Friday, February 29, 2008

The Bush legacy

Our dear president is courting the Mexican Government again. Hope springs eternal for “W” as he tries to carve out a legacy he started in February 2001 with his first visit outside the United States as president…to his old pal Presidente Vicente Fox.

Fox is gone now but Bush is still working the border. Two cabinet members were down there this week. Come to think of it, they are the same two who were White House lobbyists running around the Senate last summer advocating for amnesty.

The team of Carlos Gutierrez (Commerce) and Michael Chertoff (Homeland Security) headed south of the border this week filled with Bush optimism.

Chertoff was in Baja California for a meeting of cabinet-level leaders from Canada, Mexico, and the United States. They were talking about security and the economy. (It sounds like another round of Super NAFTA talks to me.)

So, Chertoff told reporters that he is pleased with the progress Presidente Calderon is making in his fight against drug cartels. “I think the Calderón administration has done an exemplary job, a wonderful job, in tackling these organized criminal groups,” Chertoff said.

I think they should stop smoking the evidence at those meetings. Tourism is WAY DOWN in Baja California because people are afraid to travel. How bad is it? Check out this link from two weeks ago: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tijuana17feb17,0,508172.story

Progress is defined a little differently in the public sector I guess.

The second member of the Bush inner circle is Carlos Gutierrez, at a meeting in Mexico City. Carlos expressed great concern about the poor Mexican farmers. He went on to say that NAFTA was a great success for the United States and that the Bush administration wants more of the same.

One would think the Secretary of Commerce would have a better handle on the economy in the United States. Exporting manufacturing jobs is the last thing we need right now.

Sometimes I think this administration works for Mexico. But at least we can take comfort in knowing that Bush spokesmen are as duplicitous there as they are here.

Bridge work

(not about going to the dentist)

I don’t know about your area but around here all the politicians are buzzing about infrastructure. Let’s build new bridges and roads! After this winter, the taxpayers around here can relate to the pothole problem in the roadways.

Our elected officials give two reasons for the soundness of their plan.

1) It will stimulate the economy
2) We don’t want a bridge to collapse like it did in Minneapolis

As usual, both reasons are full of holes. But they say the difference between a politician and a used car salesman is that the used car salesman KNOWS when he’s lying to you!

Public works projects are a lousy way to stimulate the economy. True, they DO get people working, but it is nothing like the WPA or the CCC of 80 years ago. A government contract for a road or a bridge is a lousy investment because:
1) The wages are governed by federal prevailing wage laws
2) Contractors load up the bid simply because it IS a government job
3) It doesn’t create anything marketable (unless it is a toll road/bridge)
4) The source of payment is tax money, or worse yet, borrowed tax money that must be paid back with interest

In short, it is nothing at all like opening a new widget factory in town. It is simply borrowing money to put expensive people to work. But it is good for votes, especially if you can get the bridge named after a native son of your political party.

As for the threat of bridge collapse, the engineers have determined that the bridge in Minnesota did NOT collapse because it was old. The collapse was due to the fact that the gussett plates were too thin to begin with, thus causing the bridge joints to fail. The added weight of resurfacing, safety “improvements” like barriers, and construction equipment on the scene stressed the plates to the breaking point.

Actually, when you think about it, the reason for the failure was the extra load of CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT that stressed the weak materials used by the contractor who built the bridge.

Ergo, the bridge collapsed because of the government project, so we are safer NOT to work on our roads and bridges.

That is, of course, absurd logic…but it is also important that we avoid being snowed by our elected officials and their campaign donors.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

The chickens...

...have come home to roost.

More information today about our illegal alien up in Minnesota, and officials are pointing fingers. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seems to be a target.

Olga Marina Franco was a passenger in the same van that crashed when it was stopped back in January. The driver was stopped and did not have a license. Olga didn't produce any ID either, but used the Morales alias at that time.

The driver went to court on February 1, paid his fine, and walked away. Apparently that's how things are done up in Minnesota. Why? Conditioned response. The local police can call ICE and ICE won't come and get them.

Read it and weep:
Montevideo Police Chief Adam Christopher and Marshall Director of Public Safety Rob Yant said it’s not unusual for a driver cited for driving without a license to pay a fine, even if the person may be an illegal alien.“In the past when we have had small numbers of illegals (arrested) we’ve contacted the then-INS and now (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). ICE wasn’t willing to send someone from Sioux Falls, S.D., or Minneapolis,” Yant said. “Even when we’ve substantiated someone is undocumented they weren’t willing to come out.”So, “there is really no point” in holding someone in custody who is believed to illegal, Yant said. (From the Marshall Minnesota Independent, 2/28/08)

The article went on to explain that even if the alien admits it, Immigration has little interest in him.

So, we know for sure that four corpses will get the attention of ICE. And we know that admitting to a police officer that you are illegal will not. Somewhere in between is the criterion for beginning the deportation process.

But rest assured that Bush is cracking down on illegals to prove we are enforcing the laws.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Bilingual buzz

The school districts in Illinois are all up in arms about achievement testing. No, this isn’t the typical rehash of “some bright children just don’t test well.” This is a more serious problem. Bilingual students are being measured by the same test as native students. And the test is in English.

Here’s a link to the guidelines and the accommodations that are allowed to non-English students:
http://www.isbe.net/assessment/listserv/2008/jan7.htm

The teachers and administrators are saying, “How can a child take a test in a language he doesn’t know?”

But what comes to the surface here is the true issue. Our schools are given tax money and a goal: To give children the skills they will need to function as productive citizens.

Can they be productive citizens without knowing English? Well, the libs are working on that but at this point the answer is NO. Workers who don’t speak English earn less than those who do. And participating in the democratic process is impossible without knowing English. Sure they can translate the ballot. They can even hold a few debates in Spanish. But to really understand the candidates and the nuances of the issues, one needs a command of the English language.

It is a requirement for graduation from high school all over the country that the student pass four years of English classes. Why? To prepare them as workers and citizens.

So, taking these achievement tests in English really are a true measure of the schools’ performance in preparing students. And No Child Left Behind has some pretty stiff penalties for schools that don’t perform. (I’m not really a fan of NCLB but this is a show worth watching. I can’t go to the movies on Friday nights AND pay my taxes, but federal programs DO have entertainment value.)

