The Markum Report - The Conservative Blog of Galveston County, Texas

Texans will pay a price for cap and trade if it passes the U.S. Senate

2009-07-05T23:01:00.003-05:00

Barry Smitherman is the Chairman of the Public Utility Commission here in Texas. According to his recent op-ed piece in the Houston Chronicle, "the proposed climate change legislation [ cap and trade] , intended to reduce carbon dioxide emissions over the next 40 years, will substantially raise electricity bills. An analysis recently released by ERCOT, the electric grid operator for most of Texas, joins other reports from around the country that project significant job losses and dramatic increases in the cost of electricity if this legislation is enacted."

Yet another reason to contact your U.S Senator and urge this bill be defeated in the Senate.

Obama's Cap and Trade Program is a Tax on the Working Class

2009-07-05T19:31:00.000-05:00

This Wall Street Journal piece should dispel any doubt that cap and trade is in fact a tax on the working class. According to the article, "hit hardest [ by the cost of the new program] would be the 95% of working families" Mr. Obama keeps mentioning, usually omitting that his no-new-taxes pledge comes with the caveat "unless you use energy." Putting a price on carbon is regressive by definition because poor and middle-income households spend more of their paychecks on things like gas to drive to work, groceries or home heating."

Now that the bill has passed the U.S. House, the only salvation will come from the U.S Senate.

The cap-and-trade bill is a massive new tax on American families and American businesses. It's especially bad public policy to pass such a huge new tax burden at a time when many families already face economic hardship.

If the American people understand what this bill does, it will die as it should in the U.S. Senate.

Seven Reasons for Healthy Skepticism about the Obama Administration

2009-01-21T09:55:00.002-06:00

Now that we have a new President, it’s critical that Republicans hold President Obama’s feet to the fire. If we learned anything from the 08 election it’s that voters ,when given a choice between free spending Democrats and big government Republicans who strive to be Democrats-Lite, always go for the real thing.

Our role must now change to what it should have been all along, making sure that government spending is reigned in, holding elected officials to their promises to shrink the size and scope of government, and using fiscal discipline and free market solutions to get money back into people’s pockets where they can spend it to fight this recession.

Towards that end, Politico has the following article which lays out nicely seven reasons for healthy skepticism about President Obama’s ability to match the hope of his campaign rhetoric with the reality of governing.

