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Numbers USA Sponsors Twitter Campaign to Pass H.R. 2885 and E-Verify
From the press release:Members of the House of Representatives are a savvy bunch. The use of Twitter, Facebook, and other social media in politics has increased exponentially in the last few years.
We need a coordinated Twitter push on WEDNESDAY to encourage House Republicans to include The Legal Workforce Act in their job creation strategy!
As you probably have heard, HR2885, The Legal Workforce Act, mandates the nationwide use of E-Verify, which will free up millions of jobs currently held by illegal alien workers.
And, they include some sample tweets with recommended Twitter hastags. Or, make up your own tweets!
Go ahead folks and tell Members of Congress that you want E-verify passed and passed now!
#WeCantWait for Congress to pass #Everify to open #jobs for millions of unemployed Americans
Post TweetPassing @LamarSmithTX21 #Everify bill will help open up #jobs for millions of Americans
Post Tweet7 million illegal aliens hold non-agriculture #jobs in the US. Pass #Everify #4jobs.
Post Tweet82% of Americans support #Everify that will free up #jobs for unemployed Americans. #WeCantWait 2 act #4jobs!
Post Tweet22 million Americans can’t find full-time #jobs. Pass #Everify! #WeCantWait 2 act #4jobs!
Post TweetHelp #OWS get back to work! Pass #Everify to open up #jobs for unemployed Americans!
Post TweetShould new #jobs go to illegal aliens? Passing #Everify will ensure they don’t. #WeCantWait 2 act #4jobs!
Post Tweet#Everify is good enough for Congress. Shouldn’t it be good for Americans looking #4jobs?
Post TweetKeep illegal workers out of US #jobs! Pass #Everify! #WeCantWait 2 act #4jobs!
Post TweetHelp unemployed Americans get back to work! Pass #Everify! #WeCantWait 2 act #4jobs!
Post TweetIf Congress cares about opening up #jobs for unemployed Americans, they’ll pass @LamarSmithTX21 #Everify bill.
Post Tweet#WeCantWait 2 act #4jobs! #Passthebill that would make #Everify mandatory!
Post Tweet#Passthebill = $447 billion. #Everify = $0. #WeCantWait 2 act #4jobs!
Post Tweet#OccupyEverywhere with #Everify. It will open up #jobs for unemployed Americans!
Post TweetIt’s time for Congress to pass #Everify to open up 7 million #jobs held by illegal workers.
Post Tweet -
Save America’s Food and Economy Conference Call with Rep. Dan Lungren
Carol Chandler discusses her experiences and the need for a strong, stable, farming workforce.I was on a conference call earlier this afternoon with Craig Regelbrugge of SAFE (Save America’s Food and Economy) and California Representative Dan Lungren. The issue of the call is protecting America’s agricultural labor force in light of E-Verify and specifically HR-2164.
Here is their fact sheet page.
Current bill – H.R.2164 – “The Legal Workforce Act”
Summary, status and full text of legislation currently under consideration in Congress which mandates use of E-Verify by all employers in the United States. The bill was introduced on June 14, 2011 by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX).
Background –
What is E-Verify?A government primer on the Internet-based employee eligibility system managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Background –
E-Verify WikiOverview of E-Verify and its history, including references to federal and state government application.
Past proposals, AgJOBS –
S. 1038Senate version of AgJOBS compromise legislation introduced by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ).
Past proposals, AgJOBS – H.R. 2412
House version of AgJOBS compromise legislation introduced by Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA).
Analysis –
”Silent Raids” & E-Verify immigration enforcement are destroying U.S. farmsCommentary by Amherst College Copeland Fellow and migrant farm worker expert Daniel Altshuler examines the impact E-Verify, as it currently stands, is having on America’s farms.
Research & Analysis – “Why Domestic Agriculture Needs New, Workable Farm Labor Alternatives Now”
Key messages from the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) 2010 Survey of H-2A Employers.
Research – The Census of Agriculture
Every five years, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service releases a detailed census on the state of American agriculture.
Research – USDA Economic Research Service
The economic and policy analysis division of the USDA. Access to information and data on the U.S. agricultural industry.
And, Rep. Dan Lungren discussed his new legislation to work as a companion bill to HR-2164. A link to its summary is here.
So, why SAFE and why is Big AG (like the Western Growers Association) afraid of E-Verify?
Well, obviously, a large majority (maybe as much of 80%) of their agricultural labor is comprised of migrant illegal immigrants (probably most from Mexico). With a successful E-Verify program, they would lose all of their field workers, crops would not be harvested, cattle raised, milk gathered and their businesses would fail.
In the meantime, Americans would need to eat and would simply import fruit, vegetables and meat from other countries, like South American and China. America’s food supply would be outsourced as America’s farmlands lay fallow.
