Help Save Maryland

Considering Correctness

2011-10-29T09:14:00.000-04:00

Considering correctness

Originally published October 28, 2011
The Frederick News-Post

By Steven R. Berryman

(also, be sure to read the postscript at the end!)

Of course the words we choose define us, and reveal the messages we attempt to convey; isn't that what language is for? English has twice the number of available words to choose to enunciate our meaning as the next closest language, German. Although the context of usage is critical, we are being driven mad by the "political correctness" demands of a liberal education system.

Should a pejorative word with a political charge be chosen, is it fair to the targeted recipient and to the casual reader, especially as some become inflamed? For instance, we don't say "stimulus" anymore. [We say "jobs bill."]

In this week's Monday Advance section, FNP columnist Frankee Lyons passionately explored the word "illegals," treating readers of this paper to a fresh new discussion. The value of anonymous comments in response -- available to the online edition -- was clear as they peaked at 87 responses posted the next day.

Tracking comments is a good indication of the public mood.

These comments fell quite predictably along partisan lines, scribed by many with views already on record. Each response took one side or another quite distinctly; the long debate on what is undeniably the national dysfunction of uncontrolled borders still seethes.

Before I forget, Lyons is the freshest in age of the FNP columnists, and so is to be especially commended for learning how to strike such a resonant chord with so many readers. Despite views to the contrary, writing an opinion column is not about being absolutely right on any given issue, it's about generating the conversation. "'Illegals'?" was brilliant in this respect.

But that's just my opinion!

Followers of this column and my blog already know well my position on what I shall now call "the ongoing phenomenon of noncitizens breaking into America without visa or legal status of entry." This will keep me from the impolitic shorthand of "illegals."

Forming a position early on, my association with the group Help Save Maryland goes back a full year before this became such a hot topic. The enforced political correctness of those with a stake in the game -- immigration lawyers and CASA of Maryland, for instance, was instrumental in labeling my group both "nativist" and "extremist." This was formally pronounced by a group called the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Racist accusations are the ultimate in words that carry baggage for many; talk about words that carry a political charge! To inflict the damage, the charge need not even be true.

What gets lost in the semantic argument we choose is the argument itself. Is some false sense of "fairness" to those who made it over the fence more important than our national sovereignty as citizens with something to protect?

Very clearly in our public education system, the value of being a U.S. citizen has become subjugated to some Walt Disney version of fairness; we have a diverse culture, a history, and a heritage worth protecting.

Sticks and stones may break our bones ...

Steven R. Berryman

writes from Frederick.

(srbmgr@comcast.net)

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[Postscript: the next day, a prime example of why we use the force of words presented itself!]

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?storyID=127696

Murder charges filed
Suspect ID'd in March shooting death at Burger King
Originally published October 29, 2011
Frederick News-Post

By Brian Englar
News-Post Staff

NEW! Click photo to view additional photos

	Courtesy Photo Mejia-Varela

	Advertisement

"> Frederick police have obtained an arrest warrant for a Salvadoran national wanted in the shooting death of a Burger King manager in March, Frederick County State's Attorney Charlie Smith said Friday.

Jose Reyes Mejia-Varela, 21, is in Baltimore in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service awaiting sentencing on charges of illegally re-entering the U.S. after he was deported.

Mejia-Varela is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Jacinta "Patty" Ayala, 32, who was shot and killed in an apparent robbery as she was opening the Burger King on East Patrick Street in Frederick, where she was an assistant manager.

He faces additional charges of armed robbery, first-degree assault, second-degree assault and theft of between $1,000 and $10,000, according to Frederick police.

Smith said during a news conference Friday the warrant would be served after Mejia-Varela is sentenced on the federal charges. His office hopes to begin trying the case within six months after he is brought to Frederick.

Smith said that in the absence of eyewitnesses or a confession, cracking the case was a painstaking task requiring hundreds of hours of work by investigators. He described the case against Mejia-Varela as "very strong."

"This was a case that really took a lot of diligence looking at each and every piece of evidence possible," Smith said. "One piece of evidence that would be presented would reveal a need to investigate three, four, five different avenues."

Police would not release any details about the crime itself or say how Mejia-Varela -- a former employee at the Burger King -- was identified as a suspect.

Frederick police spokesman Lt. Clark Pennington said detectives interviewed Mejia-Varela during the original investigation but did not consider him a suspect at the time. Pennington said they discovered he was in the country illegally and reported him to immigration authorities.......ctd on link above...

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Ref: Also, the column this refers to is here:

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/opinion/display_columnist.htm?StoryID=127434

Is this 'discrimination'?

2011-02-19T08:53:00.003-05:00

Is this 'discrimination'?

Originally published February 18, 2011
The Frederick News-Post

By Steven R. Berryman

Should Maryland "discriminate" by law against offering in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants? Testimony was taken in Annapolis on Wednesday concerning Prince George's Democratic Sen. Victor Ramirez's bill SB 167, which would allow just that.

Discrimination has various meanings; we all know that race and color distinctions are "illegal" as a basis on which to discriminate in America.

Illegal means "against the law," for the benefit of some liberals who wish to ignore definitions, choose their own facts, and obfuscate information contrary to their immutable positions. The term "illegal immigrant" defines those entering our country without a visa, or overstaying a valid visa.

Discrimination also means to choose, as in choosing your spouse or girlfriend by selecting him or her out of your various other acquaintances. Your actions tell the world that you have a preference.

In Maryland, we have our share of legal residents who have difficulty finding a slot in state-subsidized colleges. More want to go to the University of Maryland, for instance, than will fit.

Many, including the leader of www.helpsavemaryland.com, (the link is down temporarily, go here instead: helpsavemaryland.blogspot.com), Brad Botwin, believe that maintaining a preference for lawful residents works best for most in our state; it's morally defensible!

Our laws and Constitution do not qualify anyone to an automatic higher education; it is a privilege, not a right. Granting in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants makes no sense, as it is illegal to hire them upon graduation anyway.

Plus, offering illegal (or undocumented, if you are a liberal) immigrants preference for college makes Maryland even more of a "magnet state" if we enact SB 167.

Offering anyone any incentive to come to America illegally for free health care and cheap education compared with their home countries is a bad financial move for us at the state and federal levels, but has even more terrible costs. Gang violence is on the rise, primarily by illegal immigrants from Central America.

Our chief of police in Frederick, Kim Dine, recently attended an Arizona conference confirming just that. County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins is second to none in being proactive on this issue.

Only last week, in nearby Northern Virginia, Jose Oswaldo Reyes-Alfaro, a criminal from El Salvador in the U.S. illegally, was charged with committing a triple homicide. Had this man been stopped at the border or detected in-state after overstaying a temporary visa, these three people would still be alive today.

This is but one of many examples of the negative consequences of illegal immigration in America.

A proposal such as in-state tuition that is automatically granted -- essentially as a right -- can have far-reaching, unintended consequences as described above, even with the best of intentions.

In an era of negative state and federal bank accounts, and where our own Immigration and Customs Enforcement readily admits it does not have the manpower to find even our visitors who intentionally overstay their visas, why would we intentionally allow our own children to get bumped out of the college that we fund for taxpaying citizens?

Or are we satisfied with the policy decisions by our lawmakers to keep Maryland a "sanctuary state" in the eyes of lawbreakers who illegally take advantage of our good humanitarian nature?

Do discriminate against illegal immigrants.

Steven R. Berryman writes from Frederick.

srbmgr@comcast.net

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Post your comments »

42 comments

February 18, 2011 @ 01:58 AM: br5ju19

He’s right...a total squirrel with next to no ability to write a newspaper column, but today’s message is dead-on correct.

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February 18, 2011 @ 03:39 AM: milt

You have written a very good column Steve. Your comments are exactly correct. Keep it up. Thank you!

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February 18, 2011 @ 04:04 AM: seandupree

What I object to is the implication that liberals are responsible for illegals. Not once has this columnist, or any of the other conservative demagogues like him, ever recognized the real source of the problem. It is turning our heads as big business imports and hires illegals. Liberals don't own the business that continue to pay these people and make them in fact citizens of the State. Many of their children are, by dint of conservatives, legal Americans who have broken no laws.

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February 18, 2011 @ 05:24 AM: Bbbbbbb9095

Great column Liberals are by far willing to support illegals. The state of Maryland proves it.

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February 18, 2011 @ 06:24 AM: Oldog3

Seandupree , It is you liberals that enable illegal’s the most amigo ..........I am all for throwing the employers that enable illegal’s in jail along with the Los Mojados !!…………………….

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February 18, 2011 @ 06:25 AM: qoph

Spot on, Steve. And very well written today.

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February 18, 2011 @ 06:37 AM: jill.king8

Mr. Berryman, although I do not like how you define discrimination, this is a very well thought out column. I think most would agree. Foreign students have been attending universities in the US for decades; a vast majority of them EARNING their way through college through grades and technological advances. Never should we give a discount to those unworthy. If created there should be a scale or grade level to achieve, never the less earning a right to be there in the first place. Have them sign a commitment paper to make use of education in their home country.

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February 18, 2011 @ 07:31 AM: Crustybachelor

A pro discrimination column. And who is next on the list ? Blacks ? Jews ? Women ?

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February 18, 2011 @ 07:39 AM: friedhard

you forgot to mention that they spread leprosy.

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February 18, 2011 @ 07:46 AM: LastAngryMan

In state tuition for illegal aliens should never be granted. If anything, they should be charged the same rates, and meet the same requirements as international students; after-all, that is exactly what they are. If you grant in state tuition to illegal aliens, then why not grant in state tuition to American Citizens from out of state? After all, the parents of American students pay federal taxes every year, which is far more than the illegal aliens do. In state tuition was designed to provide a financial break to residents of a state that actually pay state taxes which support the state funded universities and colleges. Illegal aliens don't, and have not supported these instiutions. Last, by granting in state tuition to illegal aliens, we will be giving them preference over American citizens (once again) at a great cost to the American taxpayer. If this garbage bill passes, I predict public outrage and more than a few recalls even in a liberal asylum like Maryland!

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February 18, 2011 @ 07:53 AM: doreenmcgill

Is state Sen. Ramirez looking for votes from the illegal community by proposing SB167 in state tuition for illegals? Illegals voting??? No problem in Maryland.

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February 18, 2011 @ 08:06 AM: doreenmcgill

The actual definition and meaning of the word "discriminate"?--Alas, thanks to lawyers and politicians the meanings and definitions of words have become fluid and whatever anyone wants them to mean in any given situation. Remember President Clinton famously saying, "it all depends on what is means". Great column this morning!

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February 18, 2011 @ 08:08 AM: ManFromMontCo

This column is just another meaningless rant by the FNP's own illegal immigrant baiter. He does not understand even the most simplest of things, namely, that the word 'illegal' in "illegal immigrant" is just a label with no legal significance at all. The bill is a good one; it simply continues the long-held practice of allowing in-state residents, i.e., people who pay in-state taxes and generate in-state cash flow and business, a more favorable tuition rate for a higher education, independent of immigration status. SB167 should be passed forthright.

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February 18, 2011 @ 08:15 AM: touscents

Very good column. Though I might argue that in some ways illegals help our economy, I agree that giving them in-state tuition would be a drain. I would also point out that illegals would still have to earn their way into the college system with grades, etc. Some people would like to extend Steve's thoughts by preventing children of illegals from attending public schools, as that is also a drain on the economy. That, I think, would be a mistake, leading to a dangerous, uneducated lower class.

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February 18, 2011 @ 08:25 AM: niles_johson

Steve you have never written a column about the foreign soldiers in the salt mines under the Great Lakes waiting in ready to implement the New World Order. Do you not believe this anymore? What about the jack-booted thugs you always used to go on about -- do they not exist? Inquiring minds want to know where preeminent scholars such as yourself stand on these issues. Screw the low-hanging fruit of race-baiting adulation, we need the dirt on the conspiracies!

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February 18, 2011 @ 08:27 AM: pumper

Dirty hand indivduals whining about equality is like a criminal whining about his sentence.

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February 18, 2011 @ 08:34 AM: qoph

@Crustybachelor--Only the Blacks, Jews and women who are here illegally.

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February 18, 2011 @ 08:40 AM: Rockbjohnson

It is the Federal Govt. job to arrest and deport all ILLEGAL aliens. It is time for Obama and congress to step forward and do the job they were elected to do, instead of suing states like Arizona who are trying to stop the invasion.

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February 18, 2011 @ 08:43 AM: qoph

@ManFromMontCo--Man, I don't know where to start with you. How about "most simplest"? And "illegal" has "no legal significance at all"? If the latter be true, how come it is "illegal" for employers to give them jobs? You must have started drinking early this morning.

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February 18, 2011 @ 08:50 AM: mike.rowley

Steve: You are a smart guy. Please stop pitting the political parties against each other. The blame game is for halfwits and hacks who can't muster an argument. Good letter.

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February 18, 2011 @ 08:51 AM: qoph

@touscents--I actually agree with you this morning. Except to note that we already have a "dangerous, uneducated lower class."

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February 18, 2011 @ 08:55 AM: joelp77440

Big business is the cause of illegal immigration.

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February 18, 2011 @ 09:02 AM: amphibo

A last gasp from the white minority. Steve, if you think a blond haired blue eyed angel will be servicing your needs at the nursing home... good luck!

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February 18, 2011 @ 09:09 AM: djsmjp

Good column, except their is enough political blame to go around on both sides of the "aisle". The Sainted Reagan's amnesty program. Long story short, neither politcal party is going to get rid of 12-20 million consumers and cheap labor. Heck, they don't have the will to balance the budget- but I do think that an well educated workforce, no matter what their status is a plus. The well educated pay more taxes and generally are not involved in crime.

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February 18, 2011 @ 09:17 AM: niles_johson

Qaf, they are equivalent in Wallace Beeeryman's mind. And you stoop to name-calling? Sad, dude, just sad.

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February 18, 2011 @ 09:30 AM: public

The author doesn't go quite far enough. Not only should in-state tuition be withheld from illegal immigrants, it should also be withheld from Maryland residents whose academic preparation for college is worse than an illegal immigrant's.

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February 18, 2011 @ 09:32 AM: drumdigger1976

Maybe if Maryland becomes enough of a magnet state, bigots like Berryman and Botwin will leave. If only it would become so...

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February 18, 2011 @ 09:33 AM: public

Also, I like how Berryman has managed to annex the headline area as yet another space in which to improperly use quotation marks.

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February 18, 2011 @ 09:51 AM: qoph

@niles_johson--Okay, niles, you have my attention for a few seconds. I called no one names. Your post I ignored as not deserving comment. Please enlighten me. But read carefully first.

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February 18, 2011 @ 10:02 AM: kapahuluhaole

Welfare is the cause of illegal immigration.

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February 18, 2011 @ 10:25 AM: qoph

@public--If you are concerned with proper English usage, stop splitting infinitives.

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February 18, 2011 @ 10:27 AM: public

Splitting infinitives is okay.

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February 18, 2011 @ 10:50 AM: Oldog3

According to the punk Boy O’Malley they are not illegal they are “NEW AMERICANS “

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February 18, 2011 @ 11:50 AM: Sunsetblues48

Excellent column, Steve! I'd like to see a series of column's on the burdon that illegal immigration that falls on the American taxpayers with the perks that they recieve when they enter this country illegally and the organizations that help them get it. With the help of O'Malley, Leggett and Bab's Mikulski, they have made this possible by financially supporting Casa de Maryland to open up Day Labor Centers, provide cheap housing and social services to them with our tax paid dollars. Casa would not be able to operate with out our money. But hey, they got voted in again so we're still stuck with the same ole, same ole diry handed deals. We also need to make people who hire illegals accountable and fine them heavily along with enforcing E-Verify and making it mandatory. And enough about us being decendent by immigrants! My ancestors arrived at Ellis Island, signed the book, were processed properly and were held accountable. This constant allowance of illegal immigrants to cross the border and expect us to take care of them has got to stop. Just ask the border agents families that were targeted and killed this week all because they were just doing their jobs. Our elected officials including Reagan, Bush and McCain didn't help this situation but Obama has the power to stop this and control the borders. They all have blood on their hands.

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February 18, 2011 @ 12:21 PM: glen.krc

public - My understanding is the FNP staff titles these pieces. Previous columnists have indicated so.

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February 18, 2011 @ 02:40 PM: morissa2n

@Bbbbbb9095 "Great column Liberals are by far willing to support illegals. The state of Maryland proves it." REALLY? Lets have a look at Perdue shall we? You MAY have heard of them. Located in MARYLAND, 20,000 employees in MD. Here is a link to information on how many illegals they hire. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2eb_1271188280 Here is a link to their campaign contributions for 2010 via the National Chicken Council PAC http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00034272&cycle=2010 (46% to Democrats, 54% to Republicans) And here is a list of their contributions throughout the years: http://www.newsmeat.com/ceo_political_donations/Frank_Perdue.php (58% Rep 19% Dem) Is Perdue a company who supports "liberals"? Seems to me that Perdue supports the GOP because the GOP supports them. Illegals and all.

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February 18, 2011 @ 02:41 PM: morissa2n

@Bbbbbb9095 "Great column Liberals are by far willing to support illegals. The state of Maryland proves it." REALLY? Lets have a look at Perdue shall we? You MAY have heard of them. Located in MARYLAND, 20,000 employees in MD. Here is a link to information on how many illegals they hire. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2eb_1271188280 Here is a link to their campaign contributions for 2010 via the National Chicken Council PAC http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00034272&cycle=2010 (46% to Democrats, 54% to Republicans) And here is a list of their contributions throughout the years: http://www.newsmeat.com/ceo_political_donations/Frank_Perdue.php (58% Rep 19% Dem) Is Perdue a company who supports "liberals"? Seems to me that Perdue supports the GOP because the GOP supports them. Illegals and all.

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February 18, 2011 @ 03:33 PM: amphibo

OldDog... Punk boy O'Malley? Time to grab your musket and women and head for the morman compounds out west. As for 'liberals'... what the patriotic capitalists can't outsource overseas they stiff the working man at home.

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February 18, 2011 @ 05:40 PM: touscents

Qoph, "we already have a dangerous, uneducated lower class." Are you talking about the Great Qoph again? Just kidding :-)

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February 18, 2011 @ 07:01 PM: bb67chev

It makes zero sense to provide a subsidized college education to an illegal alien. After graduation from college they still are not allowed to legally work, vote or abtain a drivers' license in Maryland. Don't force our children to attend college out of state by allowing illegal aliens to bump them out from the limited seats available at Maryland colleges and universities.

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February 18, 2011 @ 09:14 PM: lemmiwinks5747

Good read Berryman- Pleasant to see you got you moxie back. Please continue with politeness and consideration of ALL political persuasions. Too many within the realm of formal writing (and posts in particular) choose an aire of viciousness that is of a 3 rd grade mentallity which has become (unfortunately) representative of the majority of society. Yeah people are stressed out, pissed off, tired of supporting those that have an entitlement mentallity, however we ALL need to keep our witts about us and try hard (HARDER) to maintain civility. It is odd though- If I had to put up with the crap conditions that our hard working (NOT THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT) illegal bretheren had to put up with where they came from-I would risk my life and family too to live here. Maybe perhaps our Feds should think outside the box. I wish I had a magic bullet.

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February 18, 2011 @ 09:31 PM: nwyrkghos

All the illegals working for local hick owned landscaping and construction companies must be working for "liberals".

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Groups spar over count of illegal immigrants in schools

2011-02-02T06:59:00.005-05:00

SUPPORT SENATOR DAVID BRINKLEY'S NEW BILL!

COUNT THE ANCHOR BABIES TO RECOVER MARYLAND FUNDS WITHHELD BY YOUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

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Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011

Groups spar over count of illegal immigrants in schools

Casa of Maryland, Help Save Maryland take opposite stands on Brinkley's measure

by Sherry Greenfield Staff Writer (http://www.gazette.net/) Frederick Edition

Two groups on opposing sides of illegal immigration are lining up over a proposal that a state lawmaker from Frederick County intends to introduce to force Maryland counties to count the number of illegal immigrants enrolled in public schools.

Casa of Maryland, an immigrant advocacy group based in Silver Spring, said this week it will testify against the bill to be submitted by Sen. David R. Brinkley (R-Dist. 4) of New Market.

"Supporting unconstitutional legislation that specifically targets small children does not seem the best route to solving our immigration crisis," said Kim Propeack, political director of Casa of Maryland, in an e-mail.

Propeack said Casa watches with worry over this type of legislation coming from lawmakers in Frederick County. "Imagine how people will respond when the authorities are specifically targeting their little children," she said.

Meanwhile, Help Save Maryland, an anti-illegal immigration group, contends that Brinkley's bill is needed to recoup the expense of educating illegal immigrants.

"It's an unfunded mandate forced upon Maryland," said Steven R. Berryman, the Frederick coordinator for Help Save Maryland. "There is nothing wrong with this bill. The fact is there was not a choice for Maryland but to accept the mandate."

According to Brinkley's office, in fiscal 2009, the most recent numbers available, it cost $13,959 to educate a student in Maryland. The figure comes from the Maryland Department of Legislative Services' handbook.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the 1982 Plyler v. Doe case that state and local governments must educate all students regardless of immigration status. In that case, a Texas statue that denied free public education to illegal immigrants was found to have violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Since the federal government forces states to educate illegal immigrants, it should pay the cost, Berryman argued.

Once introduced, Brinkley expects the bill to be assigned to the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee. Brinkley said Tuesday he is not surprised Casa will testify against the legislation.

"I would expect them to fight this," he said. "Of course they will."

Brinkley said it is a contradiction for Casa to support a proposed bill allowing children of illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition to public colleges and universities, since those children must be identified.

Under his proposal, no student of an illegal immigrant would be identified.
"We're not looking for that," he said. "It's just a count."

Propeack disagreed. "They are completely independent," she said in an e-mail. "There is a constitutional right to [K-12] education, not higher education."

Brinkley said he decided to submit his own bill after the Frederick delegation voted last month to submit a similar bill that would apply to Frederick County only. He wanted the count to be taken statewide.

Both Brinkley and Berryman predict lawmakers will view the legislation as hostile, so it will fail.

Brinkley said this is not unusual, since a majority of the bills proposed by lawmakers are never passed into law. However, it does not stop lawmakers from introducing legislation they deem important, regardless of the outcome.

Brinkley also cited a Jan. 6, 2009, letter to Del. Galen Clagett (D-Dist. 3A) of Frederick from Dan Friedman, of the Office of the Attorney General and counsel to the General Assembly. Friedman said the legislation could violate the 14th Amendment, which in part guarantees people equal protection of the law. That was the argument used in Plyler v. Doe, which resulted in governments not being allowed to deny illegal immigrants a free public education.

In 2008 and 2009, when the previous board of county commissioners proposed the legislation, Clagett contacted Friedman's office for the opinion.

"Because of the opinion they [state lawmakers] feel it might be unconstitutional," Brinkley said. "They may be right and they may be wrong."

sgreenfield@gazette.net

What's in & out 2011

2011-01-01T11:06:00.000-05:00

What's in & out 2011

Originally published December 31, 2010

The Frederick News-Post

By Steven R. Berryman

With the new year upon us, I'll spare everyone the resolution stuff, as we typically end up repeating what's gone before anyway. There are surely reasons why we revert back to our own selves despite best intentions!

Let's go with transitions and changes instead. Some are pretty clear; others are more fuzzy!

This year's "what's in and what's out 2011" includes:

In is a political fresh start nationally in the U.S. House, and locally with the Republican sweeps. Out will be the GOP excuses over their domination by liberals.

In is the perception that the tea party has major influence on party politics in America. Out are the doubters now, about whether the tea party represented the will of the people!

In is respect for the ideals of an indelible Constitution. Out is governing by executive decree.

In are more than 600 new Republican state legislators nationwide. Out is state fiscal irresponsibility and pandering to entitlement groups.

In is a stalemate on illegal immigration, without a border solution or responsible pathway to citizenship. Out is the political capital to pull it off, wasted on Obamacare and the "Afghanistan conflict."

In is Help Save Maryland. Out is Casa of Maryland.

In is citizen activeness and awareness. Out is the apathy that has allowed our current dire straits.

In is alternative media such as multiple information sourcing, Web-based news, blogs and Facebook. Out is archaic television network news; the monopoly fully squandered now.

In is politics by comedians. Out is the humor in real politics; this as it becomes serious.

In is a businessman-entertainer as president of the Board of County Commissioners. Out is a clear delineation between office and show.

In is a financial consultant softball coach as Board of Education president. Out will be TERC Investigations math and budget-a-go-go.

In will be a Wegmans, a Lowe's and a Marshalls at Clemson Corner. Out will be more local merchants.

In will be a new watch group to oversee happenings at Fort Detrick. Out may be the Office of Sustainability.

In will be a waste-to-energy incinerator; the where may change. Out is the PATH transmission line project; this without demonstrated benefit to our region.

In will be Frederick as a destination for some of America's best quality of life in a small city. Out is its past reputation as a closed community.

Out is the Frederick unfriendly business climate. In is "Frederick -- open for business."

Out is commotion in City of Frederick government. In is civility between the county government and the city Board of Aldermen! Yes, another Young is involved, plus: Thanks, Randy!

