Is "ObamaFair" the answer?

Is “ObamaFair” the answer?

Steven R. Berryman

[From The Tentacle, June 25th 2012]

Finally, at long last, our president of “everyman” in America has introduced legislation to get Americans displaced by the changing economy transitioned back to work. The “Employability Act for the Structurally Unemployed” or “ObamaFair,” if passed, will enable millions of citizens to learn their way back into the workforce.

Responding to complaints that entire industries have been forever disrupted by the permanent changes to “the new normal” of the Great Recession, our president has finally enabled bipartisan legislation designed to attack the root problems suffered by our hardest hit unemployed millions; retraining for transitions into entirely new job sectors will be subsidized by a combination of grants and incentives to colleges and universities.

A living wage will be offered to those qualifying for the new program, advanced from future withholdings of Social Security payments. This will be enabled by simply allowing the U.S. dollar to float in the world market as a “fiat currency.” The White House admits that this may allow for a brief period of hyper-inflation, but sales of bonds to ourselves should offset much of the immediate pain.

Interestingly, self appointed tax guru Grover Norquist and New York Times’ Tom Friedman have agreed to withhold judgment pending evaluation.

The basis of the new program is that some job categories will simply never ever return: construction jobs, automotive assembly line workers, aerospace engineering, newspaper editors, and middle level retail management positions, and architects, just to name a few. The world is taking on permanent structural changes that mean cost-cutting consolidations will rule the Human Resources hiring offices.

“People need jobs, and a job is an American birthright,” said the president in a brief announcement at the East Wing vegetable garden. “We will retrain the displaced into jobs with a future.”

Asked for a list of fields expected to get a boost from the proposed legislation, the president’s press secretary offered that heavy investments will be made in the manufacture of alternative fuel cells, science related to the real impact of global warming, agri-business related to burning corn, and recycling technology. Advance degrees in babysitting and French-fry dipping will also be featured.

At this moment, even the casual reader of TheTentacle.com has figured out that this is a tongue-in-cheek column, intended to highlight what’s actually happening out there. With all of the “liberal” usage of the term fair, it’s ironic that these acts of June 2012 are decidedly not.

In case you have been on vacation or living under a rock, or have been glued to National Public Radio orMSNBC, you need to take note of, and action where appropriate, to the following summary of actual events:

President Barack Obama, without advice from the Congress, has unilaterally dictated as an Executive Decree that he wants undocumented workers (some call illegals) under the age of 30 to be able to take American jobs without fear of deportation. Call or defend this as you will, it amounts to amnesty granted especially to certain groups known to benefit Democrat voter rolls reliably. The timing is notably suspect, and motivations are obvious. This is an obvious move to pander and distract from the real economic issues of the day.

Lost in the collaboration are real solutions for real Americans!

This comes at the absolute worst time for the actual American citizen who has been patiently waiting on the sidelines for things to turn around – as has been repeatedly promised – as thousands of people have now been pumped into the competition for jobs.

Where is the call for an “Americans First” movement?

srbmgr@gmail.com

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Was amnesty planned?

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

Indictment issued in stabbing [by a criminal Illegal!]

Media Bias rules in this story.....the FNP refused to identify the perp as an ILLEGAL!

Indictment issued in stabbing [by a criminal Illegal Alien!]

Originally published November 08, 2008 / Frederick News-Post

By Kate Leckie

The stabbing of an Asian man about 10 p.m. Oct. 9 may have been gang-related, authorities said.
The Frederick County grand jury on Friday indicted the man accused in that attack, Assistant State's Attorney Tammy M. Leache said.
Manuel Martinez-Bravo, 22, of Frederick, faces charges of first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and attempted armed robbery, Leache said.
The crimes are punishable by sentences of five to 25 years.
The victim, a 58-year-old Frederick man, told police he was riding his bicycle home from Fitness First when another bicyclist came from behind and forced him to a stop in the 1000 block of West Patrick Street.
"He lunged at him and began stabbing him in the face with a screwdriver," Leache said.
The victim suffered hemorrhaging in the brain; his retina was almost detached.
"The victim is still undergoing surgeries. His girlfriend said doctors aren't sure whether he'll fully recover," Leache said.
Although the victim initially reported the crime as an attempted armed robbery, investigators are continuing to look into the motive behind the attack, Leache said.
Frederick Police Department Officer Kevin Meyer "believes it may be gang-related, an initiation type of thing," Leache said.
"While the attack was happening, a vehicle of Hispanic men drove by, yelling things out of the window," she said.
Weakening the belief that the attack was part of a robbery is that nothing was stolen and the attacker "didn't rifle through the victim's pockets," Leache said.
Locating Martinez-Bravo didn't take long. Minutes after a description of the assailant was released, Frederick officers responded to a crash on Willowdale Drive near West Patrick Street involving a bicycle and a truck.
The bicyclist, Martinez-Bravo, matched the description of the suspect. He wasn't seriously injured.
Police discovered he had two screwdrivers. One was bloody.
A citizen of Mexico, Martinez-Bravo is being held at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center on an ICE detainer. His bail on the charges from the attack is $300,000, authorities said.
At first, the victim and his girlfriend told prosecutors they would be glad to see Martinez-Bravo deported, Leache said.
"Later, they decided they want him to serve his sentence first," she said.