So, what does SAFE propose?
A guest worker program on the scale of a million plus workers a year. But, a program under the control of the United States Department of Agriculture. This is the essence of Rep Lungren’s bill.
We have a dilemma here.
America needs E-Verify to remove the “jobs magnet” for illegal immigration. However, America needs labor to harvest its food supply.
This proposal appears to be a suitable, temporary compromise. American agriculture needs to find better and more efficient methods to develop and harvest their crops in a less labor intense method.
America’s farmers and dairymen should NO LONGER be dependent upon foreign workers to conduct business. Our national security demands it.
Stay tuned, as I will have more later…..
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Flap’s Links and Comments for October 18th through October 19th
These are my links for October 18th through October 19th:
- Issa: NLRB is Acting as a Rogue Agency – House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa snapped at National Labor Relations Board general counsel Lafe Solomon for openly defying his congressional subpoena.
Not complying with congressional subpoena is technically an illegal act, and Solomon could be charged with contempt of Congress if Issa, a leading Republican, chooses to proceed down that path.
“Your continued personal obstruction, lack of compliance with a validly issued congressional subpoena and false statements to the committee are unacceptable,” Issa said in a Monday letter to Solomon. “The NLRB is acting as a rogue agency that believes it does not have to fully answer to Congress.”
Issa’s subpoenas relate to the NLRB’s ongoing case against the Boeing Company. The NLRB has echoed allegations by the International Association of Machinists union that Boeing committed an “unfair labor practice” by opening a new production plant in South Carolina instead of in Washington State, where the company’s other production lines are located. Since the allegations were made, Boeing has added more jobs in both Washington and South Carolina, but the Machinists union and the NLRB think the company’s chosen location for the new line was a “retaliation” against the union because South Carolina is a right to work state.
- WI Dems kick out reporter during recall Walker training – The campaign to recall Gov. Scott Walker may be a grassroots effort as its organizers insist, but it proved less than transparent Tuesday evening when Wisconsin Reporter showed up to report on a recall training session.
Graeme Zielinski, a Democratic Party spokesman with a history of threats against Wisconsin Reporter, ranted at the news organization’s reporter in attendance by phone and threatened Wisconsin Reporter again.
More than 100 supporters turned out to the event at the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Council 40 office on Madison’s west side. The session, led by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, is designed to ensure that recall volunteers know how to collect signatures properly.
Within minutes of arriving, however, a Wisconsin Reporter journalist who identified herself as a member of the media was asked to leave by an organizer who cited the campaign’s desire to keep the information out of the media.
The reporter agreed to leave, but asked to speak with the person making the request. The reporter was then put on the phone with Zielinski.
Zielinski called the reporter unprofessional, accused her of sneaking into a party function and then threatened to discuss the incident Wednesday with the statehouse press corps, of which Wisconsin Reporter is a member.
“Get out,” Zielinski shouted. “Don’t come to our party functions anymore.”
He then hung up the phone.
The Wisconsin Reporter staff writer had signed up to attend the event on the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s website, using her name and wisconsinreporter.com email address.
Tuesday wasn’t the first time Zielinski has threatened Wisconsin Reporter. - Amnesty by Any Means – Analysis of a series of leaked memos from within the Department of Homeland Security’s highest ranks shows that the Obama administration has sought for the last year and a half to form a strategy to achieve amnesty for the illegal population without input from Congress. The goal? Ultimately, according to a June 2010 memo, the administration seeks to “reduce the threat of removal for certain individuals present in the United States without authorization.” Well aware of the potential political fallout among both Congress and the American people, the administration provided internal briefs on the pros and cons of varying strategies to gain an administrative amnesty.
The course eventually decided on appears to be the now infamous June 2011 “prosecutorial discretion” memo issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton. This memo, embraced by the White House a few weeks ago, sets a course that prevents the enforcement of immigration law, provides a de facto amnesty, and is effectively worker authorization for much of the current illegal population. The current course of non-enforcement is in contrast to the initial proposed strategies of proactive immigration law rewrites.