Out is Rick Weldon in Frederick. In is Rick Weldon in Brunswick; welcome home to my "TheTentacle.com" brother!

Out is Twitter. In is having some actual friends on Facebook! (Did you hear that they have a new software upgrade?!)

Out is leaving town for dinner. In are Volt, Isabella's, Bonefish Grill and Hard Times Café!

Out is Frederick for "rednecks." In is family destination Frederick, and pride in "Frednecks"!

In is family refocusing on what's important, and what may also be cost-effective, such as board and card games and time together. Out should be too much video gaming and concentration on the Internet.

With too much constant stimulation, why allow life to go by so quickly? How about spending some "teachable moments" sometimes in the face of the easily bored.

Don't care if they think they know what's in or not!

srbmgr@comcast.net

Mexican visitor's lament

2010-07-10T07:58:00.004-04:00

THIS IS AN INTERESTING VIEW OF WHAT HAPPENS IF ALL THE ILLEGAL ALLIENS SHOULD BE DEPORTED

By Tina Griego, journalist for the Denver Rocky Mountain News

wrote a column titled, "Mexican visitor's lament"

She interviewed Mexican journalist Evangelina Hernandez while visiting Denver last week. Hernandez said, "They (illegal aliens) pay rent, buy groceries, buy clothes...what happens to your country's economy if 20 million people go away?"

That's a good question - it deserves an answer. Over 80 percent of Americans demand secured borders and illegal migration stopped. But what would happen if all 20 million or more vacated America? The answers may surprise you!

In California, if 3.5 million illegal aliens moved back to Mexico, it would leave an extra $10.2 billion to spend on overloaded school systems, bankrupted hospitals and overrun prisons. It would leave highways cleaner, safer and less congested.
Everyone could understand one another as English became the dominate language again.

In Colorado, 500,000 illegal migrants, plus their 300,000 kids and grand-kids - would move back "home," mostly to Mexico . That would save Coloradans an estimated $2 billion (other experts say $7 BIL) annually in taxes that pay for schooling, medical, social-services and incarceration costs. It means 12,000 gang members would vanish out of Denver alone.

Colorado would save more than $20 million in prison costs, and the terror that those 7,300 alien criminals set upon local citizens. Denver Officer Don Young and hundreds of Colorado victims would not have suffered death, accidents, rapes and other crimes by illegals.

Denver Public Schools would not suffer a 67 percent drop out/flunk out rate via thousands of illegal alien students speaking 41 different languages. At least 200,000 vehicles would vanish from our gridlocked cities in Colorado.
Denver 's four percent unemployment rate would vanish as our working poor would gain jobs at a living wage.

In Florida, 1.5 million illegals would return the Sunshine State back to America, the rule of law and English.

In Chicago IL, 2.1 million illegals would free up hospitals, schools, prisons and highways for a safer, cleaner and more crime-free experience.

If 20 million illegal aliens returned "home", the U.S. economy would return to the rule of law. Employers would hire legal American citizens at a living wage. Everyone would pay their fair share of taxes because they wouldn't be working off the books. That would result in a n additional $401 billion in IRS income taxes collected annually, and an equal amount for local state and city coffers.

No more push '1' for Spanish or '2' for English. No more confusion in American schools that now must content with over 100 languages that degrade the educational system for American kids. Our overcrowded schools would lose more than two million illegal alien kids at a cost of billions in ESL and free breakfasts and lunches.

We would lose 500,000 illegal criminal alien inmates at a cost of more than $1.6 billion annually. That includes 15,000 MS-13 gang members who distribute $130 billion in drugs annually would vacate our country. In cities like L.A, 20,000 members of the "18th Street Gang" would vanish from our nation. No more Mexican forgery gangs for ID theft from Americans! No more foreign rapists and child molesters!

Losing more than 20 million people would clear up our crowded highways and gri dlock. Cleaner air and less drinking and driving American deaths by illegal aliens!

Drain on America 's economy; taxpayers harmed, employers get rich:

Over $80 billion annually wouldn't return to their home countries by cash transfers. Illegal migrants earned half that money untaxed, which further drains America 's economy - which currently suffers an $8.7 trillion debt.

At least 400,000 anchor babies would not be born in our country, costing us $109 billion per year per cycle. At least 86 hospitals in California, Georgia and Florida would still be operating instead of being bankrupted out of existence because illegals pay nothing via the EMTOLA Act. Americans wouldn't suffer thousands of TB and hepatitis cases rampant in our country-brought in by illegals unscreened at our borders.

Our cities would see 20 million less people driving, polluting and grid locking our cities. It would also put the "progressives" on the horns of a dilemma; illegal aliens and their families cause 11 percent of our greenhouse gases.

Over one million of Mexico 's poorest citizens now live inside and along our border from Brownsville TX to San Diego CA in what the New York Times called, "colonias" or new neighborhoods. Trouble is, those living areas

resemble Bombay and Calcutta where grinding poverty, filth, diseases, drugs, crimes, no sanitation and worse. They live without sewage, clean water, streets, electricity, roads or any kind of sanitation. The New York Times reported them to be America 's new " Third World " inside our own country. Within 20 years, at their current growth rate, they expect 20 million residents of those colonias. (I've seen them personally in Texas and Arizona; it's sickening beyond anything you can imagine.) By enforcing our laws, we could repatriate them back to Mexico .

High integrity, ethical invitation:

We invite 20 million aliens to go home, fix their own countries and/or make a better life in Mexico . We invite a million people into our country legally more than all other countries combined annually. We cannot and must not allow anarchy at our borders, more anarchy within our borders and growing lawlessness at every level in our nation.

It's time to stand up for our country, our culture, our civilization and our way of life.

WE MUST GET OUT AND VOTE THIS NOVEMBER!!!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[This article came to us via my friend and colleague, Hardy Stone, who can be found writing Opinion Columns on alternating Mondays in www.FrederickNewsPost.com --Steve Berryman.]

***Our main root blog page can be found at www.HelpSaveMaryland.org

Help Save Maryland - July 2010

2010-07-08T08:03:00.002-04:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Help Save Maryland Newsletter

AS WE CONTINUE TO BATTLE THE ANTI-AMERICAN SUPPORTERS OF LAWLESSNESS, OPEN BORDERS, AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, I AGAIN RECOMMEND THAT FOR THE BEST COVERAGE OF NATIONAL IMMIGRATION EVENTS YOU SIGN UP WITH THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS:

NumbersUSA - http://www.numbersusa.com/

Federation for American Immigration Reform - http://www.fairus.org/

Judicial Watch - http://www.judicialwatch.org/

Michelle Malkin
July 7, 2010 12:00 A.M.

Open-Borders DOJ vs. America

The federal government sues to stop enforcement of its own laws.
The Obama administration's lawsuit against Arizona, officially unveiled on Tuesday, is an affront to all law-abiding Americans. It is a threatening salvo aimed at all local, county, or state governments that dare to take control of the immigration chaos in their own backyards. And it is being driven by open-borders extremists who have dedicated their political careers to subverting homeland-security policies in the name of "compassion" and "diversity."

The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, headed by assistant attorney general Thomas E. Perez, took the lead in prepping the legal brief against Arizona. The son of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Perez is a far-left lawyer and activist who worked for the late mass-illegal-alien-amnesty champion Sen. Ted Kennedy and served in the Clinton administration's Department of Justice (DOJ).

While holding down a key government position there, one in which he was entrusted to abide by the rule of law, Perez volunteered for CASA de Maryland - a notorious illegal-alien advocacy group funded through a combination of taxpayer-subsidized grants and radical-liberal philanthropy, including billionaire George Soros's Open Society Institute (not to mention more than $1 million showered on the group by Venezuelan thug Hugo Chávez's regime-owned oil company, CITGO).

Perez rose from CASA de Maryland volunteer to president of the group's board of directors. Under the guise of enhancing the "multicultural" experience, he crusaded for an ever-expanding set of illegal-alien benefits ranging from in-state tuition discounts at public colleges to driver's licenses. CASA de Maryland opposes enforcement of deportation orders, has protested post-9/11 coordination of local, state, and national criminal databases, and produced a "know your rights" propaganda pamphlet for illegal aliens depicting federal immigration agents as armed bullies making babies cry.

In 2006, CASA de Maryland threatened to protest at the schools of children whose parents belonged to the pro-immigration-enforcement group Minuteman Project - and then headed into the Montgomery County, Md., public schools to recruit junior amnesty protesters, who were offered school credits for traveling with CASA de Maryland to march on Washington.

As a former Maryland resident, I got to see Perez's militant friends and colleagues in action. I watched CASA de Maryland president Gustavo Torres (who met with President Obama last week) complain that motor-vehicle-administration officials have "absolutely no right to ask for people's Social Security number or immigration status to get a driver's license." I stood among CASA de Maryland grievance-mongers who shouted, "No license, no justice! No justice, no peace!" while playing the race card against naturalized Americans and legal immigrants who opposed the illegal-alien welfare state.

Perez himself derided secure-borders citizen activists as "xenophobes" but denied painting the grassroots immigration-enforcement movement as racist. Questioned during his confirmation hearing last year by GOP senator Jeff Sessions about the illegal-alien rights guide produced by CASA de Maryland, Perez grudgingly stated that "the Civil Rights Division must not act in contravention to valid enforcement actions of our federal immigration laws." But "act(ing) in contravention" is exactly what the Civil Rights Division is doing in spearheading the challenge to Arizona's valid enforcement actions of our federal immigration law.

Perez, Attorney General Eric Holder, and the rest of the open-borders DOJ team have invoked a "preemption" doctrine based on the U.S. Constitution's supremacy clause to attack Arizona's anti-illegal-immigration measure and oppose local and state enforcement of federal immigration laws. Never mind that the Arizona law was drafted scrupulously to comply with all federal statutes and the Constitution.

You gotta love Obama's fair-weather friends of the Constitution. When a state acts to do the job the feds won't do, Obama's legal eagles run to the Founding Fathers for protection. When, on the other hand, left-wing cities across the country pass illegal-alien sanctuary policies that flagrantly defy national immigration laws and hamper cross-jurisdiction enforcement, the newfound federal preemption advocates are nowhere in sight.

The Obama DOJ's lawsuit against Arizona is sabotage of the people's will and the government's fundamental responsibility to provide for the common defense. No border enforcement, no security. No security, no peace.

http://article.nationalreview.com/437692/open-borders-doj-vs-america/michelle-malkin

EDITORIAL: Obammigration
The federal government is surrendering our southern border

By THE WASHINGTON TIMES
8:17 p.m., Tuesday, July 6, 2010

It's President Obama's policy not to secure America's southern border. Yesterday, his administration filed suit against Arizona for its new law to try to enforce immigration statutes already on the books. This comes after the administration brought legal action against the Grand Canyon State for a 2007 law that strips business licenses away from companies that violate immigration laws. It's clear the White House is working to make states defenseless against an illegal invasion.

During a Thursday speech at American University, Mr. Obama again claimed innocent American citizens will be subject to police stops "because of what they look like" and that the new Arizona law "makes it difficult for people here illegally to report crimes." Such fear-mongering consciously ignores numerous safeguards in the legislation. This comes as little surprise given the president's recent decision to hire former Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt to head the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of State and Local Coordination. Mr. Hurtt has been a strident supporter of so-called "sanctuary city" policies, which prevent police from checking immigration status even when crimes are involved.

All this is being done to set the stage for new far-left policies. According to Sen. Jon Kyl, Arizona Republican, Mr. Obama told him, "The problem is ... if we secure the border, then you all won't have any reason to support comprehensive immigration reform." Mr. Kyl understood this to be an admission that the president is holding border security hostage to an ideological agenda, which may include general amnesty or even a path to citizenship through executive order.

Federal law increasingly is catering to illegals already. The Obama administration promised to ensure illegal aliens get the same labor protections enjoyed by U.S. citizens. This means someone who broke the law to get here can complain to the Labor Department about minimum-wage or overtime violations without risk of deportation. The Labor Department even makes public-service announcements in Spanish. "You work hard," says one taxpayer-funded Spanish-language ad. "Every worker in America has the right to be paid fairly, whether documented or not. So call us." Obviously, making sure illegals get higher wages will encourage more - not fewer - illegal border crossings.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Arizona Democrat, told Fox News on June 26, "We have the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Education that had planned for meetings, had then canceled those meetings with the reason given that it was because of the immigration law." So, the federal bureaucracy is waging war against Arizona for trying to defend itself. This is change only illegals can believe in.

OUR FRIENDS IN DELAWARE, LED BY BOB CUNCIC OF THE 9-12 DELAWARE PATRIOTS STAND WITH US ON ARIZONA AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION!

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20107070325

http://www.helpsavemaryland.com/

Death by political correctness

2010-05-16T09:32:00.002-04:00

Death by Political Correctness

Originally published May 14, 2010

Frederick News-Post

By Steven R. Berryman

Attorney General Eric Holder pronounced that "profiling is not good law enforcement" on "Meet the Press" last Sunday. I can't wait to see how my police, sheriff's office and trooper friends react to that in The FNP's online comments!

Just as "terrorism" is not an enemy -- it's a tactic -- "profiling" is an indispensable and smart law enforcement tactic, not an enemy.

The Pakistani Taliban-connected Times Square bombing suspect -- however incompetent -- was a naturalized U.S. citizen of the Muslim persuasion. That he was a naturalized citizen is not a common factor among previous terrorism attempts on our homeland.

For instance, Timothy McVeigh was not a naturalized citizen.

Fears and chants of "racial profiling" become the political correctness that may well be responsible for future death in America in a reprisal attack here, perhaps based upon our ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It could even be a nuclear death in a worst-case scenario.

Profiling per se is simply taking note of a common set of traits and characteristics collected by savvy investigators after a crime or ... act of war. For instance, 18 of the 19 hijackers in the World Trade Center attack came from the Mideast. Drill down further, and they also shared a common religion; drill down even further, and find that they all shared a militant wing of that common religion.

When there is a rabid pit bull running loose in a neighborhood, there are no signs posted "be on the lookout for a black cat."

Racial profiling is also the excuse to attack the 287(g) program enforcing federal immigration laws at the local level. Same for the new Arizona laws -- however amended -- simply because it is simple to show anecdotal evidence that more people of Hispanic descent are identified under the program than are, for instance, people from Ireland... ctd.

...for the rest, click:

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/opinion/display_columnist.htm?StoryID=104889

srbmgr@comcast.net

Your papers please!

2010-05-07T09:53:00.003-04:00

Your papers, please!

Originally published May 07, 2010

in the Frederick News-Post

By Steven R. Berryman

The headline could have been: Arizona law makes it illegal to be illegal.
Mainstream media are bowing to leftist pressure groups like La Raza to put an anti-humanitarian spin on the story. But surely under our current open-border circumstances we must draw a line to find out exactly who has walked across through Mexico.

It could have been Fernando Lopez-Ramirez. In fact, Frederick police just arrested him on a charge of second-degree rape and abuse of a minor. This, even after being previously arrested, identified as an illegal immigrant, and deported to Guatemala.

He just walked back in.

You say, "But what of the humiliation of having to present your driver's license to a law officer upon investigation for another offense?" Folks, at the drugstore you have to present your driver's license just to buy over-the-counter allergy medicine!

The police-state image of the classic film "Casablanca" is invoked, as in "Show me your papers, please." Then the politically correct obstruction corps begins to talk racial targeting, or profiling, as an inevitable consequence of any law put into place to curb the negative consequences of our failed immigration policy.

You say, "But good folks are simply migrating here from south of the border in order to make a better life for themselves and their families."

This is the misdirection ploy, classically used by liberals to skirt a major issue. The issue is not that these may be generally hardworking, nice people, but whether they have broken our laws and masquerade as citizens, stealing unearned benefits.

That the vast majority of those arrested for trespassing as illegal immigrants are of Hispanic or Latino origin is a function of the location of the border itself; the U.S. does not share a border with Poland.

It's at Texas!

We are connected by a land bridge spanning North and South America via Central America ... for those wanting a taste of free social services and welfare meant for citizens who had paid into the system....ctd.

...for the rest, please click this link: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/opinion/display_columnist.htm?StoryID=104618

srbmgr@comcast.net

www.HelpSaveMaryland.org

Catholic Money and Tax Dollars Finance Illegal Alien Rally

2010-05-02T12:09:00.002-04:00

Catholic Money and Tax Dollars Finance Illegal Alien Rally

Written by Cliff Kincaid

Friday, 30 April 2010

A group organizing a May 1 "May Day" rally in favor of "immigrant rights" in Lafayette Park in front of the White House is financially supported by the Catholic Church, Big Business, the federal government, and various Maryland governmental entities.
It is anticipated that the demonstration will take the form of opposition to Arizona's new law that is designed to discourage illegal immigration.

The buses will leave for Lafayette Park from CASA de Maryland centers starting at 12:30, with the rally scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

So-called "May Day actions" are being planned in dozens of cities around the U.S.CASA de Maryland, an illegal alien support group, is sponsoring the buses that will take hundreds of protesters to the event in the nation's capital. CASA is considered the biggest promoter and facilitator of illegal aliens in Maryland.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and its Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), which got caught funding the radical group ACORN, are

listed on the CASA website as being among its many financial donors and supporters.

Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Migration, issued a statement April 27 "in solidarity with the Catholic bishops of Arizona" opposing the enactment and implementation of the Arizona law.

Wester

said, "The U.S. Catholic bishops stand in solidarity with the bishops of Arizona in opposing this draconian law. We call upon the Administration to review its impact on civil rights and liberties. We renew our call for the Administration and Congress to work in a bipartisan manner to enact comprehensive immigration reform as soon as possible."

The Bishops have made it clear that such "comprehensive" reform must include amnesty for illegal aliens as its central component. Many of these aliens are Catholics from Latin America.

CASA de Maryland's

Facebook page denounces the new Arizona immigration law and highlights opposition to the measure by Meghan McCain, daughter of Arizona Republican Senator John McCain.

CASA de Maryland created a major controversy by distributing an eight-page book telling illegal aliens how to avoid law enforcement authorities. The CASA book,

Know Your Rights (PDF) tells illegal aliens not to carry "any documents from your country of origin" and that "providing your name" to a police officer "has risks" because "your name can be used to start a deportation process." It flatly says, "Don't provide government officials information about your immigration status."

"Only in America can groups like CASA and their illegal alien criminal clientele use tax dollars to lobby for amnesty and equal rights, all to the detriment of the American people and our way of life," commented Brad Botwin of Help Save Maryland.

Help Save Maryland is a multi-ethnic, grass-roots, non-partisan organization with thousands of members across the state. "We are opposed to the use of tax dollars on programs that attract and sustain illegal aliens to Maryland," Botwin explained.

Under the category of "Government," CASA lists the following entities as financial donors:

Baltimore City Council

City of Baltimore Mayor's Office

City of Takoma Park

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Maryland AIDS Administration

Maryland Cigarette Restitution Fund

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development

Maryland State Legislature

Mid-County Regional Services Center-Montgomery County

Up-County Regional Services Center-Montgomery County

Montgomery County Council

Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services

Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs

Montgomery County Office of the County Executive

Montgomery County Public Schools

Prince George's County Council

Prince George's County Council Special Appropriations Funds (Councilmember Thomas E. Dernoga)

Prince George's Department of Housing and Community Development

Prince George's County Office of the County Executive

Redevelopment Authority of Prince George's County

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

The event in D.C. is being supported by United for Peace and Justice, a far-left organization which argues that "peace activists" must "join hand-in-hand and march with immigrants to fight for their rights and an end to the militarization of our communities."

The group explains that, "With the recent passage of Arizona's anti-immigrant SB 1070 bill, many immigrants and activists are comparing this to the rebirth of Jim Crow and racial profiling. We have also seen an increase in the militarization of local police forces and of our borders in another racist effort to divide our country."

It's not just the taxpayer-funded entities supporting CASA that have earned Botwin's ire. He drew attention to the financial support given to CASA by the Catholic Church. In addition to the Catholic Bishops and the CCHD, the CASA web site identifies its donors as including the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

The CCHD reports $30,000 in 2007 and $10,000 in 2006 given to CASA for "workers' rights." More recent data is not available.

Other churches and religious organizations supporting CASA include the Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, the Foundry United Methodist Church, and Quaker groups.

In the area of Big Business, foundations, and organizations, financial supporters include the George Soros-funded Open Society Institute, the American Petroleum Institute, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Council of La Raza, the Bank of America Foundation, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, the Bechtel Foundation, and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

In the past, Accuracy in Media has protested support given to CASA from the Philip L. Graham Fund, which is staffed by current and former officials of the Washington Post and includes Donald E. Graham, who also serves as CEO and Chairman of the Board of The Washington Post Company, as a trustee.

The Eugene and Agnes Meyer Foundation, which is named after the former owner and publisher of The Washington Post, is currently listed as a financial sponsor of CASA. The Foundation reports that it provided $405,000 to the group.

The Herb Block Foundation, named after the long-time Washington Post editorial cartoonist, is also a CASA sponsor. This foundation provided funds for one of several controversial "Day Laborer Centers" operated by CASA.

Help Save Maryland reports that Day Laborer Centers are "hiring sites supposedly created to deal with the problems caused by unskilled workers (largely illegal aliens) who congregate on street corners waiting for persons seeking laborers to drive by. In communities like Gaithersburg and Wheaton [Maryland], these informal hiring sites have caused traffic disturbances, and the lack of sanitary facilities has often led to public urination. Other common complaints include public drunkenness and sexual harassment of female pedestrians."

Brad Botwin of Help Save Maryland says, "These same illegal alien day laborers, their families, gang members and others dependent on CASA for support will be a major portion of the crowd on May 1."

He says CASA is usually portrayed by liberal newspapers such as the Washington Post as an "immigrants rights group," while opponents of illegal immigration are typically described as "hate groups and nativists."Cliff Kincaid is the Editor of Accuracy in Media, and can be contacted at cliff.kincaid@aim.org.

Last Updated on Friday, 30 April 2010 16:58

http://www.rightsidenews.com/201004309817/editorial/catholic-money-and-tax-dollars-finance-illegal-alien-rally.html

srbmgr@comcast.net posted by Steve Berryman

www.HelpSaveMaryland.org

It's Illegal to be Illegal in AZ

2010-04-25T08:25:00.002-04:00

Help Save Maryland

April 24, 2010

MAJOR VICTORY IN ARIZONA!

THIS SENDS AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO THE ILLEGAL ALIEN COMMUNITY, THEIR SUPPORT GROUPS, AMNESTY SUPPORTERS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO THAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION WILL NO LONGER TO TOLERATED IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

BE PREPARED FOR THE ILLEGAL ALIEN COMMUNITY AND THEIR MINIONS TO COME OUT OF THE WOODWORK AND MAKE LOTS OF NOISE. CONTINUE TO PRESSURE MARYLAND OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. REMIND THEM THAT THEY WORK FOR “WE THE PEOPLE”, NOT ANTI-CITIZEN, HATE MONGERING GROUPS LIKE CASA DE MARYLAND AND THEIR ILK.

ON THE LOCAL FRONT WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUCE THAT TALBOT COUNTY, UNDER PRESSURE FROM LOCAL HSM MEMBERS, HAS IMPLEMENTED E-VERIFY FOR ALL FUTURE HIRING. A SMALL BUT IMPORTANT STEP IN THE FIGHT ACROSS OUR STATE.

WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ON NEXT STEPS AGAINST AMNESTY AND LAWLESSNESS IN MARYLAND.

BRAD BOTWIN, DIRECTOR, HELP SAVE MARYLAND

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FAIR Applauds Gov. Brewer for Signing S.B. 1070

April 23, 2010

(Washington, D. C.) Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the nation’s leading immigration reform organization, issued the following statement in response to Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signing S.B. 1070:

“FAIR applauds Gov. Jan Brewer, Sen. Russell Pearce and other Arizona leaders for acting decisively to protect Arizonans as they cope with a crisis brought on by mass illegal immigration. Once again, Arizona is showing the rest of the nation that in the face of federal indifference to border security, state an local governments have the ability to protect their citizens and public resources.

“Faced with mounting costs, lost jobs and violent crime resulting from mass illegal immigration, Gov. Brewer has acted responsibly to protect Arizonans. In signing S.B. 1070, Gov. Brewer has responded to the will of the people and risen above the incendiary rhetoric of those who are maliciously attempting to divide Arizonans along ethnic lines.

“We hope that enactment of S.B. 1070 will result in renewed interest on the part of Washington to secure the border and enforce our laws throughout the nation. The vast majority of Americans simply want the government to enforce our laws, and Gov. Brewer and the Arizona legislature are proving it can be done.”

Was amnesty planned?

2010-04-02T16:04:00.004-04:00

Was amnesty planned?

Originally published Frederick News-Post

April 02, 2010

By Steven R. Berryman

Awash in constitutional issues for the last year, I now see the convergence of our illegal-immigration issue and the recent health care "win" by our president. Was counting on "amnesty" legislation passage in the plan all along?

Just who were the winners and losers the administration referred to? Was one a political party, and which was the American citizenry?

With both amnesty and health care legislation, the very value of citizenship is at stake, and in more than one way.

