Some people wonder what occurs- and most do not.

I received the following in from a friend down along the border. Both the videos and blog are worth spending some time viewing even if you are aware of what is going on.



You can hit Mrs. Burns YouTube channel here and her blog here.

So long as the War on Some Drugs continues, this will only get worse. Moreover, the continued suppression of our Rights will get worse. Ten to fifteen years ago, it was not this bad, even though you did have "psuedo-cop" invasions occurring on a fairly frequent basis down along the river in the early 1990's but tended to be small time locals doing so. Now, most times, such pretense is off and kidnappings occur.

The biggest problem is that most people are happy with selective rights as they think they know what their rights are, but never spent more than was required in HS to read and learn.

Spend some time, learn, realize that this is already farther North than you realize and that your Rights are much more suppressed than you realized.

WP

Wheels

WSRA posted two links that are well worth reading; the first here and the second here.

The reason I am linking to this is simple. Yesterday, I was down along the Rio and when heading back north late in the afternoon, I was listening to the local talk radio afternoon host who is a retired Army Colonel. Though I have heard his stupidity before (he sounds like a real socialist), I was startled to hear him call for the US to take Mexico and Canada and create the United States of North America. Moreover, he called for NATIONALIZING the police and called it the United States Police with the minor caveat of limited local oversight. He also called for breaking up Texas into five states and further, he called the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution nothing more than "TRADITIONS".

His publicly stated reasons is for efficiency- yes efficiency and the fact that our Founding Fathers could never have imagined the World as it is today. Things like planes, automatic weapons, nuclear bombs, telephones, the Internet... You know, things that men like Da Vinci dreamed of- and, of course, we know the Founding Fathers were a bunch of ignoramuses, unread and un-imaginative who had not the ability to think beyond their immediate desires.

If you do not think Agenda 21 and the goals of absolute control are not real just turn on some local radio- you might just be surprised too.

WP

Police Report: All Assault Rapists in Oslo Follow Muhammad

Police Report: All Assault Rapists in Oslo Follow Muhammad

by Gil Ronen

Defenders of Islam call it a "religion of peace" but many Norwegian women are learning that Islam is the religion of rape. According to an amazing police report released there this month, every single solved case of assault-rape in the country in 2010 was carried out by a Muslim immigrant.

The report was cited by an official Norwegian television station, which interviewed a victim who said that her rapist explained to her that his religion permits him to rape her.

According to the police report there was a total of 186 of known rape cases in 2010. These fall into various categories, the largest one of which is assault-rape, carried out by sheer physical force, of which there were 86 cases. In 83 of these cases the perpetrator could be identified by the victim. In all 83, the attacker was described as having "non-western appearance," a laundered euphemism for Muslim immigrants from Africa, the Middle East, or Asia.

In other categories of rape there were Norwegian attackers as well, but they were still in the minority (Note: the translation of the Norwegian TV report embedded here does not make a distiction between "assault rape" and other forms of rape, and appears to confuse the statistics for 2010 with those for 2006-2010).

Hmm, every one solved- nearly 50%. Yes, MIGRATION is the answer- right, sure it is. Not one real concept of Western History, Culture, or Society and how many swallow hook, line and sinker the line that it is a good thing.

IDIOTS! You destroy yourselves! You are committing SUICIDE!

But then again, you IDIOTS have heard this before, saw these statistics before and hid them.

You will burn in hell.

WP

Mission PD: U.S. law enforcement exchanges fire with gunmen across border

Mission PD: U.S. law enforcement exchanges fire with gunmen across border

June 19, 2011 2:38 PM
Dave Hendricks
The Monitor

MISSION — Drug smugglers opened fire on U.S. law enforcement officers Sunday morning near the Anzalduas International Bridge after Mission police intercepted a 500-pound load of marijuana, police Chief Leo Longoria said.

U.S. law enforcement officers shot back, Longoria said, and no injuries were reported. Details remained hazy Sunday afternoon, and Longoria couldn’t give further information about the brief shootout.

