Who is supporting the immigrant caravan?

[NattyBohChamps04]

Infrastructure bill.....who did that? The Republicans? Yes, it starts in Congress, technically. If you prefer, I can put it on Pelosi for not flooring immigration reform bills.

Yay, one bill that's been in the works for years if not longer under how many rewrites? Introduced now by a president. You want presidents to be the ones introducing bill after bill? You and I know it's not their job even if they do it once in a while.

Please let me know what bills have been submitted the past 30 years before you moan about both sides.

For immigration?

Yes.

What problems are you looking to solve with legislation? We have hundreds of problems regarding immigration. With insanely varied problems from crime to asylum to work stuff. You're focused on e-verifty. Great. And what about everything else? Who would like to turn on e-verify and who wouldn't?

I have no problem with them working on it piecemeal. What part of Immigration reform did Obama pass in the two years he had control of government? Or Trump? My point is: scoreboard.

Obama didn't "pass" bills. He either signed or vetoed laws. Laws created and "passed" by a friendly congress for a few weeks, a bipartisan congress for a bit and an oppositional congress for a while.. And what he tried to push vs. what his opposition pushed is a bigger indication of the state of the nation. And look at state legislatures, it's no constest as to who's looking out for mr. big man.

What do you think a supermajority Republican government will push in the next decade? Healthcare reform, immigrant reform. Or taking away rights of minorities, legitimate centrist voter, and more? Centrism is a fine ideal when both sides are rational. But we're fighting for non-extremism vs. extremism at this point, and extremism is pulling us further right.

[a fan]

And what he tried to push vs. what his opposition pushed is a bigger indication of the state of the nation.

Agree. I didn't and don't like Obamacare. But it did put poor people on health insurance. That's a good outcome you can point to....

And look at state legislatures, it's no constest as to who's looking out for mr. big man.

Different conversation than national. In NY? The Dems are giving away tax breaks to corporations like their lives depend on it. And handing the tab to the little guy.

Colorado? We've got reasonable, actual conservatives in office. And both parties are all hamstrung by an insane tax law that makes us try and run things in 2023 based on tax assessments from 1995.

What do you think a supermajority Republican government will push in the next decade?

Oh that's easy.....more tax cuts, and more random spending that isn't really directed anywhere.

Centrism is a fine ideal when both sides are rational.

Agree again. I've said it a million times...Republicans aren't real conservatives anymore.

But we're fighting for non-extremism vs. extremism at this point, and extremism is pulling us further right.

We've been pulling further right for 20+ years. I agree. It's why all 1st world nations have government funded healthcare and nearly free Universities. We stopped helping the working class YEARS ago, and it shows up in EVERY metric. I agree.

[Farfromgeneva]

And what he tried to push vs. what his opposition pushed is a bigger indication of the state of the nation.

Agree. I didn't and don't like Obamacare. But it did put poor people on health insurance. That's a good outcome you can point to....

And look at state legislatures, it's no constest as to who's looking out for mr. big man.

Different conversation than national. In NY? The Dems are giving away tax breaks to corporations like their lives depend on it. And handing the tab to the little guy.

Colorado? We've got reasonable, actual conservatives in office. And both parties are all hamstrung by an insane tax law that makes us try and run things in 2023 based on tax assessments from 1995.

What do you think a supermajority Republican government will push in the next decade?

Oh that's easy.....more tax cuts, and more random spending that isn't really directed anywhere.

Centrism is a fine ideal when both sides are rational.

Agree again. I've said it a million times...Republicans aren't real conservatives anymore.

But we're fighting for non-extremism vs. extremism at this point, and extremism is pulling us further right.

We've been pulling further right for 20+ years. I agree. It's why all 1st world nations have government funded healthcare and nearly free Universities. We stopped helping the working class YEARS ago, and it shows up in EVERY metric. I agree.

Kemp begins 2nd Georgia term with new pay raise pledge

By That Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Gov Brian Kemp pledged a low-drama conservative agenda after being sworn in Thursday for a second term, calling for $2,000 pay raises for all state and university employees and public school teachers and more job growth focused on manufacturing electric vehicles.

It’s a vision copied from the 59-year-old Republican’s first term, steadily Republican, but not pushing the ideological frontier. Kemp said he will lead in the same fashion during his second four years after taking his oath of office at Georgia State University’s convocation center in Atlanta.

“We stayed focused on what mattered to real people, real families and real communities across our state,” Kemp said. “The deal we offered voters was that your state government should care a lot more about safe streets, good schools and good paying jobs than what the pundits are saying on the cable news.”

Also sworn in were other Republican statewide officials Kemp helped carry to victory in November as he thrashed Democrat Stacey Abrams. Taking office Thursday were Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Attorney General Chris Carr, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson, Insurance Commissioner John King and schools Superintendent Richard Woods.

Kemp’s towering political successes have given him a national political profile, thriving as a Republican despite former President Donald Trump’s enmity. Kemp even basked in a presidential boomlet in the weeks after he beat Abrams. After taking his oath, he’s jetting off to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where his staff says he will tell global elites about how his conservative governance has promoted economic success.

Saying that “this old construction guy from Athens has never been more optimistic about our state’s future,” Kemp again placed his economic message at the center of his second term, staking his reputation on nurturing businesses and increasing jobs.

“Over the next four years, we’re going to be focused on growing Georgia, not growing government,” Kemp said. “That’s why we will invest state dollars by putting them back in your pockets, not using them to build new bureaucracy.”

Kemp reiterated his campaign promises to give another $1 billion of income tax refunds and to give a $1.1 billion property tax rebate. Kemp plans to use Georgia’s $6.6 billion in surplus cash to pay for those givebacks, as well as refill the state’s roadbuilding coffers after suspending gas tax collections for 10 months.