In this memo is a thorough analysis of the extent the Obama administration is willing to go to deceive America into accepting unprecedented executive branch immigration law rewrites and changes in immigration processing to get around their federal responsibility to enforce immigration law. Obama administration actions taken to peel back visa interviews abroad, reduce enforcement on our physical borders, replace worksite enforcement to worksite audits, take actions against states seeking to enforce the law but no action against sanctuary cities, and support of only two immigration enforcement programs — Secure Communities and E-Verify — make sense when placed against the backdrop of these memos. On September 29, 2011, more evidence that this agenda is on track came in a Washington Post front page story describing the Obama administration’s overt actions to discourage states from attempting to get their illegal populations under control:
- Photo of the Day: Obama’s Canadian Made Bus | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Photo of the Day: Obama’s Canadian Made Bus | Flap's Blog – FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog
- Couple On The Run – > Nice Jeff RT @JeffGalloway: I was honored to write an "afterword" for a great new book about couples running to…:
- Untitled (http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/oct/19/amgen-is-cutting-226-jobs-in-thousand-oaks/) – > Not good news for T.O. ! RT @vcstar: Amgen is cutting 226 jobs in Thousand Oaks, 380 jobs worldwide
- Photo of the Day: Obama’s Canadian Made Bus | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Photo of the Day: Obama’s Canadian Made Bus | Flap's Blog – FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog
- GOP Ad Ties Democrat Rep. John Garamendi to Obama and a Bankrupt Solyndra | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – GOP Ad Ties Democrat Rep. John Garamendi to Obama and a Bankrupt Solyndra #tcot #catcot
- Photo of the Day: Obama’s Canadian Made Bus | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Photo of the Day: Obama’s Canadian Made Bus | Flap's Blog – FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog
- Full-Court Press by California Republican Party for State Senate Redistricting Referendum » Flap’s California Blog – Full-Court Press by California Republican Party for State Senate Redistricting Referendum
- Photo of the Day: Obama’s Canadian Made Bus | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Photo of the Day: Obama’s Canadian Made Bus | Flap's Blog – FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog
- MORE Facebook Friends Linked to BIGGER Brain Areas? | Smiles For A Lifetime – Temporary (Locum Tenens) Dentistry – MORE Facebook Friends Linked to BIGGER Brain Areas?
- Dilbert October 19, 2011 – Feed the Werewolf » Flap’s California Blog – Dilbert October 19, 2011 – Feed the Werewolf
- Photo of the Day: Obama’s Canadian Made Bus | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – RE: I think Sen. McCain has been criticized for that as well.
- (500) http://flapsblog.com/2011/10/19/president-2012-gop-poll-watch-one-word-that-comes-to-mind-oh-my-rick-perry/ – President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: One Word that Comes to Mind – Oh My Rick Perry! #tcot #catcot
- President 2012: Las Vegas GOP Debate – Winners and Losers | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012: Las Vegas GOP Debate – Winners and Losers #tcot #catcot
- Flap’s Dentistry Blog: The Morning Drill: October 19, 2011 – The Morning Drill: October 19, 2011
- Flap’s California Morning Collection: October 19, 2011 » Flap’s California Blog – Flap’s California Morning Collection: October 19, 2011
- Day By Day October 19, 2011 – Gaming the System | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Day By Day October 19, 2011 – Gaming the System #tcot #catcot
- Politics, Political News – POLITICO.com – Rick Perry vs. Mitt Romney: Now it's personal – Jonathan Martin and Ben Smith –
- Rick Perry vs. Mitt Romney: Now it’s personal – Jonathan Martin and Ben Smith – POLITICO.com – RT @jmartpolitico: With @benpolitico, how Vegas revealed guts of the gop race to come:
- News from The Associated Press – RT @AP: BREAKING: Social Security recipients to receive 3.6 pct. cost-of-living increase, first since 2009: -ldh
- @Flap Twitter Updates for 2011-10-19 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2011-10-19 #tcot #catcot
- CNN.com International – Breaking, World, Business, Sports, Entertainment and Video News – – Transcripts
- CNN.com – Transcripts – >FWIW RT @michellemalkin: FYI: CNN has full transcript of the GOP brawl in Vegas
- Rick Perry Wrote Letter Urging TARP Passage | National Confidential – RT @mleewelch: Perry's letter: . Santorum's right, and Perry was lying.
- BBC News – John Lennon’s tooth expected to make £10,000 at auction – Tired of the 9-9-9 discussion on the Presidential debate. How about this for raising capital?:
- President 2012: Las Vegas GOP Presidential Debate Tonight | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – I will be covering tonight's 8 PM Las Vegas Presidential debate on Twitter. Follow along @Flap
: - California Conservatives Propose 2012 Initiative to Limit Services to Illegal Immigrants » Flap’s California Blog – California Conservatives Propose 2012 Initiative to Limit Services to Illegal Immigrants
- President 2012: Obama on Occupy Wall Street Protests – “We Are on Their Side” | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012: Obama on Occupy Wall Street Protests – “We Are on Their Side” #tcot #catcot
- Flap’s Dentistry Blog: First Malaria Vaccine Successful in a Major Clinical Trial – A malaria vaccine – FINALLY. What a wonderful development to fight this disease, especially in Africa.:
- President 2012: When Should Obama Start to Worry About 40% Approval Ratings? | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – President 2012: When Should Obama Start to Worry About 40% Approval Ratings? #tcot #catcot
- Poll Watch: 22% Approve of Occupy Wall Street Movement’s Goals | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Poll Watch: 22% Approve of Occupy Wall Street Movement’s Goals #tcot #catcot
- California “Scope of Practice” Turf War Dogs Veterinarians and Pet-grooming Services Over Canine Dental Hygiene » Flap’s California Blog – California “Scope of Practice” Turf War Dogs Veterinarians and Pet-grooming Services Over Canine Dental Hygiene
- Flap’s Links and Comments for October 17th through October 18th | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s Links and Comments for October 17th through October 18th #tcot #catcot
- Issa: NLRB is Acting as a Rogue Agency – House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa snapped at National Labor Relations Board general counsel Lafe Solomon for openly defying his congressional subpoena.