AND

Six police units, several more from the Department of Public Safety and a Border Patrol helicopter were called to assist. As the pickup fled, a green Chevrolet Avalanche with a young woman behind the wheel began harassing officers, Longoria said.

"She went head-on toward a police vehicle," Longoria said. "We're trying to see what her intent was, but obviously it was a very reckless action on her part."

Curious as Bordeland Beat just reported about it being safe to go back in the water as "Tourism rebounds on violence-marred border lake".

Nope, no spillover here, nothing to see, move along, go catch some fish...

ADDENDUM

I knew I had forgotten to mention another story from down on the Lower RGV this week and that is the son of the Mayor oh Pharr, Texas was popped at Falfurrias with 114 POUNDS of dope in his trunk.

Pharr mayor's son caught with 114 pounds of pot at checkpoint
Comments 53
June 17, 2011 10:16 PM

Jared Taylor and Naxiely Lopez
The Monitor

FALFURRIAS — Federal agents arrested the Pharr mayor’s son after they found more than 114 pounds of marijuana inside his vehicle.

U.S. Border Patrol arrested Leo Palacios III after he pulled up to the Highway 281 checkpoint south of Falfurrias about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to a criminal complaint. After a secondary inspection, they found the pot stashed in his Mercedes E320 sedan’s trunk.

Palacios, who lives in Austin and is son of the Pharr mayor of the same name, claimed he was in the Rio Grande Valley on business.

“I did not know anything about this,” the mayor said. “All I know was that he was arrested for possession. He hasn’t called me or anything.

Agents say they were about to release Palacios from the checkpoint when he started moving his car forward slowly.

Agents tapped the side of his car and waved their hands while telling him to stop, the complaint states. Other agents yelled at him to stop and he finally complied.

A drug dog alerted to the trunk of Palacios’ car and agents asked him to move it to secondary inspection. Palacios asked the agents why he needed the inspection, saying he didn’t see the dog do anything. Another agent commanded him to move the car to secondary and Palacios complied.

Oh, and read the comments as some are just too funny- for example:

"ooooollooooo

10:28 PM on June 17, 2011

This comes as a total surprise to us also Polo. Oh wait, look up there, a flying cow."

WP

Police seize guns after Los Alamos standoff

Police seize guns after Los Alamos standoff
Ex-LANL physicist being held for psychiatric evaluation

Geoff Grammer | The New Mexican
Posted: Friday, January 14, 2011 - 1/15/11

High-powered weapons and ammunition were among the items seized from the home of a former Los Alamos National Laboratory physicist who has become increasingly paranoid and outspoken against the lab and the government.

Los Alamos police trying to serve a warrant arrested Richard Lee Morse, 75, outside his 1350 Bathtub Row home at 11:45 a.m. Thursday when "he just came out to throw some trash away" after nearly 19 hours, according to Los Alamos Capt. Randy Foster.

A search warrant executed Thursday on Morse's home netted the discovery of three guns — a .30-06 rifle, a .22-caliber rifle and a 9 mm Beretta pistol — and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, including 661 rounds for the powerful .30-06 rifle alone. As a condition of his release from jail for a pending criminal case, Morse was not allowed to own a gun.

Hmm, high-powered weapons? The 22 or the 9MM- nope that horrible 30-06, and of course there is that increasing paranoia, but you fail to mention WHY the search warrant was issued to begin with as becoming "...increasingly paranoid and outspoken against the lab and the government." Such is not not a crime- or is it?

Thanks Santa Fe New Mexican, this article certainly seems like a hatchet job as you state DEEP in the article, the eighth paragraph in fact, that Mr. Morse was "awaiting trial before Pfeffer on a charge of battery on a peace officer in Los Alamos in August, was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation before that case could proceed, but a bed at the Las Vegas, N.M., hospital where that evaluation was to take place was not available until this week."

However, in looking in your site, I could find no previous information, and had to look elsewhere and could only find that on August 3rd, 2010, at:

4:10 p.m. – Richard Morse, 75, of Los Alamos was arrested at 176 Central Park Square and charged with battery following an investigation into a reported trespassing and battery upon an employee of the property owner.