Remember that all Americans were promised that illegal immigrants would not benefit from an entitlement to Obamacare; but were the plans always to allow for rapid inclusion in the new health care paradigm?

And are newly forgiven illegal immigrants -- given such a treat -- expected to join the ranks of the political left to refill the void created by the exiting centrist Democrats, many abandoning all hope and headed to tea party protests? Surely labor unions and the "advocacy" group CASA of Maryland will be there helping with the assimilation!

And "advocacy" has provided cover for those in the U.S. illegally.
Are the negative effects of illegal immigration upon America possibly declining in a bad economy? We know the jobs issue is currently ignored; how about public safety?

Recent statistics reported on the relationship between arrestable crimes and legal status by the Center for Immigration Study (www.CIS.org) say so, according to Director Mark Krikorian, and continue to show a worsening trend.

Further, a recent look by The Washington Examiner backs up the correlation between incarcerated illegals and serious crimes highlighted in "Illegals increasingly charged in violent crimes" from March 28 that "Nearly half of the criminal charges filed against the 274 inmates who were being held during the last week of February on ICE warrants in Fairfax, Alexandria and D.C. jails related to violence, drugs and gang participation."...

....ctd http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/opinion/display_columnist.htm?StoryID=103190 for the rest!

srbmgr@comcast.net

An argument to be made about immigrant babies and citizenship

2010-03-28T14:46:00.002-04:00

An argument to be made about immigrant babies and citizenship

By George F. Will

Sunday, March 28, 2010; A15 The Washington Post

A simple reform would drain some scalding steam from immigration arguments that may soon again be at a roiling boil. It would bring the interpretation of the 14th Amendment into conformity with what the authors of its text intended, and with common sense, thereby removing an incentive for illegal immigration.

To end the practice of "birthright citizenship," all that is required is to correct the misinterpretation of that amendment's first sentence: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside." From these words has flowed the practice of conferring citizenship on children born here to illegal immigrants.

A parent from a poor country, writes professor Lino Graglia of the University of Texas law school, "can hardly do more for a child than make him or her an American citizen, entitled to all the advantages of the American welfare state." Therefore, "It is difficult to imagine a more irrational and self-defeating legal system than one which makes unauthorized entry into this country a criminal offense and simultaneously provides perhaps the greatest possible inducement to illegal entry."

Writing in the Texas Review of Law and Politics, Graglia says this irrationality is rooted in a misunderstanding of the phrase "subject to the jurisdiction thereof." What was this intended or understood to mean by those who wrote it in 1866 and ratified it in 1868? The authors and ratifiers could not have intended birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants because in 1868 there were and never had been any illegal immigrants because no law ever had restricted immigration.

If those who wrote and ratified the 14th Amendment had imagined laws restricting immigration -- and had anticipated huge waves of illegal immigration -- is it reasonable to presume they would have wanted to provide the reward of citizenship to the children of the violators of those laws? Surely not.

The Civil Rights Act of 1866 begins with language from which the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause is derived: "All persons born in the United States, and not subject to any foreign power, excluding Indians not taxed, are hereby declared to be citizens of the United States." (Emphasis added.)

The explicit exclusion of Indians from birthright citizenship was not repeated in the 14th Amendment because it was considered unnecessary. Although Indians were at least partially subject to U.S. jurisdiction, they owed allegiance to their tribes, not the United States. This reasoning -- divided allegiance -- applies equally to exclude the children of resident aliens, legal as well as illegal, from birthright citizenship.

Indeed, today's regulations issued by the departments of Homeland Security and Justice stipulate:

"A person born in the United States to a foreign diplomatic officer accredited to the United States, as a matter of international law, is not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. That person is not a United States citizen under the 14th Amendment."
Sen. Lyman Trumbull of Illinois was, Graglia writes, one of two "principal authors of the citizenship clauses in 1866 act and the 14th Amendment." He said that "subject to the jurisdiction of the United States" meant subject to its "complete" jurisdiction, meaning "not owing allegiance to anybody else." Hence children whose Indian parents had tribal allegiances were excluded from birthright citizenship.

Appropriately, in 1884 the Supreme Court held that children born to Indian parents were not born "subject to" U.S. jurisdiction because, among other reasons, the person so born could not change his status by his "own will without the action or assent of the United States." And "no one can become a citizen of a nation without its consent." Graglia says this decision "seemed to establish" that U.S. citizenship is "a consensual relation, requiring the consent of the United States."

So: "This would clearly settle the question of birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens. There cannot be a more total or forceful denial of consent to a person's citizenship than to make the source of that person's presence in the nation illegal."

Congress has heard testimony estimating that more than two-thirds of all births in Los Angeles public hospitals, and more than half of all births in that city, and nearly 10 percent of all births in the nation in recent years, have been to mothers who are here illegally.

Graglia seems to establish that there is no constitutional impediment to Congress ending the granting of birthright citizenship to those whose presence here is "not only without the government's consent but in violation of its law."

georgewill@washpost.com

Illegals increasingly charged in violent crimes

2010-03-28T14:36:00.002-04:00

Illegals increasingly charged in violent crimes

By: Freeman KlopottExaminer Staff WriterMarch 28, 2010

(AP file)

The illegal immigrants being held in area jails are increasingly charged with violent crimes as law enforcement agencies focus on taking murderers, rapists and gang members off the streets, according to a review by the Washington Examiner.

Nearly half of the criminal charges filed against the 274 inmates who were being held during the last week of February on Immigration and Customs Enforcement warrants in Fairfax, Alexandria and D.C. jails related to violence, drugs and gang participation.

A senior ICE official said the agency has made targeting violent criminals who are in the country illegally a priority.

"By increasing our focus on taking dangerous criminal aliens off the streets and removing them from the country, we are addressing significant security vulnerabilities," said Enrique M. Lucero, director of ICE's Washington Field Office.

Illegal immigrants have been charged in a number of high-profile crimes in the region in recent months.

» Earlier this month, six suspected illegal immigrants were accused of gang raping a 30-year-old woman they abducted from an Alexandria nightclub.

» In late February, two suspected illegal immigrants brought an 11-year-old girl to a Silver Spring apartment where they both raped her, Montgomery County police said.

» On Christmas Day, authorities say, a suspected illegal immigrant stabbed his 25-year-old roommate to death during a heated early-morning argument in Rockville.

Lucero said ICE's focus on taking violent illegal immigrants off the street is part of the agency's central mission to make the streets safer.

But some immigration advocates are concerned that efforts to catch violent criminals could end up becoming a dragnet for all illegal immigrants in the area.

Donald Kerwin, vice president of programs at the Migration Policy Institute, said, "The fear is that local police will start to go after people who appear to be immigrants for common traffic tickets, and these people will be found to be unauthorized and put in deportation proceedings without having been convicted of anything."

Kerwin said the result of the increased attention on illegal immigrants, violent and nonviolent, will be that a system already "stretched to the breaking point" will fall into ruin.
"ICE has to focus on exercising discretion," he said.

Others say focusing strictly on rounding up violent criminals doesn't go far enough.
Jon Feere, a legal policy analyst at the Center for Immigration Studies, said although applying resources to the most serious crimes is important, letting smaller offenses go unpunished has its dangers.

"Law enforcement should contact ICE to make sure illegal aliens are removed from their jurisdiction at the first possible opportunity," Feere said. "Unfortunately, some law enforcement agencies will not report an illegal alien to ICE until after a violent attack occurs. Public safety is harmed by such policies."

Citizen's HOTLINE & Referral opened by HSM

2010-02-12T08:19:00.003-05:00

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Help Save Maryland Newsletter

REMINDER - HSM's CITIZENS HOTLINE & REFERRAL SERVICE!

Help Save Maryland has a "Legal Help Hotline & Referral Service" for those negatively impacted by illegal immigration.

Please carefully read the following 3 paragraphs:

* Have you or someone you know been hurt or hindered because ofzoning violations related to the presence of illegal immigrants?(parking, fire safety, multi-family occupancy, declining property value,unlicensed food vending, property management and landlord-tenant issues)

* Are you a business owner or do you know of a business owner whohas been hurt or disadvantaged because you/they follow the law andrefuse to hire illegal workers and your competitors hire illegalworkers? (competitive injury/unfair competition)

* Have you or someone you know been hurt or hindered because youremployer hired illegal workers and laid you off, reduced your hours,reduced your income, or terminated your employment contract because itwas cheaper for them or "less hassle" for them to hire illegalimmigrants?

If you have information regarding the above, please contact HSM.Please e-mail HSM with your concerns or comments at bb67chev@aol.com We will get back to you ASAP. Maryland's citizens can and will fight back!

PROFOUND DISCONNECT OF US CONGRESS REPS WITH THEIR CONSTITUENTS

By Frosty Wooldridge

February 4, 2010

NewsWithViews.com

Our U.S. Congress causes most Americans of both parties intellectual trauma, emotional fits and mental anguish. Every week, 545 individuals misdirect, obfuscate, cloud, suppress, deny or avoid dealing with serious issues facing our civilization. Fact: they don't solve much, but they do perpetuate most of our problems.

You might read a compelling piece, "545 PEOPLE" by Charlie Reese that explains their profound disconnect with America, with her values, with her people and with the principles of the U.S. Constitution.

Reese said, "Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, why do we have deficits? Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, why do we have inflation and high taxes?"

Since 80 percent of the American people stand against both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, why have those wars continued for nine years at a cost of $1 trillion and incredible loss of life and misery? It's beyond the scope of rational thinking or logical reasoning. Are those 545 crazy or are we crazy to keep electing them?

Everything going wrong in America today stems from their decisions in Washington DC. Yet, like lemmings, we continue voting them back into office.
Problems they have perpetuated:

1. 20 million Americans cannot secure a job. (Source: Brian Williams, NBC)2. 35 million Americans subsist on food stamps. (Source: "One in eight Americans living on food stamps: 35 million," Huffington Post, 11/29/09)3. 13.4 million American children live in poverty. (Source: Katie Couric, NBC) 4. 20 million illegal aliens work and live in America in violation of U.S. laws.

(Source:

www.cis.org; www.numbersusa.com)5. $12 trillion national debt.6. Influx of 2.4 million legal and illegal immigrants annually. (Source: www.fairus.org; www.thesocialcontract.com)7. Annual cost of immigrants to U.S. taxpayers: $346 billion. (Source: Edwin Rubenstein Report, www.thesocialcontract.com)8. Millions suffering home foreclosures. (Source: CNN)9. $700 billion annual trade deficit.

(Source: Department of Commerce)10. Educational breakdown across the country with as high as 76 percent dropout rates in major cities like Detroit, Michigan. (Source: Time Magazine, "Tragedy of Detroit")

The list grows; it doesn't diminish. It expands; it gets worse. The problems mount; but the Congress fiddles.

LET US UNDERSTAND AN EXAMPLE OF AN INDIVIDUAL CONGRESSMAN
You may think that writing or calling your Congress critter would bring solutions, rational decision making, and use of common sense for the common good. You would be wrong. You will receive a form letter.

I wrote my Congressman Mike Coffman and two senators Mike Bennet and Mark Udall in Colorado.

I mentioned that we needed to change the annual 1.2 million legal immigrants down to 100,000 a year, which worked from 1924 to 1964, in order to allow our civilization to become stable and sustainable. We do not need to add another 100 million people to this country within 25 years, most of it via immigration. Straight forward common sense!

Coffman wrote back, "I do not believe it is in the best interests to limit legal immigration to 100,000 individuals annually."

"According to a study from the nation's largest food bank operator, the number of Americans in need of food aid has jumped 46 percent in three years, including a 50 percent jump in the number of children needing food assistance, and a 64 percent increase in hunger in senior citizens' homes," said Daniel Tencer, journalist at

www.rawstory.com "The study, Hunger in America 2010, found that 37 million people, or roughly one in eight US residents, received food aid in 2009. That's a 46 percent jump from a similar survey carried out in 2006."

Coffman expressed the same thinking as the Pope when he condemned Galileo for observing that the earth revolved around the sun instead of vice versa. Coffman showed (s) a complete lack of understanding that we're already drowning in too many immigrants with 20 million illegals while adding 1.2 million legal immigrants annually-yet 20 million American citizens cannot obtain a job and another 35 million live on food stamps. Then, we face horrendous environmental problems with carbon footprint, ecological footprint, water shortages, energy crisis and more. That shows a HUGE disconnect from what our citizens face.

Next, I said that we need to stop giving away H-1B and H-2B visas because over 1.1 million IT workers in the USA suffer unemployment from the insourcing, offshoring and outsourcing of American jobs.

He wrote back, "While this may lessen the amount of people in our country, it will also place America at a competitive disadvantage moving forward. For that reason, I do not support eliminating the H-1B and H 2-B Visas."

Is he nuts or what? We suffer 1.1 million unemployed Americans IT workers BECAUSE of those H-1B and H-2B visas!

He gave a bunch of other inane excuses to move on several other points, as did Udall and Bennet. I asked all of them to support International Family Planning which provides birth control for women of the world so they might bring down birthrates to two kids instead of having 10 kids that suffer starvation as do over 10 million children that die of starvation annually around the globe. Obviously, that's one of the reasons they flee to the USA for a "better life." (Source: World Health Organization)
He wrote back, "I oppose funding organizations which use taxpayer dollars to perform or fund abortions." Understand this Mr. Coffman: over 46 million desperate women choose abortions annually, as a secondary form of birth control, because they weren't given birth control through family planning organizations in the first place.

And, for those who didn't use birth control, a whopping 18 million humans die annually from starvation in overloaded countries. No thanks to the Catholic and Islamic churches!

If Coffman, Udall and Bennet along with the other 532 people walking around Washington DC would get off their fat elitist/narcissistic butts, and take action for the good of our citizens-we would see results instead of worsening drama across our country and the world.

We really need to vote out most of the incumbent members of Congress and inject new blood, new thinking and workable solutions. The current crop proves a rat's nest of incompetence, corruption and neglect of our citizens.
THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER

"Comprehensive Immigration Reform is a classic example of the cure being far worse than the disease!

Any politician who supports Comprehensive Immigration Reform is working against the security of our nation and the well being of our citizens.

Any politician who refuses to work to secure our borders and create an immigration system that has integrity is either corrupt or too dumb to keep his (her) job.

Any politician, irrespective of party affiliation who favors Comprehensive Immigration Reform should be shown the door at the next election!"

Michael Cutler

www.HelpSaveMaryland.com

E-Verify good news in Baltimore County!

2010-02-05T20:51:00.003-05:00

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Help Save Maryland Newsletter

MORE GOOD NEWS OUT OF BALTIMORE COUNTY REGARDING E-VERIFY. (http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm )

AND A WONDERFUL QUOTE OUT OF THE MARYLAND ACLU REP AJMEL QUERESHI. IF QUERSHI AND HIS BROTHERS AT THE CENTRAL AMERICAN SOLIDARITY ASSOCIATION (CASA DE MARYLAND) HAVE PROBLEMS WITH E-VERIFY, I SUGGEST HE STOP BOTHERING MARYLAND OFFICIALS & CITIZENS AND INSTEAD TAKE IT UP WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA. THE PRESIDENT SIGNED THE E-VERIFY PROGRAM INTO EFFECT FOR ALL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS LAST YEAR.

BRAD BOTWIN, HELP SAVE MARYLAND

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/bal-md.co.council02feb02,0,6958561.story

Contractors working with Baltimore County could soon be required to verify the immigration status of their employees or risk losing county business.The County Council enacted a resolution Monday, by a unanimous vote of the six members that were present. The resolution urges County Executive James T. Smith Jr. to ensure contractors vet new hires with the federal E-Verify program. The free, online system, operated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration, allows an employer to compare details from a new hire's employment eligibility form with information from more than 500 million federal records."Basically this has the teeth of a law," said John E. Beverungen, county attorney.

"But in this case, the text says 'request.' It looks like at the minimum this will start the discussion."Several area construction unions had urged officials to take the action, which they said would save their members' jobs.The resolution was drafted to "make sure we are not taking jobs away from those who should have them," said Council Chairman John Olszewski, who co-sponsored the measure with Councilman Kenneth N. Oliver.Those businesses that knowingly hire undocumented migrant workers could lose their contracts as well as the ability to bid on future work.Representatives of Casa de Maryland, an immigrants advocacy group, and the ACLU questioned the accuracy of E-Verify and asked council members to review several reports on it. "While I respect the desire to ensure the lawful ability to work in the U.S., I disagree with the means to do so," said Ajmel Quereshi, an attorney for the ACLU.

Fewer new licenses in Maryland 1-20-10

ANNAPOLIS, MD. (AP) --- The head of Maryland's Motor Vehicle Administration says there was a 20 percent reduction in the number of new driver's licenses issued in the seven months after a law took effect that requires first-time applicants to prove they are in the country legally. Motor Vehicle Administration chief John Kuo says it is too early to tell how much of a decrease stems from the new state policy, which began June 1. State lawmakers approved the change in the final hours of last year's legislative session after much debate.

PLEASE CONTRIBUTE!

Help Save Maryland is now a legal entity and has applied to the IRS for charitable status. Although donations are not tax deductible until we hear back from the IRS, we need help with our startup costs. Please mail a contribution to:

Help Save Maryland
P.O. Box 5742
Rockville, MD 20855
THANK YOU!

www.HelpSaveMaryland.com

Help Save Maryland - January Newsletter 2010

2010-01-24T19:47:00.003-05:00

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Help Save Maryland Newsletter

Help Save Maryland members were busy this week testifying in Washington County on the E-Verify Program (Jan 12) and participating with thousands of Marylanders at the Tea Party Tax Rally in Annapolis (Jan 13). Thank you all for coming out and supporting Help Save Maryland and our partner organizations. A lot more to come!

Special thanks to Jeff Werner of Washington County Citizens United and Dave Schwartz of Americans for Prosperity for their extraordinary efforts to bring citizens together to demand the end of illegal immigration and return of rational leadership and fiscal responsibility to Maryland.

Brad Botwin, Director, Help Save Maryland

01/12/2010

Washington County urged to verify eligibility of contracted workers

By HEATHER KEELS heather.keels@herald-mail.com

HAGERSTOWN - A local anti-illegal immigration advocate wants Washington County to require all of its contractors to use a free online system called E-Verify to check their employees' eligibility to work in the United States.

Jeffrey A. Werner of Hagerstown presented his request to the Washington County Commissioners Tuesday. He was accompanied by Brad Botwin, founder and director of Help Save Maryland, a citizens' organization that opposes the use of tax dollars on programs and services for illegal immigrants.

The commissioners did not respond to the request during Tuesday's meeting.
Werner cited a 2009 report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR, that estimated Maryland's illegal immigrant population at 250,000. Based on that figure, FAIR estimated that taxpayers in Maryland pay more than $1.4 billion a year, or $790 a year per household, for education, health care and incarceration of illegal immigrants.

"With budget deficits increasing from here to Annapolis, we can no longer be so generous with our limited tax dollars," Botwin read from a prepared statement at the commissioners' meeting. "A significant dent, however, can be made in our state and local budget deficits by simply enforcing the law and participating in a number of federal programs to protect citizens and jobs."

One such program, Botwin said, is E-Verify, a system operated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration.
By law, all U.S. employers must complete a Form I-9 for each employee, which involves examining employment eligibility and identity documents presented by the employee.

E-Verify strengthens that process by allowing employers to compare the information employees provide on their I-9 form to Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security records, according to the E-Verify Web site,

www.uscis.gov/e-verify.

For example, Botwin said, E-Verify could catch a fake Social Security number that might otherwise appear legitimate to an employer.
Use of E-Verify is free, and a demonstration video and training Webinars are available through the E-Verify Web site.

The federal government already requires the use of E-Verify by federal contractors.
In Maryland, attempts to institute similar requirements have been shot down in the judiciary committee, Werner said. The only county in the state that requires the use of E-Verify by contractors is Anne Arundel, he said.
The Frederick County (Md.) Commissioners plan to consider the system in February, according to published reports.

Botwin said Help Save Maryland is also asking local Chambers of Commerce to promote voluntary use of E-Verify through measures such as stickers that can be displayed in windows.

Werner and Botwin said they also supported a program by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency that trains law enforcement officers in local jurisdictions to allow them to detain, arrest and deport those without "legal presence" in their jurisdiction.

REMINDER - TRAINING EVENT MONDAY JANUARY 25 - OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO BE TRAINED TO HELP GET INTOXICATED ILLEGAL ALIENS OFF OUR STREETS

Seems like this county-funded crime reduction program could be improved by including loitering, urination in public, gang activities, etc. instead of just limiting this to "... alcohol related social issues." Why not illegal alien or MS-13 gang related social issues? Here's just another example of the opportunities the county has at it's fingertips to tackle its illegal alien problem if it only wanted to.

TRAINED HELP SAVE MARYLAND MEMBERS WILL BE KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM!! PLEASE ATTEND

Facts: Business Alliances serve as a community based umbrella organization under which local business owners' work with State, County and City governments to customize and implement comprehensive prevention, education and enforcement programs. Efforts include a Cops in Shops and Extra Eyes program, free or reduced cost server training certifications and a media campaign. Alliance initiatives have a direct impact on the neighborhood's alcohol related social issues.

Designed to help business owners who are having issues with public drunkenness in and around their business, Cops in Shops is a program where Police and alcohol inspectors posing as store employees, work inside establishments to assist business owners in preventing the sale of alcohol to intoxicated individuals and youth under the age of 21. Citizens trained by police, called "Extra Eyes," work outside the businesses. Armed with police radios, they report violations occurring in parking lots or surrounding areas.

Additional resources such as free certified alcohol awareness, server training in various languages will be available to any business with an alcohol license in the City of Gaithersburg, downtown Wheaton and Long Branch, Silver Spring. Efforts will run throughout spring of 2010.

Extra Eyes, a Montgomery County Police Department program, is training civilian volunteers to work as "extra eyes" calling in suspicious activities to local police as part of a collaborative effort to reduce alcohol
related crime.

When?

Monday, January 25, 2010
$frcm 5z00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Where?

Montgomery Co. Dept. of Liquor Control
2nd Floor Training Room
16650 Crabbs Branch Way
Rockville, MD 20855

Interested? Have questions?
Call the Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control,
Community Outreach Office at 240-777-1989 or e-mail

dlc@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Space is limited -Signup required!

LETTERS

Memo to O'Malley: Stop supporting illegals

- Washington Times

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and the General Assembly provide programs that benefit illegal aliens - and it is costing taxpayers heavily. Policies such as providing access to driver's licenses, in-state tuition discounts and health benefits and a generally welcoming attitude contribute to an inducement that encourages illegals to continue to flood into our state.

This foolish and liberal policy is costing Maryland residents more than $1.4 billion annually. The costs imposed on taxpayers during these times of economic difficulties and budget deficits become even more of a burden because programs for education, seniors and other necessary services are being cut drastically. The annual fiscal burden amounts to approximately $790 per Maryland household. This is the reason why we are being taxed to death here: because our leadership in Annapolis chooses to support more than 300,000 unwanted Illegal Immigrants in our state.
It high time we pulled the plug on this waste of taxpayer money and quit coddling and supporting illegal immigrants in this state.

AL EISNER

Silver Spring, Md.

Needless Crimes Continue in Montgomery County - Montgomery County Sentinel

It may be a New Year, but for Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett and his Police Chief Tom Manger, their old policy of not actively removing illegal alien criminals from our streets allows the murders and violence to continue unabated in 2010. I wonder how Leggett and Manger sleep at night knowing that the year-end murder in Rockville ("Police hunt for dead man's missing roommate", Sentinel, 12-31-09) and the violent carjacking in Silver Spring would not have happened had they simply allowed Montgomery County Police officers to work with federal authorities.

Most shocking was that Miguel Rodgiuez-Lainez, the alleged murderer, was in fact arrested by Manger last March for driving while intoxicated (DWI) and released with a light slap on the wrist. Leggett's dangerous policy of not contacting federal authorities for such "minor infractions" as DWI allowed Rodriguez-Lainez back on our streets. Poor Manuel Oscar Martinez paid the price with his life for Leggett's misguided views on illegal immigration, yet another example of the County's post-mortem policing policy. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents now know about the criminal illegal alien Rodriguez-Lainez.

ICE also now knows about Javier Gonzalez-Mena, a former convicted carjacker who was let back on our streets to do what he does best, carjack cars. This time he added a large knife to his flawed technique. Leggett and Manger are also not concerned about illegal alien criminals wandering our streets with knives, banning officers from contacting ICE for this "minor infraction". Seems Mr. Leggett, thinking back to his days as a young lad in Louisiana when he carried a pocketknife, is concerned that illegal aliens could get deported for creating a similar fond memory. If only Chief Manger had the moxie to tell Leggett large machetes don't fit in your pocket.

Brad Botwin
Director, Help Save Maryland

www.HelpSaveMaryland.com
Forward email

Help Save Maryland - Before Frederick's another Montgomery County

2010-01-01T11:55:00.006-05:00

[Be sure to visit our main PAGE (linked above and here) www.HelpSaveMaryland.org - as well as this blogs earlier posts!]

