Gringos here in Mexico talk endlessly about how they love and admire the Mexican people, how friendly the natives are, how wonderful the culture is and, by strong implication, how wonderful the gringos are for appreciating Mexico. Actually they don’t. They live in gated communities in the hills, can’t speak three words of Spanish, and have surprisingly little contact with the country. They have invented a Mexico that doesn’t exist, and have fallen in love with it.
Thus many of their ideas about Mexicans are wrong, compounded equally of ideology and wishful thinking. The same happens in America. This will one day give birth to surprising children.
The truth is that Mexicans are about like people the world over, which means that regarding them with syrupy condescension as fuzzy heartwarming Pedros and Marias is a mistake. They don’t much like Americans, regarding them as arrogant and rich. The distaste is no more than distaste: they do not dream of lynching Yanquis. Nonetheless, regarding Mexico as a nation of smiling maids and obedient gardeners overlooks a somewhat darker picture. They would not be quite so smiling and obedient if they had a better economic choice.
An interesting observation: In five years I have encountered no hostility from Mexicans who have always lived in Mexico. The five or six men who were aggressively hostile all spoke barrio English. They had spent time in the US. Think about it.
The US would be well advised to take certain realities into account when it ponders today’s unrestricted immigration. Those who favor immigration tend to hold an idealized view of the newcomers. They are so-o-o-o hardworking! Yes, in the first generation. They just want a better life! So they do. They are just like Italian and Polish immigrants of the last century. No, they are not. They are Mexicans.
Mexico is a third-world country—yes, an upper third-world Latin American country, functioning reasonably well, and not Haiti or Bangladesh. It’s a nice place to live, which is why a half million North Americans are here. Yet Mexico is very, very different from America. If America and England are a few inches apart, Americans and France a few more, Mexico is several feet off in the distance.
While gringos and Mexicans live next to each other here in amity, they do not mix. They can’t. A retired executive from Boeing has nothing in common with a man with a fourth-grade education who will never read a book in his life. Pepe is smiling and amiable while working in the garden. He is also a grown man, not a teddy bear. If the retired engineer met Pepe in Pepe’s favorite bar, the engineer might come to a very different understanding of Pepe.
It is one thing to have Mexicans in America while they still fearful of being deported. They are polite and brown and eager to work. This encourages the tendency to which Americans are prone, to patronize them as just the nicest babysitters and garbage men. Why, they are almost like real people.
It will be a different thing when they are legal and have a voting majority in the Southwest. They understand perfectly that their day is coming. A couple of years back I listened on the radio to a Mexican-American politician from Texas. He pointed out that when the Mexican children now in school reach the age of eighteen, they will control the government of the state. He was not hostile, did not say as Barack Obama’s minister did, “God damn America.” Yet he saw what was coming, and was well pleased. From the Mexican point of view, they are getting back states which rightly belong to them.
They assuredly are. Shortly the US will have a southern tier of states under Mexican-American control.
The hopeful idea is that they will meld as did the Irish and Italians and Vietnamese. The flaw in this happy ointment is that they do very poorly in school—better than blacks, but well below whites and Asians. This is not a problem of the first generation only, in which case it might eventually cure itself, but of later generations also. It looks innate, or at least as if it will continue. Then what?
Then they will have no choice but to be waiters and garbage collectors. The first generation will tolerate it, happy to be making what seems to them good money. A few will succeed and move up. Most won’t. The second generation, relegated forever to jobs of low pay and less esteem, will become resentful. Inevitably they will see the relegation as indicating discrimination, not incapacity. The young, unable to compete, will gravitate toward others who can’t and we will have another permanent underclass. If you don’t believe me, watch.
The United States advertises itself as a land of opportunity, and in fact is, but only for the bright. A poor kid who pops 1500 on his SATs can get into a good university and come out as anything he chooses. Universities look for such students. A kid who barely reads has no chance. For him, there are no opportunities.
Why is it unlikely that the immigrants will improve scholastically? For reasons a fair few understand but nobody talks about. Intelligence. Mexico consists of three layers, or maybe two layers with a spectrum between. The governing class is white, and at about the European level on IQ tests, not surprising because they are European. You have the mestizos, who do conspicuously less well, and the pure Indians, lower yet. The white upper class is not swimming the river.
IQ is a forbidden topic, but it tracks reality depressingly well. No country below Laredo has ever produced anything important in the sciences. And while in any group there are exceptions, it is the majority who determine social results. This bears thinking about. Reality does not respect politics. Holding one’s breath and turning blue will change nothing. Insisting that something can’t be so or shouldn’t be so doesn’t change whether it is so.
Inequality can be seen in the streets here. In Guadalajara, una ciudad muy guera, a very white city, you have highly sophisticated people who talk of the arts on the radio as intelligently as any in America. They go to the opera, buy in good bookstores, and serve competently as doctors and technicians. In the villages you find people with far more Indian blood and almost no academic achievement or interest. Out in the hills there is, dead serious, a lot of witchcraft.
It’s a different world. And coming to a mall near you.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Gringos and Pepe
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Congressman David Davis to Address T-FIRE
Congressman David Davis (1st District-TN) will speak about illegal immigration, on Saturday, February 16, 2008, at the VFW in Morristown, TN, at 10:00 am.
Congressman Davis will address the massive tax burden placed upon all taxpayers as a result of illegal immigration and highlight actions that the government and citizens can take to curb this ever-increasing problem.
Congressman Davis will address the massive tax burden placed upon all taxpayers as a result of illegal immigration and highlight actions that the government and citizens can take to curb this ever-increasing problem.
T-FIRE, an organization of Tennessee Taxpayers United Against Illegal Immigration, is hosting the event. A pancake breakfast will be served from 8:30-9:45. Tickets for the breakfast are $5.00. For tickets or other information, contact T-FIRE at 587-3711 or visit www.t-fire-org.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
From the Morristown Police
ROGER OVERHOLT
Chief of Police
MEDIA RELEASE
January 23, 2008
09:30 a.m.
For more information call: 423-585-4680
______________________________
Two Morristown residents are in jail this morning and numerous items and two vehicles were seized as the result of two search warrants executed last night in the city limits of Morristown following a several months long investigation into a fraudulent document mill being operated out of two residences. A short time after 9:00 p.m. on 01-22-08 officers and agents of the Morristown City Police Department simultaneously executed two search warrants, one at 1105 Sherwood Drive, and the other at 423 Walters Drive. Officers also had in hand an outstanding warrant on one of the subjects arrested.
During the search of both residences, agents found multiple documents believed to be fraudulent, including international driver’s licenses, resident alien cards, social security cards, and passports. Also found and seized were computers and other electronic equipment allegedly used to manufacture the fraudulent documents, along with supplies associated with these items, to include cameras, scanners, laminators, labels, and laminate. Two vehicles believed to have been used to transport these items were also seized, a blue 1995 Chevrolet Blazer and a green 1995 Ford Contour.
Although no substantial amount of money was located during these particular searches, documents located at both residences indicate that money had been wired to Mexico on a regular basis.
Humerto Otero Cea, 30 years old of 423 Walters Drive, is charged with four counts of criminal simulation. An outstanding warrant for Mr. Cea was also served upon him concerning an incident during the undercover operation in which he sold one resident alien card and one social security card to an undercover informant working with the Morristown Narcotics / Vice Division. He was arrested at the 1105 Sherwood Drive location.
Rene Otero Bautista, 25 years old of 1105 Sherwood Drive, is also charged with four counts of criminal simulation. He was found to be in possession of a forged international driver’s permit, a forged social security card, a forged resident alien card, and a forged Tennessee identification card as a result of the search warrant, also at 1105 Sherwood Drive.
“At this time we do not believe these individuals to be legally documented to be in the United States,” stated Morristown City Police Chief Roger Overholt. “We will ask that the subjects be held without bond pending positive identification, and we will also request that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) place detainer warrants on the subjects.”
Morristown authorities continue to work to determine the extent of the operation. Records located at the residences indicate that the individuals arrested had worked in Hamblen and surrounding counties for more than one year, which leads police to believe they had been providing fraudulent documents to individuals during that time frame.
“It is vitally important that we as a local agency address these type operations,” continued the Chief. “By putting these fraudulent document mills out of business on a local level, we believe the effect will have an impact throughout the region. It is our intent to continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those responsible for these types of crimes, as well as the individuals who use the fraudulent documents.”
Hire Illegals? Your Business Licence Could Be Pulled
On Jan. 1, Tennessee joined Arizona as the only states in the nation to threaten employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants with significant sanctions. In both states employers caught more than once can lose their business licenses.
In Arizona, a series of lawsuits brought by business, civil liberties and immigrant advocacy groups halted the law's enforcement until at least March 1.
But in Tennessee, the state is moving forward with plans to investigate reports of illegal workers on job sites. That got the attention of the state's private business owners.
No complaints, investigations or public hearings related to Tennessee's Illegal Alien Employment Act have been filed to date. But at Wednesday's meeting, the questions that came from business owners, activists, lawyers and workplace managers were laced with fear.
One wanted to know if documents an employer filed under a now defunct federal program to help a foreign-national obtain a visa to work in the United States could now be used in an Illegal Alien Act investigation.
Another wondered if the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development has plans to work with or share information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE.
"It's the topic of discussion," said Andy Hall of Franklin County. He is greenhouse manager at a wholesale nursery.
"It's trade show time in our industry, and I would say this is the topic of conversation. Folks are worried."
Hall said he left the forum with a better understanding of the letter of the law and the zeal with which it is likely to be enforced.
A Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development official spelled out the law's emphasis on punishing employers who knowingly hire illegal workers.
He explained that the law gives a pass to any business owner who has every employee complete a federal I-9 form or who uses a federal database known as E-Verify.
Each new hire must also allow his or her new employer access to some combination of identifying documents such as a driver's license, passport or Social Security card.
Enforcement questioned
As of Monday, just 563 of Tennessee's more than 117,000 employers had registered to use the E-Verify system, according to ICE data. Another 44,465 have inquired about it in fiscal 2008.