The typical bilingual program here in Illinois takes four or five years to complete because they aren’t really trying to teach English as quickly as possible. Teaching English is easy. Especially in the lower grades. You take a Second Grader and put him in front of the television for six months and he will know English. Two years in a bilingual program is TOO MUCH. Five years is a waste of talent and tax money.

But Bilingual Inc. has a different idea. They want to preserve the original culture and language of the student, then throw in some English over an extended period of time. And in the process they will destroy any confidence in Anglo/Western culture. (There’s always time in the day to bash WASPs.)

This five year process employs all sorts of specialists and moves the employees along the pay scale. These tests will take the wraps off this scam, won’t they?

There is a school district in Mundelein (Diamond Lake) that began teaching bilingual students primarily in English back in 2003. Spanish was used as a last resort to reinforce the English words. And they are outperforming their previous program as well as state averages.

Their reward? The state is threatening to withhold $175K in state and federal funding because the program does not qualify under the guidelines of teaching students in a language they can understand. Way to go, bureaucrats!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Quotations

Here are a few short quotes with my comments about each one.
“All policy interventions in social problems produce the intended effect IF the research is carried out by those implementing the policy or their friends.”
~James Q. Wilson

A couple of programs come to mind. First is the Illinois New Americans initiative. It was researched by a Latino activist group called Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. The study was paid for by the Illinois taxpayers. It is already a huge success and will continue to be so in the eyes of Gov. Blagojevich.

Now, Elgin has a Gang Intervention Task Force studying the problem of all the gang shootings last summer. So far they say they need after-school programs and an initiative to teach the neighbors how to speak Spanish so they can communicate with the Latino families in town.

I’m sure the program will be a huge success. The most recent after-school program was a great success too, until the city employee running the program was fired after being arrested for dealing cocaine. They shut down the gym and fired his boss. But even that program is fine now. They changed the name of it. Really. Don’t worry. It’ll be different with a new name. Promise.

“Once the erosion of power begins, it has a momentum all its own.” ~John Adams

Well, Gov Blagojevich has finally been named as the elected official who was wheeling and dealing with Tony Rezko. Of course, the Gov is not accused of any wrongdoing at this point.

Then there is the slide Hillary is taking. If she doesn’t stop the Mo it’ll be a three way race in November – Obama – Nader – McCain. Now just watch as Bloomberg or Paul or Hunter or someone else from the right decides to be a spoiler as well. Let’s hope not; McCain will be bad enough.

“An infallible method of conciliating a tiger is to allow oneself to be devoured.” ~ Dr. Konrad Adenauer.

When I see politicians at all levels finding ways to attract more illegal aliens, I think of the tiger quote. And that brings up a quote by historian Henry Adams when he says, “Practical politics consists in ignoring facts.” And our “leaders” are certainly good at that.

And finally, an explanation as to why government can’t keep up with society. There are new laws and ordinances being considered every day about the darnedest things, from baseball players to t-shirt messages. Here’s why it is so, and why it is a battle that cannot be won under our form of government.

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.” ~John Adams

Monday, February 25, 2008

Let me introduce...

...Olga Marina Franco, an illegal alien from Guatemala. Immigration officials think that is her real name.

And she lied about her age!

Homeland Security did not have her fingerprints on file.

They didn't say how they found out the truth.

Missing persons

I enjoyed poking fun at Homeland Security yesterday as they try to identify the woman responsible for the deaths of four kids in a school bus in Minnesota. After all, there is sweet irony in the fact that our government is sifting through this soiled nest they created by winking at immigration laws.


But there is a much more serious side to this issue. I was going to just be cheeky and explain to my readers that I hope they have four years to wait for ICE to identify her, because that's how long it took to ID Yesenia.


But this is too sad to joke about. It DID take four years to identify her, but it is a tragic tale. For those four years she was known as Castro Valley Jane Doe. Her body was found in a duffel bag behind a diner in Castro Valley, California.


I have learned there are 6,000 unidentified victims in the US. Some have been on the list for decades.


It turns out that Yesenia left Mexico on her 16th birthday, entered the country illegally, and was found dead six weeks later with a rag stuffed down her throat. No one had reported her missing.


It was a $55,000 reward issued in 2006 that prompted her roommate, an illegal alien by the name of Miguel Angel Nunez Castaneda, to come forward with a lead. Miguel was also from the same area of Mexico.


So, armed with flyers and DNA samples, investigators headed to Mexico. After three days they found a mother who had a similar story to tell. The DNA matched. And so now we know her name is Yesenia Becerra Nungaray.


The killer has not been brought to justice.


Some would say this case is a good reason to bring illegals out of the shadows. I say it is a good reason to screen all foreign-born in custody, seal the borders, remove the attractions that bring illegals here, and deport as many as we possibly can.


Because legalization itself is a powerful magnet that will only draw the next generation of Yesenia's (and their killers) to the United States. Amnesty does nothing to deter illegal aliens; in fact it encourages them!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Top Secret

Alien Rants has obtained this exclusive top secret mock up of the plan to determine the true identity of the woman who slammed her van into the side of the school bus in Minnesota.
The strategy includes distributing millions of milk cartons in Mexico and the border states in hopes that someone will recognize her and notify the federal government.
As a byproduct of this program, the Department of Agriculture believes this program will provide a boost to the ailing dairy industry.
The milk inside the cartons will be donated by the people of the United States.
The Mexican Government will use it to feed their military personnel. Any milk left over will be sold to the Mexican public for approximately $3.
President Bush remarked, "Laura and I are excited about this new initiative."
You heard it here first folks.

Survey results

Alien Rants demographers (me) released a study today revealing that 78% of Americans believe carrying around a plastic water bottle makes you look healthier.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

The virtual fence

Well, they tested the new virtual fence on February 13th. It was OK. For $15 MILLION it ought to be. And when Uncle Sam caught Boeing scamming them on the contract, they agreed to $2 MILLION in free support to compensate. (Why am I suspicious about that part of the deal?)

So, in the test they detected 100 people approaching the border, went out and rounded up 38, and the rest they said headed back into Mexico.

