Frist unveils minority health bill (This socialist needs to GO!)

Here we come a pandering, a pandering, a pandering....

Sat, Sep. 30, 2006

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is aligning himself with Democrats in hopes of enhancing his political legacy through an effort to improve minority health care.

Frist, a Tennessee Republican who is retiring this year and is considering a 2008 presidential run, introduced the legislation Friday. The bill authorizes roughly $500 million to reduce disease rates among racial and ethnic minorities and some poor rural whites.

The other sponsors are Democratic Sens. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, Barack Obama of Illinois and Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico.

Lawmakers are scheduled to work Saturday but then recess until after the election, when they will return for a lame-duck session. Senate aides, speaking on the condition of anonymity because a strategy has not been completed, said Frist would probably try to attach the health bill to another measure in November. They said a spending measure is an obvious choice.

"This bill paves the way to better health care for disparity populations by increasing research, enhancing education and improving patient-provider communication," said Frist, who often takes the lead on health care legislation.

Added Kennedy, "Your health should not depend on the color of your skin, the size of your bank account or where you live."

The legislation calls for research into why some groups have higher rates of disease than others and attempts to eliminate such disparities. Just a few statistics from the Centers for Disease Control include:

_Black women are more likely to die of breast cancer than women of any other racial or ethnic group.

_Rates of death from heart disease were 29 percent higher among black adults than white adults in 2000.

_American Indians and Alaska Natives were 2.6 times more likely to have been diagnosed with diabetes compared with non-Hispanic whites in 2000.

The bill would restore funding to several programs that have experienced cuts, including initiatives to increase minority enrollment in medical schools.

"I think it helps to have a diverse health profession. I think it makes it more culturally sensitive," said former Surgeon General David Satcher, a leading advocate for narrowing health gaps between groups.

The legislation sets up grant programs, including one for hospitals to conduct research on health disparities. The bill also creates a Food and Drug Administration panel that would make recommendations on issues related to racial and ethnic minorities.

One other provision would require hospitals to step up the collection of data by race, ethnicity, geographic location and income. That may spark privacy concerns, but data is necessary, Satcher said.

"You can't do this without good data," he said. "We have to know where we are and how we're doing, and you have to have data to do that."

More than 45 million Americans are uninsured, and the bill does not address that. The sponsors acknowledged that has earned them some criticism but said they wanted to stick to the narrower approach to have a better chance of passage and keep the bill under the jurisdiction of one Senate committee.

ON THE NET

Centers for Disease Control on health disparities:

http://www.cdc.gov/omh/AboutUs/disparities.htm

Important Illegal Alien court cases to watch!

Mother seeks $100 million in son’s death

By Phil Ray, pray@altoonamirror.com

HOLLIDAYSBURG —9/29/06 The mother of a man killed in a triple homicide last year plans to sue the federal government for $100 million, court documents state.

Sandra Miller of Altoona is the mother of Stephen Heiss, who died Aug. 28, 2005.

Miguel Padilla was convicted and received death sentences this month for killing Alfred Mignogna, owner of the United Veterans Association building; Fredrick Rickabaugh Sr., UVA doorman; and Heiss, a patron.

The jury wasn’t told that Padilla is an illegal alien. [snip]

A victory!!

Carpet plant accused of illegal hires can be sued

The Associated Press Published: September 28, 2006

ATLANTA A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that one of the world's largest carpet makers can be sued under racketeering laws over allegations of hiring thousands of illegal immigrants and depressing wages. The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals issued its ruling against Dalton, Georgia-based Mohawk Industries. The case was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in April, but was sent back to the Atlanta-based appellate court for reconsideration in June. Lawyers for the former and current Mohawk workers said they will now move forward with pursuing a class-action lawsuit against the company, which is the second-largest carpet and rug manufacturer in the United States and has over 30,000 employees. "It's a huge victory," lead attorney Harry Foster said from his Chicago office. The workers involved in the lawsuit claim they received lower wages than workers at other companies in the Dalton area, which is known as the "Carpet Capital of the World" and home to carpet plants for Shaw Industries, Interface and other companies. "Other companies in the area not hiring illegal workers pay significantly more," Foster claimed. [snip]

FICKLE FINGER OF FATE AWARD! You guess which finger, MEXICO!

Mexico Opposed to U.S. Border Fence
AP ^ | 9-28-2006

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico warned Thursday that the U.S. proposal to build miles of border fence will damage relations between the two countries.

The Foreign Relations Department said it was "deeply worried" about the proposal, which is working its way through the Senate, adding it will "increase tension in border communities."

"These measures will harm the bilateral relationship. They are against the spirit of co-operation that is needed to guarantee security on the common border," the department said in a statement.

BUT yesterday.......

Mexico chides Rice for political remarks
9/27/06

MEXICO CITY - Mexico said Wednesday that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was out of line by suggesting that its democracy was just now maturing, saying it wasn‘t up to her to voice such opinions publicly.

"Mexico has come through this crisis and I think it‘s been a real vote of confidence in the Mexican democratic system, which after all, is relatively — it‘s just now maturing in a kind of two-party system," Rice said.

Ruben Aguilar, spokesman for President Vicente Fox , said Wednesday that "we shouldn‘t be surprised that other countries salute Mexican institutions," but said Rice shouldn‘t comment on Mexican democracy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carlos Mencia: "Mexico Sucks!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MS-13 members live by the motto "We kill, we rape, we control,"
Witness Tells Court About Gang Rape in MS-13 Trial

By Ruben Castaneda
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 29, 2006; B02

The petite young woman was a 16-year-old Laurel High School student three years ago when she decided to skip classes one day to join two other girls at a party at a Hyattsville apartment.

At the party, she said, Oscar Ramos "Casper" Velasquez took her into a bedroom, where he kissed her and told her that if she didn't have sex with him, as many as 15 other teenagers and young men at the gathering would have sex with her.