But Dan Bailey, the state agency's legal counsel, also acknowledged that given the lack of resources, money or staff, that came along with the new law, it is unclear just how the department will be able to enforce it.
Bailey would not rule out working with ICE.
Other questions pointed to some of the loopholes and what one business owner called "traps" that exist in state and federal immigration and hiring laws.
For instance, Hall said he learned Wednesday that while employers are required under long-standing federal law and the state's new law to go though the I-9 process with new hires, they are not required to keep copies of the supporting documents.
Those who do may inadvertently provide the government with evidence against their company and employees if raided by immigration agents, said Nashville immigration lawyer Mario Ramos.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Cooper La Raza
If you had the mistaken idea that Tennessee Congressman Jim Cooper (D) takes his Oath of Office seriously, check out his immigration rankings.
David Davis Sponsors Good Immigration Bill
By John Gullion, Tribune Managing Editor
For East Tennessee residents questioning why the federal government hasn’t done more to curb the rising tide of illegal immigrants. Congressman David Davis has a simple message: He feels your pain. Davis, R-Tenn., said a piece of legislation that he has sponsored, the Save America with Verification and Enforcement or SAVE Act, is the first step in turning the tide.
"The federal government has not been willing to do its job. I think it’s time for the federal government to do its job," he said Tuesday. "It’s one of the things that frustrates the people in America and it frustrates me as a congressman that the federal government has not done enough on this issue."The SAVE Act includes three main components, Davis said. First he wants to improve border security by adding 8,000 border patrol agents. The act would also provide for an aerial surveillance system using planes and satellite similar to one used in Israel, Davis said.
"We’d know who is coming across the border and who is approaching the border," Davis added.The second step basically would expand the verification program employers use to ensure that prospective employees are legal. Each citizen will be issued a card with a magnetic strip, like a credit card. Employers could then swipe those cards to verify an employees citizenship status."It would clean up the situation so that those employers are protected," Davis said.
"You’re never going to be able to send back 20 million illegals but you can make sure the ones that are here legally was the only ones that get benefits. We mandate employers only hire legal workers but there’s not a good system. It’s hard for an employer to really know who they are hiring."The second part of the SAVE act would also mandate improved cooperation and the cross checking of records between the Department of Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration.The third part of Davis’ plan goes to improve a program that is already in place.
The 287 (g) program allows local law enforcement officers to become quasi-Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents. A move has been afoot in Hamblen County to get Morristown officers and county deputies into the program. However, Sheriff Esco Jarnagin said this week that he has been told by an unnamed government official that neither Hamblen nor Morristown police will be accepted into the program due to the fear that local officers could choke the federal system with too many illegal immigrants too quickly and it would be too expensive."What frustrates me," Jarnagin said at the time, "is that the federal government is not preventing illegal aliens from coming across the border, and we are not getting any support when illegal aliens overrun a community."
Davis said that’s not an acceptable answer. Davis wants to make it so that local officers who want to be trained can be. Davis said the answer Jarnagin got this week in unacceptable. Davis responded saying federal monies are available to offset the cost of the training as well as the cost of incarcerating illegal immigrants until ICE officers can process them into the system, Davis said."I talk to people across my district daily. This is an issue that weighs heavy on their minds," he said. "It affects their life either through increased taxes, increased (cost of) incarceration, increased (cost of) health care and increase burden on the educational system," Davis said. "This issue touches other issues that people care about."
"David Davis and I are on the same page," Jarnagin said Thursday morning. "I believe in Congressman Davis. I believe in his view point. Congressman Davis is very energetic about this problem."Davis said once this session is over in Washington, he plans to come to Hamblen County and host a meeting between a homeland security official, himself, Morristown Police Chief Roger Overholt and Sheriff Jarnagin."I’m frustrated with the Democratic leadership (of Congress) not wanting to take on this issue. I’m frustrated with the Republican administration of the executive branch," Davis said. "I think the American people are demanding a fix for this ever growing problem of illegal immigration."
For East Tennessee residents questioning why the federal government hasn’t done more to curb the rising tide of illegal immigrants. Congressman David Davis has a simple message: He feels your pain. Davis, R-Tenn., said a piece of legislation that he has sponsored, the Save America with Verification and Enforcement or SAVE Act, is the first step in turning the tide.
"The federal government has not been willing to do its job. I think it’s time for the federal government to do its job," he said Tuesday. "It’s one of the things that frustrates the people in America and it frustrates me as a congressman that the federal government has not done enough on this issue."The SAVE Act includes three main components, Davis said. First he wants to improve border security by adding 8,000 border patrol agents. The act would also provide for an aerial surveillance system using planes and satellite similar to one used in Israel, Davis said.
"We’d know who is coming across the border and who is approaching the border," Davis added.The second step basically would expand the verification program employers use to ensure that prospective employees are legal. Each citizen will be issued a card with a magnetic strip, like a credit card. Employers could then swipe those cards to verify an employees citizenship status."It would clean up the situation so that those employers are protected," Davis said.
"You’re never going to be able to send back 20 million illegals but you can make sure the ones that are here legally was the only ones that get benefits. We mandate employers only hire legal workers but there’s not a good system. It’s hard for an employer to really know who they are hiring."The second part of the SAVE act would also mandate improved cooperation and the cross checking of records between the Department of Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration.The third part of Davis’ plan goes to improve a program that is already in place.
The 287 (g) program allows local law enforcement officers to become quasi-Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents. A move has been afoot in Hamblen County to get Morristown officers and county deputies into the program. However, Sheriff Esco Jarnagin said this week that he has been told by an unnamed government official that neither Hamblen nor Morristown police will be accepted into the program due to the fear that local officers could choke the federal system with too many illegal immigrants too quickly and it would be too expensive."What frustrates me," Jarnagin said at the time, "is that the federal government is not preventing illegal aliens from coming across the border, and we are not getting any support when illegal aliens overrun a community."
Davis said that’s not an acceptable answer. Davis wants to make it so that local officers who want to be trained can be. Davis said the answer Jarnagin got this week in unacceptable. Davis responded saying federal monies are available to offset the cost of the training as well as the cost of incarcerating illegal immigrants until ICE officers can process them into the system, Davis said."I talk to people across my district daily. This is an issue that weighs heavy on their minds," he said. "It affects their life either through increased taxes, increased (cost of) incarceration, increased (cost of) health care and increase burden on the educational system," Davis said. "This issue touches other issues that people care about."
"David Davis and I are on the same page," Jarnagin said Thursday morning. "I believe in Congressman Davis. I believe in his view point. Congressman Davis is very energetic about this problem."Davis said once this session is over in Washington, he plans to come to Hamblen County and host a meeting between a homeland security official, himself, Morristown Police Chief Roger Overholt and Sheriff Jarnagin."I’m frustrated with the Democratic leadership (of Congress) not wanting to take on this issue. I’m frustrated with the Republican administration of the executive branch," Davis said. "I think the American people are demanding a fix for this ever growing problem of illegal immigration."
Commissioner Joe Swann
Based on information from a reliable source, the tax burden imposed on Hamblen citizens by the huge population of illegal aliens far exceeds any costs that would come from hiring and training local law enforcement to assist federal agents.
I believe its a fair assumption to make that Mr. Swann, who makes his living as an accountant, knows this and is engaged in a smoke screen operation with his claim that his opposition to the resolution was based on his fear that its ratification would result in a tax increase.
I know that he is a member of Thom Robinson's chamber of commerce and this alone is probably enough to explain his long winded explanation at the commission meeting. Still It would be interesting to see a list of clients who get their accounting done at Mr. Swann's firm. Just a thought.
I believe its a fair assumption to make that Mr. Swann, who makes his living as an accountant, knows this and is engaged in a smoke screen operation with his claim that his opposition to the resolution was based on his fear that its ratification would result in a tax increase.
I know that he is a member of Thom Robinson's chamber of commerce and this alone is probably enough to explain his long winded explanation at the commission meeting. Still It would be interesting to see a list of clients who get their accounting done at Mr. Swann's firm. Just a thought.
What If They Went Home?
*WHAT IF 20 MILLION ILLEGAL ALIENS VACATED AMERICA ?
*By Frosty Wooldridge
*
*www.frostywooldridge.com
*
* Tina Griego, journalist for the Denver Rocky Mountain News wrote a column titled, "Mexican visitor's lament" -- 10/25/07.
She interviewed Mexican journalist Evangelina Hernandez while visiting Denver last week. Hernandez said, "They (illegal aliens) pay rent, buy groceries, buy clothes...what happens to your country's economy if 20 million people go away?"
That's a good question - it deserves an answer. Over 80 percent of
Americans demand secured borders and illegal migration stopped. But what would happen if all 20 million or more vacated America ? The answers may surprise you!
* * In California, if 3.5 million illegal aliens moved back to Mexico,
it would leave an extra $10.2 billion to spend on overloaded school
systems, bankrupted hospitals and overrun prisons. It would leave
highways cleaner, safer and less congested. Everyone could understand one another as English became the dominate language again.
*
* * In Colorado , 500,000 illegal migrants, plus their 300,000 kids
and grand-kids - would move back "home," mostly to Mexico . That would save Colorado an estimated $2 billion, (other experts say $7 billion), annually in taxes that pay for schooling, medical, social-services and incarceration costs. It means 12,000 gang members would vanish out of Denver alone.
*
* * Colorado would save more than $20 million in prison costs, and
the terror that those 7,300 alien criminals set upon local citizens.
Denver Officer Don Young and hundreds of Colorado victims would not have suffered death, accidents, rapes and other crimes by illegal's.
*
* * Denver Public Schools would not suffer a 67 percent drop
out/flunk out rate via thousands of illegal alien students speaking 41
different languages. At least 200,000 vehicles would vanish from our grid locked cities in Colorado . Denver 's four percent unemployment rate would vanish as our working poor would gain jobs at a living wage.
*
* * In Florida , 1.5 million illegal's would return the Sunshine State
back to America , the rule of law and English.
