Governor Rick Perry this week skipped out on the binational Border Governors' Conference in Monterrey, sending Deputy Chief of Staff Kathy Walt in his stead. But surely there can't be many other priorities more important than Texas' border for the Governor to be focused on? Rather than go to Monterrey to discuss security and economic issues critical to the state, on Wednesday the Governor was in Lubbock to criticize President Obama's health care plan.
As if to emphasize those missplaced priorities, on the opening day of the conference eighteen people were murdered at a drug rehab center in Ciudad Juarez across the river from El Paso, and 22 others were murdered the same day by cartels in the state of Chihuahua alone. This was the third recent attack on an Juarez rehab center, which authorities say "have frequently been used by drug cartel members as hide-outs from police or rival gang members."
I've gotta tell you, if I were Governor and that kind of violence was going on right next door to my jurisdiction, I'd be damn interested in discussing the matter with my counterparts in Mexico. It's hard to see how debating federal healthcare policy in Lubbock could be a more important priority than seeking solutions to the border crisis.
Whether or not Governor Perry is sufficiently engaged, increasingly it's becoming clear that Mexico's crisis runs much deeper than just a law enforcement matter. Given the failure of Mexico's military response to curb the growing violence, many observers fear a deeper political and social upheaval is in the works.
For example, this article from GroupIntel provides background on La Familia Michoacana, including a discussion of the group's bizarre religiosity, deep regional social ties, and its unmitigated penchant for violence. The group operates on a model that's closer to Hezbollah than Pablo Escobar, encouraging the public to rely on them instead of the government for personal security and social services.
As such populist strategies become more entrenched, cartels feel ever more free to escalate violence against government agents and others who oppose them. An informative piece on MexiData.Info recently argued that violence is escalating because "Mexico's cartels are evolving distinct political aims" and are more willing than ever to confront the government directly. Traditional crime fighting approaches, the authors argue, are inadequate to combat what's essentially become "a series of interlocking criminal insurgencies."
So far, Mexican violence hasn't significantly spilled over into Texas, at least not on the same scale as in Juarez or Michoacan. But we mustn't forget that the prizes these cartels are battling for are actually transit routes into the United States. This isn't just Mexico's problem, even if our leaders choose to ignore it.
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29 comments:
Grits writes "It's hard to see how debating federal healthcare policy in Lubbock could be a more important priority than seeking solutions to the border crisis."
Perry only cares about the GOP primary and Kay Bailey Hutchison. There aren't many Repubs on the border so Perry doesn't care about them. But there are LOTS of Republicans in Lubbock.
Is it time to start laying Daisy Cutters out from the coast to California yet? It really is troubling to have basically a civil war gping on only a few hundred miles from us, yet our state government is acting like nothing is going on, and everything is wonderful..
We really should start lobbying for the legislature to allow free-fire zones anywhere pointing south from a mile inside the border.
Governors aren't allowed to interfere in international affairs. The constitution specifically restricts the power to make treaties to the federal government. Perry can talk about state inspection standards for Mexican trucks; he can't coordinate an armed assault on the revolutionaries in a foreign country.
He also fired a Tech regent while here Wednesday, a regent who recently announced his support for Kay Bailey. Oh well, it ain't called hardball for nuthin'.
plato
Uh, RAS, nobody but you mentioned making treaties, much less invading Mexico. That was kind of a silly remark. Perry went all the way to Turkey two years ago to speak to the Bilderberg Group. If that's an appropriate gubernatorial role, he can darn sure go to Monterrey to meet with the Mexicans.
2:23: Not a "few hundred miles" from us. The rehab center in Juarez was a few hundred YARDS from the border.
Plato and 2:05 are probably right about the focus on KBH. That perhaps explains Perry's priorities, but it doesn't justify them.
Maybe he is planning for the secession and wants to keep it a secret until he can negotiate his own treaty. LOL. I think he is running scared from Kay and this isn't anything new in his choices or lack thereof. Anybody for Kinky next year?
Does anyone reading this know if the Texas National Guard is fully and finally home from Iraq? Perry has the authority to deploy the Guard under circumstances with which I'm not fully conversant.
But, going out on a limb here, I suspect that if the warfare in Ojinaga, Juarez and other border towns starts
producing "collateral damage" on our side of the river, that will be circumstance enough.
If that drug rehab clinic was only a few hundred yards from the River, and if that kind of shooting happens in the streets of Juarez, it is not unlikely that people on the El Paso bank could be hit.
