Security Clearance Optional
[Guest post by DRJ]
From the El Paso (Texas) Times comes this story about El Paso’s Fort Bliss Army post:
“Twelve illegal immigrants working as landscapers at Fort Bliss were detained Friday by military police and turned over to immigration authorities, an official said. All 12 had fake IDs and one had forged work papers, said Jean Offutt, the Fort Bliss public information officer. They were detained and then turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.”
I know, I know, it’s “only” landscaping. But I thought there were basic security and ID requirements for subcontractors to be allowed on a military base. I guess not.
– DRJ
3.5% of all Army Base landscapers are illegals. Cool.
“I see nothing! I know nothing!” — Sgt. Shultz
Comment by Wesson (fd354d) — 9/14/2007 @ 8:23 pm
Hey, does anybody here remember George W. Bush?
You know… the faux cowboy with the big ears… the Republican-in-Chief… the guy who got us into Iraq. Anybody remember him?
I only ask because he gave some kind of a speech to the nation the other night and even the conservative blogs couldn’t bring themselves to care. The president speaks, but Patterico and his guests go on blogging about Britney Spears, Southwest Airlines, and illegal immigrant landscapers. It’s really quite a striking silence.
We’ve truly reached the point where the emperor is standing there naked, and even his most loyal sycophants can’t bring themselves to deny it any longer. They just turn away in embarrassment and pretend to be absorbed in something else.
Comment by Oregonian (4668b3) — 9/14/2007 @ 8:25 pm
Uh, no, Oregonian, nice try at thread hijacking. Go stand in the corner with Alphie.
Comment by Robin Roberts (6c18fd) — 9/14/2007 @ 8:31 pm
I always love it when someone gets upset at me over my “silence” on some issue.
As it happens, I’ve had a rather busy week. I barely have any time in the mornings or evenings to do much more than flip through a few headlines and toss out a quick post.
Oregonian, if you would like to finance my blogging so that I needn’t work for a living — after which I come home, spend time with the kids, put them to bed, etc. — I’ll be happy to dance to your tune. Otherwise, don’t read too much into my “silence” on any particular issue. I’m just not something who feels that the whole world needs to hear my thoughts on every topic under the sun — so I stick to things that pop up that I happen to find interesting, and that I have time to talk about.
Comment by Patterico (2a8eaa) — 9/14/2007 @ 8:37 pm
The percentage seems to be heading in the right direction though.
In 2005, 86 of 167 employees in a San Diego company contracted to paint Navy vessels were found to be illegal:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20050414-1605-ca-immigrantraid.html
Comment by stoo (116174) — 9/14/2007 @ 8:42 pm
Ever wonder about the cleaning crews in government controlled buildings? Want to bet that most of these people have not been vetted? State’s security was a complete joke and they had Russians andering about the 7th floor.
Comment by Thomas Jackson (bf83e0) — 9/14/2007 @ 9:23 pm
I have an idea..
I’ll vet all the employees where I work, and you’d vet all the employees where you work…
you know, obey the law. Try it, it’s Fun! Yeeeeesh
Comment by paul from fl (ae01cb) — 9/15/2007 @ 3:56 am
Oregonian, you need to find a new nic, because you’re an embarrassment to we Oregonians with an IQ above the lowest quartile.
Comment by EW1(SG) (84e813) — 9/15/2007 @ 5:37 am
What’s a “nic?”
A prank using chopped prunes shut down an Atlanta postal facility, yesterday:
The next big terror attack, I suspect, will be ultra high-tech and follow an ‘all-clear’ from a widespread manpower diversion.
Comment by steve (36221a) — 9/15/2007 @ 6:47 am
We’ve truly reached the point where the emperor is standing there naked, and even his most loyal sycophants can’t bring themselves to deny it any longer. They just turn away in embarrassment and pretend to be absorbed in something else.
Project much?
Comment by Paul (5efd01) — 9/15/2007 @ 7:00 am
Can any of you veterans enlighten me? I’m only half-joking. What happened to “if it moves salute it, if it doesn’t move pick it up, if you can’t pick it up paint it”. The military used to be a place where a youg man could learn to peel potatoes, wash pots and pans, sweep floors, etc.. Why are civilians doing the landscaping and not recruits?
Comment by nk (474afa) — 9/15/2007 @ 7:24 am
Oh, and Oregonian?
even the conservative blogs couldn’t bring themselves to care
Maybe you should look first before you embarrass yourself.
Hot Air, which cross-posts Patterico’s “Deport the Criminals First” series, ran an open thread on the Bush speech.
Then’s there’s Captain Ed, who nails the reason for the ‘silence’:
The only new matter was the approval of Petraeus’ recommendations (no surprise there either.)
So, in essence, you are behind the curve. try to keep up.
And stay on topic, or get your own blog.
Comment by Paul (5efd01) — 9/15/2007 @ 7:33 am
Ft. Bliss IIRC is not a recruit training facility (Basic), but is a combat (Advanced) training facility.
That said, every unit has odd-balls who are in frequent need of disciplinary re-training. However, in today’s hi-tech/hi-intensity military, they just don’t have the resources to waste on dead-heads, and seperate them out to be replaced by someone who actually wants to contribute – and can.
Comment by Another Drew (8018ee) — 9/15/2007 @ 7:33 am
FYI – it’s happening out here at the Marine Corps Base in 29 Palms…they’re working in the housing area. Base security and ICE are so half-@$$ed about screening these workers. Plus, there are individuals that are getting on base to go “scrapping” (collecting brass and other spent items) in the training areas – one got lost and was found dead due to exposure and dehydration.
I get the feeling that it will take one of these people trying to break into an area that has weapons or sensitive info to get both the military and ICE of their collective butts and do their jobs.
Comment by fmfnavydoc (affdec) — 9/15/2007 @ 9:07 am
Did anyone find Oregonian’s blog where he no doubt thoroughly analyzed and discected the president’s speech? I couldn’t find it.
Comment by Dana (78e5fc) — 9/15/2007 @ 9:25 am
It’s dissected.
Would a war valedictory in the final 18 months of a Clinton presidency go undissected?
Comment by steve (d5588e) — 9/15/2007 @ 9:37 am
Gosh. Imagine making a typo.
Comment by Dana (78e5fc) — 9/15/2007 @ 9:39 am
No, imagine Hillary passing the buck.
Bush’s successor will have to choose between partitioning Iraq
Comment by steve (d5588e) — 9/15/2007 @ 10:00 am
…or taking sides definitively in Iraq’s power struggle – i.e., building a regional alliance against Iran, or cutting a deal with them.
Comment by steve (d5588e) — 9/15/2007 @ 10:07 am
No, imagine Hillary passing the buck.
You mean like blaming a Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy?
That’s easy, since it’s already happened.
Comment by Paul (5efd01) — 9/15/2007 @ 10:14 am
If the base has a Federal prison on its grounds, you can bet that the cleaning crews are criminals.
Comment by Barney15e (7f9027) — 9/15/2007 @ 1:58 pm
Ft Bliss is undergoing a major expansion in preparation for the arrival of 28,000 new troops in the next four years or so. The pressures on contractors to do construction work must be immense.
Pressure can lead to lapses in protocol, I guess.
Comment by 4 Borders Pundit (ac3367) — 9/15/2007 @ 4:35 pm