*
* * In Chicago, Illinois, 2.1 million illegal's would free up
hospitals, schools, prisons and highways for a safer, cleaner and more crime- free experience.
*
* *
If 20 million illegal aliens returned "home" --
*
* *If 20 million illegal aliens returned "home," the U.S. economy would return to the rule of law. Employers would hire legal American citizens at a living wage. Everyone would pay their fair share of taxes because they wouldn't be working off the books. That would result in an additional $401 billion in IRS income taxes collected annually, and an equal amount for local state and city coffers.
No more push '1' for Spanish or '2' for English. No more confusion in
American schools that now must content with over 100 languages that degrade the educational system for American kids. Our overcrowded schools would lose more than two million illegal alien kids at a cost of billions in ESL and free breakfasts and lunches.
*
*We would lose 500,000 illegal criminal alien inmates at a cost of more than $1.6 billion annually. That includes 15,000 MS-13 gang members who distribute $130 billion in drugs annually would vacate our country. In cities like L.A. , 20,000 members of the " 18th Street Gang" would vanish from our nation. No more Mexican forgery gangs for ID theft from Americans! No more foreign rapists and child molesters!
Losing more than 20 million people would clear up our crowded highways and gridlock. Cleaner air and less drinking and driving American deaths by illegal aliens!
*
*Drain on America 's economy; taxpayers harmed, employers get rich. Over $80 billion annually wouldn't return to their home countries by cash transfers. Illegal migrants earned half that money untaxed, which further drains America 's economy - which currently suffers an $8.7 trillion debt.
At least 400,000 anchor babies would not be born in our country, costing us $109 billion per year per cycle. At least 86 hospitals in California , Georgia andFlorida would still be operating instead of being bankrupted out of existence because illegals pay nothing via the EMTOLA Act. Americans wouldn't suffer thousands of TB and hepatitis cases rampant in our country-brought in by illegals unscreened at our borders.
Our cities would see 20 million less people driving, polluting and grid
locking our cities. It would also put the "progressives" on the horns
of a dilemma; illegal aliens and their families cause 11 percent of our
greenhouse gases.
*
*Over one million of Mexico 's poorest citizens now live inside and along our border from Brownsville , Texas to San Diego , California in what the New York Times called, "colonias" or new neighborhoods. Trouble is, those living areas resemble Bombay and Calcutta where grinding poverty, filth, diseases, drugs, crimes, no sanitation and worse. They live without sewage, clean water, streets, electricity, roads or any kind of sanitation. The New York Times reported them to be America 's new " Third World " inside our own country. Within 20 years, at their current growth rate, they expect 20 million residents of those colonias. (I've seen them personally in Texas and Arizona ; it's sickening beyond anything you can imagine.) By enforcing our laws, we could repatriate them back to Mexico.
*
*High integrity, ethical invitation...
*By Frosty Wooldridge
*
*www.frostywooldridge.com
*
* Tina Griego, journalist for the Denver Rocky Mountain News wrote a column titled, "Mexican visitor's lament" -- 10/25/07.
She interviewed Mexican journalist Evangelina Hernandez while visiting Denver last week. Hernandez said, "They (illegal aliens) pay rent, buy groceries, buy clothes...what happens to your country's economy if 20 million people go away?"
That's a good question - it deserves an answer. Over 80 percent of
Americans demand secured borders and illegal migration stopped. But what would happen if all 20 million or more vacated America ? The answers may surprise you!
* * In California, if 3.5 million illegal aliens moved back to Mexico,
it would leave an extra $10.2 billion to spend on overloaded school
systems, bankrupted hospitals and overrun prisons. It would leave
highways cleaner, safer and less congested. Everyone could understand one another as English became the dominate language again.
*
* * In Colorado , 500,000 illegal migrants, plus their 300,000 kids
and grand-kids - would move back "home," mostly to Mexico . That would save Colorado an estimated $2 billion, (other experts say $7 billion), annually in taxes that pay for schooling, medical, social-services and incarceration costs. It means 12,000 gang members would vanish out of Denver alone.
*
* * Colorado would save more than $20 million in prison costs, and
the terror that those 7,300 alien criminals set upon local citizens.
Denver Officer Don Young and hundreds of Colorado victims would not have suffered death, accidents, rapes and other crimes by illegal's.
*
* * Denver Public Schools would not suffer a 67 percent drop
out/flunk out rate via thousands of illegal alien students speaking 41
different languages. At least 200,000 vehicles would vanish from our grid locked cities in Colorado . Denver 's four percent unemployment rate would vanish as our working poor would gain jobs at a living wage.
*
* * In Florida , 1.5 million illegal's would return the Sunshine State
back to America , the rule of law and English.
*
* * In Chicago, Illinois, 2.1 million illegal's would free up
hospitals, schools, prisons and highways for a safer, cleaner and more crime- free experience.
*
* *
If 20 million illegal aliens returned "home" --
*
* *If 20 million illegal aliens returned "home," the U.S. economy would return to the rule of law. Employers would hire legal American citizens at a living wage. Everyone would pay their fair share of taxes because they wouldn't be working off the books. That would result in an additional $401 billion in IRS income taxes collected annually, and an equal amount for local state and city coffers.
No more push '1' for Spanish or '2' for English. No more confusion in
American schools that now must content with over 100 languages that degrade the educational system for American kids. Our overcrowded schools would lose more than two million illegal alien kids at a cost of billions in ESL and free breakfasts and lunches.
*
*We would lose 500,000 illegal criminal alien inmates at a cost of more than $1.6 billion annually. That includes 15,000 MS-13 gang members who distribute $130 billion in drugs annually would vacate our country. In cities like L.A. , 20,000 members of the " 18th Street Gang" would vanish from our nation. No more Mexican forgery gangs for ID theft from Americans! No more foreign rapists and child molesters!
Losing more than 20 million people would clear up our crowded highways and gridlock. Cleaner air and less drinking and driving American deaths by illegal aliens!
*
*Drain on America 's economy; taxpayers harmed, employers get rich. Over $80 billion annually wouldn't return to their home countries by cash transfers. Illegal migrants earned half that money untaxed, which further drains America 's economy - which currently suffers an $8.7 trillion debt.
At least 400,000 anchor babies would not be born in our country, costing us $109 billion per year per cycle. At least 86 hospitals in California , Georgia andFlorida would still be operating instead of being bankrupted out of existence because illegals pay nothing via the EMTOLA Act. Americans wouldn't suffer thousands of TB and hepatitis cases rampant in our country-brought in by illegals unscreened at our borders.
Our cities would see 20 million less people driving, polluting and grid
locking our cities. It would also put the "progressives" on the horns
of a dilemma; illegal aliens and their families cause 11 percent of our
greenhouse gases.
*
*Over one million of Mexico 's poorest citizens now live inside and along our border from Brownsville , Texas to San Diego , California in what the New York Times called, "colonias" or new neighborhoods. Trouble is, those living areas resemble Bombay and Calcutta where grinding poverty, filth, diseases, drugs, crimes, no sanitation and worse. They live without sewage, clean water, streets, electricity, roads or any kind of sanitation. The New York Times reported them to be America 's new " Third World " inside our own country. Within 20 years, at their current growth rate, they expect 20 million residents of those colonias. (I've seen them personally in Texas and Arizona ; it's sickening beyond anything you can imagine.) By enforcing our laws, we could repatriate them back to Mexico.
*
*High integrity, ethical invitation...
La Raza On the Dole
La Raza has been on the governments dole for several years. They want to take away America as we know it. You doubt what I say? Check out their website AFTER you scroll down. I have put their website’s address at the bottom of this message.
Steve Merrill, Oklahoma
*** Illegal immigration should have stopped on September 12, 2001. Actually a few dozen years before that, but too many Amerikans cannot remember much further back than that.
*** Remember, if you are serious about doing something about illegal immigration, or more appropriately, the INVASION, at the very least, start by acting like an American and get, then STAY informed.
*** If the government of the United States was serious about the invasion, they would do more about it.
*** If you do not think this is an invasion, then try and stop it.
*** "The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil but because of those who look on and do nothing." --Albert Einstein
*** "You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass." --Japanese Admiral Yamamoto, 1941 (What has changed?)
*** "We have room for but one flag, the American Flag. We have room for but one language, the English language, and we have room for but one sole loyalty, and that is a loyalty to the American people." --President Theodore Roosevelt.
*** Turn in an illegal alien today. ICE Phone Number: (866) 347-2423. Toll free and you do not have to give your name. Just all the information you can think of.
*** The American media reports the news under the privilege granted to them under the First Amendment. But they also have the moral responsibility associated with that right to report it without a leftist slant.
Steve Merrill, Oklahoma
*** Illegal immigration should have stopped on September 12, 2001. Actually a few dozen years before that, but too many Amerikans cannot remember much further back than that.
*** Remember, if you are serious about doing something about illegal immigration, or more appropriately, the INVASION, at the very least, start by acting like an American and get, then STAY informed.
*** If the government of the United States was serious about the invasion, they would do more about it.
*** If you do not think this is an invasion, then try and stop it.
*** "The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil but because of those who look on and do nothing." --Albert Einstein
*** "You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass." --Japanese Admiral Yamamoto, 1941 (What has changed?)
*** "We have room for but one flag, the American Flag. We have room for but one language, the English language, and we have room for but one sole loyalty, and that is a loyalty to the American people." --President Theodore Roosevelt.
*** Turn in an illegal alien today. ICE Phone Number: (866) 347-2423. Toll free and you do not have to give your name. Just all the information you can think of.
*** The American media reports the news under the privilege granted to them under the First Amendment. But they also have the moral responsibility associated with that right to report it without a leftist slant.
Recently, we ran a story here at T-FIRE News about a plant in Sprinfield, Tennessee that was exposed by the Nashville press as having knowingly or passively hired dozens of illegal aliens.
On December 15, "dozens of employees" left the Electrolux Plant when Human Resources finally did their job.
