Plane Talk - February 17, 2008

Driving across I-70 in a rental car!

With KCI closed for hours and no way to get home from an unplanned layover in Denver today, you do what you have to: rent a car and drive it home! Looking out the window, western Kansas looks beautiful. The sky is brilliant blue. The snow cover isn't deep, but just enough to paint a gorgeous picture. I'm with 2 fellow strandees from MO and they seem to genuinely agree the scene is breathtaking.

I'm trying to get home after a Congressional delegation visit to the U.S. border at San Diego.

With all the hassle, I'm still very glad I made the trip. Immigration is the issue I hear most about when I do Congress on Your Corner events. Kansans are concerned --or just plain angry -- that America's immigration laws are not being enforced.

We visited the San Ysidro port of entry, where over 60 million people cross every year. The numbers are staggering. They use technology, dogs, and just plain intuition to stop as much smuggling as possible. The border officers are proud of the work they do and always looking for ways to improve.

What do they need? Larger facilities (which are now under construction) and more competitive salaries so they keep good people. It's hard work standing day after day in rows of traffic that emit pollution.

Their opinion about new technologies like RFID: it's very helpful, but they understand some people's privacy concerns. Increasing use of voluntary RFID chips will make the job more effective and efficient.

After visiting San Ysidro, we toured a cargo facility. About one in three trucks here is x-rayed, and these inspections have significantly reduced the smuggling rate. FDA and USDA inspectors also work at this facility, but on this Saturday, there were few if any there.

Next we accompanied border agents to areas between ports of entry, which many people consider the weakest link in America's border security. An unusual snowstorm had hit the mountains, and we listened on the radio as border agents learned about the discovery of the body of a 20-30 year old woman.

The San Diego border is about 60 miles long. There is fencing -- primary and secondary -- across most of what I saw, and powerful cameras cover much of the fenced and unfenced area. Even with double fencing, its not impossible to get across. We found a "ladder" made of re-bar on the American side; the materials cost only about five dollars.

The border guards know that their jobs are dangerous. Border violence has increased in the last few months. Rocks the size of a large coffee mug are frequently hurled at them and their vehicles. Small bottle rockets are launched at them. There is a memorial to fallen border guards.

So what's the right thing to do? Let me say first what is NOT the right thing to do: letting our immigration system devolve into anarchy. We have laws in this country to help us live peaceably with one another. But the infrastructure for implementing those laws is so broken it's almost nonexistent. Employers have no workable system for determining who is in the country legally. Our electronic verification is completely unreliable. This is the heart of the problem; it allows virtual chaos and draws people into our country illegally in hopes of making a better life for their families.

Until we create a workable system of employment verification, the problem will continue to get worse and worse.

Very truly yours,

Nancy Boyda
Member of Congress


Casework Corner - Many Senior Citizens are Eligible for Stimulus Rebate Checks

Many senior citizens have questions concerning their eligibility for a stimulus rebate check. Some of these questions include: Can I receive a check if I collect Social Security Disability Insurance? I haven’t filed in several years; can I still receive a check by filing this year? Does money earned through dividends or IRA distributions and other forms of unearned income count toward the minimum of $3,000? The answer to all of these questions is YES!

Senior citizens who do not ordinarily file a tax return must file for 2007 by the April 15th deadline in order to receive their checks. The IRS has issued a special version of the Form 1040A to help taxpayers in this situation. An illustration of this completed form can be viewed at http://boyda.house.gov/uploads/1040a.pdf. The IRS asks taxpayers in this unusual situation to write the words “Stimulus Payment” at the top of their Form 1040A. Another very important aspect of the form is Line 14A of Form 1040A, where you are asked to write in your pertinent benefits information.

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Letter of the Week - The President's Budget for 2009

This budget is a perfect example of how our government lacks basic common sense and is out of touch with the values of the good people who reside in the Second District of Kansas. The President’s budget calls for cuts in education, Medicare, Medicaid and Homeland Security. He even went as far as cutting funds for prosthetics for our heroes returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Let me assure you that as far as I am concerned this budget will have little to no bearing on what Congress eventually funds. If the federal budget is recognition of our nation’s priorities, I am afraid that I do not share the President’s priorities.

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This Week in Congress - February 18 to 24, 2008

On Monday morning, I stopped by 1440 AM for my monthly appearance on the Jim Cates Show. Listeners asked questions about my recent trip to the Mexican border and immigration issues. After the show, my staff and I met in our Topeka district office for updates regarding casework, local issues, and community outreach.

Tuesday was dedicated to meeting with various newspapers around the Second District, including the Ottawa Herald, Miami County Republic, Anderson County Review, and the Osage County Herald.

On Wednesday night, I joined the annual meeting of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce. George F. Will, a Washington Post syndicated columnist and ABC commentator, served as the keynote speaker.

Thursday morning, I drove to southeast Kansas for a meeting with the Pittsburg Morning Sun. Then, I stopped by Pittsburg State University, which recently secured $263,310 from the U.S. House of Representatives for technology facilities on campus. Unfortunately, a snowstorm forced the cancellation of other planned events for the day, including a visit to Girard to discuss area technology needs.

On Friday, my staff and I hosted an open house for our Pittsburg district office, followed by a trip to Buffalo for a Congress on Your Corner. Friday night, we hosted a Tax Workshop at Pittsburg State University to discuss how the recent economic stimulus package will affect Kansans' taxes in 2008.

On Saturday, I visited both Chetopa and Scammon for Congress on Your Corner events. That evening, the See-Kan RC&D Project hosted a dinner in Oswego, where I felt privileged to offer keynote remarks about the impact of mining on southeast Kansas and the influence of recent energy legislation.

On Sunday, I wrapped up this visit to southeast Kansas with a trip to Chetopa, where I met with local pecan growers to discuss their legislative concerns.