Another Victory on the Illegal Immigration Front

Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri signed an executive order that includes a series of steps to combat illegal immigration. He correctly links the presence of illegal aliens to Rhode Island's financial woes. It’s good to see a leader see that can add 2 + 2 and get 4.

He signed the order Thursday and it requires state agencies and companies that do business with the state to verify the legal status of employees. It also directs the Rhode Island State Police and prison and parole officials to more aggressively find and deport illegal aliens.

By the way, did I mention that he was an evil Republican? I really didn’t think I would need to do so since I am talking about someone doing the right thing for our country.

Like all of us, Gov. Carcieri said he understands that illegal aliens face hardships — but he does not want them in Rhode Island, America's smallest state. "If you're here illegally, you shouldn't be here illegally. You shouldn't be here," Carcieri said.

Here comes the violin music….

Illegal alien advocate Juan Garcia fears Gov. Carcieri's proposals will drive a vulnerable community underground. Would that be underground into one of the tunnels going back to Mexico? He said illegal aliens who are victims of crime will fear approaching police, and that children could suffer if parents lose their jobs.

"These people are not criminals," he said. "This is affecting the poor people."

Juan, they are criminals. What part of the word illegal is so hard to understand? They are here illegally. Because they’re poor it’s supposed to be okay? Rhode Island faces an estimated $550 million budget deficit, its worst financial crisis since a series of bank and credit union collapses in the early 1990s.

I wonder how much of that deficit would be gone if RI didn’t have to use the taxes of legal citizens and guests to pay for services for illegal aliens? As a result, Carcieri has had to propose cutting school funding, reducing welfare and health care benefits and even letting prisoners out of jail early. Maybe all of those areas would be getting cuts even if there weren’t illegal aliens in RI. But I bet it would be less. And in all fairness, it isn’t the burden of the illegal aliens alone that have caused this deficit. But it didn’t help either.

The truth is that we need to either enforce our current immigration policy or get a new one. We need to secure the borders first, and then figure out how to handle the supposed 12-20 million illegal aliens in this country.

Carcieri supports increasing the number of legal immigrants and skilled workers allowed into the country. The difference here is the word ‘legal’.

When a reporter asked if his order might embolden xenophobes (that’s liberal code word for anyone that loves this country and wants our immigration laws enforced), Carcieri blamed the media for inflaming the immigration debate. YES!!! As we used to say when our bombs hit the target… “Shack”!! Way to go, Governor!

So, under his order, state police will enter an agreement with federal immigration authorities permitting them access to specialized immigration databases. That information would allow police to identify and detain illegal aliens.

Even better, though, the state police could investigate the legal status of anyone they suspect is an immigration violator, including crime victims, witnesses and people supplying police with confidential tips. Finally, someone is taking the political correctness out of the way of enforcing our laws.

I’m sure this will cost money in the short term but I know it will save money in the long haul.

Perhaps we could send a bill for services to Mexico and other countries that tell their people to come here illegally.

Now I am going to wait to see what the real defenders of freedom, the ACLU, have to say about this.

A-6Dude

The Kiss of the Tigress
2 parts Mandarin Vodka
1 part Cointreau® Orange Liqueur
1 part Orange Juice
1/2 tsp Powdered Sugar
1 Twist Oranges

Moisten glass rim with an orange twist, then dip rim into sugar (for more flavor try Stirrings® Coffee and Cocoa or Espresso rimmer). Pour liquid ingredients into shaker with ice and shake until very cold. Strain into rimmed martini glass. Garnish with twist of orange if desired.

Update: Berkeley Backs Off On Banning Marines

In an update to my earlier post, yesterday the Berkeley Mayor (pictured left) apologized to Marines over the recruiting center flap that occurred recently. I wonder if it would have occurred if the six Republican senators in Washington had not devised a plan to yank $2.3 million in federal funding for Berkeley programs. Or, perhaps the backlash by real Americans that love and support the men and women who serve to protect our freedoms.

In addition, two city council members vowed to soften their stance on the issue as well. Doesn’t that just make you warm all over?