On December 15, "dozens of employees" left the Electrolux Plant when Human Resources finally did their job.
Pro-Illegal Groups Don't Like the Law
The State of Arizona recently passed a tough new law requiring greater hiring verifications to insure that employees are legal residents and/or American citizens.
The illegal aliens don't like it one bit.
The illegal aliens don't like it one bit.
ICE Arrests 448
If you don't think there are a lot of illegal aliens running around the Southeast-or you believe (as the head of the Morristown-Hamblen Chamber of Commerce does) that we don't have an illegal immigration problem-look what Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently found in five Southern States.
Spanish Debate?
Now we are in trouble when the Republican Party conducts a debate in Spanish instead of the language of voting-English.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Identity Theft at Koch Foods
By ROBRT MOORE
An identity-theft arrest of a Koch Foods employee Thursday is the sports equivalent of a slow, hanging curveball lobbed into the wheelhouse of Morristown City Council member Mel Tucker.
Tucker, the prime mover in a city council initiative designed to shift enforcement of some federal immigration laws to the Morristown Police Department, appears intent on hitting this offering way back.
The city council member says he plans to follow this case through the legal system in an effort to gain insight into whether Morristown companies are knowingly hiring illegal aliens.
The end of Thursday’s story is that a Koch Foods employee who identified herself as Lucia Perez was arrested at the chicken-processing plant in the East Tennessee Progress Center and charged with felony identity theft.
Perez had a company-issued photo ID card under the name of Julie Wheeler, according to MPD Detective Sgt. Randall Noe. Perez maintains she is 27. The real Julie Wheeler is 42.
Perez, a Mexican national, allegedly gave Wheeler’s Social Security number to Koch Foods human resources personnel when she was hired and assumed Wheeler’s identity, according to Noe.
The investigative trail that led to Perez’s arrest, however, began 1,100 miles away in the coastal hamlet of Swanville, Maine. That’s where Wheeler moved after she left Morristown in 2005. Wheeler, who says she qualified for disability benefits following a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress syndrome, received a troubling telephone call from the Social Security Administration earlier this week.
The SSA demanded that she repay $14,000 in disability payments. The reason that Wheeler owed the money is that Social Security records indicated that she had been working at Koch Foods in Morristown for the past two years. Wheeler says that she telephoned Koch Foods Thursday and asked a resources worker to write a letter to a Social Security office in Maine stating that she was not an employee. Wheeler alleges that a Koch Foods employee refused.
Tim Steffin, Koch Foods human resources manager, was unavailable for comment this morning. Noe says Koch Foods is cooperating with the investigation.
Wheeler says she strongly suspects that her former live-in boyfriend in Morristown, who Wheeler described as an illegal alien, stole her Social Security card during their relationship.
"The astonishing part of this is that (Perez) is obviously a Hispanic female and she was able to say that she is Julie Wheeler," Tucker said.
The city council member also says it’s hard for him to comprehend how the company could not have realized that Perez was not 42 years old.
"I have been saying that corporations here have been employing illegal aliens at very low wages, which in my opinion, has been depressing the wages for workers in Hamblen County," Tucker said this morning.
Tucker believes that this is the reason that the median family income actually dropped between 2000 to 2007.
It remains unclear whether Perez presented Wheeler’s Social Security card or just gave Wheeler’s Social Security number when she was hired at Koch Foods. Noe says he expects to learn that some time today.
"It will be gained either through cooperation or the legal process," Noe said this morning.
Noe asked that Perez be held without bond because he considers her a flight risk. Those convicted of identity theft face between two and four years in jail.
"That has resulted, in my opinion, in an insufficient disposable income for people to buy anything other than necessities here," Tucker added. "This resulted in an increase of the property tax of 40 percent last year."
____________
The disconnect between a Hispanic Koch Foods employee and a valid Social Security number, which surfaced with an identity-theft arrest at the Morristown chicken-processing plant Thursday, apparently wasn’t an uncommon phenomenon, suggest jail records.
Over the past two years, 39 Hispanics who identified themselves as Koch Foods employees have been booked into the Hamblen County Jail on a variety of charges, records indicate.
Only two gave corrections officers a Social Security number. The records did not indicate whether officers attempted to verify the numbers.
One of the workers, Juan Ramos Santiago, told corrections officers he was a citizen of Mexico, not the United States, according to jail records. The purported citizenship of the other man who gave a Social Security number, Jose Gregorio Vasquez, was not listed on his booking sheet.
Hamblen County jailers do not attempt to verify the places of employment for Hispanics or other inmates, so the possibility exists that the inmates could have lied about their connection to Koch Foods.
Tim Steffin, Koch Foods human resources manager, did not return telephone calls to comment. Other company officials were given the opportunity to comment but did not return calls.
Morristown Police Department Detective Sgt. Randall Noe, the lead investigator in the identity-theft case, says a Koch Foods human resources worker reported that Koch Foods visually verifies all prospective employees’ citizenship documents.
Noe said Koch Foods indicated the company does not keep copies of the qualifying documents — Social Security cards, alien-registration cards or passports — in employees’ personnel files.
Noe arrested 27-year-old Lucia Perez Thursday afternoon because she allegedly had assumed the identity of Julie Wheeler, a 42-year-old Maine resident who says her Social Security card was stolen when she lived in Morristown two years ago.
"It concerns law enforcement any time there is a perception that someone is breaking the law, whether it be federal or state law," Morristown Police Chief Roger Overholt said Saturday afternoon.
"Any time that these situations exist, we like to examine all the information to try to determine if there is a situation which warrants further investigation," the police chief added. "We know that it’s possible for undocumented individuals to obtain false documents and present them to employers."
Noe asked that Perez be held without bond because he considers her to be a flight risk. She was released from jail Friday after posting $10,000 bond.
All but three of the 39 listed said they were born in Mexico.
Only 12 of the 39 said they were U.S. citizens, and none of those who reported they were citizens possessed a driver’s license, according to jail records.
In fact, two of the three men who had Tennessee driver’s licenses, Santiago and Florentino Ramos, told jailers they were not U.S. citizens.
One man who told authorities he worked at Koch Foods, Julio S. Mendoza, had been deported two times under two different names, according to jail records.
He and 12 other Hispanics had known aliases. A man who sometimes went by Juventino Mendoza Aragon, tops the list. He has five known aliases reports indicate.
The Koch Foods Morristown plants, which employ more than 1,000 workers, have never been raided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Immigration officers arrested dozens of illegal aliens at the Fairmont Street facility when it was Burnett Produce.
In late August, I.C.E. swarmed a Koch Foods chicken-processing plant in Fairfield, Ohio and arrested more than 160 suspected illegal immigrants, according to agency releases.
Simultaneously, agents executed search warrants at Koch’s Chicago headquarters.
The charges filed against the Koch employees in the sting include illegal re-entry to the United States, identity theft, document fraud, Social Security fraud and forgery.
Koch’s Ohio operations were targeted in a two-year federal investigation "based on evidence that Koch may have knowingly hired illegal aliens at its poultry processing and packaging facility," according to an I.C.E. press release.
An identity-theft arrest of a Koch Foods employee Thursday is the sports equivalent of a slow, hanging curveball lobbed into the wheelhouse of Morristown City Council member Mel Tucker.
Tucker, the prime mover in a city council initiative designed to shift enforcement of some federal immigration laws to the Morristown Police Department, appears intent on hitting this offering way back.
The city council member says he plans to follow this case through the legal system in an effort to gain insight into whether Morristown companies are knowingly hiring illegal aliens.
The end of Thursday’s story is that a Koch Foods employee who identified herself as Lucia Perez was arrested at the chicken-processing plant in the East Tennessee Progress Center and charged with felony identity theft.
Perez had a company-issued photo ID card under the name of Julie Wheeler, according to MPD Detective Sgt. Randall Noe. Perez maintains she is 27. The real Julie Wheeler is 42.
Perez, a Mexican national, allegedly gave Wheeler’s Social Security number to Koch Foods human resources personnel when she was hired and assumed Wheeler’s identity, according to Noe.
The investigative trail that led to Perez’s arrest, however, began 1,100 miles away in the coastal hamlet of Swanville, Maine. That’s where Wheeler moved after she left Morristown in 2005. Wheeler, who says she qualified for disability benefits following a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress syndrome, received a troubling telephone call from the Social Security Administration earlier this week.
The SSA demanded that she repay $14,000 in disability payments. The reason that Wheeler owed the money is that Social Security records indicated that she had been working at Koch Foods in Morristown for the past two years. Wheeler says that she telephoned Koch Foods Thursday and asked a resources worker to write a letter to a Social Security office in Maine stating that she was not an employee. Wheeler alleges that a Koch Foods employee refused.
Tim Steffin, Koch Foods human resources manager, was unavailable for comment this morning. Noe says Koch Foods is cooperating with the investigation.
Wheeler says she strongly suspects that her former live-in boyfriend in Morristown, who Wheeler described as an illegal alien, stole her Social Security card during their relationship.
"The astonishing part of this is that (Perez) is obviously a Hispanic female and she was able to say that she is Julie Wheeler," Tucker said.
The city council member also says it’s hard for him to comprehend how the company could not have realized that Perez was not 42 years old.
"I have been saying that corporations here have been employing illegal aliens at very low wages, which in my opinion, has been depressing the wages for workers in Hamblen County," Tucker said this morning.
Tucker believes that this is the reason that the median family income actually dropped between 2000 to 2007.
It remains unclear whether Perez presented Wheeler’s Social Security card or just gave Wheeler’s Social Security number when she was hired at Koch Foods. Noe says he expects to learn that some time today.
"It will be gained either through cooperation or the legal process," Noe said this morning.
Noe asked that Perez be held without bond because he considers her a flight risk. Those convicted of identity theft face between two and four years in jail.
"That has resulted, in my opinion, in an insufficient disposable income for people to buy anything other than necessities here," Tucker added. "This resulted in an increase of the property tax of 40 percent last year."