Some comments were:

November 08, 2008 @ 05:05 AM: rosemontBravo, if this kind of accidents happen more, they will get rid of all aliens from Frederick one day. Illegals go to jail, and legals go to places with lower crime rate. REPORT TO MODERATOR

November 08, 2008 @ 06:22 AM: rscott25Welcome to Obamas nation. But seriously, if illegal, he should serve time THEN be deported. The Coblentz thing, how did it come to be known? I won't deny it may truly have happened, but I have also seen where police investigators tactics canget false confessions and accusations from their techniques. A classic case on the Discovery Channel was video how over a 24 hour period they got a 15-16 year old to "confess" he had murdered his little sister, and after several years later, they caught another guy who confesssed. Its scary stuff. I hope they have some physical evidence, but at the same time, I shudder to think he did something to her that would have left physical evidence. REPORT TO MODERATOR

November 08, 2008 @ 07:30 AM: quigley_brownhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/quigley_brown/texture2.jpg?t=1226108626 REPORT TO MODERATOR

November 08, 2008 @ 08:16 AM: srbmgrTOTALLY BIASED ROPORTING! FNP panders to the Hispanic community for more advertising dollars should be the headline! "A citizen of Mexico, Martinez-Bravo..." was the quote. HE'S IN AN ice PROGRAM BECAUSE HE'S an Illegal Criminal Alien!!!!!! Just say it. Also, this electronic edition has the wrong photo of the perp; in the paper, it correctly shows the Illegal Senior Bravo. www.HelpSaveMaryland.org unless you like the crime trend, now published today as up 10%. --Steve Berryman. REPORT TO MODERATOR

November 08, 2008 @ 08:28 AM: Sunsetblues48Right on, Steve! Why can't they say it like it really is??? REPORT TO MODERATOR

Immigrant advocates see hard road ahead

[HelpSaveMaryland members speak out!...Nice Job!]

Immigrant advocates see hard road ahead

From Gazette.net / Montgomery County - August 27th, 2008

by Sebastian Montes

Latino groups have resigned themselves that the Montgomery County Police Department will continue to enforce federal civil immigration warrants, despite the continued opposition within immigrant supporters.

"They won't change it, so we have to live with it," said Henry Montes, co-chairman of Leggett's Latin American Advisory Group. "I think there's still some question about what some to the things may mean in terms of being carried out. We feel it might be open to interpretation to officers on the street. … Somehow or another, they should have an evaluation system to it. It's kind of difficult to say this will work in the rank and file."

A month ago, copies of the draft police policy began circulating in which police would continue enforcing civil immigration warrants, called detainers.

Anti-illegal immigration advocates were dissatisfied because they wanted a full-fledge crackdown. Immigrant advocates called on county leaders to reverse course because the policy was damaging trust of the police within the immigrant community.

Officers learn of the detainers during traffic stops and other routine questioning. Most of those warrants are for civil, not criminal, immigration violations. The person is handed over to federal immigration agents to be deported.

Meeting with Police Chief J. Thomas Manger last month, several Latino leaders worried that much remains unclear in the policy and that there is little way of knowing that officers are sticking to the letter of the law.

Help Save Maryland, and other groups opposed to illegal immigration, were glad to see that County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) and Manger did not retreat from enforcing the warrants, they wanted them to go further, by enrolling in federal training that essentially deputizes local officers as immigration agents.

"It's just lip service to say they'll enforce that. Leggett just refuses to see the problem. I fear that the county is lost to politicians, and they're just pandering for votes," said Leo Carling, a Help Save Maryland member from Kensington.

Meanwhile, the civil immigration arrests are coming faster in Montgomery than in the five years since the U.S. Department of Justice began putting the warrants into a national law enforcement database.

In 2006, county police arrested about 30 people on the civil warrants, according to the county Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. Since then, the pace has nearly tripled; 85 in 2007 and 58 so far this year.

The new directive will be the first update in eight years to officers' orders on dealing with foreign nationals.

County Councilman Mark Elrich was among those who met privately with Leggett last year to ask that he order police to stop enforcing the civil immigration warrants, which are called detainers.

"I have mixed feelings, but I really don't think we should be enforcing the detainers," said Elrich (D-At Large) of Takoma Park. "… If it's because of actions while here, as opposed to merely being here, I don't have any problem with that. If it strictly has to do with immigration status and it's not triggered by a behavioral issue … then I would prefer us not to be involved in it."
The council, however, is unlikely to legislate police policy, he said.

"We're not going to legislate to tell the police chief what laws to enforce and not enforce," he said. "It might have been good to get a heads up on it … but I think it's their decision at this point."
Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez, a native of El Salvador, said the policy has changed the dynamic between the police and immigrants.

"We are in extraordinary times. We are no longer able to keep our trust in the police," said Gutierrez (D-Dist. 18) of Chevy Chase. "… What has been good policing [in the past] today is much more threatening to our community."

Help Save Maryland and other groups counter that if immigrants are afraid of having their immigration status checked, it's because they aren't in the country legally.
"When I was a kid, we were afraid of the police, too," Carling said.

The problem, advocates said, is perception. While police try to downplay their role in immigration arrests and build back immigrant trust, the community continues to believe that county police are deporting immigrants.

"Maybe both sides are wrong, maybe both sides are right, but it's happening," said Mariana Cordier, a defense attorney and past president of the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association. "… I see it every day in court, from both sides, victims and witnesses — everyone is extraordinarily afraid."

County officers may ask someone's immigration status only if the person
is not carrying identification, or if it is ‘‘relevant to an investigation." Any arrest of a foreign national must be for a local crime or in response to a federal warrant.

Former Immigration Official Gets Prison Term for Harboring Illegal Immigrant

The Associated Press
Friday, March 7, 2008; 5:05 PM

A former top investigator in the internal affairs office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has been sentenced to one year in prison for harboring an illegal immigrant who also was his girlfriend.

Forty-nine-year-old Lloyd W. Miner, of Centreville, was convicted in December by a jury at the federal courthouse in Alexandria.

His 21-year-old girlfriend, originally from Mongolia, was sentenced to one month in prison for conspiracy to commit identification fraud.

Prosecutors said Miner met the woman in 2005, gave her a black Volkswagen convertible and allowed her to live in his home.

Miner had been the assistant chief of internal affairs investigations for Citizenship and Immigration Services.

