Thoughts of a Weary Soldier: I'm Tired

"I'm Tired"

Two weeks ago, as I was starting my sixth month of duty in Iraq, I was forced to return to the USA for surgery for an injury I sustained prior to my deployment. With luck, I'll return to Iraq to finish my tour.

I left Baghdad and a war that has every indication that we are winning, to return to a demoralized country much like the one I returned to in 1971 after my tour in Vietnam.

Maybe it's because I'll turn 60 years old in just four months, but I'm tired:

I'm tired of spineless politicians, both Democrat and Republican who lack the courage, fortitude, and character to see these difficult tasks through.

I'm tired of the hypocrisy of politicians who want to rewrite history when the going gets tough.
I'm tired of the disingenuous clamor from those that claim they 'Support the Troops' by wanting them to 'Cut and Run' before victory is achieved.

I'm tired of a mainstream media that can only focus on car bombs and casualty reports because they are too afraid to leave the safety of their hotels to report on the courage and success our brave men and women are having on the battlefield.

I'm tired that so many Americans think you can rebuild a dictatorship into a democracy over night.

I'm tired that so many ignore the bravery of the Iraqi people to go to the voting booth and freely elect a Constitution and soon a permanent Parliament.

I'm tired of the so called 'Elite Left' that prolongs this war by giving aid and comfort to our enemy, just as they did during the Vietnam War.

I'm tired of antiwar protesters showing up at the funerals of our fallen soldiers. A family who's loved ones gave their life in a just and noble cause, only to be cruelly tormented on the funeral day by cowardly protesters is beyond shameful.

I'm tired that my generation, the Baby Boom - Vietnam generation, who have such a weak backbone that they can't stomach seeing the difficult tasks through to victory.

I'm tired that some are more concerned about the treatment of captives than they are the slaughter and beheading of our citizens and allies.

I'm tired that when we find mass graves it is seldom reported by the press, but mistreat a prisoner and it is front page news.

Mostly, I'm tired that the people of this great nation didn't learn from history that there is no substitute for Victory.

Sincerely,
Joe Repya, Lieutenant Colonel,
U. S. Army, 101st Airborne Division

I'm tired of the same things you are, Colonel. But you are not alone. We do support you and our troops AND their mission.

The NAFTA SuperHighway: Thank Clinton, Not Bush

I received an email forwarded to me this morning from a local "Progressive" organization complaining about how Bush and the Bush Administration have been silent about the NAFTA Superhighway and how the Bush people are giving our country away, how it's all part of his grand plan and why Bush doesn't want to secure the border with Mexico, blah blah blah. I note here that googling "NAFTA Superhighway" reveals that the text of the email is parrotted verbatim on many democratic, liberal, and enviro-org web sites and newspapers.

The text of the email is pretty convincing and, in fact, the "NAFTA SuperHighway" is a real plan to link trade & goods from Mexico (and countries south) with US cities and transportation hubs (road, air, rail) and Canadian highways (not to mention American goods back to those markets as well)... BUT despite the claims that it is Bush's little silent deal, a little research reveals that it was CLINTON's doing... So if you see the stories or get the email, read it and then remember what I found with just a few minutes research (this was my response to each of the 5 layers that the original email had come through):

I don't mind informational emails, but if people are going to forward these things on, let's take the partisanship out of all of this. While I am somewhat dubious about this "super highway", let's get this straight: the legislation, the original design, and the initial funding for the Superhighway WAS SIGNED AND APPROVED IN 1997 BY WILLIAM CLINTON, THEN DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. (1993 to 2001) NOT PRES. BUSH.

Let's start by remembering that the elder Pres. Bush tried (unsuccessfully, I might add) to get NAFTA passed. It was passed and signed into law by -- yup, you guessed it -- William Jefferson Clinton.

Here's what Wikipedia says about NAFTA:

The agreement was initially pursued by free-trade conservative governments in the United States and Canada, led by Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and U.S. President George H. W. Bush. There was considerable opposition on both sides of the border, but in the United States it was able to secure passage after President Bill Clinton made its passage a major legislative initiative in 1993. Vice President Al Gore attempted to build support for the bill by debating the issue with H. Ross Perot on the Larry King Live talk show. Perot was an outspoken critic of NAFTA during his 1992 presidential campaign, claiming that passage would cause a "giant sucking sound" of jobs leaving the United States for Mexico.