____________
The disconnect between a Hispanic Koch Foods employee and a valid Social Security number, which surfaced with an identity-theft arrest at the Morristown chicken-processing plant Thursday, apparently wasn’t an uncommon phenomenon, suggest jail records.
Over the past two years, 39 Hispanics who identified themselves as Koch Foods employees have been booked into the Hamblen County Jail on a variety of charges, records indicate.
Only two gave corrections officers a Social Security number. The records did not indicate whether officers attempted to verify the numbers.
One of the workers, Juan Ramos Santiago, told corrections officers he was a citizen of Mexico, not the United States, according to jail records. The purported citizenship of the other man who gave a Social Security number, Jose Gregorio Vasquez, was not listed on his booking sheet.
Hamblen County jailers do not attempt to verify the places of employment for Hispanics or other inmates, so the possibility exists that the inmates could have lied about their connection to Koch Foods.
Tim Steffin, Koch Foods human resources manager, did not return telephone calls to comment. Other company officials were given the opportunity to comment but did not return calls.
Morristown Police Department Detective Sgt. Randall Noe, the lead investigator in the identity-theft case, says a Koch Foods human resources worker reported that Koch Foods visually verifies all prospective employees’ citizenship documents.
Noe said Koch Foods indicated the company does not keep copies of the qualifying documents — Social Security cards, alien-registration cards or passports — in employees’ personnel files.
Noe arrested 27-year-old Lucia Perez Thursday afternoon because she allegedly had assumed the identity of Julie Wheeler, a 42-year-old Maine resident who says her Social Security card was stolen when she lived in Morristown two years ago.
"It concerns law enforcement any time there is a perception that someone is breaking the law, whether it be federal or state law," Morristown Police Chief Roger Overholt said Saturday afternoon.
"Any time that these situations exist, we like to examine all the information to try to determine if there is a situation which warrants further investigation," the police chief added. "We know that it’s possible for undocumented individuals to obtain false documents and present them to employers."
Noe asked that Perez be held without bond because he considers her to be a flight risk. She was released from jail Friday after posting $10,000 bond.
All but three of the 39 listed said they were born in Mexico.
Only 12 of the 39 said they were U.S. citizens, and none of those who reported they were citizens possessed a driver’s license, according to jail records.
In fact, two of the three men who had Tennessee driver’s licenses, Santiago and Florentino Ramos, told jailers they were not U.S. citizens.
One man who told authorities he worked at Koch Foods, Julio S. Mendoza, had been deported two times under two different names, according to jail records.
He and 12 other Hispanics had known aliases. A man who sometimes went by Juventino Mendoza Aragon, tops the list. He has five known aliases reports indicate.
The Koch Foods Morristown plants, which employ more than 1,000 workers, have never been raided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Immigration officers arrested dozens of illegal aliens at the Fairmont Street facility when it was Burnett Produce.
In late August, I.C.E. swarmed a Koch Foods chicken-processing plant in Fairfield, Ohio and arrested more than 160 suspected illegal immigrants, according to agency releases.
Simultaneously, agents executed search warrants at Koch’s Chicago headquarters.
The charges filed against the Koch employees in the sting include illegal re-entry to the United States, identity theft, document fraud, Social Security fraud and forgery.
Koch’s Ohio operations were targeted in a two-year federal investigation "based on evidence that Koch may have knowingly hired illegal aliens at its poultry processing and packaging facility," according to an I.C.E. press release.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Springfield Plant A Magnet for Illegals
SPRINGFIELD, TENN.-A hidden camera investigation conducted by NewsChannel 5 revealed Springfield's biggest employer may be the biggest offender when it comes to hiring undocumented immigrants.
Electrolux is one of the largest manufacturing plants in Middle Tennessee.
It employs thousands of workers.
But a NewsChannel 5 investigation uncovered some disturbing facts about many of those employees.
From city leaders to factory employees, several people said the same thing about Electrolux. They said illegal immigrants, not Americans, comprise a large portion of its workforce.
Three years ago, the company came to Robertson County and local residents were excited about the hundreds of new jobs it would bring.
"They tend to project a family-oriented business here," said an employee.
Its opening was seen as a surefire boost to the local economy.
"You know they care so it's a perfect place for a single mom to be," said an employee.
But how many of those jobs went to American workers?
"This is what Springfield, Robertson County is," said Amanda Clack, a former employee. "They are taking over."
Clack says few positions went to Americans.
She claims Electrolux is a big draw for immigrants.
"Ninety percent of that plant is Mexicans," she said. "Maybe 5 percent white, 5 percent black."
"There's only two people next to me who speak English, the rest of them are Hispanic around me," said an employee."They constantly want to say we're going to go to Mexico,' another employee said. "Why go to Mexico, when Mexico is here."
To get hired at Electrolux, applicants first go through a staffing agency called Randstad. Hiring occurs inside a trailer next to the plant. Four people equipped with hidden cameras went to the trailer to see what happens.
One person ventured into Randstad under the premise that she recently arrived in this country and needed a job.
While waiting to fill out paperwork, she met a man who was reapplying.
He allegedly reapplied using fake documentations.
The man told the decoy about someone he knew who provided fake documents.
Outside the trailer, he told her how much.
"Around $900 you will get a birth certificate, a social security number from Puerto Rico," he said. "It has a name and address and everything."
He showed her his own fake state identification
.
"It's easy to get the job, and you don't have to speak English," he said.
Around town, the decoys sent by NewsChannel 5 learned Electrolux is the best place to work for undocumented immigrants.
"It's around $800 to get a social security number," one man said.
They also learned about a Puerto Rican black market in which identities are bought and sold.No one seems to care if they're caught.
"They are reapplying because they are getting fired, and then they are reapplying with other documentations, and then getting hired again," said one decoy.
An applicant works for Randstad, but at Electrolux, for the first three while their papers are being verified.
"There's plenty of people there," one man said. "Some that will be fired today and they go and buy different papers, and then they go either to a different shift, or the same shift."
"Now, they need a lot of people, but there's no people to hire," he said. "And yes, they know those documents do not belong to us."
Randstad and Electrolux denied anything like this goes on.
But one man who urged the undercover decoy to apply with Randstad, saying Randstad knew his papers were fake, but rehired him anyway.
"Every one of us goes there and nothing happens," he said. "Don't be afraid. I worked there three years and nothing happened."
The situation at Electrolux has left many in Springfield with a familiar frustration.
"Since the Mexicans will work for lower amounts of money, they will hire them, and then leaving us out here, not being able to find a job," Clack said.
Randstad denies any wrongdoing.
A spokeswoman said they have an outside company that also checks to make sure the documents they receive are real. Springfield City Manager Paul Nutting said what the investigation revealed wasn't something new to him.
He said he's known about this issue for years and it's had a negative impact on Springfield.
In an interview Thursday, he discusses the Electrolux situation.
Electrolux also defended its hiring practices in a statement.
"We are confident that this process of independently verifying employee documentation minimizes the chances of undocumented workers slipping through," according to a written statement from a spokesman. "If any should, they eventually will be identified, and fired."
Electrolux is one of the largest manufacturing plants in Middle Tennessee.
It employs thousands of workers.
But a NewsChannel 5 investigation uncovered some disturbing facts about many of those employees.
From city leaders to factory employees, several people said the same thing about Electrolux. They said illegal immigrants, not Americans, comprise a large portion of its workforce.
Three years ago, the company came to Robertson County and local residents were excited about the hundreds of new jobs it would bring.
"They tend to project a family-oriented business here," said an employee.
Its opening was seen as a surefire boost to the local economy.
"You know they care so it's a perfect place for a single mom to be," said an employee.
But how many of those jobs went to American workers?
"This is what Springfield, Robertson County is," said Amanda Clack, a former employee. "They are taking over."
Clack says few positions went to Americans.
She claims Electrolux is a big draw for immigrants.
"Ninety percent of that plant is Mexicans," she said. "Maybe 5 percent white, 5 percent black."
"There's only two people next to me who speak English, the rest of them are Hispanic around me," said an employee."They constantly want to say we're going to go to Mexico,' another employee said. "Why go to Mexico, when Mexico is here."
To get hired at Electrolux, applicants first go through a staffing agency called Randstad. Hiring occurs inside a trailer next to the plant. Four people equipped with hidden cameras went to the trailer to see what happens.
One person ventured into Randstad under the premise that she recently arrived in this country and needed a job.
While waiting to fill out paperwork, she met a man who was reapplying.
He allegedly reapplied using fake documentations.
The man told the decoy about someone he knew who provided fake documents.
Outside the trailer, he told her how much.
"Around $900 you will get a birth certificate, a social security number from Puerto Rico," he said. "It has a name and address and everything."
He showed her his own fake state identification
.
"It's easy to get the job, and you don't have to speak English," he said.
Around town, the decoys sent by NewsChannel 5 learned Electrolux is the best place to work for undocumented immigrants.
"It's around $800 to get a social security number," one man said.
They also learned about a Puerto Rican black market in which identities are bought and sold.No one seems to care if they're caught.
"They are reapplying because they are getting fired, and then they are reapplying with other documentations, and then getting hired again," said one decoy.
An applicant works for Randstad, but at Electrolux, for the first three while their papers are being verified.
"There's plenty of people there," one man said. "Some that will be fired today and they go and buy different papers, and then they go either to a different shift, or the same shift."
"Now, they need a lot of people, but there's no people to hire," he said. "And yes, they know those documents do not belong to us."
Randstad and Electrolux denied anything like this goes on.
But one man who urged the undercover decoy to apply with Randstad, saying Randstad knew his papers were fake, but rehired him anyway.
"Every one of us goes there and nothing happens," he said. "Don't be afraid. I worked there three years and nothing happened."
The situation at Electrolux has left many in Springfield with a familiar frustration.
"Since the Mexicans will work for lower amounts of money, they will hire them, and then leaving us out here, not being able to find a job," Clack said.
Randstad denies any wrongdoing.