Not one word about battery of a peace officer but again, you put deep in the article the complaints he had made to the police about the mysterious killing of his cats, his concern with leaving his house, the surveillance, and the beating he received.

Oh yes, let us not forget the last three paragraphs of this hatchet job:

He added to the Monitor, "This is happening to me because I blew the whistle on the W-76."

Los Alamos police say they do not intend to charge Morse with any new charges stemming from this week's standoff, but will keep him incarcerated until his psychiatric evaluation.

"Unfortunately because this took so long, that bed that was available for him that started this whole thing has since been filled," Foster said.

In fact, Mr. Morse did complain about his serious concerns with the W76, as this link shows and more can be found with this search.

You start with the title to bring shock and fear, which I think you used due to the nut in Tucson, say he was against the Los Alamos National Lab and government and then say high powered weapons seized, when there is not one (30-06 rifle was not specified so I am thinking deer rifle), say that the 9MM is "rapid-fire", and over 1000 rounds of which 661 were for the 30-06.

Interestingly worded and put together indeed.

WP

JP Morgan Told Judge To Stop Paying Mortgage To Become Eligible For Loan Modification

JP Morgan Told Judge To Stop Paying Mortgage To Become Eligible For Loan Modification

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 01/12/2011 20:17 -0500

In the latest stunner of disclosure in what goes on just below the murky surface of the biggest scam market in the world (that would be the multi-trillion residential debt market), we learn that a Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court judge, Peter Sikora, who is facing foreclosure on his million dollar (8 room) home. But that is not what makes him unique: after all the story of your average American who buys iPads and garter belts with money that should be going into mortgage payments is all too well known by now. What is amazing, however, is that the reason for his 12 month delinquency is that according to JP Morgan, who service the loan, the only way Sikora would be eligible for loan modification would be if he were in delinquency, which is what they advised him to do. That's right - a bank formally told a client to willfully default on a mortgage.

Makes you wonder just how bright he really is, or as was my first thought- a quid-pro-quo attempt? However, reading the comments at the Cleveland.com site, I found this and that and the links are worth the read.

WP

How can New Jersey imprison a gun owner who broke no laws?

How can New Jersey imprison a gun owner who broke no laws?
October 19th, 2010 10:04 am ET

Here's the thing: Once it was determined he did not pose a danger to himself or others, why was Aitken not released and his property returned to him?

The answer is simple, if you own a gun in New Jersey, and other locations that push pantywaistism, you ARE a criminal!

WP

Good Patrick Henry

TODAY IS INDEPENDENCE DAY!

This is a post is originally from 2004 which I re-post every year since then- sometimes adding a bit more each year.

Some think with the events this year, 2010, that voting will get things changed- I do to, but this time, people will understand when the vote DOES NOT MATTER, we have really but one box left.

FROM 2009:

Yesterday, in preparing to honor today, a friend and I went to purchase some ammunition at the local Wal-Mart. We selected our ammo, the young man placed it on the counter, scanned the items and then stated, "I need your drivers license." He stated this in that dull, slow and overly bored tone of the drone. (Of course many will say, well look at the dead-end job he has so what do you expect instead of the realization that one should work to the best of one's ability. Perhaps we accosted him at the wrong drone moment but this is not the point of this missive and I have digressed.)

Naturally our response was, "What for?" He then explained that it was needed for the system, corporate policy, to verify our age, etc., etc.- ad nauseum. My friend started to walk away after we both said NO you are not getting it. I then explained to him, in a very forceful and direct fashion that I was not producing ID. I further explained that tomorrow was Independence Day which was started in 1776 when our Founding Fathers told their government to go FUCK THEMSELVES! and that this ammunition purchase was to honor and remember them. I told him then to get a manager and what does the drone do? He looks for permission to the woman on her knees doing inventory, who spoke NOT ONE WORD of English. He tried three times when he looked to foreigner on the floor once more and she told him to go ahead and sell me the ammunition.