Even in a city of cynics, the Inauguration of a new president — and the infusion of new ideas, new personalities and new energy that comes with it — summons feelings of reverence.
Barack Obama, especially, is the object of inaugural good feelings. He has assembled an impressive White House and Cabinet team. The country is clearly in his corner. With the economy gasping, and two wars dragging on sullenly, even many Republicans who ordinarily might enjoy seeing Obama fail now root for him to succeed. The stakes are simply too great.
Amid all these high hopes, it may seem needlessly sour to point out why expectations must be kept in check. But it is also realistic. Here are seven reasons to be skeptical of Obama’s chances — and the Washington establishment he now
leads:
1. The genius fallacy
There is no disputing Obama has built a Cabinet of sharp and experienced public officials. His staff, especially on national security and economic matters, is often praised as brilliant — and that’s by Republicans. But recent history teaches us to be wary of the larger-than-life Washington figures supposedly striding across history’s stage. Consider the economy. Everyone seems to agree Larry Summers and Timothy Geithner are smart, vastly qualified to manage and repair the economy. Everyone was saying the exact same things about the two economic geniuses of the 1990s: Robert Rubin and Alan Greenspan. Now Rubin has been reduced to making excuses for his involvement in high-risk investments and for helping oversee the demise of Citigroup, which lost $10 billion in the past three months alone. The onetime oracular Greenspan has admitted to Congress that his once-revered economic philosophy had “a flaw,” and many blame him for turning a blind eye to the housing bubble.
As it happens, the Obama economic team is full of Rubin protégés, including Geithner and Summers. Geithner had to recently admit he failed to pay taxes on a big chunk of income — as part of his confirmation process to run tax policy and the Internal Revenue Service. As president of the New York Fed, he was integrally involved in the decision not to rescue Lehman Bros., which many see, in retrospect, as a grievous error. The reception of the Obama economic team recalls the reception of President George W. Bush’s foreign policy team eight years ago. Many Democrats applauded the experience of Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell. As Bush named his national security team in 2000, The New York Times editorialized: “Putting superstar players on the court does not always guarantee harmony or success.” In retrospect, that was an understatement, indeed.
2. The herd instinct
The most bipartisan tradition in Washington is to laud bipartisanship, even while lamenting that there is not enough of it. But the instinct for bipartisanship overlooks an inconvenient fact: Some of Washington’s biggest blunders occur when the government moves to do big things with big support. Bush won the much-regretted Iraq war resolution of October 2002 with strong Democratic backing.
The current economic crisis produces similar pressure to get on board the train — never mind for sure where it’s going. It is easy to sympathize with the temptation. Top officials on Obama’s team told us in recent days that things are much worse than most people appreciate. The Obama staff and top lawmakers are getting stern warnings that the banking system in particular is extremely fragile and could collapse. So they are moving with amazing speed to pump money into the economy.
First up is the stimulus package that could top $900 billion. It is a mind-numbing number rarely contemplated in U.S. history — and yet it might not work. There are no guarantees people will spend money the government doles out or that it will be
enough to offset miserable economic performance elsewhere. The history isn’t
encouraging.
Rewind just a few months back. Republicans and Democrats alike said the best of many bad options was to approve $700 billion to prop up banks, mainly to thaw the credit freeze and juice the economy. Half the money is gone now. Many banks took the cash and sat on it. Some used it increase lending. But much of it was wasted or unaccounted for. Now Washington wants to spend the rest of it. And a top Hill aide told Politico’s David Rogers that Democrats will probably need to request even more.
3. We are broke.
The past several months have produced a rare convergence. Something that politicians of both parties find pleasurable — spending money — has overlapped with what economists and policy experts of all ideological stripes said is urgently necessary. As “Saturday Night Live’s” Church Lady used to say, “How convenient.”
One month from now, Democrats will likely have passed the massive stimulus bill and Obama will have signed it into law. The new Treasury Department will be well on its way to spending the second $350 billion chunk of the $700 billion bank bailout fund. After this rush of activity, the ability to spend during the balance of Obama’s first term — never mind if there is a second — will be sharply constrained.
Instead, the new administration and lawmakers on Capitol Hill will awaken to another first: the prospect of the national deficit approaching $2 trillion. For most, these numbers are simply too big to ponder. But ponder this: This country has never reckoned with deficits like these. Wait, it gets worse. Remember those entitlement programs the elderly and poor need more than ever: Social Security and Medicare? In budget terms, they are more troubled than ever. Social Security’s surpluses “begin to decline in 2011 and then turn into rapidly growing deficits as the baby boom generation retires,” according to one recent report. “Medicare’s financial status,” the report said, “is even worse.” Basically, the government needs more money than ever at a time when people are losing jobs, income and confidence.
4. Words, words, words
Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, though starkly different men, both viewed the presidency as pre-eminently a decision-making job. Clinton often waved away speech drafts bloated with lofty language by saying: “Words, words, words.” Obama seems to have a different view of the presidency. He thinks that the right decisions can be reached by putting reasonable and enlightened people together and reaching a consensus. He believes his job as president is to educate and inspire, largely matters of style. He knows he is good with words. He knows he has great style. So that’s why he projects exceptional confidence in his ability to do the job. We don’t know yet how justified Obama is in his self-confidence — or how naive. But he is almost certain to face many tests, probably imminently, in which the test will be Obama’s ability to act quickly and shrewdly — and not merely describe his actions smoothly or impress people with nuance. And an unlike a governor — who must decide what’s in a budget and what gets cut, or whether a person to be executed at midnight should be spared — Obama has not made many decisions for which the consequences affect more than himself.
5. He rarely challenges the home team.
Obama frequently talks of the need to transcend partisanship. And he invokes his support for charter schools — a not-terribly-controversial idea — as evidence that he is willing to challenge Democratic special interest groups. In fact, there are few examples of him making decisions during the campaign or the transition that offended his own party’s constituencies, or using rhetoric that challenged his own supporters to rethink assumptions or yield on a favored cause.
Has Obama ever delivered a “Sister Souljah speech”? Ever stood up to organized labor in the way that Clinton did in passing North American Free Trade Agreement? This is not a good sign. By Obama’s lights, the national interest usually coincides with his personal interest. Back to you, Church Lady.
6. Everyone is winging it.
No matter how much confidence Obama or other politicians project, the reality is the current economic crisis has totally scrambled the intellectual assumptions of almost every policymaker. People who used to bemoan deficits want to spend like crazy. Improvisation is the only proper response. But the chances that improvisation will take the country to exactly the right destination — without some serious wrong turns along the way — seem very slight.
7. The watchdogs are dozing.
The big media companies that once invested in serious accountability journalism are shells of their former selves. The Tribune Co. — in other words, the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune — has slashed its Washington staff by more than half. Newspaper chains such as Cox are fleeing D.C. altogether. The end result: There are few reporters in this country doing the kind of investigative reporting that hold government officials’ feet to the fire.
Think back eight years to the pre-Iraq war reporting and consider the words of Scott McClellan in his otherwise humdrum book. “The collapse of the administration’s rationales for war, which became apparent months after our invasion, should never have come as such a surprise,” McClellan wrote. “In this case, the ‘liberal media’ didn’t live up to its reputation. If it had, the country would have been better served.” Rigorous reporting is even more important when you have one-party rule in Washington. Democrats, like Republicans, are simply less likely to scrutinize a president of their own. The end result here: Don’t expect the Democratic Congress to investigate the Obama administration or hold a bunch of tough oversight hearings. That means the only real check on Obama is the same one it’s always been — the voters.

McCain leads Obama in new national poll

2008-08-20T11:52:00.002-05:00

Coming off his best fundraising month to date, John McCain's campaign surged to a 5-point lead over Obama. The stuning 12- point turn around (Obama was leading McCain by 7 points last month) comes as voters are starting to focus on the elections post Labor Day.

McCain is peaking at just the right time and has planned his VP announcement just a few days after the Democrat convention to limit the convention bounce for Obama.

OM

It's not just Republicans - Democrat Leaders say Obama is Vulnerable

2008-08-17T13:02:00.003-05:00

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that Democrats are finally figuring out what we on the right have always known: Barack Obama is vulnerable. In a classic battle of style over substance, the American people, Democrats included, are waking up to the fact that the American President has to have some gravitas.

McCain's stock went way up with conservatives when he said he sees the KGB when he looks at Putin. Period. Barak Obama is not ready for the President's chair because he lacks experience and no amount of motivational rhetoric can change that.

Obamanomics Is a Recipe for Recession

2008-07-29T20:41:00.002-05:00

I would be remiss in my duties as an unabashed defender of conservative free-market principles if I did not continue to point out some of the more obvious reasons why Senator Obama should not be the next President of the United States. Long on style but short on substance, the Senator's tax plans should be subjected to the scrutiny they deserve.

Towards that end, this article by Michael J. Boskin should help shed some light on Obamanomics. To quote the Wall Street journal, Mr. Boskin, professor of economics at Stanford University and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President George H.W. Bush.

Hat Tip to The Texas Insider.

OM

Yet another reason why Obama should not be President

2008-05-03T15:26:00.002-05:00

Thomas Sowell has a way of getting to the point and driving home a message. In this recent essay, he points out yet another reason why Obama should not be President. It's food for thought.

OM

An Old Newness
By Thomas Sowell
Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Many years ago, a great hitter named Paul Waner was nearing the end of his long career. He entered a ballgame with 2,999 hits -- one hit away from the landmark total of 3,000, which so many hitters want to reach, but which relatively few actually do reach.

Waner hit a ball that the fielder did not handle cleanly but the official scorer called it a hit, making it Waner's 3,000th. Paul Waner then sent word to the official scorer that he did not want that questionable hit to be the one that put him over the top.

