is hardly doing anything more than what Congress agreed to do under W Bush and Barry. The problem starts and ends with Congress who don’t want to give Trump anything to crow about.  It’s pure politics, which is a shame because  people’s lives are at risk. People should be more agitated at their do nothing Congress. The only thing they have done in 10 years is give us a terrible Healthcare bill that was designed to fail and a tax bill. 

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1 hour ago, bostonangler said:

 

Maybe we just make alcohol illegal... Drunks kill people everyday... If one life was saved, wouldn't it be worth taking booze off the street? 

 

B/A

 

Agreed, B/A.......

 

I do realize that's VERY unpopular.......But......

 

 

I do not drink alcohol myself...NOT for principle or anything like that...Most of my buddies do enjoy it instead and I have zero problems with that.....

 

My Dad used to like and appreciate some good wine and encouraged me lots of times to try it....Well I did....Never got to like the taste......( of wine or any other alcoholic beverage....beer, spumante / champagne, strong liquors, etc)

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1 hour ago, bostonangler said:

The man who chased down an alleged child abductor and saved a 6-year-old girl from what could have been a horrible fate will be honored as a hero Friday. But he is also gaining a new kind of celebrity: as a poster child of sorts for immigration rights in state and national immigration debates.

Antonio Diaz Chacon, 23, is a Mexican citizen married to an American and has been in the country for four years. But Chacon says he abandoned attempts to get legal residency because the process was difficult and expensive.

Diaz Chacon, who works in Albuquerque as a mechanic, revealed his immigration status to the Spanish-language Univision TV network this week, prompting chatter on the Internet and social networking sites that his case underscored immigrant rights positions in two ongoing political debates.

"I came to work, to work hard," he told Univision. "The only problem is I entered the country illegally and now we can't afford a lawyer to file the immigration papers."

Some argue he is an example of the kind of immigrant the federal government will now largely leave alone. The Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that deportations would focus on criminals.

"As exceptional as his story is," said Christina Parker, a spokeswoman for Border Network for Human Rights in El Paso, "It points to the fact that most undocumented immigrants living in the United States are not criminals. He's more than not a criminal now. He's a hero."

Others used it to blast New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez's ongoing attempts to repeal a state law that allows foreign nationals, including illegal immigrants, to obtain a driver's license. The governor has put the repeal — which was defeated in the regular session earlier this year — on the agenda for a September special session.

 
 

Diaz Chacon's status didn't play a role in Albuquerque's decision to honor his bravery.

Mayor Richard Berry declared Friday Antonio Diaz Chacon Day and held an afternoon ceremony where he presented Diaz Chacon a Spanish language plaque recognizing his bravery in jumping in his pickup and chasing the suspect until he crashed into a light pole. Diaz Chacon then rescued the girl as the driver of the disabled van ran into the desert. The suspect was arrested later by police.

Diaz Chacon, with his wife and two daughters, was all smiles at the ceremony, which was also attended by the officers who eventually arrested accused kidnapper Phillip Garcia.

"He says he is really happy and content and there's no larger words for it," his wife Martha, who was translating from Spanish for him, said. "It is a real large happiness."

Asked in a telephone interview with the AP Thursday what would be the best reward for his actions, he said he had already gotten it: a thank you letter from the little girl.

In deciding to hold the ceremony, city officials said the question of Diaz Chacon's immigration status never even came up.

"Today's proclamation for Mr. Diaz Chacon is to celebrate the heroic actions that he demonstrated when he saved the life of a 6-year-old girl in danger," the mayor's spokesman, Chris Ramirez, said in a statement. "Mayor Berry is proud of Mr. Diaz Chacon's actions and joins the community in honoring his heroism."

Story: Offers pour in for man who thwarted child's abduction

The governor's office said it's position was unchanged and accused immigrants rights groups of exploiting Diaz Chacon.

"The Governor believes foreign nationals here legally, whether through work permits or visas, should be able to receive driver's licenses, but is opposed to giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants," Martinez's office said in a statement.

"The radical special interest groups shamefully exploiting this man, who may or may not be here illegally, to further their cause cannot ignore the litany of well-documented cases of this policy that put the public at risk, one of which occurred literally a few blocks away at a Denny's restaurant in 2009 when gang members from El Salvador who had driver's licenses committed a murder."

Marcela Diaz, with the Santa Fe-based Somos Un Pueblo Unido, said the larger question was the fact that Diaz Chacon could admit to being illegal in New Mexico without fear of being deported, but the same might not be the case in other states.

"The question I would ask is, 'Would this have played out the same way if we were in Arizona, or Georgia or Alabama?' " she said.

For his part, Diaz Chacon, a father of two, isn't worried and said he doesn't regret saving the girl.

"I'm not worried. Why should I?," he said. "It's not like I committed a murder or a felony."

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/44206940/ns/us_news-life/t/man-who-saved-girl-says-hes-illegal-immigrant/#.XGcjJ_ZFye8

 

 

I wonder what these parents think.

B/A

All great stories out there, but you and others fail to grasp, that we have laws and all laws are to be obey.  No one is to be blamed but the individual that broke the law.  These illegals are not the victims, our laws of the land are the victims, they are being abused by the wrong doers.  Simple logic.

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19 minutes ago, patrickgold said:

All great stories out there, but you and others fail to grasp, that we have laws and all laws are to be obey.  No one is to be blamed but the individual that broke the law.  These illegals are not the victims, our laws of the land are the victims, they are being abused by the wrong doers.  Simple logic.

 

My point was simple LGD cherry picked a story... If we start cherry picking stories to make general points then we are all in trouble. Ask the native Americans about illegals... I'm sure they want all of us to leave their lands... This hysteria today about illegals is the same as it was when the Irish came, when the Italians came, when the Portuguese came, the slaves were freed, etc... When I was growing up in the northeast all the factories were filled with Portuguese workers, and my father and his friends all cried it was the end of America. They were taking all the jobs... We're still here... The cry babies of today are the same was they were then. The numbers of illegals has been going down for a decade. Today's politicians are just beating an old drum and the same type of people are still dancing to it.

 

B/A

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28 minutes ago, umbertino said:

Maybe we just make alcohol illegal.

 

We tried that, it was called Prohibition.  Hard to legislate morality.  Securing our Borders by any and all means necessary should be a no brainer.  If you don’t think it is a big deal I suggest we ship all illegals to your hometown. Then you will be able to understand the problem. 

 

Why do Dems believe it is ok to break our laws when it comes to illegal entry into our country

 

Why can’t immigrants enter legally

 

Why do illegal immigrants get free housing, free food, free healthcare. 

 

 

 

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