[Reprinted from The Tentacle of March 10, 2008]

Here is a post that has been duplicated far and wide, including Phoenix AZ, and submission to the Maryland General Assembly for consideration.

Casa de Illegals

Steven R. Berryman

Historians contend that “Nero fiddled while Rome burned.” While The Maryland General Assembly is allowing time for debate on key issues such as the protection for “Doo-Wop” singers against copyright infringement, consequential issues like the current illegal immigration disaster fall by the wayside. Do we really want to hold a nationally infamous title as a “Sanctuary State?”

Recent photo opportunities with pro-immigration activists rule in the media. New constituencies are formed between legislators and potentially illegal voters. The elected perpetrators are from Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. The pandering to criminals is a disgrace for all to see.

Yes, by being in America without legal status, you are already a criminal by our own definition.

Why has Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley donated a new headquarters building located in Langley Park to “Casa de Maryland,” the marginally legal front group for illegal immigrants? Why do we not have senators and delegates standing in line to oppose this transfer of our money from our treasury to our detriment?

The CASA handout pamphlet to its own members actively encourages: How to protect yourself from immigration raids, and a reminder to not carry on your person papers from another country of origin. Further reading finds a recommendation to not tell police or officials anything about immigrant status when asked. Their advice is to clam-up.

CASA has a goal of assisting the evaders of our laws.

Miranda Rights are afforded to U.S. Citizens, are they not? Yes; however, a lie by omission by a non-legal status immigrant should be deemed a crime. CASA works against you if you are a legal citizen.

I am thankful that a Maryland contingent of lawmakers, including Del. Richard Weldon (3B), State Sen. David Brinkley (4), and Frederick County Commissioner Charles Jenkins, is leading the way on smart responses to the invasion.

Also, for the record, Sheriff “Chuck” Jenkins beat Prince William County, VA, to the punch on enforcing laws surrounding illegal immigrants when arrested for a crime, including a deportation hearing before a judge. Shame on the other sheriffs for taking a wait and see attitude on this program in coordination with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Grassroots groups are forming now to help concentrate attention where is justly deserved. Help Save Maryland (http://www.helpsavemaryland.com/) and its director Brad Botwin is a good example of affirmative citizen involvement. The platform and a link to the CASA pamphlet are a “must” see if you have not already. Truly shocking!

Should Maryland taxpayers allow in-state tuition rates for non-documented illegals? The consequence is that you are subsidizing them if HB1236 passes. In addition, your child will be bumped out of place in line for a borderline admission, and you pay a higher tuition as a result of supply and demand economics.

Should Maryland continue to offer a fully valid driver’s license to all comers without verifying legal status? This “gateway” ID essentially confers legitimate status when acquired. Why are we one of only seven states in this position? HB288 must be passed, as we cannot wait for the REAL ID act to be fully implemented.

Do gangs draw disproportionately from the ranks of illegal immigrants? Yes.

Why pay for health insurance if it’s free in the Emergency Room.

Who pays for that? You do, in the form of higher premiums on your medical insurance.

Have we fairly evaluated the true costs of uber-liberalism?

Walt Disney’s 1960s view “It’s a small world after all” is a pleasant remembrance of childhood past for many of us. His de-facto argument for diversity ignored the consequences of the position. We essentially build a better mousetrap, and they all came!

We cannot – as a state or country – throw away our filters and protections to save the entire world. Managed immigration is the humanitarian thing to do, but not universal no cost immigration!

What message would that send to those working hard, but within the system, seeking legitimate citizenship and/or legal status?

Is their some entitlement program saying that if you are economically downtrodden just come to America, and don’t worry about that pesky citizenship thing? A totally open immigration policy, which we have now, attracts abuse.

Don’t we want to encourage a future for our country that promotes the legal assimilation of the law-abiding? If Annapolis does not pave the way for this, then you should get involved. Hold up the mirror.

Walls don’t work. Since the Maginot Line failed in France in World War II and the Great Wall of China did not save the Ming Dynasty, I suggest we focus on what can truly protect us: our laws and the enforcement thereof.

If you are in our country without a legal status, then mi casa is NOT su casa!

___________________________________________________________________

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Montgomery County Police FOP Fight Chief Manger

2009-12-09T19:52:00.003-05:00

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Help Save Maryland Newsletter

Back in September, members of Help Save Maryland and other concerned citizens confronted Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger regarding his unannounced change in Police policy on illegal aliens. It took place during the Chief's September "Latino Liaison Meeting" where Manger likes to suck up to the illegal alien organizations.

Manger flat out denied that his Department had modified its policy for cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. A change that effectively eliminates his officers from working with ICE to get illegal alien day laborers and gang members off our streets. This was the beginning of the big lie.

When HSM members pulled out a copy of the policy change which was distributed to all his officers, Manger went into a tizzy and left the meeting, ranting that there was no policy change on his way out.

As a side note, Manger no longer hosts monthly Latino Liaison meetings because he and the taxpayer funded illegal alien support groups can't have open discussions anymore. Seems having HSM members, especially Hispanic HSM members, in the room puts a damper on their anti-citizen activities and plans.

To this day, Manger says that there is no change in policy and his officers continue to work with ICE. Manger and County Executive Leggett believe that their actions actually helps build trust between police and the illegal alien community. The Big Lie Continues.

The article below adds an interesting twist to Manger's tale. Seems the Fraternal Order of Police union is very concerned about the Chief's policy change on handling illegals and is prepared to take the county to court. The county's policy was "unconstitutional" and dangerous to the county's police officers and residents so says the union lawyer.
(Note: Our friends at Judicial Watch also sent a similar letter to Manger last month).

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks".

Lets send a message to Manger and Leggett: Time to revoke the September policy change so that police officers can rebuild trust between themselves and the citizens of Montgomery County. Time to tell the illegal alien community that they can once again "trust" to be removed from our streets and neighborhoods.

MC Police Chief Tom Manger tom.manger@montgomerycountymd.gov

County Executive Ike Leggett mhtml:%7B1051395A-5AC7-4893-B6EB-45C0F76CAD21%7Dmid://00000074/!x-usc:mailto:ocemail@montgomerycountymd.gov

County, police union in showdown over illegal-immigration policyBy: Alan Suderman Examiner Staff WriterDecember 7, 2009

Montgomery County and the Fraternal Order of Police union could be headed to court over the county police department's policy for handling illegal immigrants, according to the union's lawyer.

FOP attorney Paul Stein said the county's policy was "unconstitutional" and dangerous to the county's police officers and residents.
In a letter to County Attorney Leon Rodriguez, Stein asked for justification of the policy, which limits officers' ability to contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
Union officials have complained that the county's immigration policies are politically motivated and hamper efforts to gather information on suspected criminals.

In February, the county changed its policy so ICE would be contacted when police arrested anyone, including illegal immigrants, in a violent or handgun-related crime. The policy came in response to a string of high-profile violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants in the county.
In September, the police department sent out a memo to officers emphasizing that federal immigration authorities should not be contacted after arresting someone based on solely gang affiliation or immigration status.

The September memo also indicated that officers needed to first get approval from the department before assisting ICE agents. That memo came after an illegal immigrant, who said he was a former gang member, accused police of assaulting him and turning him over to ICE after he complained about the department.

Rodriguez told The Examiner he believed the county's policy was legal, but has not responded directly to the union. County Executive Ike Leggett and police department officials have said the policy helps foster a sense of trust between the police officers and the county's illegal immigrant population.

Stein said the union wanted to avoid a legal showdown, but if there were issues that couldn't be resolved, then "a court might have to resolve it." He said his officers felt handcuffed in doing their jobs, which include regularly communicating with other government agencies.

The policy "on its face and in application limits our police officers from communicating with ICE until some horrible or horrendous crime occurs, such as first-degree murder, multiple murders, abduction of a 16-year-old for immoral purposes, first-degree sex assault," Stein said.

Stein also pointed out that federal law prohibited the county from "restricting communication" from its officers to ICE "regarding immigration status of any individual."

asuderman@washingtonexaminer.com

Brad Botwin, Help Save Maryland www.HelpSaveMaryland.com

Costs of Illegal Immigration for Frederick County

2009-12-02T17:32:00.002-05:00

Illegal Immigration Costs Frederick County Residents $56,587,264.00 PerYearFREDERICK -

Help Save Maryland (HSM) calculates that the cost ofillegal immigration to Frederick County taxpayers will be over$56,587,264.00 next year.

This amount is the cost of public education,emergency healthcare and incarceration for illegal aliens. HSM basesits calculations on recent information provided by the MarylandDepartment of Planning and the Federation for American ImmigrationReform (FAIR).

“Our citizens should be outraged,” said Steve Berryman, the HSMcoordinator for Frederick County. “Given the difficult economicsituation many Frederick County taxpayers find themselves in, whathousehold can afford to pay $790.00 each year to support people who areliving here illegally?”

HSM’s calculations do not include the cost of other social servicesprovided by the County, like day laborer centers and non-emergencyhealth clinics. Nor do they include the value of state and county grantsand contracts paid to organizations that serve a predominantly illegalclientele, such as CASA de Maryland, Identity Inc., Catholic Charities,Centro Familia and the Latino Economic Development Corporation.

“And we didn’t even begin to try to estimate the economic losses,and pain and suffering that will be inflicted upon Frederick Countyresidents next year due to rising crime, gang violence, housing codeviolations and traffic accidents caused by illegal aliens,” said BradBotwin, Director of Help Save Maryland. “If we had, the cost would bemuch, much higher.

”Help Save Maryland is a grass-roots, multi-ethnic, non-partisancitizens’ organization opposed to the use of tax dollars on programsand services for illegal aliens in Maryland. It has members in 23counties & Baltimore City.

For more information, visit www.helpsavemaryland.com

Local Enforcement of Immigration Rules Wins Praise

2009-11-22T13:54:00.003-05:00

Local Enforcement of Immigration Rules Wins Praise

- Southern Maryland Headline News

Originally posted on: November 21, 2009

By TINA IRGANG WASHINGTON (Nov. 21, 2009) -

Enlisting local police in immigration enforcement could help prevent crimes committed by illegal immigrants, Baltimore's former Maryland Transportation Authority Police Chief Gary McLhinney, argued in a panel discussion Thursday.

McLhinney urged widespread adoption of the so-called 287(g) program, which allows specially trained local police to check the immigration status of criminal suspects and refer them to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for detention or deportation.

The remarks came on the heels of a federal lawsuit against Sheriff Chuck Jenkins in Frederick County, the only Maryland jurisdiction participating in 287(g). The suit, filed Nov. 10, alleges that two of Jenkins' deputies are guilty of racial profiling in the recent questioning and arrest of a Salvadoran woman.

Local police departments tend to disagree over when to contact ICE to check a suspect's immigration status. In Montgomery County, officers only reach out to ICE if an offender has committed a violent crime.

McLhinney, who served as Maryland Transportation Authority Police chief until 2007, said the 287(g) program constitutes a vital link between local law enforcement and the federal government.

"The folks from ICE, I needed them for resources," McLhinney said. "But they needed me in the community because I was there for 28 years and I knew the crime problems."

"For local law enforcement not to be involved in enforcing illegal immigration ties their hands," McLhinney said, and he added that the wrong message is sent when police officers are told to enforce some laws, but not others.

McLhinney comments came as part of a panel hosted by the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington think tank, and called to discuss two recent reports on immigration and crime by the center's researchers.

The first report, published Thursday, uses data obtained from the Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies to argue that immigrants have high rates of criminality.

The Department of Homeland Security data suggest, among other things, that 20 percent of federal inmates are legal or illegal immigrants, and that crime rates are higher in cities with a large influx of legal immigrants, according to Steven Camarota, the study's lead author and research director at the Center for Immigration Studies.

Camarota said he had not been able to ascertain the department's methodology in collecting the data, making it difficult to "get a clear picture" on the relationship between immigration and crime.

"We leave it in doubt; we can't really resolve it," Camarota said. The Immigration Policy Center, another Washington-based think tank, released a strongly worded statement Wednesday to protest the CIS study's conclusions.

The report, the center argued, "attempts to overturn a century's worth of research which has demonstrated repeatedly that immigrants are less likely than the native-born to commit violent crimes or end up behind bars ... CIS's real agenda appears to be to promote the 287(g) and Secure Communities programs."

The Secure Communities program allows local law enforcement to simultaneously check criminal records and immigration status for offenders in their custody.

The Center for Immigration Studies reported in October that the 287(g) program has been successful in identifying illegal immigrants with criminal records. That report was also discussed at Thursday's panel session.

Lead author Jessica Vaughan defended 287(g) against criticism, saying "there have been no confirmed instances of racial profiling." Vaughan called the program "very successful" and said it had been "vilified" by its opponents.

These opponents, Vaughan said, have "empowered some of the local advocacy groups who are opposed to 287(g) to bring legal challenges to some of these programs."

Vaughan cited the lawsuit against Frederick County's Sheriff Jenkins as the most recent example. "These criticisms are not based on any actual experience," Vaughan said. "They're purely allegations that haven't been substantiated."

Immigrant advocacy group CASA de Maryland, which filed the suit in conjunction with another group, disagrees with Vaughan's assessment.

"We stand firmly by the facts alleged in the complaint and look forward to our day in court," said CASA de Maryland staff attorney Sebastian Amar.

Capital News Service contributed to this report.

Anti-illegal-immigration group draws controversy

2009-11-01T21:46:00.003-05:00

"Buoyed by conservative support and undaunted by criticism, Botwin says his group is gearing up for the immigration reform debate."There's an old saying from Mahatma Gandhi -- first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win," Botwin said. "Now they're fighting us." --excerpted.

[This article currently gets 377 web hits after 2 days for wire-service pick up on papers and blogs!]

Anti-illegal-immigration group draws controversy

By TINA IRGANG, Capital News Service

Published 11/01/09

WASHINGTON - Brad Botwin has been called an extremist and even a Nazi.
Others say he is an asset to the discourse on illegal immigration in the state, and Botwin himself maintains he is merely a concerned citizen asking questions about how the government spends his taxes.

In just two and a half years, Help Save Maryland, the anti-illegal immigrant group Botwin founded, has grown from a small protest movement in Rockville to a statewide organization with volunteer coordinators in almost every county. The organization protests at day labor centers, attends public meetings, publishes a blog and sends out regular newsletters.

Botwin said Help Save Maryland counts roughly 2,000 members, and organizes its protests and appearances mostly by e-mail.Illegal immigration is likely to become the subject of contentious national debate in coming months, as Congress is expected to take up immigration reform after finishing the current health care reform effort.

Representatives from both parties have said reform must address illegal immigration and make sure visa quotas align with employer needs.But Botwin said his group is ready to fight reform: "Right now our position is: the system isn't broken."

Help Save Maryland was founded in response to the opening of a day labor center in Gaithersburg in 2007. Botwin said Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett built the center contrary to popular opposition."He just took it upon himself to plop it on county land without any public hearings," Botwin said. "This was an egregious act on his part and that just prompted me to start this group."

Patrick Lacefield, a spokesman for Leggett, said: "It's a free country and we understand that they think what they think, but basically our feeling is that in Montgomery County, we value our diversity, we value our immigrants."

Help Save Maryland garnered national attention this spring, when Alabama-based non-profit The Southern Poverty Law Center listed it among 'nativist extremist groups,' a category that stops short of the label 'hate group,' which the center awards to overtly racist organizations.A nativist extremist group, Southern Poverty Law Center spokeswoman Heidi Beirich said, is usually an "aggressive anti-immigration group."

"They're not necessarily groups going out and using slurs," Beirich said. "But these are organizations that don't debate policy -- they don't lobby their legislators or have what we would call a civil and democratic debate. They're people that get in the face of immigrants and confront people rather than legislators."

Botwin, who is Jewish, said he views the listing as an "anti-Semitic act against me.""We're not radicals. We are all tax-paying, working American citizens, all walks of life, every ethnic group, every nationality, we've got them," Botwin said. "We are just questioning what our elected officials are doing with our money on this issue."

One of Help Save Maryland's tax-paying members is Pree Glenn-Graves, a coordinator for Prince George's County. Glenn-Graves says she joined Help Save Maryland after her husband lost his home improvement business. She said the business failed because her husband was unable to compete with cheaper rates offered by businesses using illegal labor.

"If he was willing to do a job for $4,000, illegal immigrants would do it for $1,500."Glenn-Graves said she seeks to raise awareness of the effects of illegal immigration on Prince George's County's black community.

"None of our children are hired by McDonald's or KFC because they can pay illegals below the minimum wage," Glenn-Graves said. "Even though we're the ones paying taxes, our children aren't the ones getting jobs."

KFC spokeswoman Laurie Schalow responded, saying, "KFC's policy is to comply with all state and federal employment laws, including only hiring individuals who can verify their legal status and right to work in the United States."

McDonald's spokeswoman Danya Proud said: "As an employer, we do not knowingly hire or employ undocumented or unauthorized workers. McDonald?s USA has strict policies in place regarding hiring and employment practices -- this includes, abiding by all applicable local, state and federal employment laws."

Among Help Save Maryland's most active members is Steve Berryman, a coordinator for Frederick County. Berryman writes the group's blog and is a regular contributor to other regional blogs. He describes himself as Libertarian-leaning and a member of the "NRA Grassroots movement."Berryman said Brad Botwin asked him to become involved in the group after he had read some of his writing.

Berryman was happy to join Help Save Maryland because "my views coincide with (Botwin's) very closely."The Help Save Maryland coordinators, Berryman said, "act as a communication nexus. We will pass along information about protests or speaking opportunities on e-mail chains, which are sometimes different by region."

Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins has spoken at several events organized by Help Save Maryland. The group, Jenkins said, supports his participation in 287(g), a government program allowing local police to enforce federal immigration laws. Frederick County is the only participating jurisdiction in Maryland."Steve (Berryman) has been supportive by calling in to talk radio shows, making public comments, writing letters to the editor, things like that," Jenkins said.

Help Save Maryland also cooperates with People for Change in Prince George's County, a predominantly African-American organization that lobbies for government accountability. The group describes itself as non-partisan, but it has expressed strongly conservative positions on issues such as immigration and gay marriage.

"The black community is really picking up on the illegal immigration issue," Botwin said. "When I told some of the members of People for Change that Prince George's Community College was running a training program for illegal alien day laborers, training them to be construction workers, the report back from the crowd was: 'We don't see very many black construction workers anymore.'"

Deirda Hill, director of PGCC's marketing department, said the college checks immigration status for all students who take classes for credit. If a potential student does not seek credit, the college asks only for a local address.

Help Save Manassas, another Help Save Maryland affiliate, was an inspiration for his own group, although the two rarely coordinate their protests, Botwin said.Help Save Manassas founder Greg Letiecq is known for the frequently inflammatory statements he makes on his blog, Black Velvet Bruce Li. In a recent blog post, Letiecq referred to President Obama as "Dear Leader," a title used by North Koreans for that country's chief, Kim Jong-Il.

Help Save Maryland's ire is mostly directed at immigrant advocacy groups such as CASA de Maryland and Identity Inc., and by extension liberal Democratic politicians who support them.
Still, Candace Kattar, Identity Inc.'s executive director, said she has found members of Help Save Maryland to be courteous at public meetings they have attended."I think they have a very singular issue, which is to get rid of undocumented people," Kattar said. "So if there are discussions about any issue, the question is always whether or not the individual is undocumented."

Others have reacted more strongly to the group's often confrontational rhetoric."The general perspective of the group seems very hostile," said Bruce Adams, director of the Office of Community Partnerships in Montgomery County. "The county executive is dedicated to building the nation's most multicultural community, and so the work of this group really undermines our ability to do that."

Maryland Delegate Victor Ramirez, D-Prince George's, said he calls the group "Help Divide Maryland.""They're spreading hate and disruption," Ramirez said. "Until they become more reasonable and stop preaching division and hate, I don't see how they're adding anything to the conversation or the solution."

Delegate Ben Barnes, D-Prince George's, has written two letters opposing Help Save Maryland. In the most recent, published Oct. 8, Barnes wrote: "This type of divisive and offensive rhetoric has no place in our rich diverse community and has been used by the right wing for far too long."On the other side of the political spectrum, many conservative delegates support the group.

Delegate Susan Krebs, R-Carroll, said: "Their contribution has been to try to get the facts out about the impact of illegal immigration on schools, services, budgets and health care. Those discussions need to occur.""They've testified in favor of a number of my bills, and they're always well-prepared," said Delegate Patrick McDonough, R-Baltimore County, who has introduced several pieces of legislation to limit services to illegal immigrants. "They're a great asset, and I wish there were a lot more of them all around the state."

Buoyed by conservative support and undaunted by criticism, Botwin says his group is gearing up for the immigration reform debate."There's an old saying from Mahatma Gandhi -- first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win," Botwin said. "Now they're fighting us."

TWO OPPORTUNITIES TO LET CONGRESS KNOW THAT WE OPPOSE HEALTH CARE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS!!!

US SENATE - I want to invite you to join Senator Barbara Mikulski for a special statewide conference call Monday, November 2nd.Senator Mikulski will discuss health reform legislation as new momentum surges in support behind reform. Get the latest updates on where the legislation stands, what it contains, and where we go from here.RSVP to the call now -- when you sign up at the link provided, you'll be sent a call-in number and passcode to join the call. Here are the details:

What: Conference Call about Health Reformwith Senator Barbara MikulskiWhen: Monday, November 2nd3:00-3:30 p.m. EasternConference call information will be sent to everyone who RSVPs

On the conference call, you'll hear about OFA's recent successes in Maryland and how you can get involved. And you'll get a special briefing from Senator Mikulski and have a chance to ask her questions. http://md.barackobama.com/MikulskiCC

US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Sent: Sat, October 31, 2009 11:58:44 AMSubject: Michelle Bachman wants us to walk with her inside the capital and tell them NO WAY ON THIS HEALTH CARE OR NO VOTES FOR THEM. ALSO VETS DAY FOR ALL VETS AND FAMILIES. STARTING AT 8 AM.
Media and Patriots..

Michelle Bachman will hold a protest rally against obama care on November 5th at 12 noon on the capital steps in dc.

http://logisticsmonster.com/2009/10/30/michelle-bachman-a-call-to-storm-the-capitol-on-november-5th-2009/

Patriots,Rep Michele Bachmann, R-MN has just announced a "storm the capitol" next Thursday, November 5th at 12:00 Noon.This appears to be in conjunction with Vets For Freedom action that is occurring the same day.......see PFA homepage.Any and everyone that can make it to the US Capitol, Washington, DC to meet Rep Bachmann on the Capitol steps at 12:00 noon is desperately needed.

The goal is have hundreds or thousands show up and walk with Rep Bachman through the US Capitol advising Representatives to reject the House of Representatives Healthcare Bill.........
If the HealthCare Bill Pelosi announced on Wednesday is passed, Rep Bachmann said, "it will be the crown jewel of socialism" in America.......everyone will be forced into a single payer, government run healthcare program.......

I am personally urging, pleading, for everyone to give this request the most serious consideration....if you can possibly be in DC and meet Rep Bachmann on the US Capitol steps at 12:00 Noon, please, please do it.....

www.HelpSaveMaryland.com

Forward email

Help Save Maryland PO Box 5742 Rockville MD 20855

http://tinyurl.com/ykb9fa2

The 287(g) Program

2009-10-27T14:29:00.002-04:00

The 287(g) Program

Protecting Home Towns and Homeland

[Contact: Jessica Vaughan, (508) 346-3380, jmv@cis.org]

WASHINGTON (October 27, 2009) – The 287(g) program was created by Congress in 1996 to enhance cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. The Obama administration has imposed new rules for the 287(g) program that unduly constrain the local partners and could allow more alien scofflaws identified by local agencies to remain here. But even with these changes, based on unsubstantiated criticism from ethnic and civil liberties groups, the 287(g) program remains an effective tool in immigration law enforcement and local crime-fighting.

A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies examines in detail the 287(g) program’s history, status, and results, concluding with a number of recommendations for improvement. The report, “The 287(g) Program: Protecting Home Towns and Homeland,” by Jessica Vaughan and James R. Edwards, Jr., is based on interviews with participating local law enforcement agencies (LEAs), statistics and reports provided by local LEAs, and data provided by ICE through a FOIA request.

Among the findings:

About 1,000 officers from 67 law enforcement agencies have been trained and participate in the program. With 9 new agencies joining and a handful of agencies dropping out in 2009, the total number of participating agencies as of October 2009 is 73.

287(g) officers lodged immigration charges on more than 81,000 illegal or criminal aliens between January 2006 and November 2008, according to data provided by ICE.

In 2008, the number of 287(g) arrests (45,368) was equal to one-fifth of all criminal aliens identified by ICE in prisons and jails nationwide that year (221,085). The program has flagged a large number of known serious and/or violent offenders, as well as some low-level offenders still at the bottom of the criminal behavior escalator. Illegal aliens targeted by the program have been identified as a result of involvement in local law-breaking in addition to immigration law-breaking.

While 287(g) agencies use the authority mainly to identify and process illegal aliens who have committed additional crimes, Congress never intended the program to be limited to that use. Lawmakers intended for local agency partners to use the authority for local law enforcement priorities and according to local needs, which may or may not be the same as federal priorities.

