I'm spending the day in San Diego, where Gov. Schwarzenegger is all over the news for deploying California National Guard troops to the border. The first 224 soldiers and airmen have completed their training to work with border patrol agents.
What a joke. Whatever your views on illegal immigration, it's hard to imagine a small number of Guardsmen having an impact on the flow of immigrants. Schwarzenegger himself said as much in a press release, saying that the federal government needs to come up with a permanent solution to border enforcement.
My own view is that at a time of war, National Guardspeople here in California shouldn't be used in this way. But, if you must deploy them, there are all kinds of projects that, whatever their value, would be more important to the state. Here are five:
1. Keeping the peace in Salinas, which is plagued by what may be the state's worst epidemic of gang violence.
2. Inspecting and repairing state infrastructure. California's roads are full of potholes. If the National Guard needs more work, put them to work on the roads. Other bridges and roads need inspection.
3. Filling in for vacationing (or, if the courts go along, furloughed) state workers so more offices can remain open and more work can get done. Try filing for a new business in this state. The delay is weeks if you're lucky. Perhaps the National Guard could provide a few hands to speed up that paperwork.
4. Teaching school for a week. Since cash-strapped school districts have cut back on instructional time, the school year is a week shorter in many places. Why not have the National Guard lead a week of instruction on the importance of public service?
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5. Reaching an agreement on a state budget. The people in charge of that don't seem to be making any progress, perhaps because they're too worried about the border.
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