But the pay raise pledge will mean new spending, costing hundreds of millions of dollars to deliver raises to public employees, although Abrams had pledged much larger raises for teachers. Kemp said it was necessary to retain workers as the turnover rate among state employees soared to a record in the budget year that ended June 30. Kemp delivered $5,000 pay raises to teachers and state and university employees in his first term.

“From the classroom to the state patrol, if you want to keep good people in jobs critical to the safety and wellbeing of our children, our communities and the state as a whole, we must be willing to be competitive with state salaries,” Kemp said.

The governor said he would propose $150 million in one-time grants to improve school security, induce districts to help students catch up on things they did not learn during the pandemic and help classroom aides become teachers. Kemp also said he would focus on tougher penalties for criminals.

“We are encouraged by Gov. Kemp’s announcement today of a proposed $2,000 increase to the state salary schedule for Georgia pre-K–12 teachers and certified K-12 personnel,” said Professional Association of Georgia Educators Executive Director Craig Harper. “There is no doubt that a salary increase would assist with recruitment and retention of excellent educators for Georgia’s children.”

Citing a wave of planned factories spearheaded by two giant electric vehicle assembly plants and two big battery plants, Kemp said he wants to build on the $23 billion in announced projects to make Georgia the center of electrified transportation.

“By the end of my second term as your governor, I intend for Georgia to be recognized as the electric mobility capital of America,” Kemp said, embracing a goal that has been pushed by his economic development chief, Pat Wilson.

Just Wednesday, South Korean firm Hanwha Solutions announced plans for $2.5 billion in solar panel plants in Georgia.

Brian Robinson, a Republican political consultant who was former Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal’s communications chief, said Kemp’s “political shackles are off,” particularly if Kemp does not plan to run for office again.

“He has the ability for a period of time to enact a vision, to do something that is a legacy project. He can think big, he can think bold, and deliver on change,” Robinson said, saying that window probably runs through the end of the 2024 legislative session, before lame duck status will cut into Kemp’s influence.

The peak achievements that define the most successful recent Georgia governors have been centered inside state government. Democrat Joe Frank Harris implemented the state’s current education funding formula and backed Atlanta’s 1996 Olympics bid. Democrat Zell Miller created HOPE college scholarships and prekindergarten funded by the state lottery. And Deal reformed Georgia’s criminal justice system and backed a tax increase for road construction.

But Kemp says he’s reaching for a long-term legacy project outside state government, in keeping with his economic focus.

“I believe our success over the next five, 10, 15 years will be thanks to the resolve, the character, the ingenuity of our people, our families, our communities, our businesses, not solely the actions of government,” Kemp said.

Copyright 2023 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

[old salt]

It's really sad what's happening in Mexico.
Matamoros was a delightful place to visit, before the NAFTA population boom.
It was one of our favorite weekend getaways when stationed in Corpus Christi.

[Typical Lax Dad]

It's really sad what's happening in Mexico.
Matamoros was a delightful place to visit, before the NAFTA population boom.
It was one of our favorite weekend getaways when stationed in Corpus Christi.

Mexico used to be nice.

[youthathletics]

Great friggen idea. https://roy.house.gov/media/press-relea ... error-list

Reps. Chip Roy and Mark Green Request Drug Cartels Be Added To Terror List

More from Chip Roy...

Why do these specific cartels qualify as a Foreign Terrorist Organizations? They:

- are a foreign organization.
- meet the definition of ‘terrorism’ and engage in terrorist activity as defined by (22 U.S.C. § 2656f(d)(2)) and (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B)) of the U.S. code.

I think we can all agree that the cartels are brutal organizations which use violence as a major part of their business model. And deserve the toughest of responses.

But should we really confuse crime organizations whose motivations are $ with ideologically motivated violence?
Are they really the same thing?

Why conflate the two? Can't we walk and chew gum?

The story continues.....Trump Plans Crackdown on Fentanyl Shipments from China, Others

The Trump administration is considering an executive order to crack down on shipments of fentanyl and counterfeit goods, according to people familiar with the matter, a move aimed in part at pressuring China to help the U.S. combat its opioid epidemic...

...Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro, who is leading the effort on the executive order, often refers to the sale of fentanyl as one of what he calls China’s “seven deadly sins.” People briefed on the order said it’s likely China would retaliate against the U.S. move.

Interesting...so, the drugs don't come over the border?

"The draft order would target foreign shippers routing deliveries through the U.S. Postal Service -- not the two-largest U.S. couriers United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp., according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. One person familiar with the proposal said that China is a focus for the action, though the presidential order is not limited to that nation."

Attacking it on both fronts in one swoop. Bottom line, fighting for safety of our nation.

I'm 100% in favor with battling this scourge. So, I'm loathe to be overly critical of any legit efforts to actually accomplish improvement.

But really?

You guys have been claiming the fentanyl is coming over the southern border. That's not the primary way. It comes by air.
It's going to continue to come, by whatever means, as long as there are enormous profits to be made.

Why is Trump not interested in what FedEx and UPS do, just USPS? I hate to say it, but this appears to be just a posturing move, a way to tell Fox viewers that he's "doing something" and at the same time accuse the Chinese of being bad folks, the 'enemy'.

Our problem with opioids is of our making, and there's some reckoning with that finally happening. But we're not going to break the back of illegal drug trafficking until we decriminalize drug usage and take the profit out of the criminal networks. And we need to treat addiction as a public health crisis.

You are not doing a very good job of thinking a move or two ahead, you seem too worried to find blame with anything Trump or fit in a reference to fox news. If we lock down or significantly slow down China import of fentanyl , then I ask you "how does it then try and make its way here".....BINGO? the new primary way is the southern border, and who is receiving the goods form China...BINGO, the cartels, and how do they get it here if we are also more scrutinized on our southern border.

We can walk and chew gum at the same time....I believe I have heard that from someone on the forum once before. Enjoy your Sunday MD!

Nope, most of the fentanyl illegally making its way to the US is coming from ports of entry. Mostly by post. This was a huge canard about the southern border.