After intense political debate and the negotiation of several side agreements, the U.S. House passed NAFTA by 234-200 (132 Republicans and 102 Democrats voting in favor) and the U.S. Senate passed it by 61-38. Some opposition persists to the present day, primarily directed towards specific clauses within the agreement.

You can read more about NAFTA here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nafta#History_of_the_implementation

Now here's a little history of the Superhighway Coalition (from 1997 -- when Clinton was President):

About the NAFTA Superhighway Coalition

On July 23, 1997, The NAFTA Superhighway Coalition was formed. It is a not-for-profit corporation. Its mission is to team Federal and Provincial authorities with private business to promote a National Transportation Policy that will include improvements to Highway 401 and associated corridors for facilitating the movement of people and goods to and from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement. The Coalition is regional in perspective since Highway 401 and associated corridors stretch across numerous regions in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Hence, its scope embraces many communities including Windsor, Sarnia, Chatham, London, Hamilton, Fort Erie, Barrie, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City.

Read more here:

http://www.ambassadorbridge.com/nafta_case.html

And here's a 1998 (that would be while Bill was still Pres.) piece from a business magazine called "Site Selection" that highlights various areas businesses should consider: http://www.conway.com/i35/9802/

Here's a 1996 story (yes, Bill was president then, too) detailing the plans:
http://www.eco.utexas.edu/~archive/chiapas95/1996.12/msg00073.html

And how has all the funding for this "SuperHighway" been accomplished? By state-by-state pork projects and funding in every highway appropriations bill passed since 1998 -- promoted and wrangled by the senators and congressmen from Iowa, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, etc. who all want a piece of the SUPER HIGHWAY pie AND a piece of the road taxes and tolls associated with the increased truck traffic.

Bush Administration promoting this?? Think again.

BUILD THE FENCE! BUILD THE FENCE!!

So I’m reading the proposed Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 in the Senate (S.2611) and I come across this little ditty in Section 129 “Border Study. And I find myself saying, “You Must Be Kidding!!” over and over again… Haven’t we done enough “studies”? And they have nine months to do these “assessments”???

My apologies to Elvis…
A little less conversation, a little more action please
All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me
A little more bite and a little less bark
A little less fight and a little more spark

BUILD THE FENCE! BUILD THE FENCE!

(a) Southern Border Study- The Secretary, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall conduct a study on the construction of a system of physical barriers along the southern international land and maritime border of the United States. The study shall include--

(1) an assessment of the necessity of constructing such a system, including the identification of areas of high priority for the construction of such a system determined after consideration of factors including the amount of narcotics trafficking and the number of illegal immigrants apprehended in such areas; YOU WANT TO KNOW IF WE NEED A FENCE AND YOU WANT NUMBERS?? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN THESE PAST FEW MONTHS?

(2) an assessment of the feasibility of constructing such a system; WE ARE “CAN DO” AMERICANS AND YOU WANT TO STUDY WHETHER IT CAN BE DONE? WE PUT MEN ON THE MOON FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE AND YOU WANT TO KNOW IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR US TO BUILD A WALL? PUT UP A FENCE??

(3) an assessment of the international, national, and regional environmental impact of such a system, including the impact on zoning, global climate change, ozone depletion, biodiversity loss, and transboundary pollution; TRANSBOUNDARY POLLUTION? TRANSBOUNDARY POLLUTION? FROM A FENCE?? IT WILL KEEP THEIR POLLUTION ON THEIR SIDE OF THE FENCE AND OUR POLLUTION ON OUR SIDE… WHAT’S TO STUDY??

(4) an assessment of the necessity for ports of entry along such a system; THEY’LL COME IN AND GO OUT WHERE WE TELL PEOPLE.

(5) an assessment of the impact such a system would have on international trade, commerce, and tourism; WHERE WE’RE PUTTING UP THE FENCE THERE IS NO INTERNATIONAL TRADE, COMMERCE OR TOURISM… JUST TRAFFICKING IN PEOPLE AND NARCOTICS… AND PERHAPS TERRORISTS.