When she resisted, two more young men entered the room, the woman told jurors yesterday in federal court. One man threw her on the bed and choked her, the other held down her arms and "Oscar pulled out a gun," she testified.

"He put it to my head, and he said if I didn't shut up, he was going to kill me," the woman told jurors.

Eight men raped her, the 19-year-old woman said. Two assaulted her simultaneously. Outside the room, she said, she heard one man say, "Five minutes each." [snip]

The Real Story: Anchor Babies

This article is from Glenn Beck/CNN "Real Story" segment, and he's worth watching!
Updated September 27, 2006
Senator John Warner has blocked an attempt by some prominent Republican Sentors to add a few illegal immigration provisions -- like the 700 mile "just go around me" fence to a defense bill that's coming up for a Senate vote soon. It's now looking more and more like, once again, NO immigration bills will be voted on before the Senate is supposed to adjourn on October 6. By the way, is anyone looking into these guys' vacation schedules? They had virtually the entire month of August off and now they're going to adjourn in early October? It's no wonder nothing ever gets passed.

Anyway, the Real Story tonight is that even if this bill were to pass and the fence magically appeared overnight, we'd still be stuck with a major roadblock in the way of ever really fixing the problem...the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

That Amendment, which was debated and ratified back in the 1860's, says that, quote "All persons born or naturalized in the United States...are citizens of the United States."

Sounds simple enough, until you consider that in the 1860's the biggest thing on Congress's mind was slavery. The Supreme Court had ruled that the children of slaves could never become U.S. citizens and Congress wanted to change that.

Wait a second -- the "infallible" Supreme Court may have made a mistake?

...And our Congress can fix it!? Wow, maybe they should try using that little superpower a bit more often.

Now, nearly 140 years after the Amendment was ratified, it has nothing to do with the children of slaves anymore. Now it's all about the children of illegal immigrants. Some estimates say that as many as 10%, or over 400,000, of all babies born in the U.S. are to illegal immigrant parents.

The kids are sometimes called "Anchor Babies" because they can petition the government to make their parents citizens once they reach age 21 which has lead many people to suspect their parent's conceive them simply to get themselves citizenship. In Los Angeles, nearly 100,000 children of illegal immigrants received free government aid this past January. That cost the city $23 million dollars. Again, that's one month...in one city.

Aside from Canada and Mexico, the U.S. is one of the only modernized Western countries that allows for birthright citizenship. Try it in the U.K., France or Germany and they'll say either "tough luck" or "send us an application and we'll get back to you."

Over the years there've been a lot of attempts to change the 14th Amendment, but they've all failed since no politician really wants to be seen as "hating newborns" or, quite honestly, be called a racist for helping to repeal something that's so strongly associated with helping African Americans.

Mums the word on border - OUTRAGE of the DAY!

Agent suspended for speaking to Congressman during unannounced visitDaily Bulletin by Sara Carter

Congressmen who visit the U.S.-Mexico border unannounced are being monitored by the Department of Homeland Security, and at least one U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent has been suspended for speaking to a congressman without first getting supervisory clearance, according to documents obtained by the Daily Bulletin.

Congressional representatives interviewed by the Daily Bulletin said they were unaware until recently that Border Patrol agents were required to file Significant Incident Reports -- normally used for shootings and other serious border incidents -- when congressional representatives made unannounced visits this summer along the U.S.-Mexico border.

A second document obtained by the paper reveals that one agent was suspended for 10 days without pay for speaking with Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, who made an unannounced visit to the border in May.

"Preventing Congress from speaking freely to federal employees violates at least two federal statutes, and agents are fearful of telling the truth," said King, who recounted several visits to the Mexican border when Border Patrol agents would not speak with him for fear of reprisal.

"Filing these reports is a form of intimidation. If anyone is going to be punished, then they should be punished for not speaking to a member of Congress, rather than for telling the truth."

Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, who also has made unannounced visits to the border, said he is concerned congressional oversight of border matters has suffered as a result of the Homeland Security monitoring. Poe echoed King's assertion that forcing agents to file reports is a form of intimidation, and said Congress is prepared to call for hearings and issue subpoenas to investigate the matter.

"Members of Congress should not be under surveillance by Homeland Security because we ask the tough questions (of) border agents, and border agents should not be intimidated into having to report our visits and conversations with them like we are criminals," Poe said. "Members of Congress are not the enemy because we want to find out the truth at the border."

Michael Friels, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, denied that the incident reports were meant to keep tabs on congressional representatives, adding that the reports were simply an effort to keep U.S. Customs and Border Protection leadership informed about congressional visits.

"I think a (Significant Incident Report) is a matter of awareness," Friels said. "It's to ensure our agency is aware of high-profile visitors, media activity and significant arrests -- anything our leadership needs to know in order to have appropriate situational awareness."

Friels said that he could not comment on the Aug. 21 suspension of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent who spoke with King because the matter is "still pending an administrative process."

In a May 10 memo, "SIR for Visiting Congressmen," Clint Stoddard, special operations supervisor and a Tucson (Ariz.) Sector commander with Customs and Border Protection, notified all supervisors to set new standards for reporting Border Patrol agents who have any encounters with visiting congressmen. The policy is in effect nationwide.

"Recently, Iowa Congressman King visited the border area," the memo states. "An IIR (local report) was done on one of two contacts with our agents. A request was made by HQOBP (Headquarters of Office of Border Patrol) to elevate these types of contacts to an SIR (Significant Incident Report). Sensitivities are such that this type of information is critical in the D.C. area. Much is going on in the way of legislation proposals and such.

"Please ensure that unannounced visits such as these are promptly reported as an SIR."

