More Obama Extortion: Border Patrol Charged Millions to Pay For "Habitat Damage"

Not only is Obama refusing to provide for the common defense of our borders. But he is also working AGAINST the border patrol that we already do have in place. Here he goes after our besieged border patrol with a Chicago-style pay-to-play shakedown. Why am I not surprised.

Republican lawmakers are calling on the Interior Department to stop charging what they describe as "extortion" money from the Border Patrol -- millions of under-the-radar dollars meant to cover environmental damage stemming from their everyday duties along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Department of Homeland Security, which houses the Border Patrol, last year signed a deal with Interior -- the administrator of America's parklands -- to cough up $50 million for environmental "mitigation" needed in the wake of the construction of a border fence. That was after DHS had already spent or committed millions more for expected environmental damage caused by the Border Patrol over the years.

Though both the departments of Homeland Security and Interior say the money goes toward preserving and restoring sensitive habitats, Republicans say the arrangement doesn't make sense.

The Border Patrol needs that money to address the weighty task of securing the border, they say, arguing that agents are actually helping conserve the environment by keeping out smugglers and immigration violators who have no regard for America's natural resources.

They note that the transactions are conducted with little congressional oversight, and the Border Patrol has privately described the routine negotiations as a "constant headache."

"It was a pay-to-play type of scheme," a Republican aide on the House Natural Resources Committee said of the millions Homeland Security has spent to date.

Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, said the kicker in the multimillion-dollar tradeoff is that the money doesn't even guarantee the Border Patrol open access to the land. Agents still have to follow particular rules to drive into wilderness areas to pursue suspects or set up routine patrols.

"That conflict has got to be resolved," he said. "If the Border Patrol was allowed to have free access to patrol the borders at will ... it would have the same effect that they're doing in other areas."

Bishop in March called on Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to stop "extorting" the money from Homeland Security. "Money appropriated for border security should only be spent on making our borders more secure, and not diverted to unrelated DOI spending projects," he said in a statement at the time. According to Bishop's office, Salazar has not responded.

More here.  Photo from tucsoncitizens.

Chicago Ordered Not to Run Anti-Olympics Story

Link:

The Chicago Olympic Committee told Fox that their report would hurt Chicago's chance to be awarded the games. They were told not to re broadcast after the story aired once, according to Drudge.

Bob Wire commented on Breitbart TV:
I live in Chicago—Fox News is leading their News tonight and last night with a film of an Honor Roll Student being beaten to death by Chicago Gang members on his way home from school and in front of a Youth Community Center. This film alone should be enough for the IOC, presently in Copenhagen making their City decision, to NOT choose Chicago—its dangerous here folks…two college kids were killed last night after the youth was beaten to death on Friday—and just this morning (after midnight) a person was shot at the Rock n Roll McDonalds in the exclusive River North (tourist) area of downtown. Its out of control. I’m sorry to say its all, yes, all Blacks involved in these beatings, shootings, and killings this weekends, but thats the reality here now…poor angry Black Youths are killing other people. Our Mayor is not doing his part to bring them hope through jobs, training, education, recreation—he’s only concerned about getting the Olympics. So very sad, a whole generation and culture is dying. We dont need the Olympics, let Rio, or Madrid, or Tokyo have them—they at least can control their criminal element where tourists wont be harmed or killed.

Of course, President Obama himself is going abroad to plead for the Olympics. Since when does a president do this when we have so many issues to deal with. He doesn't even have time to return General McChrystal's phone calls from Afghanistan.

Your Chicago scare tactics won't work here!

Press Release: Issa to Emanuel: Back Off!

August 4, 2009
WASHINGTON. D.C. – Following reports that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has been orchestrating an effort to intimidate members of Congress and Governors who raise legitimate concerns regarding the effectiveness of the stimulus, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Darrell Issa (R-CA) sent a letter to Emanuel saying “While this type of scare tactic may work In Chicago, it will not work to intimidate me or other Members of the United States Congress.”

“I and others have dared to bring these facts to the attention of President Obama, the Congress and the American people,” Issa wrote. “You’ve unfortunately reacted by once again resorting to the playbook of the Chicago political machine.”

Last month, Politico reported that Emanuel had “launched a coordinated effort to jam” Senator Kyl and other Administration critics… “[A]fter seeing Kyl and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) again paint the legislation as a failure on Sunday talk shows, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel directed that the letters from the Cabinet secretaries be sent to [Governor] Brewer, according to two administration officials.”

Issa noted, “The fact that the letters were coordinated by you to maximize the level of intimidation is supported by the timing, structure, and content of each letter. Not only were the four letters all sent the day following Senator Kyl’s remarks, but they were also remarkably similar in tone and sentence structure.”

Letter from Ray LaHood, Secretary of Transportation:
On Sunday, Arizona Senator Jon Kyl publicly questioned whether the stimulus is working and stated that he wants to cancel projects that aren’t presently underway. I believe the stimulus has been very effective in creating job opportunities throughout the country. However, if you prefer to forfeit the money we are making available to your state, as Senator Kyl suggests, please let me know [emphasis added].

Letter from Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior:
Some key Republican leaders in Congress have publicly questioned whether the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is working and suggested cancelling all projects that are not currently in progress. I believe they are wrong. The stimulus funds provided through the Recovery Act are a very effective way to create job opportunities throughout the Country. However, if you prefer to forfeit the money we are making available to Arizona, please let me know [emphasis added].

“At what point do you believe your practice of Chicago-style politics violates a public official’s right to speak out in favor of alternative policies,” Issa asks. “The American people have a right to know what role you played in developing the threatening letters to Governor Brewer and whether you intend to continue to engage in these tactics in the future.”

More here.

Leftists have also complained that the loud challenges presented by Americans to their legislators during recent townhall meetings is the equivalent of "mob rule". Michele Malkin shows real "mob rule" as practiced by Code Pink and ACORN.

In addition to this, the White House had published a plea for people to snitch on their neighbors who discuss Obamacare. See It Don't Make Sense.

American Thinker writes:

In 1930's Germany, the new socialist government of Adolf Hitler (NAZI National Socialist Workers' Party) began indoctrinating children in the quasi-military organization, the Hitler Youth, to inform on their parents should they overhear discussions subversive to the policies of the Leader. As the noose was tightened, local community organizers were appointed to watch their neighbors and were told to report subversive comments to the bureaucrats above them. Neighbors informed on neighbors, some for reasons of patriotism or loyalty, some from fear. A modern inquisition ensued; a terror to free thought and expression. Increasingly harsh penalties were meted out to those who dared to dissent.

The socialist governments of the Soviet Union, Fascist Italy, N. Korea, Cuba, Yugoslavia, and the People's Republic of China employed the same citizen informer techniques. Citizens of those societies were reduced to either silence or whispered discussion only among those they trusted the most. Of course none of those things would ever occur here in the land of the free. But wait...

Now on the White House website posted by Macon Phillips comes an eerily similar request for citizens to inform on their neighbors.

This is from the White House website:

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.

OK, so if Americans say it, it is "disinformation". And if Obama says it (although many of his prior promises are now being proven FALSE) it is the only acceptable PARTY LINE. Nice try, thugs. You will find that the American People are made of tougher stuff than you ever dreamed of.