Border Security vs. (Actually Needed) Safety in Texas (Texas got it wrong) - Texas has spent an estimated $11.1 billion on border security measures under Operation Lone Star. HOWEVER, Texas measure, House Bill 13, would have created a new government council to establish the emergency response plan and administer the grant program, both of which would have been aimed at facilitating better communication between first responders. The bill also called for the plan to include “the use of outdoor warning sirens,” like those used in tornado-prone Texas counties, and develop new “emergency alert systems.” BUT, House Bill 13 did not pass because it was deemed too expensive though it would have cost far less than border security. The families of those 100+ who have died in the recent flooding disaster and the rest of us need to know this.