The official scorer reversed himself and called it an error. Later Paul Waner got a clean hit for number 3,000.
What reminded me of this is the great fervor that many seem to feel over the prospect of the first black President of the United States. No doubt it is only a matter of time before there is a black president, just as it was only a matter of time before Paul Waner got his 3,000th hit. The issue is whether we want to reach that landmark so badly that we are willing to overlook how questionably that landmark is reached.
Paul Waner had too much pride to accept a scratch hit. Choosing a President of the United States is a lot more momentous than a baseball record. We the voters need to have far more concern about who we put in that office that holds the destiny of a nation and of generations yet unborn.
There is no reason why someone as arrogant, foolishly clever and ultimately dangerous as Barack Obama should become president -- especially not at a time when the threat of international terrorists with nuclear weapons looms over 300 million Americans. Many people seem to regard elections as occasions for venting
emotions, like cheering for your favorite team or choosing a Homecoming Queen.
The three leading candidates for their party's nomination are being discussed in terms of their demographics -- race, sex and age -- as if that is what the job is about.
One of the painful aspects of studying great catastrophes of the past is discovering how many times people were preoccupied with trivialities when they were teetering on the edge of doom. The demographics of the presidency are far less important than the momentous weight of responsibility that office carries. Just the power to nominate federal judges to trial courts and appellate courts across the country, including the Supreme Court, can have an enormous impact for decades to come.
There is no point feeling outraged by things done by federal judges, if you vote on the basis of emotion for those who appoint them. Barack Obama has already indicated that he wants judges who make social policy instead of just applying the law. He has already tried to stop young violent criminals from being tried as adults.
Although Senator Obama has presented himself as the candidate of new things -- using the mantra of "change" endlessly -- the cold fact is that virtually everything has says about domestic policy is straight out of the 1960s and virtually everything he says about foreign policy is straight out of the 1930s. Protecting criminals, attacking business, increasing government spending, promoting a sense of envy and grievance, raising taxes on people who are productive and subsidizing those who are not -- all this is a re-run of the 1960s. We paid a terrible price for such 1960s notions in the years that followed, in the form of soaring crime rates, double-digit inflation and double-digit unemployment. During the 1960s, ghettoes across the countries were ravaged by riots from which many have not fully recovered to this day. The violence and destruction were concentrated not where there was the greatest
poverty or injustice but where there were the most liberal politicians, promoting grievances and hamstringing the police.
Internationally, the approach that Senator Obama proposes -- including the media magic of meetings between heads of state -- was tried during the 1930s. That approach, in the name of peace, is what led to the most catastrophic war in human history. Everything seems new to those too young to remember the old and too ignorant of history to have heard about it.

Free classes on lowering your property tax from our good friend Tax Assessor Cheryl Johnson

2008-03-28T13:27:00.002-05:00

Here is some timely information from our award-winning Republican Tax Assessor Cheryl Johnson. Cheryl is doing her part to help you keep more of your hard-earned tax money.

If you believe the value of your property as determined by the Appraisal District (CAD) exceeds the market value, you have the right to protest. Cheryl has been providing these free classes since 2005 helping property owners understand the process, decide whether they should protest, and how to prepare in order to be more effective.

Protesting your property's value is the most immediate form of tax relief. This is a reappraisal year and, assuming sales information is available, it is likely we will see property values increase. Whether the value increases or not, there are numerous things that you can do that may save you some money come tax time later this year.

The award winning class, "Effectively Protesting Your Property's Appraised Value for Taxes," will be taught throughout the County during the months of April and May. As additional classes are offered, the information will be released to the media and posted at each Tax Office and on the website. Groups interested in hosting classes should contact the Tax Assessor's office at 1-877-766-2284 to schedule a program.

2008 Schedule of Classes

Date Time Location
4/2 5:30 pm Friendswood Public Library, 412 S Friendswood Dr., Friendswood
4/9 Noon Dickinson Rotary, First United Methodist Church, 200 FM 517, Dickinson
4/10 5:30 pm Nessler Center (Wings of Heritage Rm), 2010 5th Street, Texas City
4/23 6:30 pm Bayou Vista Recreation Center , Marlin at Neptune Dr., Bayou Vista
4/24 5:30 pm Hitchcock Library, 8005 Barry Street, Hitchcock
4/26 3:00 pm Bayshore VFW Post 8566, 1401 Grand Avenue (646), Bacliff
4/29 5:30 pm Amegy Bank Community Room, 2401 Termini Street, Dickinson
5/1 5:30 pm North County Annex, 174 Calder Drive, League City
5/6 5:30 pm City of La Marque Community Rm, 1109 Bayou Road, La Marque
5/12 6:00 pm Tiki Island Public Safety Building, Tiki Drive, Village of Tiki Island
5/13 6:00 pm Joe Faggard Community Center, 1750 Highway 87, Crystal Beach
5/14 7:30 am Galveston Kiwanis Meeting, 2228 Seawall Blvd, Galveston
5/19 5:30 pm University Area Association, 427 Market Street, Galveston
5/28 5:30 pm Rosenberg Library, 2310 Rosenberg, Galveston
6/21 9:00 am WGIPOA, Galveston County Club, 14228 Stewart Road, Galveston

Classes Courtesy of Cheryl E. Johnson, Galveston County Tax Assessor Collector

Calling all conservative women, SD #11 needs a new SREC Committeewoman

2008-03-15T12:35:00.001-05:00

Our very own SREC member Kathy Haigler is term limited from serving us again on the State Republican Executive Committee. The current committeeman Dennis Paul is from Harris County just as Kathy was.

It would be great if there was a solid conservative woman from Galveston or Brazoria county who wanted to step up to the challenge of running for the SREC committeewoman spot at the state Republican Party convention from June 12 - June 14th in Houston. If you are in Senate District 11 which is Senator Jackson's part of Galveston/Brazoria/Harris County then you can serve.

The SREC serves as the board of directors for the Republican Party of Texas and the 62 SREC members are the voice of the grassroots of the party.

If you know of any woman who has the time, energy, and interest to serve they can contact me for details.