Here's a report from a former Immigration Department executive by the name of James Walsh. "On an inspection tour of the El Paso Border Patrol Sector, while interviewing an agent, I observed in the distance twelve illegal aliens dash through a split in a fence, and three Border Patrol agents give chase. The aliens spread out like a fireworks starburst; the agents apprehended three of them; and thus nine illegal aliens were on their way to mingle in El Paso or parts unknown. This snapshot, remember, was a 20-foot stretch of a 2,000-mile border."

When the alarm sounds, is the Border Patrol staffed to send out 100 agents if the sensors detect 100 illegals? Not likely. And it is unlikely that they will make a u-turn. There is zero extra risk in continuing north. If they get caught, they will be sent back; if not, they are home free.

As for the effectiveness of a virtual fence, would you install a virtual front door on your home? Sure, the alarm goes off but by the time someone gets to your home, the perp has stolen your laptop and anything else he can carry off in a hurry. (This argument isn't mine. It came from an essay by James Pinkerton in Newsday. He makes a good point.)

I'm thinking a locked front door is more of a deterrent. How about you? And frankly, it doesn't sound very cost-effective. $15 MILLION can buy a whole lot of fence.

In reality, the fence is less important than our efforts to tell illegals NO. NO to jobs. NO to identity theft. NO to citizenship for their babies. NO to amnesty. NO to free health care and education.

Morales Update

So, Friday the folks at Immigration finally admitted that the lady who crashed her van into the school bus is almost certainly an illegal alien from Mexico.

But they can't be sure because she won't tell them.

I remember a presentation by Police Chief Garrett Chamberlain (New Hampshire) where he defines illegal aliens as "non-persons." (How rude!) What he meant was that we don't know who they are. They have not be officially recognized by the United States government as visitors or guests or tourists or legal residents working toward citizenship.

That is the whole point - we simply don't know who these people are. No screening, no papers, no photos, no fingerprints.

Even with all their counter-terrorism resources Immigration can't tell us who this woman is. They have no idea.

But they assure us they are working on it and should have it figured out in a few days.

Now, if I'm a terrorist with evil designs on the United States, wouldn't it be great to follow her pattern. They are much more clever than a 23-year-old turkey plucker, and if she can get in and assume an identity...if she can move about freely...if she can get herself hired...then a band of terrorists ought to be able to do whatever they want here.

And if they aren't willing to talk, it will be days before we can unravel their plot.

Just one more reason to get tough at the border and the workplace. And to screen every foreign national in custody and get them on the books.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Embarrassment control

It is interesting to watch our government at work in the Morales bus crash case in Minnesota. For example, Immigration is stalling to release her immigration status. The crash happened on Tuesday. As of Thursday night they were still “looking into it.”

Now, Homeland Security has an office in Vermont called the Law Enforcement Support Center whose entire purpose is to be able to identify illegal aliens in a matter of a few hours. In fact, the budget for 2008 includes 17 more technicians and $7.5 MILLION for more T-1 lines at the LESC.

Someone is delaying the release of information about Morales. Why? Well, maybe they are hoping that the media will get tired of this story and move on to something else. Admitting that our borders leak and we should have deported this woman really doesn’t advance the agenda of the amnesty bunch, now does it? And four dead school children are a stark example of our failure.

But the embarrassment spreads. If you’ll recall, Ms. Morales was arrested in 2006. She even went to court. All those local people are now implicated as well. Did the cops in Chippewa County screen her immigration status in 2006? If so, did Immigration tell them to let her go? What about the judge? And the prosecutor?

All along the way, sentinels failed us. Why? Well, an unlicensed Hispanic woman doesn’t attract much attention in our system. You could call Immigration today and ask them to pick up this woman and they would laugh at you, unless you tell them four kids are dead, then suddenly she becomes a priority.

That’s how it works. The cops don’t care, the jailer doesn’t care, the judge doesn’t care, and ICE doesn’t care. There are just too many illegals out there. Let her go. If the crime is serious enough and if ICE is alert enough upon her release, maybe she’ll be added to the list of 600,000 who are awaiting deportation. Where are they waiting? On the streets of America.

2007 was the first year in recent memory when they actually deported more than they added to the list. But at 35,000 deportations a year it will take 17 years to drain the swamp.

But ICE is covering their bases here. They say that IF she's illegal it won't matter. She'll still have to serve her time in Minnesota before she can be deported. Then for sure they'll send her home. That logic would have worked in 2006 but it means nothing now. It means less than nothing because you guys are pretending that you are doing your job. Just once I'd like to see a local ICE agent point east and say, "Ask Bush."

And one more thing; the toxicology tests are in. The bus driver was sober. The man driving the pick up truck flattened by the falling bus was sober. What about Morales? No comment.

Let’s hope we see photos of lots of blushing bureaucrats in the Minnesota papers over the next few days. And let’s also hope these deaths will be a catalyst for change.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Minnesota School Bus Accident




Four kids are dead in a school bus accident in Minnesota. An unlicensed driver ran a stop sign and T-boned the bus, knocking it on its side.




The driver is an illegal alien.




The driver worked at Hormel's Jennie-O Turkey plant for a few months.




The driver was ticketed and fined $182 in 2006 for driving without a license.




So, why didn't they stop her and deport her in 2006? How did she get a job if she's illegal? Because we are so damn politically correct that we refuse to face the facts.




Did I mention that Minneapolis is a fashionably a sanctuary city?




Did I mention that two of the dead kids in the bus were brothers?




Add the story of Ms. Morales to the long list of illegal alien killers behind the wheel and join me in wondering why our society is still so reluctant to join the fight against unlawful presence.




Utah's delegation to Washington

Poor Utah. They don’t have much help in Congress when it comes to fighting illegal aliens. It seems they are all in favor of legalization. (It worked so well in 1986. Why not?)

A case in point is Chris Cannon, a member of the House since 1997. Chairman of the Western Caucus. His Brother Joe is Editor of the Deseret News.

Chris was in Salt Lake this week and spoke with the Tribune about this immigration problem. (It seems funny to me that Hatch and Bennett are also in town and also speaking out about the immigration problem. Something’s up. Maybe they’re sending a message to the state legislature.)