AG: Feds to be told of immigrant arrests

Courier Post Online
Thursday, August 23, 2007

TRENTON (AP) -- State Attorney General Anne Milgram today ordered all New Jersey law enforcement authorities to notify federal immigration officials whenever an illegal immigrant is arrested for an indictable offense or drunken driving.

Milgram said the need "to have a uniform state policy on notification to immigration" became evident after a recent triple homicide in Newark. Before the directive, "all police departments in our state had complete discretion as to if, when and how to notify immigration authorities."

The policy, which follows the Aug. 4 killings of three Newark college students in a schoolyard by six suspects, also specifies that prosecutors and courts be notified.

The Propaganda of Hate

Friday, August 17, 2007

The following letter was posted on Stand With Me
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Wednesday, August 15, 2007DATELINE: ROCKVILLE, MD 8/1/07Why is it that whenever Mr. Torres, of CASA, is questioned about his operations that the 'H' or 'R' word is used with such profusion. He finds fault with our Freedom of Information Act only when it is his information in question.

Recently the Help Save Maryland organization sought details as to the use of public funds dispersed to CASA with no strings attached. This, or any, group has an obligation to its constituents to find out how our tax dollars are spent and to make certain it is used to support legal operations. I hope that Mr. Torres would agree.

It does not surprise me that neither Big Ike Leggett nor his mouthpiece Mr. Lacefield cannot provide evidence of lawful activity and the proper use of my money by CASA or any organization that might come hat in hand for a public dole. If our County Executive cannot provide such answers then why do we have a county executive? Mr. Leggett, as his predecessor Doug Duncan, has put themselves above such things as accountability and credibility.

Mr. Leggett's perceived ignorance and Mr. Torres reaction would have me believe that our money has not been well spent. Is our money going to aid legal immigrants, as Mr. Torres claims, or did our dollars become a another payoff to unregistered agents of foreign governments?Mr. Torres should be now understand that words like 'hate' and 'racists' are fast disappearing as a method of distraction. Words like these are used to hide the facts from public view. If Mr. Torres' books are in order then he has nothing to hide.

Some worried about White House crackdown on illegal workers

By Michelle Gallardo
August 10, 2007 - The White House and the Department of Homeland Security are imposing new laws to crackdown on illegal immigration. Questions about a worker's social security status have not been resolved within 90 days. If not, employers will he held liable if they don't fire those workers. fines for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants will be raised. and there are now fewer documents employers can accept to verify a worker's status.

What we heard from people Friday was mostly a concern that this crackdown could adversely affect many businesses, large and small. While those who support the measures say these things have been proposed in the past and never enforced.

"Because the magnet that brings most economic migrants into this country is work. We have worksite enforcement directed al illegal employment we strike at that magnet," said Michael Chertoff, Homeland Security secretary.

Cracking down on businesses that employ undocumented workers is the main provision in the new immigration related initiatives. Many observers say it is appeasing congressional republicans who've blocked passage of an immigration reform bill until current laws are enforced.

Dr. Sean Gavin co-owns several chiropractic clinics across the Chicago area. He says when he asks for a prospective employee's social security card there is no way for him to tell it is fake. "We're a small business. I have like a hundred employees. What happens if I have to let go of 50 of them or even 10? People who are valuable, people who are key people?" said Gavin. imigration activist Emma Lozano says the provisions contradict the Bush administration's desire to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

"You cannot do enforcement only. You have to do that in conjunction with legislation so people will come out of the shadows and give their information. And maybe then you would find a terrorist, but all they're doing now is separating families," said Emma Lozano, Pueblo Sin Fronteras.

Those who support a crackdown on illegal immigration aren't happy either. "As far as we're concerned it's all talk. I think of past practices. Nothing has been enforced until now," said Rosanna Pulido, Illinois Minuteman Project.

Other measures announced Friday include speeding up the building of fences along the US-Mexico border, and trying to match up records of non-citizens entering and leaving the country.

Chinese immigrant and new citizen Beilin Ye talked about what she calls the anti-immigrant sentiment just minutes after taking the oath.

"I think a lot of people forget that immigrants are what made this country. Part of the packet they gave us had a little booklet that introduced all the famous immigrants and there is Alexander Hamilton, one of our founding fathers who wasn't born here," Ye said.

Secretary Michael Chertoff also said Friday that these measures are not meant to take the place of a comprehensive immigration reform bill but a way to enforce existing laws that are already on the books.

ABC7 News Team
Michelle Gallardo, Weekend General Assignment Reporter, ABC 7 News
RELATED: Michelle's BIO

Improving Border Security and Immigration Within Existing Law

August 10, 2007

Today, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez Announced a Series of Reforms the Administration Will Pursue to Address Border Security and Immigration Challenges. The following reforms represent steps the Administration can take within the boundaries of existing law to secure our borders more effectively, improve interior and worksite enforcement, streamline existing guest worker programs, improve the current immigration system, and help new immigrants assimilate into American culture.

Border Security
1. The Administration Will Continue to Strengthen Security at the Border with Additional Personnel and Infrastructure. We are committed to implementing the following border security measures by December 31, 2008:

18,300 Border Patrol agents
370 miles of fencing
300 miles of vehicle barriers
105 camera and radar towers
Three additional UAVs
We will also work to ensure that 1,700 more Border Patrol Agents and an additional UAV are added in 2009.

2. The Administration will Maintain the Policy of "Catch and Return" for Illegal Aliens Apprehended at the Border. For years, limited detention space forced the release of many illegal border crossers from nations other than Mexico with nothing more than a Notice to Appear for a hearing before an immigration judge. Many aliens ignored these notices and instead blended into U.S. society. The Administration has ended this practice and instituted a policy of "catch and return," ensuring that all removable aliens caught trying to cross the border illegally are held until they can be removed.