Participating agencies credit the 287(g) program as a major factor in reduced local crime rates, smaller inmate populations, and lower criminal justice costs.

287(g) is cost-effective — much less expensive than other criminal alien identification programs such as Secure Communities and Fugitive Operations. For example, in 2008 ICE spent $219 million to remove 34,000 fugitive aliens (mostly criminals). In 2008, ICE was given $40 million for 287(g), which produced more than 45,000 arrests of aliens who were involved in state and local crimes. In Harris County, Texas, the billion-dollar ICE Secure Communities interoperability program found about 1,718 removable aliens in its first six months beginning late in 2008; meanwhile the locally paid 287(g) officers in the same jail system charged about 5,000 criminal aliens over the same time period.

287(g) is a force multiplier. In 2008, the Colorado state 287(g) unit alone made 777 immigration arrests. In that same year the entire ICE investigations office based in Denver, which covers all of Colorado and several other states, made a total of 1,594 arrests. In Maricopa County, Arizona, the local ICE detention and removal manager supervises five ICE deportation agents, who are supplemented by 64 additional locally paid county jail 287(g) officers who also identify and process criminal aliens.

The largest number of agreements have been signed for 287(g) programs in correctional institutions, such as county jails or state prisons. These programs were responsible for 91 percent of the 287(g) arrests over the period we studied.

The task force/investigative 287(g) programs provide equally important crime-fighting benefits and are a useful tool to address such illegal immigration-related crime problems as alien smuggling, drugs, street gangs, and identity theft.

The Colorado, Arizona, and Alabama 287(g) programs have boosted ICE efforts to combat alien smuggling, which has been neglected since the agency’s formation.

Notwithstanding allegations from immigrant and civil liberties advocates, there have been no confirmed instances of racial profiling, discrimination, or other abuse of authority under the 287(g) program. There is no evidence whatsoever of a “chilling effect” on crime reporting in the 287(g) jurisdictions.

The waiting list for 287(g) is long — reportedly one to three years from the time of request to join until implementation.

The biggest obstacle to improving and expanding the 287(g) program is the lack of funding for bed space to detain illegal aliens discovered by local agencies to have committed crimes. As a result, ICE currently is removing fewer than half of the criminal aliens identified under 287(g). Several states have submitted proposals to ICE to help alleviate this problem, but ICE has not acted to increase funding for bed space, even as it claims to prioritize the removal of criminal aliens.

# # #

The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent research institution that examines the impact of immigration on the United States.

Safety & Trust Needed, Not Helicopters

2009-10-27T14:21:00.003-04:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Help Save Maryland Newsletter

CITIZEN SAFETY & TRUST NEEDED, NOT HELICOPTERS

During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. - George Orwell

Despite the continued economic downturn and severe state and county budget shortfalls, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett and his Police Chief Tom Manger are making the rounds begging for a Police Aviation Unit ("Helicopters improve safety, make sense financially", Gazette, 9/23/09). It's a seemingly two-year "free lunch" as Uncle Sam provides the helicopters while confiscated drug and organized crime monies pay the fuel and maintenance costs.

But Leggett and Manger are being less than truthful with the citizens of Montgomery County regarding all aspects of their law enforcement strategy. The false bravado of helicopters being "force-multipliers to fight crime" and making police "smarter and more efficient in keeping our community safe", are just hollow promises. Recent unpublicized and unwarranted changes in Montgomery County Police policy and procedures have effectively neutered police officers in the field, jeopardizing the safety and well-being of all County citizens.

Last year, almost a dozen Montgomery County citizens were brutally murdered by illegal alien gang members and day laborers, including 14-year old honor student Tai Lam and 83-year old Holocaust survivor Lila Meizell. The public uproar was such that Leggett, Manger and Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy modified and strengthened police procedures regarding illegal aliens. A major part of the February 11, 2009 policy modification, forced in part by the actions of Help Save Maryland, Judicial Watch and other citizen organizations, was the ability of police officers to freely communicate with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding the "legal presence" of all suspects before they committed a serious criminal act. It was a positive step toward eliminating Manger's "post-mortem" police tactics and was approved by Leggett despite heavy lobbying from CASA of Maryland and other taxpayer funded illegal alien support groups.

On September 1, 2009, with the stroke of a pen and under a total media blackout, Leggett, Manger and McCarthy fully striped the rights of all police officers to communicate with ICE. This new policy ban covers all operations and discussions with ICE except in the most heinous of crimes. Equally devastating, officers can no longer routinely run the names of potential suspects though ICE's vast database of wanted illegal aliens, actions that could have saved the lives of Tai Lam, Lila Meizell and countless other crime victims (Chandra Levy for example, would be alive today had DC Police months earlier run her suspected killer's name through ICE). Helicopters won't solve the needless pain, suffering and loss inflicted on the Community because of this new lax and secretive policing policy. Montgomery County is now an official, full-fledged sanctuary for illegal alien criminals.

Most disturbing, the September 1 policy change shockingly places the Montgomery County Police in a weaker position to serve and protect citizens then prior to Leggett's highly publicized earlier February 11 modifications. We can thank the illegal alien support group Identity Inc, a sister organization of CASA of Maryland and Catholic Charities for causing Leggett, Manger and McCarthy to backtrack and abandon community safety and their professional credibility for the fool's gold of Hispanic community political support. Our three County officials cling to the delusive phantom of illegal alien amnesty as their savior from the coming community backlash over weakened law enforcement leadership and procedures.

Chief Manger and his senior officers of course denied the existence of the September 1 policy change memorandum. It was only when Help Save Maryland members waved the "non-existent document" under their collective noses at the Chief's October 17 monthly Latino Liaison meeting did the Chief's tone change. But it's too late for Leggett, McCarthy and Manger, as this poorly attempted cover up and backdoor appeasement to the illegal alien community regarding citizen safety will have consequences far beyond the secretive three page policy memo.

Chief Manger, less than three years from a needed retirement, has truly lost what little credibility he has left with Montgomery County citizens. He has sold out public safety and the fleeting memories of the near dozen citizens murdered at the hands of illegal alien criminals. Equally important, Manger has lost the trust and respect of his rank and file officers who are now helpless in getting criminal illegal alien gang members and day laborers off our streets. Relations with ICE have also been severely strained.

Leggett, McCarthy and Manger are mere pawns of the Hispanic illegal alien community and their taxpayer funded support groups. As the ramifications of the September 1 policy memo continue to unfold and become public, all three gentlemen may be looking for a helicopter ride out of town.

Brad Botwin, DirectorHelp Save Maryland

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett ocemail@montgomerycountymd.gov

Montgomery County Council county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov

www.HelpSaveMaryland.com

Proposal would count illegal immigrants

2009-10-22T13:26:00.002-04:00

Proposal would count illegal immigrants

Originally published October 22, 2009

The Frederick News-Post [photo is Charles Jenkins]

By Nicholas C. Stern

The contentious subject of illegal immigration and how to tackle its effects on a local level has not stayed for long off the minds of county commissioners.

On Tuesday, Commissioners Charles Jenkins and John L. Thompson Jr. and Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins introduced a plan to force the FrederickCounty Board of Education to provide commissioners with a count of students whose legal presence in the country cannot be reasonably determined.
The plan was among several under consideration to be introduced in the county's 2010 state legislative package.

If approved by the full board of commissioners next week, the proposal will go to the county delegation of state lawmakers for approval.
Successful proposals will be introduced in the Maryland General Assembly during the 90-day regular session that convenes in January.

In October 2008, county commissioners voted to ask whether a local school system could collect data "to support the proposition that a student is lawfully present in the United States."

In March, the state board of education ruled in part that unless the school system has a valid reason, officials cannot seek immigration status of students.

Commissioner Jenkins said the school system receives more than half the county's budget and so is an important area to understand the cost of undocumented students.

"We've got to start somewhere," he said.

Jenkins said he did not think collecting the information would be a burden on school officials, or an unfunded mandate.

"Until we stop making this an attractive place where everybody who gets rewarded for breaking into our country É it starts at the local level," he said.

Gary Brennan, president of the Frederick County Teachers Association, spoke out against the proposal at the commissioners' meeting.

"In effect, this proposal would force the Board of Education into an administrative role for which it is entirely unequipped," he said.

Brennan thinks federal agencies designed and trained to determine immigration status should be the ones to do so.

"This is a poorly developed and unfunded mandate that will provide data with no clear benefit or application," he said.

He also said the proposal could have a chilling effect on some students and families who may become concerned about attending school.

"Public schools have a legal and moral obligation to educate any students who come through their doors," he said.

Thompson said that, for the most part, the proposal would not ask students or their parents for more information than the school system already does.
The idea, he said, is not to determine who is in the country legally or illegally, who is a citizen and who is not.

The proposal has nothing to do with who gets educated or not, he said.
Instead, the plan is to get a rough count of people whose legal presence can't reasonably be determined, and then to give the number to federal officials.

"The more opposition I hear from people, the more concern I have that the number's a lot higher than we think," he said.

Frederick County delegation Chairman Paul Stull said it was too early in the process to determine how the delegation may vote on such a proposal.

He said he has been approached by some citizens who expressed their concerns about how many tax dollars are going to educate illegal immigrants.

Staff writer Meg Tully contributed to this article.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[my commentary on this subject is: http://thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=2730 still valid today!

--Steve Berryman. ]

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Sheriff Jenkins on Immigration Reform

2009-10-11T19:59:00.005-04:00

Sheriff: Immigration detention

reform wouldn't change local program

Originally published October 11, 2009 Frederick News-Post

by Nicholas C. Stern

Photo by Staff file photo

Sheriff Chuck Jenkins:

Plans by federal immigration authorities to reform an expanding, multibillion-dollar detention system will probably not affect a local contract regarding the housing of immigration detainees, Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins said.

National plans include cutting costs, providing detention alternatives for nonviolent violators who are not a high flight risk, improving medical care and hiring more personnel to oversee facilities, among other initiatives announced last week by federal officials.

The local contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as an Inter-Governmental Service Agreement, started at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center in July 2007.

From its inception through 2008, about 1,850 immigration detainees have been housed under the agreement at the county jail. The jail has been reimbursed more than $2.5 million from the federal government for holding the detainees.

About 30 percent of those housed under the agreement are arrested by local law enforcement agencies, then have their immigration status checked as part of a separate program that allows trained sheriff's deputies to enforce federal immigration laws.

That program is known as a 287(g) agreement.

Jenkins said he hasn't seen concrete plans by federal authorities about new initiatives for detaining illegal immigrants.

"We run this thing the way it's supposed to be run, and haven't received any criticism from the Department of Homeland Security," he said.

Reformed system

The ICE budget for jailing detainees was about $2.6 billion in fiscal 2009, according to a review of ICE's detention system published Tuesday by Dora Schriro, former director of detention policy for the Department of Homeland Security.

In fiscal 2008, ICE detained 378,582 illegal immigrants, more than any other detention system in the nation, the report stated.

Currently, federal, state and local police hand over about 60 percent of the unauthorized immigrants ICE further detains through its Criminal Alien and 287(g) programs, the report stated.

In fiscal 2009, about 41 percent of the average daily Criminal Alien Program detainees, and 57 percent of the initial book-ins, did not have criminal convictions.
During the same time frame, about 53 percent of the average daily population of 287(g) detainees and 65 percent of initial book-ins did not have criminal convictions, the report stated.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Assistant Secretary John Morton announced in a statement Tuesday that ICE will work to identify suitable candidates for alternative detention.
This process can reduce costs and speed up judgments in immigration cases, the press release stated.

Alternative facilities could include converted hotels, nursing homes and other residential facilities, the officials said.
Within six months, ICE will create a medical classification system to monitor immigration detainees' physical and mental condition while in detention, officials said.

Jenkins said people caught up in the 287(g) program have been arrested on suspicion of committing other crimes. He didn't think an alternative detention program should apply in Frederick County.

"I don't agree with it," he said.

He also said medical treatment at the jail for immigration detainees meets state and federal standards.

Ajmel Quereshi, an attorney for the ACLU of Maryland, said the proposed changes to detention policies are a step in the right direction.

But "until the DHS issues regulations creating legally binding standards, we're just not sure that changes are really going to occur," he said.

The ACLU would like to see shorter delays for suspected illegal immigrants as they wait for their cases to be heard by a judge, and an adequate medical standards and alternatives to detention for low-risk detainees, Quereshi said.

Another ongoing ICE initiative has been to prioritize the arrest, identification and removal of illegal immigrants who have been convicted of violent crimes or major drug or sex offenses.

In July, Napolitano announced plans to standardize and create new memorandums of agreement for 287(g) participants that would reflect those priorities.
Jenkins said he has already signed a new agreement and sent it to ICE.

But the new agreement still does not create binding requirements or oversight methods to make sure local police are focusing immigration arrests on violent or dangerous offenders, Quereshi said.

There are still no requirements that localities prosecute those processed through the 287(g) for their original crimes before ICE picks them up, he said.
Moreover, the ACLU continues to be concerned about the possibility this situation may lead to racial profiling under the program.

Jenkins has repeatedly denied that Frederick County sheriff's deputies are using racial profiling.

"A lot of the MOA, in general terms, would clarify authority under the program," he said. "I don't think the changes will affect us."

Quereshi also said some of the data local agencies are supposed to collect on the program may be shielded from public scrutiny.

Other information about the program may have to be collected directly from ICE and available to the public only under federal regulations and laws, an ACLU study of the new agreements concluded.

Jenkins said he didn't think the previous agreement with ICE had allowed him to share some information with immigrant advocacy group CASA de Maryland, which sued him for access to the information.

The new agreement makes that clear, he said. "I think it's something we'll clean up."

"Prissy Attacks on Citizens of Maryland..."

2009-10-05T07:54:00.002-04:00

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Help Save Maryland Action Alert

Look who is back for another round of prissy attacks on the good citizens of Maryland. With the assistance of the Gazette Newspaper, owned by the Washington Post, it's Prince George's County's junior state delegate Ben Barnes (D-Dist 21).

Barnes is a Nancy Pelosi style, San Francisco liberal who denounces anyone who disagrees with his anti-citizen, pro-illegal alien agenda. After recently attacking the African-American group People for Change in Prince George's County, Barnes now points his hate attack at the multi-ethnic citizens of Help Save Maryland and, amazingly, ALL participants in the historic 9-12 Taxpayer March on Washington!
Looks like another bee has gotten into in Ben's stylish bonnet.

Contact Delegate Barnes and let him know that his anti-citizen, hate agenda must end.

(410) 841-3046, (301) 858-30461-800-492-7122, ext. 3046 (toll free) ben.barnes@house.state.md.us

Contact Other Key Barnes supporters in Annapolis:

Delegate Michael Busch, House Speaker, (D-Anne Arundel County) michael.busch@house.state.md.us
Delegate Joseline Pena-Melnyk (D-PG County)
joseline.pena.melnyk@house.state.md.us
Delegate Victor Ramirez (D-PG County)
victor.ramirez@house.state.md.us
Delegate Joseph Vallario (D-Calvert County)
joseph.vallario@house.state.md.us

Write a response to Barnes at the Gazette Newspaper at letters@gazette.net

Let's not let Barnes get away with his lies and misinformation.

Brad Botwin, Director, Help Save Maryland

Friday, Oct. 2, 2009 Gazette Business and Politics

Taking on Help Save Maryland

I wrote a letter to the editor of my local paper this summer taking on an anti-immigrant group, Help Save Maryland, for its message of intolerance. On its Web site, the group has created a fictional bad guy by the name of "Jose Illegal" and [its members] have pronounced themselves proud participants in one of the now infamous tea parties where we saw such disturbing, disgusting and racially charged images as our president portrayed violently as the Joker from the latest Batman.

One woman affiliated with the group (and listed on its website) even went so far as to come to Annapolis and hand out a flier with a sombrero superimposed upon the head of the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. I believed (and still believe) that as a public official I had an obligation to speak out against such ugly and blatant racially-motivated stereotyping. This type of divisive and offensive rhetoric has no place in our rich diverse community and has been used by the right wing for far too long. Now this group has attacked me by lying about my record on education.

Well, I want to set the record straight on this because nothing could be further from the truth. I am a strong supporter of teachers and education and was proud to receive the endorsement of the Maryland State Teachers Association during my last campaign. In fact, I received an "A" rating from [the teachers association] just this summer. I don't mind having an honest debate on the issues with these extremists, but I just wish that they would stick to the truth. The right wing has had a rough time doing this in the past (see for example their attacks on President Obama and his health care plan). Perhaps it is the truth that they are afraid of.

Delegate Ben Barnes, College Park

Montgomery County Council to Host Gaithersburg West/N. Potomac/ Darnestown Area Town Hall Meeting

Please attend this event. Time to tell the Montgomery County Council to end all funding for CASA of Maryland, the Latino Economic Development Corp, Identity Inc, Centro Familia, Catholic Charities and other illegal alien supporting groups. Demand Legal Presence in Maryland for all state and county services.

No more day laborer centers, college educations, non-emergency healthcare or welfare for non-citizens. Our citizens come first! Bring a sign and come prepared to challenge our current elected officials. ROCKVILLE, Md., September 29, 2009-The Montgomery County Council will continue its efforts to find out what issues most concern residents when it hosts a Town Hall Meeting for the Gaithersburg West/North Potomac/Darnestown area on Wednesday, Oct. 7. The meeting at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville will start at 8 p.m. A pre-meeting reception will begin at 7:30 p.m.This will be the second Town Hall Meeting hosted by the Council in 2009. The Council is composed of President Phil Andrews, Vice President Roger Berliner and Councilmembers Marc Elrich, Valerie Ervin, Nancy Floreen, Mike Knapp, George Leventhal, Nancy Navarro and Duchy Trachtenberg. In 2008, the Council held Town Hall Meetings in downtown Silver Spring, Clarksburg, Bethesda and Burtonsville. Most meetings have attracted more than 200 residents.The Universities at Shady Grove are located at 9630 Gudelsky Drive in Rockville. The Town Hall Meeting will be in Building No. 2.

The meeting will be taped for later broadcast on County Cable Montgomery (CCM-cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon). Susan Kenedy, a producer for the county station, will moderate the meeting.For more information about the Town Hall Meeting or about the broadcast times, call 240-777-7931.

www.HelpSaveMaryland.com

Forward email

Obama: Legalize Illegals to get them Healthcare!!

2009-09-20T12:23:00.003-04:00

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Help Save Maryland Newsletter

Based on the article below, I think its a good time to remind all HSM members to get ready for the coming battle on Amnesty. And lets not forget the on-going fight to keep illegal aliens off the proposed healthcare dole.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the National Council of La Raza ("The Race) continue to pressure Democrats at the federal and state level to push for comprehensive immigration reform. Its Amnesty pure and simple for the illegal alien criminals who continue to enter and setup shop in our country.

We all know that enforcing the law through programs like E-Verify for businesses, 287g for law enforcement, demanding "Legal Presence" for all taxpayer funded programs and services as well as cutting off funding for support groups like ACORN, La Raza and CASA of Maryland will do the job.

By creating an environment where illegal aliens are faced with no employment opportunities, no healthcare or safety nets, they will self-deport to their home countries. This humane and family-oriented process will slowly but steadily become a fiscal bonanza for the American taxpayer.

As HSM is focused on Maryland issues we recommend the following:

1 - Join the national groups NumbersUSA www.numbersusa.com AND FAIR www.fairus.org . Both do an excellent job in keeping citizens aware of daily immigration issues on the national level.

2- Subscribe to the Washington Times circulation@washingtontimes.com Like FOX TV, the Wash Times provides more balance and coverage than that other Washington paper. Less expensive too!

3- Please don't forget to donate to HSM. Please mail a contribution to:

Help Save Maryland
P.O. Box 5742
Rockville, MD 20855

4 - Don't ever think that what you do doesn't matter. Write that letter to the editor or to our worthless Maryland elected officials (federal, state and local). Pickup the phone and call them as well. Participate in meetings, rallies and town halls.

Be polite, have fun, challenge and stick it to the opposition. The historic 9-12 Taxpayer Rally in DC was a success because hundreds of thousands of Americans each made the individual decision to work together.

Keep the Faith! We will not Fail!

Brad Botwin, Director, Help Save Maryland

Originally published 04:45 a.m., September 18, 2009, updated 07:49 a.m., September 18, 2009

Obama: Legalize illegals to get them health care

Stephen Dinan (Contact)President Obama said this week that his health care plan won't cover illegal immigrants, but argued that's all the more reason to legalize them and ensure they eventually do get coverage. He also staked out a position that anyone in the country legally should be covered - a major break with the 1996 welfare reform bill, which limited most federal public assistance programs only to citizens and longtime immigrants.

"Even though I do not believe we can extend coverage to those who are here illegally, I also don't simply believe we can simply ignore the fact that our immigration system is broken," Mr. Obama said Wednesday evening in a speech to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. "That's why I strongly support making sure folks who are here legally have access to affordable, quality health insurance under this plan, just like everybody else.

Mr. Obama added, "If anything, this debate underscores the necessity of passing comprehensive immigration reform and resolving the issue of 12 million undocumented people living and working in this country once and for all."

Republicans said that amounts to an amnesty, calling it a backdoor effort to make sure current illegal immigrants get health care. "It is ironic that the president told the American people that illegal immigrants should not be covered by the health care bill, but now just days later he's talking about letting them in the back door," said Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee. "If the American people do not want to provide government health care for illegal immigrants, why would they support giving them citizenship, the highest honor America can bestow?" Mr. Smith said.

But immigrant rights groups see the speech as a signal that Mr. Obama is committed to providing health care coverage for anyone in the United States legally, regardless of their citizenship status. "It's the first time I've certainly heard, publicly, him talking more about legal immigrants," said Eric Rodriguez, vice president for research and advocacy at the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). "I think that was certainly positive progress. We were absolutely concerned about not hearing that."

On Wednesday, hours before Mr. Obama's speech, the NCLR had given the administration a public scolding, demanding that Mr. Obama needed to make "a public commitment ... to ensure that those who are here legally are covered."

A White House spokesman did not respond to questions about where the White House would make the cutoff for eligibility, and Mr. Rodriguez said he's still waiting for an answer from the administration. "We don't know where they mean to draw the line," he said. "Our biggest concern is that most people don't realize legal immigrants are currently barred from receiving health care benefits for the first five years in the country."

Under the 1996 welfare overhaul, most federal aid programs are restricted to citizens and legal immigrants who have been in the country for at least five years. Democrats have tried this year to chip away at that rule. Immigration has dogged Mr. Obama in the health care debate. Rep. Joe Wilson, South Carolina Republican, shouted, "You lie," when the president, in an address to Congress last week, said his plans wouldn't cover illegal immigrants.

Lawmakers - who got an earful from constituents back home during August - have insisted on extra checks to make sure illegal immigrants do not have access to taxpayer-funded programs. Senators have worked on language that would prevent illegal immigrants from buying insurance through a proposed insurance exchange envisioned in the health care reform package. But the NCLR said that could lead to situations where some members of a family would be covered and others, including children of illegal immigrants, wouldn't be.

Mr. Obama said legalizing illegal immigrants is a way to take the sting out of the entire issue. But Republicans said by pushing to legalize illegal immigrants, Mr. Obama is signaling that those here illegally eventually will get access to taxpayer-funded benefits. Still, the push to pass a legalization bill is beginning to gain steam, even as advocates fret that the White House is moving too slowly. On Thursday, Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, Illinois Democrat and an outspoken advocate for legalization, agreed to take leadership in writing a new, more generous bill.

"We simply cannot wait any longer for a bill that keeps our families together, protects our workers and allows a pathway to legalization for those who have earned it," Mr. Gutierrez said. "Saying immigration is a priority for this administration or this Congress is not the same as seeing tangible action, and the longer we wait, the more every single piece of legislation we debate will be obstructed by our failure to pass comprehensive reform."

ONE OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY'S "FINEST", ILLEGAL ALIEN LOVER TOM PEREZ CONTINUES HIS LONG WAIT FOR SENATE CONFIRMATION! Friday, September 18, 2009 EDITORIAL: Perez's positions give pause:

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Sometimes there is more than one good reason for a slowdown. That's the case when it comes to Thomas E. Perez, the nominee to head the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
Mr. Perez is the Maryland secretary of labor. His resume -- two graduate degrees from Harvard University and a previous staff role in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department -- looks solid on paper. But several published reports have said that Republicans have slowed Mr. Perez's nomination in protest of the Obama administration's dismissal of already-won voter-intimidation cases against agents of the New Black Panther Party. Those reports may or may not be entirely accurate. Either way, that's not the only reason to hesitate before confirming Mr. Perez.

Mr. Perez's record involves more than just his curriculum vitae. He has served as president of the board of CASA de Maryland, an immigrant-advocacy organization known for taking several rather extreme positions. For instance, CASA has fought against keeping illegal immigrants from getting state drivers' licenses. Mr. Perez himself has supported efforts to grant in-state tuition rates to undocumented immigrants. And he has been a strong proponent of giving preferential treatment to members of some races or ethnicities in admissions to schools to train health professionals.

