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Yet, every Texan friend of mine thinks this is a waste of money.
Yes, they want Border Patrol to be funded and exist, but not a vanity wall. And, I have quite a few Texan friends. So, please don't speak for the entire state.
They "think" it's a waste of money? Have they even researched this issue at all or searched for the needs and wants of our Border Patrol who are on the front lines? Bleeding hearts and those with a vested interest in illegal immigration don't bother themselves with the above because it doesn't fit their pro-illegal agenda and will vote likewise in polls. There is a large Hispanic population in Texas also so I'm skeptical.
My bad on that. However, just because somebody has a job paying $8.00 an hour doesn't mean they can afford to live.
They should be adding skills, just as hundreds of millions of Americans have done, all through our history.
$8 an hour jobs are fine, for kids in high school, but not for prime working years age adults. The traditional way out, post secondary education and training, is as vibrant as ever, for those with drive.
If anything, this shows how essential government services are. Politicians always like to say that small business and entrepreneurs are the engine that drives the US economy. True, but the government is the wheels that make it go. It is absolute foolishness to say otherwise. Government contracts are not being signed. Permits are not being issued or recorded. Do you need a passport? How about a tax refund? Maybe you are seeking a government grant? Commerce in this country depends on government services.
IMO, the time to truly and decisively identify and deal with 'essential' versus 'non-essential' government departments, agencies and programs (and fraud, waste and abuse) is long overdue. For years, big, bloated government has continued to grow, even though most recognize that much of government is entrenched bureaucracies and fiefdoms that produce little, but, overhead cost.
OTOH, government employees are real people with jobs and families ... and a large-scale reduction needs more of a plan and cushion than an arbitrary sweeping 'blanket reduction.'
In the (repeated) government shutdown situation, income timing, not actual loss, is the real issue (and should be addressed). But, the greater, long-term issue of 'government bloat' is an enormous 'elephant-in-the-room' that isn't going to simply go away.
Private corporations are too waste conscious and profit-minded to allow this type of bloat (Of course, they aren't spending 'other people's money!') In an ideal world, our government would operate a lot more like an accountable business, rather than a mindless bureaucracy with unlimited funds.
Last edited by jghorton; 01-07-2019 at 09:43 PM..
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Have they even researched this issue at all or searched for the needs and wants of our Border Patrol who are on the front lines? Bleeding hearts and those with a vested interest in illegal immigration don't bother themselves with the above because it doesn't fit their pro-illegal agenda and will vote likewise in polls. There is a large Hispanic population in Texas also so I'm skeptical. 