Gee let’s see, the Mexican drug cartels are wielding the power of the drug business and they can because business is very good.
Our politicians have done everything humanly possible to make certain that business stays very good, and so we are having conferences about what exactly.
We have absolutely no intention of protecting our borders, so that’s a mute point.
It seems a very very stern “stop that”, is the only choice we have, and if that works we should try it on our politicians, other than that I say let’s all go get an ice cream in Lubbock, or Turkey, or right here in Austin, anyplace but Mexico.
Perhaps Perry thinks Obama's health care plan is a bigger threat to America than Mexico's civil war ( it's probably too disorganized to be called that even if the scale of violence does meet the standard). I don't know why he went to Turkey, but I'm sure it wasn't for Texas to provide troops or arms which is what Mexico needs. Maybe he learned from Pres. Wilson's mistakes at Versailles; negotiate in person and a poorly thought out response becomes official stance, if it comes from a representative it can be reversed. Perry has already taken some steps to try to keep the problem out of El Paso I believe. The kind of help that Mexico needs can only come from the federal gov't and I'm pretty sure Perry hasn't been appointed Obama's spokesman. I'm not a big fan of Perry's; I think he is the one ultimately to blame for TYC's steady implosion, besides he's been there long enough- give Kay a chance to show us something.
What have any of you Johnny come lately's done except advocate an open border by not calling out the elected officials in Washington. Here we are after September 11, 2001 and you criticize the governor for not attending this meeting.
And some of you argue it's not a state problem but a federal one and then you criticize the governor for not attending this meeting.
"yet our state government is acting like nothing is going on, and everything is wonderful."
Oh really misinformed. Where have you been?
2006 “I am going to be asking the Legislature for $100 million to fund our state-led border security plan until Washington lives up to its responsibilities and starts protecting our borders,” Perry said.
March 13, 2009 Last month, Perry asked Washington for 1,000 troops or border agents as drug-cartel violence in Mexico escalates, and this week, the governor of Arizona requested more help from the National Guard. President Obama said Wednesday that it was too soon for that kind of mobilization.
During the 80th Texas Legislative Session, Governor Perry worked with the Texas Legislature to secure $110 million for continued border security efforts and to enhance the quality of life along the border.
The governor also has incorporated technology into his border security strategy. This technology includes:
•License plate readers
•A Virtual Border Watch capability to deter criminal activity
•The latest electronic fingerprint technology at all booking stations
•Portable electronic fingerprint readers
•Radio Interoperability in the border region and key corridors
•The Texas Data Exchange to enable border wide crime mapping and statewide link analysis capabilities
In November 2005, Governor Perry provided $6 million to the Texas Border Sheriff’s Coalition to immediately increase their patrol capacity in counties along the Texas-Mexico border.
In February 2006, Governor Perry announced the launch of Operation Rio Grande, which provided state resources to support the efforts of local law enforcement. An additional $3.8 million was provided to support Operation Rio Grande in June 2006.
During the 80th session of the Texas Legislature in 2007, Governor Perry requested $100 million for border security. The legislature provided $110 million, which provides local law enforcement agencies, as well as the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Military Forces, with overtime and a per diem stipend for personnel, as well as funding for additional equipment, such as DPS patrol helicopters
Operations such as Operation Border Star have made significantimpact to crime; human smuggling; and the movement of drugs, currency, and stolen vehicles along the Texas/Mexico border
And lastly, where were all you critics when the Bush administration, with the support of Congress, sent the Merida Initiative money to Mexico?
Anon 9/05-7:53.
You are probably someone on Perry's Gov. staff and/or his campaign. That is ok, but why not say so?
Can you substantiate or document that the things you say Perry did he actually did? So much of what passes for action by the Guv is basic PR crap.
I'm also curious about the nature of the responses from DC. Perry had a great friend and benefactor in the White House up until about 9 months ago. What did Perry ask for during the Bush Admin and what did he get?
Results ount and the results under Perry's watch have been:
1. Increased violence along the border.spending on the part of the Federal Government. (Border Partol agents and their vehicles are everywhere.)
3. Corruption on the part of Border county law enforcement officials.
Governor Perry hasn't done squat!
Words like significantly should be used when something significant has actually occurred. I can understand where your statements hold merit and exhibit that effort and money have been expended; but the truth is nothing that has been done truly merits the usage of the word significant.