At their Tuesday council meeting, leaders will discuss scrapping a letter that might be perceived as targeting the center or the Marines. The letter said that the recruiting center was not welcome in Berkeley and that the Marines were “uninvited and unwelcome intruders.”

In the world of liberals nothing is more uninvited and unwelcome than freedom and those that secure it. Well, maybe an opposing viewpoint would be more unwelcome. That might be a toss up!

I won’t rehash my previous post on this but I am glad to see that the Berkeley City Council is backing off, even if I don’t believe that they are really sincere.

"That letter will probably be pulled back and maybe more moderate language will be put in place which is appropriate I think," said Berkeley mayor Tom Bates.

MAYBE more moderate language will be put in place? Ya think? How about getting rid of all of it if you’re really sorry?

Berkeley City Councilman Laurie Capitelli (right) had this to say: "Subtly stated in the resolution is perhaps an impugning of the soldiers fighting for us in Iraq and other places and that was never the intention but that really needs to be cleared up. As I walked to my car that night I realized I regretted it and I had made a mistake." SUBTLY STATED?

I have learned in the business world that one rarely apologizes. Instead, one ‘regrets’. So Councilman Capitelli, since ‘perhaps an impugning of the soldiers’ was a regrettable action how do you make up for it? You people are way too wrapped up in your hatred for anything good about America. And unless the six Republican senators in Washington had threatened to take punitive action you would have continued your unpatriotic letter.

But I take comfort knowing that Mayor Bates and the city didn't mean to offend anyone in the armed forces and feel that the focus should have been on the war not the troops.

Your TRUE colors came out Tom. You liberals always say you support the troops but not the war. I have always thought that was a BS statement and this action shows what you really think about the troops. And worse, mayor, you claim to be a retired Army captain. You disgust me and dishonor those that have served and are still serving if that is true.

And it took the threat of losing federal funds for schools, water ferries and police communications systems to get your attention. The Republican plan would give the funds, intended for a school lunch program, UC Berkeley and ferry service, to the Marines instead. Now there is a good idea! But knowing the Marines, they would have donated it to something for the city like Toys for Tots , or something like that.

Bates went on to say, "We apologize for any offense to any families of anyone who may serve in Iraq. We want them to come home and be safe at home." How about apologizing to the Marines too? Let me get this right: spit on the Marines and apologize to their families. Give me a break!

Even better, Council members have said they would replace the "intruder item" with words expressing their support for the troops but not the war in Iraq. Don't waste your time, no one believes it anyway, much less you worms.

"Patriotic American taxpayers won't sit quietly while Berkeley insults our brave Marines," said one of the senators. Last week, as I said in a previous post, the council passed resolutions giving Code Pink a place to park out front. In doing so, the city is giving the group a place to continuously protest the Marines.

"What we're doing is we're announcing a bill that we intend to get on the floor to strip transportation from the city of Berkeley," said East Bay Republican Assemblyman Guy Houston. "What they have done in Berkeley is they have set aside a parking spot and in my opinion a public right of way, a public transportation corridor, specifically for a private organization -- in this case Code Pink -- to harass and annoy the United States Marine Corps and their recruiting efforts. We think that playing around and having an agenda with the public right of way is subject to ramifications. There is $2.3 million in proposition 1B transportation dollars. We think that should be in jeopardy." Amen!

Don’t get too giddy over the ‘regrets’ by the city council. Others on the Berkeley City Council seemed quite firm on their stance and Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Barbara Lee said they plan to fight the Republican bill. I would expect that. But where is there rebuke of the city's actions?

And Code Pink announced they would have what they called a "24-hour peace-in" leading up to Tuesday's city council meeting. They will have a lot of company. A group of pro-troop protesters will also be there too.

"I was under the impression that we have the right of free speech," said Xanne Joi of Code Pink. "To me, I thought free speech meant you get to say what you want without recrimination." Xanne (what kind of name is that, anyway), all freedoms come with responsibilities. That is something you liberals seem to forget. Actually, in your morally relative paradigm no one should have to be burdened with any responsibilities. I think freedom of speech ends at libel and slander and things like that.