And don't forget to attend your respective County/Senatorial District Conventions on March 29th.

Here is a message from our good friend Cathie Adams who is running for the RNC at the June RPT Convention in Houston

2008-02-29T00:45:00.003-06:00

cathieadams4rnc.com

Cathie Adams Receives Key Endorsements from Texas Conservative Grassroots Leaders in race for Republican National Committeewoman (RNC).

Dallas – Earlier today Texas Eagle Forum President Cathie Adams released the first list of key endorsements for her election as the Republican National Committeewoman for Texas.

The RNC is made up of one woman and one man from each state. Adams is running to fill a seat that will be vacated due to a term limits.

Cathie Adams says “she is honored to have these key endorsements.” Over the past 20 plus years Adams has been a strong Republican leader for social and economic conservative issues in Texas and across the country.

Tim Lambert, President of the Texas Home School Coalition and Former National Committeeman said, "Cathie Adams has been a longtime, grassroots conservative and she will represent the interests and positions of conservatives on the Republican National Committee. “When it comes down to choosing who to stand with on difficult issues, we can count on Cathie Adams to represent conservatives at the national level."

*Other conservative leaders joining Tim Lambert are:

David Barton, President of WallBuilders Inc. & Former Vice-Chair of the Republican Party of Texas
Carol Everett, President of The Heidi Group
Jeff Fisher, Former President of American Family Association of TX & Former Exec. Dir. of Texas Christian Coalition
William Ford, Former Communications Dir. Texas Christian Coalition
Richard Ford, President and Founder of Heritage Alliance
Mary Lynn Gerstenschlager, Texas Eagle Forum Legislative Liaison
Jim Graham, Exec. Dir. of Texas Right to Life
Elizabeth Graham, Texas Right to Life
Ann Hettinger, President of Concerned Women for America of Texas
Tim Lambert, President of Texas Home School Coalition & Former Republican National Committeeman for Texas
Norm Mason, Former President of Texas Christian Coalition
Anne Newman, Trinity Legal Center
Colleen Parro, Exec. Dir. of Republican National Coalition for Life
Dr. Joe Pojman, Exec. Dir. of Texans Alliance for Life
Mark Ramsey, Texans for Better Science Education
Wyatt Roberts, Former State Director of American Family Association of Texas
Kelly Shackelford, President of Free Market Foundation
Peggy Venable, Director of Americans for Prosperity of Texas
Kyleen Wright, President of Texans for Life Coalition

*Titles for ID purposes only
Paid for by Cathie Adams Campaign

Endorsements for the Republican Primary

2008-02-23T15:56:00.001-06:00

Early voting has started and the polls are open today until 7p and tomorrow, Sunday, until 6p. Early voting ends on Friday Feb 29th. Turnout has almost doubled in the Republican primary due to increased attention from the presidential candidates.

There are several contested races on the ballot and now is the time for us to select our Republican nominees for November. We should not settle and we should not hold our nose and vote for the lesser of two evils. We need to elect Republicans to office who share our conservative values.

That being said, I recommend the following candidates to you for your consideration when you go to the polls, the most important thing being that you vote:

U.S President

Alan Keyes

U.S. Congress

CD 14 - Chris Peden - (All of Galveston County except Santa Fe/Hitchcock, all of Brazoria County except Pearland)

CD 22 - Robert Talton - (Santa Fe, Hitchcock, The sections of League city north of the creek, Pearland, Clear Lake, Sugar Land)
This race has 10 candidates and there will probably be a runoff in April.

Galveston County Sheriff

Chief J.L. Campbell

State Representative

#129 - Jon Keeney - Clear Lake

#29 - Randy Weber - Brazoria/Matagorda Counties

Brazoria County Sheriff

Chief Mike Merkel

Dr. Alan Keyes will be speaking in Galveston County, Feb 15th and Feb 22nd

2008-02-10T09:05:00.000-06:00

Don't miss the opportunity to hear Pro-life leader, former U.N. Ambassador, and Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes, Ph.D speak about The Moral Crisis in America.

Dr. Keyes will be at the Shrine of the True Cross Catholic Church
300 FM 517 Rd. E in Dickinson on Friday, Feb 15th from 8:30p - 9:15p.

This is an excellent chance to hear an in-depth discussion of the cause of the moral crisis and how to fight it.

The public is invited.

Dr. Keyes will also be speaking at the Galveston County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday, February 22nd at 6p at the South Shore Harbour Hotel. For information and tickets you can go to: www.galvestoncountygop.com

Vision America Values Voters Guide for the 2008 Presidential primary

2008-01-25T20:47:00.000-06:00

Values Voter Guide

Many conservatives are wrestling with the question of who to back in the Republican primary now that Fred Thompson and Tancredo have bowed out. This may well be the most important presidential primary election in 50 years so we must choose wisely for our children's sake's.

The Pro-Family movement has been blessed by Pastor Scarborough and his group Vision America; they have created a voters guide to help Christians and other values voters to sift through the mainstream meda and give us an accurate indication of where the candidates stand on the issues important to Pro-Family conservatives like the reversal of Roe V. Wade and the passage of the Federal Marriage Amendment.

You can download a PDF file of the Values Voter Guide here.

Review it and make an informed choice in the Texas primary on March 4th. Early voting starts on Feb 19th.

And please see this special message from Pastor Scarborough about an event in Houston on March 1st that you wont want to miss:

LaHaye Tribute Vision America Special Event
Thank you for your prayers and support of Vision America. I am excited to invite you to a very special event that is taking place on the first day of March at the Westin Galleria Hotel in Houston, Texas.
Please help support us as we honor Tim and Beverly LaHaye even if you are not able to attend. Select Here to contribute to LaHaye special event.
On that evening we are going to honor a couple that I view as Christian royalty, Dr. and Mrs. Tim LaHaye. I know of no two people in America who have made a greater contribution to the cause of Christ over the past 50 years. He is a renowned preacher, theologian, public speaker and author. Mrs. LaHaye is the founder of the largest women’s organization in America, Concerned Women of America, based in Washington D.C.
Dr. LaHaye was among the founding members of the Advisory Board of Vision America. He was a pioneer in mobilizing pastors to engage in the political arena. He is a prolific author with more than 30 published works including the best selling Left Behind series. Please join us for this life changing event where Dr. LaHaye will deliver a prophetic message entitled “The Final Chapter” focusing on the world events. To see more select here.