So far the only things within the political winds of change that have significantly occurred are the rapidly moving left wing agenda’s of the current administration, which seems to shift back and forth from beer drinking parties to tea parties for the world to give witness.
A way of life and the ideals of freedom are pretty significant to me.
Nothing significant has been done to secure our borders, and apparently there’s no real agenda to do anything yet.
Nothing significant has occurred to stop the proliferation of the largest black market enterprise in the history of mankind, and apparently there’s no real agenda to do anything yet.
The current list of significant political nothings that have occurred to affect some type of positive change in just the last decade is mind boggling, and could leave us bewildered to try and address. What is happening daily, hour by hour right here right now within our own borders is frightening and the American people are circling their wagons.
So for this blog and this subject, Governor Perry is a pretty good politician and that is certainly not an endorsement for anyone these days, but it does mean that he probably has a reason for being in Lubbock instead of Mexico, no doubt a political one. If his presence there holds any significance at all in bringing attention to another politician’s wrongful political agenda that could in fact have significant disastrous repercussions in the very near future then I’m glad he’s there.
I think with as many real disasters and possible upcoming disasters as our country is faced with in this rapidly flowing river of change I would like to see as many fingers plugging up the holes as possible, because unfortunately it looks like the dikes are going to continue breaking one, two and three at a time.
The dike securing our borders and holding back the drugs broke a long time ago.
Most of the discussion on this thread misses the fundamental point -- the drug related violence in Mexico is largely driven by the prohibition policies on this side of the border. It is what makes IH - 35 valuable and worth dying over. It is what drives cartels to go to war against each other as they compete for territory and control over drug transhipment routes. It is what drive the increasing corruption of public officials on both sides of the border. It is what drives drug related violence on this side of the border.
Have we learned nothing from Alcohol Prohibition (1920-1933) -- sometimes referred to as the "Mafia Funding Act". Al Capone and the Sicilian Mafia were precursors of the modern drug cartels and both were created by a highly disfunctional and destructive policy -- prohibition of a substance that a large proportion of the population (today -- roughly 20 million people who use at least once a month).
Drug related violence on the border will not subside until illegal substances are legalized and regulated on this side of the border.
Anon, 9-5, 7:53 am - Ok, so Perry has contributed to the militarization and surveillance of the border. (Is that the answer?) However, he went to Lubbock to talk about health care (and who knows what all else) not Monterrey to talk about the violence related to the drug trade.
Anyone using drugs should be shot by the next sunrise...the entire problem would then be solved.
No Doran, I'm not on his staff. I didn't vote for him alst time and won't this time. Won't vote for his Washington insider opponent either.
Course your probably one of those who sold their soul to a party instead of being independent minded and needing or trusting a particular group to solve the lots in your life.
What's your solution 2:09?
Some of these posters are actually the ones who think some party labeled politician can be trusted to take care of anything.
Well how about it, if we get a democratic governor, is everything going to be just swell?
Or how about KBH, is everything going to be hunky dory?
How about Rick? You think everything is going to be a dream world.
Some of you people need to start looking out for yourselves and not counting on government to cure your woes.
That was intelligent 10:06. What's your solution?
Hey Anon 2:38 pm - your suggestion is untoughtful, uninformed, mean spirited, and absolute nonsense.
Killing drug users would mean you would have to kill about 20 million who used once in the last month and another 4-7 million who use more frequently (highly dependent users). While your are at it, you could kill those who had ever used an illegal drug at least once in their lifetime -- that would be about 140 million (about 40% percent of the population).
Why don't you go after your great grandfather if he is still living and drank alcohol between 1920 and 1933 when it was equivalent to heroin today -- that could add many more millions.
If there is anything that is truly dangerous it is not the drugs -- it is your uncritical and reactive thought process. Thank God you don't make decisions that affect the rest of us.
By the time your done -- our entire population would probably be down to
Anon 3:11 pm, my "solution" would include legalization and meeting with other border governors to work towards a solution. Throwing out money to buck up against the violence (fence, BP, troops) is not working, the violence is escalating.
And, 3:20 pm, the thought that we need to start looking out for ourselves instead of relying on the govt? We elect people (public servants) to serve us, the people. Govt. officials now seem to serve business (who contribute to govt. officials, who contribute to business...) The more dysfunctional it becomes(these are not good times, and things are getting worse and worse - lots of "woe") the more we are forced into looking out for ourselves.