(6) an assessment of the effect of such a system on private property rights including issues of eminent domain and riparian rights; CONSIDERING THE LEVEL OF DESTRUCTION AND DANGER THEY EXPERIENCE EVERY DAY, I’M PRETTY SURE THE FINE AMERICAN CITIZENS THAT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE THREATS OF ILLEGALS AND THEIR HANDLERS COMING ACROSS THE BORDER ONTO THEIR LAND WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GIVE Y’ALL A RIGHT OF WAY...

(7) an estimate of the costs associated with building a barrier system, including costs associated with excavation, construction, and maintenance; OK… FIGURE OUT THE COST AND FUND IT, BOYS AND GIRLS. IT’S STILL CHEAPER THAN DEPORTING THEM ALL AFTER THEY’RE CAUGHT OR PAYING FOR ILLEGALS’ EDUCATIONS, HEALTH CARE, SOCIAL SERVICES, CRIMINAL ACTIVITY…

(8) an assessment of the effect of such a system on Indian reservations and units of the National Park System; IT’S A FENCE FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE!! WILL YOU COMPARE IT TO AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND DRUG TRAFFICKING ON THE RESERVATIONS AND PARK SYSTEM? THERE ARE STATE AND NATIONAL PARKS IN ARIZONA THAT HAVE WARNING SIGNS ABOUT “YOU MIGHT BE IN DANGER IN THIS PARK BECAUSE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND OTHERS…”

(9) an assessment of the necessity of constructing such a system after the implementation of provisions of this Act relating to guest workers, visa reform, and interior and worksite enforcement, and the likely effect of such provisions on undocumented immigration and the flow of illegal immigrants across the international border of the United States; YOU THINK WE MIGHT NOT HAVE TO BUILD THE FENCE ONCE WE LEGALIZE 12 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND MAKE PROVISION FOR ALLOWING ANOTHER 80 MILLION IN OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS THAT WE MIGHT NOT NEED A FENCE??? GET REAL, BOYS AND GIRLS!!

(10) an assessment of the impact of such a system on diplomatic relations between the United States and Mexico, Central America, and South America, including the likely impact of such a system on existing and potential areas of bilateral and multilateral cooperative enforcement efforts; WHY DO WE CARE?? WHY DO WE CARE THAT THEY DON’T LIKE THE FENCE? WE HAVE A RIGHT TO PROTECT OUR BORDERS… WHY DO WE CARE WHAT THEY THINK? THEY ONLY WANT THE $$$$ THAT ILLEGALS SEND BACK TO THEIR COUNTRIES. THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN FRIENDLY RELATIONS... THEY ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN THE MONEY.

(11) an assessment of the impact of such a system on the quality of life within border communities in the United States and Mexico, including its impact on noise and light pollution, housing, transportation, security, and environmental health; IT WILL ALL BE BETTER IN THE U.S. LET MEXICO ASSESS THE IMPACTS ON ITS SIDE OF THE BORDER.

(12) an assessment of the likelihood that such a system would lead to increased violations of the human rights, health, safety, or civil rights of individuals in the region near the southern international border of the United States, regardless of the immigration status of such individuals; REGARDLESS OF THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE INDIVIDUAL?? YOU’RE KIDDING, RIGHT? WHAT PART OF ILLEGAL DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND??? YOU ARE ELECTED TO SERVE AND PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF AMERICANS -- NOT MEXICANS, SALVADORANS, CHILEANS... AMERICANS.

(13) an assessment of the effect such a system would have on violence near the southern international border of the United States; and WE’RE GOING TO ASSESS WHETHER THE FEDERALES ARE GOING TO SHOOT AT AMERICANS BECAUSE WE BUILT A FENCE TO KEEP THEM OUT?? YOU MUST BE KIDDING!! THEY SHOOT AT OUR BORDER PATROLS NOW… AND YOU’RE WORRIED WHETHER IT WILL INSPIRE VIOLENCE FROM THE MEXICANS? IT CERTAINLY WON’T LEAD TO VIOLENCE ON THE PART OF AMERICANS -- AND THEY’RE THE ONLY ONES YOU SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT.

(14) an assessment of the effect of such a system on the vulnerability of the United States to infiltration by terrorists or other agents intending to inflict direct harm on the United States. IT WILL GO A LONG WAY TO KEEP THEM OUT. WHAT KIND OF IDIOT WROTE THAT STATEMENT? WILL THE FENCE BE PERFECT? NOPE. IS IT BETTER THAN WHAT WE’VE GOT NOW?? YOU BET.

