Bush DHS racing to finish border militarization wish
TUCSON -- The unethical lame duck Bush/Cheney administration is sparing no one in their costly race to finish border walls and other unwise militarization projects.
The Texas Observer has an important article out on Ken Merritt, who was forced out of the US Fish and Wildlife Service for resisting harmful and ineffective border walls on National Wildlife Refuges in south Texas.
Here in Arizona, wildlife refuge managers are concerned about DHS plans for Boeing's giant surveillance towers, which have been shown to not work, in protected national wilderness.
People, wildlife and habitat are suffering as the feds shamefully build a new 'Berlin wall' against a friendly neighbor and essential economic trading partner. The only thing Bush's border walls won't stop is people seeking a better life for their families.
Wildlife-friendly vehicle barriers, which are proven effective, are a much better option for controlling illegal border traffic.
Border walls are a made-in-DC 'do something' project for politicians and bureaucrats to point to. As Bush/Cheney/Chertoff and others point, to try to deflect criticism away from their failures, people and wildlife die.
America desperately needs holistic immigration reform to allow people to legally cross at ports of entry to work and visit family in the US, and to stop the deaths, suffering and damaging, failed militarization of our southern border.
UPDATE, 7/10: Related coverage on border walls from the Sierra Vista Herald (AZ).
The Texas Observer has an important article out on Ken Merritt, who was forced out of the US Fish and Wildlife Service for resisting harmful and ineffective border walls on National Wildlife Refuges in south Texas.
People, wildlife and habitat are suffering as the feds shamefully build a new 'Berlin wall' against a friendly neighbor and essential economic trading partner. The only thing Bush's border walls won't stop is people seeking a better life for their families.
Wildlife-friendly vehicle barriers, which are proven effective, are a much better option for controlling illegal border traffic.
Border walls are a made-in-DC 'do something' project for politicians and bureaucrats to point to. As Bush/Cheney/Chertoff and others point, to try to deflect criticism away from their failures, people and wildlife die.
America desperately needs holistic immigration reform to allow people to legally cross at ports of entry to work and visit family in the US, and to stop the deaths, suffering and damaging, failed militarization of our southern border.
UPDATE, 7/10: Related coverage on border walls from the Sierra Vista Herald (AZ).
Comments
Two other longtime FWS Region 2 refuge managers retired “early” in 2008. One of those managers was the most intelligent, competent, and ethical person I ever met in the USFWS and most others would agree with me. Both employees were forced out by the 3 most unethical and incompetent individuals to have ever held their positions in the Region 2 Regional Office in Albuquerque, NM.
The Buenos Aires NWR land swap for border fence “deal” is yet another example of the triad’s incompetency by not protecting USFWS refuge properties from an out-of-control Department of Homeland Security under the equally corrupt political appointee, Michael Chertoff. In fact, the foursome of Tuggle, Pease, Harvey, and Chertoff represent the worst federal public “servants” imaginable.
Mr. Merritt deserves commendation for his integrity and courage regarding his proper and lawful decision to protect refuge lands. However, such high ethics, integrity, and competency will result in a career-ending decision under Tuggle et al.