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Laws have consequences. With the new hard line immigration crackdown passed in Arizona, its impact will be felt on that particular state and others with similarly high concentrations of illegal immigrants. As a direct result of the legislation, the nation should expect to witness a more aggressive approach in dealing with illegal immigration by authorities in the Grand Canyon State.  For all the fresh complaints that the new law requires one to have a form of legal documentation, a fundamenta

Illegal drug traffickers and alien smugglers from Mexico are never running out of innovative ways to accomplish their goals.  Concerning illegal operations taking place across the border, these individuals are always looking to stay one step ahead of immigration enforcement officials in executing their logistics. In a Washington Examiner report, drug traffickers are now utilizing a new type of deception in their operations, with a cunning twist. This includes them now using cloned versions of

To better assess many of California's problems and some possible solutions, the following is from an interview I conducted this week with former New Mexico Governor, Gary Johnson. When he ran for Governor of New Mexico as a Republican in the early 1990s, Gary Johnson was a long-shot, political outsider- a self-made, small business owner who wanted to apply business-like pragmatism to solve the state's problems. In a 2-to-1 Democratic state, his program of reform was popular enough to win him a

This Saturday, anti-war protestors will take to the streets in large numbers to protest US foreign policy.  Multiple political groups, ranging from the left to the right, have planned huge rallies and events to protest US-led wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen.  They also plan to discuss and protest other controversial policies including CIA Drone attacks, Guantanamo Bay, the Patriot Act, private war contractors, record military spending, and the Israeli/Palestinian issue. These r

The Associated Press reports that approximately 3/4 of Californians see the state heading the wrong direction. The recent findings are based on a Public Policy Poll conducted of sampling of 2,001 Californians from Jan. 12-19. Among cited concerns are, of course, the economy and budgets. But, the poll also reveals that six in ten Californians prioritize K-12 education in allocating California’s sparse funds. While Californians are willing to pay higher taxes for education, they are not willing

In 1995, Congress addressed this issue with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, sponsored by Republican Senator Kempthorne of Indiana and signed into law by Democratic President Bill Clinton.  The purpose of the bill was “to curb the practice of imposing unfunded Federal mandates on States and local governments..." and "to end the imposition, in the absence of full consideration by Congress, of Federal mandates on State, local, and tribal governments…”  The problem: the Act so narrowly defined wha

Governor Schwarzenegger outlined several, key proposals to reform an out of control budget, stimulate job growth, prop up the housing market, and provide better care for veterans.  Here were the highlights: Jobs- He proposed a $500 million package that would create jobs and retrain workers.  In addition, he proposed a sales tax exemption for green-tech manufacturing equipment purchases.  While proponents of state spending will likely support the $500 million jobs package, a few, critical questi

When Arnold Schwarzenegger became Governor of California in 2003, the first thing he should have done was get Gary Johnson on the phone. You see, Gary Johnson was elected Governor of New Mexico for two terms during the 1990s. Like California it was a Democrat-leaning, Western state with serious budget issues. Over the eight years of his remarkable tenure, Gary Johnson managed to tackle a lot of the same problems California faced in 2003 and still faces today. As New Mexico's Governor, Johnson p

A few days ago, a friend from San Diego  called to invite me for a visit - a visit to her dentist.  Bubbling  over with enthusiasm, she told me I could get my teeth cleaned for less  than $20 by going to a reputable dentist just across the border in Mexico. That data point made the following  headline in the May 28 Sacramento Bee not only unsurprising, but redundant: "Health costs send  many to Mexico, study finds" The describes the UCLA  Center for Health Policy Research finding that nearly

Explorer Scouts:  they're the top-of-the-line Boy (and Girl) Scouts, and they take on environmental programs, create charities and generally do good throughout the land.  So what a surprise it was to find that Explorer Scouts are being trained to carry weapons and supplement the U.S. Border Patrol down in Imperial County. Aren't these the kids who are supposed to walk grandmothers across busy streets? As it turns out, Exploring - part of the Boy Scouts of America's Learning for Life program -