Whack-a-mole: GOVERNOR PERRY VOWS CRACK DOWN ON BORDER VIOLENCE

Gov. Perry loves his "Whack-a-mole" bombast. Here he claims that the State of Texas is taking on the war at the border that the federal government, in his view, continues to fail to address. However, the truth about this Texas enterprise was revealed in an article in the Sept./Oct. issue of the Boston Review, entitled "At War in Texas," (link posted on this blog at: http://americasmexico.blogspot.com/2010/09/at-war-in-texas.html)

The article reveals that much of the Texas endeavor is funded with federal money, provided to appease demagogues led by Perry. Quote: "Nowhere has the post-9/11 border-security framework been so enthusiastically adopted—and adapted—as in Texas, where local law enforcement, the state political leadership, and a contingent of the congressional delegation have taken border security into their own hands, albeit largely with federal funding."

GOVERNOR PERRY VOWS CRACK DOWN ON BORDER VIOLENCE - TheCypressTimes: "AUSTIN, TX - In a Washington Times Op/Ed, Texas Governor Rick Perry has vowed to fight back against border violence stemming from the ongoing war between Mexican authorities and rival drug cartels.

“Securing our southern border is a federal responsibility, but the effects of the federal government's failure to live up to that responsibility are big problems in Texas,” Perry said. “As a result, our state has spent more than $230 million over the past several years to protect our communities and fill in the sizable gaps left by insufficient federal efforts.”

Perry then detailed the efforts already undertaken by the State of Texas to quell border violence noting that Texas is paying overtime to border officers, added state-of-the-art aviation assets, including helicopters as well as advanced communications and tactical equipment. Texas has also established Joint Operation and Intelligence Centers in each Border Patrol Sector in the Lone Star State." Dec. 6, 2010