"The clear intent of this policy is to discourage employees with firsthand knowledge about the porous state of our borders from sharing that information with members of Congress," said TJ Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union representing about 11,000 Border Patrol agents. "In order for our democracy to function properly, citizens and lawmakers must have access to the unvarnished truth."

Withholding information from congressional leaders violates the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Bonner added.

Under Title 6 of the United States Code, section 254, employees of the Border Patrol and several other agencies who willfully deceive congressional leaders face stiff penalties and termination. Bonner added that intimidating agents from speaking to congressional representatives is just as egregious.

"The Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security may, notwithstanding any other provision of law, impose disciplinary action, including termination of employment, pursuant to policies and procedures applicable to employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, on any employee of the Bureau of Border Security who willfully deceives the Congress or agency leadership on any matter," the act states.

"They're asking border agents to violate their own policy," Bonner said.

Friels rejected that assertion, saying Customs and Border Protection officials want to make sure operations are adequately staffed while these visits take place.

"We want to coordinate these visits so we can continue our border security operations. They (agents) have a specific duty, whether it's patrolling the border or a CBP officer at a port of entry," he added.

A Tucson Border Patrol agent, whose name is being withheld for fear of reprisal, was suspended on Aug. 21 for 10 consecutive days without pay for speaking with King while on duty, according to a suspension letter obtained by the paper.

Office of Border Patrol officials, who had heard that congressional leaders were making unannounced visits to the border, discovered the identity of the agent while performing an Internet search, when they found a photograph of the agent with the congressman.

"On May 6, while on official duty, you met with your friend, Congressman King, and three other individuals," the letter stated. "You took them to an area west of your office and gave them a tracking demonstration, and you spent approximately three hours with these individuals. You did not have prior supervisory permission to perform these activities while in an on-duty status."

King said he is "seeking a positive resolution to that matter."

Numerous field agents interviewed by the Daily Bulletin over the past month said directives from U.S. Border Patrol headquarters have also kept them from filing accurate reports about incidents along the southwest border.

"It feels like we just can't speak the truth," said an Arizona Border Patrol agent, speaking on condition of anonymity. "They want to know what we say and who we say it to. If we say something that doesn't fit with the agency line, then we're reprimanded."

Sara A. Carter can be reached by e-mail at sara.carter@dailybulletin.com or by phone at (909) 483-8552.

HR5523 Seeks to align US immigration laws with Mexico's!

TheTownCrier

H.R.5523 , a recently introduced bill in the U.S. Congress attempts to make U.S. immigration laws more like Mexico's highly "U.S. citizen" discriminitory immigration policies, commonly referred to as Mexico's General Population Act.

The more you read, the better it gets! What's good for the gringo, is good for the Mexican, one could say. Interesting concept and a great reference, although we haven't heard much about the idea. But then the media isn't too hip on telling us what a bigotted country Mexico really is.

There is a plentiful amount of social engineering included in the wording of the bill indicated in the summary below, to cause concern, but all in all points out the unbalanced way Mexico expects US to accomodate their citizens.

Title: To align the immigration laws of the United States with the Mexican General Population Act.
Sponsor: Rep Linder, John [GA-7] (introduced 6/6/2006) Cosponsors (5)
Latest Major Action: 6/12/2006 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity.

Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] - 6/20/2006
Rep Forbes, J. Randy [VA-4] - 6/6/2006
Rep Goode, Virgil H., Jr. [VA-5] - 7/28/2006
Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] - 6/29/2006
Rep Myrick, Sue [NC-9] - 6/13/2006

Highlights sample:

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H.R.5523

U.S. General Population Act (Introduced in House)

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SEC. 506. REENTRY AFTER DEPORTATION.

Any foreigner who, after being deported, enters the country again without having obtained readmission authorization shall receive up to 10 years in prison and be fined up to $9,000. The same penalty shall be imposed on any foreigner who fails to report or hides his or her deportee status in order to obtain a new entry permit.

SEC. 507. UNAUTHORIZED OVERSTAYS.

Any foreigner who, after initially having legally obtained authorization to enter the country, remains in the country illegally due to noncompliance with or violation of the administrative or legal provisions upon which his or her stay was conditioned shall receive up to 6 years in prison and be fined up to $9,000.

SEC. 508. UNAUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES BY FOREIGNERS.

A fine of up to $6,000 and imprisonment of up to eighteen months shall be imposed on any foreigner who performs activities for which he or she is not authorized in conformance with this Act or the entry permit granted by the Department.

SEC. 509. CRIMINAL OR DISHONEST ACTS DURING.

Any foreigner who violates the terms governing his or her stay in the country by performing unlawful or dishonest acts shall receive up to 2 years in prison and be fined up to $17,000.

SEC. 510. FALSE CLAIM REGARDING IMMIGRATION STATUS.

Any foreigner who maliciously makes use of or claims to hold an immigration status different from that granted to him or her by the Department shall receive up to 5 years in prison and be fined up to $9,000.

SEC. 511. UNLAWFUL ENTRY.

Any foreigner who enters the country illegally shall receive up to two years in prison and be fined between $600 and $9,000.

SEC. 528. PERMITTING FOREIGNER TO ESCAPE IMMIGRATION CONTROLS.

A fine of up to 1,000 times the general minimum daily wage in effect at the time the violation is committed shall be imposed on any person who takes custody of a foreigner and then allows said foreigner to escape immigration controls, without prejudice to such penalties as may be incurred in the event such action constitutes a criminal offense.

SUMMARY AS OF:
6/6/2006--Introduced.

U.S. General Population Act - Directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement or promote measures to: (1) influence population dynamics through education systems, public health systems, professional and technical training systems, and child protection systems, and encourage the participation of the collective populace in solving the problems that affect it; (2) regulate immigration and ensure immigrant assimilation and distribution into the national environment; (3) restrict U.S. emigration when national interests so require; and (4) stimulate the establishment of strong population cores of U.S. citizens and nationals in low population density border areas.

Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) migration; (2) immigration; (3) a national population registry; and (4) immigration-related penalties.

News you Missed!!

Mexican bank chief talks immigration

By DIANNE SOLÍS / The Dallas Morning News (Common Sense in Mexico!)

Guillermo Ortiz, Mexico's central bank governor, admits he takes a contrarian view on immigration policy.

Unlike the current Mexican administration, Mr. Ortiz thinks tougher enforcement policies in the U.S. might help Mexico.

"I think Mexico needs its people," said the 58-year-old Stanford-educated economist, on Tuesday in Dallas. "It would be best to keep its people in Mexico, and it would give incentives for Mexico to create the jobs that are needed."

In remarks to the editorial board of The Dallas Morning News, Mr. Ortiz characterized his views as a "little contrarian" to those of President Vicente Fox, who has pushed for a guest worker plan with the U.S.

Instead, he says tougher enforcement measures, such as those being discussed in Congress, "would not be altogether bad. It would certainly be better over the long run.

U.S. Loses Ranking as Most Competitive Economy to Switzerland

Sept. 26 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. lost its position as the world's most competitive economy to Switzerland as budget and trade deficits prompted a slide to sixth in the World Economic Forum's annual rankings.

Switzerland jumped from fourth place last year and Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Singapore all overtook the U.S. with Japan, Germany, the Netherlands and the U.K. rounding out the top ten in the study of 125 nations by the Geneva-based forum.

The decline in U.S. competitiveness adds to questions about the outlook for the world's largest economy as economists at JPMorgan Chase & Co. suggest its potential for growing without inflation is fading and as the expansion shows signs of slowing.[snip]

Retired Officers to Senate: Rumsfeld Must Go; Fund the War In Iraq to Win

Note: listen to this from Cspan, it was a good hearing! NOT good news. They all agreed that there were not enough troops and without initially SECURING IRAQ's borders the insurgents roll over the borders every day.

By John E. CareySeptember 26, 2006

Three retired U.S. Army Officers address a congressional committee on the war in Iraq in starkly harsh words Monday.

“I believe that Secretary Rumsfeld and others in the administration did not tell the American people the truth for fear of losing support for the war in Iraq,” retired Maj. Gen. John R. S. Batiste told a forum conducted by Senate Democrats.

A second military leader, also a retired two-star general, Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, assessed Rumsfeld as “incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically.”

Mr. Eaton also said Mr. Rumsfeld “continues to fight this war on the cheap.” And he didn’t spare the Congress; criticizing them for not holding a hearing like the one yesterday sooner and allowing the pentagon to fund the war largely due to a series of “supplemental” funding bills.

A third officer, retired Colonel Paul X. Hammes, joined Batiste and Eaton in testimony before the Democratic Policy Committee of the U.S. Senate. The unusual location was chosen, Democrats said, because the Republican leadership in the Senate has not permitted thorough oversight of the war in Iraq from the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Retired Marine Col. Hammes compared the shifting of insufficient U.S. troops from one Iraq hot spot to the next to a game of “Whac-A-Mole.”

Hammes, an acknowledged expert in counter insurgency, said we should be prepared for this effort to last “another 10 years.”

Hammes also discussed “Unity of Effort,” a key to victory all U.S. War Colleges teach. He said we don’t have it in Iraq. He served in Iraq in 2004 and is now Marine Senior Military Fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, National Defense University.[snip]

``The U.S. has now been running twin deficits for many years and there is an increasing concern that they are creating a vulnerability in the economy,'' Augusto Lopez-Claros, the forum's chief economist, said in an interview.

"'Border baby' boom strains S. Texas"

James Pinkerton of the Houston Chronicle offers a suprisingly even-handed article:

First it was a trickle, now it's a flood.

Rising numbers of undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Central America are streaming into Texas to give birth, straining hospitals and costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, health officials say.

Doctors and health officials say they are overwhelmed by both the new arrivals and those immigrant mothers who already are in the state. Even Houston's feeling the pinch. An estimated 70 percent to 80 percent of the 10,587 births at Ben Taub General Hospital and Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital last year were to undocumented immigrants, administrators say...

They also quote a Starr County obstetrician: "The word is out: Come to Starr County and get delivered for free. Why pay $1,000 in Mexico when you can get it for free?" However, it also has this:

Birthright citizenship, as it is known, has been in force since the approval of the Constitution's 14th Amendment in 1868. But several bills under consideration in Congress would abolish the longstanding federal policy. Sponsors include U.S. Reps. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, and Nathan Deal, R-Ga.

Not exactly true. The 14th amendment has only been interpreted (for many decades) as granting birthright citizenship, but that was not the original intent of that clause.
(from our friend Lonewacko blog! Thanks!)

On Native Americans and Immigration

"Today, people see the policies of the past with 21st century eyes. One might wonder how the nation's indigenous population became "inferior" cultures in their own land, or how a nation could have committed such atrocities in the name of "progress". One might question whether it is acceptable to make national decisions without involving in the decision making process those who will be most drastically affected"

The Immigration Story That's Not Written

by Rep. Lamar Smith
Posted Sep 26, 2006 Human Events

Immigrants helped build this great country.

We welcome 1 million legal immigrants every year. And America's generosity toward legal immigrants will continue regardless of the outcome of the current debate on immigration policy.

But that debate simmers with emotion. For the sake of our country, we must make decisions based on facts. Unfortunately, facts are hard to find in the news coverage of this issue.

A report by the Media Research Center (MRC) reveals that the three major broadcast networks, ABC, NBC and CBS, have greatly skewed the immigration story. The MRC examined 309 stories from the networks from March 24 through May 31. This time period stretches from the time of the first pro-illegal immigration rallies to the passage of the Senate’s immigration bill. The results of MRC’s research are illuminating.