Clear Lake - Republican Candidates Night

2008-01-08T08:43:00.000-06:00

**NOTE - This event does not include the CD22 candidates as there will be a separate forum on February 12th for candidates involved in the CD22 race and the State Representative District 129 race.

You are cordially invited to participate in the Bay Area Republican Women’s biennial Candidates’ Night co-sponsored by Clear Lake Republicans on Tuesday, January 15 at Bay Oaks Country Club, 14545 Bay Oaks Blvd. Houston 77058.

All state, county & judicial candidates in Contested primary races are invited to speak. Candidates in Uncontested races will be introduced, but will not be given the opportunity to speak due to time constraints.

Coffee and refreshments will be served at 6:15 p.m., allowing time for circulating and distributing literature. The program will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a brief break at 8:00. Candidates will speak in ballot order for a maximum of three minutes each (time may be adjusted based on number of candidates responding).

All Republicans are welcome!
We look forward to seeing you!

If no one breaks out of the pack, Texans may have a shot at picking the Republican nominee for President

2007-12-26T14:13:00.000-06:00

With one week left until the Iowa Caucus, the Republican race for president is beginning to tighten nationally. Last week USA Today/Gallup polled 1000 Republican or Republican leaning voters and the results were as follows:

Giuliani: 27%; vs. 25% two weeks ago and 28% two weeks before that.
Huckabee: 16%; unchanged from two weeks ago and up from 10% two weeks before that.
Sen. John McCain: 14%; vs. 15% and 13% in the previous polls
Fred Thompson: 14%; vs. 15% and 19% in the previous polls.
Mitt Romney: 14%; vs. 12% in both the previous polls.
Rep. Ron Paul: 3%; vs. 4% and 5% in the previous polls.
Alan Keyes: 3%; up from nothing in the previous polls.

No other candidate was above 1% in the latest poll.

It seems as if Giuliani is holding off the Huckabee surge and Alan Keyes ,who just got in the race, is tied with Ron Paul.

Pay attention to what happens in Iowa and New Hampshire as the field begins to thin. Thompson is having trouble catching fire with the base and is not having much luck shaking the perception that he does not have the "fire-in-the-belly" needed to run and win the presidency. Romney's money may not be enough to overcome questions about his flip flops on key issues. Look for McCain to try and tale New Hampshire like he did in 2000 to breath new life into his campaign.

Ron Paul with his record-breaking fundraising will now be a factor in New Hampshire and will be able to stay in the race until at least Super Tuesday on Feb 5th when more than 20 states hold their primaries. There are also rumors that Ron Paul would consider running as a third party candidate if he doesn't do well in the Republican primaries, but Congressman Paul has stated that he has "no intention" of running as a third party candidate.

With 5 candidates bunched up around the top, Texas Republican primary voters may get a chance to influence who the Republican nominee will be. If no one candidate has a strong lead coming out of Feb 5th, Texas' primary on March 4th could be the large block of delegates needed to choose the nominee.

That's why it's even more important this year that Republicans not only vote in the primary for the candidate of their choice, but that they return to their precinct polling station the night of March 4th at 7p when the polls close to attend their precinct conventions.

The precinct convention starts the process to be selected as a delegate for the state and national Republican convention in June and August of 2008.

Reminder - Galveston County Republican Party Petition signing party tonight at5:30p a tRed River BBQ in League City

2007-11-13T08:56:00.000-06:00

The Galveston County Republican Party is having a petition signing party tonight at Red River BBQ, 1911 E. Main St, League City (near FM 270 @ Main) from 5:30p - 8:30p.

If you are in the area, stop by, meet your local Republican party candidates and help them get on the ballot for the March 2008 Republican primary.

All we'll need is your name, address, signature and date of birth or voter registration number.

For a list of local Republican candidates, go the party website at: www.galvestoncountygop.com

Happy 232nd Birthday to the Marine Corp, URAH!

2007-11-10T19:53:00.000-06:00

From the Commandant of the United States Marine Corp:

SINCE THE BIRTH OF OUR NATION, OUR LIBERTY HAS BEEN PURCHASED BY VALIANT MEN AND WOMEN OF DEEP CONVICTION, GREAT COURAGE, AND BOLD ACTION; THE COST HAS OFTEN BEEN IN BLOOD AND TREMENDOUS SACRIFICE. AS AMERICAS SENTINELS OF FREEDOM, UNITED
STATES MARINES ARE COUNTED AMONG THE FINEST LEGIONS IN THE CHRONICLES OF WAR.

SINCE 1775, MARINES HAVE MARCHED BOLDLY TO THE SOUNDS OF THE GUNS AND HAVE FOUGHT FIERCELY AND HONORABLY TO DEFEAT THE SCOURGE OF TYRANNY AND TERROR. WE ARE MARINES - THAT IS WHAT WE DO.
IN THE WORDS OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY: “IN THE LONG HISTORY OF THE WORLD, ONLY A FEW GENERATIONS HAVE BEEN GRANTED THE ROLE OF DEFENDING FREEDOM IN ITS HOUR OF MAXIMUM DANGER.”
MAGNIFICENT HEROES FOUGHT IN THE WHEAT FIELDS OF BELLEAU WOOD, IN THE SNOWS OF THE CHOSIN, AND ON THE STREETS OF HUE CITY. YOUR GENERATION BEARS THIS OBLIGATION NOW, AND IT IS BORNE ON MIGHTY AND CAPABLE SHOULDERS. JUST LIKE THE MARINES AT BELLEAU WOOD - WE ARE ONCE AGAIN ENGAGED IN SUSTAINED OPERATIONS ASHORE. JUST LIKE AT BELLEAU WOOD - THE MARINES HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE TOUGHEST SECTOR AND HAVE PREVAILED OVER A RESILIENT AND DETERMINED ENEMY - WHO HAS MADE US PAY FOR OUR GAINS. ONCE AGAIN, AS IN ANY STRUGGLE, THE ROAD AHEAD IS FAR FROM CERTAIN, BUT AS MARINES, WE ARE NOT DISSUADED BY THE CHALLENGES OF WAR OR THE TOUGH CONDITIONS OF A WARRIOR’S LIFE. INDEED, WE DON’T JUST ACCEPT OUR DESTINY - WE SHAPE IT.
ON OUR 232ND BIRTHDAY, TO EVERY MARINE - THOSE STILL IN UNIFORM AND THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED HONORABLY IN THE PAST - BE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO. KNOW THAT YOUR CITIZENSHIP DUES HAVE BEEN PAID IN FULL; YOU ARE PART OF THIS NATION’S ELITE WARRIOR CLASS. CHERISH OUR FAMILIES WHO OFFER MARVELOUS SUPPORT, ABIDING RESOLVE, AND STEADFAST PATIENCE. REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED AND THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN - THEIR NAMES ARE CHISELED ON THE ROLL CALL OF AMERICA’S HEROES. THOSE WHO HAVE CARRIED THE BATTLE COLORS OF OUR CORPS HAVE FORGED OUR HERITAGE, AND TODAY’S GENERATION OF LEATHERNECKS CHART OUR FUTURE. CARRY THE COLORS WITH PRIDE; CARRY THEM WITH HONOR.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARINES!
SEMPER FIDELIS
JAMES T. CONWAY
GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS

The Dysfunction at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency continues..

2007-11-07T23:14:00.000-06:00

In what can only be described as stunningly ignorant as well as an example of what is wrong with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), this story recently surfaced out of Washington, D.C.

It seems that a DHS employee has been put on leave after coming to a DHS Halloween party dressed in a black and white striped prisoner outfit, phony dreadlocks, and skin bronzer to make him look African-American.

But that is not the most outrageous part of the story. It seems as of the head of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, a political hack named Julie Myers, not only hosted the party but sat on a panel that orginally commended the costume for its 'originality". It was only after complaints by offended employees did Ms. Myers launch an investiogation and send an e-mail apologizing for "a few of the costumes," calling them "inappropriate and offensive." She said she and other senior managers "deeply regret that this happened."

Are you kidding me!!!

Illegal immigrants are overrunning the borders of the United States and you have time to stop for a Halloween Party??

You can't find the time to build a fence on the border that congress mandated that you build, but you can judge a costume contest??

You commend a racially offensive costume as "original" and then after being called on it you have to be forced to apologize??

Where are this woman's priorities? It's no wonder that ICE is a bungling, inept bureacracy that can't catch, much less deport the criminal illegal immigrants that are running amuck in our streets, much less stop the flow at the borders.

ICE is the second largest federal enforcement agency with some 15,000 employees and 6,000 investigators.

Ms. Myers, a lawyer, has not yet been confirmed as the Assistant Secretary of Homeland security by the U.S. Senate.

And for a myriad of reasons, including the inability of ICE to control the border, Ms. Myers lack of criminal enforcement experience; and her stunningly poor judgement as displayed in this recent incident, she should not be confirmed. It is clear that we need better leaders in the battle to secure our borders and it is equally clear that after two years in the job, Ms. Myers is not up to the challenge.

Is This a Christian Nation?? Thoughts from a reader...

2007-10-13T19:30:00.000-05:00

One of our readers, Shirley from League City, passed this letter along and I thought it was timely and worth sharing:

Let us never forget that one of the first ships that landed on these shores, the Speedwell," was carrying Christians. The first act of those folks was to disembark, make an altar, and make a covenant with Almighty God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that this would be a Christian country, forever and always. A covenant with God cannot be broken, nor can it be altered, even by a wayward, silly US Congresswoman ... or a misguided President.
An inscription on the top left-hand sail of the Speedwell reads: ""God with us," from Matt. 1:23, the name that the angel gave to Joseph to give to the coming Son of God, Jesus Christ: "Emmanuel." These mighty Pilgrims landed in Cape Cod, MA on 11/11/1620. They drew up their famed "Mayflower Compact" on board ship. This was the beginning of the "government of the people, by the people and for the people," of the One Nation Under God. From the Mayflower Compact, we see the covenant with God: "In the Name of God, Amen ... Having undertaken, for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith ... a voyage to plant the first colony in
the northern parts of Virginia ... in the presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic ... (and signed by all the pilgrims) ... Cape Cod, 11 November, 1620."
On 9/7/1774, 36 Founding Fathers from the 11 States assembled at Carpenters' Hall, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (FYI: Carpenters' Hall is designed in the shape of a cross.) They invited Pastor Jacob Duche to open the Congress in prayer to Almighty God, and it has been opened thusly ever since (until recently, when prayers to false gods have been allowed). Barely six months later, Paul Revere made his famous ride warning, "The British are coming! The British are coming!" As he sounded the alarm, he was met with the battle cry, "No King, but King Jesus!!!" from the settlers, who were busying themselves gathering together arms and ammunition to fight the Redcoats. With the Mayflower Compact and the winning of that famous battle, the United States of America became the first Christian nation in history.
In May of 1787, the Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia in order to stitch the separate states into a Republic, during which Benjamin Franklin said, "At the beginning of the war, we prayed for divine protection. Our prayers were answered. I have lived a long time. The longer I live, the more I see that "God governs in the affairs of man". A sparrow cannot fall without His notice. Can an empire rise without His aid? The Book of Psalms assures us that, Unless the Lord build a house, they labor in vain who build it. We can build our house in America only with His help. I therefore move that from now on, we begin each session in prayer, asking for assistance and blessing from Heaven." On 9/17/1787, the Constitution of these United States was signed by representatives of each State.
On 4/30/1789, George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States, placing his hand on the Holy Bible. In his inaugural address to Congress, he said: "I must express my gratitude to the Almighty. No people can acknowledge the invisible hand of God more than the people of the United States. Every step toward independence was protected by His hand. Let us remember that the smiles of Heaven will continue on a nation only when it heeds the eternal rules of right and order."
Oh, how far we have strayed from our early promises. Yet, there is hope. God tells us, in His Word:"If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14.
We must repent, turn from our sins, and pray for His forgiveness. Then, we MUST turn this nation back to God ... the real God ... of the real Bible. If the Muslims, who hate us and are trying to kill us, see and understand that this nation was created, instituted and guided by God, and His Son, Christ, why can't we? Our founding Fathers consulted God, before they ventured forth or made decisions. We must return to that tradition. Our very future as a nation depends upon it. What if we ignore God and delete Him from our government, as Nancy Pelosi and the Nation's Architect are trying to do? Well, Israel tried that once, and they spent 40 years in the desert for their sins. Do we wish to repeat history, or would we rather learn from it?
Now, the original question: Is this a Christian nation? What did you decide?

