I originally went searching for the text to the `National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act' (H.R. 1505 of 2011) because I simply could NOT believe anyone would be so STUPID as to believe there is a significant amount of illegal immigration going on through wilderness areas on the border between the US and Canada. I simply cannot justify setting aside more than 30 laws related to the protection of the environment and endangered species, given the number of endangered species and the amount of wilderness area negatively impacted by this legislation.
If people are illegally immigrating from Canada they certainly aren't immigrating for social programs because frankly Canada has MUCH better social programs than the US does. I can't recall the last time some brave (or stupid) soul decided to swim the breadth of Lake Superior (or Huron, Erie and Ontario)to immigrate to the US (though there was a fellow a few years ago swim 50 miles of Lake Superior to raise money for a charity)... Of course Lake Superior is C-C-C-COLD even on the hottest day of summer and hypothermia is always a danger but hey... some doofus in DC thinks someone is going to leap into the water at Wawa (Ontario) and SWIM to Marquette (Michigan)... In the words of Kipling: "You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!"
Some of the 9/11 terrorists were claimed to have come in through Canada but that allegation was rapidly shown to be false. Even if they had they would have come through at border crossings rather than wilderness areas so the spectre of terrorists coming through wilderness areas between the US and Canada simply doesn't hold water. Equally... if *I* were to illegally immigrate between the two countries I would use a wilderness area to traipse through...but it's easier to simply drive up to the border crossing area, hand over my driver's license (which has my passport information on it) and drive across the border legally. It's not like there's a whole hell of a lot of illegal drug traffic (comparatively speaking) between Montana/Idaho/Washington and BC. Given the topography of that area and the lack of roads (other than logging roads) one would NEED to be an experienced hiker to take that particular "stroll."
Ignore of course the fact that "Homeland Security" would have to BUILD ROADS into and across the areas in question... I mean gee... there's no DANGER to endangered species when we build roads in wilderness areas... (Sarcasm fully intended)
"Shock and Awe" best describes my feelings on reading that several members of the House of Representatives wish to add the following to the Clean Air Act: `The term `air pollutant' shall not include carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, or sulfur hexafluoride.'. They have titled this the "Free Industry Act" (H.R. 97 of 2011). They followed this bit of nonsense with H.R.2250 the EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 which is well on the way to becoming a law... unless of course it dies in the Senate.
Then there's H.R. 1445 of 2011 which states: "The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency may not prohibit, limit, or control, based on material composition, any type of firearm ammunition or fishing tackle." GREAT... let's go back to lead shot in shotgun shells... I mean gee... Lead IS such a healthy thing we should all be consuming it daily... Isn't it? (Sarcasm fully intended)
And y'all really need to read H.R. 1905 of 2011... it's short title is the `Iran Threat Reduction Act of 2011'.
You can find THOMAS here: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/LegislativeData.php?n=BSS
Please excuse me whilst I get out my poisoned pen and apply it to a few hundred letters to legislator... I think it's time forus to start asking them if they have more than 2 brain cells rubbing together!
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daisyjane
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W H A T ?!!!!!! ............. B U L S H I T!!!!
Aside from some ‘Merikan politicians with IQs in single digits, NO ONE HAS EVER “ADMITTED” ANY SUCH THING!!!! Even the GOP idjits don’t repeat this nonsense any more!! IT FLATLY DID NOT HAPPEN - EVER!!!
And what’s this about no drug smuggling between Washington and B.C. The four mountain chains are crisscrossed with old mining, logging, forestry roads and fire-breaks. Many of these are through such dense, overhanging forest that even spy satellites can’t spot people using them. The commonest carriers are mule trains and pack horses. HUGE quantities of “BC bud” are known to cross to the US and a goodly supply of hard drugs and weapons cross into Canada by these routes.
You are, however, completely right about Canadians not illegally emigrating to the US. But we DO have a number of folks who come here as visitors from South American and Caribbean countries and then try to cross into the US from here. Oddly enough most of them are so ill informed that they try to cross at places where American security is tightest! Of course, these days anyone wanting to go to the US to “seek their fortune” is a brick or two short of a load in the brains department anyway.
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As for the rest of what you write ... I heartily concur. Still, if the increased border security prevents Americans from sneaking into Canada, well -- I'm all for it. First Nations excepted. I'll be more than happy to see them.
Skye... I never said there wasn't any drug trade between the two places... merely that I can't see it being a truly vast amount. Of course I personally have no complaint with BC bud (other than the fact it's harder than hell to get hands on) though I do think they should trade for cash instead of cocaine.
The way the legislation is written it's not to prevent people in the US (be they legal residents or illegal residents) from illegally immigrating to Canada through a wilderness area... it's to prevent Canadians from illegally immigrating to the US via wilderness areas. For some reason I just can't see Canadians illegally immigrating to the US unless they have a screw loose.
Margaret... THOMAS is the Search Engine for the Library of Congress which allows people to search through ALL of the legislation the House and Senate have entered into the official record. Some of it dies in the House, some of it dies in the Senate and some of it is passed by both houses and goes to the President to be signed (or not) as he sees fit.
As for how I found out... I was researching Harry Reid's proposed wind farm (with Duke Energy) near Searchlight (Nevada) which has them (Duke Energy that is) planning to TRANSPLANT adult Joshua Trees (it's nearly impossible to transplant extremely young Joshua Trees), eliminate nesting habitat for endangered desert tortoises (and a few other endangered species) and BLM seems to be inclined to ALLOW this nonsense with absolutely no Environmental Impact Studies being done on the project. The residents of Searchlight are nearly unanimous in their objection to a wind farm surrounding their town on three sides.
I find all sorts of strange things when I go looking for them.
Bo... I posted to both you and Skye up top... and I am about to go edit so as to eliminate my HORRIBLE proofreading job up there. I have to admit... I concur on the First Nations... as a matter of fact... I have long thought it was a shame First Nations citizens couldn't cross back and forth freely without all of the border crossing nonsense.
It does make me wonder though... How is it "Homeland Security" (and there's an oxymoron if ever I saw one) can so thoroughly trash a 200 plus year old Treaty...
This is a rhetorical question, right?
:D
We should all know by now that it's been quite a long time since the gov't (under either 'side') has had any real concern for the environment. There's even less concern in the corporate world.
No surprise there. Sometimes there are glimmers of hope.. but they're faint at best.
Rated for an easily tipped over Sky ;).