Perry lies about his border security leading to a drop in crime

[sonias]

PolitifactCheck 3/16/2010
Rick Perry says his border security efforts led to 60-percent drop in crime along Texas-Mexico border
Pants on Fire!


At a time when violence along the U.S.-Mexico border is again in the news, Texas Gov. Rick Perry makes an eye-catching claim on his campaign Web site: "Governor Perry's border security efforts have led to a 60 percent decrease in border crime."

(snip)
The Border Security Council report only counted crimes from unincorporated areas of counties along the border which, it states, accounts for 93 percent of the 1,254 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. By taking that approach, the report excludes all the border region's towns and cities including major population centers such as El Paso, Laredo, Brownsville, McAllen and Harlingen. By our analysis, more than 75 percent of the population in the border counties lived in incorporated areas in 2007, the last year covered in the chart.

(snip)
We rate Perry's sweeping statement based on an unreasonable manipulation of crime statistics -- the second instance of his administration touting questionable border crime numbers -- as Pants on Fire.

Liar, liar - Pants on Fire!

But what else is new? Perry speaks lying fluently. :eyes:

[WolverineDG]

1. He is at least sending down some support for local law enforcement

A few weeks ago, it sounded like war was breaking out across the river. Tons of people called 911 reporting gun shots & explosions so massive, their houses were shaking. All units were sent to the bridges & points along the river to make sure whoever it was didn't cross & bring the fight here.

Local blog with link to 911 calls:

http://www.lasanbe.com/2010/03/rumblings-across-river.html

dg

[sonias]

2. Glad you are getting some help on the border

But any Governor would have sent some. Perry can't claim he's reduced crime by selectively picking areas where crime has gone down.

The border law enforcement officials are doing the job themselves. Perry is mainly grandstanding.

Perry and Cornyn want to scare people about the border violence spilling over into Texas. It's part of their fear strategy for the fall. There's no doubt that the drug war in Mexico is heating up. But it's been boiling over for years - closer to a decade. Why all of a sudden is Perry so concerned about getting more federal troops on the border now? Because it's an election year of course!

I still say that legalizing marijuana would go a long way to ending the drug violence. That and/or getting Mexico to pick up their troop presence along the border. Perry isn't going to help in that area at all. All he wants to do is criticize the Obama administration and D.C. He's his own party of "no".

[sonias]

3. Here's the GOP fear message

San Antonio Express News 3/17/10
Texas senators urge Obama to beef up border security

WASHINGTON – Saying law enforcement officers have become alarmed over growing drug violence, Texas senators on Wednesday urged President Barack Obama to deploy more resources to the border region.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said there is a threat of spillover violence in the United States, and he's seeking a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to determine the danger to Americans.

In a letter to Obama, Cornyn and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said federal agents along the border are regularly engaged with gunmen associated with transnational cartels operating in Mexico.

"We urge you to deliver a concrete plan to address the increasing violence across the border, and share it with Congress," the senators wrote.

When did they ever urge bush to deliver a concrete plan on anything? :shrug:

[sonias]

4. Governor Perry Drones On

The Texas Observer 3/16/10
Governor Perry Drones On

Nothing like ratcheting up the fear factor to "red alert" to get those campaign juices flowing. Governor Rick Perry wants a Predator drone President Obama – and he wants it now! He’s even got a picture of one on his Web site in case Obama needs the style and model Perry craves.

They only cost $4.5 million, Obama. Normally, Perry treats federal dollars as if they were radioactive. But in this case, he’s willing to make an exception. We’re not sure what Rick plans to do with his drone, but it sure does bolster his conservative cred, and heck, Bill White will never get his hands on a drone – take that you wimpy ex-mayor of a "sanctuary city."

"How many Americans will have to die before our federal government takes serious action along the Texas-Mexico border?" Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle harrumphed this afternoon in a Dallas Morning-News article with the headline: Homeland Security rejects Rick Perry’s request for more border enforcements.

Red meat - fear!

[hobbit709]

6. I think he wants the drone as a penis substitute.

[sonias]

8. Dr. Strangelove

Brings up an image of Perry riding the nuke in my head.

Well metaphorically let's hope it means the end of his political career this year as he goes down with his drone! :evilgrin:

[WolverineDG]

5. Actually they had been beefing up the border during Shrubbie's reign of stupidity

Local folks made fun of the former sheriff because he was always running to DC to get $ for bigger guns & equipment. He doesn't look too much like a fool now, does he?

Of course they're pulling this stunt now, to make it look like Obama's done nothing, but in reality, the Obama Admin has been good about getting stuff down here too.

dg

[sonias]

7. Well to them of course it's a budget increase

It meant more salaries, a bigger staff and more toys. Who wouldn't want that?

For Perry it creates a group of people who are very visible and public in their support of the Governor. Perry has no problem creating public jobs with public money as long as those people know who they owe their job to.

Texas Border Coalition - El Paso Times article - 7/10/2007
Texas Border Sheriffs' Coalition seek security money
AUSTIN --Eighteen departments that make up the Texas Border Sheriffs' Coalition plan to band together in their appeals for state money to fight border crime, law enforcement officials said Monday.

(snip)
With the advice of a Border Security Council, Gov. Rick Perry will dole out about $57 million of that amount to local law enforcement.

