Investigation Details: Rancher Rob Krentz

Here's information, from the Cochise County Sheriff's office, about the ongoing investigation in the shooting death of Arizona Rancher Robert Krentz:

"On Saturday March 27, 2010 at approximately 6:20 pm the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office was advised of a possible missing person in a rural area northeast of Douglas. The missing person was reported to be working on his ranch which covers approximately 35,000 acres between Douglas and Apache.

The information received was from a brother of the missing subject advising that the two of them were working on their ranch early in the morning hours using separate vehicles. The brother advised that the two were operating off of hand held radio phones and between 10:00 and 10:30 he heard his brother, Robert Krentz, call him. The brother advised that all he was able to understand was 'illegal alien' and 'hurt'. The brother advised that Robert always helped people in need and this was not uncharacteristic for him to try and help someone who was hurt. The brother advised that he called Robert back to have him repeat the transmission without success. The brother advised that the two were scheduled to meet at a predetermined location on the ranch at 12:00 noon and Robert did not show up. The brother advised that he waited for awhile and continued to try and reach Robert without success, so he and other family members and friends began searching the ranch in the areas that the two were working. When the family and friends were unable to locate Robert they contacted the Sheriff’s Office for assistance.

The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team deployed to the area with 6 mobile units and 2 all terrain vehicles, as well as air support assistance from the Department of Public Safety Ranger helicopter. Shortly before midnight the helicopter crew advised that they had located the missing subject who was deceased inside of his Polaris ATV and his dog was with him appeared to be injured.

Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives responded to the area and confirmed that Robert Krentz was deceased at the scene and his dog was critically injured.

The investigators tracked the Polaris path back approximately 1000 feet to where the incident began. Detectives were able to determine that Robert Krentz apparently came upon one subject in the area. While Robert Krentz was still in his vehicle he appeared to have been shot, along with his dog, when he drove his vehicle away from the scene at a high rate of speed before becoming unconscious.

Foot tracks at the scene were identified and followed south by Sheriff’s Deputies, trackers from U.S. Border Patrol, and Department of Corrections dog chase teams. All agencies, and air support from US Border Patrol were able to follow signs and tracks approximately twenty miles south to the United States/Mexico border. No suspects have been apprehended as of this time."

Photo: Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever

Update: Arizona Cattlemen's Association has set up the Robert Krentz Memorial Fund, and is also offering a $15,000 reward/arrest information. Go here.

'Nother Update: Governors of border states want more federal help; nobody's listening. Go here.

No unnecessary sensationalism, please. As I have stated I appreciate Brenda Walker's work, but her statement, about who murdered Mr. Krentz, is hasty at this point in an ongoing investigation.

Adios Mr. Escalante: You'll Be Missed

The country’s most popular and successful high school calculus teacher has passed away at the age of 79.

Jaime Escalante, born in Bolivia, was also the consummate impresario.

Edward James Olmos, the actor who played Jaime (superbly!) in the movie, Stand and Deliver, said of him, "He had three basic personalities -- teacher, father -friend and street-gang equal -- and he would juggle them, shift in an instant. . . . He's one of the greatest calculated entertainers."

Update: Jay Mathews well-received book about 'the best teacher in America.' Go here.

Final Four Bound

(Blogger indulging in a bit of Wolverine State boosterism, now that her alma mater, Syracuse, got crushed by the scrappy Butler Bulldogs.)

RIP Rancher Krentz

In Arizona, Rob Krentz was found dead ("fatally shot") after giving an assist to an illegal. Mr. Krentz, age 58, lived on a working ranch along the southern border in Cochise County. He was married to Susan and was also the father of three children. His dog was found wounded at the scene of the crime.

Here's some of story. More here.

Tom Tancredo weighs in.

Expect deafening silence, on this tragedy, from the Southern Poverty Law Center, People for the American Way, Media Matters for America, ACLU, MSM Teaparty bashers, and, last but not least, La Raza.

Update: More here.

A Word about Selective Service

My short Q&A interview with Director Lawrence Romo, the head of the federal Selective Service agency.

Here it is.