On that latter point, Mr. Perez argued that racial preferences could be used not just for "remedial" purposes -- not just to make up for past discrimination -- but to meet other social objectives as well. Perhaps none of these positions individually is so radical as to be disqualifying. But for a division already being turned by the Obama administration into a veritable hotbed for providing legal cover for racial grievances, Mr. Perez's cornucopia of leftist positions should give senators pause. He should not be confirmed without a full and open airing of all these issues.
http://www.helpsavemaryland.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Help Save Maryland Newsletter

Help Save Maryland was interviewed by A. R. Avery, Host, Seniors Talk Radio, www.seniortalkradio.com . You can listen to the show Sunday night (tonite) at 8:05 PM on http://www.wfmd.com (stream)

Rebroadcasts can be heard at http://www.seniorstalkradio.com/Page_2.html at your convenience.
Also, you can check out some interesting blogs at the Carroll County Times and Frederick News Post, at http://www.seniorstalkradio.com/Blogs.php
Brad Botwin, Director, Help Save Maryland

From the "Front" in DC on 9/12

2009-09-12T20:38:00.002-04:00

Help Save Maryland Newsletter

What an amazing experience to be able to participate in today's Tea Party Rally in DC. The number of participants were off the charts, with hundreds of thousands of citizens from around the U.S. in attendance.

Freedom Plaza could not even begin to handle such a large crowd. The march to the Capital Building was started almost 2 hours early because of the unprecedented number of rally participants.

Kudos to Freedom Works for bringing this event together, to FOX and CNN for fully covering this historic event and to all the Americans who spent their precious time and money to come to DC to express their disgust with our elected officials in Washington.

I enjoyed meeting and talking with so many like minded citizens. A good turnout from HSM and other MD groups. HSM PG Coordinator Pree Glenn-Graves did a wonderful job during her interview with FOX Baltimore TV.
One thing is clear. Citizens united in cause and spirit can not be denied by our lawless representatives in Congress.

Healthcare and Amnesty for Illegal Aliens are TOAST. But only if we work together in the coming months to give a proper burial to both concepts. Help Save Maryland!

Brad Botwin, Director
Help Save Maryland
www.HelpSaveMaryland.com

Civil Complaint Filed Against PG Exec. Johnson

2009-09-04T07:25:00.003-04:00

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Help Save Maryland Alert

HELP SAVE MARYLAND FILES CIVIL COMPLAINT AGAINST PG COUNTY EXECUTIVE JACK JOHNSON

In December 2008, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU-MD) filed a Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request with all 24 Maryland Counties (including Baltimore City) to obtain information related to any internal or public statutes, ordnances, executive orders, policies, procedures or regulations relating to the treatment, classification or regulation of undocumented immigrants by the County government or its private citizens.

HSM was very concerned that the ACLU filing was conducted in an attempt to intimidate local governments from routinely complying with federal immigration laws, which outlaw the presence of illegal aliens in the United States and restrict the activities in which they may engage. In January 2009, HSM, with assistance from the Immigration Law Reform Institute, filed an MPIA effectively seeking copies of all the documents provided by each jurisdiction to the ACLU-MD. Twenty-three of 24 jurisdictions complied except Prince George's County.

Under the ineffective leadership of County Executive Jack Johnson, Prince George's County has become a major sanctuary for illegal aliens and their support groups, closely following Montgomery County in terms of numbers of residing illegal aliens. Johnson and the Prince George's County Council spend millions of tax dollars annually attracting and supporting illegals through day laborer centers, welfare, healthcare, housing assistance and other programs and services. The illegal aliens are a major reason for growing gang violence, overcrowded schools, bankrupt hospitals and rising citizen unemployment. Democratic Governor O'Malley and the entire Prince George's County delegation in Annapolis are also part of the problem, providing additional funds to aid and abet illegal aliens and their key support group CASA of Maryland in PG County.

PG County uses a discriminatory dual standard for immigration-related freedom of information requests and other basic access to county agency operations, based on the requestor's perceived political opinion. PG County has a lot to hide regarding its use of illegal alien front groups to provide political support. HSM would not be surprised if unlawful lobbying, electioneering and other activities involving illegal aliens and county officials is occurring.

HSM needs access to the requested documents and records in order to preempt or prepare to challenge any ACLU-MD actions against PG County, which would have adverse effects on the enforcement of immigration laws in PG County. Elected officials in PG County are not above the law.

HSM will keep you posted on the progress of our civil complaint - Help Save Maryland Research and Education Fund vs. Prince George's County!

Brad Botwin, Director, Help Save Maryland 240-447-1884

=============================================================

PG COUNTY DELEGATE BENNIE BARNES ATTACKS HSM PARTNER PEOPLE FOR CHANGE IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

In a vicious, unprovoked and seemingly racist attack on the integrity of the African -American citizens that comprise People for Change in Prince George's County, PG State Delegate Bennie Barnes highlighted why every PG citizen should join People for Change. Barnes, a flaming liberal in Annapolis known for wasting tax dollars on CASA of Maryland's anti-citizen activities as well as supporting drivers' licenses for illegal aliens and in-state tuition for those without legal presence in MD and other unnecessary programs.

He is part of the PG delegation in Annapolis that needs to be flushed from office come November 2010. Bennie even took a shot at the multi-ethnic citizen members of Help Save Maryland. Careful Bennie or your single Mom may have to wash your mouth out with soap.

Message of exclusion doesn't mix with club's work for kidsPosted 9/03/09 Laurel Leader

I saw a recent flier asking Laurel citizens to join the Friends of the Boys and Girls Club at the rally with People for Change of Prince George's and others. I am sure we are all aware of the discord that has persisted between the Laurel Boys and Girls Club and the city of Laurel. As a state official, I have appropriately stayed out of this fight. As a son of a single mother and someone who relied on recreation centers and youth programs growing up, I have made supporting youth a priority and fought successfully with my 21st District colleagues to bring state money back for the Boys and Girls Club.

But I cannot now stay silent on this most recent development. The People for Change of Prince George's is a group that many of us in the county have derided because of their anti-immigrant, anti-gay message. It is ironic that they have stolen President Obama's moniker when their ideas are so opposite of his. Indeed they have aligned themselves with such organizations as "Help Save Maryland," an extreme right wing anti-immigrant organization. In a city where immigrants are part of what makes us special, what makes us diverse and what makes us great, it is especially disappointing to see our Boys and Girls Club team up with such an organization.

People for Change has also aligned themselves with radical right wing politicians. Some of these politicians make Newt Gingrich seem liberal and are the key proponents of anti-gay and anti-immigrant legislation in Annapolis. In fact, one of the People for Change's own leading members ran for school board on a platform of banishing gay high school students to a "gay only" high school (not sure how he would accomplish this, perhaps through an inquisition?).

But really, all of this is fine, it is a free country after all and if they want to push such an agenda, as misguided as it is, it is their right. What is disturbing, however, is that an organization whose mission is supposed to be mentoring children right here in our community (and hopefully teaching them tolerance) would align themselves with such a group.

I, like many in our community, remain committed to supporting youth activities such as after-school programs, mentorship groups and recreation programs. I'm just not sure what any of that has to do with People for Change, their message of exclusion and the upcoming referendum election in Laurel.

State Del. Ben Barnesrepresents District 21, which includes Laurel

CONTACT BENNIE AND TELL HIM WHAT YOU THINK OF HIS ANTI-CITZEN VIEWS

(410) 841-3046, (301) 858-30461-800-492-7122, ext. 3046 (toll free)e-mail:

ben.barnes@house.state.md.usfax: (410) 841-3346, (301) 858-3346

www.HelpSaveMaryland.com

"Joe Legal" and "Jose Illegal" (a comparison)

2009-08-27T14:34:00.002-04:00

> Here is an example of why hiring illegal aliens is not economically productive for the United States. Try to follow along.> >

You have two families: "Joe Legal" and "Jose Illegal".

Both families have two parents, two children, and live in California.> >

Joe Legal works in construction, has a Social Security Number and makes $25.00 per hour with taxes deducted.> >

Jose Illegal also works in construction, has NO Social Security Number, and gets paid $15.00 cash "under the table".> >

Ready? Now pay attention...> >

Joe Legal: $25.00 per hour x 40 hours = $1000 .00 per week, or $52,000.00 per year. Now take 30% away for state and federal tax; Joe Legal now has $31,231.00.> >

Jose Illegal: $15.00 per hour x 40 hours = $600.00 per week, or $31,200.00 per year. Jose Illegal pays no taxes. Jose Illegal now has $31,200.00.> >

Joe Legal pays medical and dental insurance with limited coverage for his family at $600.00 per month, or $7,200.00 per year. Joe Legal now has $24,031.00.> >

Jose Illegal has full medical and dental coverage through the state and local clinics at a cost of $0.00 per year. Jose Illegal still has $31,200.00.> >

Joe Legal makes too much money and is not eligible for food stamps or welfare. Joe Legal pays $500.00 per month for food, or $6,000.00 per year. Joe Legal now has $18,031.00.> >

Jose Illegal has no documented income and is eligible for food stamps and welfare. Jose Illegal still has $31,200.00.> >

Joe Legal pays rent of $1,200.00 per month, or $14,400.00 per year. Joe Legal now has $9,631.00.> >

Jose Illegal receives a $500.00 per month federal rent subsidy. Jose Illegal pays $500.00 per month, or $6,000.00 per year. Jose Illegal still has $25,200.00.> >

Joe Legal pays $200.00 per month, or $2,400.00 for insurance. Joe Legal now has $7,231.00.> > Jose Illegal says, "We don't need no stinkin' insurance!" and still has $25,200.00.> >

Joe Legal has to make his $7,231.00 stretch to p ay utilities, gasoline, etc. > Jose Illegal has to make his $25,200.00 stretch to pay utilities, gasoline, and what he sends out of the country every month.> >

Joe Legal now works overtime on Saturdays or gets a part time job after work.> > Jose Illegal has nights and weekends off to enjoy with his family.> >

Joe Legal's and Jose Illegal's children both attend the same school. Joe Legal pays for his children's lunches while Jose Illegal's children get a government sponsored breakfast and lunch. Jose Illegal's children have an after school ESL program. Joe Legal's children go home.> >

Joe Legal and Jose Illegal both enjoy the same police and fire services, but Joe paid for them and Jose did not pay.> >

Do you get it, now? If you vote for or support any politician that supports illegal aliens You are part of the problem!> It's getting way PAST time to take a stand for America and Americans!> > > > -- >

Bill Bracco> >

"All wealth is the product of labor." > -John Locke

[OK, man.....STOP making sense!! --Berryman.]

ICE Enforcement Trends // Sheriff's "Take" on it

2009-08-18T15:01:00.003-04:00

Photo by Susan Freis Falknor

Feds: Wash. company hired undocumented workers
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h3DevbOqZibmHXCxBZNc5_mDlveAD9A4UP6O4

ICE boss says he suspended use of arrest quotas
By AMY TAXIN (AP)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i7YH6upLaKMMA47eojCQU8F1F9UAD9A4VE280

LOS ANGELES — The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Monday the agency is no longer using arrest quotas in a program aimed at tracking down immigrants who have ignored court orders to leave the country.
John Morton, assistant secretary of homeland security for ICE, told reporters that eliminating the quotas in the program was one of the changes he made since taking office this year.
Morton declined to state how widespread the use of quotas was previously or which quotas he suspended. He said the change would not affect the agency's work to find and arrest immigrants who don't heed their deportation orders.
"I just don't think that a law enforcement program should be based on a hard number that must be met at the end of the day," Morton said. "I just don't think that's a good way to go about it and so we don't have quotas anymore."
Agency records from ICE's fugitive operations program show that beginning in 2004, teams were assigned to arrest at least 125 so-called fugitive immigrants. In 2006, each team's quota was increased to 1,000 fugitive arrests.
Immigrant advocates voiced outrage at the quotas and accused agents of racial profiling to net more arrests. An internal ICE report released earlier this year showed that agents arrested two dozen Latinos at a Maryland convenience store in 2007 after their supervisor told them to boost arrests because they were behind reaching their goal.
ICE's fugitive operations teams made more than 34,000 arrests during the 2008 fiscal year, more than double the number of arrests made two years earlier.
Morton, who spoke with reporters on a two-day visit to Southern California, said the teams would increasingly focus on finding immigrants with criminal backgrounds.
Karen Tumlin, a staff attorney with the National Immigration Law Center, said a key concern has been agents' practice of arresting undocumented immigrants with no prior contact with law enforcement while out trying to track down criminals.
"Having a quota system really drove a lot of that profiling and inappropriate enforcement," Tumlin said. "It could be a positive sign. It is one of those only time will tell."
Morton also said he expects a relatively new program that lets local law enforcement check arrestees' immigration status eventually could reduce the need to train local officers to run immigration checks in jails.
The program, dubbed "Secure Communities", gives local law enforcement access to an immigration database. That way, when an arrestee's fingerprints are taken, their immigration history is checked along with their criminal background. ICE aims to finish rolling out the program nationwide in 2013.
Immigrant advocates said they worry that both Secure Communities and the jail check program can lead local police to carry out minor arrests with the intent of checking a person's immigration status.
On Monday, ICE reported that 10 people died in the agency's custody whose names were not included on its list of detainee deaths. The omission was discovered after a freedom of information request, the agency reported.
David Shapiro, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union's National Prison Project, said the failure to report detainee deaths shows a lack of accountability. The update pushes the total number of detainee deaths to 104.
"This forces us to question even further whether there are still more deaths that somehow have gone unaccounted for," Shapiro said in a statement.
In response to the omission, Morton called for a review of the agency's documents and databases.

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Sheriff Jenkins Keynotes the Maryland Thursday Meeting

--Steve Berryman. [from The Tentacle, full post below]

Last Thursday I traveled with our sheriff, Chuck Jenkins, to Sykesville for the 94th regular gathering of the politically Center-Right-Conservative Coalition known as the Maryland Thursday Meeting.

Sheriff Jenkins was the keynote speaker for this two-hour session moderated by Conservative insider Richard Falknor and hosted by Larry Helminiak, both professional level political operatives and activists.

The presentation elucidated upon our sheriff’s very successful relationship with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to project federal laws deeper into the county level.

Although Frederick County is highly successful with this program, known as 287(g), as measured by citizen response, or plaudits from peer sheriffs’ groups, the game may be changing:

Among the sheriff’s points were…

*President Obama may be undercutting these local cooperative efforts to stem the tide of crime from illegal-criminal-aliens by enacting “Secure Communities” which will spread the verification of citizenship status to the national level, but only for certain crimes; for instance, NOT for drug offenses.

To make matters worse, this new Federal program that seems like progress in the battle has the devil in the details; it may take up to four years to implement, stalling others beyond the point where a potential “amnesty” program may be granted in 2010. This potentially could justify a funding cut-off for 287(g).

*Immigrant Obstructionist group, CASA of Maryland is continuing to pursue a law suit against the Frederick Sheriff’s Department about the release of public records, some specific to the ICE that man not even be within his purview to allow.

[full column is: http://thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=3312]

Also see www.MarylandThursdayMeeting.com

* * * * * * * * *

Get off your KEESTER!! (like Blaine Says @ WFMD)

2009-08-16T14:21:00.002-04:00

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Help Save Maryland Action Alert

[get off your keester!!]

Time to get off the computer and couch. Get involved by attending the events listed
below and signing up for membership/additional information as requested.

Please go to our website and printout a copy of the newly revised Help Save Maryland
Membership Form. Sign up a friend or neighbor. Donations are always welcome.

Brad Botwin, Help Save Maryland

1- MONTGOMERY COUNTY - HEALTH CARE TOWN HALL MEETING
- TUESDAY AUG 25

Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-MD 4th)
Tuesday August 25, 6:30PM -8:00PM
Plum Gar Community Center (Gymnasium)
19561 Scenery Drive
Germantown, MD 20874

All HSM Members Should Attend. Lets get Edwards to commit to requiring legal presence
before giving anyone health care credits. Citizens first! No non-emergency health care
for illegal aliens in Maryland.

Where in Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen? No town halls for Chris?
Too busy servicing the needs of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi?
Chris what about the voting citizens of your district?

Contact Van Hollen's Office and ask where Chris is hiding.
www.vanhollen.house.gov
202-225-5341 fax 202-225-0375
301-424-3501 fax 301-424-5992

2 - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Montgomery County - Sept 8 - Chevy Chase
Hand Out Help Save Maryland flyers at an Organizing for America Event- "Listen Tour".
They can listen to our demand for no non-emergency health care for illegal aliens.
Require legal presence for health care in MD!
Contact HSM Paul Mendez for further details paul.mendez@erols.com

Time:
Tuesday, September 8 from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location:
Jane E. Lawton Community Recreation Center (Chevy Chase, MD)
4301 Willow LaneChevy Chase, MD 20815

3- FIRST EVER TAXPAYER MARCH IN DC - SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12
- SIGN UP TODAY!

Help Save Maryland is going to participate in this event.
A massive Tea Party like event near the Capital in DC. No Amnesty for Illegal Aliens.
No Tax Dollars to Attract and Support Illegal Aliens.

Please sign up for the event at www.912dc.org

Help Save Maryland will provide additional information on signs, meeting location, etc
in future emails.

4- FAIR'S HOLD THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE 2009 - September 14-16 in DC.

HSM members will be participating in this event. Sign up using the FAIR website link below.

Register below for the FAIR's Lobby Days 2009 in Washington, D.C.

This event will be held September 14th through 16th in conjunction with Hold Their Feet to the Fire.
We thank the many FAIR members and supporters who came to Washington, D.C. last year to march the halls of Congress as part of Hold Their Feet to the Fire 2008. We were able to inform Congress just how much the American people want true immigration reform - not amnesty by another name.
This year the stakes are even higher. With a battered economy, hundreds of thousands of foreclosures, and a real unemployment rate of 16 percent, the last thing that politicians should be thinking about catering to big business employers who want cheap labor at the expense of the American worker and the American taxpayer.
Now is the time for you to come to Washington and remind your Representatives that you will hold them accountable for what they do - or don't do - to get control of our borders, go after employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens, and restore integrity to our immigration system.

http://www.fairus.org/site/PageNavigator/fttf2009_registration/

5- JOIN NUMBERS USA - Help Save Maryland is focused on local immigration issues,
so its important to be part of a national group like NUMBERS USA (and FAIR) to participate
in the upcoming battle against amnesty for illegal aliens.

Go to www.Numbersusa.com and become a member today..
www.HelpSaveMaryland.com
Forward email

Senator Cardin's Healthcare TownHall info

2009-08-12T11:09:00.002-04:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Help Save Maryland Newsletter

Please welcome Edward Hunter as our new HSM coordinator for Talbot County Maryland!

REVIEW OF SENATOR CARDIN'S HEALTHCARE TOWN HALL MEETING

HSM PERSPECTIVE

Massive turnout! Huge contrast from Cardin's Largo meeting. I estimate crowd at high hundreds or more, not counting the 500 people allowed inside the hall.Anti-Obamacare outnumbered Cardin supporters at least 5-1. Probably more, since there were lots of people milling around without signs. Crowd was noisy but friendly.Rumor was that Cardin pulled some sort of stunt and called a "meeting" for his supporters in the hall at 5:00pm, so they'd already be inside when the doors opened at 7:00. Lots of people got turned away. Hundreds of HSM membership forms were handed out.

Cardin skipped around the illegal alien issue - when asked if he could look the questioner in the eye and tell him they're not included in the bill (HR 2300, the one he was talking about at that moment) herightly said, no, they're not in the bill. I've listened to the recent House hearings and amendments specifically calling for EXCLUSION of coverage for illegal alien have been voted down again and again by the majority!

Baltimore ABC affiliate (channel 2) gave the Towson Town Hall the first 3 minutes of their 11:00pm news last night. It was VERY accurate -- showed people yelling at Cardin inside the hall, and only showed anti-Obamacare signs outside. Commentary was that people are angry & Obamacare is in trouble. They also estimated the crowd as 5-1 against. This morning's DC Channel 9 news also mentioned the Towson event. Again, they only mentioned the opposition, and showed Cardin being shouted down. PERSPECTIVE OF MARYLAND DELEGATE RICK IMPALLARIA

I hope you all are enjoying your summer. As you know, I try not to bombard you with emails. But having attended Sen. Cardin's Town Hall Meeting on health care reform last night, I want to share with you my observations, especially because of the inaccurate media reports, which said that there were a "few hundred" inside listening and a "few hundred" outside.Inside the meeting there were 500 people -- the hall was filled to capacity. Outside, I and others estimated there were between 2000 and 3000 (thousand) people. The entire crowd could have been accomodated in the gymnasium across the street, and I believe this would have been better than having so many left outside in the heat.The "organized" group of anti health care reform bill protesters well outnumbered the supporters. They came disguised as ordinary people. Many made themselves appear old, and many made themselves appear young. They intentionally wore clothing that would make them not seem to be an organized group. Their most ingenious ploy was to carry home-made, rather than professionally made signs.The "unorganized" pro-Obamacare group, which numbered between 100 and 200, curiously all wore the same shirts, and somehow all managed to accidentally used the same sign shop to have their professionally printed signs made.Both groups were loud and spirited. I personally witnessed no inappropriate behavior, especially from such a large group of people.Now for what occurred at the meeting. The first speaker was a young lady who has a young child with medical disorders. While all the attendees respectfully listened to her and her family's plight, it was seen as a ploy by Sen. Cardin to jerk at people's heartstrings and to eat up time before taking questions. The good news about the young lady is that her family's medical problems were fixed -- without health care reform. Mr. Cardin then presented a slide show on the health care bill. For the most part the crowd attempted to pay attention, but as the presentation went on, it seemed clear to the majority that the information was not wholly truthful, and was seen as another attempt to burn up time before the question and answer portion.While the crowd was spirited and boisterous, their responses were directed not at Mr. Cardin personally, but at the misinformation they believed he was giving. Mr. Cardin constantly talked about things not being in the Senate bill, but my understanding is that there is no official version of a Senate bill at this time. There are at least three House versions, which Mr. Cardin danced around, not having read them, as he admitted. One question from the audience that got loud applause was "Why not support tort reform [civil lawsuits against doctors] before changing health care as we know it?" Mr. Cardin, a life-long trial lawyer, had absolutely no answer. Is it a coincidence that 80% of the elected officials in Washington are lawyers, including Barak Obama? (I wonder what this bill would look like if 80% of Congress were doctors and nurses.)Another question was, would Mr. Cardin put in and vote for an amendment requiring Congress to be on the government plan. This yes-or-no question was not answered yes or no. He said, "I'm already on a government plan." But as you and I know, Congress has the best plan anyone could have, but it is available only to Congress and high-ranking government officials.Mr. Cardin praised Medicaid and Medicare as examples of how efficiently government can run health care programs. He failed to mention that these programs are subsidized by the taxpayers and by those having private insurance, or that the government has done a horrible job of monitoring and prosecuting fraud in those systems. He avoided all questions on specifics in the bill, including questions of death counseling. He said that illegal aliens will not be eligible under this new program, but every attempt to put language in the bill to exclude illegal aliens has been blocked. He said that no additional money will be spent on abortions by the government, whereas sections of the bill clearly state otherwise.As one gentleman so eloquently stated, "Mr. Cardin, I have never heard so many mistruths and out-and-out lies being told by an elected official," and he proceeded to explain the provisions in the bill concerning pre-existing conditions. Mr. Cardin then asked the gentleman whether he would hear him out. The gentleman replied, "That would be fine, Senator, if you stop lying." Mr. Cardin finally admitted that the gentleman was much more informed on the issue than he was, and asked if the gentleman would agree to sit down with him and help him understand the issues (the very issues that Cardin was at the meeting to explain!).All in all, I don't believe that Mr. Cardin swayed anyone to his side. Having spoken to some of his supporters afterwards, they came in supporting the idea of free health care for all, not understanding the overall ramifications of Obamacare. But they left feeling that they needed to not merely support the general concept of health care, but to understand what the bill would do before supporting it.I must hand it to Mr. Cardin. He stood up to the firing squad, and was always polite and respectful to the audience. The attendees, while very spirited, did not indulge in personal attacks on Sen. Cardin or Pres. Obama, but attacked the policies they proposed. It was a wonderful exercise of free speech.

Rick ImpallariaDelegate, District 7

rick.impallaria@house.state.md.us

CONGRESSMAN STENY HOYER CALLS CITIZENS "UN-AMERICAN" FOR PROTESTING OBAMACARE!

Let's return the favor. Please contact Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer and let him know that these verbal attacks on Maryland citizens are unacceptable. Tell Steny that citizens have the right to petition our government and express dissent. It's right there in the First Amendment to the Constitution! No Healthcare for Illegal Aliens!

Brad Botwin, Help Save Maryland

Steny Hoyer (D) - Maryland 5th

www.hoyer.house.gov 202-225-4131 fax 202-225-4300301-474-0119 fax 301-474-4697

'Un-American' attacks can't derail health care debate By Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer
Americans have been waiting for nearly a century for quality, affordable health care. Health coverage for all was on the national agenda as early as 1912, thanks to Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose presidential run. Months after World War II came to an end in 1945, President Harry Truman called on Congress to guarantee all Americans the "right to adequate medical care and protection from the economic fears of sickness." From President Lyndon Johnson to President Bill Clinton, to President Obama's winning campaign on the promise of reform, there hasn't been a more debated domestic issue than the promise of affordable health care for all. (Steny Hoyer)

(Nancy Pelosi/USA TODAY)
We believe it is healthy for such a historic effort to be subject to so much scrutiny and debate. The failure of past attempts is a reminder that health insurance reform is a defining moment in our nation's history - it is well worth the time it takes to get it right. We are confident that we will get this right.