Reay said of that $57 million, about $17 million is meant for grants to help local departments pay officers for overtime and training and purchase equipment.

(snip)
State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, said hiring more officers is a local responsibility, not a duty for the state.

(snip)
"Lawmakers did not want to put hundreds of sheriffs' deputies on the state payroll," Shapleigh said.

Goodhair and Corndog and Barbie Kay all want to pile the responsibility onto the Obama administration but most of the increase in the violence happened on bush' watch. Why didn't they demand a concrete plan from bushie's administration? Why didn't they care about the people dying then?

I would much rather the federal government created a plan and dealt with the monitoring than have that grandstander Perry pretend he's got in under control. All he needs is some drones and some surveillance cameras. :eyes:

[sonias]

9. Texas senators ask Obama to help prevent border violence

AAS 3/17/10
Texas senators ask Obama to help prevent border violence
Cornyn, Hutchison want Obama to meet them at U.S.-Mexico border.

(snip)
"A credible plan must include immediate measures, including the temporary deployment of additional resources to help local officials better protect their citizens and communities as well as minimize disruptions to travel and trade," the senators wrote.

The White House responded in a statement, "We will be responding to the Senators' letter, laying out the extensive and unprecedented steps we have taken — and continue to take — across the government to ensure the safety and security of border communities and to support the Mexican government's efforts against drug trafficking organizations."

(snip)
Napolitano's response to Perry drew criticism from Cornyn on Wednesday.

He said the secretary should have — but did not — consult with his office before responding to Perry.

Cornyn agreed with Napolitano, saying that the spillover violence has not been an issue in Texas.

"As far as the Texas border is concerned, to my knowledge, we have not had spillover violence, per se," Cornyn said on the conference call.

And Obama should help meet them for a photo op along the border, why? Why do they want more socialist government involvement along the Texas border?

Oh Janet Napolitano didn't kiss the Cornyn ring before speaking to Perry directly - how dare she! Face it Corndog - you are a nobody in the Senate now. :rofl:

[sonias]

10. Rick Perry's Secret Border Plan Ignores McAllen Police Chief, Texas Border Coalition

Burnt Orange Report 3/18/10
Rick Perry's Secret Border Plan Ignores McAllen Police Chief, Texas Border Coalition
Key Point: Rick Perry's secret border plan doesn't involve local officials, and he's clamoring about a problem that the McAllen Police Chief says does not even exist!

The Texas Border Coalition -- a group of mayors, city, and county officials from along Texas' border -- are upset that Rick Perry has failed to consult him on his secret border plan. And understandably so -- between his lies about reducing crime rate on the broder and attempt to scream about Washington instead of work with those in charge -- Perry is playing politics with an extremely dangerous and violent situation facing Texas citizens.

From the McAllen Monitor story, "Senators call for openness in contingency plans for violence along U.S.-Mexico border" we learn that Rick Perry and Senator John Cornyn's grandstanding about the "spillover violence" in Mexico is actually a bunch of hogwash.

http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/10145/video-laredo-mayor-raul-salinas-we-dont-want-photo-ops-we-want-real-action">Burnt Orange Report 3/19/10
VIDEO: Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas: "We don't want photo ops. We want real action."
From Laredo TV station KGNS, a news story about how Rick Perry failed to notify local officials about his secret border plan. The video report, titled, "City leaders left out of the loop of Perry's plan for the border" is below:

(snip)
From the video, "City leaders left out of the loop of Perry's plan for the border":

"It is extremely frustrating it is extremely frustrating because we hear a lot of rhetoric a lot of talk a lot of promises. We’ve had committee hearings even at city hall and yet we're empty," says Mayor Raul Salinas.

Of all the groups that should be included in discussions on how to keep border residents safe, Mayor Raul Salinas says the Texas border coalition should be at the top of the list.

The border coalition has sent a letter to Perry asking why they were never notified.

"Some of these folks just come for photo ops . We don’t want photo ops we want real action."

:kick:

[sonias]

11. All Talk, No Action on Drug War Violence

The Texas Observer 3/18/10
All Talk, No Action on Drug War Violence

(snip)

When will elected leaders approach anything close to reality? It’s been 40 years since Tricky Dick Nixon declared a "war on drugs." What do we have to show for it: "a taxpayer bill of more than $1 trillion," according to a Wall Street Journal article that lays out the cold hard facts of our failed drug war.

But that’s just money. What about the estimated 16,000 dead in Mexico, since Mexican President Felipe Calderon embarked in 2006 on his disastrous "drug war" to make his powerful North American neighbor happy.

Marijuana accounts for 50% to 65% of Mexican cartel revenues, according to the WSJ article. "Advocates for drug legalization say making marijuana legal would cut the economic clout of Mexican cartels by half."

Before you start making jokes about potheads and bongs, consider what kind of impact that would have on the cartels? No helicopters, no predator drones, no bloodshed, folks.

This isn’t an idea being floated by stoners in a pot haze. It’s being discussed in the Wall Street Journal and by politicians just as conservative as Kay, Rick or John "corndog" Cornyn. Last year three former Latin American presidents, who are conservative, free market types -- Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico, Cesar Gaviria of Colombia and Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil advised that governments seriously consider legalizing marijuana to fight the drug cartels.

:kick: