More than a year after Gov. Rick Perry announced ambitious plans for a “virtual border watch” in Texas, the project has stalled because of a lack of funding.
Perry announced plans for the camera project, the first of its kind sponsored by a state government, in the summer of 2006 during his re-election campaign, making it a centerpiece of his plan to combat illegal immigration.
“Enforcing the border is the federal government’s responsibility, but Texas will not wait for them to act,” Perry, a Republican, said in June 2006. “A stronger border is what the American people want. And it’s what our security demands. And that is what Texas is going to deliver.”
But the state didn’t deliver exactly as promised.
Katherine Cesinger, a spokeswoman for Perry, said the governor is still committed to the border camera project and is looking for funding. When the project was announced, Perry’s office estimated it would cost about $5 million. Cesinger said Perry is considering tapping into federal homeland security grant money, if possible.
Wait a minute. Didn’t the Lege approve over $100 million in Homeland Security funding for the Governor to play with? And haven’t we already established that he won’t be sending much of that money to border-county sheriffs, like they thought he’d do? So, um, if this is such a great idea, why can’t Governor Perry tap into that hundred million bucks the Lege threw at him this spring? What else is it going to be used for?