The problem is that it's very, very dense, so it's super easy to ship and to hide.

I don't have any objection to trying to stem the flow, but we know darn well that where there are huge profits to be made there's no way to "win the drug war". It's just a 'feel good', 'act tough' move. And OBTW has the added benefit of demonizing the Chinese.

Just don't kid yourself about the reality.

Now, I do think that we can legitimately ask the Chinese to crack down on the criminals within China who are involved. That's a very legit ask. It's just not something that we should be belligerent about.

Prescient

DEA saves potentially 700,000 lives from drugs entering from our south.

Mexican criminal drug networks are mass-producing illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-laced fake pills, using chemicals sourced largely from China, and are distributing these pills through U.S. criminal networks. These fake pills are designed to appear nearly identical to legitimate prescriptions such as Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Adderall®, Xanax® and other medicines. Criminal drug networks are selling these pills through social media, e-commerce, the dark web and existing distribution networks. As a result, these fake pills are widely available. The Department of Justice will continue to collaborate closely with its international partners, within Mexico and around the world, to aggressively investigate and prosecute the members of these drug networks.

https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2021 ... lls-public

I doubt any law enforcement agency will ever prosecute these dealers. Usually folks who wind up on the wrong side of these dealers wind up on the side of the road with a bullet in their head.

When one pill kills

“It was as easy as ordering a pizza,” Capelouto said. “He delivered right to our house.”

Manufactured by Mexican drug trafficking organizations, these counterfeit pills look like legitimate prescription medicines. But 2 in 5 counterfeit pills seized and tested in the United States contain enough fentanyl to kill, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said that social media companies aren’t doing enough to crack down on counterfeit pills.

"Social media companies know that their platforms are being used for this. And they need to understand that Americans are dying at record rates and they need to be a partner in stopping it,” she said Monday in an interview with Kate Snow on NBC’s “TODAY” show.

Another example of how 'self-regulation' of social media companies, with protection from liability, simply does not cut it.

But no, Ann, they're not going to be a 'partner' at stopping it. Not unless they are forced to do so by greater costs than the benefits of continuing as they are. They won't do this out of the goodness of their hearts. Unfortunately.

Not that they will do zero...they'll do just enough to be able to generate positive PR, a shield against real consequences.

Dag gummit: it is coming from Mexico.

https://wtop.com/world/2023/03/mexican- ... dCA2BjO-UQ

There is little debate among U.S. and even Mexican officials that almost all the fentanyl consumed in the United States is produced and processed in Mexico

[Typical Lax Dad]

Great friggen idea. https://roy.house.gov/media/press-relea ... error-list

Reps. Chip Roy and Mark Green Request Drug Cartels Be Added To Terror List

More from Chip Roy...

Why do these specific cartels qualify as a Foreign Terrorist Organizations? They:

- are a foreign organization.
- meet the definition of ‘terrorism’ and engage in terrorist activity as defined by (22 U.S.C. § 2656f(d)(2)) and (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B)) of the U.S. code.

I think we can all agree that the cartels are brutal organizations which use violence as a major part of their business model. And deserve the toughest of responses.

But should we really confuse crime organizations whose motivations are $ with ideologically motivated violence?
Are they really the same thing?

Why conflate the two? Can't we walk and chew gum?

The story continues.....Trump Plans Crackdown on Fentanyl Shipments from China, Others

The Trump administration is considering an executive order to crack down on shipments of fentanyl and counterfeit goods, according to people familiar with the matter, a move aimed in part at pressuring China to help the U.S. combat its opioid epidemic...

...Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro, who is leading the effort on the executive order, often refers to the sale of fentanyl as one of what he calls China’s “seven deadly sins.” People briefed on the order said it’s likely China would retaliate against the U.S. move.

Interesting...so, the drugs don't come over the border?

"The draft order would target foreign shippers routing deliveries through the U.S. Postal Service -- not the two-largest U.S. couriers United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp., according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. One person familiar with the proposal said that China is a focus for the action, though the presidential order is not limited to that nation."

Attacking it on both fronts in one swoop. Bottom line, fighting for safety of our nation.

I'm 100% in favor with battling this scourge. So, I'm loathe to be overly critical of any legit efforts to actually accomplish improvement.

But really?

You guys have been claiming the fentanyl is coming over the southern border. That's not the primary way. It comes by air.
It's going to continue to come, by whatever means, as long as there are enormous profits to be made.

Why is Trump not interested in what FedEx and UPS do, just USPS? I hate to say it, but this appears to be just a posturing move, a way to tell Fox viewers that he's "doing something" and at the same time accuse the Chinese of being bad folks, the 'enemy'.

Our problem with opioids is of our making, and there's some reckoning with that finally happening. But we're not going to break the back of illegal drug trafficking until we decriminalize drug usage and take the profit out of the criminal networks. And we need to treat addiction as a public health crisis.

You are not doing a very good job of thinking a move or two ahead, you seem too worried to find blame with anything Trump or fit in a reference to fox news. If we lock down or significantly slow down China import of fentanyl , then I ask you "how does it then try and make its way here".....BINGO? the new primary way is the southern border, and who is receiving the goods form China...BINGO, the cartels, and how do they get it here if we are also more scrutinized on our southern border.

We can walk and chew gum at the same time....I believe I have heard that from someone on the forum once before. Enjoy your Sunday MD!

Nope, most of the fentanyl illegally making its way to the US is coming from ports of entry. Mostly by post. This was a huge canard about the southern border.

The problem is that it's very, very dense, so it's super easy to ship and to hide.

I don't have any objection to trying to stem the flow, but we know darn well that where there are huge profits to be made there's no way to "win the drug war". It's just a 'feel good', 'act tough' move. And OBTW has the added benefit of demonizing the Chinese.

Just don't kid yourself about the reality.