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Farmers Opposing GOP Sponsored E-Verify Legislation
Mexican-American farm workers harvest broccoli March 12, 2009 near El Centro, California
This is NOT really a shocker.Farmers across the country are rallying to fight a Republican-sponsored bill that would force them and all other employers to verify the legal immigration status of their workers, a move some say could imperil not only future harvests but also the agricultural community’s traditional support for conservative candidates.
The bill was proposed by Representative Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican who is the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. It would require farmers — who have long relied on a labor force of immigrants, a majority here without legal documents — to check all new hires through E-Verify, a federal database run by the Department of Homeland Security devised to ferret out illegal immigrants.
Farm laborers, required like other workers to show that they are authorized to take jobs in the United States, often present Social Security numbers and some form of picture ID. Employers, many of them labor contractors providing crews to farms, have not been required to check the information and are discouraged by antidiscrimination laws from looking at it too closely. But it is an open secret that many farmworkers’ documents are false.
Supporters of E-Verify, an electronic system that is currently mandatory for most federal contractors but voluntary for other employers, argue that it would eliminate any doubt about workers’ legal status. But farmers say it could cripple a $390 billion industry that relies on hundreds of thousands of willing, low-wage immigrant workers to pick, sort and package everything from avocados to zucchini.
“This would be an emergency, a dire, dire situation,” said Nancy Foster, president of the U.S. Apple Association, adding that the prospect of an E-Verify check would most likely mean that many immigrant workers would simply not show up. “We will end up closing down.”
You know, California agricultural interests have been getting a subsidized ride for decades in using illegal immigrations, primarily from Mexico, for harvesting their crops. Crops which pay them BIG MONEY.
Here is how it works.
The illegal immigrations who are migrant and with no papers are allowed to use either forged “Green Card” documents or NO documents in order to work in the fields for below market wages or at least really low wages for back-breaking hard manual labor. They receive in some cases housing and very little in the way of employee benefits that most of us receive. This all to the benefit of the wealth land owners and often corporate agricutural interests.
They can sell their crops for a cheaper price but, of course, their profit is good – very good.
When these illegal folks need health care or education for their children (who are born here as American citizens), the government provides them – not the employer.
In a May letter to the members of the Judiciary Committee, Bob Stallman, the president of the American Farm Bureau, cited a Labor Department survey placing the percentage of illegal workers in the fields at more than 50 percent. Other groups say the figure is closer to 70 percent. Denying farmers that labor supply, Mr. Stallman wrote, would cost them $5 billion to $9 billion annually.
Mr. Smith’s bill has attracted more solid support from nonagricultural business leaders, opening a divide between them and agricultural interests. Many nonfarm businesses have concluded that some form of employee verification is inevitable.
National organizations of restaurant owners and home builders gave their backing. The San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which unites Latino businesses in Mr. Smith’s district that have often been at odds with him, is leaning toward endorsing the bill, said Ramiro A. Cavazos, the president of the chamber.
It is time for the Congress to pass E-Verify and end the BIG subsidy to the agricultural interests. If they cannot staff their fields with LEGAL workers, then they have some remedies.
One remedy would be increased mechanism and efficiency in the fields. Maybe if illegal immigrants did not work in the fields at such low wages, the AG interests would invest in machines to do the harvesting without the back-breaking labor.
Also, the Agricultural folks could seek Guest-Worker legislation in the Congress that identifies and returns workers to their country of origin after a period of time of working in the United States. Costs associated by these workers would be paid up front by the AG interests. Children born of these workers in the United States would NOT be considered native born citizens (although there might be a time consuming Constituional issue here) and would have to return with their parents after a period of time.
The prospects of a E-Verify mandate passing in the House this year is good. In the Democrat controlled Senate, not so good and I am positive President Obama would veto the legislation anyway.
Then, there is the pressure from the AG interests on the Republicans.
Mr. Smith’s E-Verify bill also includes a three-year grace period before growers would have to comply. But such caveats have done little to quell opposition from farm groups, who have been pleading for years for an overhaul to allow a legal immigrant work force.
And that discontent could manifest itself in elections, farm representatives warn.