BUILD THE FENCE! BUILD THE FENCE! BUILD THE FENCE!

NOTE TO THE US SENATE: HAVE YOU NOT "GOT IT" YET?? WE DON'T CARE WHAT THE ASSESSMENT SAYS. WE DON'T WANT STUDIES. WE WANT A FENCE, A WALL, A MOAT... WE WANT A BARRIER THAT CAN NOT BE CROSSED UNLESS THEY ASK PERMISSION TO COME IN AND WE SAY "WELCOME".

Mexicans: "We Are Not Stupid" Americans: "Yes, You Are."

From the NY Times article this morning:

"We are not stupid," Jorge Montaño, a former ambassador to the United States, said. "The United States did not send the National Guard to Iraq for logistical purposes. This is a de facto militarization of the border and an unprecedented insult in relations between the two countries."

We don't care how you view this. This is not Pres. Bush doing this -- this is the American People DEMANDING this because we are tired of Mexico having no industry to employ Mexicans, no plan to improve the standard of living for anyone but the already rich, making no effort to control illegal immigration to the US, flaunting a sense of entitlement that it has not earned with respect to American riches AND having one of the worst economies in the western world that forces her people into starvation and a northern immigration -- and an economy that is in danger of going bankrupt if the flow of American dollars earned ILLEGALLY stopped flowing south.

From the same NYT article on poor Vincente trying to calm the poor huddled masses:

The International Monetary Fund estimated that Mexicans in the United States sent $20 billion to Mexico last year, the country's second largest source of foreign income after oil.

So don't be giving me this crap about how these people want citizenship and how Mexico is concerned about the "militarization" of OUR border. We say: WHATEVER IT TAKES. We don't want any more illegal Mexicans here and we don't want the ones we've got! And frankly, 6,000 troops are not enough... it s/b 16,000!! Enough is enough.

If Mexico wanted to be a real "friend" to America, it would do something to control illegal immigration across her borders into our country. Mexico is not a friend to the USA just because it says it is... Mexico is a friend in (her) name only.

Vincente is more worried about how this move IN AMERICA will affect the election of his hand-picked successor (their Pres. only get 1 6 yr term...)

Arturo Sárukhan, another official in Mr. Calderón's campaign, said that Mr. Calderón did not consider the deployment of National Guard troops the equivalent of a militarization. However, he said that Mr. Calderón did not support the deployment.

[...]

"Good fences," Mr. Sárukhan said, "do not always make good neighbors."

Well, no -- you certainly won't like good fences if your cows have been grazing on someone else's land for free... and you get the cow AND the milk...

In this case, GOOD FENCES DO MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS.

BUILD THE WALL. BUILD THE WALL. BUILD THE WALL. And then defend it.

Who Gives A Shite What mexico Thinks??? SECURE THE BORDER

Bush's Plan to Seal Border Worries Mexico

By JIM RUTENBERG
Published: May 15, 2006

WASHINGTON, May 14 — President Bush's plan to send National Guard troops to patrol the southern border of the United States has raised the concern of his longtime ally President Vicente Fox of Mexico, who called Mr. Bush on Sunday to express his worries.

The NYTimes story HERE

Who gives a sh**t what Vincente Fox wants? Why should we give a sh**t about how HE thinks we should secure OUR borders? Which wouldn't be necessary if Vincente did his job and provided jobs and services to mexicans so they didn't want to come here!! And although I believe the war in Iraq is a just and reasonable war, I would rather hold our troops here and secure our borders if we have to make a choice! Whatever it takes to stop the flow north--- and whatever it takes to get rid of the illegals already here. Vincente, get F****

The only reason Vincente Fox is worried about the illegal immigration problem in the US is because if we stop them at the border and we sent all of the illegals back and they no longer had all those American dollars flowing into Mexico, MEXICO WOULD GO BROKE!!! Vincente: Worry more about the problems you have in Mexico and we'll worry about our borders here.

How To Work (Legally) in Mexico

The following from a director with SW BELL in Mexico City.

I spent five years working in Mexico. I worked under a tourist visa for three months and could legally renew it for three more months. After that you were working illegally. I was technically illegal for three weeks waiting on the FM3 approval.