Already, three House committees have passed this critical legislation and over August, the two of us will work closely with those three committees to produce one strong piece of legislation that the House will approve in September.In the meantime, as members of Congress spend time at home during August, they are talking with their constituents about reform. The dialogue between elected representatives and constituents is at the heart of our democracy and plays an integral role in assuring that the legislation we write reflects the genuine needs and concerns of the people we represent.

However, it is now evident that an ugly campaign is underway not merely to misrepresent the health insurance reform legislation, but to disrupt public meetings and prevent members of Congress and constituents from conducting a civil dialogue. These tactics have included hanging in effigy one Democratic member of Congress in Maryland and protesters holding a sign displaying a tombstone with the name of another congressman in Texas, where protesters also shouted "Just say no!" drowning out those who wanted to hold a substantive discussion.

Let the facts be heard These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views - but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades.Health care is complex. It touches every American life. It drives our economy. People must be allowed to learn the facts.

The first fact is that health insurance reform will mean more patient choice. It will allow every American who likes his or her current plan to keep it. And it will free doctors and patients to make the health decisions that make the most sense, not the most profits for insurance companies.Reform will mean stability and peace of mind for the middle class. Never again will medical bills drive Americans into bankruptcy; never again will Americans be in danger of losing coverage if they lose their jobs or if they become sick; never again will insurance companies be allowed to deny patients coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

Lower costs, better care Reform will mean affordable coverage for all Americans. Our plan's cost-lowering measures include a public health insurance option to bring competitive pressure to bear on rapidly consolidating private insurers, research on health outcomes to better inform the decisions of patients and doctors, and electronic medical records to help doctors save money by working together. For seniors, the plan closes the notorious Medicare Part D "doughnut hole" that denies drug coverage to those with between $2,700 and $6,100 per year in prescriptions.

Reform will also mean higher-quality care by promoting preventive care so health problems can be addressed before they become crises. This, too, will save money. We'll be a much healthier country if all patients can receive regular checkups and tests, such as mammograms and diabetes exams, without paying a dime out-of-pocket.

This month, despite the disruptions, members of Congress will listen to their constituents back home and explain reform legislation. We are confident that our principles of affordable, quality health care will stand up to any and all critics.Now - with Americans strongly supporting health insurance reform, with Congress reaching consensus on a plan, and with a president who ran and won on this specific promise of change - America is closer than ever to this century-deferred goal.

This fall, at long last, we must reach it. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is speaker of the House and Steny Hoyer, D-Md., is House majority leader.

www.HelpSaveMaryland.com

The latest illegal-immigration attitudes! // More-on Medicine!

2009-08-08T13:15:00.003-04:00

"Americans Return to Tougher Immigration Stance"

WASHINGTON, D.C. --

With some U.S. lawmakers and immigration rights activists stepping up calls for the Obama administration to pursue immigration reform, Gallup finds Americans less favorable toward immigration than they were a year ago.

Half (50%) say immigration should be decreased, up from 39% last year. A third (32%) say immigration levels should be kept the same, down from 39%, and 14% say they should be increased, down from 18%.The 61% of Republicans who now say they would like to see immigration decreased is up from 46% in 2008. At the same time, the 46% of Democrats and 44% of independents who would like to see immigration decreased represent shifts in the same direction, up from the 39% and 37%, respectively, who said the same in 2008.BOTTOM LINE: Americans have returned to a tougher stance on immigration than has been evident for the past few years. Thus, as lawmakers consider when and how to pursue immigration reform, they should do so mindful that Americans of all political persuasions are generally more resistant to immigration in broad measure than they were a year ago.

SOURCE: http://www.gallup.com/poll/122057/Americans-Return-Tougher-Immigration-Stance.aspx?CSTS=alert

=================================================================

ALSO: Below is the latest from yours truly: http://www.regularfolksunited.com/index.php?tab=article_view&article_id=2081

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[from The Tentacle of August 3, 2009]

More-on Medicine!

Steven R. Berryman

Call me crazy, but I want to live longer, and into a fruitful old age. All events surrounding healthcare reform convince me of the opposite!

In the late 1970s future-world movie classic Logan’s Run, there was no issue with eldercare and Social Security expense: An indicator permanently embedded in everyone’s hand at birth began to blink red as one approached age 30.

At that point, all those coming of this age – called “Last Day” – had to attend a pseudo-religious event held in a large coliseum called “carousel” for their judgment day. Participants were levitated up into the air to a place where they could, in theory cross-over magically to some other place in their mythical culture…and live.

Or they could get zapped out of existence and disappear, in each and every attempt to win at carousel, as the system was a fraud.

The mythology of the movie kept hope alive for most participating in their domed Utopia of a world. If one “ran” away instead of participating at the end of their idea of a useful lifespan, the police of the state, called a “Sandman” shot you after you were hunted down, with a Hitler-like sense of compassion for your age.

Back to August 2009:

Congress is about to rush passage of comprehensive healthcare reform so they can recess to vacation. (Editor’s Note: The House of Representatives has already adjourned.) Solving healthcare intelligently obviously not being of large enough concern to debate the contents…

A member of Congress who shall remain unnamed was overheard commenting that under the new Obamacare health plan – ostensibly to fix costs – by adding extra funding into the Hospice Care system, we could solve both end of life expense and reduce paying out into the bankrupt Social Security plan as a side benefit!

Hospice Care offers pain reduction and facilitation of end-of-life work by those terminally ill. But under the financially-based program under consideration, the very definition of who is too sick to save, and the criteria, and what expenses are reasonable for extraordinary life-saving measures will be up to a government doctor with incentive to cut costs.

Presumably, additional funds paid into Planned Parenthood under the same Obamacare program could accomplish the same reductions in costs from the other end of the same problem!

Recently, a close family member in his mid-70s had a near death experience, and family members were advised on decisions to be prepared to “let him go” should his condition worsen.

He found his way to that decision point and, despite this advice, he was ventilated, brought back from the edge, and was functional and ambulatory with full mental function within a 45 day recovery window.

At the decision point, the doctor had been visibly unhappy with our choice to treat him instead of to “medicate.”

Under a revised Veterans Administration plan, he may have been directed to just die, his life not worth the costs.

But simply considering present issues:

Currently our family is covered under a Blue Cross group plan offered by SEARS. We have a family of five and are happy with our HMO Parkview Medical. How will Obamacare help me and my distinctly middle-American family?

We don’t know, as we have not been given any estimates of impact, and we are already satisfied. So, we must rely on logic and speculate rationally.

Under Obamacare:

Would our costs go down? NO. As others are brought into a government paid system for free, such as illegal-immigrants and the truly poor, how could they? The state of Massachusetts in their social healthcare experiment is going broke, and they are currently taking drastic measures to stop the money-bleeding by reducing coverage and liability.

Would the quality of our current care go up? NO. The only plausible ways to reduce costs significantly – making room for more insurance give-away is to reduce the numbers of procedures, and to deny care to the elderly after a certain age.

Would we get faster access to care? NO. With added layers of government control, approvals, and intervention, that would not happen. With additional free-loaders enrolled, that would not happen. Consider: Would we suddenly have more doctors?

Would access to certain types of care be denied? YES! Simply look at European Socialized medicine and its experiences. Hip or joint replacement is years away, treatment for cancers can be so long off as to be too late…any pacemaker delay could be fatal.

“The problem of healthcare in America” itself is still open for debate.

By all information at hand, we in America have the best quality of healthcare – by far – in the entire world, virtually by any measure!

Seventy percent plus surveyed are currently happy with their healthcare. So, why ruin it for everyone? I suggest a piecemeal approach to a solution.

*A small percentage of Americans are refusing to participate in medical insurance because they don’t think it’s a good deal for the money. Fine: Deal with them separately with a choice between joining-in to a current insurance plan, or paying a sin tax.

*A small percentage of Americans can afford insurance, but chooses the recreation vehicle and a week at the beach instead. Deal with them separately with a choice between joining-in to a current insurance plan, or paying a sin tax.

*A small percentage of Americans claim poverty and cannot afford medical insurance.

This group first must be purged of those free-loading the system. Unfortunately, this group uses up actual cash-costing medical services when included in programs at a rate three times higher than all the other insurance participant categories, due to lifestyle choices, nutrition, and so on.

But after filtering out the fraud, subsidizing this group of deserving folk, mostly just down on their luck, or serendipitously born into the wrong family…would be preferable to just completely upsetting and altering the very fabric of the medical system we have today.

And we know that President Barack Obama is not seriously trying to reduce the price of our healthcare as a priority, as he refuses to even touch tort-reform, as the factor bumping costs the most is easily sham-lawsuits and frivolous litigation.

Our president is in bed with the Trial Lawyer’s Association to be sure! Yet another paid-up campaign promise.

Now, take two aspirins, and call me in the morning.

srbmgr@comcast.net

Don't fall for it! [Impact of illegals & free Obamacare]

2009-07-26T09:35:00.002-04:00

Don't fall for it

Originally published in the Frederick News-Post of July 26, 2009

I grieve when I read articles that use statistics with no backup favoring single-payer health insurance sponsored by the federal government. The statistical numbers trend upward from even what the media claim without even providing a reference.

A letter writer used the statistic of 50 million uninsured. The number is given in order to make us gasp and demand the government take over and insure all Americans.

Roughly half of that number includes illegal aliens. Most of what is left are people who choose not to have insurance. Using false statistics like this leads people to believe that they will then receive free health insurance from the government. Perpetuating this is irresponsible in the extreme.

The president says that it will be paid for by taxing only the "rich," and most people believe him. This has never worked and never will. Even if the "rich" had all of their money taken from them, it could never approach half the cost of the president's plan. If you believe the rest of the cost will magically appear out of nothing, then maybe it is too late for this country. You, the average working citizen, could eventually expect to see half of your paycheck taken to support this.

The FNP publishes political cartoons showing how cruel and thoughtless the insurance companies are because they won't insure people for free. I beg all who read this letter to stop and think of the cost of socializing all health care. This includes not just the monetary cost but the cost to our doctors, nurses, hospitals, treatment centers and even our personal liberty.

Having the government determine who will treat you and how much treatment you can receive will never work because the government can control prices but they can never control costs. At that point, health care will be rationed, just like in England and Canada.

Getting the government out of the health care business is the solution. The more government is involved in your health care the less you will receive and the more it will cost. To understand this just look at the costs of the government's War on Poverty and then the War on Drugs and then look at how successful they've been in eradicating poverty and illegal drugs.

There are so many simple solutions to the health insurance "problem," but they involve the government getting out of the way. But the government does not want to get out the way, and that's the entire point of these crises the government creates. If you propose a market-based health insurance solution to Sens. Mikulski or Cardin you'll get laughed out of the door. They do not want to hear a solution that doesn't include them doing something, otherwise you may think you don't need them and not vote for them the next time.

Am I being cynical? No, I'm being realistic. Feminists told us to keep the government out of the bedroom, and I say while we're at it, let's keep them out of the doctor's office and out of our lives in general. More government means less individual liberty.

Jonathan Tross

writes from Frederick .

Ben Cardin Avoids, and No cover for Chief Manger

2009-07-21T07:34:00.003-04:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Help Save Maryland Newsletter

Special thanks to the many Help Save Maryland members who attended Senator Ben Cardin's town hall meeting on healthcare in Largo tonite. Senator Cardin of course never answered direct questions about why he supports providing health care coverage to illegal aliens in Maryland. Cardin's only answer - He wants to fix the "broken immigration system". That means he supports AMNESTY for illegal aliens.WARNING FOR HSM MEMBERS IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY - Hold on to your wallets!!CASA de Maryland, the taxpayer funded illegal alien support group attended the town hall and brought 12-15 people (including 2 translators).

They asked 2 questions:

1) Would healthcare reform cover "mixed families" (immigrant and non-immigrant)?

2) PG needs more community health centers.

They asked the questions in Spanish, and then the translator repeated the question. Cardin said the "broken immigration system" needs to be fixed! Cardin, like most Democratic politicians in MD supports CASA of Maryland and the illegal alien community in Prince George's County. Cardin will be having other town halls in Baltimore, Montgomery County and the Eastern Shore. Watch for further information. HSM will be there to challenge Cardin and his support for illegal aliens over the taxpaying citizens of Maryland.

Contact Senator Ben Cardin's Office and tell him Maryland citizens are his constituents, not illegal aliens. No programs or services for illegals. Legal Presence (you must be a citizen or legal immigrant) should be a requirement for all taxpayer funded programs and services in Maryland.

http://cardin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

HELP SAVE MARYLAND ATTENDS MOCO POLICE CHIEF'S LATINO LIAISON MEETING

Six members of HSM attended Montgomery County Police Chief Manger's Latino Liaison Meeting last Thursday in Rockville. The usual suspects attended for CASA of Maryland and other Latino illegal alien support groups. HSM attendance put a damper on Chief Manger's pro-illegal alien lovefest. Manger will no longer plot in private with CASA against the citizens of Maryland. Next Liaison meeting will be held in September.

James Jay Carafano: "Smart and tough" immigration enforcement fools no oneExaminer ColumnistJuly 20, 2009

In his diary, the president wrote, "Immigration bill now in conference committee. Decided we could not acceptÉbill will probably die. Too, bad, because we've lost control of our borders." The president was Ronald Reagan. The year was 1982. Four years later, he took another shot at solving the problem--and got the bill he wanted. Reagan's three-piece solution to comprehensive reform was: * a mass amnesty, * followed by serious workplace and border enforcement, * paired with effective temporary worker programs.

As it turned out, we got the amnesty--and nothing else. At the time of the '86 reforms, the illegal population was about 3 million. Now it is around 11 million. In retrospect, many of Reagan's closest advisors, including former Attorney General Edwin Meese, acknowledged it was a bad plan. And when the Bush administration offered up pretty much the same formula for comprehensive reform in 2007, Meese told them it was a bad plan. Bush paid no heed, but widespread public opposition ultimately forced Congress to reject it. Now, just two years later, we're seeing plenty of signs that the Obama administration plans to resurrect the same, failed approach yet again. But the administration has already damaged the prospects for serious reform.

Their early actions have undermined public confidence that they intend to seriously enforce workplace and immigration laws. Their efforts at "smart and tough" enforcement so far look like neither. Last week Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano was on Capitol Hill, testifying in support of a bill that would gut REAL ID, a program to set security standards for driver's licenses. REAL ID was one of the key national security recommendations from the 9-11 Commission. It would also be a powerful tool for combating unlawful presence in the U.S. Vitiating the program is neither smart nor tough.

Earlier, Napolitano announced that her department intends to rescind the 2007 Social Security No-Match Rule, a rule designed to clarify employer obligations to assure they don't knowingly hiring unauthorized aliens. As a result, the department will be doing less workplace enforcement--not more. That is unacceptable. The department also announced plans to restructure 287(g), a program that allows state and local governments to cooperate with the federal government on immigration enforcement.

Henceforth, Homeland Security will restrict the cooperative approach authorized under the program to only a handful of crimes. The great strength of the 287(g) program was that it let state and local law enforcement negotiate with the department to build mutually agreeable programs. The resulting agreements served the needs of both the federal government and local communities. Now that flexibility looks to be lost. Many communities will probably lose interest in the initiative. Instead, they will do nothing.

The department is also being criticized for pulling decision-making out of the Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection. These agencies have the experts who understand best what needs to be done on the border. Instead, policy-making is being centralized under officials with little practical border experience and a cadre that followed Napolitano from the Arizona governor's office to Washington.

Finally, the department's "outreach" has been almost all one-sided. DHS officials have consulted extensively with "open border" advocates and illegal-immigrant rights groups to address their concerns. But dialogue with other interested communities has been virtually non-existent. The department's Orwellian effort to promote its enforcement policies as "smart and tough" is likely to fool no one. And if Americans don't feel confident their government will enforce the law, they won't be interested in immigration "reform."

That is a tragedy. America needs to jump start its economy. Part of the answer is getting employers the legal work force they need, so that they can grow their businesses--which in turn will grow more jobs, the high-paying rewarding jobs Americans want.

Rather than pave the way for serious immigration reform, the department appears to be kowtowing to constituencies and playing politics--an approach that compromises both our security and our prosperity.

Examiner Columnist James Jay Carafano is a senior research fellow for national security at The Heritage Foundation (

www.heritage.org

www.HelpSaveMaryland.com

Montgomery County invaded by more GANGS

2009-07-10T08:13:00.003-04:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Help Save Maryland Action Alert

[Illegals provide support and cover for gangs!]

Another Gang related death in Montgomery County! Seven Hispanic Gang Thugs kill a 21 -year old Wheaton man. The Citizens of Maryland are again subjected to murder and assault in our neighborhoods. Are the seven alleged killers illegal aliens? Did our law enforcement officers check these thugs for "legal presence"?

Where they known to Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger and his officers from a past run-in with the law, like the 10 gang suspects now in custody for the murder of a 15 year old in Gaithersburg earlier this year? Are they receiving Maryland welfare checks like the 10 in jail were?

Were they Day Laborers who worked out of the CASA Wheaton Day Laborer Center? Or do they use a Catholic Charities Center or Identity Inc facilities? Probably too young for a loan from the Latino Economic Development Corporation, but they do fit the profile. This madness must end! We need new political leaders who work for the citizens of Maryland not the illegal alien community.

See the news below about our partners in Prince Georges County, "People for Change".

And please make a donation to Help Save Maryland!

Brad Botwin, Director
Help Save Maryland
240-447-1884

Thursday, July 9, 2009Seven charged with murder, assault in stabbing death of Wheaton man21-year-old man died of his wounds Wednesday night after alleged assault Tuesday
by Amber Parcher Staff Writer Gazette

Seven males have been charged with murder and assault in connection with the slaying of a 21-year-old Wheaton man. The man was allegedly beaten and stabbed in the head Tuesday during a fight with suspected gang members, according to Montgomery County police. Edwin Umana of the 13100 block of Bluhill Road was hospitalized Tuesday night with a life-threatening stab wound to his head and died Wednesday night. Police charged seven Montgomery County residents with first-degree murder, first-degree assault and conspiracy to commit first-degree assault.

Police believe the seven males are members of a local gang, though Umana is not believed to have any gang affiliation, police say. The slaying is being investigated as gang related, but the attack does not appear to be motivated by gang affiliation. The altercation began about 9:24 p.m. Tuesday, when Umana called out to several women who were sitting on the front porch of a home in the 13100 block of Matey Road in Wheaton, according to police. One man came out of the residence and told Umana to leave the women alone. Police believe a confrontation started when several other men came out of the residence and chased Umana to the nearby intersection of Bluhill Road and Dean Road, where they allegedly assaulted him. When 4th District police officers arrived, they found Umana unconscious with several injuries, including an apparent stab wound to his head.

As detectives investigated the incident Tuesday, they were led to a residence in the 4300 block of Ferrara Drive in Wheaton. There, police arrested Christian Salmeron, 20, and Jose A. Hernandez, 16, both of the 4300 block of Ferrara Drive in Wheaton; and Hirbin Bladimir Guerrero, 16, of the 11300 block of Schuylkill Road in Rockville. Detectives also arrested Deshaun Budd-Bey, 18, of the 12800 block of Bluhill Road in Wheaton at his residence Tuesday, and Jose Vasquez, 21, of the 4400 block of Sigsbee Road in Wheaton in his vehicle nearby.

Police believe Vasquez stabbed Umana. Police arrested the sixth suspect, Kevin Miranda, 17, of the 10800 block of Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, Wednesday evening in Germantown. They also arrested the seventh and final suspect, Anthony Racedo, 18, of the 12700 block of Bushey Drive in Silver Spring. Racedo was arrested either Wednesday night or Thursday, said Lucille Baur, Montgomery County Police spokeswoman. Police say all the males will be charged as adults and are being held without bond at the Montgomery County Detention Center. Lt. Paul Starks, a spokesman for Montgomery County Police, said police typically do not release the names of gangs. Such publicity gives them notoriety and encourages other gangs to commit acts that will be "recognized by police," he said.

Blacks breaking with Illegal Immigration in Prince George's County Politics
July 9, 7:07 PM · Andy Arnold - DC Immigration Examiner

A citizen's action committee in Prince George's County, MD, is looking for 2010 candidates and the impact of illegal aliens on our system is one of its issues. About 35 people were at a campaign planning meeting in Bowie July 9. Their goal is to sweep unresponsive Democrats from Annapolis and Upper Marlboro next year. People for Change (PFC) aims to field a slate of candidates in time for the Democratic primary.
Illegal aliens were mentioned in several of PFC's other issues as well. For example, the group would like to see responsibility in the educational system, but "special programs," such as English as a Second Language, are believed to rob the general curriculum, according to one speaker."We need a lobby group such as CASA [de Maryland, a taxpayer funded non-profit] to work for us," council candidate Juanita Miller said. Children of illegal aliens become citizens. That is a problem because the children have a right to an education, but their parents do not "contribute to the tax base.""We are importing poverty," said Bob Fireovid, leader of the county chapter of Help Save Maryland. "Ten to 20 percent of our students shouldn't be [in Prince George's schools]."
P.G. Republican Party Central Committee Chairman Mikhail Harris gave a brief report card on the county delegation. He reported neither Dels. Aisha Braveboy, James Hubbard nor Joseline Pena-Melnyk voted for drivers licenses for undocumented aliens, Harris said. The other 19 delegates did. All 22 delegates are democrats.
[For more on drives license's see click here. The Maryland Assembly General website lists Hubbard and Pena-Melnyk as co-sponsors of H.B. 387, the version of the driver's license bill that eventually passed.]
Prosecutor Joe Wright, a candidate for states attorney, warned MS 13 "is targeting middle school students. They have initiations at 11 a.m. on Wednesdays in homes where boys rape girls. They have no moral code."The gang presence is primarily in the north county and growing, he added.The community talks about crime, but local officials are fighting federal programs to check prisoner's legal status, Fireovid added. Both Prince George's and Montgomery counties reject the federal 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement to hold illegal immigrants suspected of crimes based on their legal status.

PLEASE CONTRIBUTE!

Help Save Maryland is now a legal entity and has applied to the IRS for charitable status. Although donations are not tax deductible until we hear back from the IRS, we need help with our startup costs. Please mail a contribution to:

Help Save Maryland
P.O. Box 5742
Rockville, MD 20855

www.HelpSaveMaryland.com

2009-06-26T07:16:00.001-04:00

June 19, 2009

Importing Murder to Maryland

It was the evening of January 18, 2009, and five members of the notoriously violent 18th Street gang were cruising Langley Park, MD (aka “Little Salvador”). Given the significance of the date, they were seeking one of their MS-13 rivals to hurt. Who they found was 15 year old Dennys Guzman-Saenz, waiting at a bus stop.

Posing as fellow MS-13 members, they struck up a conversation with Guzman-Saenz and whatever he told them led them to believe he was what they were looking for. They forced him into the car and drove him to a park in Gaithersburg MD, at least 20 miles away, torturing him along the way. They also called at least 5 other 18th Street members to offer them a chance to get in on the kill.

Guzman-Saenz’s body was found in a creek at Malcom King Park the next morning. He had been stabbed over 70 times.

After the murder, some of the killers went to a convenience store to buy celebratory beers. One killer is reported to have used the same knife he butchered Guzman-Saenz with to prepare a meal later that night.

To date, the Montgomery County Police Department has arrested 10 people in connection with the crime. They were picked up in Maryland, Washington DC and Worchester MA. On June 18, a grand jury handed down indictments on 6 of them, including the first-time use of a 2007 law that allows judges to sentence gang members who commit violent crimes to an additional 20 years in prison.

As horrific as this crime sounds, the details are even more disturbing.

The man believed to be the instigator of this crime is Joel Y. Ventura-Quintanilla, age 22. During questioning, he admitted he is an illegal alien who had been jailed in El Salvador for murder and gun trafficking. He broke out with some friends last August, and they headed straight to Montgomery County MD because of the county’s internationally renown sanctuary status and generous social benefits. (A person close to the case in MCPD said that some of the accused had a “welfare checks” in their pockets when arrested.) So now MCPD is on the lookout for the other Salvadoran escapees.

When it comes to criminals, Montgomery County has a “don’t ask/don’t tell” policy towards immigration status. For “minor” crimes, immigration status is not asked. For certain “violent” crimes, ICE is notified but the County claims it doesn’t know what ICE determines. When MCPD Chief Tom Manger was asked by a HSM member on May 21st whether he knew the immigration status of any of the suspects, he said he did not. This, despite the fact that Ventura-Quintanilla’s confession about being an illegal alien & Salvadoran jail escapee had already been widely reported in the media.

In fact, it has now come out that all ten of the suspects may be illegal aliens! If true, this is an astounding statistic.