“Most of our folks are Republicans,” said Paul Wenger, the president of the California Farm Bureau. “But if the Republicans do this to them without a workable worker program, it will change their voting patterns or at very least their involvement in politics.”
Democrat and Republican Members of Congress have turned a blind eye to illegal immigration and agriculture for decades, since before World War II. Money talks in politics and the AG folks spread their money around and have donated a lot to Republicans.
But, American voters understand that these farming companies are prospering to the detriment of the taxpayer and we now have huge social/financial costs dealing with the generations of illegal immigrants that have been allowed to come into this country.
The time to enforce immigration law is long past.
Unfortunately, it will not occur with mandatory E-Verify until after the 2012 Presidential election or even 2016, if Obama is re-elected President.
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Flap’s Links and Comments for July 13th on 11:02
These are my links for July 13th from 11:02 to 11:24:
- Mandatory E-Verify Will Devastate California Agriculture group claims? – Uh No… – A new report released today from America’s Voice highlights the fact that mandatory E-Verify legislation being pushed by a number of California Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives would impose new burdens on American workers and businesses, devastate California’s agriculture industry, and further their Party’s political problem with Latino voters.
According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, “What is it about the California GOP that they would gladly burden small businesses with new costs and regulations, cripple their home state’s agriculture industry, tie up job seekers in mountains of red tape, and remove billions of dollars in revenue from the federal tax coffers – all for a forced E-Verify program that doesn’t even work half the time? One would assume the answer is politics. But in this case, the politics of this issue are working against the California Republicans, as bill co-sponsors like Brian Bilbray (R-CA), Elton Gallegly (R-CA), and Dan Lungren (R-CA) are threatening their own political careers while ensuring that the California Republican Party continues to have problems with Latino voters.”
Among the key report findings:
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Read all of the rest of the foolishness……
E-Verify will start to eliminate the jobs magnet of illegal immigration.
It won't pass the Senate this year because the Democrats are dependent upon the Hispanic vote to win elections, especially Obama's re-election in 2012.
But, it will force California big business agriculture to hire legal workers or to mechanize their fields instead of dumping the social costs of illegal immigration on taxpayers.
The report is laughable as if this far left immigration group cares about the California GOP and GOP Congressman who will probably retire in the near future anyway.
- ‘Amazon tax’ deserves a ‘no’ vote – State Controller John Chiang reported Monday that California received $351 million less in May and June than politicians allowed for in the budget signed two weeks ago. No wonder legislators scramble to wrench cash from out-of-state companies.
News reports say Amazon also is likely to fight the California tax in court as unconstitutional, but a ballot measure works more quickly. As soon as the referendum is approved for the ballot, it will suspend the online tax, pending the vote.
Amazon and other out-of-state online retailers canceled contracts with thousands of California-based affiliates when the law went into effect June 29. "Each termination represents lost jobs and lost income for California – losses that could have been easily avoided had the governor and Legislature exercised a little common sense," said George Runner, a member of the tax-collecting agency the Board of Equalization. "Clearly, the 'Amazon tax' is not working."
The Amazon tax must go. Legislators also should consider the economy-boosting benefits of abolishing all sales taxes, which would give consumers nearly 10-percent discounts across the board and stimulate commerce. Then, legislators should scale back state spending accordingly. More unjust taxes are not the answer to California's economic woes, or to the state's budgetary problems.======
Read it all
Absolutely correct….
- Mandatory E-Verify Will Devastate California Agriculture group claims? – Uh No… – A new report released today from America’s Voice highlights the fact that mandatory E-Verify legislation being pushed by a number of California Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives would impose new burdens on American workers and businesses, devastate California’s agriculture industry, and further their Party’s political problem with Latino voters.
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Flap’s Links and Comments for June 27th on 14:03
These are my links for June 27th from 14:03 to 14:41:
- House Subcommittee Expected to Introduce Mandatory E-Verify – A U.S. House subcommittee is expected to discuss a bill that will make the E-Verify, the federal program that verified whether a worker has authorization to work in the U.S., mandatory and permanent. Introduced by the chair of the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Policy Enforcement, Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), the "Legal Workforce Act" is expected to be debated by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
In a Los Angeles Times op-ed, Smith and the co-author of the bill, Elton Gallegly (R-CA), said that they were pushing for Congress to expand E-Verify because “while 26 million Americans are unemployed or underemployed, 7 million individuals work illegally in the United States. On top of all the challenges Americans face today, it is inexcusable that Americans and legal workers have to compete with illegal immigrants for scarce jobs.”
- Empire State Blues – What’s Next for Marriage? – Maggie Gallagher is the chairman of the National Organization for Marriage. But that is only the beginning of the introduction. A longtime and courageous advocate, researcher, and laborer for marriage, she is a nationally syndicated columnist. She spoke with National Review Online’s Kathryn Jean Lopez about the marriage law Andrew Cuomo signed Friday night in Albany.