During that six months our Mexican and US Attorneys were working to secure a permanent work visa called a FM3.

It was in addition to my US passport that I had to show each time I entered and left the country. Barbara's was the same except hers did not permit her to work.

To apply for the FM3 I needed to submit the following notarized originals (not copies) of my:

1. Birth certificates for Barbara and me.

2. Marriage certificate.

3. High school transcripts and proof of graduation.

4. College transcripts for every college I attended and proof of graduation.

5. Two letters of recommendation from supervisors I had worked for at least one year.

6. A letter from The St. Louis Chief of Police indicating I had no arrest record in the US and no outstanding warrants and was "a citizen in good standing."

7. Finally; I had to write a letter about myself that clearly stated why there was no Mexican citizen with my skills and why my skills were important to Mexico. We called it our "I am the greatest person on earth" letter. It was fun to write. All of the above were in English that had to be translated into Spanish and be certified as legal translations and our signatures notarized. It produced a folder about 1.5 inches thick with English on the left side and Spanish on the right.

Once they were completed Barbara and I spent about five hours accompanied by a Mexican attorney touring Mexican government office locations and being photographed and fingerprinted at least three times.

At each location (and we remember at least four locations) we were instructed on Mexican tax, labor, housing, and criminal law and that we were required to obey their laws or face the consequences. We could not protest any of the government's actions or we would be committing a felony. We paid out four thousand dollars in fees and bribes tocomplete the process. When this was done we could legally bring in our household goods that were held by US customs in Laredo Texas. This meant we rented furniture in Mexico while awaiting our goods. There were extensive fees involved here that the company paid.

We could not buy a home and were required to rent at very high rates and under contract and compliance with Mexican law.

We were required to get a Mexican drivers license. This was an amazing process. The company arranged for the licensing agency to come to our headquarters location with their photography and finger print equipmentand the laminating machine. We showed our US license, were photographed and fingerprinted again and issued the license instantly after paying out a six dollar fee. We did not take a written or driving test and never received instructions on the rules of the road. Our only instruction was nevergive a policeman your license if stopped and asked. We were instructed to holdit against the inside window away from his grasp. If he got his hands on it you would have to pay ransom to get it back.

We then had to pay and file Mexican income tax annually using the number of our FM3 as our ID number. The company's Mexican accountants did this for us and we just signed what they prepared. It was about twenty legal size pages annually.

The FM 3 was good for three years and renewable for two more after paying more fees.

Leaving the country meant turning in the FM# and certifying we were leaving no debts behind and no outstanding legal affairs (warrants, tickets or liens) before our household goods were released to customs.

It was a real adventure and if any of our senators or congressmen went through it once they would have a different attitude toward Mexico.

The Mexican Government uses its vast military and police forces to keep its citizens intimidated and compliant.

They never protest at their White House or government offices but do protest daily in front of the United States Embassy. The US embassy looks like a strongly reinforced fortress and during most protests the Mexican Military surround the block with their men standing shoulder to shoulder in full riot gear to protect the Embassy. These protests are never shown on US or Mexican TV. There is a large public park across the street where they do their protesting. Anything can cause a protest such as proposed law changes in California or Texas.

Please feel free to share this with everyone who thinks we are being hard on illegal immigrants.

For Taxpayers on this Tax Day

Subject: Life is good... for some.

Illegal Immigrants' Poem

I cross ocean, poor and broke,
Take bus, see employment folk.

Nice man treat me good in there,
Say I need to see welfare.

Welfare say, "You come no more,
We send cash right to your door."

Welfare checks, they make you wealthy,
Medicaid it keep you healthy!

By and by, I got plenty money,
Thanks to you, American dummy.

Write to friends in motherland,
Tell them 'come fast as you can.

They come in turbans and Ford trucks,
I buy big house with welfare bucks

They come here, we live together,
More welfare checks, it gets better!

Fourteen families, they moving in,
But neighbor's patience wearing thin.

Finally, white guy moves away,
Now I buy his house, and then I say,"

Find more aliens for house to rent.
"And in the yard I put a tent.

Send for family they just trash,
But they, too, draw the welfare cash!

Everything is very good,
And soon we own the neighborhood.

We have hobby it's called breeding,
Welfare pay for baby feeding.