In the photo: Director Romo.

This is so whack!

Teenagers can get away with this 'activity' in Brazil:


But not this one.

Update: Check out this in-depth interview with Olavo de Carvalho, a Brazilian intellectual who explains how communism continues to have a foothold in South America.

West & South: Haven for Liberty-Lovers?

This writer gives his take as to why Americans are relocating from the Northeast to places like Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Arizona, Georgia, and Utah.

Says Bruce Walker: "States without rogue labor unions, with law tax burdens, with public schools that do not gobble up state budgets, and with people who take their religious faith seriously are the states in which people want to live."

Brief discussion that follows also worth a read.

Wisconsin's 7th District Has a Contenda

Sean Duffy, a district attorney and ESPN commentator, is running for Congress (David Obey's seat) in America's heartland.

Here's his website.

Sean, and his attractive Cuban-American wife, Rachel, are reality television show alums and the parents of five children. (Rachel is expecting numero 6.)

I asked Sean what his position on immigration is. His response: "We must secure our borders. We should build a wall and and use technology to accomplish this goal. As for those who have come here illegally, they should be sent home to their country of origin and get in the back of the line. As a prosecutor, I believe we should enforce our laws and not give breaks to those who violate our rules."

Amnesty March's Kodak Moments

Dimwitted, half-dressed anarchists.

Shameless SEIU co-opting Latinos to do their (political) dirty work.

Marxist pep rallies always make room for Mr. Che at their events.

Photo(s) Credit: Youth for Western Civilization.

Amnesty: "The mother of all backlogs"

The Washington Times: "The federal government is not equipped to process the flood of applications from a proposed immigration legalization bill and the agency that would oversee that program won't be ready for 'a few years,' the office of the Homeland Security Department's inspector general told Congress on Tuesday.

The warning, from Assistant Inspector General Frank Deffer, could severely complicate President Obama's new push to pass an immigration bill this year. Mr. Deffer said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, is in the midst of trying to move from being a paper-based system to having electronic records. He warned that adding millions of new applications, as the bill would do, would be a bad idea. (TCC editorial note: YES!!)

" 'Adding 12 million more people to the system would be the mother of all backlogs. (TCC pesky query: How many more federal employees would have to be hired to process all these applications?) Clearly to us the systems could not handle it now,' " Mr. Deffer told the House Judiciary Committee's immigration subcommittee. 'It's going to take a few years, so it's something for Congress to consider that, when they implement this, they don't have a date too soon.' "

They're Lining Up for Mr. Stupak's Job

Three Republicans are challenging Rep. Bart Stupak:

Tom Stillings, a businessman

Linda Goldthorpe, an attorney

Dan Benishek, a surgeon (whose Facebook fanbase has been increasing dramatically after Sunday's health care vote).

The Democrat(ic) challenger is Connie Saltonstall, a former teacher.

Did I forget anybody?

Photo: Congressman Stupak's ribbon-cutting days may be coming to an end.

Bart has an immigration report card.

Update: He's #1 on this list.

Immigration Enforcement: So Arbitrary

From Boston.com: "A former official for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was convicted today of encouraging her illegal immigrant housekeeper to remain in the country."

The verdict came more than a year after Lorraine Henderson, 52, was arrested on a federal charge and suspended without pay from her $140,000-a-year job as Boston port director for Customs and Border Protection."

Ms. Henderson likely regrets she didn't make time to clean her 2-bedroom condo herself.

UGH!

Irresponsible and incendiary rhetoric from one Carmen Mercer who says she is the president of a Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.

I think that this MCDC group is not affiliated with Jim Gilchrist's outfit (The Minuteman Project).

Update and clarification: Mr. Gilchrist's comment about this Sonoran News/Mercer reporting: "This story has nothing to do with the Minuteman Project. It is about a rogue group of fumbling border observers who have literally broken apart to the point that it has little or no participants."

SEIU & Andy Stern Up to its Old Tricks

Roy Beck's most excellent (and sobering) field report from the front lines of amnesty rabblerousing in our nation's capital.