Where Chris gets his campaign money:
http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_give/2007_H6UT03042

So, Chris makes some interesting statements in his interview with the Tribune:
1) The immigration system is broken. (OK Chris, what have YOU done about it in the ten years we’ve been sending you to Washington?)
2) The Swift raids were ordered by Congressmen up for re-election in November of 2006, except the raids were supposed to be done in October. (Now Chris, ICE is not under congressional control. There is this branch of government called the “Executive Branch” that executes or carries out the laws you write over in Congress. Congressmen don’t order ICE to do anything. The President does. And he’s as pro-illegal as you are.)
3) Employment verification doesn’t work. (Chris, you say you heard that right from Chertoff’s mouth? That would make quite a headline if you could prove it because Chertoff is fighting hard to get people to use it. And have you reported this information to anyone, Chris?)
4) Immigration raids are targeting specific companies. (Well Chris, how about making E-Verify mandatory for all businesses? That would level the playing field. And unless you haven’t heard, these raids are based on high numbers of Social Security number violations. Meat packers seem to have a problem in that area.)
5) Fixing the problem would paralyze business. (Chris, we can see who you work for with comments like that. Remember the voters? The ones who subsidize the problem with their taxes and insurance costs? The ones who have their identities stolen? Take a couple of minutes and think about them.)
6) Illegals keep the economy going. (See #5 above. At what cost?)
7) Amnesty is the answer. (Well, it would get you off the hook for a few years, but it doesn’t do a thing to fix the problem itself. How does amnesty help alleviate all the problems that are funded locally? How are you going to hold back the Third World in the future if you legalize this bunch?)

But Hatch was no better. He spoke about the problem on Tuesday. Orrin thinks we are making good progress with the wall at the border, which shows you the reality he lives in. Then Hatch gets real vague with "find some humane, decent way of first identifying them and then going on from there." Hatch has been in Washington even longer than Cannon. He first showed up in 1977. After 30 years and all those studies, he ought to have a better idea than identify them and then go on from there.

Senator Bob Bennett said it was a real tough problem and nothing was going to happen in this election year. Bennett went to Washington in 1993.

So, Utah, what have you got? You’ve got the Church telling politicians to be kinder and gentler, and the ones in Washington are all talking amnesty. And why not, there’s good money in agri-biz donations.

The sad part is that the state reps are now going soft as well. It ain’t looking good, folks!

The good George...

…and the evil George.

In a White House document entitled “Guiding Principles in U.S. Discussions with Mexico” dated February 16, 2001, President Bush makes two statements separated by only 67 words. These statements reveal the conflict within the mind of the President that dooms immigration reform.

Statement #1: “Our most important obligation is to those who follow the rules and abide by the law. The only path is the legal path.”
Statement #2: “The program would rest on a carefully worked out partnership between the sending and receiving countries that recognizes the contributions undocumented Mexicans are making in the United States and that brings together willing workers and willing employers.”

In August of 2001 Bush told an audience, “Remember, we've got hardworking citizens who are willing to walk 400 miles of desert in blistering heat to find work.”

He made a similar statement on September 6, 2001 during a speech in Ohio with Vicente Fox. “Think about the Mexican worker who walks 500 miles across a desert to find work. Those are hard-working citizens.”

Note that in both cases he calls them “citizens.” In his mind, the effort expended in sneaking across the border and putting your life at risk in the process qualifies you for citizenship. He spent much more time and effort in that first year in office on legalization than he did on the rule of law.

And when he talks about improvements in enforcement, he has to go back to 1993 to quote a decent percentage of change. Here’s an example from his outline in February of 2001 where Bush talks about the number of Border Patrol agents: “This is 12 percent more than 2001 and represents more than 175 percent growth in agent staffing since 1993.” And most of that 175% is attributed to the Clinton administration when they added 3,860 agents before Bush even moved into the White House.

Bush was also in favor of extending 245(i), a little known personal amnesty that Clinton used extensively. 245(i) essentially allowed illegal aliens who could prove that they broke the law and were already working in the United States to apply for a green card, assuming the employer was willing to keep them on the payroll.

Another theme that emerges early in George’s first term is the idea of enlarging NAFTA. Again, from February 16, 2001, Bush says, “We reaffirm our support for the creation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas as soon as possible. We believe our two nations can now build an authentic partnership for prosperity.” The first meeting about the plan was held in Quebec in April of 2001.

In an interesting case of wordsmithing, after 9/11 the Bush Administration added the word “Security” to the program. It is now known as the “Security and Prosperity Partnership.”

So we can see that amnesty and super NAFTA were firm plans for Bush right from the beginning. What is harder to see is why? The economy was already soft before 9/11, wages were low (especially for low-skilled jobs), manufacturing was continuing to leave the country, and there was turmoil at the border over trespassers. Why on earth would Bush call it leadership to encourage illegal alien workers here and jobs in Mexico?

And even more puzzling, why would he hold to that belief for EIGHT YEARS? The easy answer is Hispanic voters, but he would be a fool to risk it all just for that.

Monday, February 18, 2008

From Clark to globalism

J. Reuben Clark, Jr. was arguably the most famous statesman raised up by the Mormon church. He has two claims to fame outside the church.
1) His memorandum to the Monroe Doctrine
2) His service as ambassador to Mexico.

His famous memo was written in 1928 to soften our protectionist position on Latin America. Teddy Roosevelt felt in necessary to take a very strong view of protecting Latin America from European exploitation, especially since he was building the Panama Canal and didn’t need any colonizers hanging about.

What Clark said in his memo was that the Monroe Doctrine applied only when we felt like it. It was no guarantee that we would protect Latin America, but that “the United States itself determines by its sovereign will when, where, and concerning what aggressions it will invoke the Doctrine, and by what measures, if any, it will apply a sanction.”

The Cuban Missile Crisis may well have been the last legitimate application of the Monroe Doctrine. Perhaps there have been other minor skirmishes but they were quickly resolved.

Our involvement in the Falkland Island War is instructive. We reluctantly agreed to support the British, in part because the UK had possessed the islands since Monroe was president. It was a rallying point for the government of Argentina to take back the islands. The US would have no part of it and fell in line with the British.