The Administration Will Further Increase Funding for Detention Beds So There are Places to Detain 31,500 Illegal Aliens Until They Can Be Returned.
The Administration Will Also Press Recalcitrant Countries to Work with the United States to Repatriate Citizens Who Are in the United States Illegally.
3. The Departments of State and Homeland Security Will Strengthen Legal Efforts to Keep International Gang Members out of the United States. Gangs are at the root of many U.S. crime problems today, and many of the most dangerous gangs draw significant membership from abroad. The Federal government already denies visas to known members of certain gangs from China, the former Soviet Union, and El Salvador. Today, the President is directing the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to expand this list of dangerous organized gangs from other nations and to ensure that members of those gangs are barred from entry into the United States.

4. The Administration Will Expand Exit Requirements So Persons Who Overstay Limited-Duration Visits To The United States Can Be Identified.

By The End Of 2008, The US-VISIT Exit Requirement Will Be Underway At All U.S. Airports And Seaports. The Department of Homeland Security will continue to explore effective and cost-efficient means of establishing biometric exit requirements at land border crossings.
The Administration Will Establish A New Land-Border Exit System For Guest Workers, Starting On A Pilot Basis. This will help ensure that temporary workers in the country now follow the mandate to leave when their work authorization expires.
5. The Administration Will Require All Travelers To Our Ports Of Entry To Use Passports Or Other Similar Secure Documents. Since January 2007, air travelers have been required to carry a passport for entry into the United States. Because of passport processing backlogs, a temporary accommodation has been made for U.S. citizens traveling in the Western Hemisphere, which will be phased out. Starting January 31, 2008, DHS will phase in a requirement for passports or other secure documents for sea and land ports of entry.

6. Beginning This Fall, The Secretary Of Homeland Security Will Deliver Regular "State Of The Border" Reports. These reports will keep the American people informed of the Federal Government's progress in securing the border and hold the Administration accountable for continuing improvement.

Interior Enforcement
7. The Administration Is Training Hundreds Of State And Local Law Enforcement Officers To Address Illegal Immigration In Their Communities. The Administration is maintaining the 287(g) program and expanding other measures that help State and local law officials. These measures include a broad array of enforcement tools, such as formal task forces, greater use of the ICE Law Enforcement Support Center, delegated border search and seizure authority under Title 19, and enhanced partnerships to address location-specific threats, such as gangs.

8. By This Fall, U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement Teams Devoted To Removing Fugitive Aliens Will Have Been Quintupled In Less Than Three Years. There were 15 seven-member Fugitive Operations Teams in 2005. As of this week there are 68; there will be 75 by the end of September.

9. The Justice Department Will Initiate Regulatory Action To Close The "Voluntary Departure" Loophole Manipulated By Many Illegal Immigrants. Illegal immigrants who settle their cases by agreeing to voluntarily depart sometimes then gain extra time inside the United States by filing a procedural motion to reopen the case. New regulations will clarify that filing such a motion will terminate the voluntary departure status and make the alien subject to the order of removal. They will also set a presumptive $3,000 civil penalty for failing to comply with a voluntary departure agreement.

Worksite Enforcement
10. Today, The Department Of Homeland Security Issued A "No-Match" Regulation That Will Help Employers Ensure Their Workers Are Legal And Help The Government Identify And Crack Down On Employers Who Knowingly Hire Illegal Workers. In cases in which an employer has a significant number of employees with inaccurate personal identity information, the Social Security Administration will send the employer a "No-Match" letter. The regulation clarifies that employers may be held liable if they ignore the "No Match" problems by failing to take specified steps within 90 days of receiving the letter.

11. In The Coming Months, The Administration Will Publish A Regulation That Will Reduce The Number Of Documents That Employers Must Accept To Confirm The Identity And Work Eligibility Of Their Employees. Presently, no fewer than 29 categories of documents can be used to establish identity and work eligibility. Employers have little capacity to verify the authenticity of these documents, and the sheer quantity of accepted documents is an invitation to fraud. This regulation will reduce unlawful employment by weeding out insecure documents now used often for identity fraud.

12. As A Civil Counterpart To The Administration's Strategy Of Using Criminal Investigations To Deter Illegal Employment, The Department Of Homeland Security Will Raise The Civil Fines Imposed On Employers Who Knowingly Hire Illegal Immigrants By Approximately 25 Percent. Efforts to secure the border will fail unless the "magnet" that attracts illegals is turned off. Unfortunately, the fines for relying on illegal workers are so modest that some companies treat them as little more than a cost of doing business. DHS will use existing authority to update civil fines for inflation in order to boost fines by about 25 percent, as much as is allowed under current law.

13. The Administration Will Continue To Expand Criminal Investigations Against Employers Who Knowingly Hire Large Numbers Of Illegal Aliens. Arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for criminal violations have increased from 24 in FY 1999 to a record 716 in FY 2006. There have been 742 criminal arrests since the beginning of FY 2007 (through July 31), and there is anecdotal evidence that companies are taking notice and adjusting their business practices to follow the law.

14. The Administration Will Commence a Rulemaking Process To Require All Federal Contractors And Vendors To Use E-Verify, The Federal Electronic Employment Verification System, To Ensure That Their Employees Are Authorized To Work In The United States. The Federal government ought to lead by example. As there are more than 200,000 companies doing Federal business, this will significantly expand use of E-Verify, and make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to obtain jobs through fraud.

15. The Administration Will Help States Make Greater Use Of E-Verify. Some States already mandate the use of E-Verify by some or all of their hiring agencies, and other States are considering similar requirements. The Administration will assist such efforts through outreach and offers of technical assistance.

16. The Administration Will Bolster E-Verify By Expanding The Data Sources It Can Check. This will make it easier to catch individuals who commit identity theft. New sources of data will include cross-checks of visa and passport information.