Ironic that Washington, D.C. has a sanctuary city policy.

Update: About Roy's bodyguard who got arrested by the Park Police.

Tom Needs to Chill with the Dirty Jobs Guy

Guest blog from Howling Hurricane:

America's bridges are deteriorating, and we can't seem to build roads that don't get torn up in a couple of years. But New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman is impressed with a high school student's "software navigation system that would enable spacecraft to more efficiently 'travel through the solar system.' "

Our big cities' infrastructure is crumbling, their schools are frequently failing, unemployment numbers are scary, and our national debt is mind-boggling. Yet Friedman touts the research of a 17-year-old who "used spectral analysis and other data to expose information about the chemical enrichment history of 'Andromeda Galaxy.' "

Because these students have names suggesting they are children of recent immigrants (for which he offers no evidence to support), Friedman justifies being a "pro-immigration fanatic." And he believes legal immigration is the key to keeping us "ahead of China." Mr. Friedman, how are we ahead of the Chinese? Who owes whom trillions of dollars? Who depends on whom for most of their manufactured goods (and now even food)? Who has more Chinese brain-power, the U.S. or China?

Don't get me wrong, Sir, I think students mastering tough material is a praisworthy accomplishment. They deserve credit. But the problems our country faces (many of which have been caused by faulty immigration policies) can be solved with good old-fashioned American ingenuity. Leave space travel to others; let's work on highway congestion.

Photo: Thomas Friedman thinking deep thoughts.

Unemployment & Illegal Immigration

A message from the co-chairs of this bold, new caucus:

Weasley Bart Stupak

The News Real blog reminds readers that Congresscritter Stupak was
going to vote all along for health care reform.

They link to this video from Cheboygan, Michigan.



Hmm, he, more or less, said the same thing in Petoskey at the event I attended and wrote about here.

On a sidebar note: Stupak is also Michael Moore's rep. Yup. That Michael Moore.

'Nother sidebar: Rep. Jason Murphey (R-Oklahoma) has a response to socialist-style federal health care schemes: The Tenth Amendment. Read his full statement here.

Update: Media Matters got a kick out of my calling B. Stupak "a cheap date."

'Nother Update: Legion members ain't buying what Madame Speaker is selling. (See comments.)

'Nother, nother update: This AOL writer says I accuse Congressman Stupak of being a "liar." Not true. That word is only used in the headline which I didn't write.

Is that a Piñata of an ICE official?

Scene from yesterday's immigration rally ...

Because Silence Implies Consent

A i-buddy, Henry Cate, has started a new venture (Or, is that adventure?):"Minuteman Lobbyist: Spend a few minutes a day contacting your representatives."

It's not related to the group of patriots that helps watch our border. Rather, it's one-man's effort to engage more of his fellow citizens in political activism.

Henry, and his wife, Janine, are also foster parents and homeschooling parents. Here's their other blog.

Get Well Soon!

Shout out to Dr. Dale Herder who is recovering from surgery.

Dr. D, who teaches writing to undergraduates and is an accomplished sailor, is the author of Common Sense Rediscovered: Lessons from the Terrorist Attack of America.

The book (easy on the brain thanks to his clean prose) is dedicated to Todd Beamer (and his fellow United Airlines Flight 93 passengers) who “fought back against the terrorists.”

The Detroit Way

The editors at Big Journalism added several, er, lively videos to my column about how the Detroit News fawns over edukashun in the Motor City but hasn't shied away from smearing homeschooling parents.

On the other hand not everyone views Detroit as a national punchline. Newcomers to the United States don't mind relocating to Motown.

BTW: Jon Voight, the actor, is now a contributor to Big J. Read his maiden blog entry.



Update: Speaking of homeschooling, The Pioneer Woman is going to morph into a Hollywood "romantic comedy" featuring (allegedly) Reese Witherspoon.

E-Verify Legislation in Michigan

(Another one of these ... yah!)

State Rep. Dave Agema, a Republican from Grandville and sometime consultant for the tool and die business, is the sponsor of HB 4355 - the Public Contract and Employment Eligibility Verification Act - which would require Michigan employers, with public contracts, to use an electronic verification system to verify that their workers are legit.