Now, I do think that we can legitimately ask the Chinese to crack down on the criminals within China who are involved. That's a very legit ask. It's just not something that we should be belligerent about.

Prescient

DEA saves potentially 700,000 lives from drugs entering from our south.

Mexican criminal drug networks are mass-producing illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-laced fake pills, using chemicals sourced largely from China, and are distributing these pills through U.S. criminal networks. These fake pills are designed to appear nearly identical to legitimate prescriptions such as Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Adderall®, Xanax® and other medicines. Criminal drug networks are selling these pills through social media, e-commerce, the dark web and existing distribution networks. As a result, these fake pills are widely available. The Department of Justice will continue to collaborate closely with its international partners, within Mexico and around the world, to aggressively investigate and prosecute the members of these drug networks.

https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2021 ... lls-public

I doubt any law enforcement agency will ever prosecute these dealers. Usually folks who wind up on the wrong side of these dealers wind up on the side of the road with a bullet in their head.

When one pill kills

“It was as easy as ordering a pizza,” Capelouto said. “He delivered right to our house.”

Manufactured by Mexican drug trafficking organizations, these counterfeit pills look like legitimate prescription medicines. But 2 in 5 counterfeit pills seized and tested in the United States contain enough fentanyl to kill, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said that social media companies aren’t doing enough to crack down on counterfeit pills.

"Social media companies know that their platforms are being used for this. And they need to understand that Americans are dying at record rates and they need to be a partner in stopping it,” she said Monday in an interview with Kate Snow on NBC’s “TODAY” show.

Another example of how 'self-regulation' of social media companies, with protection from liability, simply does not cut it.

But no, Ann, they're not going to be a 'partner' at stopping it. Not unless they are forced to do so by greater costs than the benefits of continuing as they are. They won't do this out of the goodness of their hearts. Unfortunately.

Not that they will do zero...they'll do just enough to be able to generate positive PR, a shield against real consequences.

Dag gummit: it is coming from Mexico.

https://wtop.com/world/2023/03/mexican- ... dCA2BjO-UQ

There is little debate among U.S. and even Mexican officials that almost all the fentanyl consumed in the United States is produced and processed in Mexico

What does this have to do with immigration?

[youthathletics]

DR

[Typical Lax Dad]

DR

YS

[youthathletics]

DR

YS

01001100 01110101 01100011 01101011 00100000 01100010 01100001 01101100 01101100 01111010

[Typical Lax Dad]

DR

YS

01001100 01110101 01100011 01101011 00100000 01100010 01100001 01101100 01101100 01111010

Y01001100 01110101C 01100011S M01101011 D00100000 A01100010 S01100001 A01101100 I01101100 B01111010 AN

And L DEEZ

[Farfromgeneva]

DR

YS

01001100 01110101 01100011 01101011 00100000 01100010 01100001 01101100 01101100 01111010

Y01001100 01110101C 01100011S M01101011 D00100000 A01100010 S01100001 A01101100 I01101100 B01111010 AN

And L DEEZ

This is one code I know!

[youthathletics]

DR

YS

01001100 01110101 01100011 01101011 00100000 01100010 01100001 01101100 01101100 01111010

Y01001100 01110101C 01100011S M01101011 D00100000 A01100010 S01100001 A01101100 I01101100 B01111010 AN

And L DEEZ

Cant figure out the last 4 letters, maybe your coding is slipping.

[Typical Lax Dad]

DR

YS

01001100 01110101 01100011 01101011 00100000 01100010 01100001 01101100 01101100 01111010

Y01001100 01110101C 01100011S M01101011 D00100000 A01100010 S01100001 A01101100 I01101100 B01111010 AN

And L DEEZ

Cant figure out the last 4 letters, maybe your coding is slipping.

Good luck this weekend.

[MDlaxfan76]

Great friggen idea. https://roy.house.gov/media/press-relea ... error-list

Reps. Chip Roy and Mark Green Request Drug Cartels Be Added To Terror List

More from Chip Roy...

Why do these specific cartels qualify as a Foreign Terrorist Organizations? They:

- are a foreign organization.
- meet the definition of ‘terrorism’ and engage in terrorist activity as defined by (22 U.S.C. § 2656f(d)(2)) and (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B)) of the U.S. code.

I think we can all agree that the cartels are brutal organizations which use violence as a major part of their business model. And deserve the toughest of responses.

But should we really confuse crime organizations whose motivations are $ with ideologically motivated violence?
Are they really the same thing?

Why conflate the two? Can't we walk and chew gum?

The story continues.....Trump Plans Crackdown on Fentanyl Shipments from China, Others

The Trump administration is considering an executive order to crack down on shipments of fentanyl and counterfeit goods, according to people familiar with the matter, a move aimed in part at pressuring China to help the U.S. combat its opioid epidemic...

...Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro, who is leading the effort on the executive order, often refers to the sale of fentanyl as one of what he calls China’s “seven deadly sins.” People briefed on the order said it’s likely China would retaliate against the U.S. move.

Interesting...so, the drugs don't come over the border?

"The draft order would target foreign shippers routing deliveries through the U.S. Postal Service -- not the two-largest U.S. couriers United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp., according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. One person familiar with the proposal said that China is a focus for the action, though the presidential order is not limited to that nation."

Attacking it on both fronts in one swoop. Bottom line, fighting for safety of our nation.

I'm 100% in favor with battling this scourge. So, I'm loathe to be overly critical of any legit efforts to actually accomplish improvement.

But really?

You guys have been claiming the fentanyl is coming over the southern border. That's not the primary way. It comes by air.
It's going to continue to come, by whatever means, as long as there are enormous profits to be made.

Why is Trump not interested in what FedEx and UPS do, just USPS? I hate to say it, but this appears to be just a posturing move, a way to tell Fox viewers that he's "doing something" and at the same time accuse the Chinese of being bad folks, the 'enemy'.

