I am opposed to using ANY American taxpayer money for water stations in the desert

This blog is in response to a request for comments (from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) on the placement of watering stations for illegal immigrants on the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona.

I am opposed to using ANY American taxpayer money for water stations in the desert. This includes pay for border patrol personnel to over-see installation, maintenance, and garbage clean up in the area. I see no problem with the border patrol providing officers to work with humanitarian groups in their efforts, as long as the salaries for those officers are fully paid for by the humanitarian groups.

These groups must also pay a HUGE fee (not $500, but $10,000/year at least) for access to the refuge, pay for all water station equipment, installation (including environmental impact studies and permits), water, garbage collection, repair of damage to the surrounding desert because of any immigrants (illegal or otherwise), or the cost of border patrol personnel who may respond to calls for help from people who get into trouble while entering this country through the desert. I also think that another large fee (based on estimated cost of repairing the impact of people on the refuge) should be charged to the humanitarian groups if they need to use vehicles to restock the water stations. That fee would cover any damage to the refuge caused by having people regularly in those areas.

The humanitarian groups must also be made to understand that the people entering this country through the desert are probably breaking several federal laws. They must realize that these "immigrants" are not law-abiding American citizens. They have chosen to violate our border laws and thumb their noses at our sovereign rules.

I was shocked to read the following language in the draft:
“Authorizing placement of stationary water sites and the associated traffic for accessing and maintaining the sites would require some use of Refuge resources, including personnel and funding.” .....“the Refuge would assume costs associated with the long term coordination and monitoring of permits issued for this proposed use. Refuge resources are limited and time expended to coordinate with humanitarian organizations regarding water sites would divert efforts from accomplishing Refuge purposes. However, administration and management of a potential permit for drinking water sites could be accomplished within the existing financial and personnel resources available to the Refuge.” pg 3

Why should American taxpayer money be used for water stations in the refuge? The people using these stations are breaking several federal laws, and they have chosen to violate our border laws and thumb their noses at our sovereign rules. As shown in the draft, they are also destroying the refuge that American citizens are paying for. Why not make the grand and glorious humanitarians pay for all the costs associated with these stations? Even better yet, provide fee payment boxes at each station, so the illegals themselves could “pay-as-they-stop”?