Says Rep. Agema: "The job market is very tight and could be getting tighter, so there's a lot of competition for the work that is available. Michigan needs to take steps to ensure that people here legally can feed their families and pay their bills."

Last year the bill passed through the committee process, but no date yet (C'mon, House Speaker Dillon. Get going.) for when it will be voted on by the Full House.

Honoring a Champion of Personal Liberty

Dr. David Yeagley has bestowed the "Bad Eagle Award for American Patriotism" upon Randy Brogdon for eschewing divisive identity politics politicking. Brogdon, you may recall, is the conservative State Senator from Oklahoma who is running for governor. The award (and the web site) is named in honor of Dr. Yeagley's great-great-grandfather, Bad Eagle (pictured), a Comanche leader.

Video: ¿Por qué marcharás? (Why will you march?)

The Carnegie Corporation has provided some of the funding for this commercial, broadcast on Univision, for the upcoming pro-illegal alien march.



Update: FAIR is countering this push for amnesty with a virtual march.

SEAL Over a Rino? No contest.

Scott Taylor is running for a seat in the 2nd Congressional District of Virginia. What a terriff campaign promo and who better to advocate for secure borders than a Navy SEAL?

Update: Illegal Education Populat. Bill

(If you are just tuning in, I wrote about State Rep. Randy Terrill's bill here.)

The following press release, sent to me from the Oklahoma House of Representatives Media Division, contains welcome news:

OKLAHOMA CITY – State lawmakers have voted to require education officials to determine the number of illegal aliens in public schools and the taxpayer cost of educating those individuals.

“This is an important transparency and reporting requirement that is long overdue for our school system,” said state Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore. “For too long, policymakers have had to rely on guesswork and anecdotes to deal with this issue. It’s time we had concrete data.”

House Bill 3384, by Terrill, would require schools to determine the number of illegal alien students enrolled and the direct-and-indirect costs of educating them. The legislation would also require schools to determine the impact that added expense has on other services and programs for Oklahoma students.

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling requires the state to pay to educate illegal alien children.

“This legislation is not about defying that Supreme Court ruling,” Terrill said. “All we are seeking are accurate numbers. After all, you cannot develop good public policy without accurate data.”

It has been estimated that the cost of educating illegal aliens in public schools is $160 million per year, but Terrill noted that figure is more guesswork than true analysis.

Terrill said schools can request and collect data on citizenship status from students.

“The argument that we are prohibited from collecting that data is an urban legend,” Terrill said. “Federal law does not preclude ascertaining a student’s legal status. It just obligates the state to provide them with an education whether we want to or not.”

With renewed discussion of immigration reform at the federal level, it is more important than ever to determine the true costs to the state, Terrill said.

“Taxpayers have a right to know how much those so-called ‘reforms’ would cost us,” Terrill said.

In addition, he noted that certain media outlets routinely equate growth in Hispanic enrollment in Oklahoma schools with growth in illegal immigration.

“Just because someone is Hispanic does not make them an illegal alien,” Terrill said. “This legislation will help undermine that stereotype and reduce the mischaracterization of legal U.S. citizens.”

House Bill 3384 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on a 71-26 vote. It now proceeds to the state Senate.

In the Year 2050

An op. ed by Joel Kotkin, a fellow's fellow (get it?), about immigration, population, and fertility rates. Go here.

The Madness has Begun

Have you filled out a bracket? If so, who are you picking to win the D-1 Men's basketball championship? My hubby's choice is Kansas. I'm sticking with Syracuse (my alma mater), although I have a soft spot for Keiton Page of Oklahoma State and the Michigan State Spartans.

The opening round game is tomorrow.

Reviewing the Dystopian Novel

I wrote a review-column of 2045: A Story of Our Future for the Belgrade News. Go here. You can order Peter Seidel's book here. Parental caution note: Some (but not very much) 'adult' content.

The Little Group That Did

How a small band of citizens have been effectively impacting state government in Oklahoma. Read it here, and note the part about immigration reform.