KATHRYN JEAN LOPEZ: What’s your best explanation of what happened in New York on Friday night?
MAGGIE GALLAGHER: Governor Cuomo pushed hard for something he a) believed in and b) knew would help his national profile and political prospects. The Republican party inexplicably decided to help him, despite knowing its own base disapproved.
- John Wayne’s birthplace no secret in Iowa – If Michele Bachmann lived in Iowa, she would have known better.
The Minnesota congresswoman cited John Wayne as an inspiration during her campaign kickoff in Waterloo, Iowa, Monday, saying the actor hailed from the town. In fact, Wayne hailed from Winterset, while serial killer John Wayne Gacy came from Waterloo.
Continue Reading
It was a simple gaffe, but a telling one for a candidate whose whole campaign launch played up her childhood in Iowa.Wayne's origins are well known to actual residents of the state, said Brian Downes, director of the John Wayne Birthplace Society.
"You can't go anywhere near this part of the country without seeing signs for John Wayne's birthplace," Downes told POLITICO. "We've been misidentified before … It happens, but the information is posted on Interstates 80 and 35," two major routes that meet around Des Moines.
Downes sounded forgiving of Bachmann's blunder, acknowledging that "every last one of us misspeaks" and recalling: "John Wayne himself would mangle names like crazy — longtime friends and co-stars."
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Simply a gaffe…move on.
- LA Times story on Michele Bachmann benefitting from federal aid mostly overblown – Liberals are in an uproar over a Los Angeles Times story portraying Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., as a hypocrite because she personally benefitted from federal government aid despite campaigning as somebody who wants to rein in spending. While the article does raise several fair criticisms, its central charges of hypocrisy are mostly overblown.
Here’s is the crux of it:
(T)he Minnesota Republican and her family have benefited personally from government aid, an examination of her record and finances shows. A counseling clinic run by her husband has received nearly $30,000 from the state of Minnesota in the last five years, money that in part came from the federal government. A family farm in Wisconsin, in which the congresswoman is a partner, received nearly $260,000 in federal farm subsidies.
It’s been a popular theme of liberals for some time, particularly over the past few years, to raise alarms every time any conservative accepts any form of government aid. The problem with this line of argument is that no matter how conservative or even libertarian people are, they still have to live in the world of big government and pay taxes to support it. Therefore, it would be absurd for them to unilaterally decide not to receive any benefits that are going to exist – and that they’ll help pay for – regardless of whether or not they accept them.
Applying this standard to everybody would mean that libertarians should not collect a penny of Social Security benefits, even if they spent a lifetime sending payroll taxes to Washington. It would mean that if you favor a flat tax, to be consistent, you couldn’t take advantage of any deductions or tax credits when filing returns under the current system.
- House Subcommittee Expected to Introduce Mandatory E-Verify – A U.S. House subcommittee is expected to discuss a bill that will make the E-Verify, the federal program that verified whether a worker has authorization to work in the U.S., mandatory and permanent. Introduced by the chair of the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Policy Enforcement, Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), the "Legal Workforce Act" is expected to be debated by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
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Flap’s Links and Comments for May 26th on 10:32
These are my links for May 26th from 10:32 to 11:41:
- Gov. Christie announces N.J. pulling out of regional environmental initiative – In a blow to clean energy advocates throughout the Northeast, Gov. Chris Christie said this morning that the state will pull out of the region’s "gimmicky" cap-and-trade program by the end of the year.
During a Statehouse news conference, Christie acknowledged the effects humans are having on climate change but said the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative was doing nothing to solve the problem.
"This program is not effective in reducing greenhouse gases and is unlikely to be in the future," Christie told reporters. "The whole system is not working as it was intended to work. It’s a failure."
- Immigration law: Supreme Court upholds law targeting employers – The Supreme Court on Thursday gave Arizona and other states more authority to take action against illegal immigrants and the companies that hire them, ruling that employers who knowingly hire illegal workers can lose their license to do business.
The 5-3 decision upholds the Legal Arizona Workers Act of 2007 and its so-called business death penalty for employers who are caught repeatedly hiring illegal immigrants. The state law also requires employers to check the federal E-Verify system before hiring new workers, a provision that was also upheld Thursday.
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Read it all.
- Craig Huey on Running for Office as a Libertarian Republican and Salvaging the American Dream #CA36 – Daily Bell: How do you view Obamacare? Are human beings born with a "right" to free healthcare? Can charitable, religious and spiritual organizations be sufficiently relied upon to provide a compassionate hand to fellow members of their local communities?
