Thread: Our view: Get the Guard back on the border

Our view: Get the Guard back on the border
Posted: 08/15/2009 05:50:42 PM MDT


National Guard troops stationed along the U.S. Mexico border? Almost everyone agrees it's a positive, effective move.

At least until the Border Patrol has beefed up its number of agents.

But even though everyone agrees it's a good thing, it's not happening.

Why?

As you would expect, the answer involves money.

President Obama ordered the Guard to help secure the border in June, but it's now mid-August and still no activity.

The price tag is hefty, no doubt, at $225 million. But the two agencies bickering over picking up the tab -- the Pentagon and Homeland Security -- have annual budgets of $636 billion and $44 billion respectively. Even for Homeland Security, we're talking barely half of one percent of their budget.

So come on, guys, do something. Split it half way and move on.

We know the Guard's presence make a huge difference, as it did for two years when Operation Jumpstart was in place.

At the same time, we need to accelerate the Border Patrol's increase in staffing. The sooner they are up to speed, the quicker the National Guard can return to its primary duties.

Like many, we were frustrated when Jumpstart ended without something to fill the gap. For certain, we have lost some of the ground Jumpstart gained in border security.

Of course, the downside of the Guard's presence along the border means extra shifts and longer duty for its members. For many of the Guard, the duty of Jumpstart meant more time away from their families.

That's another reason it's important to get the Border Patrol's numbers up as quickly as possible.

We know Obama is busy frying lots of fish right now, but if he's serious about his request to get the Guard back on the border, surely he can get the Pentagon and Homeland Security off the dime.

Failing that, perhaps he can reallocate some of the stimulus billions.

It's a problem that can easily be solved and one that should be solved before it creates more and different problems.

http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_13131531

This time with loaded weapons and orders to stop everyone everywhere

Originally Posted by jamesw62

This time with loaded weapons and orders to stop everyone everywhere

Ditto !

Originally Posted by NoBueno

Originally Posted by jamesw62

This time with loaded weapons and orders to stop everyone everywhere

Ditto !

ditto ditto!