A spokeswoman said they have an outside company that also checks to make sure the documents they receive are real. Springfield City Manager Paul Nutting said what the investigation revealed wasn't something new to him.
He said he's known about this issue for years and it's had a negative impact on Springfield.
In an interview Thursday, he discusses the Electrolux situation.
Electrolux also defended its hiring practices in a statement.
"We are confident that this process of independently verifying employee documentation minimizes the chances of undocumented workers slipping through," according to a written statement from a spokesman. "If any should, they eventually will be identified, and fired."
The Resolutions Pass
The Morristown City Council has finally decided that illegal immigration is enough of a problem in Morristown and Hamblen County to call on our State and federal Governments to take action to relieve the community.
Is it just us here at T-FIRE, or are these resolutions-which were courageously brought forward by Councilman Mel Tucker-long overdue?
Is it just us here at T-FIRE, or are these resolutions-which were courageously brought forward by Councilman Mel Tucker-long overdue?
Huckabee a Disaster?
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is emerging as one of the top contenders for the 2008 Republican nomination. Groups that want to secure our borders and enforce America's immigration laws are warning that Huckabee could be disastrous on the immigration front:
Groups that support a crackdown on illegal aliens haven't settled on their champion in the race for the White House, but there's little doubt which Republican scares them most — former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. "He was an absolute disaster on immigration as governor," said Roy Beck, president of NumbersUSA, a group that played a major role in rallying the phone calls that helped defeat this year's Senate immigration bill. "Every time there was any enforcement in his state, he took the side of the illegal aliens." As Mr. Huckabee rises in the polls, his opponents are beginning to take shots at him on immigration. Just as problematic for the former Arkansas governor, however, is that the independent interest groups that track the issue are also giving him the once-over, and don't like what they see. "Huckabee is the guy who scares the heck out of me," said Peter Gadiel, president of 9-11 Families for a Secure America, a group instrumental in fighting
for the REAL ID Act that sets federal standards for driver's licenses.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Islamic Radicals Planned to Come Through Pourous Border
By Sara A. Carter
The Washington Times
Fort Huachuca, the nation's largest intelligence-training center, changed security measures in May after being warned that Islamist terrorists, with the aid of Mexican drug cartels, were planning an attack on the facility.
Fort officials changed security measures after sources warned that possibly 60 Afghan and Iraqi terrorists were to be smuggled into the U.S. through underground tunnels with high-powered weapons to attack the Arizona Army base, according to multiple confidential law enforcement documents obtained by The Washington Times.
"A portion of the operatives were in the United States, with the remainder not yet in the United States," according to one of the documents, an FBI advisory that was distributed to the Defense Intelligence Agency, the CIA, Customs and Border Protection and the Justice Department, among several other law enforcement agencies throughout the nation. "The Afghanis and Iraqis shaved their beards so as not to appear to be Middle Easterners."
According to the FBI advisory, each Middle Easterner paid Mexican drug lords $20,000 "or the equivalent in weapons" for the cartel's assistance in smuggling them and their weapons through tunnels along the border into the U.S. The weapons would be sent through tunnels that supposedly ended in Arizona and New Mexico, but the Islamist terrorists would be smuggled through Laredo, Texas, and reclaim the weapons later.
A number of the Afghans and Iraqis are already in a safe house in Texas, the FBI advisory said.
Fort Huachuca, which lies about 20 miles from the Mexican border, has members of all four service branches training in intelligence and secret operations. About 12,000 persons work at the fort and many have their families on base.
Lt. Col. Matthew Garner, spokesman for Fort Huachuca, said details about the current phase of the investigation or security changes on the post "will not be disclosed."
"We are always taking precautions to ensure that soldiers, family members and civilians that work and live on Fort Huachuca are safe," Col. Garner said. "With this specific threat, we did change some aspects of our security that we did have in place."
According to the FBI report, some of the weapons associated with the plot have been smuggled through a tunnel from Mexico to the U.S.
The FBI report is based on Drug Enforcement Administration sources, including Mexican nationals with access to "sub-sources" in the drug cartels. The report's assessment is that the DEA's Mexican contacts have proven reliable in the past but the "sub-source" is of uncertain reliability.
According to the source who spoke with DEA intelligence agents, the weapons included two Milan anti-tank missiles, Soviet-made surface-to-air missiles, grenade launchers, long guns and handguns.
"FBI Comment: The surface-to-air missiles may in fact be RPGs," the advisory stated, adding that the weapons stash in Mexico could include two or three more Milan missiles.
The Milan, a French-German portable anti-tank weapon, was developed in the 1970s and widely sold to militaries around the world, including Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Insurgents in Iraq reportedly have used a Milan missile in an attack on a British tank. Iraqi guerrillas also have shot down U.S. helicopters using RPGs, or rocket-propelled grenades.
FBI spokesman Paul Bresson would not elaborate on the current investigation regarding the threat, but said that many times the initial reports are based on "raw, uncorroborated information that has not been completely vetted." He added that this report shows the extent to which all law enforcement and intelligence agencies cooperate in terror investigations.
"If nothing else, it provides a good look at the inner working of the law-enforcement and intelligence community and how they work together on a daily basis to share and deal with threat information," Mr. Bresson said. "It also demonstrates the cross-pollination that frequently exists between criminal and terrorist groups."
The connections between criminal enterprises, such as powerful drug cartels, and terrorist organizations have become a serious concern for intelligence agencies monitoring the U.S.-Mexico border.
"Based upon the information provided by the DEA handling agent, the DEA has classified the source as credible," stated a Department of Homeland Security document, regarding the possibility of an attack on Fort Huachuca. "The identity of the sub-source has been established; however, none of the information provided by the sub-source in the past has been corroborated."
The FBI advisory stated the "sub-source" for the information "is a member of the Zetas," the military arm of one of Mexico's most dangerous drug-trafficking organizations, the Gulf Cartel. The Gulf Cartel controls the movement of narcotics from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, into the U.S. along the Laredo corridor.
However, the sub-source "for this information is of unknown reliability," the FBI advisory stated.
According to the DEA, the sub-source identified Mexico's Sinaloa cartel as the drug lords who would assist the terrorists in their plot.
This led the DEA to caution the FBI that its information may be a Gulf Cartel plant to bring the U.S. military in against its main rival. The Sinaloa and Gulf cartels have fought bloody battles along the border for control of shipping routes into the U.S.
"It doesn't mean that there isn't truth to some of what this source delivered to U.S. agents," said one law-enforcement intelligence agent, on the condition of anonymity. "The cartels have no loyalty to any nation or person. It isn't surprising that for the right price they would assist terrorists, knowingly or unknowingly."
The Washington Times
Fort Huachuca, the nation's largest intelligence-training center, changed security measures in May after being warned that Islamist terrorists, with the aid of Mexican drug cartels, were planning an attack on the facility.
Fort officials changed security measures after sources warned that possibly 60 Afghan and Iraqi terrorists were to be smuggled into the U.S. through underground tunnels with high-powered weapons to attack the Arizona Army base, according to multiple confidential law enforcement documents obtained by The Washington Times.
"A portion of the operatives were in the United States, with the remainder not yet in the United States," according to one of the documents, an FBI advisory that was distributed to the Defense Intelligence Agency, the CIA, Customs and Border Protection and the Justice Department, among several other law enforcement agencies throughout the nation. "The Afghanis and Iraqis shaved their beards so as not to appear to be Middle Easterners."
According to the FBI advisory, each Middle Easterner paid Mexican drug lords $20,000 "or the equivalent in weapons" for the cartel's assistance in smuggling them and their weapons through tunnels along the border into the U.S. The weapons would be sent through tunnels that supposedly ended in Arizona and New Mexico, but the Islamist terrorists would be smuggled through Laredo, Texas, and reclaim the weapons later.
A number of the Afghans and Iraqis are already in a safe house in Texas, the FBI advisory said.
Fort Huachuca, which lies about 20 miles from the Mexican border, has members of all four service branches training in intelligence and secret operations. About 12,000 persons work at the fort and many have their families on base.
Lt. Col. Matthew Garner, spokesman for Fort Huachuca, said details about the current phase of the investigation or security changes on the post "will not be disclosed."
"We are always taking precautions to ensure that soldiers, family members and civilians that work and live on Fort Huachuca are safe," Col. Garner said. "With this specific threat, we did change some aspects of our security that we did have in place."
According to the FBI report, some of the weapons associated with the plot have been smuggled through a tunnel from Mexico to the U.S.
The FBI report is based on Drug Enforcement Administration sources, including Mexican nationals with access to "sub-sources" in the drug cartels. The report's assessment is that the DEA's Mexican contacts have proven reliable in the past but the "sub-source" is of uncertain reliability.
According to the source who spoke with DEA intelligence agents, the weapons included two Milan anti-tank missiles, Soviet-made surface-to-air missiles, grenade launchers, long guns and handguns.
"FBI Comment: The surface-to-air missiles may in fact be RPGs," the advisory stated, adding that the weapons stash in Mexico could include two or three more Milan missiles.
The Milan, a French-German portable anti-tank weapon, was developed in the 1970s and widely sold to militaries around the world, including Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Insurgents in Iraq reportedly have used a Milan missile in an attack on a British tank. Iraqi guerrillas also have shot down U.S. helicopters using RPGs, or rocket-propelled grenades.
FBI spokesman Paul Bresson would not elaborate on the current investigation regarding the threat, but said that many times the initial reports are based on "raw, uncorroborated information that has not been completely vetted." He added that this report shows the extent to which all law enforcement and intelligence agencies cooperate in terror investigations.
"If nothing else, it provides a good look at the inner working of the law-enforcement and intelligence community and how they work together on a daily basis to share and deal with threat information," Mr. Bresson said. "It also demonstrates the cross-pollination that frequently exists between criminal and terrorist groups."
The connections between criminal enterprises, such as powerful drug cartels, and terrorist organizations have become a serious concern for intelligence agencies monitoring the U.S.-Mexico border.
