Web surfers to help Texas monitor border cams

Texas Governor Rick Perry has just announced a plan to leverage the eyeballs of millions of voyeuristic web surfers into a de facto army of unpaid border guards, by allowing the general public to watch live streams from video cameras trained on the Mexican border and call a toll-free number to report illegal crossings. Although the governor did not go into details on how many cameras would be installed nor how far apart they would be positioned, he did estimate the cost of the program at around five million dollars, which would buy almost 3,000 high-def HDR-HC3 camcorders even if Sony decided not to give the state a bulk discount. Leaving the whole immigration issue aside, what really stands out about this project is that it could possibly set a precedent for inner-city officials to open up their surveillance cameras to John Q. Public  -- so instead of some authoritarian regime monitoring every citizen's activities, "Big Brother" will actually become all of us.

[Via BBC News]

[Paul de Florio @ Jun 9th 2006 9:50AM]

So we start with peeking at these "illegals", and we already have cameras for red lights and speeding, so isn't it but a small step to monitor all the citizens? England does that now with many cameras in London just "keep an eye out" fo some real or imagine criminal or terrorist. What seems suspicious could land you in jail, with no rights as a suspected terrorist, and then the only peeking you would do was to be sure your fellow prisoners did not abuse you. It is sad when our country comes to this, spying as a means of control.

[mikrowarehouse @ Sep 18th 2006 8:32AM]

you may think defferently if you visit a data site which reveals all the sex offenders released because they are aliens they werent even deported put in zip 99999
also, 100,000 aliens means 100,000 job loss for non aliens. which raises the unemployment bar. which dips into non alien pocketbooks which is 100,000 more non tax payers non voters and so on

[mikrowarehouse @ Sep 18th 2006 8:37AM]

if youd take every alien off of the street there would be that much less polution and that many less wrecks and that much more gas to go around.
if youd add up all the consumption of free food and gas and electricity as well as taking up room on the freeway, and imagine how much more we americans would have if there were no illegals here, we would be pretty well off by now.

[mikrowarehouse @ Sep 18th 2006 8:48AM]

im tired of those who would be sympathetic towards a cause which isnt theirs. a cause which is slowly enveloping us into a mist and calculating against our very existance.
if you love aliens so much then you put your cash up to feed them.
ive lived with them and worked with them so i know first hand, there is a plan there, which public america is oblivious too.
they still believe texas is mexico, and, terroists
are entering mexico and learning spanish and crossing over to america under the pretense of being aliens

[paul @ Jan 11th 2007 11:24AM]

And terrorists are entering Canada and learning... english, then crossing the border with sacks of Mary Jane for the consumption of the morons that would claim moral superiority over the rest of the world.

It helps them relax and learn more mind-bending garbage like "there is a plan there, which public america is oblivious too."

[mikrowarehouse @ Sep 18th 2006 8:49AM]

it would not hurt the economy to remove them. it would have the opposite effect.
if the illegals are the ones whom " lowered" the minimum wage, by their bland acceptance of meeger wages,thus empowering the businesses to turn a blind eye on those of us whom wish " fair" wages............
then riding ourselves of aliens would place a beam under the evercreaking roof.

[Frog @ Nov 15th 2006 1:29PM]

Too bad you haven't used the benefits of America to form a rational opinion (and get an education with grammar apparently). I, representing rational, intellectual, white native born (not native American you bigot) citizens feel that legal immigration helps to open the eyes of society to the benefits of all people. If even 1% of Americans could look at themselves objectively, from an outsider's perspective, they'd be ashamed by the behavior of our government and its history. I'm proud to be an American but what does that mean? Try living up to the standards of morality instead of just preaching them. Try making it through a century without oppressing a people or country for our own benefit. Try not decimating a culture just so that it fits our idea of civilization. We have a tainted past with slavery, broken treaties with Native Americans and the general disgust that non-Americans are somehow second-class people. We need to grow up and be the leaders of the world by example, not rhetoric and hate.

[Isaac V @ Nov 5th 2006 12:08AM]

Why Do Many American Dislike Mexicans ?
Mexicans Offer Many Great Things To America !!
Large Job Force
Great Tasting Food
Hard Labor Force (Jobs That American Will Not Take)
Without Mexicans Picking Our Crops Their Would Be Food Shortages Across The United States And The World
Friendship
Leadership
Trust
Kindness
Many Others
Also Why Dont Americans Fuss Over Canada's Border
Most Of Canada's Border Has No Fence
Cant Terroist Come Through Canada
Cant Drug Smugglers Come Through Canada
Cant Immigrants Come Through Canada
YES THEY ALL ARE POSSIBLE !!!!!!!!!

[Pilot11 @ Nov 6th 2006 12:30PM]

Issac V. from what planet did you just arrive? These people are trying to take over the southwest United States. It is a clearly stated goal. They send their "meager wages" back to Mexico, so the good for the US statements are false. Get a grip dood. We have a way for them to come here...LEGALLY! I don't really give a rip how pooly Fox and Mexico manages their economy!

[jim @ Apr 13th 2008 12:35AM]

You are a dork. Canada has an economy close to ours and no one has to come here from there to do better. Yes, aliens do work for less but I think the employers put the extra bucks in their pockets utilizing the higher wage they may (and I mean MAY) have to pay should a native do the job. It isn't going to drive up prices unless the employers feel the need to maintain the huge profits (which are not in the limelight like gas company ones are) that they make.

