Thread: After 10 Years As Governor, Rick Perry Doesn’t Know How Te

After 10 Years As Governor, Rick Perry Doesn’t Know How Texas Borders Are Patrolled
By Marie Diamond
thinkprogress.org
Aug 17, 2011 at 9:50 am

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) has already made a startling number of gaffes since beginning his presidential campaign just four days ago. But one that has slipped under the radar concerns how his state’s borders are patrolled to prevent illegal immigration. Perry has been governor for 10 years, 7 months, and 27 days — the longest serving governor in Texas history. Yet he apparently doesn’t know how the state’s borders are patrolled.

In recent remarks about border security, Perry suggested that the U.S. should use the same predator drones for border patrol that we use in combat abroad. The governor somehow missed that this has already been happening — in his own state, no less — for two years. Nathan Pippenger at The New Republic catches the governor with egg on his face:

If you’re an average voter (and not, say, the governor of Texas), you could be forgiven for not knowing the details of our current southwest border surveillance efforts, which include 250 towers with daytime and nighttime cameras, 38 truck-mounted infrared cameras and radar systems, 130 planes and helicopters, and, yes, a fleet of unmanned aircraft systems. [...]

It is not, in any way, a new idea. In fact, The New York Times reported on the use of unmanned aircraft at the border almost two years ago. And it’s been over six months since DHS Secretary Napolitano gave a major speech announcing that Customs and Border Protection had Predators covering the entire southwest border, from the El Centro sector of California all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. She even gave the speech in El Paso! This shouldn’t be news to the governor of a massive border state.

Perry said of predator drones on Saturday, “They have all the equipment, they’re obviously unarmed, they’ve got the downward-looking radar, they’ve got the ability to do night work and through clouds. Why not be flying those missions and using [that] real-time information to help our law-enforcement?â€

This whole article makes no sense to me. It's just childish.

Perry is very aware of border security technology and specifically drones.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry says Predator drones should patrol Texas border
DAVID WOO/DMN
Gov. Rick Perry, with state Rep. Jim Jackson, said the federal government has failed at sealing the Texas-Mexico border.
By DIANNE SOLS / The Dallas Morning Newsdsolis@dallasnews.com
Published 09 February 2010 04:13 AM

IRVING - Gov. Rick Perry tried to shore up his border security credentials Monday as he campaigned for re-election by calling for a Predator drone at the Texas-Mexico border and highlighting a transnational gang initiative.

Perry, a Republican seeking his third full term as governor, said he has asked the Defense Department to deploy an unarmed drone to the Texas border to assist in border security and provide "real-time" data. "Why not fly them from Brownsville to El Paso?" Perry said in remarks at the Irving Police Association Hall.

Already, there are three Predator B, or unmanned aerial vehicles,in use at the Arizona border for remote-control surveillance of drug and migrant smuggling by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. The Predator B aircraft are similar to those used in Afghanistan, but U.S. border craft carry no weapons, said Juan Muñoz-Torres, a Border Protection spokesman.

A fourth Predator aircraft is expected to arrive this summer and will be stationed in Corpus Christi.

Law enforcement officers are frequently "outgunned and understaffed and do not have resources" to do their jobs, Perry said. "The federal government has been an abject failure at sealing our international border."...

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/communit ... s-7925.ece
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Second Source: Office of the Governor Press Release March 15, 2010

Last week, Gov. Perry sent a letter to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano requesting that the federal government utilize Unmanned Aircraft Systems, also known as predator drones, for missions over the Texas-Mexico border. This would provide an additional surveillance element, supplying valuable information to local, state and federal law enforcement along the border. Currently the three predator drones assigned to the southwest border are based in and operating exclusively in Arizona.

http://www.governor.state.tx.us/news/pr ... ase/14341/

Dixie

I read it as pointing out he advocated the use of drones as if they weren't already being used.

Currently the three predator drones assigned to the southwest border are based in and operating exclusively in Arizona.

I highly doubt this statement.

Drone aircraft will be used to nab illegal immigrants on California-Mexico border

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2 ... order.html

Predator B drones deployed on Texas-Mexico border
By Alexander Bolton - 06/04/10 01:15 PM ET

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/101449 ... ico-border

In recent remarks about border security, Perry suggested that the U.S. should use the same predator drones for border patrol that we use in combat abroad. The governor somehow missed that this has already been happening — in his own state, no less — for two years. Nathan Pippenger at The New Republic catches the governor with egg on his face:

My quotes, point out how incorrect and misleading this statement is.

One drone has been sent to Texas last summer. In fact, the Texas border is about half the size of the entire US-Mexico border and it only got one drone out of Obama until last month. Big woo, two drones for half the border. The drones have not been in this state for "two years". In fact, Perry has been very vocal about securing the border with technology. Although, some of it failed or was not very effective but give him is due, he tried it. And I might add, with my state's money, no other state or the federal gov. jumped in and helped us.

[quote]“They have all the equipment, they’re obviously unarmed, they’ve got the downward-looking radar, they’ve got the ability to do night work and through clouds. Why not be flying those missions and using [that] real-time information to help our law-enforcement?â€

Good points Dixe. I forgot to consider the source.

Originally Posted by Ratbstard

Good points Dixe. I forgot to consider the source.

You are welcome. Glad I could remind you.

There doing exactly what they intended to do, deceive people. You just stepped in it. Now clean your boots off.

Hint: You might want to avoid the Huffington Post too.

Dixie

I don't know about avoiding the opposition arguments. I think rebuking some of their articles is absolutely necessary on here. I do avoid obvious sites but the HuffP is almost MSM.

RELATED

Far right questions Rick Perry on immigration
http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-1254299.html#1254299

Perry’s immigration record
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-247122.html