The drone then asked me if I understood and had was okay with him selling me the ammunition without asking me for ID. This perplexed and pissed me off again. I explained to him that this was Texas and America and our Founding Fathers said nothing about showing ID to do so and in fact, just the opposite. He then attempted once more to tell that it was simply store policy. I told him that NAZI Germany started the same way and I would not stand for it and his simple stance of just following orders would not cut it. It is his responsibility, just as it is everyone's, to question such inane policies whether government or CORPORATE. I can no longer tolerate either- doing so only allows such filth to grow and flourish.

Of course, this leads me back to the following which I post every year on Independence Day and remind folks that you SHOULD tar and feather a politician or their supplicants today, I know the Paranoid family is certainly hoping to- so without further ado, the reminder.

FROM 2004

I found this a couple of months ago:



And it made me think of just how far most people in this country have let slip their desire for freedom and liberty- so much so, that I remembered this:



Then, two days ago, my compadre No-Neck sent this to me:



I knew this would be true and I thought long and hard about these men:



The men, whose history is unknown my so many- and cared for by even less, gave us our start on this path and that so many of the men of their day were willing to do this:



Understand, they were traitors to their government, they conspired to commit acts that would bring certain death down upon them and their families, and I must ask, how many are willing, today, to risk the same?

Vin Suprynowicz has a column that has been around the net since he first wrote it in 1997, and it is well worth reading and then contemplating, particularly in light of recent laws, regulations and SCOTUS announcements.

Happy Independence Day!

-WP

Four Boxes.

They have nearly been all used.

1. Soapbox √
2. Ballot Box √
3. Jury Box √
4. Cartridge _

WP

A U.S.Army Officer s Outrage Over Ft.Hood

November 12, 2009
An Officer's Outrage Over Fort Hood
By Major Shawn Keller

As an officer in the United States Army, I'm angry for so many reasons over what happened at Ft. Hood. I'm angry that twelve of my fellow soldiers and a contractor were murdered. I'm angry that over thirty people have suffered life altering injuries from which they will never fully recover. I'm angry that the lives of so many families have been forever ruined. I'm angry that this happened on an Army post on American soil where soldiers should be safe. And I'm angry that the murderer was a terrorist who masqueraded as an Army officer for half a dozen years.

But as angry as I am at what happened, I'm even angrier that it was allowed to happen. Apparently, there was no shortage of warning signs that Hasan identified more with Islamic Jihadists than he did with the US Army. From speeches, writings, conversations, affiliations and postings on Jihadist websites, there were more than enough dots to connect that should have exposed Hasan as someone inclined to attack innocent people in the furtherance of a political, religious and ideological agenda. There were more than enough red flags raised that, at a minimum, should have gotten Hasan kicked out of the Army.

But just like September 11, those agencies and individuals charged with keeping America and Americans safe failed to connect the dots that would have saved lives. Jihadist rhetoric espoused by Hasan was categorically dismissed out of submissiveness to the concepts of tolerance and diversity. The Army as an institution has been neutered by decades of political correctness and the leaders in Hasan's chain-of-command failed to act accordingly out of fear of being labeled anti-Muslim and receiving a negative evaluation report. The counter-terrorism agencies knew Hasan was communicating with Al-Qaeda and dismissed it as academic research instead of delving deeper into the probability that a terrorist had infiltrated the ranks.

Even four hours after Hasan stood on a desk yelling Allahu Akbar! and opened fire, the FBI stated that they were not investigating the attack as an act of terrorism even as there were still reports of other gunmen on the loose. Meanwhile, the Army continues to dismiss it as a "tragedy" and an "isolated incident by a lone gunman" while the media has invented the psychological condition of post-traumatic stress disorder by proxy. There is more concern for promoting the appropriate information operation campaign and maintaining the illusion of safety than there is for actually exposing the weaknesses and faults in the system that allowed this to happen. We're even being told that damage to the Army's efforts at diversity would be a greater tragedy than the murder of the twelve soldiers -- how ironic the week of Veterans' Day.