Our problem with opioids is of our making, and there's some reckoning with that finally happening. But we're not going to break the back of illegal drug trafficking until we decriminalize drug usage and take the profit out of the criminal networks. And we need to treat addiction as a public health crisis.

You are not doing a very good job of thinking a move or two ahead, you seem too worried to find blame with anything Trump or fit in a reference to fox news. If we lock down or significantly slow down China import of fentanyl , then I ask you "how does it then try and make its way here".....BINGO? the new primary way is the southern border, and who is receiving the goods form China...BINGO, the cartels, and how do they get it here if we are also more scrutinized on our southern border.

We can walk and chew gum at the same time....I believe I have heard that from someone on the forum once before. Enjoy your Sunday MD!

Nope, most of the fentanyl illegally making its way to the US is coming from ports of entry. Mostly by post. This was a huge canard about the southern border.

The problem is that it's very, very dense, so it's super easy to ship and to hide.

I don't have any objection to trying to stem the flow, but we know darn well that where there are huge profits to be made there's no way to "win the drug war". It's just a 'feel good', 'act tough' move. And OBTW has the added benefit of demonizing the Chinese.

Just don't kid yourself about the reality.

Now, I do think that we can legitimately ask the Chinese to crack down on the criminals within China who are involved. That's a very legit ask. It's just not something that we should be belligerent about.

Prescient

DEA saves potentially 700,000 lives from drugs entering from our south.

Mexican criminal drug networks are mass-producing illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-laced fake pills, using chemicals sourced largely from China, and are distributing these pills through U.S. criminal networks. These fake pills are designed to appear nearly identical to legitimate prescriptions such as Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Adderall®, Xanax® and other medicines. Criminal drug networks are selling these pills through social media, e-commerce, the dark web and existing distribution networks. As a result, these fake pills are widely available. The Department of Justice will continue to collaborate closely with its international partners, within Mexico and around the world, to aggressively investigate and prosecute the members of these drug networks.

https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2021 ... lls-public

I doubt any law enforcement agency will ever prosecute these dealers. Usually folks who wind up on the wrong side of these dealers wind up on the side of the road with a bullet in their head.

When one pill kills

“It was as easy as ordering a pizza,” Capelouto said. “He delivered right to our house.”

Manufactured by Mexican drug trafficking organizations, these counterfeit pills look like legitimate prescription medicines. But 2 in 5 counterfeit pills seized and tested in the United States contain enough fentanyl to kill, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said that social media companies aren’t doing enough to crack down on counterfeit pills.

"Social media companies know that their platforms are being used for this. And they need to understand that Americans are dying at record rates and they need to be a partner in stopping it,” she said Monday in an interview with Kate Snow on NBC’s “TODAY” show.

Another example of how 'self-regulation' of social media companies, with protection from liability, simply does not cut it.

But no, Ann, they're not going to be a 'partner' at stopping it. Not unless they are forced to do so by greater costs than the benefits of continuing as they are. They won't do this out of the goodness of their hearts. Unfortunately.

Not that they will do zero...they'll do just enough to be able to generate positive PR, a shield against real consequences.

Dag gummit: it is coming from Mexico.

https://wtop.com/world/2023/03/mexican- ... dCA2BjO-UQ

There is little debate among U.S. and even Mexican officials that almost all the fentanyl consumed in the United States is produced and processed in Mexico

Yes, that's now the leading pipeline, with chemicals produced in China, made into pills by cartels in Mexico.
Shipped by air, sea, land to America. Mostly via commercial routes.
Challenging to detect, very "valuable".

But this isn't an immigration issue, it's a criminal smuggling issue.

A demand issue here in America is driving this problem and guess what, there are even worse (yikes!) drugs hitting the market now.

The criminals will supply whatever is the best dollar for their risk.

[youthathletics]

Great friggen idea. https://roy.house.gov/media/press-relea ... error-list

Reps. Chip Roy and Mark Green Request Drug Cartels Be Added To Terror List

More from Chip Roy...

Why do these specific cartels qualify as a Foreign Terrorist Organizations? They:

- are a foreign organization.
- meet the definition of ‘terrorism’ and engage in terrorist activity as defined by (22 U.S.C. § 2656f(d)(2)) and (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B)) of the U.S. code.

I think we can all agree that the cartels are brutal organizations which use violence as a major part of their business model. And deserve the toughest of responses.

But should we really confuse crime organizations whose motivations are $ with ideologically motivated violence?
Are they really the same thing?

Why conflate the two? Can't we walk and chew gum?

The story continues.....Trump Plans Crackdown on Fentanyl Shipments from China, Others

The Trump administration is considering an executive order to crack down on shipments of fentanyl and counterfeit goods, according to people familiar with the matter, a move aimed in part at pressuring China to help the U.S. combat its opioid epidemic...

...Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro, who is leading the effort on the executive order, often refers to the sale of fentanyl as one of what he calls China’s “seven deadly sins.” People briefed on the order said it’s likely China would retaliate against the U.S. move.

Interesting...so, the drugs don't come over the border?

"The draft order would target foreign shippers routing deliveries through the U.S. Postal Service -- not the two-largest U.S. couriers United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp., according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. One person familiar with the proposal said that China is a focus for the action, though the presidential order is not limited to that nation."

Attacking it on both fronts in one swoop. Bottom line, fighting for safety of our nation.

I'm 100% in favor with battling this scourge. So, I'm loathe to be overly critical of any legit efforts to actually accomplish improvement.

But really?

You guys have been claiming the fentanyl is coming over the southern border. That's not the primary way. It comes by air.
It's going to continue to come, by whatever means, as long as there are enormous profits to be made.

Why is Trump not interested in what FedEx and UPS do, just USPS? I hate to say it, but this appears to be just a posturing move, a way to tell Fox viewers that he's "doing something" and at the same time accuse the Chinese of being bad folks, the 'enemy'.