Berkeley City Councilman Gordon Wozniak (right) extended an olive branch to the Marines. He went to breakfast with a recruiter Thursday morning. Wozniak said he does not support the harsh language of the letter to the Marines originally authorized by the city.

"Berkeley is supposed to celebrate diversity and free speech and we welcome homeless people here. We welcome illegal immigrants. We give them sanctuary. We should welcome the Marines. I mean they're basically dedicating their lives to protect their country."

That’s right, Gordon, they’re protecting this country so you spineless pansies can ‘say what you want without recrimination” and ‘welcome illegal immigrants’. And that may totally sum up the way liberals think…let’s welcome illegal immigrants to our city but get rid of the Marines. YGBSM!!

Ann Cooper (below) with the Berkeley Unified School District wants both sides to play nice.
"Senators sitting 3,000 miles away are trying to take food away from the children of Berkeley," said Cooper. "Why? Because the Marines and the city aren't playing nice -- and that's just not OK."

No, Ann, it’s the city that’s not playing nice. The Marines aren’t out there counter protesting Code Pink or the fact that you’d rather have illegal aliens in your city than United States Marines. They are going about their jobs protecting invertebrates like you with Honor, Courage and Commitment – qualities you liberals cannot fathom and certainly don’t possess.

A-6Dude

NO Martini recipes for you liberals today!

Voter IDs

Next week the Supreme Court will hear arguments for Indiana’s voter ID law. Georgia’s similar law will be affected by their decision, expected sometime in June 2008.

The Republicans want this law in effect to prevent voter fraud. I agree. In Virginia, I have to show my driver’s license every time I vote. I don’t have a problem with it. I smile, show them my ID and then go cast my vote. It takes about 15 seconds of my time.

To me this makes great sense. Voting is reserved for U.S. citizens. Why should it be a problem to verify your citizenship status and eligibility to vote? I have to prove my citizenship status every time I get a new job and for a host of other events in my life. So why is it a bad thing for us to prove we’re U.S. citizens when we vote?

The Democrats say we’re disenfranchising the poor. How? It is not hard to prove you’re a legal citizen. It takes little effort to get a copy of your birth certificate if you don’t have one.

The Dems only care about this because it is the poor that usually vote for them. After starting the War on Poverty 40 years ago the Dems still cannot declare victory and yet the poor seem to follow them like sheep. And this has created a section of our population that has become dependent on the government for their well-being.

Just think about that for a minute – the Dems started a war 40 years ago and have spent over 7 trillion dollars on it and still have made no real progress. Why do the poor in this country continue to follow them?

And if there is no requirement to prove you’re a legal citizen of this country then illegals can vote and that the Dems want – to create another permanent underclass of people that are dependent upon them for their well-being. That’s just what they’ve done to the poor in this country.

To me this is a no brainer. Even though it is part of a voter fraud preventative measure, it is also an issue of right and wrong. Voting in America is a right of U.S. citizens and they should be able to prove, and have no problem with proving, that they’re legally eligible to vote.

A-6Dude

Here is the classic Dirty Martini as I make them:

2 parts premium quality Vodka

Vermouth mister

olive brine

olives

Shake Vodka over ice till the shaker is too cold to hold. Strain into ice cold cocktail glass. Add about a tablespoon of olive brine and spray 2-3 mists of vermouth over vodka. Add olives and drink.

Immigration Enforcement, the American Way

Here is something I am glad to see. In Scottsdale, AZ police have begun routinely asking for proof of citizenship from every suspect they arrest and turning those who are in this country illegally over to federal immigration officials. More cities need to follow suit.

The county I live in is trying to do something about it themselves and are not waiting for the feds to do their job. The legal challenges will determine what our county eventually is able to do but at least they’re doing something about it by scaling down the services that illegal aliens are able to get. It's a start.

And in Scottsdale they are asking everyone about their citizenship status. I’m sure some will be offended but so what. I get asked that question on a daily basis by a lot of the customers and partners I deal with in my job. I politely and proudly say I am a US citizen and go on with my day.

