By now, almost everyone knows about the efforts of the Legislature and Gov. Jan Brewer to wipe illegal immigration off the face of Arizona’s landscape.
Sen. Russell Pearce, the architect of Senate Bill 1070, has risen to new levels of political power and prominence in Arizona and beyond. He’s a sure winner at the ballot box, and his clout in the eyes of a growing number of frustrated Americans easily surpasses that of Brewer and Arizona’s senior U.S. senator, John McCain.
Brewer’s signing of 1070 was the beginning of her meteoric rise in political prominence and, as a result, she has left two Republican gubernatorial challengers in the desert dust heading into the August primary.
Brewer’s recent claims of illegal immigrants’ involvement in drug smuggling and beheadings has raised the bar even further. The politician once best known as being a low-key, nice lady, has changed the discussion from not just crossing the border without papers, but now they’re all coming with dope and a sharp knife just in case they have to lop off a head or two.
Such claims have yet to be proven and have been disputed by U.S. Border Patrol agents, but they have played well to voters and left a lasting impression on the national media and the voters of Arizona.
While Pearce has led the now politically popular charge for immigration change for as long as I can remember, McCain has only recently jumped aboard the “let’s blame the border and illegal immigration for the state’s problems” bandwagon. But in this election year, McCain has learned quickly where the votes are in order to try and keep his job.
Joining forces with McCain in the ramped-up, get-tough-on-immigration political rhetoric is his new “build the danged fence” compadre, rookie Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, who walked along the border with McCain. Babeu has claimed that all of the contraband and illegal immigrants who come into Arizona go through his non-border county that has become “ground zero” for smuggling and is now controlled by Mexican drug cartels along the western region. That’s an area that is patrolled extensively by U.S. Border Patrol, tribal police, state DPS troopers, and deputy sheriffs from both Pinal and Maricopa counties.
This week, the politically ambitious Babeu issued a press release saying he’s been threatened and targeted by the Mexican mafia and drug cartels, who have placed a “green light” on him because of his outspoken stance on immigration and drugs.
All of this pre-election political tough talk has delivered a picture of Arizona to the world that trumps the decades-old images of the Grand Canyon that used to get Arizona attention.
Now the images are of Mexican cartels who purportedly control counties and want to assassinate sheriffs, and drug-smuggling and head-chopping illegal immigrants — thanks in large part to the endless stream of one-ups-man-ship political claims that seem to get ever more frightening as we get closer to the election.
According to the FBI, crime is actually down in Babeu’s jurisdiction as well as the rest of Arizona, even along the border.
One can only imagine what investors, businesses and tourists think about Arizona. The whole world is watching The Arizona Show sponsored by ambitious politicians.
Arizona can’t stand much more of the public pounding its elected officials have been giving it. Let’s hope these elected publicity grabbers haven’t built a “danged fence” around our future while trying to ensure their own political gain.
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Retired Mesa master police officer Bill Richardson lives in the East Valley and can be reached at bill.richardson@cox.net
Masterrogue666 posted at 11:57 am on Fri, Jul 9, 2010.
Bill, do you need a hanky?
Brittanicus posted at 1:43 pm on Fri, Jul 9, 2010.
The real--DOUBLE--fence can be viewed in San Diego, not the partially built border fence that the federal government single fence, they keep parroting about that supposed to be secure? The Real Rep. Duncan hunter fence in California runs parallel with each other, covering just 50 miles and it has been successful in controlling both illegal immigrants and criminal activity in that region. Our legislators have completely ignored our constitution that states, " The United States shall protect each of the states from invasion,” according to Article IV, Section 4. THAT IS THE TEXT OF THE US CONSTITUTION. And if 20 to 30 million illegal aliens occupying our soil, doesn't constitute an invasion--then pray tell me what does? Instead the morons in the Capitol, have been intimidated by the President South of the border instead of listening to the American people. NumbersUSA can open your eyes to the lies and rhetoric spread by Liberals and Democratic advocates.
Remember that those politicians in Washington and state level, along with Governors, Mayors and officials must be driven out of office, beginning with pro-amnesty Senator Reid in November. Reid does reside over a very heavily populated state, where illegal aliens have congregated. Like California both states have been overwhelmed. But unlike Arizona the politicians have spoken out and are trying to enforce a policing law, to extract foreign interlopers who are criminals by intent. Call your Representative at 202-224-3121 and demand their support of the state of Arizona or see the door in coming elections. Oh! Remember to donate a little money to Governor Brewers war against the Liberal progressives in President Obamas administration at www.keepazsafe.com
This is every bodies fight and the battlefield is--YOUR--jobs for Americans, for our language and our constitution. This will be the epicenter of forcing another AMNESTY down our throat. This will be a killer of our resurfacing economy, if the government persists. $113 billion dollars is annually taken from taxpayers, into federal welfare programs and $60 billion out of America to families of illegal workers. Even our pensions and retirement are in peril, if another (misnomer) path to citizenship--AMNESTY.
Terry Anderson, Radio Host Crusader of Black Citizens and permanent residents have passed away.
He was Against Unfair illegal Immigrant Competition. When blue-collar Black Americans across this country began to lose control of their neighborhoods, their occupations, their schools and their livelihoods because of immigration during the 1990s, Terry Anderson above all others radio hosts -- refused to be silent and mobilized his audiences in South Central Los Angeles. For more than 15 years, nobody has been a more outspoken champion of the cause of Black Americans against the unfair competition of immigration who were stealing their jobs thanks to greedy employers looking for below average wages
Accuracy posted at 6:44 pm on Fri, Jul 9, 2010.
Election year politics: Yes, and there has never been a time in our history when it has been so important that we pay attention to what is going on in our government, in our institutions, in our media, in our churches, in our own homes, and in our employment and businesses.
That's why the Tea Party Express, a group that is organizing conservative rallies across the nation, is out to do something to get the deficits under control and electing new members of Congress this November that have the courage to say "no" to Obama's 'unsustainable path' of spending.
KatieB posted at 10:47 pm on Sat, Jul 10, 2010.
All you have to do is pick up a paper or watch the news to hear of the KILLINGS, THE SHOOTINGS, the drugs and the violence. It has been proven, over and over again...at the expense of innocent victims. What a slanted article. This bill is here to protect us. It is ILLEGAL to enter our Country like that and we should stand firm on protecting our borders. I support every politician who is working to protect us. As for McCain, he has been screaming to control our borders long before there was even a race in Arizona. It is not only a lie to say otherwise, it further validates this article is a complete joke.