In the 20 years I’ve enjoyed a place here, I’ve never been compelled to write a letter to the paper until last week’s letter from a father whose daughter’s snow cone stand was put in suspense because a neighbor questioned if she was set up in a commercial zone. Give me a break? Three words: cut the crap. You did not just exit the Long Island Expressway or the 405 on the other coast and wind up in this magical place.
Having grown up in the West Texas town of Snyder and happily living all my life with an unspoken code of Texas etiquette, I’m here to tell you that doesn’t fly here. I’m not sure what brought you or where you came from, but why don’t you do the “neighborly” thing and walk over to the little girl’s stand and buy one of her snow cones? On second thought, buy two, hand one back to her, lean over and let her pour it over your head.
Here’s to more young local entrepreneurs, more snow cone stands and more snow cones. Lord knows we could use them. Make mine a coconut.
Circle the wagons,
Barry York Tubb
Marfa and Snyder TEXAS
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Dear Friends and Registered Voters,
You may have been told that illegal immigrants are voting in our elections, receiving welfare, bringing in most of the fentanyl, raising crime rates and taking your jobs. All lies. This is the same tactic Hitler used to demonize Jews as causing all the ills in Germany in the 1920s and 30s.
Let’s look at the facts. Under Biden, unemployment has gone down to 3.7%. Good jobs are going begging because our native born do not want them. For 50 years no American has been killed or injured in a terrorist act by someone who crossed the border illegally. Fifty-six joint terrorist task forces identify and detain potential terrorist suspects whether they are on the watch list or not.
Most immigrants today are refugees from countries with violent gangs in control and no jobs to be had. They want a safe place to live for their families and good jobs. The seven immigrant workers killed when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in the middle of the night were working a job our citizens did not want. Immigrants have historically filled hard dangerous jobs in agriculture that Americans do not want.
In the past year Republicans and Democrats together in Congress created a Border Security Bill with tough and fair reforms we needed. It would have added 1,500 new Customs and Border Protection personnel, 4,300 asylum officers, 10,000 ICE detention beds, and 100 new immigration judges to add to the 734 already funded. It would have funded 100 new machines to detect fentanyl, provided $1.4 billion for cities and states to cover services their law enforcement was providing, and expedited work permits for people who have qualified and are in this country. Immigration law badly needed this bipartisan overhaul, but Trump pushed Republican lawmakers to stop this border security bill endorsed by the Border Patrol, so he could use immigration as an issue in his campaign.
In the late 1800s Republicans supported immigration as did President Reagan, acknowledging that America needed workers and was a stronger country by being a nation of immigrants. Biden has continuously asked for more funds for border control and Republicans have refused.
In spite of the surge of immigrants, a bill that would have improved the situation was rejected. In the debate Trump claimed that Central American countries were emptying their prisons and mental institutions and causing a crime surge here. Actually, our crime rates including homicide
have fallen 13%. Ninety percent of deadly drugs coming in from Mexico come in through official ports, not illegal crossings, and 86% of the traffickers are U.S. citizens.
Due to Biden’s new rules to keep families together, illegal land and river crossings have gone down, and more immigrants are applying for asylum at legal ports. Texas State Representative Eddie Morales has offered a plan that provides solutions and takes the profit motive away from the cartels and coyote human traffickers. He asked Governor Abbott to call a special session on border security to discuss solutions such as his plan and others.
Immigration is nothing new. Do Republicans really want solutions or simply more ways to blame Biden and Democrats for all problems, and more lies for gullible supporters to believe?
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Francell
Jeff Davis County Democratic Party