There are no words
When I woke up this morning, I was thinking about what I would put into the journal this week. Before I could finish the thought, this is what came to me…there are no words. We slipped away on Wednesday for a three-day getaway and went to Laughlin NV, Oatman, AZ, and the Musical Instrument Museum; drove Route 66, saw some donkeys, took some pictures, and talked to a lot of people. Paid $6.49 a gallon for gas, heard people talk about food shortages, worry about the price of food, opine on the state of education in Arizona, voice concern of what they believe is a likely WWIII; people are anxious. They are worried.
As millions flee Ukraine as Russian forces hit the cities with back-to-back rocket attacks, the President fumbles the words “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power” and “butcher Putin”. World leaders scold Biden for his comments. The Kremlin commented that such “personal insults” narrow the window for bilateral relations. The Ukrainians continue to fight on; and they grow weary. Women and children lay dead in their streets. The United States supports the Ukrainian people and their fight for freedom.
But America First
To many of us, that feels (and is) thousands of miles away. What is right next door, however, is the 164,973 illegal immigrants that we apprehended crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in February making it the highest apprehension during the month of February in 22 years. With 12,011 unaccompanied children apprehended. Children left behind by smugglers and parents. In Arizona, Border Patrol reported a spike in unaccompanied children crossing the border, with more than 100 children being found alone in recent days. A five-week-old baby abandoned, a four-year-old drowned—where is the outrage?
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has said the situation at the border is, “worse now than it, frankly, has been in at least 20 years, if not ever.” And their predictions for the spring months? Officials are expecting as many as 9,000 arrests per day. Fentanyl and methamphetamine are being smuggled across the border at an alarming rate. With our porous border comes historic crime levels. The Biden administration has signed 94 executive actions on immigration and 52 of them have set the stage for undoing the border security delivered during the Trump Administration.
Pima County’s role
How does Pima County fit into this open border, human trafficking, drug smuggling crisis on the southern border? We sent our very own Chris Magnus to head up the Customs and Border Protection. From leading a workforce of 800 at TPD to 60,000 at CBP, Magnus says that an important area for him is internal procedural justice which he defines as “the way the organizations treat their own employees. It includes the need to really listen to the workforce, making sure they feel heard, the need to treat employees fairly, and explain what decisions are made and why.” I would really like to hear from the Tucson Police Department Officers—how did that internal procedural justice work out for you? Magnus wants to “professionalize the workforce and keep up with best practices.” He believes that CBP must be able to hold those accountable in a way that is fair but also in a way that addresses the damage they could potentially do. CBP? What about the damage being done to our country by the invasion on our southern border?
No time to worry
Be ready. If you can, buy an extra can of food. Store a little more. Eight months. That’s all we need is eight months to take back the house and the senate. To investigate the Pelosi/Biden corruption and the deep swamp activities of federal agencies. The AZGOP/Yavapai County stopped the unconstitutional HB 2839 last week. PCs are turning in their petitions to the County Elections on Country Club. Our associated Legislative Districts 17, 18, 20, and 21 have reorganized and are preparing for a new decade of Republican representation and leadership in Pima County. It was a good week. There are great weeks on the horizon. Join me in getting ready.