Shockingly, 3 of the accused are female. Two of them, Ana Abarca (age 18) and Silvia “Crazy” Martinez (age 19), were in the car when Guzman-Saenz was kidnapped and presumably helped torture him during a trip to Gaithersburg that must have taken at least 30 minutes. The third girl present at the murder, Ana Villatoro, is a juvenile.

As gruesome as the murder was, we may not know the whole story. Chief Manger has been pressuring the media to downplay the gore, for fear that MS-13 will retaliate.

Speaking of MS-13, whether or not Guzman-Saenz was a gang member is not clear. This is important, because if he were a gang-banger, his family would not be eligible for Montgomery County’s “Victim’s Assistance Program” (including possible monetary compensation). At first, the story was that he was an “associate” but not yet “jumped in.” In fact, right after the murder, the rumor was his family was afraid to go outside because they thought Dennys had been killed by MS-13 because he would not join their gang. Then the story became that he wasn’t MS-13 himself, but had a relative who is MS-13. Now, the story is that he was not associated with MS-13. So, maybe he was MS-13 or maybe he just indulged in a little too much teenage male bragging to the wrong people.

No, we don’t know the immigration status of the Guzman-Saenz family.

Montgomery County used to be a wonderful place to live. Those who grew up here know what a pleasant and peaceful place it used to be to raise a middle-class family. But “immigrant rights” groups like CASA de Maryland and a cynical County Council beholding to its political power base of clueless lefties and impoverished immigrants have changed all that. Violent murderers from all over the world now know the welcome mat is out for them in Marialand.

Now, more than ever, Maryland is justifying its once tongue-in-cheek name of “California-on-the-Atlantic.”

Internet Sources:

Manger’s email: MCPDChief@montgomerycountymd.gov

MCPD Press Release on Guzman-Saenz murder:
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Apps/Police/News/NA_details.asp?NaID=4805

Good summary with photos:
http://gaithersblog.net/2009/05/11/mcp-suspects-arrested-in-homicide-of-dennys-guzman-saenz/

about 18th Street:
http://www.knowgangs.com/gang_resources/profiles/18th/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18th_Street_gang

May 12th Washington Post article with photos of 7 of the suspects:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/12/AR2009051201291.html

Montgomery County Victim’s Assistance Program
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/hhstmpl.asp?url=/content/hhs/vasap/whoserve.asp

Real I.D. Scuttled by Obama / DHS Sec. Napolitano

2009-06-14T12:20:00.004-04:00

Against the recommendations of the 911 Commission, Napolitano and Obama attempt to scuttle the Real I.D. program!!

[Coverage from the Washington Post here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/13/AR2009061302036.html ]

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Help Save Maryland Newsletter

On Friday, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) sent out this disturbing message regarding actions taken by House Democrats to kill amendments which would have extended the federal E-Verify Program. E-Verify is an effective federal program for screening the work authorization of new and current hires. It is being used by a growing number of employers to ensure that American jobs go to American workers.

Three Democrats - Rep. David Price, Rep Davis Obey and Rep Debbie Wasserman-Schultz worked hard to kill the amendments. Time for Help Save Maryland members to work hard by making calls to the offices of these 3 anti-American worker elected officials to let them know citizens are opposed to their actions.

See the e-mail from FAIR below. If you are not already a member of FAIR I strongly suggest you join today.

Brad Botwin, Help Save Maryland

Earlier Today, House Appropriators Rejected E-Verify Amendments; Reps. Price, Obey, and Wasserman-Schultz Spoke Against These ProvisionsEarlier this morning, the House Appropriations Committee met to write the annual Homeland Security spending bill and the annual bill that funds Congress for the coming year. At the "mark-up," the Committee rejected two E-Verify related amendments to the Homeland Security bill and another related to the Legislative Branch spending bill. E-Verify is an electronically operated system that ensures American jobs go to American workers by allowing employers to quickly check the work authorization status of their new hires.

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) - a true immigration reformer - offered an amendment to the Homeland Security bill to extend E-Verify. While that bill already contains a short, two-year reauthorization of E-Verify, Congressman Calvert knows the true value of the program and sought a longer extension of E-Verify. After Calvert spoke in support of his amendment, Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairman, Rep. David Price (D-NC), spoke against the amendment. Rep. Price urged the entire Committee to vote against the amendment. Then, the Committee Chairman, Rep. David Obey (D-WI), spoke against the amendment, as well. Obey argued that the Homeland Security spending bill shouldn't contain an E-Verify authorization at all!

Immediately following the rejection of the Calvert Amendment, another true immigration reformer - Representative Jack Kingston (R-GA) - offered an amendment to the Homeland Security bill to require companies who contract with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use E-Verify. This common sense amendment would have ensured that contractors who do business with DHS - the same agency tasked with enforcing our immigration laws - do not hire illegal aliens.

Congressman Price AGAIN spoke in opposition to the Kingston amendment, erroneously claiming that E-Verify is inaccurate and that the program would be unable to handle the expansion to DHS contractors. Even though Congressman Kingston pointed out that DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano stated last month that the program could indeed handle a large-scale expansion, and that the program has an incredible accuracy rate of 99.6%, the House Appropriations Committee still rejected the amendment!

Later in the morning, Congressman Kingston attempted to attach a similar E-Verify amendment to the Legislative Branch spending bill. This provision would have required contractors who do business with the U.S. Congress to use E-Verify. This time, Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) urged the Committee to reject the Kingston Amendment.
In speaking out against these amendments, Reps. Price, Obey, and Wasserman-Schultz effectively urged their colleagues to not only put the E-Verify program in jeopardy, but also ensure that illegal aliens can continue to work on federal contracts with DHS and the U.S. Congress!

We need you to call the following Members of Congress who spoke against E-Verify TODAY:

Rep. David Price: (202) 225-1784Rep. David Obey: (202) 225-3365Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz: (202) 225-7931

Tell these Members that they need to get their facts straight. Tell them:

14.5 million Americans are out of work and millions more are underemployed.

Americans, not illegal aliens, should be hired for any available jobs.
E-Verify is highly effective, and it works to protect American jobs!!!

Congress needs to start standing up for American workers, and not special interests!!

Also, please call Rep. Calvert and Rep. Kingston, and thank them for standing up on behalf of American Workers!

Rep. Ken Calvert: (202) 225-1986Rep. Jack Kingston: (202) 225-5831

. . . . . . . . . .FAIR is one of only 155 charitable organizations certified by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance. You can be assured that we are operating responsibly and are committed to ethical standards in our development efforts.. . . . . . . . . .For more information,visit us on the web atwww.fairus.org orcontact us by phoneat 202 328 7004. FAIR is a non-partisan, non-discriminatory non-profit organization dedicated to securing our borders, ending illegal immigration and promoting immigration levels consistent with the national interest. FAIR relies solely on the tax-deductible contributions of citizens and philanthropic foundations. Susan TullyNational Field Director(202)328-7004 25 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. Suite 330Washington D.C. 20001www.fairus.org

www.HelpSaveMaryland.com

May 09 HelpSaveMaryland Newsletter - Mixed News

2009-05-24T07:58:00.005-04:00

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Help Save Maryland Newsletter

[Mixed News this time]

National News

- Passaic, New Jersey closes its city sanctioned Day Laborer Center due to the faltering economy, poor management and a loss of city support. There may be hope for Prince George's and Montgomery Counties, and Baltimore City!

- California Counties - Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego enter into an agreement with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to screen ALL current and future jail inmates. So much for "compassionate immigrant community policing".

This news was then topped by the following :

- The Washington Post reported that the Obama Administration is expanding a Bush Administration program to screen ALL locals jails nationally for illegal aliens. This will be implemented over 4 years.

This action could seriously erode the voter base for Governor O'Malley and the entire Annapolis delegation from Prince George's and Montgomery Counties!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/18/AR2009051803172.html?hpid=topnews

==================================================================

The past 2 weeks have brought out some minor bad news in Maryland and seemingly good news nationally on the issue of illegal immigration.

Maryland News

- Nancy Navarro (Democrat and CASA of Maryland crony) won the special election for District 4 in Montgomery County. A good opportunity to break the pro-illegal alien block on the Montgomery County Council slipped through our fingers. Lets learn from this as we work state-wide to identify and publicize candidates who will work for the citizens of Maryland rather than working for those without "legal presence" in the state.

- Governor Martin O'Malley, despite the massive State budget deficit, found some taxpayer cash to create yet another Commission to "help business and community development of African immigrants who have come to Maryland". African Affairs Commission with 21 sworn in members. This is in addition to the Asian, Hispanic and Middle Eastern Immigrant Commissions already on the books. Legal Presence in Maryland is not needed to get help from these commissions!

- On the bright side, HSM members crashed the party of the Silver Spring/Casa of Maryland "Crime Prevention Summit". HSM members passed out the flyer below and attended the event. Bottom line - a poorly attended and misguided event. Can't push for lower crime and safer neighborhoods and have CASA of Maryland, the illegal alien support group at the table.

Fight Crime - Don't Import It! Every single crime committed by an illegal alien is 100% preventable and unnecessary. Montgomery County's "sanctuary" status inflicts needless pain, suffering and economic loss on its legal residents. Solving Montgomery County's illegal immigrant problem is a direct & effective way to make our community a safer place.

Crime Facts· The FBI says 80% of crime nationwide is gang-related. The violent Salvadoran gang "MS-13" is the fastest growing gang in America, and is already established in Montgomery County. Many of its members and most of its leaders are here illegally. · Since Prince William County (VA) began cracking down on illegal aliens in 2007, violent crime has plunged 36.8%. · Frederick County (MD) has taken more than 337 criminal aliens off the streets since entering into the cooperative law enforcement agreement with DHS/ICE known as 287(g) . · There are an estimated 250,000 illegal aliens in Maryland. As many as half of them live in Montgomery County. Police Chief Manger must stop playing Russian Roulette with the safety of Montgomery County Citizens. Entering into a 287(g) agreement with the Department of Homeland Security will give Montgomery County Police a crucial tool for removing violent illegal alien gang members from our community before they commit a crime.

Sample of Crimes Committed by Illegal Aliens in our Community May 08 - Julio Nelson Paredes murdered Jorge VillatoroJune 08 - Manuel Antonio Barahona murdered waiter Longyuon "Moonie" Wang.Aug. 08 - Jose Zavala murdered his brother's roommate with a metal batOct. 08 - Jose Garcia-Perlera murdered 63-year-old Mary Frances HavensteinNov. 08 - Hector Mauricio Hernandez murdered 14-year-old honor student Tai LamNov. 08 - Jose and Ramon Alvarado burned 83-year-old Lila Meizell aliveJan. 09 - 6 members of 18th Street Gang (some or all illegal aliens) murdered 15-year-old Dennys Guzman-SaenzMar. 09 - Alvin Valdez and Jose Romero murdered Henry OrtizApril 09 - Marcos Banegas raped an 8-year-old girl (Plus countless robberies, hit-and-runs, assaults and other crimes!)

JOIN HELP SAVE MARYLAND IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION Visit www.helpsavemaryland.com

Brad Botwin, Director, Help Save Maryland

www.HelpSaveMaryland.com
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MC Maryland sides with Illegals and CASA (hate group)

2009-05-15T07:09:00.002-04:00

Montgomery County Maryland Leadership sides with Illegals and CASA, a "hate group."

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Help Save Maryland Press Release

With the full knowledge and financial/in-kind support of the Montgomery County Government and County Council, Montgomery County Police and the States Attorney's Office, the "Safe Silver Spring Summit" scheduled for Saturday May 16, has turned from an open community event into a CASA of Maryland anti-citizen spectacle.

CASA of Maryland offices and phone lines, funded by Montgomery County Taxpayers are being used to register participants! Call the Summit Registration Phone Number and don't forget to Press "1" for English!
A number of leading citizen groups including Help Save Maryland, have been dropped from the Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus event due to the demands of the illegal alien support group CASA of Maryland.
This biased event is another example of the poor leadership and questionable values of Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett and the entire Montgomery County Council, where citizens are dropped from running summit workshops in taxpayer funded events but hate filled groups like CASA of Maryland can call the shots.

Members of Help Save Maryland will be present at the event to represent all Maryland Citizens and to speak out against the lawless policies and priorities of the Montgomery County Government and County Council.
CASA of Maryland is the problem not the solution.
Fight Crime - Don't Import It!!

Brad Botwin, Director, Help Save Maryland

Safe Silver Spring Summit, Saturday May 16, 2009 FACT SHEET I. Mission: The mission of Safe Silver Spring is to develop strategies, partnerships and goals to keep Silver Spring a community where people can live, work, travel, shop and play safely. The first Safe Silver Spring summit will bring together citizens, community leaders, non-profit organizations, and public officials to develop an action plan that enables communities to reduce crime and keep our neighborhoods safer. II. Location Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus 7600 Takoma Avenue Takoma Park, MD 20912 Campus Map

http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/maps/tpcamp.html III. Summit agenda - note that the morning and afternoon sessions are identical; attendees should sign up for one or the other Morning session 8:00 - 8:30 Registration 8:30 - 9:00 Overview 9:10 - 10: 40 7 simultaneous workshops 10:50 - 11:20 Workshop reports, end of morning session Lunch 11:30 - 12:15 Lunch for all participants Afternoon session 11:30- 12:00 Registration 12:25 - 12:55 Overview 1:05 - 2:35 7 simultaneous workshops 2:45 - 3:15 Workshop reports, end of afternoon session Workshop Topics 1. Making Safe and Civil Public Spaces 2. Gangs and Pack Robberies 3. Youth: Schools, Truants, and Kids Hanging Out 4. Policing, Security, Resources and Communication 5. Por qué y Cómo Comenzar una Vegilancia Communitaria (Why and How to Start a Neighborhood Watch) (Workshop will be in Spanish ) 6. Central Business District (CBD) of Silver Spring 7. Residential Neighborhoods IV. Organizations Lead sponsors: · Prezco* (Presidents' Council of Silver Spring Civic Associations) · SSCAB (Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board) · Silver Spring Regional Center Other participating organizations include:  3rd District Police  State Attorney's Office  Northwest Park Oakview Weed and Seed  Montgomery County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council  International Corridor C-Safe  MD Community Crime Prevention Institute  Downtown Silver Spring  Montgomery County Public Schools Safe and Drug Free Schools  Safe Takoma  Impact Silver Spring  CASA de Maryland  MD Office of Crime Control and Prevention  USDOJ/COPS  Office of Councilmember Valerie Ervin V. Registration procedures Advance registration is recommended by May 7th as space is limited. We prefer that attendees contact us via email at following email address:

SafeSilverSpring@gmail.com . For those without access to email, please call 301-431-4185 ext 212 When registering, attendees will need to specify morning or afternoon session, provide their first two choices as to workshop topics, and indicate if there is a need for language (e.g., Spanish, Amharic, sign) translation and other special needs, if any. We would appreciate volunteers to help us with registration, room setups, etc. Please contact us at the above email address (SafeSilverSpring@gmail.com), if able to help briefly prior to the summit or during the summit.

____________________ *Prezco neighborhoods include: East Silver Spring, Indian Spring, Linden, North Hills of Sligo Creek, North Woodside/Montgomery Hills, Park Hills, Seven Oaks-Evanswood, Sligo Branview, South Silver Spring, Woodside, Woodside Forest, and Woodside Park

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Montgomery County responsible for child Rape

2009-04-23T12:34:00.002-04:00

If Montgomery County Exec Ike Leggett and County Police Chief Thomas Manger had embraced the successful and potent 287(g) program to screen for legal immigration status at the incarceration level, this child rape story WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED! We implored and testified that they should have implemented it!! --SB.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/crime/Illegal-immigrant-charged-with-child-rape-had-been-released-a-year-earlier-after-assault-arrest-43443292.html

Illegal immigrant charged with child rape had been released a year earlier after assault arrest

By: Freeman Klopott

Examiner Staff Writer04/22/09 9:05 PM

A year before Prince William County police say he raped an 8-year-old girl, court documents show an illegal immigrant from Honduras was released by Montgomery County police after being arrested for second-degree assault.

Marcos Banegas has been on the run since Feb. 16 when Prince William County police charged him with forcible sodomy and aggravated sexual battery of a Woodbridge girl.

But before moving to Prince William where police say he cut hair at a local salon, the 26-year-old was arrested by Montgomery County police. Banegas was accused of “violently” grabbing a stroller, causing the child inside to be shaken, police said in court documents. The incident allegedly occurred while Banegas was arguing with the child’s mother near the intersection of Muddy Branch Road and West Diamond Avenue in Gaithersburg.

The charges were later dropped, and Banegas was released. Had his name been sent to federal immigration authorities, as it was in Prince William County, Banegas would have been detained for deportation hearings.

Earlier this year, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett altered the county’s long-standing policy of not sending the names of those arrested to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Pushed by a series of high-profile killings allegedly committed by illegal immigrants, Leggett said in February the county would now send to ICE the names of people accused of violent offenses.
Leggett said the county would rely on the state’s legal list of violent offenses. But second-degree assault is not included on that list, and Banegas’ name would not have been turned over to ICE under the new policy, Leggett’s spokesman Patrick Lacefield said.

“People need to be held responsible for the crimes they commit,” Lacefield said. “Reporting every single crime would be putting county police in the position of enforcing federal immigration policy,” he added, calling on the federal government to reform immigration laws.

Jon Feere, a policy analyst at the Center for Immigration Studies, said Banegas’ release “is a perfect example” of local governments failing to enforce immigration law.

“Legal residents are going to have their lives threatened by people who are in the country illegally if those people aren’t deported after having committed even the most minor of offenses,” Feere said. “Montgomery County and Maryland as a whole are slowly realizing sanctuary policies are bad policies.”

Tea Party Recap / DHS says U R N Extremist!

2009-04-17T07:18:00.002-04:00

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Help Save Maryland Newsletter

[Also, don't forget to thank CNN for their media biased coverage that
substituted aggressive editorial for hard news......CNN wants to be the NEWS! ] --SB.

Despite the rain Wednesday, there were about 2,000 citizen's in Annapolis between 9am and 2pm to protest our rising taxes and out of control government spending. It was a wonderful event filled with great speakers, Delegates Dwyer & George and Senator Greenip (that I saw), excited citizens, signs and flags. Help Save Maryland was well represented with members from Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Carroll, Harford, Prince George's, Frederick, Baltimore County and Baltimore City (that I recognized!). Other HSM members were around the state (Frederick, Chestertown, Howard County, etc ) and in DC at separate rallies!

Tom Marr of WCBM 680 Radio was kind enough to interview me live during the event and praised HSM efforts to stop in-state tuition and cutoff new licenses for illegal aliens. Marr told us we had more battles ahead of course. I did mention our partner group in Prince Georges County - People for Change. Most major media ignored the Tea Party events nation-wide as expected. More people turned out than I ever expected. A good sign for Maryland's future!

ANNAPOLIS ROUNDUP

Help Save Maryland is now 2 years old and this was our second opportunity to participate in the Annapolis Session. We started the session with a successful HSM rally on President's Day at Lawyers Mall in Annapolis and ended it with our unrelenting pressure on the legislature to end drivers licenses for illegal aliens. In between, HSM members were in attendance to testify in record numbers at hearings on in-state tuition for illegals, e-verify, drivers licenses, bond funds, etc. "Legal Presence" in Maryland was the common theme for our tax dollars and services.

This was backed by untold numbers of HSM members calling and e-mailing Delegates and Senators and of course Governor Martin "Spitzer" O'Malley. Our elected officials in Annapolis, both friend and foe, know the names and faces of Help Save Maryland and our partners groups - Citizens First and People for Change in Prince George's County. We will not back down or go away, and our numbers continue to grow. No longer will CASA of Maryland and their illegal alien clientele rule the hearing rooms and elected officials' offices in Annapolis.

-- In-State Tuition for illegal aliens - Never made it out of either the House or Senate Committees, clearly frustrating CASA and their Annapolis sponsors.

-- Drivers Licenses - The good news, come June 1, 2009 illegal aliens will no longer be able to apply for and receive a new drivers license in Maryland as they lack "Legal Presence". The not so good news, the estimated 250,000 illegal aliens with MD licenses (half no longer in MD) will get to renew and keep them until 2015. How lawless, dangerous and costly is that! As of this moment I do not know if licenses for citizens will be worthless in other states, federal builds and airplanes until all the current illegals receive a differently marked license in this costly two-tiered system. HSM is looking at options to fight this travesty of justice.

-- E-Verify - Maryland will continue to ignore the federal E-Verify program requiring lawful presence to work in the US until the feds make the program mandatory nationwide. That battle in the fall in Congress.

-- Bond Funding for the Latino Economic Development Corp (LEDC) - HSM, Citizens First and People for Change caused a drop in funding for the LEDC for $500K to $175K. That should limit the number of illegal aliens getting loans and mortgage bailouts from this questionable organization.

Thanks to all HSM members for your tireless efforts and support! Expect more positive results for HSM in the 2010 Annapolis Session and 2010 elections.

MORE HSM ACTIVITIES TO FOLLOW IN COMING WEEKS

DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY REPORT - "Right-Wing Extremism"

Please read the article by Michele Malkin and go to the link to read this report. Words can't describe this. Is the sequel going to be about La Raza, CASA of Maryland and ACORN?

Thursday, April 16, 2009 MALKIN: 'Right-wing extremism' alarmMichelle Malkin

What and who exactly are President Obama's homeland-security officials afraid of these days? If you are a member of an active conservative group that opposes abortion, favors strict immigration enforcement, lobbies to protect Second Amendment rights, protests big government, advocates federalism or represents veterans who believe in any of the above, the answer is - you.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has turned her attention away from acts of Islamic jihad on American soil (which she now refers to as "man-caused disasters"). Instead, her department is sounding the alarm over an unquantified "resurgence" in "right-wing extremism activity." On April 7, the Homeland Security Department sent a nine-page warning memo to law-enforcement offices across the country titled "Right-wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment."
The report includes a sweeping definition of the threat: "Right-wing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly anti-government, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration."
You cannot ignore the context or the timing of this Homeland Security report. It's no small coincidence that Ms. Napolitano's agency disseminated the assessment just a week before the nationwide April 15 Tax Day Tea Party protests. The grass-roots events organized by fiscal conservatives, independents, Libertarians and, yes, even some Blue Dog Democrats were fueled by the "current economic and political climate" of bipartisan profligate spending and endless taxpayer-funded bailouts.

The growing success of the loose-knit movement has invited scorn, ridicule and fear-mongering from Obama supporters. Liberal bloggers have likened the Tea Party movement to neo-Nazis, militias and even Weather Underground terrorists. These attempts to demonize the Tea Party movement come on the heels of widespread conservative-bashing over the recent shooting sprees in Pittsburgh and Binghamton, N.Y. Taking Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's advice to "never waste a good crisis," left-wing pundits and analysts have blamed the tragedies on everyone from Rush Limbaugh to Fox News to the National Rifle Association.

The Homeland Security spokespeople I talked to on Monday insisted the report was not a politicized document and that Homeland Security had done similar assessments on "left-wing extremism" in the past. But past domestic-terrorism reports have always been very specific in identifying security threats - such as the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front - and very specific in identifying their methods and targets, including repeated physical harassment, arson and vandalism against pharmaceutical firms, farms, labs and university researchers.

By contrast, the Obama Homeland Security report is an overarching indictment of conservatives. "Right-wing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the economy, the perceived loss of U.S. jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and home foreclosures," the assessment warns. When I asked Homeland Security spokeswoman Sara Kuban to explain who was responsible for this "extremist chatter," she could not and would not name names.

Moreover, the report relies on the work of the left-leaning Southern Poverty Law Center to stir anxiety over "disgruntled military veterans" - a citation that gives us valuable insight into how the Homeland Security Department will define "hate-oriented" groups.

The SPLC, you see, has designated the venerable American Legion a "hate group" for its stance on immigration enforcement. The report offers zero data but states with an almost resentful attitude toward protected free speech: "Debates over appropriate immigration levels and enforcement policy generally fall within the realm of protected political speech under the First Amendment, but in some cases, anti-immigration or strident pro-enforcement fervor has been directed against specific groups and has the potential to turn violent."

"Potential to turn violent"? So did the hysterical fervor whipped up by Capitol Hill over the bonuses for executives of American International Group Inc., which prompted ugly death threats from across the country. No mention here, though. Not "right-wing" enough.

Nor will you see Obama Homeland Security warnings to police and sheriff's departments about self-proclaimed bank terrorists such as Bruce Marks of the aggressive Neighborhood Assistance Corp. of America or the mob activists of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), who have committed burglary, stormed corporate executives' homes and vowed to conduct "civil disobedience" by "any means necessary" in response to the "current economic and political climate."

If you can redefine dissenting opinion as "hate," you can brand your political opponents as "extremists" - and you can marginalize electoral threats. "Anti-government"? "Pro-enforcement"? "Disgruntled"? Feeling taxed enough already and "recruiting" and "radicalizing" your friends and neighbors through "chatter on the Internet"?
We are all right-wing extremists now. Welcome to the club.

Michelle Malkin is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of "Unhinged: Exposing Liberals Gone Wild."

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Brad Botwin, Director, Help Save Maryland

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