Craig Huey: We have a God given right to life and liberty. To include healthcare as a "natural" right is a perversion of the concept. Charity and religious organizations have historically in America been there to help those in need. That is now being put in jeopardy by the government. I will fight to change that.
Obamacare is one of my priorities for repeal. It's corrupt and flawed. It's dangerous to our health and freedom. It's an example of how bad the Washington's out-of-control centralized power is. Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is an unelected, appointed bureaucrat … the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Right now she is using her power to stifle free speech by forcing insurance companies to be silent about the harm being done. Her 1,968 grants of power will call the shots on which days seniors can access their care. These grants of power set Washington as a dictator on how to dispose drugs at long-term care facilities. Bureaucrats will also delineate how dentists and dental hygienists examine your teeth and much more.
This is not in the Constitution. This is not a function of government. This is not what quality healthcare looks like. Our Constitution specifies that power must be balanced, restrained and never concentrated on one person. This concentration of power can only lead to great harm, abuse and unintended bad consequences. If you've ever been to a government agency, then you know what I mean.
That's just one reason why I believe Obamacare will be found unconstitutional. Already 27 states fall in agreement saying it's unconstitutional. Just the forced individual mandates are completely contrary to a free society. But until the court does find it unconstitutional, I will be committed to defunding Obamacare. I will fight the tax increase. I will fight 6,000 new IRS agents. I will fight the bureaucratic control of doctors and patients.
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- Gov. Christie announces N.J. pulling out of regional environmental initiative – In a blow to clean energy advocates throughout the Northeast, Gov. Chris Christie said this morning that the state will pull out of the region’s "gimmicky" cap-and-trade program by the end of the year.
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U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Arizona Illegal Immigrant Hiring Law
The ruling came down from SCOTUS this morning.The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld an Arizona law that harshly penalizes businesses for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.
In a ruling that could exert pressure on Congress and other states, the court in what amounts to a 5-3 decision declared that Arizona’s law fits within the state’s powers and does not infringe on federal turf. .
“Arizona hopes that its law will result in more effective enforcement of the prohibition on employing unauthorized aliens,” Chief Justice John Roberts, Jr. wrote, adding that “the Arizona regulation does not otherwise conflict with federal law.”
The highly anticipated decision keeps intact the 2007 Legal Arizona Workers Act. Employers could have their business licenses suspended or revoked for hiring illegal immigrants, under the law.
The law also requires Arizona employers to use a federal program called E-Verify to check the immigration status of potential workers. Justices likewise upheld this provision, with Robert calling it “entirely consistent” with federal law.
The decision affirms the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which had likewise upheld the state law. It is a defeat for the politically powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Obama administration, both of which had opposed the Arizona law.
Now, the House needs to get busy in mandating E-Verify for all employment in the United States. Big corporate business have been dumping their employment problems on American taxpayers for decades and it is time to stop.
Want to bet that with E-Verify, there will be more jobs available for legal resident Americans?
And, if the Congress, does not act or President Obama vetoes the legislation, then the states should take up the issue and pass their own laws.
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Flap’s Links and Comments for April 21st on 11:36
These are my links for April 21st from 11:36 to 11:51:
- Owners of Chuy’s restaurants in AZ, CA, indicted for Hiring Illegal Aliens – Federal agents arrested owners of several Arizona and California restaurants Wednesday on an indictment charging them with hiring illegal immigrants and evading taxes.
Agents raided 15 Chuy's Mesquite Broiler restaurants in both states and served 20 search warrants. They detained about 40 suspected illegal immigrants who were working at the restaurants when the raids took place, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Vincent Picard said.
The father and son independently own about 20 restaurants in the Chuy's chain. A company accountant also was arrested on a 19-count indictment.
Mark Evenson, 58, of the Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley, and his son, Christopher Evenson, 39, of Oro Valley, Ariz., were being held pending an initial appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court in Tucson.
The Evensons and accountant Diane Strehlow, 47, of Tempe, Ariz., are accused of hiring illegal immigrants for the company's kitchen operations and paying them under the table. They did not collect state or federal income taxes for those employees, according to the indictment.
Meanwhile, staff who worked with the public were legal workers and taxes were taken out of their checks.
An attorney who has previously represented the Evensons in a civil case said he could not comment on the new indictment. Court records don't yet reflect an attorney in the criminal case. A message left at a telephone listing for Strehlow wasn't immediately returned.
Eric W. Rose, a spokesman for the company that owns the franchising rights to the restaurant chain's name, said officials were "deeply concerned by the alleged actions" of the Evensons and Strehlow.
Rose said the allegations of tax fraud and illegal hiring practices "do not represent the values and ideals of the Chuy's Mesquite Broiler Restaurants, the independent owners or our employees."
He also pointed out that the Evensons have no ownership in several Chuy's locations in California and one in Tucson.
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E-Verify is desperately needed.
