Thread: Governor Schwarzenegger defends border watchers again

www.sfgate.com

CALIFORNIA
Governor defends border watchers
Minutemen likely to be discussed on visit to Baja governor
- Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writer
Thursday, September 22, 2005


Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who heads to Mexico on Friday to discuss border and education issues, congratulated the federal government this week for improving border enforcement -- and stuck by his defense of a citizens border patrol group as a neighborhood watch group that is not harming anybody.

Schwarzenegger, in an interview with The Chronicle, addressed the issue of California-Mexico relations and illegal immigration before his trip to Mexicali, the capital of Baja California, to meet with Baja California Gov. Eugenio Elorduy.

The governor said he'll talk about trade, cultural and educational exchanges, and tourism during the meeting.

But asked how he would address Mexican concern about the anti-illegal immigration citizens' patrol called the Minutemen, Schwarzenegger did not retreat from his past support for the group.

"It's no different than if you have a neighborhood watch person there that's watching your children at the playground. I don't see it any different," he said. "Or, if I have my personal guards at the house, because I feel like the police (are) not going to be able to take care of the job because they are overwhelmed. It's just that private citizens take on the responsibility."

The governor stressed the Minutemen organization should be held to high standards. "(The) key to the whole thing that we have no violations, and we have no one carrying guns, and no one is harassing people," he said. "But they notify the border patrol if they miss somebody -- end of story. That's the mission.

"I think no one in Mexico should be offended by that, because we are not harming anybody."

The governor is scheduled to be accompanied to Mexico by Sunne Wright McPeak, the state's business, transportation and housing secretary, in addition to Homeland Security Director Matthew Bettenhausen and Education Secretary Alan Bersin. It will be the second meeting this week for Schwarzenegger and Mexican officials. The governor met Tuesday with Geronimo Gutierrez, Mexico's undersecretary for North American affairs in Sacramento.

Schwarzenegger, whose poll numbers have fallen precipitously among Latino voters in California, could be in for some tough criticism in Mexico -- where officials and average citizens have bridled at his suggestions that the Minutemen organization, which President Bush criticized as vigilantes, could be a positive force on the border.

Political analyst Sherry Bebitch Jeffe said Schwarzenegger will no doubt take heat for his comments on the Minutemen and the border.

She said among California's Latino voters, "he has gone down dramatically in his approval ratings (because of) the Minutemen." She noted that while Schwarzenegger drew at least a third of the Latino votes in the October 2003 recall election, current polls show more than 70 percent of Latinos now disapprove of his job performance.

"I have to believe that this is what Arnold truly believes -- that there's no political calculation in it," she said. But there is also a strong possibility that the governor's get-tough comments on immigration reflect that "he's adopted a Bush-like strategy" as he nears the special election.

In the 2004 presidential race, Bebitch Jeffe recalled, the Bush team decided to "just go for the party base and get their people out, and pray for an overall low turnout election. And I think that is part of what's going on here."

Schwarzenegger said that in two previous conferences for U.S. and Mexican border governors, "I made it very clear that we take care of our problems our way, and they take care of their problems their way," he said. "We maybe don't agree with the way we take care of it, but we can respect one another. "

Schwarzenegger, in the interview Tuesday, praised federal officials for responding to his requests for more border guards and better security to help stem an increased flow of illegal immigrants. He specifically noted Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff's announcement this month that the Bush administration intends to speed the way to finish the final 3.5 miles of a 14-mile $32 million border fence running through San Diego to the Pacific Ocean.

"My preference is that the federal government takes care of the issue, and I have to say that the federal government has come through with their promise," he said.

Though California environmentalists have complained that the Bush administration has waved environmental regulations to complete the border fence quickly, Schwarzenegger said, "Chertoff has now made the commitment of finishing the fence ... in an environmentally sound way. That was terrific."

And, he said, the federal government has also delivered on its promise to staff more guards on the Mexico-U.S. border, adding "that's the reason why we did not declare a state of emergency" on the border as have Democratic governors in New Mexico and Arizona.

"What I have been saying all year (is) secure the borders, which people call prejudice ... but it's not," the governor said. "We love Mexico, and we want to do business with Mexico. We love to have our people go down there as tourists and to enjoy themselves ... and we like to have trade with them. They are our friends."

The Terminator needs bodyguards?

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who heads to Mexico on Friday to discuss border and education issues, congratulated the federal government this week for improving border enforcement -- and stuck by his defense of a citizens border patrol group as a neighborhood watch group that is not harming anybody.

Did i miss something, when did the Federal Government improve border Enforcement?

And, he said, the federal government has also delivered on its promise to staff more guards on the Mexico-U.S. border, adding "that's the reason why we did not declare a state of emergency" on the border as have Democratic governors in New Mexico and Arizona.

I still haven't seen a thing saying this. Oh i forgot, Arnold is now going to try and win back the people and trying to get on there good side. Since he wants to be Gov. again.

Arnold let me tell you something, a while back if you had stuck to your, first thoughts on Illegals and showed some backbone. You would have been a national hero. But you caved in, now you want everyone back.

