Nightline reports from the border.

I am posting a link to this video from Nightline. They took a trip down to the border for two days and rode along with the US Border Patrol, much like Ankarlo Mornings did in May 2007.

Nightline’s Miguel Marquez was in the San Diego area and was astonished to find that the violence against our border patrol agents is on the rise. Some have even put up trip wires along border fences that are neck high. Those wires could potentially decapitate a border patrol agent riding an ATV.

Again, you can watch Nightline’s report here.

Commentary: Markets move with impatience and greed

I’m not economist, but I have always believed our capitalist market is self correcting. I believe when we, as a whole, get too greedy, the markets cools down. When the market wants us to make more money, they grow. And I have always believed there has been a moral attachment to the free market. When greed replaces morals we are in trouble.

Paul Johnson writes in Forbes:

Markets are determined by moral strengths and weaknesses, and it is useful to identify what those are at each major episode. The state of the present market is the consequence of undue impatience combined with excessive greed.

He goes on:

Impatience led many thousands of ordinary people to seek to acquire properties of much higher value than their savings justified. They thus sought to borrow collectively immense sums that they could not hope to repay for many years–and, in some cases, ever. As a rule, this would not be a problem; banks and other loan agencies should simply have turned down such borrowers. The borrowers would then have had to contain their impatience until their savings accumulated to a level at which they could borrow prudently.

Unfortunately, impatience coincided with excessive greed on the part of a number of bankers. Many of the world’s top bankers lead highly competitive, high-spending lifestyles and are tempted to increase turnover–thus increasing their salaries and bonuses–through generous lending. The consequences of this behavior could be catastrophic.

How is that for an honest assessment?

Talk the Vote: Polls are tight in Ohio and Texas

It could be down to Tuesday for Sen. Hillary Clinton. If Hillary wins either Ohio or Texas she remains alive. If she loses to Sen. Barack Obama, Clinton could be done. She says she still won’t drop out though.

In Texas, Zogby shows Obama with a slight lead, 47-43%. Rassmussen has the race there virtually tied, 48-47% Obama over Clinton.

In Ohio, Zogby has Clinton and Obama tied, 47-46% (Clinton over Obama). Rasmussen has Clinton at 50%, Obama at 44% there.

In addition to Ohio and Texas, Clinton is expected to win Rhode Island Tuesday while Obama looks for a win in Vermont.

WSJ: Interviews McCain about economy

Much was made about this statement from John McCain:

“The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should,” I’ve got Greenspan’s book.”

McCain talked to the Wall Street Journal about his views on the economy, social security and taxes.

In the interview with Wall Street Journal, McCain hit all the rights notes.

He wants to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, promised no new taxes and wants to simplify the tax code.

On taxes, Sen. McCain is walking a fine line between courting keep-taxes-low Republicans while insisting he is the candidate of fiscal discipline. Two weeks ago, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos asked him on “This Week” if he were a “‘read my lips’ candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?” referring to a pledge made by President George H.W. Bush, which he later broke. “No new taxes,” Sen. McCain responded. “But under circumstances would you increase taxes?” Mr. Stephanopoulos continued. “No,” Sen. McCain answered.

Asked in The Wall Street Journal interview to clarify, Sen. McCain softened that stance. “I’m not making a ‘read my lips’ statement, in that I will not raise taxes,” he says. “But I’m not saying I can envision a scenario where I would, OK?”

Behind the scenes, his campaign is searching for ways to pay for Sen. McCain’s tax proposals. In addition to extending the Bush tax cuts, the 71-year-old candidate would slash the corporate income-tax rate from 35% to 25% at a cost to the Treasury of $100 billion a year, estimates Mr. Holtz-Eakin.

On social security:

Sen. McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign Web site takes a different view, proposing “supplementing” the existing full Social Security system with personally managed accounts. Such accounts wouldn’t substitute for guaranteed payments, and they wouldn’t be financed by diverting a portion of Social Security payroll taxes.

McCain also added this:

With the U.S. economy softening, he said he might have “a couple of fireside chats with the American people because of what we see in the [consumer] confidence barometers.” But he added that the most potent economic stimulus would be to assure Americans that taxes won’t go up in the future and to “call for a meaningful — and I mean meaningful — approach to simplifying the tax code so that it’s fairer and flatter.”

Another interesting paragraph:

Sen. McCain began to prepare himself for campaigning on economics late in 2005 when Mr. Holtz-Eakin and conservative Kevin Hassett, a veteran of the 2000 McCain campaign, started sending him four-page weekly briefing papers on tax reform, trade and other issues. Sen. McCain also consults with business and political leaders including Cisco Systems Inc. Chief Executive John Chambers; former Republican Texas Sen. Phil Gramm, a deficit hawk; and former Republican vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp, who hails from the deficits-don’t-matter side of the party.

Obviously, McCain wanted to be sure he was up to speed on these issues as far back as 2005 so he could run for President in 2008. I am encouraged by this from John McCain. I believe in lower taxes on both income, investments and corporations. I would much rather see a radical change in our tax code than anything else. But, the realist in me will take whatever I can get. I would also encourage McCain to continue to push for privatization of social security. Bush tried and failed though the program was not very well received by the public. Apparently, we have been conditioned to think the government can take care of our money better than we can. The years of public education have worked (and yes, I went to public schools).

Prop. 300 takes effect.

by Sandra Haros/KTAR
Hundreds of students attending Arizona State University may be forced to drop out because of recent legislation which denies in-state tuition to illegal immigrants.“Lizbeth” was brought to the United States when she was four. She is one of 200 undocumented students awarded the private Sunburst Scholarship through the ASU Foundation.

“I’m a 19-year-old girl who’s a freshman at Arizona State University,” she said. “I declared myself as a pre-med clinical laboratory scientist major and I want to go to medical school and become a surgeon.”

Lizbeth now faces an uncertain future. The scholarship sponsor has run out of money and Lizbeth says there’s no way she can pay out-of-state tuition.

“If they could just have some compassion for the students who lost scholarships,” she said. “As of right now, we don’t know how we’re going to to to school next semester, or if we’re even going to be able to go to school.”

Lizbeth said she has worked hard at her schooling.

“I was on the honor roll for many years in high school, and I did just as well or better than a lot of students who were in high school with me,” she said.

She said she now feels that, “They’re making us seem like we’re criminals instead of just people that are trying to better our lives.”

Written by rob · Filed Under Immigration 

Sanctions bill stands…for now.

March 3, 2008

The Arizona’s Employer Sanctions Law stands for now.

A federal appeals court refused Thursday to bar prosecutors from enforcing Arizona’s new employer-sanctions law while they hear arguments on its legality.

The judges of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco rejected arguments by lawyers for business groups and their allies that they should not let prosecutors investigate, and potentially bring charges against, companies accused of knowingly hiring undocumented workers.

This is only a temporary victory. The 9th Circuit Court of appeals will hear the case, they just chose not to rush it. The case briefs are due in the spring with the trial taking place sometime this summer. Keep in mind the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is the most liberal court in America.

Meanwhile, the virtual border fence has been delayed.

Written by rob · Filed Under Immigration