Who knows what happened to the Monroe Doctrine in 1846.

Regarding Clark’s involvement as ambassador to Mexico from 1930-1933, it is clear he understood the Mexican people and their problems. And Clark did not believe that the United States was “set up as an eleemosynary government to feed and clothe and nurture all the rest of the world. [But that] it was set up for the purpose of establishing a government which should bring peace and prosperity to the people of this nation.”

Since then, U.S. Presidents have set up trade agreements with Canada, Mexico, Central America, and Peru. They have opened our borders, provided amnesty to seven million people who entered illegally, and passed laws and judgments granting free public education and hospital care to trespassers. As a final slap in the face, U.S. Citizenship is freely given to their children.

Despite repeated warnings that any immigration policy ought to be of benefit to the people of the United States, globalist leaders in the White House and Congress have not only tolerated but encouraged, the immigration (both legal and illegal) of large numbers of Third World citizens.

And now we are witnessing the Security and Prosperity Partnership which will further erase not only our borders but our sovereignty as well.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Unions and illegals

There are some interesting connections between labor and illegal aliens. Why? The short answer is that traditional union jobs in the United States have dwindled considerably. (News just last week that General Motors is going to “attrition out” 74,000 workers making $28 an hour and replace them with workers at half the cost.)


But there has to be more to this issue than simply a new supply of dues payers. I think they make a good match. The illegals are primarily from the poorer classes of people in third world countries, which would make them likely to appreciate socialist concepts.

And they would be working in the service sector, making little money and doing menial work.

SEIU caters to them in very visible ways, sponsoring protest events for example. They are ever-present at the May Day parades. Here in Chicago their stage becomes the centerpiece of the rally at the end of the parade. SEIU emcees the stage, which boasts the likes of Mayor Daley, Congressman Gutierrez, Senator Obama, and Cardinal George. And the union pays to print the protest signs you see at these events.

And, reminiscent of the “Wobblies” from a century ago, they seek international membership (Hence the name Service Employees International Union. Whatever happened to names like American Federation of Labor?)

But they also give out campaign contributions at all levels, mostly to the Democrats (97% in Illinois), but also to Republicans and non-partisan candidates. SEIU represents school bus drivers and city workers, along with janitors, doormen, security guards, and sundry other workers.

The SEIU handed out over $1.9 MILLION to Illinois candidates in 2006, and yet I can find no evidence that anyone thought it was inappropriate to accept those donations.

The SEIU places itself in strategic places as well. For example, Joseph Geevarghese, SEIU Director over hospital issues. He’s the treasurer for the Illinois Coalition for Illegals and Refugee Rights (or something like that) ICIRR. And Geevarghese’s mailing address is in Washington, DC. So, what’s a high level union guy from DC doing on the board of an Illinois illegal alien advocacy group?

There is something else you should know about ICIRR. They are in tight with Gov Rod Blagojevich. Whatever ICIRR proposes for illegals, Blago works to make it happen. Did I mention that the SEIU gave Blago $908 THOUSAND in 2006 and $821 THOUSAND in 2002? http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200214&c=18523

The unions continue to contribute to political causes and candidates, with SEIU leading the pack. Here’s a study on how they do it and where: http://www.followthemoney.org/press/Reports/200801091.pdf

For an overview of union activity in the United States, take a look at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics review here:
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm

Note the overwhelming unionization in the public sector, yet another clue of trouble in our economy.

I don’t claim to have the answers, but I do have all sorts of questions. The unions obviously think their future is in illegal aliens, but why? And why don’t the American dues payers rise up and protest this activity?

I suppose because card-carrying union members don’t have any more control over their union than citizens do over the way government is run. All the power is at the top and you can either be in the union or out. If you are part of the collective bargaining agreement, you pay dues anyway.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Dip it


We’ve had a big plastic container of pretzel rods in our kitchen since before Christmas. It has survived Christmas parties, church socials, New Years Eve, and midnight snacks for two months. And the container was still half full.

Then last night my dear wife dipped them in chocolate and put a few colorful sprinkles on top. They’ll be gone in a couple of days!

The analogy isn’t lost in the political correctness of the day. There was a letter to the editor today by a local attorney who claims that these AFLA folks are racists because they use terms like “illegal” rather than “undocumented.”

Like I say…if you dip it in chocolate and add a few colorful sprinkles…

The trouble is we have a whole generation of people taught in school and the MSM that “no human being is illegal.” They’ve never seen a naked pretzel. One could wear out his life fighting that battle.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Pew - What's that smell?

I’ve used Pew Hispanic Center data for quite some time now. They tend to understate the problem of illegal aliens, but the trends at least have been honest. Actually, Jeff Passel tends to stick to the census numbers which he helped to interpret years ago when he was at the census bureau and the Urban Institute. GIGO.

But at least the garbage couldn’t be labeled as extreme, which saves all sorts of time when you are debating the illegal alien issue.

You’ve probably heard the recent projections in the news this week about the immigrant population in 2050. Great headlines. It ought to wake people up, especially if you think Hispanics ought to do a better job when it comes to assimilation.

But there is a problem with the data, and it does not bode well for those of us who quote Pew data. It appears the fix is in. Someone got to the folks at Pew and told them to stop embarrassing illegal aliens with their numbers.

The problem manifests itself in “Figure 4” of the new report called “U.S. Population Projections: 2005-2050” (the one in the news this week). The chart would lead you to believe that the rate of illegal alien influx dropped significantly from the ‘95-’00 time period to the ‘00-’05. The footnote says “Unauthorized migration is net; legal immigration is arrivals only.” Figure 3 gives the same distortion.

Jeff is cooking the books here and he contradicts himself in the process. Passel himself reports in the “Unauthorized Migrant Population Study” of 2006 that the 1995- 1999 time frame netted an average of 575,000 unauthorized per year while the 2000-2005 time frame came in at 850,000 unauthorized per year.

He also declared that the influx of immigrants was outpaced by illegal aliens since 1995.

Suddenly, the illegal picture looks lower on the charts.

In the same 2006 report, Passel declares in Figure 2, “Unauthorized Clearly at New High –Trend Uncertain.”