You can't have it both ways

Scubayons:

There was just last week or 2 weeks ago, a blip of news that I believe made it to Fox News that Homeland Security Head - Michael Cherthoff signed off on a waiver to complete the final 3-4 miles of Border fence (wall) on the California Border that runs out to the Pacific Ocean.

Yet I have not heard anything from our side that that is in fact happening physically or any other update from our side about it. Again this may be another utter hoax play by the Bush-Cherthoff illegal team. I believe Cherthoff about as far I can throw him. HAS any American ever seen such a shameful abandonment and defiance to Americans the way this robber baron Cheney-Bush administration has demonstrated.

That is THE ONLY piece of tid bit news I have heard about any enforcement which is probably fake.

I thought part of the fence construction along the California border was in the bill with the real ID act, so it does look like that is something that will get done. I believe the Chertoff sign off had to do something with waiving some environmental regulations in the area. I will look for that article. I have no idea when construction will begin but it does sound like it is going to happen eventually.

Here is an article on the fence.

http://www.newsday.com

U.S. Acts to Finish Divisive Border Fence
Environmental laws are waived by the Homeland Security chief to allow last section to be built through wetlands near San Diego.

By Johanna Neuman
Times Staff Writer

September 15, 2005

WASHINGTON â€â€

RonLaws
Yeah i know about the fence, but a fence can't enforce and i haven't heard of any new boots on the ground.

Quote: Political analyst Sherry Bebitch Jeffe said Schwarzenegger will no doubt take heat for his comments on the Minutemen and the border.

How he responds to this heat will tell a LOT about Schwarzenegger. Will he give in, will he make his support for the Minutemen clearly known, or will he weaken into a little bundle of nervous tears and surround his support for the Minuteman Project with a bunch of comments that weaken it ? Okay, muscle man, let's see who you really are. We're looking forward to finding out.

Personally, I'll bet he melts down. It's very rare to find one like Tancredo who is consistent with his stand on the issue and who doesn't waiver when under pressure. VERY RARE. That's why almost every American who finds out about him gets excited and hopeful.

TANCREDO 2008

Arnie I'm tired of your girlie man shell game that your playing here. Stop with the double talk. If you really want to show us that your serious about anything other than amending the constitution so you can run for presidunce let alone saving California then you need to do the following.

1. You need to stop coming up with new reasons why you won't sign the drivers license for illegals everytime it's brought to your desk and pacifically say that you won't sign the bill no matter what because it's against the law period and demand that Gil Cedillo stop bringing the bill up or you will charge him with aiding and abetting illegal criminal aliens.

2. You need to bring prop 187 back to the courts NOW. You claimed that you were a supporter of this measure that was voted for by well over 60 percent of the California population (maybe even 70 percent, but I forgot what the percentage was overall, but I know it was a majority by far). Prop 187 would not only deny drivers licenses for illegals for good, but would bar them from voting and receiving tax payer benefits and it was even stronger than AZ prop 200.

3. You need to declare a real state emergency and call upon the state national guard to close off the California part of the southern border.

4. You need to use local and state law enforcement to help the BP conduct interior sweeps to root out the illegals, most importantly worksite sweeps.

5. You need to seize LA and throw that anti american bum Villaragoisa in prison for treason. That a-hole seems hellbent on handing LA over to Mexico and if your such the great American hero then you would do this. Seize control of LA now and throw Villaragoisa (Mecha stooge) in jail for treason. Funny guys like Villaragoisa would have been publicly hung back in the day if he even hinted at doing 1/100th of the crap he gets away with now.

6. You need to severely punish businesses that hire illegals with the employers getting 2 million dollar fines per illegal hired along with 10 yr prison sentences along with all of their assets ceased to pay for the cost of caring for the illegals. If a couple of corrupt businesses go belly up because of this then so be it. Do this to a couple of businesses and the rest will cut the crap out of fear that they will be next and this would make California a more attractive place for businesses who do want to play by the rules and it would make things alot better for the citizens of California, especially those who don't have jobs at the moment.

7. You need to stand up to Jorge Bush and demand that he close the borders and enforce our current immigration laws and stop pandering to the big business and Mexican lobby interest.

That's what you need to do Arnie. You need to stop with the lip service and the double talk and become a real leader if you want the citizens of California to take you seriously. Become the leader you claimed you were going to be when you won the recall.

Originally Posted by LegalUSCitizen

Quote: Political analyst Sherry Bebitch Jeffe said Schwarzenegger will no doubt take heat for his comments on the Minutemen and the border.

How he responds to this heat will tell a LOT about Schwarzenegger. Will he give in, will he make his support for the Minutemen clearly known, or will he weaken into a little bundle of nervous tears and surround his support for the Minuteman Project with a bunch of comments that weaken it ? Okay, muscle man, let's see who you really are. We're looking forward to finding out.

Personally, I'll bet he melts down. It's very rare to find one like Tancredo who is consistent with his stand on the issue and who doesn't waiver when under pressure. VERY RARE. That's why almost every American who finds out about him gets excited and hopeful.

TANCREDO 2008

If anybody should be like Tancredo it would be Arnold. If he falters now then I've lost all respect for him as a human being. Power definitely corrupts indeed.