The networks argued that the protest rallies showed widespread support for “pro-immigrant” reform. However, they ignored their own public opinion polls that suggested otherwise. For example, CBS never cited its own poll findings that 87% (April 6-9) or 89% (May 4-8) of Americans said that the problem of illegal immigration was “very serious” or “somewhat serious.”

On March 25, NBC cited a NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, claiming that “59% of Republicans disagree with a temporary worker program for illegal immigrants.” In fact, the poll found that 59% of all Americans disagreed with the temporary-worker program, not just Republicans.

In addition, the networks were twice as likely to feature advocates of amnesty or a guest-worker program as they were to feature advocates of increased border security.

The disparity was most pronounced on the days of the rallies for illegal immigrants. On the evening of one large rally on April 10, the sound-bite count on the three major networks was 43 to 2 in favor of the protesters. On the evening of another rally on May 1, the sound-bite count was 62 to 8.

And while the networks aired plenty of sympathetic stories portraying hard-working illegal immigrants, stories discussing the costs of illegal immigration to society were scarce. The networks carried only six stories that mentioned studies suggesting the illegal immigrants cost taxpayers more than they contribute in tax dollars. Only six additional stories discussed the problem of criminal aliens.

The Media Research Center report paints a clear picture. The three major networks favor the pro-amnesty or guest worker program positions while shortchanging those who advocate tighter control over our borders.

The networks need to recognize that protests are an incomplete measure of public opinion. In addition, both sides of a debate should be given the opportunity to speak in news stories, and both sides of an argument should be part of any story.

For now, though, the public should be on notice: they are not getting the full story on immigration.

Mr. Smith represents the 21st District of Texas. He is the former chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims.

Pot factories' popping up in suburban homes(Asian sydicates)

We've been reporting on Mexican Drug Cartels farming Pot in our National forests, well kiddies, there is a NEW game in town! LOL! And it's in ELITE neighborhoods.....

"The Central Valley homes are linked to San Francisco's Chinatown and have "all the markings of Asian organized crime," said the DEA's Taylor. "

http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2006/09/24/news/state/iq_3614330.txt

Pot factories' popping up in suburban homes By DON THOMPSON, Associated Press Writer Sunday, September 24, 2006 1:13 AM PDT

ELK GROVE -- Leon Nunn stepped out his front door one recent afternoon only to be waved back by a squadron of drug agents using a battering ram on a neighbor's home.

The half-million dollar home in the quiet subdivision was stuffed with high-grade marijuana, plants covering nearly every square foot.

The bust is one example of a phenomenon that has come to light recently in subdivisions around the state's capital.

Marijuana growers with suspected ties to Asian organized crime have been buying suburban homes -- many in newer developments -- because of the anonymity the drug dealers believe the neighborhoods afford.

They close the blinds and get to work gutting the inside, converting otherwise nondescript tract homes into the latest battleground in the state's campaign against marijuana cartels.

"We had no idea. I was shocked," said Nunn, an associate minister at Elk Grove's Progressive Church of God in Christ. "We never saw them or heard from them. It was just a real quiet house on the block."

The Nunns installed security lights and cameras and said some of their neighbors are talking of moving away.

"Now we're just suspicious every time we see something around here," said his wife, Patricia. "You pay this much money, you don't expect those things to happen."

Police from Sacramento to Stockton are bashing in doors at more homes virtually every day as they develop new leads or are tipped by suddenly wary neighbors. More than three dozen homes have been found to be hiding marijuana groves in just the past seven weeks, most in Sacramento, Elk Grove and Stockton.

Like the others, the home on Elk Grove's Mainline Drive had been converted to what law enforcement officials call a hothouse, with 1,000-watt lights for growing and irrigation networks feeding high-tech hydroponic growing systems.

Walls and ceilings were smashed to allow for complex ventilation and air filtration systems that vented the telltale odor through the attic. A web of extension cords and makeshift electric panels illegally tapped into the outside grid to avoid detection and save thousands of dollars in power bills.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent to convert each of the homes to grow millions of dollars worth of marijuana. Most of the targeted homes were purchased for between $400,000 and $600,000.

Those prices are far lower than home prices in the Bay Area, making Central Valley subdivisions attractive targets for large-scale marijuana growers seeking safe havens.

"They're going into these cookie-cutter communities and making cookie-cutter marijuana factories," said Gordon Taylor, who heads the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration region that runs from Bakersfield to the Oregon border. "All of a sudden, (the neighbors) have an organized crime marijuana factory right next to them. It's alarming."

Some neighbors said they were too frightened to be quoted. Others took the sudden notoriety in stride.

"I tell the neighbors, 'You weren't even cutting me in on that fortune you had growing down the street,"' said John McAlister, who lives across from the Nunns in a six-year-old subdivision sprinkled with American flags. "They look at me like, 'Don't even say that.' They were shocked, to say the least."

For all the sophistication of the operations, many neighbors said they were suspicious because the owners neglected to mow or water their lawns.

"We suspected it, when you spend $500,000 on a home and let it go to pot, so to speak," said Marilyn Smith, who lives across from another Elk Grove home that was converted to a marijuana factory. "Nobody was ever there and the blinds were all closed."

The phenomenon began in British Columbia, Canada, where Vietnamese organized crime outfits gutted houses to grow potent "B.C. Bud" that can sell for $5,000 or more a pound in the United States, said Corporal Pierre Lemaitre of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Growers headed south to avoid increased border protections after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

"It's definitely a concerted effort by Asian organized crime groups in Canada to move part of their operation down to the United States," said Rodney Benson, the DEA's special agent in charge of Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Idaho.

The Central Valley homes are linked to San Francisco's Chinatown and have "all the markings of Asian organized crime," said the DEA's Taylor.