This has nothing to do with being anti-Islamic. After numerous tours to Iraq and working with countless cultural advisors on Ft. Bragg, I know dozens of Muslims who I respect and admire greatly. This has everything to do with force protection and security being trumped by the concepts of political correctness and diversity. This has everything to do with a hypocritical system and culture that breeds timidity and dismissiveness in the interest of career advancement. If I preached a white-supremacist ideology or described Timothy McVeigh as a hero to the cause of freedom and liberty, how long do you think I would still be in the military drawing a salary, receiving educational benefits and getting promoted like Hasan did?

Hasan's radical ideology grew to the point that he committed mass murder because too many leaders were too afraid to lead out of fear of harming their career or the image of the Army. If those leaders don't have the intestinal fortitude, moral conviction or personal courage to stand up, speak up and protect soldiers, then retire, resign or get out of the way and let somebody else do it for you.

Shawn Keller is a Major in the United States Army stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Major Keller- thank you.

WP

On Independence Day, Ammunition & Wal-Mart

This is a post from 2004 which I have regularly posted these past five years and over these years it has only become worse.

Yesterday, in preparing to honor today, a friend and I went to purchase some ammunition at the local Wal-Mart. We selected our ammo, the young man placed it on the counter, scanned the items and then stated, "I need your drivers license." He stated this in that dull, slow and overly bored tone of the drone. (Of course many will say, well look at the dead-end job he has so what do you expect instead of the realization that one should work to the best of one's ability. Perhaps we accosted him at the wrong drone moment but this is not the point of this missive and I have digressed.)

Naturally our response was, "What for?" He then explained that it was needed for the system, corporate policy, to verify our age, etc., etc.- ad nauseum. My friend started to walk away after we both said NO you are not getting it. I then explained to him, in a very forceful and direct fashion that I was not producing ID. I further explained that tomorrow was Independence Day which was started in 1776 when our Founding Fathers told their government to go FUCK THEMSELVES! and that this ammunition purchase was to honor and remember them. I told him then to get a manager and what does the drone do? He looks for permission to the woman on her knees doing inventory, who spoke NOT ONE WORD of English. He tried three times when he looked to foreigner on the floor once more and she told him to go ahead and sell me the ammunition.

The drone then asked me if I understood and had was okay with him selling me the ammunition without asking me for ID. This perplexed and pissed me off again. I explained to him that this was Texas and America and our Founding Fathers said nothing about showing ID to do so and in fact, just the opposite. He then attempted once more to tell that it was simply store policy. I told him that NAZI Germany started the same way and I would not stand for it and his simple stance of just following orders would not cut it. It is his responsibility, just as it is everyone's, to question such inane policies whether government or CORPORATE. I can no longer tolerate either- doing so only allows such filth to grow and flourish.

Of course, this leads me back to the following which I post every year on Independence Day and remind folks that you SHOULD tar and feather a politician or their supplicants today, I know the Paranoid family is certainly hoping to- so without further ado, the reminder.

I found this a couple of months ago:



And it made me think of just how far most people in this country have let slip their desire for freedom and liberty- so much so, that I remembered this:



Then, two days ago, my compadre No-Neck sent this to me:



I knew this would be true and I thought long and hard about these men:



The men, whose history is unknown my so many- and cared for by even less, gave us our start on this path and that so many of the men of their day were willing to do this:



Understand, they were traitors to their government, they conspired to commit acts that would bring certain death down upon them and their families, and I must ask, how many are willing, today, to risk the same?

Vin Suprynowicz has a column that has been around the net since he first wrote it in 1997, and it is well worth reading and then contemplating, particularly in light of recent laws, regulations and SCOTUS announcements.

Happy Independence Day!

-WP

14-year-old New Jersey girl may get sex offender status for posting naked pictures on MySpace

14-year-old New Jersey girl may get sex offender status for posting naked pictures on MySpace
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Updated Friday, March 27th 2009, 2:38 AM

TRENTON - A 14-year-old New Jersey girl has been accused of child pornography after posting nearly 30 explicit nude pictures of herself on MySpace.com — charges that could force her to register as a sex offender if convicted.