How about passing a bill House GOP?
- Capitol Weekly looks at 100 California political warriors – Well, here it is: Capitol Weekly’s list of 100 political players. But since we don’t want you to gag, we’re giving it to you piecemeal. This week, we’re providing 51 through 100. Next week, we’ll do 1 through 50. After that, we’ll disconnect the phones and head to Puerto Penasco.
The most interesting aspect of this year’s rundown is that it clearly reflects the impact of the new Brown administration. Jerry Brown owes his election, in large part, to organized labor. And labor’s clout is demonstrated throughout with a number of labor chiefs and their lobbyists. The list really is a snapshot in time and “Top 100” may be a misnomer here: The rankings change yearly, even quarterly or monthly, as new players arrive, veterans depart and the administration goes through growing pains.
Lists like these are interesting not only for who’s on them, but for who isn’t. There’s no Maria Shriver, no Susan Kennedy, no Henry Gomez. There’s no Grover Norquist, despite a dozen demands that we put him on – if he wants to be on our list, he can move to California.
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51-100 this week…..
Hold on to your hats for 1-50.
- Owners of Chuy’s restaurants in AZ, CA, indicted for Hiring Illegal Aliens – Federal agents arrested owners of several Arizona and California restaurants Wednesday on an indictment charging them with hiring illegal immigrants and evading taxes.
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Flap’s Links and Comments for March 14th through March 15th
These are my links for March 14th through March 15th:
- LA Marathon: Nutrition – Tips from Jeff Galloway – Tips from Jeff
Pre Race Dietary Countdown
Rules:
1. Don't try anything new.
2. Go through the same schedule and foods that worked for you in training.
3. If you hear sloshing in your stomach, you don't have to drink for the next 30 minutes.
24 hours and before: Normal balanced meals. Plenty of liquids all day long, especialy electrolyte fluids (I drink Accelerade). Before marathons you can eat extra carbohydrates.
18 hours before race: Start eating small meals, every 2-3 hours. Keep drinking fluids. After lunch, cut out red meat, fried foods, dairy products, fats, nuts, and roughage.
12 hours before race: Don't overeat. Only light, digestible foods like energy bars, bread, small sandwiches, which you've tried before long runs and races. Keep drinking water and electrolyte fluids. Avoid salty foods.
4 hours and less: Water mostly, with some electrolyte fluid, in small, regular amounts. Cold water is absorbed quicker. I recommend 6 oz. every hour, 8 oz. on hot days. If you want Vitamin C, take it two hours or more before the race.
During race: Drink a cup at every water station – especially the early ones, unless you hear the sound of water sloshing in your stomach.
Recent research has shown that consuming a snack that is 80% carbohydrate and 20% protein helps deliver energy to the muscle during exercise and restocks the energy stores afterwards. I use the products "Accelerde" during exercise and "R4" afterwards.======
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- Arizona-style “E-Verify” Mandate in Trouble? – At Volokh Conspiracy, Stewart Baker notes that the “E-Verify” program,” which “electronically checks to make sure a … newly hired employee’s name matches his social security number, is one of the few interior immigration enforcement measures that works, does so humanely, and has significant bipartisan support.” Expanding E-Verify is one of the likelier areas of immigration legislation in the current Congressional session. And three states have mandated E-Verify for all businesses (see map).
But those state mandates are in trouble in the Supreme Court–which is another way of saying they are in trouble with swing Justice Anthony Kennedy, according to Baker:
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Read all of the piece.
Congress should pass legislation making it clear that E-Verify can be mandated by the states.
I am not worried like a resurgence of the DREAM Act in the legislation, like Mickey.
But, an Obama veto is likely. But, then again, so is an override in an election year.
- President 2012: Haley Barbour Spokesman Steps Down After Making Japan Joke – The press secretary for Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a potential GOP presidential candidate, has resigned following off-color jokes he made in an e-mail Friday, Barbour’s office said Monday.
Dan Turner compiled morning roundups for Barbour’s staff and “allies,” and Friday’s e-mail made light of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan and poked fun at former Attorney General Janet Reno, Politico reported Monday.
Under the section that noted historic events that fell on March 11, Turner wrote that in 1968, “Otis Redding posthumously received a gold record for his single, ‘(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay’. (Not a big hit in Japan right now.)”
He also wrote: “In 1993: Janet Reno was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become the first female attorney general. (It took longer to confirm her gender than to confirm her law license.)”
It was not the first time that Turner made such jokes in the morning e-mail, Politico reported.
The former journalist was a communications director and district representative for Rep. Jim McCrery (R-La.), who did not run for re-election in 2008. Turner was named Barbour’s press secretary in December 2008.=======
Guess this guy failed Communications 101.
- LA Marathon: Nutrition – Tips from Jeff Galloway – Tips from Jeff