Kids need dentist? Wife need pills?
We get free! We got no bills!

American crazy! He pay all year,
To keep welfare running here.

We think America darn good place!
Too darn good for the white man race

If they no like us, they can scram,
Got lots of room in Pakistan

And if you think this is harsh and untrue, well the 25 year old son of friends lost his construction job in New York in the middle of the winter to an illegal alien who would work for far less, not need benefits nor complain when they didn't get paid overtime for the 50 hr. week... and when he went to welfare in NY they told him that he was a white English-speaking American citizen and he so didn't qualify! I'm not kidding.

Ummm... Mr. President? SAVE AMERICANS FIRST!

So I'm reading this from the Washington Post this morning (my emphasis in bold):

U.S. Plan For Flu Pandemic Revealed
Multi-Agency Proposal Awaits Bush's Approval
By Ceci Connolly

Washington Post Staff Writer

Sunday, April 16, 2006; Page A01

President Bush is expected to approve soon a national pandemic influenza response plan that identifies more than 300 specific tasks for federal agencies...

****

The document is the first attempt to spell out in some detail how the government would detect and respond to an outbreak, and continue functioning through what could be an 18-month crisis, which in a worst-case scenario could kill 1.9 million Americans.

Many critical decisions remain to be made. Administration scientists are debating how much vaccine would be needed to immunize against a new strain of avian influenza, and they are weighing data that may alter their strategy on who should have priority for antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza.

The new analysis, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that instead of giving medicine to first responders and health-care workers, as currently planned, it might be wiser to give the drugs to every person with symptoms and others in the same household, one senior administration official said.

The approach offers "some real hope for communities to put a dent in the amount of illness and death, if we go with that strategy," a White House official said.

Each year, about 36,000 Americans die from seasonal influenza. A worldwide outbreak, or pandemic, occurs when a potent new, highly contagious strain of the virus emerges. It is a far greater threat than annual flu because everyone is susceptible, and it would take as much as six months to develop a vaccine. The 1918 pandemic flu, the worst of the 20th century, is estimated to have killed more than 50 million people worldwide.

Alarm has risen because of the emergence of the most dangerous strain to appear in decades -- the H5N1 avian flu. It has primarily struck birds, but about 200 people worldwide have contracted the disease, and half have died. Experts project that the next pandemic -- depending on severity and countermeasures -- could kill 210,000 to 1.9 million Americans.

*****

However, even an effective containment effort would merely postpone the inevitable, said Ellen P. Embrey, deputy assistant secretary for force health preparedness and readiness at the Pentagon. "Unfortunately, we believe the forest fire will burn before we are able to contain it overseas, and it will arrive on our shores in multiple locations," she said.

AND HERE'S THE KICKER:

Homeland Security's Runge has a different concern: "One of the scariest thoughts is, if this country has successfully developed a vaccine within six months of an outbreak or our supply of antivirals is greater, there may be a rush into the United States for those things."

And even if those fears do not materialize, officials have warned that the federal preparations go only so far. Much is left to the states, communities and even individuals.

"Any community that fails to prepare -- with the expectation that the federal government can come to the rescue -- will be tragically wrong," HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a speech April 10. The administration is posting information on the Internet at http://www.pandemicflu.gov
.

I want to know what the government plans to do about the hordes of illegals that will cross our borders from the south in the event of a avian flu pandemic?? I want any "plan" to contain measures that will safeguard vaccinations and healthcare for AMERICAN CITIZENS AND LEGAL immigrants to our country.

Given the lack of basic medical care and inoculations against ordinary diseases, the less than hygienic living conditions and standards of care, Mexico and the countries south of it are more likely to have major outbreaks of the bird flu. The masses may be uneducated and illiterate in the traditional sense, but they know that they can not possibly get the care and treatment that they need if they are sick in their own Third World countries and will swarm over the border looking for the free handouts to illegals for which the U.S. government is known in the name of "compassion".

How does the government plan to keep out those that are already sick so that they do not bring the disease HERE? How does the government plan to ensure that hospital services are not overwhelmed by illegals (as they are now?) and that vaccinations and treatment go to Americans and legal residents FIRST?? How do we protect American??