17. The Administration Will Seek Voluntary State Partners Willing To Share Their Department Of Motor Vehicles Photos And Records With E-Verify. Agreements to allow E Verify access to the repository of photographs in state DMV databases will help prevent illegal immigrants from using fraudulent driver’s licenses to obtain employment. Such agreements will also lay the groundwork for further expansion of the electronic employment eligibility verification system.

Streamlining Existing Guest-Worker Programs
18. The Department Of Labor (DOL) Will Reform The H-2A Agricultural Seasonal Worker Program. No sector of the American economy requires a legal flow of foreign workers more than agriculture, which has begun to experience severe labor shortages as our Southern border has tightened. The President has therefore directed DOL to review the regulations implementing the H-2A program and to institute changes that will provide farmers with an orderly and timely flow of legal workers, while protecting the rights of laborers.

19. The Department Of Labor Will Issue Regulations Streamlining The H-2B Program For Non-Agricultural Seasonal Workers. Because businesses in seasonal industries such as landscaping and hospitality frequently have a difficult time locating temporary workers, the H-2B program has proven quite popular. Some employers report significant processing delays, however. DOL's proposed rule will speed processing by moving from a government-certified system to an employer-attestation system akin to the PERM system that has reduced backlogs in other areas.

20. The Department Of Homeland Security Will Extend The Visa Term For Professional Workers From Canada And Mexico To Attract More Of These Talented Workers To The United States. The United States must compete for foreign professional workers, and those who elect to lend their talents to the U.S. economy should be welcomed with open arms, not given a bureaucratic runaround. Yet the roughly 65,000 workers who enter the United States each year on the TN visa must go to the trouble of renewing their visa every year. This regulation will extend the TN visa duration to three years – the same term as other popular professional visas.

21. The Department Of Homeland Security And The Department Of Labor Will Study And Report On Potential Administrative Reforms To Visa Programs For Highly Skilled Workers.

Improving Existing Immigration
22. The Administration Will Reform And Expedite Background Checks For Immigration. Current mechanisms for conducting immigration background checks are backed up, slowing processing times and endangering national security. The Administration is investing substantial new funds to address the backlog, and the FBI and USCIS are working together on a variety of projects designed to streamline existing processes so as to reduce waiting times without sacrificing security.

23. The President Is Directing The Department Of Homeland Security And The Social Security Administration To Study The Technical And Recordkeeping Reforms Necessary To Guarantee That Illegal Aliens Do Not Earn Credit In Our Social Security System For Illegal Work. Currently, aliens who make Social Security payments while working here legally can continue to accrue credits even if they overstay their visa. Improved data-sharing can lay the foundation for eventual Congressional action to eliminate this practice (which proved an obstacle to comprehensive reform). The relevant agencies are ordered to report to the President with a detailed plan for eliminating the problem.

Assimilation
24. The Office Of Citizenship Will Announce A Revised Naturalization Test In September 2007. The new test will emphasize fundamental concepts of American democracy, basic U.S. history, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. It will inculcate the basic values we share as Americans, and encourage civic knowledge and patriotism among prospective citizens.

The New Standardized Test Will Ensure Fairness By Eliminating Current Wide Variations In The Quality Of Testing Between Regional Offices.
25. The Office Of Citizenship Will Provide Additional Training For Volunteers And Adult Educators Who Lead Immigrants Through The Naturalization Process. In October 2007, the Office of Citizenship will introduce a web-based training program that covers U.S. government, civics education, and the naturalization process. To complement these online materials, USCIS will convene eight regional training conferences, beginning in October 2007, to improve the ability of citizenship instructors and volunteers to teach American history, civics, and the naturalization process to immigrant students. An on-line training module will also be available by the end of the year.

26. The Department Of Education Will Launch A Free, Web-Based Portal To Help Immigrants Learn English, And Expand This Model Over Time. Knowledge of English is the most important component of assimilation. An investment in tools to help new Americans learn English will be repaid many times over in the contributions these immigrants make to our political discourse, economy, and society.

YANKEE INGENUITY

An outstanding Idea

I have a friend who is president of his homeowner's association in a Washington, D.C. suburb. They were having a terrible problem with litter near some of his association's homes. The reason according to my friend is that six very large, luxurious new houses are being built right next to their community.

The trash was coming from the Mexican laborers working at the construction sites and included bags from McDonald's, Burger King and 7-11, plus coffee cups, napkins, cigarette butts, coke cans, empty bottles, etc.

He went to see the site supervisor and even the general contractor, politely urging them to get their workers not to litter the neighborhood, to no avail. He called the city, county, and police and got no help there either.

So here's what his community did. They organized about twenty folks, named themselves the "Inner Neighborhood Services" group, and arranged to go out at lunch time and "police" the trash themselves. It is what they did while picking up the trash that is so hilarious. They bought navy blue baseball caps and had the initials "INS" embroidered in gold on the caps. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand what they hoped people might, mistakenly, think the letters really stand for.

After the Inner Neighborhood Services group's first lunchtime pickup detail, with all of them wearing their caps and some carrying cameras; 46 out of the total of 68 construction workers did not show up for work the next morning-- and haven't come back yet. It has been ten days now.

The General Contractor is madder than hell, but can't say anything publicly because he could be busted for hiring illegal aliens. The homeowner's association can't be accused of impersonating federal personnel, because they have the official name of the group recorded in their homeowner association minutes along with a notation about the vote to approve formation of the new subcommittee--and besides, they informed the real INS in advance of their plans and the INS said basically, "Have at it"!