The case comes as prosecutors nationwide pursue child pornography cases resulting from kids sending nude photos to one another over cell phones and e-mail. Legal experts, though, could not recall another case of a child porn charge resulting from a teen’s posting to a social networking site.

I could say I am amazed by the stupidity of the child and her parents, but I cannot- kids are stupid however that DA and his charges top it all.

I think it is best said by this commenter at the site of the story:

Joey Tranchina Mar 27, 2009 10:34:51 PM

Charging this 14 year old girl with a crime is insane. You can play all the blame games but the fact is 14 year olds are curious about sex. As long as the intended recipient of these photos was also a young teen and not an adult, this is an example of bad judgment, which in a 14 year old is not abnormal. The crime here is that we have headline-hunting prosecutors with no sense or proportion or human decency. This prosecution is child abuse. This prosecutor should be laughed out of a job that comes with public responsibility and into ambulance chasing. How can we expect teens to exhibit anything but bad judgment, when such abysmal example is set by "adults."

WP

Why one should read the comments.

John Jacob H posted the following two links in David's comment section here and I am quite glad he did. Though very aware of the Merced, Commiefornia Pitchfork Killings, I had never seen the following to videos:

Part I


Part II


These killings have always angered; me even though there were always be insanity such as displayed by the Mad Dog who committed the heinous acts, but also that which is Commiefornia's Legislature, who, I think are fully complicit in the crime, but also that worthless, cowardly neighbor who knew that the insanity was occurring, was told by a pleading fourteen year old girl, and could not muster his MANHOOD to do that which was proper, true and right.

WP

Legislator wants to change rule that let Mercedes-driving woman collect food stamps

Legislator wants to change rule that let Mercedes-driving woman collect food stamps
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 8:21 AM
Updated: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 02:40 PM
By Rita Price
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

A state representative says she wants to amend the state budget to prevent unemployed people from collecting food stamps if they have significant assets.

Rep. Shannon Jones, a Springboro Republican (biography), said today that she will introduce an amendment in response to a food-stamp flap in Warren County.

Officials there say they are angry that a woman who lost her job is eligible for food-stamp benefits even though she had $80,000 in a bank account, a home worth more than $300,000 and drives a Mercedes.

Excuse me? Did you say $80K in savings, a home worth $300K, drives a Mercedes and gets FOOD STAMPS!?!

Oh, it is clear to me now:

"We don't want people to push themselves into poverty to feed their families," said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks.

Gee, thanks for explaining to us, Sob-Sister Lisa, how everyone else has to suffer while that cow lives better than most of us.

WP

Imam asking for bail hearing

Imam asking for bail hearing

By LINDSAY WISE
Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
March 17, 2009, 10:11PM

Bouchikhi, the popular spiritual leader of a southeast Houston mosque, has been held without bail at the facility since Dec. 17. In an interview this week, the 39-year-old imam of Houston’s Abu Bakr Siddqui mosque said he planned to start a hunger strike today to protest the government’s refusal to release him on bail while he awaits a deportation hearing.

Then starve.

WP

From three years ago.

A friend of mine with BP sent this to me last night:



The video is actually from three years ago, is on YouTube, and can be read about here from KATU and searching Google here.

When looking into this, I found the following via the portland independent media center (their exact spelling- not mine):

Anti-Immigrant Leader Wants Oregon to Burn
author: morojudio Leader of notorious anti-immigrant group in California wants Oregon to burn because of Latino firefighters
Barbara Coe to Oregon: "Burn, Baby, Burn"
Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Illegals, Illegals, Illegals!

It's easy to dismiss California Coalition for Immigration Reform president Barbara Coe as an anachronism, as a relic from the days when Mexicans and whites didn't go to school together and lippy minorities got lynched. But maybe there's something to that. Maybe Barbara Coe lives in a time warp, kind of like a Lost episode. Or maybe those cigarettes she chain-smokes have finally wrapped its nicotine around the area that governs one's sense of time.