March Madness: Brackets Gone Wild

Nice column by Harlan Coben about a great sports tradition and an enjoyable pastime. Only in America does a best-selling author of creepy novels get all misty-eyed about March Madness and write about it for Parade.

The Currys are one interesting, tight-knit basketball family. But, of course, not everyone is a fan of the Curry man-child that transferred to Duke. LOL. Only in America. Natch.

My two cents: Go 'Cuse!

In the photo: Stephen Curry who now plays in the NBA.

The Fake Educators and the Illegal Visas

My mamacita sent me this Miami Herald article about a small foreign-language school whose administrators were running the mother of all visa scams.

The operators of the Florida Language School - Lydia Menocal and Ofelia Macia - convinced the INS to grant over 200 visas to foreign nationals who didn't bother to go to class, although they were "fraudently" enrolled as students in the school.

The 'students' hailed from Japan, Honduras, Syria, Turkey, Venezuela, Thailand, etc. A truly diverse bunch of con artists. As of now, immigration officials don't know why these 'students' were in the United States.

The Herald article reminds readers that one of the 9-11 terrorists (who was in the USA on a student visa) was also a no-show California language school enrollee. Shudder.

Busted, Indeed

The goal of BustedHalo.com, which claims to be "powered by the Paulists" (an order of Roman Catholic priests), is to reach out and engage youthful spiritual seekers. Seems hunky-dory, no? Unfortunately, the web site/organization/mission also contains a component called "Busted Borders," which offers the sob-story view of illegal immigration.

Go here, and see for yourself.

Now observe by whom and why this video project is funded: "With the help of a grant from the Carnegie Corporation, BustedHalo.com began covering the issue of immigration in a unique way. Instead of contributing to the glut (What glut?) of coverage about immigration, BustedHalo is featuring stories by immigrants themselves about the issue. We distributed Flip video cameras to undocumented individuals and agencies across the country and asked them to start video blogging for a period of at least three months.

Busted Borders is an attempt to use the web’s unfiltered nature to move the immigration debate away from abstractions and statistics. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, we hope to give a personal glimpse into the humanity of these strangers in our midst. For reasons of safety, some of the participants have opted to keep their last names and locations secret."

How sweet of them to eagerly accomodate lawbreakers. How noble of them to care not a whit for the law-abiding neighbors in their midst who have been negatively impacted by undocumented terrorists, drug dealers, child molesters, etc. etc. How humane of them to not give the other side of the story.

But there's more. Two contributors (Dawn Eden and William Doino, Jr.) to BustedHalo smarmily took to task those colorful muckrakers - James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles - for the tactics the duo employed in exposing ACORN.

They even offer unsolicited advice to O'Keefe, encouraging him to return to school: "But if he (O'Keefe) is sincere about wanting to 'change hearts and minds,' he is far more likely to do so on a wide and lasting scale by finishing his graduate degree and living virtuously in the real world, than by trying to extend his 15 minutes of recognition as an Internet insurrectionist."

You think Eden and Doino would recommend that ... let's see .. the illegal folk (being immortalized in video clips on the web site they're affiliated with) do the right thing and quietly return to their countries of origin, instead of trying to achieve 15 minutes of fame by being 'Internet insurrectionists'?

Just wondering.

No Title Needed

(Populist) Thought for the Day

Considering the paperwork and fees involved in legal migration to the U.S., ain't that the truth? Sticker available here.

Unintentional Humor

Hat tip: Scenic Michigan.

Ernesto Guevara's Groupies

Among leftists and celebs, the revolutionary known as Che, who was born in Argentina, is an icon. Humberto Fontova writes about him here and discusses his legacy on Glenn Beck's show.

Assimilated American & Proud Cuban

This is part 3 of Marco Rubio's (who wants to be the next U.S. Senator from the Sunshine State) speech at CPAC. It is riveting and a beautiful tribute to his industrious parents.



Update: My mamacita, who attends Wayside Baptist Church in Miami, reports that Marco dropped by her church, yesterday, and, after the worship serivce was over, gave a 'personal testimony' about his faith.