"Based upon the information provided by the DEA handling agent, the DEA has classified the source as credible," stated a Department of Homeland Security document, regarding the possibility of an attack on Fort Huachuca. "The identity of the sub-source has been established; however, none of the information provided by the sub-source in the past has been corroborated."
The FBI advisory stated the "sub-source" for the information "is a member of the Zetas," the military arm of one of Mexico's most dangerous drug-trafficking organizations, the Gulf Cartel. The Gulf Cartel controls the movement of narcotics from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, into the U.S. along the Laredo corridor.
However, the sub-source "for this information is of unknown reliability," the FBI advisory stated.
According to the DEA, the sub-source identified Mexico's Sinaloa cartel as the drug lords who would assist the terrorists in their plot.
This led the DEA to caution the FBI that its information may be a Gulf Cartel plant to bring the U.S. military in against its main rival. The Sinaloa and Gulf cartels have fought bloody battles along the border for control of shipping routes into the U.S.
"It doesn't mean that there isn't truth to some of what this source delivered to U.S. agents," said one law-enforcement intelligence agent, on the condition of anonymity. "The cartels have no loyalty to any nation or person. It isn't surprising that for the right price they would assist terrorists, knowingly or unknowingly."
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
She Was for It, Now She is Against It
By DEVLIN BARRETT-Associated Press
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday came out against granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, after weeks of pressure in the presidential race to take a position on a now-failed ID plan from her home state governor.
Clinton has faced criticism from candidates in both parties for her noncommittal answers on New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's attempt to allow illegal immigrants in his state to receive driver's licenses. Spitzer abandoned the effort Wednesday.
"I support Governor Spitzer's decision today to withdraw his proposal," Clinton said in a statement. "As president, I will not support driver's licenses for undocumented people and will press for comprehensive immigration reform that deals with all of the issues around illegal immigration including border security and fixing our broken system."
Clinton stumbled when asked about the issue during a Democratic debate two weeks ago, and her new position comes the day before another debate where opponents are expected to raise the issue again.
Rival campaigns made clear they were not letting go of the issue.
"When it takes two weeks and six different positions to answer one question on immigration, it's easier to understand why the Clinton campaign would rather plant their questions than answer them," said Barack Obama spokesman Bill Burton, referring to the Clinton campaign's admission that aides had staged a question for her at an Iowa event.
Colleen Flanagan, a spokesman for Chris Dodd, called Clinton's position "flip-flopping cubed. She was for it before she was against it, before she was for it, before she was against it."
Spitzer met with New York lawmakers in Washington on Wednesday, and conceded that there was too much public opposition to his plan. Clinton did not attend the meeting.
"It does not take a stethoscope to hear the pulse of New Yorkers on this topic," he said.The Democratic governor introduced the plan two months ago with the goal of increased security, safer roads and an opportunity to bring immigrants "out of the shadows." Opponents charged the scheme would make it easier for would-be terrorists to get identification, and make the country less safe.
The decision is another example of the roadblocks high-profile immigration reforms have faced this year. Less than five months ago, Congress failed to pass legislation that would legalize as many as 12 million unlawful immigrants and fortify the border with Mexico.
"The federal government has lost control of its borders... and now has no solution to deal with it," Spitzer said.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff called Spitzer's reversal on the license issue "a good development" and said immigration is a federal issue for which his department has to "ramp up enforcement."
"What I want to make sure is that states aren't working at cross purposes with us and enabling the kind of conduct we're enforcing against," Chertoff told The Associated Press by telephone from London.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday came out against granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, after weeks of pressure in the presidential race to take a position on a now-failed ID plan from her home state governor.
Clinton has faced criticism from candidates in both parties for her noncommittal answers on New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's attempt to allow illegal immigrants in his state to receive driver's licenses. Spitzer abandoned the effort Wednesday.
"I support Governor Spitzer's decision today to withdraw his proposal," Clinton said in a statement. "As president, I will not support driver's licenses for undocumented people and will press for comprehensive immigration reform that deals with all of the issues around illegal immigration including border security and fixing our broken system."
Clinton stumbled when asked about the issue during a Democratic debate two weeks ago, and her new position comes the day before another debate where opponents are expected to raise the issue again.
Rival campaigns made clear they were not letting go of the issue.
"When it takes two weeks and six different positions to answer one question on immigration, it's easier to understand why the Clinton campaign would rather plant their questions than answer them," said Barack Obama spokesman Bill Burton, referring to the Clinton campaign's admission that aides had staged a question for her at an Iowa event.
Colleen Flanagan, a spokesman for Chris Dodd, called Clinton's position "flip-flopping cubed. She was for it before she was against it, before she was for it, before she was against it."
Spitzer met with New York lawmakers in Washington on Wednesday, and conceded that there was too much public opposition to his plan. Clinton did not attend the meeting.
"It does not take a stethoscope to hear the pulse of New Yorkers on this topic," he said.The Democratic governor introduced the plan two months ago with the goal of increased security, safer roads and an opportunity to bring immigrants "out of the shadows." Opponents charged the scheme would make it easier for would-be terrorists to get identification, and make the country less safe.
The decision is another example of the roadblocks high-profile immigration reforms have faced this year. Less than five months ago, Congress failed to pass legislation that would legalize as many as 12 million unlawful immigrants and fortify the border with Mexico.
"The federal government has lost control of its borders... and now has no solution to deal with it," Spitzer said.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff called Spitzer's reversal on the license issue "a good development" and said immigration is a federal issue for which his department has to "ramp up enforcement."
"What I want to make sure is that states aren't working at cross purposes with us and enabling the kind of conduct we're enforcing against," Chertoff told The Associated Press by telephone from London.
Hillarycare for Illegals
By Robert Goldberg-New York Post
November 16, 2007 -- IF you thought Hillary Clinton had trouble making up her mind about drivers licenses for illegal aliens, wait until someone tries to pin her down about health care for illegals.
She fumbled for days after being asked about Gov. Spitzer's now-aborted plan to give licenses to illegals. But the New York governor is pushing ahead on giving free health care to the same folks. Washington recently told Spitzer that it wouldn't pay for chemotherapy for illegals under a Medicaid "emergency" program. That program was created in 1996 at President Bill Clinton's insistence to provide "temporary" coverage to illegals, who'd been barred from Medicaid the year before. In the years since, it's become a de facto entitlement for illegals - who in some states get the same benefits as everyone else on Medicaid (except for organ transplants). As a result, "emergency" Medicaid spending has ballooned across the country.
When the Bush administration told Spitzer that emergency Medicaid wasn't meant to cover chemotherapy, the gov decided that New York taxpayers (many of whom have to cover the cost of their own cancer drugs, due to inadequate private insurance) would foot the bill. Spitzer says the cancer care will "only" cost $10 million. Maybe so - until more people find out it's free.
Over to Hillary: Asked in September if the senator's new health plan would pay the tab for illegals, senior Clinton policy adviser Laurie Rubiner said, "That's one we're going to have to think through a little bit . . . We have not dealt with every single detail with this plan." This is one detail Clinton had better deal with quickly. No one wants to see suffering people denied health care. Illegal immigrants are more than welcome to pay out of pocket for health care - and many do. Many also buy private insurance - or at least did until it became public policy to give health care away for free as a reward for being here illegally.
But lots of voters will say states shouldn't provide free cancer care to people who are in this country illegally, when many Americans can't get their private health plans to pay for the same drugs. And Clinton has clearly supported spending taxpayer dollars on free health care for illegals in the past - and not just a decade ago, when Bill was pushing for the "emergency" program. Despite what the senator's adviser says, she has thought through this issue. Hillary voted to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program to cover illegals and had counted on that money to bring down the cost of her own health care plan. And if "universal health coverage" is her goal, then supporting the Spitzer chemo handout is a slam-dunk. After all, illegals make up 9 million of the 45 million "Americans" she typically notes as lacking health coverage.
To be fair, no presidential candidate has so far taken on the issue of how to deal with health-care coverage for illegals. But it's only fair that Clinton go first: Her home-state governor and political ally is at the center of the debate. And health care is Clinton's signature issue, the one policy area that she claims the most experience and leadership. She has had plenty of time to "think." How she responds will tell us a lot about her health-care plan and her candidacy.
November 16, 2007 -- IF you thought Hillary Clinton had trouble making up her mind about drivers licenses for illegal aliens, wait until someone tries to pin her down about health care for illegals.
She fumbled for days after being asked about Gov. Spitzer's now-aborted plan to give licenses to illegals. But the New York governor is pushing ahead on giving free health care to the same folks. Washington recently told Spitzer that it wouldn't pay for chemotherapy for illegals under a Medicaid "emergency" program. That program was created in 1996 at President Bill Clinton's insistence to provide "temporary" coverage to illegals, who'd been barred from Medicaid the year before. In the years since, it's become a de facto entitlement for illegals - who in some states get the same benefits as everyone else on Medicaid (except for organ transplants). As a result, "emergency" Medicaid spending has ballooned across the country.
When the Bush administration told Spitzer that emergency Medicaid wasn't meant to cover chemotherapy, the gov decided that New York taxpayers (many of whom have to cover the cost of their own cancer drugs, due to inadequate private insurance) would foot the bill. Spitzer says the cancer care will "only" cost $10 million. Maybe so - until more people find out it's free.
Over to Hillary: Asked in September if the senator's new health plan would pay the tab for illegals, senior Clinton policy adviser Laurie Rubiner said, "That's one we're going to have to think through a little bit . . . We have not dealt with every single detail with this plan." This is one detail Clinton had better deal with quickly. No one wants to see suffering people denied health care. Illegal immigrants are more than welcome to pay out of pocket for health care - and many do. Many also buy private insurance - or at least did until it became public policy to give health care away for free as a reward for being here illegally.