In this new report, he also proclaims that total immigration (legal and illegal) has declined sharply since the year 2000, to pre-1990 levels.

Perhaps that decline is to prepare us for the huge non sequitur, that immigration is going to drop down to under 5% for the next 45 years!

This screwy report only shows me that Pew is no longer going to publish data that shows illegal aliens in a negative light, even if it means faking the numbers.

Imagine how bad the report would be if it showed a continued flow of illegal aliens?

They call themselves a “fact tank”, but I think Pew needs to find a new adjective.

Humo y espejos

Poor Calderon. Not only does he have a lame duck in the White House, but he also has a public that knows more about the illegal alien problem every day.

What is he going to do if the United States no longer welcomes his annual 500,000 overstock of humanity? Why, he’d have to feed, house, employ, incarcerate, educate, and treat them himself. Who will deliver the babies? Who will provide police protection? Who will keep them from taking to the streets to rebel against the government?

Well, Mexico would have to do that. After all, they are Mexican citizens. He’d have to do something besides shipping the problems to America. He'd have to deal with his problem just like the rest of the Third World. Except Mexico has oil and a long growing season and gold and silver and a booming tourist trade. He's far better off than most of the Third World nations. Why, if it weren’t for government corruption and the fact that Mexico has no middle class, Mexico might be a nice place to live.

So, here comes El Presidente with his “humo y espejos” (smoke and mirrors) show, on tour in the United States this week only. We should be ashamed of ourselves for the racism directed at Mexicans. (He's just like all the rest of the pro-illegal alien crowd…call them racists and bundle the legals with the illegals and hope no one notices. Aren’t we getting a little tired of that?)

He was up at Harvard giving his speech yesterday. And a stop at the UN. Then it’s on to Chicago (aren’t we lucky) and LA and then Sacramento.

He’s still on message from my earlier report. #1 – We need Mexican workers and Mexican workers need us. #2 – The drug problem is a result of demand in the United States. #3 – A big fence isn’t very neighborly of us.

And his timing stinks. According to a population study that hit the streets yesterday, the entire United States will look like Elgin schools by the year 2050.

Maybe that’s why he isn’t meeting with any presidential candidates on this trip – none of them dares to have their picture taken with him since the majority of voters want a fence and stronger enforcement.

Good luck, Calderon. Maybe next time you’ll bring your perro y poney.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Irrepressible conflict

The term “irrepressible conflict” was first used by William Seward in 1856 to describe the battle over slavery in the context of the position of the democratic party.

Now, with the specter of a McCain presidency looming we are faced with a Republican version of “irrepressible conflict” over amnesty for illegal aliens.

I could have just as easily used those three buzzwords –“comprehensive immigration reform”- as the issue, but they tend to soften the blow. Even the Democrats believe we need a fence at the border…except everyone from Congress to Bush himself tend to withhold the money for the project at budget time; Clever maneuver, but it did not go undetected.

And it would take only a little work to come to some sort of guest worker program agreement, although past history shows that they please no one and, by themselves, don’t deter future unlawful presence. Experts like Vernon Briggs also contend that guest worker programs harm citizen workers, although not to the extent illegals do.

The central issues of the immigration debate are:
1) Third world immigrants vs. points-system immigrants
2) Family unification vs. individual qualification
3) Government support vs. self-reliance/adequate sponsorship
4) High levels (1 MILLION+/year) vs. Low levels (250,000/year)
5) Amnesty vs. deportation

These are the key issues. The Democratic debates tend to focus on driver’s licenses for illegals. Their main defense is to shift the question to the big picture which evolves into our need for workers and the needs of our most important neighbor – Mexico. Some launch into a utopia scenario of raising the standard of living in Mexico to relieve the pressure here.

I remind such theorists (and Presidente Calderon, headed to the United States this week) of the following levels of support that we already provide to Mexico in the midst of ever-increasing levels of immigration and illegal entry:
1) 31% of all LEGAL immigration comes from one country – Mexico. Even in the great migration of a century ago, no TWO countries combined made up 30% of the immigrants.
2) 56% of the ILLEGAL aliens in the United States come from one country – Mexico.
3) 71% of Mexican immigrants speak little or no English. –Assimilation problem #1
4) Only 19.8% of Mexicans have chosen to become naturalized citizens. – Assimilation problem #2
5) 57% of Mexican immigrants do not have health insurance.
6) 50.9% of Mexican immigrants use some form of welfare services, paid for by U S taxpayers.
7) Remittances back to Mexico totaled $24.3 BILLION flowing out of our economy last year.
8) The United States purchases 1.3 MILLION barrels of oil EACH DAY from Mexico at $90+ a pop.

How much additional support to Mexico can we be expected to give?

The irrepressible conflict is going to come from conservative Republicans who aren’t buying what McCain is selling. If he reaches across the aisle for compromise on this one, he will get lots of letters, e-mails, and faxes.

Call it amnesty, legalization, or path to citizenship but it will get a negative reaction from the Right. And the Left has issues as well, especially regarding fees, fines, back-taxes, time periods, touch-backs, and background checks. If the amnesty program gets too expensive or too complicated, the Left won’t support it. One only needs to review the antics of last summer to see the result. In the end no one was happy with the bill.

Perhaps the best we can do is what we are doing now; enforce the laws on the books as they presently exist, fight the courts over enforcement measures, and build the fence.

A McCain, Obama, or Clinton presidency will continue to give hope to illegals already here. And unfortunately, it will continue to provide yet another magnet for more illegals to enter on the hope that amnesty is coming.

The irrepressible conflict will go on until such time as the Left accumulates enough critical mass to overcome backlash from the Right. The Hispanic birthrate is a key element. Naturalization will strengthen it. Successful motivation of Latino voters will help.

Working against the movement are the Latino protests (which only serve to irritate the citizenry), older voters, a failing economy, union workers who have suffered, lack of assimilation, African-Americans, term limit movements, and lack of confidence in government generally.

The irrepressible conflict spoken of in 1856 resulted in the Civil War. What about this one? No one knows.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

A bad re-run

In preparing my book on George Bush I am finding fascinating information about Bush the candidate (in 2000). Although he was careful with his words, the fix was in on immigration even then.