Five San Francisco residents were charged with federal marijuana crimes last month in connection with some of the busts in Elk Grove. Police in Elk Grove and Stockton have arrested several other people in recent days. The Internal Revenue Service also is tracing the homes' owners.

Until now, West Coast law enforcement agencies have been more concerned about large-scale outdoor marijuana gardens, which often are planted on public forests or park land by violent Mexican drug cartels. Those operations have caused increasing concern in recent years because they severely degrade the environment and pose a danger to people who wander across them.

The Drug Enforcement Agency reported a 50 percent increase in indoor farms last year, Taylor said. Those operations have several advantages: They can't be spotted by an airplane or hunter, and the plants also can be grown year-round.

"I've been doing this almost 20 years, and I have never seen this many indoor grow operations in such a small area in such a short period of time," Taylor said. "Some people might characterize it as an epidemic."

Any real 'republicans' hanging around?

Thanks for finding this Willie Green!
American Daily

By Malcolm Hedges (09/24/2006)

I keep looking and looking and have had not much luck.

Progressive Left-Wing Socialist whackos are just about everywhere, as are the RINO's and CINO's.

"So big deal" mutters some soul in the background.

Yes "BIG DEAL"! Between the Progressives, RINO's and CINO's, Elitists our country and government is in grave danger.

"W" is quietly working on the "North American Union"(NAU). Our Senators are embracing the same scheme.

Progressives can be excused, because they are 'edukated' and so have no common sense or social logic.

The rest are just political opportunists that are only interested in their own personal wealth and social standing.

Everything revolves around 'the beltway' and New York?

New York is a city without real people, the world in and around 'the beltway' is the same!

Watch any TV offering that 'covers politics' or read any 'such news publication' and it is totally dedicated to these two political hangouts.

This mess of people have no concept of any other USA, they consider us the 'unwashed', 'trailer trash', 'bumpkins' that are below them and should only be catered to when they need a vote.

If you want to continue to live in "The United States", get off your rear and raise some political hell!

Otherwise, you will suddenly find the NAU and the UN has taken away your freedoms and property!

When it is gone, it will be a real problem trying to get it back (if at all).

Vincente Fox BS and Smackdown By Dennis Miller!

Mexican leader knocks U.S. crime rates

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico - Mexican President Vicente Fox said Friday that violence was a problem on both sides of the border and that U.S. officials need to work on their own rising crime rates.

U.S. officials have criticized the high murder and kidnapping rates in Mexican border cities and the danger they pose to Americans. The U.S. ambassador recently advised U.S. citizens to exercise extreme caution when traveling in Mexico.

"There is work to be done on both sides. As we've always said, it's a shared responsibility," Fox said while traveling in Puerto Penasco, a tourist destination in the northern state border of Sonora that's referred to in Arizona as Rocky Point.

"I saw that crime rates in the United States increased 3.5 percent so far this year. So they have their own problems," Fox said. "And with numbers of homicides, it's better we don't speak about them, because, even though they show up on the front pages every day, there are many fewer here than there."[snip]

FIRST! SOME FACTS!

U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble, said the shooting [Houston cop this week] highlighted the need to tighten the borders and beef up enforcement of immigration laws.

"We know that 25 homicides a day are committed by people who are illegally in the country and this is one more," he said.

Some highligts of the Hearing in Houston on immigration in August:

--A Jan. '06 a secret memo from Washington warned Border Patrol officers that they were targeted by assassins.

--25 homicides a day committed by illegals in the U.S.

--Last year, 42 Americans were kidnapped in Laredo, TX

--It takes a minimum of 2 yrs. for an illegal murderer to be deported.

--135,000 convicted illegals have been ordered deported but eight nations will not take them back.

--Foreigners (legal or illegal) who marry American women with kids from a previous marriage can take the ex-husband's kids to any country in the world via Mexico.

--Increased Patrol Presence DOES decrease crime by illegals.

--Mexican criminals have better resources than local law enforcement on the borders; e.g. money, grenades, assault weapons, body armor, etc.

Sheriff Jernigan of Del Rio asked: "How many city and Federal law enforcement officers must die before our government does something?"

DENNIS MILLER

Dennis Miller appearing on Hannity and Colmes/FoxNews 9/22/06

Hey, folks. Nice to be back.

Tonight I want to talk to you about the elephant-sized piñata in the room, illegal immigration. Now I don't have anything against Mexican people, but for God's sakes, sign the guest book on the way in.

Come on. If you're going to knock off a nooner with a co-worker at a bad motel you have to scrawl your Hancock on the desk blotter. Of course, you should sign in at the border.

Protecting our borders is not a racist act, and anybody who tells you that it is, be they Mexico-American, American-Mexican, American-American or Mexican-Mexican, is quite simply full of it, full of it. Sit down, Alan.

We have to confront this problem right now, because the Rubicon Grande has obviously been crossed. I realized that when I heard there's now a copy of the national anthem sung completely in Spanish. Although, truth be told, I've kind of been doing it a little bit myself over the years. Because I don't know about you, but I always start the song off "Jose can you see?"

Now I place a lot of the blame on our two presidents. I don't like Fox. The president, not the network. Love the network. I love Roger Ailes. Love, love, love, love, love, love, but Vicente Fox always reminds me of Nile Wagner in his Zorro sketch.

And you know something? If he's proud of his country as he says he is, maybe he should try to honcho his economy out of the permanent state of siesta it's in so its people can stay home and make a buck or 60 trillion pesos, whatever today's conversion rate may be.

And while I truly admire President Bush, I just don't get him at all on illegal immigration. I sometimes think that his soft approach to his problem might possibly have something to do with the reflexive guilty he might feel about his patrician upbringing.

I believe as he made the long mosey from Yale to y'all, he found himself touched by people who don't take the gift of America for granted. Well, that's fine, sir. But you have to realize that right about now 80 percent of this country has reached the same point with illegal immigration that you did after Saddam Hussein lined his bird cage with that 17th U.N. resolution on Iraq. Enough is enough.