Let me explain. Last week, Coe sent the following video to her minions:

This clip was originally aired in 2006, yet Coe treats it as a new development. "Expert AMERICAN firefighters laid off or demoted in Oregon because they do not speak Spanish, the language of the ILLEGAL ALIEN workers?" she wrote (as always, the caps are Babs'). "Since Oregon so hates AMERICAN firefighters, 'Have a nice life' while you 'Burn, Baby, Burn'."

Except...the story is bullshit. Last year, the Oregon Department of Forestry put out this bulletin to try and stop this urban legend for good. Of course, Babs treats facts like she does the idea that cigarette smoking is bad.

"Except", there was one problem with Gustavo's post (besides his derisive scorn of her being a smoker), there was NO link to the Oregon Department of Forestry's bulletin. So time to dig a bit further and this is what I found:

Language requirements

English is the language of wildland firefighting. It is the national standard. It is spoken in briefings and on two-way radios, and is the language of operating plans, reports and other documents.

Hispanic and Native American contract crews have operated in the west with bilingual leadership since the 1960s.

The number of Hispanic crews in the Northwest has increased markedly in recent years. A count of Spanish surnames on crew rosters suggests that about 85 percent of current contract firefighters are of Hispanic descent. This rough estimate doesn't indicate how many crew members speak English.

There is no contract requirement that supervisors on contract crews speak any language other than English. There is a requirement that supervisors be able to communicate with the workers for whom they are responsible. This is essential to ensure that all personnel are made aware of safety hazards that can develop quickly in firefighting.

Consequently, if private companies elect to hire crew members who do not speak English, those supervisors must be bilingual or multilingual.

Clackamas Community College in cooperation with ODF has developed a standardized language evaluation process to assure that crew supervisors of non-English speaking crews have adequate English language skills (reading and speaking) to operate safely and effectively in the all English language fire management environment.

The test will also assure they are able to translate important fire operations and fire safety information to their non-English speaking crewmembers.

This language skill assessment has been used to test 80 contract crew leaders this spring, with 40 more to be tested in July. The assessment will become a required element in contracts in 2007.

Clackamas Community College offers English language classes to those who do not pass the language test.

Public agencies have not found it necessary to require all frontline crew members to speak English. Bilingual supervision has proved successful in ensuring adequate crew safety and performance.

Due to the nature of the work, English proficiency is required for direct employment by ODF.

No ODF employees have been fired or demoted because of any language requirement; there is no requirement other than English proficiency for agency employees.

The entire bulletin can be read at the link above, but there is one more part of that bulletin that I wish to point out:

Recent rapid improvements
Progress includes:

• Adding staff at ODF to more closely monitor firefighting contracts.
• Refining standards, and sanctioning or disqualifying individuals and companies that do not meet them
• Phasing in during the 2006 fire season of an interagency “best value” system. Bidding companies are ranked based on a set of criteria, including pricing and past performance, and contracts and dispatches to fires are given accordingly.
• Increased partnership with industry groups and with state and federal agencies, including the state Bureau of Labor and Industries, OR-OSHA, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Read those points once again and pay close attention to the VERY last one. Why do they NEED to have an "Increase partnership..." with the "...U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement."? Does anyone think for a moment that there were NOT American firefighters who did not loose their jobs? Do I have proof, not in the least at this moment, but do know what bureaucratic double-speak is when I read it.

If anyone has any more information on this please pass it along.

WP

The New Police

U.S. Army soldiers from Ft. Rucker patrol the downtown area of Samson, Alabama after a shooting spree March 10, 2009

CLICK HERE FOR FULL SIZE IMAGE

Just why are these ACTIVE DUTY US ARMY REGULAR SOLDIERS wearing vests that say POLICE!?!

Just how were they DEPUTIZED!?!

And WHY for a local shooting!?!

WP

What does one TRILLION dollars look like?

Wrong question.

It should ask you what does one TRILLION Federal Reserve Notes look like.

WP