Our problem with opioids is of our making, and there's some reckoning with that finally happening. But we're not going to break the back of illegal drug trafficking until we decriminalize drug usage and take the profit out of the criminal networks. And we need to treat addiction as a public health crisis.

You are not doing a very good job of thinking a move or two ahead, you seem too worried to find blame with anything Trump or fit in a reference to fox news. If we lock down or significantly slow down China import of fentanyl , then I ask you "how does it then try and make its way here".....BINGO? the new primary way is the southern border, and who is receiving the goods form China...BINGO, the cartels, and how do they get it here if we are also more scrutinized on our southern border.

We can walk and chew gum at the same time....I believe I have heard that from someone on the forum once before. Enjoy your Sunday MD!

Nope, most of the fentanyl illegally making its way to the US is coming from ports of entry. Mostly by post. This was a huge canard about the southern border.

The problem is that it's very, very dense, so it's super easy to ship and to hide.

I don't have any objection to trying to stem the flow, but we know darn well that where there are huge profits to be made there's no way to "win the drug war". It's just a 'feel good', 'act tough' move. And OBTW has the added benefit of demonizing the Chinese.

Just don't kid yourself about the reality.

Now, I do think that we can legitimately ask the Chinese to crack down on the criminals within China who are involved. That's a very legit ask. It's just not something that we should be belligerent about.

Prescient

DEA saves potentially 700,000 lives from drugs entering from our south.

Mexican criminal drug networks are mass-producing illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-laced fake pills, using chemicals sourced largely from China, and are distributing these pills through U.S. criminal networks. These fake pills are designed to appear nearly identical to legitimate prescriptions such as Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Adderall®, Xanax® and other medicines. Criminal drug networks are selling these pills through social media, e-commerce, the dark web and existing distribution networks. As a result, these fake pills are widely available. The Department of Justice will continue to collaborate closely with its international partners, within Mexico and around the world, to aggressively investigate and prosecute the members of these drug networks.

https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2021 ... lls-public

I doubt any law enforcement agency will ever prosecute these dealers. Usually folks who wind up on the wrong side of these dealers wind up on the side of the road with a bullet in their head.

When one pill kills

“It was as easy as ordering a pizza,” Capelouto said. “He delivered right to our house.”

Manufactured by Mexican drug trafficking organizations, these counterfeit pills look like legitimate prescription medicines. But 2 in 5 counterfeit pills seized and tested in the United States contain enough fentanyl to kill, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said that social media companies aren’t doing enough to crack down on counterfeit pills.

"Social media companies know that their platforms are being used for this. And they need to understand that Americans are dying at record rates and they need to be a partner in stopping it,” she said Monday in an interview with Kate Snow on NBC’s “TODAY” show.

Another example of how 'self-regulation' of social media companies, with protection from liability, simply does not cut it.

But no, Ann, they're not going to be a 'partner' at stopping it. Not unless they are forced to do so by greater costs than the benefits of continuing as they are. They won't do this out of the goodness of their hearts. Unfortunately.

Not that they will do zero...they'll do just enough to be able to generate positive PR, a shield against real consequences.

Dag gummit: it is coming from Mexico.

https://wtop.com/world/2023/03/mexican- ... dCA2BjO-UQ

There is little debate among U.S. and even Mexican officials that almost all the fentanyl consumed in the United States is produced and processed in Mexico

Yes, that's now the leading pipeline, with chemicals produced in China, made into pills by cartels in Mexico.
Shipped by air, sea, land to America. Mostly via commercial routes.
Challenging to detect, very "valuable".

But this isn't an immigration issue, it's a criminal smuggling issue.

A demand issue here in America is driving this problem and guess what, there are even worse (yikes!) drugs hitting the market now.

The criminals will supply whatever is the best dollar for their risk.

It is coupled with immigration, b/c it has added undue stress on all things border related...otherwise you would have called that out when we chatted on this very thread, back in 2019. As noted in bold underlined above, you can see how we were correct about it coming across the border. Seems you are now accepting that a bit, arguing it was primarily coming in to the US via air from China.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Great friggen idea. https://roy.house.gov/media/press-relea ... error-list

Reps. Chip Roy and Mark Green Request Drug Cartels Be Added To Terror List

More from Chip Roy...

Why do these specific cartels qualify as a Foreign Terrorist Organizations? They:

- are a foreign organization.
- meet the definition of ‘terrorism’ and engage in terrorist activity as defined by (22 U.S.C. § 2656f(d)(2)) and (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B)) of the U.S. code.

I think we can all agree that the cartels are brutal organizations which use violence as a major part of their business model. And deserve the toughest of responses.

But should we really confuse crime organizations whose motivations are $ with ideologically motivated violence?
Are they really the same thing?

Why conflate the two? Can't we walk and chew gum?

The story continues.....Trump Plans Crackdown on Fentanyl Shipments from China, Others

The Trump administration is considering an executive order to crack down on shipments of fentanyl and counterfeit goods, according to people familiar with the matter, a move aimed in part at pressuring China to help the U.S. combat its opioid epidemic...

...Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro, who is leading the effort on the executive order, often refers to the sale of fentanyl as one of what he calls China’s “seven deadly sins.” People briefed on the order said it’s likely China would retaliate against the U.S. move.

Interesting...so, the drugs don't come over the border?

"The draft order would target foreign shippers routing deliveries through the U.S. Postal Service -- not the two-largest U.S. couriers United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp., according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. One person familiar with the proposal said that China is a focus for the action, though the presidential order is not limited to that nation."

Attacking it on both fronts in one swoop. Bottom line, fighting for safety of our nation.

I'm 100% in favor with battling this scourge. So, I'm loathe to be overly critical of any legit efforts to actually accomplish improvement.

But really?

You guys have been claiming the fentanyl is coming over the southern border. That's not the primary way. It comes by air.
It's going to continue to come, by whatever means, as long as there are enormous profits to be made.

