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Archives for February 2014

Citizenship for Sale?

February 27, 2014 by Leave a Comment

A Stanford professor is promoting the idea of selling citizenship for $50k.

Every year there are many thousands of people waiting for lady luck to approve their green card via the lottery system.

Very few of them win.

Some countries allow people to invest $50k or $100k or more, in order to become a citizen of that nation. They reason this system brings jobs and stimulates economic growth. We, in fact, have a similar visa program already, but this is for investors and business people.

What about just plain selling citizenship?

This is purported to help solve our undocumented immigrant problem by giving them an alternative to going back home and also helps expedite a currently overloaded backlog. It should also help bring in money to the government, possibly to help pay for this system.

The non-wealthy could pay over time. Kinda like an installment plan or credit card.

So, get the new “Visa” card. (and don’t leave home without it : )

Click here to see the video

So, how do you feel about this idea?

Filed Under: Economy, Ethics, Immigration reform

The Republicans problem is not with immigrants, it is with themselves.

February 16, 2014 by 1 Comment

The Republicans have backed themselves into a corner on, not only the immigration debate, but in the electoral process as well. Each and every day more and more young voters, latino voters, asian voters, and more, turn 18 and become eligible to vote. Will they vote Republican? What possible reason would they have to do so?

The old white Republican voter base is dying and their replacements are not even close to the numbers they are losing. Without standing behind immigration reform that backs immigrants, small business and tech-startups, they are shrinking their popularity and their numbers, and will lose any hope of retaking the White House for decades to come.

It will be a long time before America forgets the way they treated immigrants, and women, the elderly and the poor. The stigma they have brought down upon themselves will last for many years, and because of that, America will be the poorer for it.

America needs a strong Republican party. America needs good values and a balanced government. Give anyone too much power, and they will become corrupt, selfish dictators.

America can’t afford to be ruled by fascists. We need a strong Republican party, just like we need a strong Democratic party. We need a balanced government, and because of this, Republicans need to stop trying to take over our government and focus on becoming a part of this great system we have built. If they don’t, they will alienate themselves from America and become hapless, angry voyeurs, who watch the parade of history go by, without ever having a float of their own.

How sad is that?

Filed Under: Immigration Debate, Immigration News, Immigration reform, Politicians, Politics

Jon Stewart- Immigration Reform Hero: sums up our immigration problem

February 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Jon Stewart sums up our immigration problem in seven minutes.

Perhaps this is what it takes to get people to see the truth about the Republican platform and how disingenuous it really is:

keep it short and to the point.

Filed Under: Ethics, Immigration Debate, Immigration reform, Politics, The US Immigration Debacle, US Immigration HERO

Obama: GOP scapegoat of the year

February 11, 2014 by Leave a Comment

 Obama has just been voted “Scapegoat of the Year.”

Or at least he should be.

What would you do if you gave a speech at your company, and then people started calling for your termination?

  • Reverse your statements? Too late; that would make you look like a liar.
  • Blame someone else in the room? That would also remove possible supporters from your side as well, and if you’re about to lose your job, you need all the friends you can get.
  • Take the heat and defend your position, enlightening your detractors with all the reason and forethought you put into your speech? Pretty risky, what if it didn’t work?
  • Distract everyone by focusing on something bigger?
  1.      The war on Terror, that always worked for Bush(s). Nope, Obama has that one under control; it’s always best not give your adversary cudos.
  2.      Obamacare? Nope, the nation has had it with us complaining about that, not to mention it probably wouldn’t be prudent to bring up the reason we closed the government down and took a beating in our approval ratings.
  3.      Abortion? No, that will just further anger women.
  4.      Social Security? Ditto, for the elderly.
  5.      Foodstamps? Nope, we just took some money away from that for our budget deal. Best to keep a low profile on that one.
  6.      Taxes? Again, best not bring up the current resentment towards our wealthy constituents.
  7.      Blame the immigrants? That usually works. . .
  8.      Blame the competition? Even better! It insults no one in the room and reinforces allegiances against a common adversary.

Sound familiar?

That is the strategy Rep. Boehner used after he announced the GOP principles on immigration reform, and got a lot of flack. After their retreat in Maryland last week, many Republicans rejected the House leadership’s one-page “standards for immigration reform.” 

Others within the GOP said that, with trends going their way as midterm elections approach, it was a bad time to take on a number of contentious issues.

The conservative activist L. Brent Bozell called for the entire House Republican leadership to be replaced. His group, ForAmerica, blitzed the speaker’s office with thousands of phone calls to jam the lines and protest his stance on immigration this past wednesday.

Representative Raúl Labrador of Idaho, an early negotiator on the issue and now a fierce opponent, told the newspaper, The Hill, that an immigration push by Mr. Boehner this year “should cost him his speakership.”

So Boehner, thinking his goose is cooked, comes out a week after outlining the Republican principles for immigration reform and says:

“There’s widespread doubt about whether this administration can be trusted to enforce our laws,”

and he further stated,

“ it’s going to be difficult to move any immigration legislation until that changes.”

Good one!

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, commented further about the whole Republican organization:

“That caucus he has is really unusual,”

Mr. Reid said of House Republicans.

“They went down and did this salute to how good they were last week at their retreat. They outlined principles of immigration. I guess today they decided they have no principles as it relates to immigration.”

That’s what happens when the opposition doesn’t appreciate getting blamed for your B.S.

Filed Under: Ethics, Immigration Debate, Immigration News, Immigration reform, Politicians, The US Immigration Debacle

Former Sec. of State Colin Powell- Immigration Hero!