Oh, by the way, just after the British were defeated, the country was in terrible, serious, financial condition and ready to collapse. It was only a matter of days before there would be no food to feed the settlers. It was a Jewish business man that stepped in and lent this fledgeling nation enough money to keep it afloat. Once again, God sent a Jew to save a Gentile. And the rest, as they say, is history...........
Blessings!!

Newt to the rescue??? Gingrich may seek presidency in 2008

2007-09-24T22:29:00.000-05:00

According to reports out of Washington, D.C., Newt Gingrich has taken a new position on whether he will seek the Republican nomination for President in 2008.

Originally, Newt said that he would wait until October 1st before deciding, but now it appears that if he can raise or get pledges for $30 million in the next 3 weeks, he'll jump in.

Many conservatives, myself included, think that Newt (even with his baggage) may have the best shot at beating Hilary in 2008.

Stay tuned.....

Don't worry League City, I'm from LULAC and I'm here to help.

2007-08-23T06:40:00.000-05:00

In the never ending fight to turn back the rising tide of liberalism, we must be ever vigilant to stand up to the scourge of the Race Industry and fight back their transparent attempts to inject race into situations as a tactic to enflame emotions because they are unable, unwilling, or incapable of winning the battle of ideas with logic, the facts, or rational argument.

In Texas, the League of United Latin American Citizens ( LULAC ) is a shining light of the Race Industry, no less media hungry than Jesse Jackson and Operation Push or the ever present Quannel-I'm-from-the-hood-but-I-live-in Pearland-X.

Always quick to propose a race-based solution to a problem that doesn't exist, and just as quick to extort money from those woeful companies or cities that don't drink their politically correct, multicultural Kool-Aid.

Whether its the demand by outraged voters secure our borders from the invasion of illegal immigrants, to the outlandish desire for the US to adopt English as the official language of our great nation, LULAC and their merry band of race-thinking liberals can be counted on to play the race card as loudly as a drum.

Case in point? In a story from today's Galveston Daily News, LULAC clumsily plays the race/ethnic card in League City by threatening to sue League City if the city doesn't create a "minority voting district "because the Charter Review Committee voted not to recommend single member districts.

When LULAC comes to council to threaten a law suit, the council should provide a succinct response: Bring It.

BREAKING NEWS - State Representative Mike O'Day (R-Pearland) Reportedly To Resign

2007-08-16T20:38:00.000-05:00

This was just posted by Chris Elam over at Texas Safety Forum. If it turns out to be true there could be yet another special election to fill the late State Representative Glenda Dawson's seat.

Word out of Austin is that Pearland State Representative Mike O'Day will be resigning his HD29 seat by the end of this week. Dogged by rumors and reports of misconduct and inappropriate behavior (“ungentlemanly personal conduct” as reported by Paul Burka on his blog) during the recent legislative session, the buzz is that O'Day will step down from the seat to save face.

HD29 is a safe Republican seat stretching from Pearland in Brazoria County through western Brazoria County and encompassing all of Matagorda County. Pearland business owner Randy Weber finished second in a runoff to O'Day in January's special election, and would be the prohibitive favorite in another special election. Should the scenario unfold, it would be interesting to see whether or not Weber feels the desire to endure another campaign... that choice will be posed from a number of community and state leaders during the next few days if my sources are correct.

U.S. Senator Cornyn speaking in Galveston on Monday, August 20th at 4p

2007-08-14T13:54:00.000-05:00

The Galveston County Republican Party is sponsoring an event with U.S. Senator John Cornyn on Monday, August 20th at 4p.

Senator Cornyn will be addressing the issues and will take questions from the group. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

The event will be at the San Luis Resort & Conference Center, 5222 Seawall Blvd in the Windjammer room.

10 Simple & Direct Steps to a Legal American Immigration System by newt Gingrich

2007-06-19T00:43:00.000-05:00

I think Newt Gingrich has a lot to offer the Republican party in terms of big ideas. Newt is dead accurate about what we need to do to get immigration right. And, clearly, the Bush-Kennedy-McCain bill is not the solution. The following is from Newt's newsletter, Winning the Future:

Those who are trying to force through the Bush-Kennedy-McCain immigration proposal argue that only their version of comprehensive reform will work. They are simply wrong.