For example, Bush talked about reorganizing the INS to separate it into an enforcement arm and a separate arm for processing immigration documents. We sometimes believe the restructuring was a result of 9/11, but actually it was in the works before that.

The INS has a rather sordid past, including fraudulent dog-and-pony shows for Congressmen, cooking the books to make themselves look good, and giving away citizenship to ineligible people as part of the 1995 Citizenship America campaign.

Bush also spoke out against Proposition 187 in California, saying it was unfair to children who deserved an education. In his political parsing, he was silent on the other public benefits.

He often touted his expertise as the governor of a border state.

He was talking in vague terms about guest worker programs as early as April of 2000. And he wanted a strong border to keep illegals out in the first place.

From his 2000 candidate website: “Governor Bush believes that immigration is not a problem to be solved, but the sign of a successful nation. As Governor of a border state, he knows first-hand the benefits legal immigrants bring to America. While he is strongly opposed to illegal immigration, he believes more should be done to welcome legal immigrants. Therefore, he will establish a 6-month standard for processing immigration applications, encourage family reunification, and split the INS into two agencies: one focused on enforcement, and one focused on naturalization and immigration services.”

Now, here’s John McCain’s website:

"Immigration is one of those challenging issues that touch on many aspects of American life.

"I have always believed that our border must be secure and that the federal government has utterly failed in its responsibility to ensure that it is secure. If we have learned anything from the recent immigration debate, it is that Americans have little trust that their government will honor a pledge to do the things necessary to make the border secure.

"As president, I will secure the border. I will restore the trust Americans should have in the basic competency of their government. A secure border is an essential element of our national security. Tight border security includes not just the entry and exit of people, but also the effective screening of cargo at our ports and other points of entry.
But a secure border will contribute to addressing our immigration problem most effectively if we also:

"Recognize the importance of building strong allies in Mexico and Latin America who reject the siren call of authoritarians like Hugo Chavez, support freedom and democracy, and seek strong domestic economies with abundant economic opportunities for their citizens.

"Recognize the importance of pro-growth policies -- keeping government spending in check, holding down taxes, and cutting unnecessary regulatory burdens -- so American businesses can hire and pay the best.

"Recognize the importance of a flexible labor market to keep employers in business and our economy on top. It should provide skilled Americans and immigrants with opportunity. Our education system should ensure skills for our younger workers, and our retraining and assistance programs for displaced workers must be modernized so they can pursue those opportunities

"Recognize the importance of assimilation of our immigrant population, which includes learning English, American history and civics, and respecting the values of a democratic society.

"Recognize that America will always be that "shining city upon a hill," a beacon of hope and opportunity for those seeking a better life built on hard work and optimism.

"Border security and our failed immigration system are more examples of an ailing Washington culture in need of reform to regain the trust of Americans. In too many areas -- from immigration and pork barrel spending to Social Security, health care, energy security and tax relief -- business-as-usual politics prevents addressing the important challenges facing our nation." (From the current John McCain website)

I like it when he says, “Americans have little trust that their government will honor a pledge, “ and “ an ailing Washington culture in need of reform to regain the trust of Americans,” and even “business-as-usual politics prevents addressing the important challenges facing our nation.” Does he think he somehow wasn’t involved in the nonsense of the past?

McCain has been in Washington since 1983, which means he was there for the 1986 amnesty, the reforms of 1994, 1996, and 1997, and the 9/11 disaster and subsequent commission. And he was in the thick of the immigration debate, co-sponsoring with Ted Kennedy (passing laws on immigration reform since 1962), and a member of the infamous "gang of 12" who tried to force-feed us amnesty last summer.

The most distance he can claim on that fiasco was when others accused him of “parachuting” into the committee well into the process. McCain shot back at his accusers with, “I know more about this issue than anyone else in this room.” Rumor has it that McCain added some color to that comment in the form of the f-bomb. You’d have to ask Cornyn for an exact quote.

So, when you step back it is like seeing a bad Bush movie all over again. McCain blames Washington (without implicating himself), praises immigration, talks about a secure border, and moves on with meaningless rhetoric. It isn’t likely that America wants four more years of the same when it comes to immigration, but I fear that McCain is offering just that.

His stance on immigration is nothing more than telling the voters, “I know more about this issue than you do.”

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Now what?

So Huckabee took the evangelical south as a spoiler, with a little help from McCain. Romney comes across as the outsider.

Michael Savage says he knows why Romney isn’t getting any traction among the king-makers. They look at his family with well-adjusted sons and grandchildren. Then they look at their own circle, filled with abortion, gays, and divorce…and they loathe the man for what he represents. Others say Romney is “too perfect.”

I’ve resigned myself to the fact that immigration will never be a popular issue for politicians. You just can’t spin it into a positive. Any way you look at it there are quotas, fines, fees, maybe even deportations. And the premise of winking at law-breakers just doesn’t feel right.

Immigration will need to be constantly driven from outside the party structures. With McCain in the lead it is even more important. He won’t bring it up. The media won’t bring it up. The people will need to make noise about it.

Romney isn’t dead yet, but he is badly wounded. He needs some serious wins to be a credible candidate.

The way out of the darkness in American politics is a long shot indeed, and it won't happen before November. I’ve noticed people switching parties or even going Independent to win. The old party platforms are so soft now (centrist) that no one cares about the party regulars. They assume you will vote the party.

Swing voters matter and every candidate wants to appear moderate and carefully pick at the special interests.

We’ve seen Lieberman shift his affiliation to win, then go back to his seat on the left after the election. Locally, Noverini, a solid Republican, has gone over to the Dems to win his race. Both were able to pull off their objectives.

So, party doesn’t mean much. And with approval ratings low, the wise congressmen (if there are any left) just might caucus around some other standard. If that works for them, it could become a party. Illinois is paralyzed right now at the state level. They had an awful year in 2007. This year doesn’t look any better.

We can only hope that some new alliances will come from the animosity and lack of public approval. The long shot is a new political party.

On the other hand, the machines can build in roadblocks to make such an alliance impossible. There are no Independent office holders in Illinois because the system is designed to keep them out.

