All Hat, No Cattle? (What is it Gov. Abbott hopes to accomplish...???)

A "featured" newsbite...

What is it Gov. Abbott and the Texas Legislature hope to accomplish?

I gotta say... sounds like smoke and mirrors to me; style over substance (while spending a fortune)... "sounding" tough... creating the appearance of "doing something" that in reality isn't... er... really gonna protect our Texas/Mexico border.

Anyway...

*  *  *  *  *

Gov. Greg Abbott (TX) has signed into law an $800 million border security package that will mean more state troopers, cameras and a spy plane to patrol Texas' 1,200-mile border with Mexico.

* $800 MILLION IN "NEW" FUNDING... FOR AN EXISTING PROGRAM OR A NEW PROGRAM? (IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT WAS SPENT LAST YEAR ON BORDER SECURITY?)

The Republican made border security an emergency item, fast-tracking proposals on it through the GOP-controlled Legislature during the 140-day session that ended last week.

* UH-HUH...

Abbott signed the law Tuesday, during a ceremony at the Department of Public Safety's regional headquarters in Houston.

* BY THE WAY... ONGOING COMPLAINT/OBSERVATION/QUESTION: WOULDN'T IT BE NICE IF STORIES SUCH AS THIS INCLUDED A LINK TO THE ACTUAL LAW SO WE COULD ALL EASILY ACCESS IT AND READ IT FOR OURSELVES?

It should accelerate the hiring of 250 additional state troopers...

* GOOD...

...who will patrol the border, replacing National Guard troops deployed there last summer by Abbott's predecessor, Gov. Rick Perry.

* AND...???

(*SNORT*)

* NO... SERIOUSLY... AND BESIDES "PATROLLING" WHAT POWERS WILL THESE TROOPERS HAVE?

(*SMIRK*)

* UNLESS THEY'RE EMPOWERED TO SHOOT 'EM...

(*ROLLING MY EYES*)

* SERIOUSLY... WHAT ARE THE TROOPERS EMPOWERED TO DO? WILL THEY ARREST "SUSPECTED" ILLEGALS? (THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GONNA ADD TO STATE SPENDING BEYOND THE COST OF THE NEW TROOPERS THEMSELVES...)

* WILL TEXAS STATE TROOPERS "APPREHEND" - "TAKE INTO CUSTODY" - ILLEGALS? (OOPS... I MEAN "SUSPECTED" ILLEGALS.) AND IF SO... THEN WHAT? HOLD THEM IN TOWN/COUNTY/STATE JAILS AND PRISONS? TURN THEM OVER TO THE FEDS...? (WHO IN TURN WILL NO DOUBT RELEASE THEM...)

* IN OTHER WORDS... HOW IS ANY OF WHAT I EXPECT TO HAPPEN "PROTECTING" THE BORDER?

* IS IT ME, FOLKS? AM I SIMPLY JADED AND CYNICAL?

(*CHUCKLE*)

* OR... ARE MY QUESTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS REASONABLE... ON TARGET?