Proviede by a friend of HSM

U.S. Set for a Crackdown on Illegal Hiring

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett has been searching high and low for a forum where someone would actually agree with him on his lawless position on Illegal Worker Pickup Centers (aka Day Laborer Centers). Well he found one today at the radical "Center for American Progress" in DC. On a panel with the Deputy Mayor of New Haven, CT (Home of ID cards for illegals) and the ACLU Director for PA (fighting the good citizens of Hazelton, PA) Ike was in good company. Love the panel description - " made up of elected officials and litigators at the center of this controversial issue will discuss their insights on the ordinances, the impact they have on communities of color, and the implications the ordinances present for the national immigration debate."

I hope Ike had a chance to catch today's New York Times article. He may be losing some key supporters and possibly members of his inner circle in the near future.

Help Save Mayland


August 8, 2007, New York Times
By JULIA PRESTON

In a new effort to crack down on illegal immigrants, federal authorities are expected to announce tough rules this week that would require employers to fire workers who use false Social Security numbers. Officials said the rules would be backed up by stepped-up raids on workplaces across the country that employ illegal immigrants.

After first proposing the rules last year, Department of Homeland Security officials said they held off finishing them to await the outcome of the debate in Congress over a sweeping immigration bill. That measure, which was supported by President Bush, died in the Senate in June. Now administration officials are signaling that they intend to clamp down on employers of illegal immigrants even without a new immigration law to offer legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the workforce.

The approach is expected to play well with conservatives who have long demanded that the administration do more to enforce existing immigration laws, but it could also lead to renewed pressure from businesses on Congress to provide legal status for an estimated six million unauthorized immigrant workers. “We are tough and we are going to be even tougher,” Russ Knocke, the spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, said yesterday. “There are not going to be any more excuses for employers, and there will be serious consequences for those that choose to blatantly disregard the law.”

Experts said the new rules represented a major tightening of the immigration enforcement system, in which employers for decades have paid little attention to notices, known as no-match letters, from the Social Security Administration advising that workers’ names and numbers did not match the agency’s records.
Illegal workers often provide employers with false Social Security numbers to qualify for a job.

Employers, especially in agriculture and low-wage industries, said they were deeply worried about the new rules, which could force them to lay off thousands of immigrant workers. More than 70 percent of farmworkers in the fields of the United States are illegal immigrants, according to estimates by growers’ associations.

“Across the employer community people are scared, confused, holding their breath,” said Craig Regelbrugge, co-chairman of the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform, a trade organization. “Given what we know about the demographics of our labor force, since we are approaching peak season, people are particularly on edge.”

The expected regulations would give employers a fixed period, perhaps up to 90 days, to resolve any discrepancies between identity information provided by their workers and the records of the Social Security Administration. If workers’ documents cannot be verified, employers would be required to fire them or risk up to $10,000 in fines for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.

Immigrant rights groups and labor unions, including the A.F.L.-C.I.O., predicted the rules would unleash discrimination against Hispanic workers. They said they were preparing legal challenges to try to stop them from taking effect. Some Republican lawmakers welcomed the administration’s stance. “If they shut off the jobs magnet in the workplace in a way that shows they are serious about restoring the rule of law, then I’m encouraged,” said Representative Steve King of Iowa.

The new rules codify an uneasy partnership between the Department of Homeland Security, which enforces the immigration laws, and the Social Security Administration, which collects identity information from W-2 tax forms of about 250 million workers each year, so it can credit the earnings in its system.
Mark Hinkle, a spokesman for Social Security, said the agency expected to send out about 140,000 no-match letters to employers this year, covering more than eight million workers. After the rules are announced, the agency is anticipating a surge in requests from employers seeking to clarify workers’ information, Mr. Hinkle said.

Social Security issues letters only to employers who have more than 10 workers whose numbers do not match, when those workers represent at least one-half of 1 percent of the company’s workforce, Mr. Hinkle said. The agency cannot verify which mismatches came from immigrants who presented false Social Security numbers when they applied for jobs, he said. Mismatches also occur because of clerical errors, or when workers marry and forget to inform Social Security that they changed their names. Several federal studies in recent years have found significant error rates in the Social Security database.

“We don’t know and we don’t speculate” about the reasons for mismatches, Mr. Hinkle said. The new rules will clarify steps employers can take to avoid being accused of knowingly hiring illegal immigrants, officials said. According to the draft, employers would be given 14 days after receiving a no-match letter to check for clerical errors and consult with the employee to correct mistakes. If the discrepancies are eliminated and new, valid work papers are filed within the fixed period, employers would enjoy a “safe harbor” from penalties.

The rules proposed last year brought a storm of criticism from both employers and workers groups. In a formal comment, the A.F.L.-C.I.O. said the rules would “harm all workers regardless of immigration status.” “The enforcement is only on the immigration side,” Ana Avendaño, associate general counsel for the A.F.L.-C.I.O, said yesterday. “They don’t do any labor inspection. So they are just giving employers another tool to repress workers’ rights.” Even large companies that do not hire many low-skilled immigrants would be affected by the rules, lawyers said.“It’s going to be a big change for almost every company,” said Cynthia J. Lange, an immigration lawyer in California.

Muzaffar A. Chishti, a director of the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research group, said, “If this is strictly enforced there could be massive layoffs of workers.” But Mr. Chishti said that illegal immigrant workers might not leave the labor force but would apply for jobs at other businesses using the same invalid documents. He predicted the market for forged documents would grow. “A lot of employers are saying, ‘We just can’t handle this,’ ” said Laura Reiff, co-chairwoman of the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition, which represents employers in low-skilled industries. She said the rules might lead to new pressure from business on Congress to reconsider measures granting legal status to illegal immigrants.

Illegal Aliens Declare War on the United States

By Douglas MacKinnon
Wednesday, August 1, 2007

While the current administration, as well as Democrats and Republicans in Congress, focus on the war on terror and the war in Iraq, a greater real-time threat to our way of life and the rule of law in the United States, is manifesting itself just down the road a bit from the White House and the Capitol building . In Prince William Country, Virginia, illegal aliens have just basically declared war on the county, law and order, and the very livelihood of innocent Americans. They have done so, and no one in Washington really seems to care.

