The City with the second most kidnappings in the world Phoenix? (crime, credit)

[shiphead]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

Just where is our federal government? Selling out?

Yes and no. Should they invest more troops on the border and shipping docks, tracking passports and such and not Iraq? yes. Will this solve the illegal problem? no. Even if they tag us all with a stupid RFID, that won't stop illegal immigration. There will always be a problem and we can never control it, only slow it down.

How do you think the Indians felt when a little bit of people came... then a whole flood came.. lol!

[oak999]

Originally Posted by ABQSunseeker

Let me preface this by saying I've lived in the Phoenix metro area and visit it often. And I've always liked the city and care about it.

Obviously it has some problems, and this one has gotten national attention and is disheartening. I've read the reports and seen the ABC Nightline special.

What's amazing to me are the head-in-the-sand-ostrich types in these threads who simply want to minimize or ignore the news. And who want to continue to be boosters.

The fact that Phoenix is the number 1 kidnapping capital of the country and the 2nd in the world after Mexico City DOES impact each and every person in Phoenix. It means a ton of money and resources, and lots of men who have to fight the problem. And it is getting national attention which sullies the reputation of the city and can legitimately influence businesses not to relocate to the city.

Isn't that obvious? First you acknowledge a problem, then you take steps to deal with it. No one is attacking Phoenix here for the sake of attacking. It is very much a question of the quality of life and future of the city.

Wow I have been gone the whole day and had no idea this many people responded. ABQseeker I agree with you. I love Phoenix its a awesome city and a awesome metro area. If this area was number 1 in car jackings I would say "ok thats something I can maybe live with" but it would be taken into consideration. If the numbers are due to drop houses--fine. But with these drop houses comes more violent coyotes and human-drug smuggling.

I am hoping that the economy picks up and hopefully the City will hire more Police officers so that it can get back to what Phoenix is known for. Its quality of life and being a award winning city.

I hope no one was taking it that I was attacking Phoenix. I like it so much that I was and still am thinking of moving there. But I am out all the time and do not want to be in a place where kidnappings are out of control. I am hoping this is not the smoke before the fire and Phoenix sees more homes being shot up by mexican drug cartels, kidnappings of people being held for money in Phoenix rather then in Mexico.

[oak999]

Originally Posted by w1ngzer0

Yes and no. Should they invest more troops on the border and shipping docks, tracking passports and such and not Iraq? yes. Will this solve the illegal problem? no. Even if they tag us all with a stupid RFID, that won't stop illegal immigration. There will always be a problem and we can never control it, only slow it down.

How do you think the Indians felt when a little bit of people came... then a whole flood came.. lol!

I disagree. E-verify along with other measures will solve this issue. If the illegal immigrants can not find work they will not come or stay. Arizona, the City of Phoenix, and Maricopa County need to take things into their own hands. Its ashame that Washington is so out of touch but many parts of the country are now paying for it. But to just through our hands up and say "well its going to happen anyways" is wrong and also unacceptable. When we can not control our borders and say who (not based on race, religion, sex,etc but on the numbers and things they contribute to the USA) we stop being a country.

I also want to say I have a issue with anyone comming here illegally. But those working here illegally and those doing kidnappings, drug dealing are not always the same as those here illegally. It sucks that Arizona is going to have to tackle this issue and the same is true of the County and City. But there are 2 options. Turn the other way and blame it on the feds (it is their fault) or take the bull by the horns. Phonecians need to understand its their city and Arizonans need to understand its their State. Stop relying on Washington--they are brain dead!

[azjack]

"It sounds like there are some pretty good defensive steps you can take to make sure that you yourself don't fall victim to these kidnappings:
1.) If you're an illegal alien, return to your country of origin as quickly as possible.
2.) Don't get involved with drugs or with the drug trade."

I am sure that human/drug smugglers/kidnappers are model citizens outside of their field of concentration. They probably only commit these specific violent felonies and no others. Hilarious.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by w1ngzer0

Yes and no. Should they invest more troops on the border and shipping docks, tracking passports and such and not Iraq? yes. Will this solve the illegal problem? no. Even if they tag us all with a stupid RFID, that won't stop illegal immigration. There will always be a problem and we can never control it, only slow it down.