[jimandrox @ Apr 13th 2008 12:35AM]

huh

[Robert S. Case @ Nov 5th 2006 6:35PM]

Can this cam be seen at night?

[Robert S. Case @ Nov 7th 2006 12:50PM]

Will this program work on Mac

[Cargo0d @ Nov 8th 2006 9:56PM]

I have a Mac G4. I just found the texasborderwatch site tonight. The site does not work with Firefox and IE requires 6.0 or above which limits it to PCs.
However in you have Java runtime 1.4.2 installed you can get some of the webcams if you use Opera for a browser. I got two of the webcams to work, and remember to read the FAQs and you will understand why the webcams work some of the time and others do not.

[Lee @ Nov 7th 2006 11:34PM]

Being in Australia we don't have this issue, but I would like my 2 cents worth. Mexico does give us Corona!!

[Grace O'Malley @ Nov 8th 2006 1:40AM]

I believe a huge chunk of land was stolen from these so called aliens back in the day (1846)? They have more rights to be on that land than the European invaders do. Manifest destiny my a$$.

[Lucas @ Dec 15th 2006 11:40AM]

Speaking of "hate", could you have any more self hatred? People like you live in a fantasy world, one where other cultures and civilizations never ever destroyed their own people er..can you say AFRICA? In fact who do you think sold those slaves to the Europeans? Who chopped up their own kind in the middle of night , and even day as recently as the 1990's (remember Somalia)? These deeds done by cultures who have been around thousands of years before our country, you don't think warring tribes of Indians never ever slaughtered their own? Yet, we are the savages, the racists, the unfair dictators. Facts are facts, illegals have utterly destroyed our already failing health care system, our schools are shot to crap due to the fact that teachers, overwhelmed by already declining social values in the home, have to to make sure "little Jose" can keep up with the rest of the class because he can't...er, won't speak english resulting in class assignments that a parrot could complete.

You claim to be "rational" and "intellectual" which means , when translated, "I am a liberal and I know better than you", you see minorities as a cause; a way to deal with your own guilt for living in a country where anything can be achieved, you people see anyone who is a minority as a pet project like growing algae, or pets. You people make my skin crawl.

[jay @ Dec 16th 2006 11:30AM]

What bothers me is that people continue to say they will do jobs americans wont , That is so far from the truth if you pay americans a fair market wage (living wage) we are going to do the job. As long as an employer is allowed to get away with paying as little as possible he is going to do it. (slave labor ) . This is a political conflict ! when the goverment can start helping its lower class instead of the people only intrested in more money , then things might get some where.

[paul @ Jan 11th 2007 11:24AM]

Problem is, if you pay a "living wage", the price of everything will go up so much that the level of the "living wage" will also increase, since the goods you are paying people a "living wage" to produce will become more expensive and they can't afford them any more. At some point,of course, this reaches an equilibrium.

By the time that happens, foreign imports become more attractive (plenty of unskilled low-paid workers in other countries), and your "living-wage jobs for Americans" go bye-bye. now you have a larger unemployed level, which drives up welfare costs, which means we have to increase taxes, which means the middle-to-low income worker suffers (rich people never get hit by tax increases to any extent that impacts their lives).

So choose - free market economy (supply and demand), with associated pricing forces and labor consequences, or tightly-controlled labor market and a gradual increase on welfare demand and taxes etc.

[paul @ Jan 10th 2007 2:25AM]

Shame that bigoted folks get internet access too, but that's free ranting, sorry speech, for you.

[Mikeyg @ Jan 22nd 2007 10:51AM]

People, especially the bigoted American cliché types, scare the hell out of me.

it scares me that a country can be so illiberal, so closed minded.

[linda @ Nov 20th 2007 3:51PM]

Illegals are taking jobs from American citizens here in north west Arkansas. They don't just pick fruit and vegetables. We can have Mexican food from legal immigrants. Go to Washington County Sheriffs office and see who is arrested in this county and the crime. Rape, murder, forgery, breaking and entering, drinking and driving. We have had a murder from road rage of a white man here from illegals. Where is the outrage here. We must demand more from our politicians. DSon't vote for anyone crying those poor immigrants. They have put so many of us here out of the construction business it is awful. We can't make a living anymore. When you get a job you work for peanuts. I have not been able to buy propane to heat my house and it has been getting down in the 30's at night. I have a little fire wood and can't seem to find the money for more. Go drive around and see who is working construction jobs here and about all you see are mexicans. I hope some day people wake up. As for me I am 2 house payments behind and not enough work to catch up. I get hungry too. Does anyone care. Vote them people out who will give them amnesty. Praise legal immigrants. I am of immigrant stock. The only difference is my ancestors came here legally and did not sneak into this country. Please wake up. Help those of us who are going down. Email your senators and congressmen. Put a stop to this. It may be your job next. Thanks for reading this.

[David Phillips @ May 3rd 2008 7:46AM]

Americans do not dislike Mexicans, Americans dislike anyone who's
first decision is to break the law to get into this country. It is great
if they come in legally, proper background check, type of employment
they are seeking, and will they avoid the welfare system, and our prisons.
If they help our economy and are not a burden to the system.