In a bold move reflecting the state’s commitment to its security, Texas has embarked on a historic mission to construct its own border wall, a testament to the state’s determination to take matters into its own hands in the absence of comprehensive federal action. This initiative, known as Operation Lone Star, is a multi-faceted endeavor involving strategic planning, coordination with various state agencies, and a substantial financial commitment. The state is spending between $25 million and $30 million for every mile of the wall, underlining the scale and ambition of the project.

The construction of the Texas border wall is not just about erecting a physical barrier but also about asserting state sovereignty and resilience in the face of complex security challenges. The state’s actions serve as a precedent for other states to follow suit, reminding them of the power of state sovereignty and the potential for local solutions to address national challenges. It is a call to action for other states to step up and take responsibility for their own security, particularly in areas where federal efforts may fall short.

Recent updates on the Texas border wall construction reveal a significant effort towards enhancing border security. As of the latest reports, segments of the wall are being built in rural Zapata County, the first of its kind in this part of South Texas. The construction of these segments, which began in mid-March, is expected to be completed by summer 2025. This project is part of Texas’ Texas Border Infrastructure Program, aiming to bolster the state’s defenses against illegal border crossings.

The Texas border wall construction is a complex and multi-layered project, involving various state agencies and contractors. The Texas Facilities Commission, the state agency overseeing all state-funded border wall contracts, has been actively involved in the process. The state has awarded contracts to companies like Southwest Valley Constructors Co. and BFBC of Texas, LLC, for the construction of the wall in various locations in proximity to the Texas section of the U.S.-Mexico border.

As Texas forges ahead with its border wall construction, it sets a precedent for other states to follow suit. The state’s actions serve as a reminder of the power of state sovereignty and the potential for local solutions to address national challenges. It is a call to action for other states to step up and take responsibility for their own security, particularly in areas where federal efforts may fall short. The Texas border wall is not just a physical barrier, but a symbol of state resilience and determination in the face of complex security challenges.

By Larry Wiwi for the Franklin County Tea Party

I won’t spend time here defending the wall, border security or the need to end illegal immigration as we have covered those topics thoroughly before and frankly the need is obvious to most Americans. Instead it might be insightful to point out what no one is talking about and that is the answer to the question, exactly who’s fault is it that we are having this showdown and related shutdown now?

It is clearly not President Trump’s fault since he is the newcomer here trying to deliver promises he made in the campaign just a couple years ago.  Broadly speaking it is the fault of the professional political class of which Pelosi, Schumer, the Bushes, the Clintons, the Obamas and many others are part of and failed to resolve over many decades.  

However, the current showdown is clearly the fault of the last Republican controlled congress.  It is the fault of former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader McConnell and other prominent Republicans like the late John McCain and former Senator Flake.   The Republicans by and large ran on ending Obama Care and enhanced border security and they delivered on neither, which was a spectacular failure of leadership and incredibly deceitful to the voters who elected them.  The Republicans should have had both bills, border wall funding and Obama Care repeal ready for Trump’s signature by February 2017, but instead we have this self-induced political theatre.

Contrary to conventional thinking, the Democrats did not really win the House in the recent mid-terms as much as the Republicans lost it and the proof is pretty simple: Incumbents win re-election about 80% of the time in the House and if 40 Republicans would not have retired, the Republicans would likely have kept 32 seats and control of the House.  The Republicans are likely to blame for the current stand-off because they gave up the House.

Finally, after losing the House, the Republicans still had about 6 weeks to jam through the wall funding and Obama Care repeal and for the third time, they delivered failure.  None of this suggests that the behavior of Pelosi and Schumer is acceptable – their behavior is despicable but expected and because it was to be expected, the Republicans needed to act and get it done.  

Over the next few weeks or months we will likely finally make progress in getting the wall and border security we have needed for decades, and it will be to Trump’s credit, no thanks to either the Republican leadership or the Democrats.

Like many Americans, I eagerly awaited Donald Trump’s speech last night.  It was an epic failure.

It wasn’t all bad when Donald Trump addressed the nation yesterday.  He gets points for making the compassionate argument for the wall.  Chuck & Nancy got trolled into defending killers, sex traffickers and rapists. Also, Democrats looked hysterical “literally shaking” all day about the possibility of a national emergency.

But the government is shutdown with the administration under investigation and his surrogates censored on the web.

How much more fire does he need before he will strike back?  Some have openly called for his children to be arrested?!?  The media didn’t even want to air his speech last night?!?  Unprecedented!!!

The establishment wing of the Republican Party, people like Ben Shapiro, ridicule the idea of using a national emergency or executive order privileges.   Their central argument?  Doing so gives more power to future Democratic presidents.

This is a lie.

What we needed last night was Batman.  In The Dark Knight, Morgan Freeman’s character [Lucius Fox] shows Batman a sonar that can find anyone in Gotham.   However, he is concerned about the ethics of this surveillance technology.  What does Batman do?  He uses it to find the Joker and, to Lucius’s delight, blows it up shortly after.

That was the hero we needed last night.  We didn’t get it.   Trump had the opportunity to both use and destroy the machine.   He didn’t do either.

Life isn’t a movie, but that’s sort of the point:  parts of the country are becoming unlivable, people are dying, and it’s time to declare a national emergency.  If we can defend Syria, we can defend our borders.

You can tell me his speech was good last night, but you can’t tell me it was at all historic.  This could have been his JFK moment.  We’ll see what happens, but last night’s speech was more than underwhelming.