Why is Trump not interested in what FedEx and UPS do, just USPS? I hate to say it, but this appears to be just a posturing move, a way to tell Fox viewers that he's "doing something" and at the same time accuse the Chinese of being bad folks, the 'enemy'.

Our problem with opioids is of our making, and there's some reckoning with that finally happening. But we're not going to break the back of illegal drug trafficking until we decriminalize drug usage and take the profit out of the criminal networks. And we need to treat addiction as a public health crisis.

You are not doing a very good job of thinking a move or two ahead, you seem too worried to find blame with anything Trump or fit in a reference to fox news. If we lock down or significantly slow down China import of fentanyl , then I ask you "how does it then try and make its way here".....BINGO? the new primary way is the southern border, and who is receiving the goods form China...BINGO, the cartels, and how do they get it here if we are also more scrutinized on our southern border.

We can walk and chew gum at the same time....I believe I have heard that from someone on the forum once before. Enjoy your Sunday MD!

Nope, most of the fentanyl illegally making its way to the US is coming from ports of entry. Mostly by post. This was a huge canard about the southern border.

The problem is that it's very, very dense, so it's super easy to ship and to hide.

I don't have any objection to trying to stem the flow, but we know darn well that where there are huge profits to be made there's no way to "win the drug war". It's just a 'feel good', 'act tough' move. And OBTW has the added benefit of demonizing the Chinese.

Just don't kid yourself about the reality.

Now, I do think that we can legitimately ask the Chinese to crack down on the criminals within China who are involved. That's a very legit ask. It's just not something that we should be belligerent about.

Prescient

DEA saves potentially 700,000 lives from drugs entering from our south.

Mexican criminal drug networks are mass-producing illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-laced fake pills, using chemicals sourced largely from China, and are distributing these pills through U.S. criminal networks. These fake pills are designed to appear nearly identical to legitimate prescriptions such as Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Adderall®, Xanax® and other medicines. Criminal drug networks are selling these pills through social media, e-commerce, the dark web and existing distribution networks. As a result, these fake pills are widely available. The Department of Justice will continue to collaborate closely with its international partners, within Mexico and around the world, to aggressively investigate and prosecute the members of these drug networks.

https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2021 ... lls-public

I doubt any law enforcement agency will ever prosecute these dealers. Usually folks who wind up on the wrong side of these dealers wind up on the side of the road with a bullet in their head.

When one pill kills

“It was as easy as ordering a pizza,” Capelouto said. “He delivered right to our house.”

Manufactured by Mexican drug trafficking organizations, these counterfeit pills look like legitimate prescription medicines. But 2 in 5 counterfeit pills seized and tested in the United States contain enough fentanyl to kill, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said that social media companies aren’t doing enough to crack down on counterfeit pills.

"Social media companies know that their platforms are being used for this. And they need to understand that Americans are dying at record rates and they need to be a partner in stopping it,” she said Monday in an interview with Kate Snow on NBC’s “TODAY” show.

Another example of how 'self-regulation' of social media companies, with protection from liability, simply does not cut it.

But no, Ann, they're not going to be a 'partner' at stopping it. Not unless they are forced to do so by greater costs than the benefits of continuing as they are. They won't do this out of the goodness of their hearts. Unfortunately.

Not that they will do zero...they'll do just enough to be able to generate positive PR, a shield against real consequences.

Dag gummit: it is coming from Mexico.

https://wtop.com/world/2023/03/mexican- ... dCA2BjO-UQ

There is little debate among U.S. and even Mexican officials that almost all the fentanyl consumed in the United States is produced and processed in Mexico

Yes, that's now the leading pipeline, with chemicals produced in China, made into pills by cartels in Mexico.
Shipped by air, sea, land to America. Mostly via commercial routes.
Challenging to detect, very "valuable".

But this isn't an immigration issue, it's a criminal smuggling issue.

A demand issue here in America is driving this problem and guess what, there are even worse (yikes!) drugs hitting the market now.

The criminals will supply whatever is the best dollar for their risk.

It is coupled with immigration, b/c it has added undue stress on all things border related...otherwise you would have called that out when we chatted on this very thread, back in 2019. As noted in bold underlined above, you can see how we were correct about it coming across the border. Seems you are now accepting that a bit, arguing it was primarily coming in to the US via air from China.

Pray for the drug dealers. They will stop.

[MDlaxfan76]

Great friggen idea. https://roy.house.gov/media/press-relea ... error-list

Reps. Chip Roy and Mark Green Request Drug Cartels Be Added To Terror List

More from Chip Roy...

Why do these specific cartels qualify as a Foreign Terrorist Organizations? They:

- are a foreign organization.
- meet the definition of ‘terrorism’ and engage in terrorist activity as defined by (22 U.S.C. § 2656f(d)(2)) and (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B)) of the U.S. code.

I think we can all agree that the cartels are brutal organizations which use violence as a major part of their business model. And deserve the toughest of responses.

But should we really confuse crime organizations whose motivations are $ with ideologically motivated violence?
Are they really the same thing?

Why conflate the two? Can't we walk and chew gum?

The story continues.....Trump Plans Crackdown on Fentanyl Shipments from China, Others

The Trump administration is considering an executive order to crack down on shipments of fentanyl and counterfeit goods, according to people familiar with the matter, a move aimed in part at pressuring China to help the U.S. combat its opioid epidemic...

...Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro, who is leading the effort on the executive order, often refers to the sale of fentanyl as one of what he calls China’s “seven deadly sins.” People briefed on the order said it’s likely China would retaliate against the U.S. move.

Interesting...so, the drugs don't come over the border?

"The draft order would target foreign shippers routing deliveries through the U.S. Postal Service -- not the two-largest U.S. couriers United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp., according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. One person familiar with the proposal said that China is a focus for the action, though the presidential order is not limited to that nation."

Attacking it on both fronts in one swoop. Bottom line, fighting for safety of our nation.