And so I present my Mexican/American lifeboat theory. It's quite simple. If you really want everybody coming here unchecked, just give up your seat in the boat. One illegal immigrant in, one proponent of illegal immigration out.

Hey, if you're going to talk the "come on up" talk, you've got to walk the "head down south" walk.

Back to you, Holmes and Watson.

The SBI Net contract -”virtual fence”- LOOK who will handle the money!

Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff announced Thursday, the implementation of a high tech, high priced deal with Boeing for "virtual border security". What will be interesting about this is if David Norquist, recently appointed by Pres. Bush to handle the finances at homeland security does as bad a job as he did with handling the more than questionable spending on Haliburton with the Defense Dept. Norquist is the brother of Grover Norquist, the White House policy maker for immigration/amnesty/open borders and founder of the Islamic Institute.

May 27, 2006 - The Senate also confirmed David L. Norquist as Homeland Security’s chief financial officer, and former Secret Service director Ralph Basham as commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Several Senators including Joe Lieberman challenged documented missteps and questionable spending of billions in defense contracts handled by Norquist.

DHS Nominee for CFO Grilled About Role in Hiding Alleged Overcharges by Halliburton

Department of Homeland Security chief financial officer nominee David Norquist faced more questions at his confirmation hearing about Halliburton subsidiary KBR than about his plans to handle the department’s complex financial management system.

Senators on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Monday focused on Norquist’s role at the Department of Defense in allowing prime Iraq contractor Halliburton subsidiary KBR to conceal alleged overcharges in an investigation by a United Nations oversight board.

As the deputy undersecretary of defense and comptroller, Norquist was asked by the panel about more than 450 redactions in documents drafted by the Defense Contract Audit Agency. That agency found more than $177 million in overcharges, according to committee ranking member Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, D-Conn.

DOD provided the documents to the U.N. oversight board, claiming the redactions were necessary to protect proprietary information for KBR.

It is “very troubling that a contractor implicated in an overcharging scandal would be given the final say on what information to provide to the U.N. oversight board,” Lieberman said.

“This episode is relevant to today’s hearing because DHS needs a CFO who puts taxpayers first, who is committed to sound financial management and transparency and who is willing to confront agencies that may be shirking their legal responsibilities.”

From Chertoff's press release, he states,

"Now, what is SBI Net? Well, SBI Net, first of all, is a partnership -- a partnership with Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, which will be the prime contractor and the integrator for our technology effort at the southern border and at the northern border. What we are looking to build is a virtual fence, a 21st century virtual fence

The SBI Net contract is an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity type of contract with a performance period of three years, and three one-year option periods. What that means in plain English is we're not buying the entire contract at once. We have the overall framework. We have the partner. We have the general terms of the contract. But we will be rolling out segments of this, starting in the highest priority, highest traffic areas.

One of the critical requirements that we laid down in this process of procurement was the government always had to have control of the driver's seat. We have a partner here. We look forward to working with the partner. But the control of the process lies with the government, and that means at every step of the way, as we roll out additional segments of the border under this contract, we will have the opportunity to negotiate the best price. We'll have the opportunity to look for alternatives, if we think there are cheaper or better alternatives that have become available. And we will be driving the process using the operators as the principal decision-makers here at every step of the way.

More current news on Norquist:

Group: Abramoff-implicated Norquist visited White House 155 times

The Secret Service revealed yesterday, as a result of a suit brought on by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), that Grover Norquist, former associate of Jack Abramoff, had been cleared to visit the White House 97 times in the five-year period leading up to the scandal, including 6 meetings with President Bush himself. Records relating to the case indicate that Norquist, through the group Americans for Tax Reform, channeled money between Abramoff clients and grassroots campaigns, skimming hundreds of thousands of dollars off the top in the process. CREW insists that during settlement discussions with the Secret Service, it was revealed that records destroyed by the Secret Service--but still retained by the White House--show that Norquist visited the White House a minimum of 155 times.

Trackback!

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Cronyism, Pandering, Incompetency. What a legacy!

The President nominates David L. Norquist, brother of Grover Norquist to Chief Financial Officer at the Department of Homeland Security.
http://towncriernews.blogspot.com/2006/07/cronyism-pandering-incompetency-what.html

Sheriff: Circumstances surrounding prison escape “suspicious”

Left to right, top to bottom: Francisco Meza-Rojas, Joel Armando Mata-Castro, Saul Leonard Salazar-Aguirre,
Vicente Mendiola-Garcia, Enrique Peña-Saenz, Fernando Garza-Cruz

TheTownCrier is working on a story about incompetent private prisons, political contributions and illegal aliens, which may tie into this news. Typically the news media is all over a story of 6 inmates breaking out, but since 5 are illegal aliens they seem to be ignoring it. You can guess as to the other one, anchor baby, former amnesty, green carder???

http://cf.themonitor.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=15428&Section=Local
Sept. 20, 2006

LA VILLA — Federal and local authorities are still looking for six men who escaped from a federal prison last night.

The men escaped from the East Hidalgo Detention Center around 9:40 p.m. Tuesday by holding a foot-long, homemade knife to the neck of a prison guard, U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Joe Magallan said.

They then tied up the guard and locked him in a room before escaping through the backdoor of the building and using wire cutters to detach an electric fence from the anchor holding it to the ground, Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said.

Someone had evidently de-electrified the fence beforehand, Treviño said. The guard was unharmed.

The men had been housed in a minimum to medium security building within the prison complex, said Richard Harbison, a spokesman for LCS Correctional Services, the company that runs the private facility.

Harbison said this is the first escape from the facility since LCS took it over from the former management company in 2001. That company had gone bankrupt.