February 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell is this week’s immigration hero.

Such an esteemed Republican, Colin Powell was secretary of state under George W Bush. He has stood up recently to declare that immigration reform needs to be done now, and not put off to some day in the future. Regarding immigration reform:

“If not now, when? We keep putting it off,”

We need more people like this in our government to help solve our country’s problems.

Filed Under: Immigration Debate, Immigration reform, US Immigration HERO

Sen. Jeff Sessions- immigration zero

February 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Sen. Jeff Sessions is this week’s immigration zero.

Senator Sessions is a Republican from Alabama, and he has organized a movement in opposition to the GOP leadership’s (short-lived) immigration efforts. This guy is working overtime to combat immigration reform. Clearly an immigration zero. We need less people like this in office and more people willing to take a stand and help fix our country’s problems. Immigration reform has been an issue for decades and too many politicians, like Sen. Jeff Sessions, have stood in the way of progress, keeping our nation in chaos and controversy.

 

Filed Under: Immigration reform, Politicians, Republicans

California State Trust Act- making our communities safer

February 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The California Trust Act that Gov Jerry Brown signed into effect in May 2013 is having a very positive response from law enforcement.

Monterey County Sheriff Scott Miller and Salinas police Chief Kelly McMillin are stating publicly their intention to opt out of any detentions and arrests based solely on a person’s immigration status, whether known or unknown.

So why would such high ranking law enforcement officers take such a stand? For many reasons:

  • It makes our jails less crowded.
  • It makes the judges calendars less crowded, affording them to take more time and consideration when reviewing cases, reducing errors in sentencing due to rapid pace hearings.
  • It enables law enforcement to focus on solving crimes rather than assisting ICE in doing their jobs.
  • It helps immigrants trust law enforcement, not having to fear getting deported just for reporting a crime.
  • Increases in crime reporting reduces actual crime numbers by letting would-be criminals they are not just going to be given a blank check to do whatever they want without fear of justice.
  • It keeps more bad guys off the street by apprehending more criminals instead of undocumented immigrants.
  • IT makes our neighborhoods safer.

When all is said and done, having law enforcement focusing on law enforcement instead of spending much of their time on immigration enforcement, helps our communities where we really need it.

Filed Under: immigrants, Immigration Debate, Immigration News, Immigration reform, Laws

The Republican gift that keeps on giving

February 7, 2014 by 2 Comments

Republicans refusing to discuss immigration reform is the gift that keeps on giving. The Wall street journal, a conservative publication itself, ripped the Republicans for promising an immigration compromise, and then promptly denying its even possible.

I don’t know what the fuss is all about. I’ve been saying the Republicans feign interest in immigration reform when they need to, but then retreat to ultra-conservative party lines when the rubber actually meets the road.

In standard Orwellian fashion, the Republicans have shot themselves in the foot again, this time not even waiting until the end of the term to announce that immigration reform will not happen this year. That shows America they planned to sit on this issue, no matter how much it divides the country, until they think they can get it done the way they want it to get done. The old Republican refusal to negotiate stands as true today as it ever has.

Gridlock in Congress? The Republicans may well try to blame the Democrats, but I don’t thing they’re fooling anyone. How can anyone buy the “we refuse to negotiate and it’s the Democrats fault” excuse? Do the Republicans really think we’re that stupid?

I try to be impartial about politics in general. I don’t really care one way or another about Democrats or Republicans–Neither of them can seem to get anything done. What I do care about is what is being said, who is saying it, and how does that affect my family, and millions of other Americans like me, when it comes to keeping us all together. If the Democrats, or Peace and Freedom party, or the Green party, or anyone else, were pulling all this refusal to fix this system crap, I’d be angry at them. It just so happens that the majority of the stalemate in Washington, at least when it comes to the immigration fiasco, has Republican fingerprints all over it.

 

Filed Under: Immigration Debate, Politicians, Politics, Republicans

Immigration Reform: Yes or No!

February 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

What’s it going to be?

The President says he believes there’s a good chance of passing immigration legislation this year. Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan says no.

You can’t have it both ways. Somebody’s going to lose, and as usual, it’s going to be us, the American citizen.

I’m tired of this whole subject, aren’t you?  Year after year after year the Republicans feign interest in immigration reform and the Democrats, drooling at the chance for some kind of win, give in to almost all the Republican demands, and just when you think something’s going to happen–Bang! “Nope, we’re not going to even talk about immigration.” Then more negotiations. More compromises by the Democrats–Bang! “Nope, we’re not going to talk about immigration.”

Me thinks I see a pattern here.

We have been debating this immigration thing for so long I’m getting tired of listening to it. Our lawmakers aren’t going to do anything about this problem, so why talk it into the ground?

The only way the Republicans are going to move on immigration is when they know deep down in their hearts, they have to.

So let’s do it.  Let us for once draw a line in the sand and say,

“ENOUGH! We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it any more.”

What do you think would happen if all the incumbents in the upcoming mid-term elections were to be replaced? Do you think that would send a loud enough message? Do you think then that our lawmakers will remember just exactly who they work for, and I don’t mean lobbyists or party king makers–us!

If they have to join the unemployed because they refused to do what we elected them to do, then I think they might actually HAVE to do something, because come November, if nothing, again, has been done about our immigration catastrophe, the ones still standing may stand to lose their jobs too.

It’s so crazy, it just might work.

Filed Under: Immigration reform, Uncategorized