Forget that their bill is impossible to implement and that there is no evidence the federal government could possibly administer a Z visa for 12 million-plus (your government cannot tell you to within a million what the number is) people who are here illegally.
A core failure of the Bush-Kennedy-McCain bill is that it makes the problem bigger than it needs to be. By trying to force a single solution in one bill, it makes the system even more unworkable and more likely to fail. By accepting the government's failure to keep its word for the last 21 years (since the passage of Simpson-Mazzoli in 1986), the Bush-Kennedy-McCain plan both increases the number of people who will be legalized despite their illegal behavior and sends a signal to others to come to America illegally in the expectation that there will inevitably be a third wave of amnesty as we "bow to reality" (in Secretary Chertoff's phrase) once again about 2017.
Before you believe any of the promises to keep the government's word THIS TIME see the eerily parallel quotes from the 1986 debate.
There is a dramatically better and simpler alternative. It will lead to fewer people being in America illegally. It will lead to a nation confident that its laws will be enforced. It will signal the world that you can come to America legally but you will not be able to come illegally. It will signal to every American that their uniquely American civilization will be renewed and strengthened. This approach is far better than the Bush-Kennedy-McCain bill.
Ten Simple, Direct Steps to a Legal American Immigration System.
1. - Keep the 1986 Simpson-Mazzoli commitment and control the border.
In The Reagan Diaries (HarperCollins, May 22, 2007), President Ronald Reagan wrote that he was going to sign the Simpson-Mazzoli bill because "it's high time we regained control of our borders and [this] bill will do this."
For national security reasons, it is vital we regain control of our border. Congress should pass a narrowly written emergency border bill to finish the necessary fence in less than a year and to have complete border control within two years.
2. - Announce an immediate shift of Internal Revenue Service resources to audit companies that are deliberately hiring people illegally.
We do not have to focus on deporting those who want to work. We need to focus on the Americans who are getting richer by deliberately breaking our laws, hiring people illegally and failing to pay taxes. These people are cheating their own country. We should focus on fining and making it economically impractical for Americans to deliberately encourage law breaking.
Economic penalties for knowingly hiring someone who is illegal should rise dramatically with each employer (including subcontractors) conviction, making it simply too expensive to cheat. This will eliminate the magnet of illegal jobs, will begin to diminish the flow of new illegal workers and will lead some illegal workers to return home voluntarily.

3. - Outsource to American Express, Visa or MasterCard the job of building a real-time verification system so that honest companies can confirm the legal status of all workers and identify people with forged papers before they hire them as fast as your automatic teller machine identifies you and gives you money in a matter of seconds.
We must distinguish between companies that deliberately hire illegal workers and companies that hire people who they believe are legal. It is the government's duty to help this second group of companies by providing a real-time verification system for identifying the legal status of all workers so that it is possible to screen out those with illegal documents. The government should outsource the creation of this system so that it is easy, fast and accurate.
4. - Focus deportation efforts on criminals.
Those who claim that opponents of the Bush-Kennedy-McCain bill support mass deportations are simply wrong. We want a system in which honest work is available for law-abiding workers and in which the natural attrition of declining job availability will reduce illegal behavior. However, there is one group that should be deported immediately, and the law should be modified to make it easy to do so. Criminals have no future in America. In every major city and increasingly in small cities and even small towns, gangs have become a problem and people feel a rising sense of insecurity. There are at least 30,000 illegal gang members now in the United States. The system should focus on deporting criminals so that people who are here illegally understand that breaking the law will get them deported immediately.
5. - Cut off all federal aid to any city, county or state that refuses to investigate if a criminal is here illegally.
These so-called "sanctuary cities" are in effect abetting the violation of American law and increasing the risk to honest, law-abiding Americans. They should be cut off from all federal aid if they refuse to help enforce federal law.
6. - Offer intensive education in English to anyone who wants to learn English, and make English the official language of government.
This will begin to reassert the commitment to assimilation and Americanization that has historically been part of legal immigration to America.
7. - Ensure that becoming an American citizen requires passing a test on American history in English and giving up the right to vote in any other country.
8. - Within the context of these proven changes, establish an economically driven temporary worker program like the Krieble Foundation proposals.
Any temporary worker would have to pass a background check to ensure they are not a criminal, would have to give biometric information (retinal scan and thumbprint) for a special card that would be outsourced to American Express, MasterCard or Visa so it would be harder to defraud and counterfeit, and would have to sign a contract committing them to pay taxes and obey the law or be removed from the United States within two weeks without recourse to long court processes.
9. - Create a special open-ended worker visa for high value workers who bring specialized education, entrepreneurial talent or capital that will grow the American economy and make America a more prosperous country.
10. - Workers who came here illegally but have a good work relationship and community ties (including family), should have first opportunity to get the new temporary worker visas, but instead of paying penalties, they should be required to go home and get the visa at home.
This way they are beginning their new career in America by obeying the law. It is amazing that those who advocate a large fine and the new Z visa, which would be administered in a hopelessly expedited manner, suggest that going home to get a new legal admission to the U.S. is somehow too complicated. If people can break the law by entering the county illegally, they should be able to obey the law and enter America legally.
These 10 steps would lead to a controlled border, a profound revitalization of the core values of American civilization, a renewed respect for the law and an economically driven system of legal temporary workers in an orderly and controllable manner.
This program would work vastly better than the dishonest and hopelessly complex Bush-Kennedy-McCain proposal now being pushed so hard by the establishment against the wishes of most Americans.

13 Reasons to Deport Illegal Immigrants

2007-06-15T21:05:00.000-05:00

This list was sent to me by a fellow conservative. With the U.S. Senate trying to bring back the Amnesty bill next week, conservatives would do well to cite these figures as 13 of the many fiscal reasons to deport illegal immigrants.

However, as I have said many times before, the issue is not a fiscal issue; it's a legal issue. The United States is a country of laws and allowing illegal immigrants to stay, to have a path towards citizenship, etc, etc, makes a mockery of our laws. The operative word in this debate is illegal.

OM

1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal
immigrants each year. http://tinyurl.com/zob77

2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal immigrants.
http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html

3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal
immigrants.
http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html

4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English! http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal immigrants, known as anchor babies.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal immigrants. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal immigrants. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal immigrants for Welfare & social services by the American taxpayers. http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html

9. $200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal immigrants. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

10. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal immigrants that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroine and marijuana, crossed into the U. S. from the Southern border.
Homeland Security Report: http://tinyurl.com/t9sht

11. The National Policy Institute, "estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period."
http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/deportation.pdf

12. In 2006 illegal immigrants sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back to their countries of origin.
http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm

13. "The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United States ".
http://www.drdsk.com/articleshtml

Using the lowest estimates, the annual cost of illegal immigrants is $338.3 BILLION dolars/year.

If deporting illegal immigrants costs an average of $46 BILLION dollars/yr, it makes fiscal sense to start deporting them; NOW. We'll start saving taxpayers almost $292 Billon dollars/year from year 1.