5:16 Legalization will not happen, not anytime soon anyway. The reason; it's not politically correct and won't get you elected/ reelected. And to have any chance of getting elected, you either must be politically correct, say what a person wants to hear even though you don't intend to do it or mean it or just out and out lie.
Legalization will bring more laws too.
In closing, I suppose the thought during prohibition was to allow alcohol in order to stem the associated violence.
Course we have only killed 8,849 people in the United States this year in drunk driving accidents.
5:16 Legalization will not happen, not anytime soon anyway. The reason; it's not politically correct and won't get you elected/ reelected. And to have any chance of getting elected, you either must be politically correct, say what a person wants to hear even though you don't intend to do it or mean it or just out and out lie.
Legalization will bring more laws too.
In closing, I suppose the thought during prohibition was to allow alcohol in order to stem the associated violence.
Course we have only killed 8,849 people in the United States this year in drunk driving accidents.
grits for breakfast, I think that as soon as the 'oil leases' are approved in florida that things will IMPROVE in your area. If you look at a world map spread out on the floor (this will make sense to you since you obviously GET what is going on) they have made a trade route from south america nearly circuitous through this place (brevard to tampa and other points in florida off the distribution route) and the other. Put a compass point in the middle of the gulf of mexico between florida and louisiana. widen the arc until you pass the pencil through mexico *yucatan pen. etc... maybe baja ... somewhere in there. BUT my point is that they will be coming from wherever off brevard county florida as they have for years and then land route through to the tampa port and anywhere else that lands in tampa .. THEN it's a shot across (cruise ship lines already vying and much talk about a FERRY that's a helluva long ferry maybe it's already come to fruition) from louisiana to florida and then onward... so the 'oil platforms' are for so much staging of whatever.
You can tell by the very limited number of folks they'll let ANYWHERE NEAR a formerly sleepy port and shipyard and the number of major busts as the operation tightens up and people get killed or bought off. Just look down at a world map and mark the trouble spots and watch the florida and tampa miami brevard news.... and don't forget that mysterious deal off hawaii where bush-co shut off the sonar in order to 'protect the poor dolphins' ... yeah, bush gives a FLIP about dolphins. My geography is weak but my info is gathered over years of reading. It'd be very obvious if you lived in tampa and kept up with the daily news and stuff. Selective busting some so the drug route can be controlled. Murder and takeover of ALLL the waterfront properties. This combined with reading how the druglorda control their desired territory by first controlling the waterfront tells the tale. I venture to say that NO ONE is living on the river in tampa anymore that was there when george bush took office. UNLESS they were in on it. I'm talking longterm tampa residents. It's an ugly crisis.
And, the plot thickens ... mysterious 'oilmen' with oodles of dinero.
I mean 'oil' as "oil" ... no studies AT ALL have indicated that there is much oil or natural gas off of florida. PLUS, if there is any worth drilling for it would be YEARS before it had any effect on anything.
So, in essence it's fairly obvious what this is all about.
Why not either legalize it killing the profit OR let them slither by in their submarines so they can stop f'ing with the rest of us?
The war on drugs is a crock.
They could replace it with the war on terror ...
pretty soon there will be no one left to buy the drugs. And, sometimes I think that's the idea.
Good point about DWI deaths, Anon 1:03. Of course, the most effective way to stop that problem is to do away with automobile driving. :)
Or put first offender DWIs in prison for extremely long terms, secure in the knowledge that most of them probably will offend a second or third time, and maybe kill someone, if allowed to be on community supervision.
But that has little to do with legalization of grass, mescaline, peyote, magic mushrooms, LSD or even opium and heroin. There is almost no data on vehicular deaths due to people using these substances.
"But that has little to do with legalization of grass, mescaline, peyote, magic mushrooms, LSD or even opium and heroin. There is almost no data on vehicular deaths due to people using these substances."
Good point 10:00, but I suspect just like with alcohol legalization, you give the druggies an inch and they will take a mile. :) Watch 'em come out of the closet too!
"Does anyone reading this know if the Texas National Guard is fully and finally home from Iraq? Perry has the authority to deploy the Guard under circumstances with which I'm not fully conversant."
Currently ALL NG Units and detachments are federalized. Being that., Perry has no power over them, thus he could not deploy them to the border for extra defense.. That said. He does hold power over a State Guard, which I am surprised that he didn't move them into the NG's role when they were deployed.
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