If you think this can't happen, you should do a little research on the state of healthcare in the areas that border Mexico... Hospitals and healthcare centers have been going bankrupt at a rate that is 10 the national average (and 25x the average in some locations). Why? Because illegal immigrants streaming across the border are injured and ill and have no means of paying for their care - but the Feds say that you can not turn them away (or turn them in!!) and the hospitals have to eat (absorb) the cost of the treatment... and IF your hospital can remain in business, the cost of treating 10 million illegals is passed on to those with insurance or a means of paying.

From USA Today: The United States' inability to slow illegal immigration from Mexico is fueling a financial crisis in the 24 counties along the 1,951-mile Southwest border, according to a new study. It says the counties are struggling to fund law enforcement, health programs and other necessities because they are spending millions of dollars a year to care for illegal immigrants.

****

U.S. law requires hospitals to treat anyone who needs emergency care, regardless of their ability to pay or immigration status. The UTEP study found that border counties have some of the nation's highest rates for uninsured patients, and that treating illegal immigrants accounts for nearly one-quarter of the uncompensated costs at the counties' hospitals. In Pima County, Ariz., hospitals reported having to absorb $76 million in treatment costs in 2000, about one-third of it from treating illegal immigrants.

Cochise County, Ariz., reported spending tens of thousands of dollars each year to collect trash left at remote campsites by illegal immigrants. County Board of Supervisors Chairman Pat Call estimates that 13% of the solid waste generated in Cochise comes from such sites.

****

About 25% of Cochise's budget paid for health care to uninsured people -- most of them illegal immigrants who went to the county hospital's emergency room, he says.

"The border region has some unique hardships," Call says, citing the UTreportst's analysis of the border counties' relatively high rates of uninsured residents and shortages of doctors and nurses. "The immigration issue, because the feds have not moved fast enough or thoroughly enough to deal with it, just exacerbates the panoply of issues we have here."

And from the Center for Immigration Studies (2002 report): Health Insurance. According to the Census Bureau, since 1989 the population without health insurance has grown by 7.8 million and stood at 41.2 million in 2001. (Figures for 2001 are based on the March 2002 CPS.) This growth has been driven largely by immigration. Immigrants who arrived after 1989 account for 6.9 million or 77 percent of the growth in the uninsured. Moreover, there where nearly 600,000 children born to post-1990 immigrants who lack insurance, meaning that new immigrants and their U.S.-born children accounted for over 95 percent of the growth in the uninsured population. Thus, it is reasonable to say that the nation's health insurance crisis is being caused by our immigration policy.

From the Federation for American Immigration Reform:

High levels of unpaid medical bills for illegal immigrants have forced local health care providers to reduce staffing, increase rates, and cut back services. Dozens of hospitals in the counties along the southwest border have either closed or face bankruptcy because of losses caused by uncompensated care give to illegal immigrants. (Source: Health Insurance Coverage: 2001, U.S. Census Bureau.)

67 percent of counties surveyed by the National Association of Counties cite an increase in immigration as a cause of the rise in uncompensated health care expenses. (Source: Uncompensated Health Care Expenses Report, National Association of Counties, 2002)

Federal law requires emergency rooms to provide treatment to anyone seeking emergency care. In 2000, almost $190 million (about 25 percent) of southwest border hospitals uncompensated costs were for emergency medical treatment for illegal aliens, with another $13 million in ambulance costs. Costs for follow-up care were as high as an additional $100 million. (Source: Medical Emergency: Costs of Uncompensated Care in Southwest Border Counties, U.S./Mexico Border Counties Coalition, 2002)

As states cut their health care budgets to try to make ends meet, high immigration is causing a massive drain on health care resources and taxpayer funds, says FAIR executive director Dan Stein. Thanks to lack of enforcement of federal immigration laws, state taxpayers are being forced to fund health care services for illegal aliens at a time when they can t fund all their services for the general population.

Yes they know that we have to treat them and can't collect a dime. I could go on and on... Google "illegal immigrant health care statistics" -- brings you 8,310,000 results for this search...

This is the scenario of B-movie horror flicks... but it is our reality now. And our government needs to address THIS issue -- the issue of protecting Americans first and stemming an influx of sick illegal immigrants seeking healthcare in this country.

I say, put up the wall, and man it with armed citizens. If we can't get the wall up before the pandemic begins, I say let the citizens of this country arm themselves and stand at post. It may be our only hope for survival.