My question was rhetorical. The federal government is selling out. What other reason could they have for ignoring a foreign invasion? What reason to have no effective border control?

The best way to stop illegal immigration is to have tighter controls on employers who ignore employment laws and hire illegals anyway. Very few would be tempted to come to US if it were not because of the jobs and money.

Originally Posted by w1ngzer0

How do you think the Indians felt when a little bit of people came... then a whole flood came.. lol!

It could be argued that back then a technologically advanced culture was taking over land and resources owned by a backwards culture. This time it's the reverse.

[blisterpeanuts]

There'd be no drug gang problems and a lot fewer immigration problems if we gringos stopped buying drugs from south of the border. It's billions of U.S. dollars that fund these heavily armed gangs who have become an almost unstoppable menace over much of northern Mexico. They are a scourge comparable to the Islamist extremists in Pakistan, only they're pushing coke, not religion.

Next time you see someone snorting coke at a party or poisoning themselves with whatever drug du jour (I don't keep up with these things) please point out to them that their money is funding instability across Latin America and creeping north into the U.S. I have no problem with what people do in their own homes, and if they want to grow pot or opium or what have you in their back yard and use it as often as they like, hey it's their brain cells, not mine. But please stop buying the stuff from dealers. Or else just legalize the crap and be done with it.

With a little more stability, local businesses in Mexico and points south will flourish, and we'll see fewer of these economic refugees coming north. Obviously the wage differential is going to still draw lots of people, but the maquiladoras south of our border can forestall some of that by meeting them halfway.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by blisterpeanuts

There'd be no drug gang problems and a lot fewer immigration problems if we gringos stopped buying drugs from south of the border. ... Next time you see someone snorting coke at a party or poisoning themselves with whatever drug du jour ...

This is of course the crux of the issue. If Americans didn't buy drugs then there wouldn't be any smuggling problem. There would be no narcotrafficante culture...

Unfortunately that is unrealistic. People won't stop using drugs in spite of you and I wishing they wouldn't use them.

I'd rather see the more benign drugs such as pot simply legalized, and taxed. Turn it into a revenue source for government, and take the profit out of it so that narcotrafficantes would have no profits and no reason to be in business.

Unfortunately most people and political parties wouldn't go for this simple solution.

[Woody7]

Last couple of posts are spot on. Dope money is fueling so much of the trouble along the border on both sides.

[gregandvicky]

I personally know more than a dozens illegals living here. Tell me what to do about it.
The authorities don't seem to care. They do not file income taxes, have kids in school etc etc etc.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by Woody7

Last couple of posts are spot on. Dope money is fueling so much of the trouble along the border on both sides.

Hoping my posts are some of what you are referring to:

(1) We need something better than "cartoon" borders. America's borders are a joke.

(2) The federal government should get serious about requiring employers to ensure that all employees have the legal right to work here.

(3) The federal government should get serious about preventing wage payment "under the table." That's how illegals get paid, and that's how people avoid paying their fair share of taxes. I pay my fair share of taxes and I'm sure you do too. Let's make all employers pay through traceable channels so that the government can verify the right to work here, and so fair taxes are collected, so that those of us who do pay taxes don't have to pay an additional share for those who skip out.

(4) Since there seems to be no way to get people to quit taking drugs, let's at least take the profit out of drug sales, and taking the money out will decrease the violence too. After all, they're mostly fighting about money. No money, no fight, no guns, no violence.

Originally Posted by gregandvicky

I personally know more than a dozens illegals living here. Tell me what to do about it.
The authorities don't seem to care. They do not file income taxes, have kids in school etc etc etc.

Well there isn't really much you can do about specific cases, specific people. Support your lawmakers in the following:

(1) strengthen the borders

(2) Strengthen law enforcement against employers of illegals

(3) Sorry it has come to this, but let's legalize drugs. Not all of them, but at least pot could be legalized. (And no, I don't smoke pot, at least not any more. I quit, for health reasons.)


Take the money out of drugs. Take the money out of people violating our borders. Take the money away and nobody will do that anymore. It's all about money. If the money is gone they won't do that.