Perry's confused take on illegal immigration

Damn, this Rick Perry guy can be hard to read. Hell, the book can be hard enough to pick up most days, but Perry's recent posturing with the Department of Homeland Security is just a bit baffling.

In a letter to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano sent just before his presidential candidacy announcement, Perry is requesting almost $350 million to cover the cost of detaining illegal immigrants in Texas state and county jails.

Man, for a guy as hell bent on getting Texas out of the United States as Perry is, it sure is amazing how often he will show up with a hand out for some federal money. Not that I blame him this time...sort of.

Gov. Perry, as bad as he has been in most every other area, has been exceptionally squishy on this issue, much to the consternation of conservatives. While demanding $350 million from the Feds to cover illegal immigrant detention, Perry has had no problem supporting discounted college tuition rates for children of illegal immigrants.

So, how much money is giving illegal immigrants' children discount college going to cost the state of Texas, and by extension, the federal taxpayers? I don't have any problem with wanting the federal government to cough up some money when they leave your state on the hook for their inability or lack of desire to secure our borders, but this move smacks of trying to fill a budget gap even though Gov. Perry playing both sides of the fence.

Wait, that doesn't necessarily ring true. Gov. Perry is also against the proposed "border fence," or whatever the gap-filled, half-assed monument to government waste and ignorance should be called.

If I were in Gov. Perry's shoes, I would have added an ultimatum- either foot the bill for the consequences of ignoring border security, or I would order each and every single illegal immigrant in detention bussed right back across the border- closer to San Diego than El Paso, as California obviously doesn't care what happens to their state.

Texas would be happy, California would be happy - problem solved...at least until everyone found their way back to Texas...

---