JIM SHARPE

I’m suffering from BCM: Border Cynicism Syndrome

Dec 8, 2023, 2:00 PM

When it comes to the border, my sarcastic side wants to holler (in my best Ron Burgundy): “Breaking news — the Lukeville Port of Entry is still closed!!” 

But I need to knock that off because my wife says I’m too sarcastic.

(…me.. sarcastic…?!?)

I feel like I’m not 100% responsible for my sarcasm — it’s being driven by my cynicism — which, right now, is primarily being driven by the ridiculousness of what’s going on at Arizona’s border.

The border is not safe for the migrants — who are fleeing violent or bad economic situations. It’s not safe for the people living in border communities and it’s creating a bad economic situation for all of Arizona.  

Danny Seiden, the head of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, told us on Arizona’s Morning News that the closing of the Lukeville Port of Entry at this time of the year is “mind-blowing” because December accounts for more than 25% of all the cross-border spending that occurs in Arizona. 

He estimates that December’s cross-border holiday shopping and tourism approaches a billion dollars for Arizona.

So what do we do?

U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) told the Gaydos and Chad Show that she’s working on solutions: She’s leading a bipartisan coalition to change the asylum laws so we can turn away more migrants at the border.  

But that’ll take a while (if it ever gets done at all in light of Congress’ history regarding immigration).

How ’bout the here and now? How about not waiting on the federal government?

Gov. Katie Hobbs says that putting the National Guard on the border is something that “…we’re looking at as an option, but it’s not something that will be helpful right now and it’s not something law enforcement are asking for.”

I think that depends on which law enforcement you’re asking, governor.

So, like many other politicians out there, Hobbs is asking the federal government to get their act together… and this is why I’ve become so cynical and sarcastic — because the Biden Administration has already proven it won’t do anything.

NBC News chief political analyst Chuck Todd told me that his news organization’s polling shows “that the thing that everybody agreed on more than any other issue was tightening up the border and more funding for border security” — and yet Chuck thinks that President Biden is scared to go there.

“This White House is just twisted in knots because they already have the Left mad at them over Israel and I do think they’re worried about picking multiple fights with the Left,” he said.

Although, Chuck also told me on Arizona’s Morning News that because Biden’s border policies have gotten him in trouble with so many other Democrats around the country over what they’ve done to their cities (New York City, Chicago, Denver etc.) — and in an effort to get a deal done on Ukraine funding — “Biden’s going to end up with Trump’s asylum laws.”

Now, is it abundantly clear why I’m cynical and sarcastic? 

Not that I’m capable of being sarcastic!

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I’m suffering from BCM: Border Cynicism Syndrome