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Arizona joins the emergency
Cochise County, along with three other border counties, has now been declared to be in a state of emergency. One that we believe is long overdue.
Gov. Janet Napolitano issued the order last week to release $1.5 million in state funding to Cochise, Santa Cruz, Pima and Yuma counties.
The money will be slated for helping pay for overtime used by law enforcement officers, helping to repair border fences and helping pay for costs related to illegal immigrants' deaths.
We believe it is a good step if it can help provide assistance to border counties.
It's an action that was taken by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson only three days before Napolitano's action.
It seems interesting that Napolitano and Richardson, who are both Democrats, have only just decided to call emergencies in their border counties. One could think that both governors - both have had their names on lists for possible national offices - are playing a political game by announcing these emergencies.
Why now? Cochise County has long suffered from crime, environmental damage and deaths due to illegal immigration. It's taxed our law enforcement, and it's taxed our county and local budgets.
At best, however, we believe Napolitano and Richardson are sending a message to federal officials, including President Bush, that the border needs to be dealt with quickly. It is in a state of emergency. It has been for years.
While national leaders debate immigration proposals and offer up more money and agents to protect the border, illegal immigration hasn't eased. Instead it has spread throughout the nation in the sense that more Americans - look at cases in New York and New Hampshire as examples, where citizens have reacted to the influx of people they are seeing.
The solution to America's border crisis will take more than state money to solve. It will take federal money, manpower and policy changes. It will take foresight for what our nation might face ahead. It will take international diplomacy with Mexico to get a neighbor who is willing to meet border problems head on.
In the meantime, states have to react by declaring emergencies, something the federal government should have done long ago.
Gov. Janet Napolitano issued the order last week to release $1.5 million in state funding to Cochise, Santa Cruz, Pima and Yuma counties.
The money will be slated for helping pay for overtime used by law enforcement officers, helping to repair border fences and helping pay for costs related to illegal immigrants' deaths.
We believe it is a good step if it can help provide assistance to border counties.
It's an action that was taken by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson only three days before Napolitano's action.
It seems interesting that Napolitano and Richardson, who are both Democrats, have only just decided to call emergencies in their border counties. One could think that both governors - both have had their names on lists for possible national offices - are playing a political game by announcing these emergencies.
Why now? Cochise County has long suffered from crime, environmental damage and deaths due to illegal immigration. It's taxed our law enforcement, and it's taxed our county and local budgets.
At best, however, we believe Napolitano and Richardson are sending a message to federal officials, including President Bush, that the border needs to be dealt with quickly. It is in a state of emergency. It has been for years.
While national leaders debate immigration proposals and offer up more money and agents to protect the border, illegal immigration hasn't eased. Instead it has spread throughout the nation in the sense that more Americans - look at cases in New York and New Hampshire as examples, where citizens have reacted to the influx of people they are seeing.
The solution to America's border crisis will take more than state money to solve. It will take federal money, manpower and policy changes. It will take foresight for what our nation might face ahead. It will take international diplomacy with Mexico to get a neighbor who is willing to meet border problems head on.
In the meantime, states have to react by declaring emergencies, something the federal government should have done long ago.
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