Treviño recalled another escape about five years ago, when a drug smuggler eluded law enforcement officers for 24 hours before his recapture.

The escapees included former McAllen police officer Francisco Meza-Rojas, who was awaiting trial on charges he and his four brothers ran a drug-smuggling operation from Mexico into the area south of Mission. The brothers are charged with nine federal counts, including conspiracy to distribute marijuana and cocaine and possession with intent to distribute.

Authorities have identified the five other inmates as illegal aliens from the Weslaco area detained on immigration charges. They were Fernando Garza Cruz, Joel Armando Mata Castro, Vicente Garcia Mendiola, Enrique Peña Saenz, and Saul Leonardo Salazar.

Within five to 10 minutes of the escape, authorities had cordoned off a four-mile perimeter around the prison, which sits on Highway 107 in La Villa, Treviño said.

Footprints show the men broke up into three pairs after scrambling under the fence, he said.

One group went north, one east over a canal about a quarter-mile away and a third group went south.

K-9 units traced them all to Highway 107, where the scent went dead.

Authorities believe an unknown person picked the men up in a car on Highway 107 just east of the facility.

Customs & Border Protection is maintaining its usual patrols and staff levels at border checkpoints, spokesman Felix Garza said. Garza said all the men are a clear flight risk to Mexico.

"If we do run across them, and I think we probably will, we will apprehend them," he said.

The search party includes a Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Parks & Wildlife, the U.S. Marshals Service, agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency, Customs & Border Protection, the Elsa-Edcouch Police Department and various K-9 units and other local police departments, Treviño said.

They have been interviewing family members of the escapees, as well as all employees of the prison and the assaulted guard.

Treviño stopped short of calling the escape an inside job but said the circumstances were dubious.

"From a law enforcement perspective, it appears to be highly suspicious," he said.

Of Meza-Rojas, Treviño said, "He’s an extremely intelligent individual. I wouldn’t put it above Meza to use these gang members as his muscle and as a vehicle to escape."

The La Villa facility has come under scrutiny before, Magallan said.

"We have arrested other jailers from that facility before," he said. "Years back other jailers had been terminated for taking drugs in drugs, taking bribes."

It was still unclear who made the decision to house Meza-Rojas in a medium security private prison. The other brothers are in Willacy and Karnes county jails, Magallan said. Jesus, the only brother to be released on bond, was initially held at the McAllen Police Department's jail.

Marshals from Bronsville, Laredo and Houston have been called in to help the nine-man Mcallen team. They have also enlisted the help of Mexican police, who now have photos of the inmates.

"We still believe they are in the area," he said. "It’s a possibty that they went to Mexico."

The La Villa school district remains closed today, although businesses and roads in the area are open.

DPS helicopters patrolled the Cowley Sugar House, sugarcane fields to the east of the prison, for hours Tuesday night. But the infrared radar detected nothing.

Miguel Hernandez, who lives near the field, awoke to the sound of helicopters at midnight. He loaded his 22-caliber gun, he said.

Hernandez was eating breakfast and discussing the previous evening’s escapes at a nearby Quik-Mart Tuesday morning with friend Jose Luis Guzman, Jr.

"How can it be so easy for these guys to get out," Guzman said. "We’re worried that one day someone who’s a killer or a truly dangerous person is going to escape, and we’re all going to be at risk.

"The people in La Villa are up in arms," he added. "They want to know why it’s easy for someone to get out. The facility is obviously run in a very, very bad way."

The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s office handled operations Tuesday night, but the U.S. Marshals Service has assumed control of the investigation. They ask anyone with information about the escapees’ whereabouts to call (956) 618-8025

MORE ABOUT PRIVATE PRISONS and ILLEGAL ALIENS

LCS Corrections, owner, LeBlanc, Michael W.

Private prisons are BIG business and big political contributors. The more illegal aliens, the more business.

______

LeBlanc, Michael W. LCS Corrections Ser. Inc./Vice-Pres $1,000 05/23/2005 ORTIZ FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE - Democrat

LeBlanc, Michael W LCS Correction Services/CEO $2,000 05/04/2005 RUBEN HINOJOSA FOR CONGRESS - Democrat

http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/contributions/

Brooks County Detention Center (Fallfurrias, TX) — LCS Corrections immigrant detainee escapes from Brooks County Detention Center; the resulting manhunt involves over 100 officers from the Brooks County Sheriff's Department, Department of Public Safety, Border Patrol, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and the local fire department (2004)

http://www.schr.org/prisonsjails/news/Tutwiler/news_tutwiler23mtgy.htm_

But less than two months later, when the board had shrunk to only three members - just enough for a quorum - it unanimously recommended immediate implementation of the contract. The LeBlancs also run Premier's parent company, LCS Correction Services, which has faced numerous lawsuits and investigations in its work running jails. They ran into legal trouble with a gambling operation on an American Indian reservation. Williamson was fined $100,000 by the National Association of Securities Dealers in the early 1990s and barred from associating with other NASD members.

http://www.flpba.org/private/rap_LCS.html__

TheTownCrier BEST LINKS!

http://www.numbersusa.com/index
Numbers USA has been instramental in changing the Congress attitude about immigration. Go here to send free faxes to all your legislooters!

http://www.justwhatithink.com/blog/
This is the blog of former Freeper Calpernia, great researcher, check it out!

http://www.theterryandersonshow.com/
Wake up Stupid Americans!!! Get the straight scoop from Terry! He tells it like it is. Don't miss his Sunday night radio show. "If You Ain't Mad, You Ain't Payin' Attention!"

http://www.immigrationshumancost.org/
New Postings of Victims of illegal immigration and and the Criminal alien perps!

http://www.thewakeupamericafoundation.com/
Mark Edwards, host of the same radio show who first introduced us to Jim Gilchrist and the MinuteManProject.