In the upside down world that is now our nation, these illegal aliens are outraged that the county is now trying to stem their overwhelming influx and the crushing burden their mass migration imposes on already strained county services. As hard as it may be to believe, these illegal aliens and their supporters, have become so enraged that the county is trying to uphold the law, that they have decided to attack the county on a number of levels.

Just last week, thousands of illegal and legal Hispanics living in the county met to plan their response to the rule of law. Voting with raised fists, they decided to punish the county trough a boycott of non-immigrant businesses, a labor strike, and a lawsuit. Town by town, city by city, county by county, these illegal aliens and the far left lawyers that are eagerly facilitating their lawsuits, plan to chip away at the sovereignty of the United States. And as they do, many of our elected officials and leading “news” organizations, are cheerleading them on from the sidelines.

Before the supporters of this illegal invasion demonize me, let me say again, that I am married to a Hispanic-American, I speak Spanish, and am not threatened one bit, by the culture. In fact, I think legal Hispanic immigrants add much to the fabric of our nation.

Illegal immigration however, represents a growing threat to our nation in a number of areas. Not the least of which, being crime. As an example, the police and people of Houston, Texas, are now dealing with organized gangs of illegal aliens from Mexico who are carrying out “express kidnappings” of the local citizens.

An “Express Kidnapping” being when someone is snatched off the street, driven to an ATM to drain their account, forced to have a family member bring down any money or valuables in the home as ransom, and then many times, still shot in the head and left by the side of the road. My wife’s family has fallen victim to a number of these kidnappings.

“Express Kidnappings” have been perfected in Mexico City, Caracas, Venezuela, and a number of large South American cities, and are now being exported to our nation. If you have not heard of them, don’t worry, they will soon be coming to your town.

In closing, the message from these illegal aliens and their supporters could not be more clear. “If you dare try to uphold the laws of your nation, state, county, or town, we will sue you, bankrupt your legal business, go on strike against you, and broaden our borders deeper into your nation. And we will do all of this with the assistance of your federal politicians, your mainstream media, and your lawyers. We will wait you out and we will win.”

Win they may because no one is coming to the rescue. The federal government has abandoned us on this issue. Those politicians are selling their souls for votes that will never come.

Your only hope -- our only hope -- is that state and local officials will make a principled stand against this lawless invasion. If not, the United States of America may soon become but a faint memory.

Douglas MacKinnon was press secretary for former Senator Bob Dole and is the author of America's Last Days .

Press One For English

Concerned citizen groups multiply

Article published Jul 21, 2007

July 21, 2007

By Natasha Altamirano - Recent lobbying by grass-roots organizations to force tougher enforcement of immigration laws in Prince William and Loudoun counties is inspiring similar groups to form in other Virginia localities and even across the state line in Maryland.

Residents concerned about the negative effects of illegal aliens recently formed Help Save Virginia Beach, the fourth chapter of the umbrella group Help Save Virginia.

Aubrey Stokes, founder of the flagship group Help Save Herndon, said concerned residents have contacted him from Annandale, Culpeper and Henrico County.

"Citizens can see they can make a difference," Mr. Stokes said. "There's the old saying: Think globally, act locally."

Corey A. Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, said the grass-roots efforts of Help Save Manassas were instrumental in drumming up support for a resolution county officials adopted July 10 that restricts public services for illegal aliens.

"The group played a very large role in the illegal immigration crackdown that the board is pursuing," said Mr. Stewart, at-large Republican. "They played a very helpful role in providing some of the research for the measures that the board took and they were also effective at generating public interest and turnout."

The resolution requires police officers to ask about immigration status in all arrests if there is probable cause to believe that a suspect has violated federal immigration law. The resolution also requires county staff to verify a person's legal status before providing certain public services.

Loudoun Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio thanked Help Save Loudoun and Help Save Herndon after the Loudoun board adopted a similar resolution on July 17.

Mr. Delgaudio, Sterling District Republican who introduced the resolution, said the groups held public forums for residents, candidates and elected officials.

"They've been working on these issues for years," he said. "They've done everything that a traditional, nonprofit educational group is supposed to do."

Help Save Herndon helped organize a chapter in Maryland, which has scheduled a protest today at a taxpayer-funded day-labor center in Derwood.

Help Save Maryland founder Brad Botwin said he wants to remind Montgomery County Executive Isiah "Ike" Leggett that some county residents still oppose the center, which opened in April and is one of four operated by CASA of Maryland.

"I think this is the best way to show Mr. Leggett that we're alive and kicking," Mr. Botwin said. "Someone is speaking out — that's the most important thing."

Mr. Botwin said he and other opponents of the day-labor center have received little feedback from county and state officials.

Montgomery County spokesman Patrick Lacefield said Mr. Leggett, a Democrat, and county officials always have been open to discussions with residents on a variety of issues.

"The problem they have is basically we don't agree with them — it's not that we don't talk to them or listen to them," Mr. Lacefield said.

The center generated more than 700 jobs last month. There have been no reports of negative incidents involving the workers, he said, but in early May a deliberately set fire slightly damaged the trailer that houses the center.

Montgomery County's population increased from 873,341 in 2000 to 932,131 in 2006, U.S. Census Bureau figures show. The Hispanic population increased from about 11.5 percent to 13.6 percent in the same period.

Prince William County's population increased from 281,813 in 2000 to 357,503 in 2006, according to census figures. The Hispanic population nearly doubled during that period, from about 9.7 percent to 18 percent.

In Loudoun County, the population increased from 169,599 in 2000 to 268,817 in 2006. The Hispanic population increased from about 5.9 percent in 2000 to 9.3 percent in 2006, according to census data.