I'm 100% in favor with battling this scourge. So, I'm loathe to be overly critical of any legit efforts to actually accomplish improvement.

But really?

You guys have been claiming the fentanyl is coming over the southern border. That's not the primary way. It comes by air.
It's going to continue to come, by whatever means, as long as there are enormous profits to be made.

Why is Trump not interested in what FedEx and UPS do, just USPS? I hate to say it, but this appears to be just a posturing move, a way to tell Fox viewers that he's "doing something" and at the same time accuse the Chinese of being bad folks, the 'enemy'.

Our problem with opioids is of our making, and there's some reckoning with that finally happening. But we're not going to break the back of illegal drug trafficking until we decriminalize drug usage and take the profit out of the criminal networks. And we need to treat addiction as a public health crisis.

You are not doing a very good job of thinking a move or two ahead, you seem too worried to find blame with anything Trump or fit in a reference to fox news. If we lock down or significantly slow down China import of fentanyl , then I ask you "how does it then try and make its way here".....BINGO? the new primary way is the southern border, and who is receiving the goods form China...BINGO, the cartels, and how do they get it here if we are also more scrutinized on our southern border.

We can walk and chew gum at the same time....I believe I have heard that from someone on the forum once before. Enjoy your Sunday MD!

Nope, most of the fentanyl illegally making its way to the US is coming from ports of entry. Mostly by post. This was a huge canard about the southern border.

The problem is that it's very, very dense, so it's super easy to ship and to hide.

I don't have any objection to trying to stem the flow, but we know darn well that where there are huge profits to be made there's no way to "win the drug war". It's just a 'feel good', 'act tough' move. And OBTW has the added benefit of demonizing the Chinese.

Just don't kid yourself about the reality.

Now, I do think that we can legitimately ask the Chinese to crack down on the criminals within China who are involved. That's a very legit ask. It's just not something that we should be belligerent about.

Prescient

DEA saves potentially 700,000 lives from drugs entering from our south.

Mexican criminal drug networks are mass-producing illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-laced fake pills, using chemicals sourced largely from China, and are distributing these pills through U.S. criminal networks. These fake pills are designed to appear nearly identical to legitimate prescriptions such as Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Adderall®, Xanax® and other medicines. Criminal drug networks are selling these pills through social media, e-commerce, the dark web and existing distribution networks. As a result, these fake pills are widely available. The Department of Justice will continue to collaborate closely with its international partners, within Mexico and around the world, to aggressively investigate and prosecute the members of these drug networks.

https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2021 ... lls-public

I doubt any law enforcement agency will ever prosecute these dealers. Usually folks who wind up on the wrong side of these dealers wind up on the side of the road with a bullet in their head.

When one pill kills

“It was as easy as ordering a pizza,” Capelouto said. “He delivered right to our house.”

Manufactured by Mexican drug trafficking organizations, these counterfeit pills look like legitimate prescription medicines. But 2 in 5 counterfeit pills seized and tested in the United States contain enough fentanyl to kill, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said that social media companies aren’t doing enough to crack down on counterfeit pills.

"Social media companies know that their platforms are being used for this. And they need to understand that Americans are dying at record rates and they need to be a partner in stopping it,” she said Monday in an interview with Kate Snow on NBC’s “TODAY” show.

Another example of how 'self-regulation' of social media companies, with protection from liability, simply does not cut it.

But no, Ann, they're not going to be a 'partner' at stopping it. Not unless they are forced to do so by greater costs than the benefits of continuing as they are. They won't do this out of the goodness of their hearts. Unfortunately.

Not that they will do zero...they'll do just enough to be able to generate positive PR, a shield against real consequences.

Dag gummit: it is coming from Mexico.

https://wtop.com/world/2023/03/mexican- ... dCA2BjO-UQ

There is little debate among U.S. and even Mexican officials that almost all the fentanyl consumed in the United States is produced and processed in Mexico

Yes, that's now the leading pipeline, with chemicals produced in China, made into pills by cartels in Mexico.
Shipped by air, sea, land to America. Mostly via commercial routes.
Challenging to detect, very "valuable".

But this isn't an immigration issue, it's a criminal smuggling issue.

A demand issue here in America is driving this problem and guess what, there are even worse (yikes!) drugs hitting the market now.

The criminals will supply whatever is the best dollar for their risk.

It is coupled with immigration, b/c it has added undue stress on all things border related...otherwise you would have called that out when we chatted on this very thread, back in 2019. As noted in bold underlined above, you can see how we were correct about it coming across the border. Seems you are now accepting that a bit, arguing it was primarily coming in to the US via air from China.

No, in 2019, it was coming both by sea and air directly from China, some from Mexico.
Very small percentage coming via actual asylum seekers under threat of cartel.
Important, but small fry.

My point then, and now, is that the criminals, from wherever, will find the easiest, most profitable distribution channels and will exploit those if something else is made less profitable.

I argued then, and will again now, that the bulk of our drug interdiction resources (on our side of the border) should go into the detection technologies and procedures that address sea and air and land (trucks), as these are the primary, easiest forms of distribution. Penetration of criminal networks of course.

Stopping asylum seekers from risking a dangerous illegal border crossing is best done by investing in our legal entry processes, making them much easier and faster to achieve, with greater likelihood of successfully and legally staying in the US than attempted illegal entry process. That requires serious investment and more importantly political will, but it's hugely more efficient when looked at from the perspective of reducing drug trafficking and ultimately far better for the country in managing immigration pressures.

Reducing illegal flow certainly would allow border patrol to focus efforts on drug smugglers rather than on actual asylum seekers.

[Typical Lax Dad]

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/submar ... mbia-navy/

Anyone know how to build a wall underwater to keep drugs out. How many people does it take to walk 3 tons of cocaine over the boarder?

[old salt]

Pray for the drug dealers. They will stop.

Another witty contribution.