Right now, it looks like any of the front-runners for president will pretty much follow Bush when it comes to immigration.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

United Airlines

In a continued effort to self-destruct United Airlines has announced that it will charge customers $25 a bag for that second piece of checked luggage. They claim that one out of four passengers check two or more bags, so they expect all sorts of new $$$$ from the policy change.

I thought Homer Simpson worked at the power plant; now I think he must be running United. What is wrong with those people?

They came up with the great idea of charging people for extra legroom when they showed up at the gate.

And they started the $2 curbside fee at Ted.

Not to mention the extra day of cancelled flights to reposition planes and crew members.

Does anyone over there stop and asks themselves if this is the way to get and keep customers? Or are all the MBAs busy with their spreadsheets assuming that people will just open their wallets and the money will just pour in. I think they've just added to their list of dis-loyal customers.

Monday, February 4, 2008

La Movida

All you Elgin fans, there was a murder at La Movida in the wee hours Sunday morning. I've waited all day for the details, but they haven't released them. My guess is the cops are still spinning the story to avoid implicating the Hispanic population.

La Movida is a Latino dance club. It is a hopping place most week-ends with some security on hand. This particular event was a hall rental and the victim looks like he's African-American, so maybe the suspect isn't Latino. We'll see.

The bits and pieces of the story are that a guy shot the victim, security wrestled the gun from the perp, he then took off on foot.

But...he got hit by a car while trying to cross Route 31. His injuries are not life-threatening but they did stop him in his tracks.

Moral to the story: Thou shalt not kill AND look both ways before crossing the street.

So, here we are 36 hours later and the police haven't given his name because they haven't been able to talk to him. I say they are stalling.

Stay tuned.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Cattle torture

For the record, that Humane Society hidden camera video that is causing such a stir...if you listen to the audio, all the torturing is being done by people speaking Spanish.

The libs will need extra Prozac over that one.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Cheap foreign imports











It’s getting ridiculous! You can’t find anything made here anymore.

But we aren’t the only Juans with problems. From Reuters, dateline Mexico City: “Thousands of Mexican farmers, some riding tractors and herding cows, flooded the capital Thursday to demand government protection against cheap U.S. imports.”

Here are some pictures of the protest. Note the lack of flags. I guess they only use them when they protest in the United States.

And don’t think for a minute that the Mexican Government was powerless to stop this protest. They wanted the world to see this.

That hunk of flames is a tractor burning next to the Monument of the Revolution.




Obama the economist

“Well, let me first of all say that I have worked on the streets of Chicago as an organizer with people who have been laid off from steel plants; black, white, Hispanic, Asian, and, you know, all of them are feeling economically insecure right now, and they have been for many years. Before the latest round of immigrants showed up, you had huge unemployment rates among African-American youth.

“And, so, I think to suggest somehow that the problem that we're seeing in inner-city unemployment, for example, is attributable to immigrants, I think, is a case of scapegoating that I do not believe in, I do not subscribe to.” ~Barack Obama 1/31/08 Debate

This is an important statement to make, especially if you have minted yourself as the candidate for the union man. Obama must continually send out that message lest union rank-and-file realize that illegal aliens have been stealing work from them. And in the fierce battle for the African-American vote, Barack needs to downplay the impact of third world immigrants.

Obama’s position flies in the face of economists and demographers. For example, Roy Beck says that “a tight labor market is the best friend and American worker ever had,” as he points to the immigration policy from 1925-1965.

University of Chicago Economist Dr. Barry Chiswick said this about the impact of immigration on the workers in the United States: “The evidence is very clear that the large, low skilled immigration that the United States has experienced in the last three decades has had a depressing effect on the wages and employment opportunities of lower skilled workers who are citizens or permanent resident aliens of the United States.

“And this has actually been one of the factors that has increased the inequality in earnings in the United States that we’ve seen over the last few decades. And this is one of the consequences of an immigration policy, both the legal immigration stream and the tolerance of large streams of low skilled illegal aliens, has been the increase in the inequality and the slow growth, and in some years even negative growth, in the real earnings of lower skilled workers in the United States.

“I think it’s very clear that low skilled workers, whether African-American or white or Native Americans have been the ones who’ve paid the price of the very large low skilled immigration, both legal and illegal, that we’ve seen in the United States over the last three decades.

“African-Americans are more likely to be low skilled workers than are whites and so African-Americans have in fact paid the higher price. And let me refer to a comment that was made earlier about the illegal aliens doing jobs that native workers will not do, and that is simply not true. Because if the illegal alien workers, low skilled immigrant workers were not there, the wages would be higher and that would make these jobs more attractive for native workers.

“So, you know, in parts of the country where you don’t have very many illegal aliens or low skilled immigrants, lawns do get mowed, restaurant dishes do get washed.” (Chicago Public Radio Forum October 2, 2007, Elgin IL)

One wonders how Chiswick’s Chicago differs from Obama’s Chicago since both live there.

Now, let’s see what Dr. Vernon Briggs of Cornell (another Economist) has to say on the subject: “ The estimated 7.4 million illegal immigrants are concentrated in the low skilled segment of the labor force where they compete with over 42 million legitimate workers (i.e., the native born, naturalized citizens, permanent resident aliens, and temporary visa holders eligible to work) who are also mostly employed in low skilled occupations.

“Because the illegal immigrant workers will do whatever it takes to get a job, they become ‘preferred workers’ for these jobs. The losers are the legal workers whose wages and incomes are depressed or who become unemployed as well as the others who become discouraged from seeking work and withdraw from the labor force. These are the persons who are most adversely affected by the unfair competition with illegal immigrant workers and who are in need of the protection of the law. But their voices continued to be ignored.

“Illegal immigrants inflict harm on the American workers. Getting them out of the labor force is as important as keeping others from illegally entering the country.

“Only then will market forces be free to set the wages and working conditions without being artificially depressed and worsened by the presence of the shadow labor force who are not even supposed to be in the country, to say nothing about not being in the labor force. Given another amnesty – especially on the unprecedented scale of the millions now in the U.S—would free them to move into other occupations and other geographic regions of the country not now infected by the presence of illegal immigrant workers.” (Congressional Testimony, May 3, 2007)

Care to restate that, Mr. Obama? Or do you continue to believe it is all a matter of “scapegoating”?