Help Save Herndon successfully lobbied for town police to become the first locality in the region to receive immigration-enforcement training under an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security. Officers completed training last month.

Local action is motivated in part by frustration with federal inaction on immigration reform and by the desire to make a difference in the local community, Mr. Stokes said.

"If you're taking a bath and the tub starts to overflow, what are you going to do first: Turn off the water or grab a mop?" he asked. "Local communities — we're the mop. If local communities cannot affect change at the border, which we cannot, most definitely we can start dealing with the consequences."

Day-Laborer Center Draws Protest

Group Against Illegal Immigration Wants County to Stop Funding Facility

By Ernesto Londoño
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 22, 2007; C04



A group opposed to illegal immigration held a two-hour protest yesterday in front of a day-laborer center in Montgomery County, calling on elected officials to stop funding the center that the county set up near Gaithersburg.

"Other counties are pushing legislation to stop this," Brad Botwin, one of the organizers, said at the protest yesterday morning. "We're becoming a sanctuary."

Botwin, a federal employee who started Help Save Maryland last year to advocate cutting benefits for illegal immigrants, said he has been hearing from more people who have joined his cause.

"You're seeing PTA members, government workers saying enough is enough," Botwin said. "I'm getting e-mails from across the county, across the state."

Gaithersburg officials, faced with considerable political resistance, had rejected several sites for a center where day laborers could gather to meet employers. In April, the county set up the site just outside the city limits.

One of the protesters who attended yesterday's rally, Gretta Patten, 41, of Rockville used her dachshund, Schroeder, in what she said was her debut as an activist against illegal immigration. The pet, which scurried around protesters who were waving flags and signs looking for spots of shadow, wore two signs fastened to a vest.

One said: "I've got a bone to pick with Ike," referring to County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), who supports the day-laborer center and has said Montgomery will not follow in the footsteps of Prince William and Loudoun counties, where ordinances against illegal immigration have been enacted recently. The dog's other sign said: "This hotdog's got a beef with illegal immigration."

Patten, 41, said her main gripe is about the county's financial support for groups such as Casa de Maryland, an immigrant advocacy group that operates the day-laborer center.

"It's knowing my tax dollars go to people who are breaking the law," she said.

The protest drew members of the Minutemen, a national group founded in Arizona to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border and limit immigration. While the group of about 20 protesters waved to passing motorists near the Shady Grove Metro station, day laborers planted flowers on an unkempt patch of land in front of the center, which operates in a trailer.

Across the street, a slightly larger group of counter-protesters challenged and at times taunted Botwin's group.

"Minutemen, KKK, racist bigots, go away!" the immigrant activists yelled.

Gustavo Torres, executive director of Casa de Maryland, said the anti-illegal immigration protesters represent the view of a "small minority." He said that the center has been a success and that he thinks most people in the county support it and acknowledge the need for it.

"Any organization doing the type of work we do is going to become a target," he said.

Sara Pellecer, an immigrant from Guatemala who was with the day laborers yesterday, said she and other immigrants worry about the anti-immigrant sentiment that appears to be spreading in the region, especially in the wake of the new ordinances in Virginia.

"The measures aren't wise," she said. "They push people toward poverty and despair."

Help Save Maryland Citizens' Rally a Success!

Thank you to all the citizens who took part in today's event at the Day Laborer Center in Derwood. Our numbers clearly exceeded my expectations for a first event. Special thanks to those who drove a great distance to stand with us. And to the Montgomery County Police for allowing ALL parties to express their views without interference. The Police did an excellent job.

The media coverage was excellent with at least 4 TV stations and 4 newspapers in attendance. I think County Executive Ike Leggett will have lots to read and watch on TV this weekend. This is only the beginning of our activities to end taxpayer funding for CASA of Maryland.

The counter-protesters were an "interesting" group to say the least. Glad the MC Police kept those upstanding individuals across the street and out of our way. CASA's illegal alien weed-whacking and flower planting ceremony was quite pathetic as well. I don't believe one illegal alien was hired during our 3 hour event.

I will keep everyone posted on our upcoming activities and events to participate in. Tell you friends and neighbors how well we all did today. Get them to join Help Save MD and contact me. Write letters or e-mails to Leggett, the press and others. Say NO to CASA . Thanks.

Brad Botwin
Help Save Maryland.com

JOIN THE CITIZENS’ RALLY!

NO MORE COUNTY OR STATE TAX DOLLARS FOR
CASA OF MARYLAND

Saturday, July 21, 8 a.m. -11 a.m.
Sidewalk in Front of Day Laborer Center
16642 Crabbs Branch Way, Derwood 20855

Bring your Camera and take Pictures of County Police standing by while CASA aids and abets Businesses openly breaking U.S. Immigration Laws – All with the Blessing of County Executive Leggett!

Proudly Bring Your American and State of Maryland Flags

CONTACT MONTGOMERY COUNTY EXECUTIVE IKE LEGGETT AT OCEMAIL@MONTGOMERYCOUNTYMD.GOV

CONTACT GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY AT 1-800-811-8336

No New TAXES to Subsidize CASA’s activities; No In-State Tuition, Voting Privileges or Drivers’ Licenses for Illegal Aliens; Say NO to all funding for CASA;
Protect and Serve the CITIZENS of MARYLAND”

Directions: METRO-Take the Red Line Metro to Shady Grove -Exit Station East Side Thru Parking Lot Towards Redland Rd. & Crabbs Branch Way – Left on Crabbs Branch

DRIVING–Take I-270 to Shady Grove Exit 8A (East) – Park in Grove Shopping Center at intersection of Shady Grove Road & Crabbs Branch, Derwood 20855

Sponsored By Help Save Maryland www.helpsavemaryland.com

For Information and Volunteer Opportunities E-Mail: HelpSaveMaryland@comcast.net