Texas crafts plan for Mexico collapse

[peejay 327]

Texas crafts plan for Mexico collapse

"You hope for the best, plan for the worst"

By Brandi Grissom / Austin Bureau

Posted: 02/08/2009 12:00:00 AM MST

AUSTIN -- Texas officials are working on a plan to respond to a potential collapse of the Mexican government and the specter of thousands fleeing north in fear for their lives after recent reports indicated the country could be on the verge of chaos.

"You hope for the best, plan for the worst," Katherine Cesinger, spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry, said last week. "At this point, we've got a contingency plan that's in development."

Late last year the U.S. Department of Defense issued a report that listed Pakistan and Mexico as countries that could rapidly collapse. The report came after similar alarms sounded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and former U.S. drug czar Barry McCaffrey.

"I think their fears are well-grounded," Texas Home land Security Director Steve McCraw told lawmakers recently at a border security briefing.

Lawmakers expressed concern that the state's southern neighbor, embroiled in drug violence and facing uncertain economic conditions, could send thousands north in search of safety.

State Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Sugarland, asked McCraw at the meeting whether Texas had a plan to cope with such a situation.

"We have a preliminary plan," McCraw said. "There needs to be one in place."

McCraw, a Perry appointee, was unavailable to comment for this story, but Cesinger said the plan was in early stages. It now deals with only law enforcement concerns, she said, and not any potential crush of humanitarian needs the state might face if thousands of refugees flood across the border. "That might be something that comes into consideration as it's developed," Cesinger said.

Destabilization in Mexico might be only a remote possibility, but lawmakers said preparing for any potential disaster is prudent.

State Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, said Texas should plan to deal with not only security concerns but also basic needs refugees would have for housing, health care and food.

"It seems very far-fetched that something like this could occur," he said. "At the same time, I think it would be na ve to believe it's impossible."

El Paso Democratic state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh said El Paso is already seeing refugees from the violence in Juárez.

More than 1,600 died in the drug violence there last year, and the bloodbath continues. More than 200 people have been slain so far this year.

Nearly 50 victims of the violence in Juárez were shuttled to Thomason Hospital for treatment last year. And Shapleigh said many people from Juárez who can afford to are moving north to El Paso.

Developing a contingency plan to deal with a potential Mexican downfall makes sense, he said.

"Better to investigate, examine and plan now, rather than make ad hoc decisions later," Shapleigh said.

Tony Payan, a political science professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, said Mexico is nowhere near the brink of demise.

Problems in Mexico are serious, he said, but the nodes of violence are concentrated in specific areas of the country and primarily involve the warring drug cartels.

"I am standing on campus in Ciudad Juárez now," Payan said Thursday. "Students are working, students are going to class, people are shopping."

Developing a plan to cope with a disaster south of the border was not a bad idea, Payan said.

But Texas could do more to help prevent a catastrophe in Mexico, he said, by working with state and local officials in that country to reinforce their governments.

While federal officials in the U.S. and Mexico often work together, Payan said, state and local leaders with firsthand knowledge of the problems often mistrust one another and fail to collaborate to deal with their mutual concerns.

"Often we want to solve the problems with the border as if they stopped at the international line," Payan said, "and they do not."

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_11655113?source=most_viewed

[Jasman0717 9]

I wanta be a recon ranger

I wanta live the life of danger

Semper fi, do or die

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Deploy snipers?

Yeah that sounds reasonable...

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Remember the Alamo? Things did not work at well the last time!

[Jasman0717 9]

Remember the Alamo? Things did not work at well the last time!

Didn't Houston get revenge for the Alamo?

[Peikko 1,575]

Sounds like some pork barrel spending to me. "Right boys, let's put $XXX,XXX in the budget calling it a 'contingency plan in case of worst case scenario - let's call it The Sky is Falling'. We can then have a really good year, yippeee!!!

[EstebanTrabajos 7]

remember is TX, judge everything by the source

[Ban Hammer 14,295]

Remember the Alamo? Things did not work at well the last time!

Didn't Houston get revenge for the Alamo?

at san jacinto.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_San_Jacinto

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Is California prepared?

[Jasman0717 9]

Is California prepared?

Who would want to come here, California has no money

[luckytxn 2,265]

If the Government did collapse then the next Government will just do as they always do there and be as corrupt as always. they will push their citizens northward to find jobs and send money home to bolster their economy and thus more corruption. Cycle will never end in Mexico even in many lifetimes.

[peejay 327]

If the Government did collapse then the next Government will just do as they always do there and be as corrupt as always. they will push their citizens northward to find jobs and send money home to bolster their economy and thus more corruption. Cycle will never end in Mexico even in many lifetimes.

It could end here in the USA if fools, idiots, and bleeding hearts would ever realize it will never end in Mexico. Mandatory E-Verify, fencing, and US troops patrolling on the border would do the trick. Secure the frigging border. Just let nature take its natural course in Mexico. That country and it's people need a good dose of chickens coming to roost. What they sow is what they reap. All the bleeding hearts in America just delay the inevitable and spreads the misery over here. But liberals have always subscribed to the "misery loves company" school of thought. I don't like misery. So why invite it into your own country? Mexico is only too happy to kick the can across the Rio Grande into the USA for us to deal with. Why should we keep letting them keep doing it? It makes no sense to me. It makes no sense at all.

Instead of deporting them back to Mexico...we should kick the can across the border to Canada. Yes...misery loves company. Spread the wealth.

[luckytxn 2,265]

Or how about this. many countries we only allow certain amount of money to leave here. There are many countries we watch very closely what money leaves and forbid it. We could start saying that if you are here illegally that you can't keep wiring this wealth back home. It would be hard of course as most illegals have fake papers that look real. (Peejay go to a Fiesta mart on the weekend when the border service agents don't work and see the long lines of illegals buying fake papers)( Or used to anyway)

Can one imagine if the illegals had to go back and actually had to face the hard realities of their hugely corrupt government. A Government that has much natural beauty and wealth should be able to stand on their own and be among the top tier countries with the U.S. The government is so corrupt and dishonest there that they just divide the country up among the elite that is ruling. All wealth flows into Mexico City. Very centralized. Leaving little for the citizenry except to fend for themselves. Pathetic.

[peejay 327]

(Peejay go to a Fiesta mart on the weekend when the border service agents don't work and see the long lines of illegals buying fake papers)

I've been watching this go on in Houston since the 1970's. It is open and blatant. Corruption breeds corruption. You are what you eat. Hence...we have probably 20 million illegal aliens in the USA. That is what we have become.

Houston doesn't even resemble the town I grew up in. And I can damned sure say it ain't for the better. From reading the reader's comments in the Houston Chronicle, most others here don't think so either. Most are disgusted and dismayed.

The big winners in this sleazy game are corrupt businesses, corrupt politicians, the corrupt Mexican government, and the illegal aliens that blatantly break any law they don't find convenient to them. Most everybody else gets screwed and pays the price of this sleaziness.

As far as Border Patrol...how effective can they be with illegal alien cheerleaders like Obama and Napolitano calling the shots? Change? It is for the worst in this regard. More of the same if not worst.

Edited February 16, 2009 by peejay

[luckytxn 2,265]

I was born and raised in Houston my whole life. I moved away down in the bay area and now long time League city in the early 80's. It si not the same city but of course none are.

I remember when border states were telling the rest of the country decades ago we were being invaded and no one listened. Now they do as many are now in all the cities taking away the jobs and I see them in small towns too. Now they want to whine when just a couple decades we had a chance to stop this.

By the way I graduated from Milby high school. Year of 1978.

Edited February 16, 2009 by luckytxn