The Fence on the Border: A Legislative Practical Joke

ã Dr. Gary D. Lemmons, October 29, 2006

The President on Thursday, October 26, with much fanfare, signed legislation that would provide for 700 miles of fencing along the border with Mexico and four American states: Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas.  This fencing would be designed to help reduce the number of illegal immigrants entering the United States via our southern boundary

This was not the legislation the President had wanted.  He had favored a law for certain illegal aliens, currently living and working in the United States, to be allowed a track toward citizenship.  Further, he desired that a “guest worker” program be created to provide a way that more non-citizen (especially Mexican and other Latin American) workers could be admitted on a temporary basis to do the menial jobs that, allegedly, American workers will not do for the near slave wages paid by the employers.

The “Rump” Congress, which is what this greatest collection of losers gathered together in one place, except possibly in a prison is, addressed this issue as they have most other issues coming before them in this Congressional session.  They created a piece of legislation that would be politically attractive to the prejudices and preconceptions of the voters in order to get themselves re-elected!

Now, here is something the voters may have missed in all the fanfare.

The legislation the President signed yesterday authorizes the erection of the fence.  It DOES NOT appropriate one solitary dime for the construction of that fence!  That funding will have to come in the form of future appropriation bills…you know, like the one authorizing the now infamous, “bridge to nowhere!”

I realize that I am “voice crying in the wilderness,” but until the American people take back Congress, we will continue to be treated to these legislative “practical jokes.”  Taking back Congress does not mean just changing the political party in control.  It means destroying the “life-long legislative” careers of professional politicians.

Provided that an incumbent politician’s opponent is not an Islamist Fanatic or a Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, said incumbent should NEVER serve more than two terms in office.   Having served in office for two terms, politicians should be prohibited from seeking re-election to that particular office ever again!

There should be NO such thing as a Congressional Pension System.  Senators and Representatives should be allowed to contribute to a 401 K while they are in office and the taxpayers should be allowed to contribute the employer part in the amount of up to the prime interest rate.  That should clear the two chambers of Congress of a lot of “lifetime legislative leeches.”

Of course, we will never enact the necessary constitutional amendments to put our house in order.  Instead, we will keep re-electing these political hacks term after term and marvel at the incompetence of our national government.  We have no one to blame but ourselves!