The illegal immigration issue is a complex beast. But like a lot of issues we face the first thing we need to do is enforce the laws that we already have on the books. I don’t know why our politicians think we need new laws. Maybe it's to convince their constituents that they are actually working. Maybe they're graded on the number of legislative initiatives they sponsor.

But the cost that this country incurs paying for services provided to illegal aliens is astronomical. No one should be denied emergency medical services but other social services should not be available to those that are not here legally. I have yet to hear an argument with any merit that causes me to change that view. Talk about something that will and does drain the economy - it’s all of the money we spend on services to people that are here illegally. And they think they’re entitled to it!

How about this for a set of laws for immigrants in our country (this does not apply to legal US citizens):

If you immigrate to our country, you have to speak the our native language.

You have to be a professional or an investor or a skilled worker; no unskilled workers allowed.

There will be no bilingual programs in the schools. The native language will be the only language in which classes are conducted (excluding foreign language classes).

No special ballots for elections. All government business will be conducted in our language.

Foreigners will not have the right to vote — or hold political office. If you’re not a legal citizen in our country, you are not entitled to welfare, food stamps, or other government handouts.

You can come if you invest here: an amount equal to 40,000 times the daily minimum wage. If not, stay home.

But if you want to buy land, it'll be restricted. No waterfront property is allowed to non-citizens. As a foreigner, you must relinquish individual rights to the property.

You don’t have the right to protest. You're allowed no demonstrations, no foreign flag waving, no political organizing, and no bad-mouthing our country, our President or his policies. You’re a foreigner: shut your mouth or get out!

And if you come here illegally, you're going to jail.

Whoa! Harsh, huh?

Well, every one of those laws are actual laws of Mexico today! See how the Mexican government handles immigrants to their country. But yet they don’t want us to protect our border or our culture. Sounds like a double standard to me.

So how do we fix it? Here are my thoughts after listening to many discussions from both sides of the aisle.

The first thing I would do is to do whatever it takes to stop illegal aliens from crossing the southern border, or any other avenue of entry. If that means a fence, great. But we need to do whatever it takes.

I don’t want to stop immigration. Legal immigration is vital to the growth of this country and it needs to be promoted. And legal immigrants coming to America need to properly assimilate. We can handle the influx of the right numbers of legal immigrants economically.

Then we should allow more qualified, skilled immigrants like high-tech graduates, specialists and other skilled workers into this country.

The next thing to do is deal with the 11 or 12 million, or however many, illegal aliens that are here now. I'd recognize they're here. I don't know that deporting them is a reality. I'll keep that option open for now.

But we have to do what's necessary to stop more of them from getting in, find the ones that are here, fine them and put them through a process that makes them legal. And that process cannot be any easier than what we make any legal immigrant go through to be here legally or become a US citizen.

If we get tough on the borders, there shouldn't be another 11 or 12 million illegal aliens in the next 20 years, or 200 million the next 20 years. But if you don't have a border you don't have a country, and if we're not going to enforce our borders then why worry about having a country.

So we need to fix our borders first. If you did that you'd have a much easier time coming up with an enforcement plan with which people can agree. As long as that border remains porous and we continue to always have 11 or 12 million illegal aliens that are always here, or more, it's going to continue to be an issue that plagues us on many different fronts….socially, economically and in our national security at a minimum.

As I see it, this is a local as well as a federal issue. Don't all law enforcement officers and public officials raise their right hands and swear to defend the consititution an the laws of the land?

I’m glad to see another city take the bull by the horns and not wait for someone else to do their job. That’s leadership and that’s American.

A-6Dude

For the Christmas Season, here is a good martini recipe:

Gingerbread Apple Martini

1 oz vanilla vodka

2 oz Canton Ginger Liqueur

2.5 oz apple cider

3-4 drops of lemon juice

orange zest

Agave syrup

Line a chilled martini glass lightly with agave syrup. Rim the glass with graham cracker crumbs. Place all ingredients except orange zest n a shaker with ice and shake until the shaker is too cold to hold in your hand. Strain into the martini glass and grate orange zest on drink and serve immediately.