But lots of voters will say states shouldn't provide free cancer care to people who are in this country illegally, when many Americans can't get their private health plans to pay for the same drugs. And Clinton has clearly supported spending taxpayer dollars on free health care for illegals in the past - and not just a decade ago, when Bill was pushing for the "emergency" program. Despite what the senator's adviser says, she has thought through this issue. Hillary voted to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program to cover illegals and had counted on that money to bring down the cost of her own health care plan. And if "universal health coverage" is her goal, then supporting the Spitzer chemo handout is a slam-dunk. After all, illegals make up 9 million of the 45 million "Americans" she typically notes as lacking health coverage.
To be fair, no presidential candidate has so far taken on the issue of how to deal with health-care coverage for illegals. But it's only fair that Clinton go first: Her home-state governor and political ally is at the center of the debate. And health care is Clinton's signature issue, the one policy area that she claims the most experience and leadership. She has had plenty of time to "think." How she responds will tell us a lot about her health-care plan and her candidacy.
The Railroading
By now, those following the issue of immigration law enforcement have heard about the Border Patrol Agents who were sentenced to prison for shooting those trying to cross our borders in violation of the law.
Now we learn that the men those agents shot at were scoundrels of the worst sort who were trying to smuggle drugs across the U.S. border. What was suspected has been confirmed.
So these men (who are Hispanic Americans) who have done their duty in protecting the sovereignty of the United States are put into prison where they are beaten (probably by illegal alien criminals), while the career criminal they shot might get 40 years, or might be deported only to return again.
Now we learn that the men those agents shot at were scoundrels of the worst sort who were trying to smuggle drugs across the U.S. border. What was suspected has been confirmed.
So these men (who are Hispanic Americans) who have done their duty in protecting the sovereignty of the United States are put into prison where they are beaten (probably by illegal alien criminals), while the career criminal they shot might get 40 years, or might be deported only to return again.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Mel Tucker Fights the Power
BY ROBERT MOORE, Tribune Staff Writer
Having suffered setbacks on two fronts involving illegal immigrants, Morristown City Council member Mel Tucker is moving ahead with a new four-prong offensive designed to prod goverment into action.
Having suffered setbacks on two fronts involving illegal immigrants, Morristown City Council member Mel Tucker is moving ahead with a new four-prong offensive designed to prod goverment into action.
This time, he has a clear majority of council members on board, and the council is scheduled to approve Tucker’s policy package on Nov. 20
Tucker has enough votes to pass a resolution urging our federal legislators — Bob Corker, Lamar Alexander and David Davis — to adequately fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and to prod immigration officials to do their job.
The council member wants state legislators, John Litz and Steve Southerland, to introduce bills that would make it a felony offense to knowingly employ, transport or house illegal immigrants.
The state law Tucker seeks, which could be modeled after legislation that recently went into effect in Oklahoma, also would require law enforcement officials to detain illegals until they can be deported.
Third on Tucker’s illegal-immigration wish list is directing Morristown City Attorney Dick Jessee to conduct research on the powers of municipal governments to combat an influx of undocumented residents.
Finally, the councilman wants to try another approach to have MPD officers certified to perform certain duties of a federal immigration officer.
Tucker’s initial effort was thwarted, in part, because I.C.E. is reserving the limited training spots for agencies that operate a jail.
His new idea is to have Hamblen County Sheriff Esco Jarnagin deputize five MPD officers, then send them to school with five county corrections officers.
If this proposed end-run around the I.C.E. guidelines works, the MPD officers would be able to process criminal aliens into a federal database and initiate deportation proceedings without relying on a federal agent. .
The officers who complete the school also could document alleged illegal immigrants they encounter during the course of routine police work and forward their names to I.C.E., which could act on the information.
The officers would not have the authority to conduct raids.
"I think it’s our responsibility as a legislative and political body to be looking at this problem," Tucker said. "When I see and watch the news and every agency around the country says, ‘Why, that’s not my problem, that’s the federal government’s problem’... Well, you know, it’s our problem because it’s affecting us, in my opinion."
In August 2006, responding to complaints about up to 10 Hispanics living in a house on Rosedale Avenue, Tucker launched an initiative to set occupancy limits for residences inside the Morristown city limits.
Eight months later, Tucker got what he wanted, but it was a hollow victory. The city council essentially adopted the same occupancy guidelines enforced by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The federal rules permit up to 14 adults to live in a 1,900-square-foot house.
Tucker says groups with similar stated goals like the Tennessee Volunteer Minutemen have approached him with offers of support.
Tucker says he turned them down flat, and emphasizes that he’s not affiliated with any anti-illegal-immigration group.
"I always act on my on," Tucker said. "I’m not speaking for anyone else except myself. I believe that the laws of our land ought to be enforced. I think you move toward anarchy when you don’t do that, and the federal government needs to step up to the plate and do it’s job."
Tucker adopted a novel approach to drive home his point at Tuesday’s council meeting.
In a serious tone, Tucker proposed that the Morristown Police Department suspend enforcement of drunken-driving and all other alcohol-related laws.
Stunned silence filled Council Chambers. Council member Kay Senter’s draw dropped.
When everyone had time to weigh whether Tucker had lost his mind, he allowed that it was an absurd proposition but no less absurd than the federal government to not enforcing immigration laws.
Tucker believes that the influx of illegal immigrants in Hamblen County is at least partially responsible for the drop in median family income, which fell from $27,000 in 2000 to $26,300 in 2006.
He contends that Morristown might be a more attractive location for illegals than many other cities because it’s an "industrial-based, relatively low-wage community."
He maintains this is important for council members because sales-tax revenues fund a large portion of city government’s operations.
"Personally, I believe that people don’t have the disposable income to buy products that generate sales tax that we’ve relied upon in the past," Tucker said.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
The Tucker Resolutions
Morristown City Councilman Mel Tucker is fed up with illegal immigration, and he's tired of the Morristown-Hamblen County Chamber of Commerce pretending that it isn't a problem. What he proposed to do is for the Council to use its discretionary powers to demand via a resolution that our Representatives in Nashville and Washington take action (reports T-FIRE member and former Hamblen County Commissioner Linda Noe):
1. Draft a resolution to send to Senator Bob Corker, Senator Lamar Alexander, and Congressman David Davis requesting that ICE (Immigration and Custom Enforcement) receive additional funding and do its job enforcing the federal immigration laws.
2. Draft a resolution to send to state Senator Steve Southerland and Representative John Litz asking that they push legislation in Tennessee similar to Oklahoma HB 1804. This recently enacted Oklahoma law prohibits the issuance of government ID's (such as licenses) to illegal immigrants; prohibits public assistance to illegal immigrants; makes it a felony for a U.S. citizen to transport, harbor, or employ illegal immigrants; and requires that illegal immigrants be detained without bond until deportation.
3. Authorize city attorney Dick Jessee to research the issue and advise council of all legal means available to identify and take action against illegal immigrants.
4. Fund Hamblen County Sheriff Jarnagin's expenses for 10 "deputies" to attend ICE certification training that is reserved only for those agencies, such as Hamblen County, that operate jails. Among those ten would be 5 Morristown Police Deptartment officers who would be deputized by the Sheriff.
That last point is critical, because since the federal government refuses to enforce our immigration laws, our local law enforcement must rake up the burden.
Let's let Councilman Tucker know that we support his efforts!
1. Draft a resolution to send to Senator Bob Corker, Senator Lamar Alexander, and Congressman David Davis requesting that ICE (Immigration and Custom Enforcement) receive additional funding and do its job enforcing the federal immigration laws.
2. Draft a resolution to send to state Senator Steve Southerland and Representative John Litz asking that they push legislation in Tennessee similar to Oklahoma HB 1804. This recently enacted Oklahoma law prohibits the issuance of government ID's (such as licenses) to illegal immigrants; prohibits public assistance to illegal immigrants; makes it a felony for a U.S. citizen to transport, harbor, or employ illegal immigrants; and requires that illegal immigrants be detained without bond until deportation.
3. Authorize city attorney Dick Jessee to research the issue and advise council of all legal means available to identify and take action against illegal immigrants.
4. Fund Hamblen County Sheriff Jarnagin's expenses for 10 "deputies" to attend ICE certification training that is reserved only for those agencies, such as Hamblen County, that operate jails. Among those ten would be 5 Morristown Police Deptartment officers who would be deputized by the Sheriff.
That last point is critical, because since the federal government refuses to enforce our immigration laws, our local law enforcement must rake up the burden.
Let's let Councilman Tucker know that we support his efforts!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
What We are Really Looking For
Investors' Business Daily's Michael Barone hits the nail on the head as to what the real impetus is for those of us who are concerned about the threat of illegal immigration into this country-and it isn't race:
You don't have to be a racist to be bothered by such things. You just have to be a citizen who thinks that massive failure to enforce the law is corrosive to society. That was apparent to me as I listened to a focus group of Republican voters in suburban Richmond, Va., conducted by Peter Hart for the Annenberg School of Communications.
One voter after another complained that the immigration laws were not being enforced. None of them made any derogatory remarks about Latino immigrants — two said they admired how hard immigrants work. They don't want to see Latinos banished from this country. They want the immigrants here to be legally here.
Here at T-FIRE, this is our collective sentiment-word for word.
You don't have to be a racist to be bothered by such things. You just have to be a citizen who thinks that massive failure to enforce the law is corrosive to society. That was apparent to me as I listened to a focus group of Republican voters in suburban Richmond, Va., conducted by Peter Hart for the Annenberg School of Communications.
One voter after another complained that the immigration laws were not being enforced. None of them made any derogatory remarks about Latino immigrants — two said they admired how hard immigrants work. They don't want to see Latinos banished from this country. They want the immigrants here to be legally here.
Here at T-FIRE, this is our collective sentiment-word for word.
Checkpoints are So Helpful
Our border patrol agents are having such a difficult time, and the ladies and gentlemen manning our official border checkpoints have been such a help-they let 21,000 people through border checkpoints that did not have proper documentation.
Minuteman Leader: No Compromise On Illegal Immigration
From The Tennessean
By COLBY SLEDGE Staff Writer
A leader in volunteer patrolling of U.S. borders said his group was at a "no-compromise position" concerning illegal immigration during a speech at Belmont University this morning.
"This is not about being anti-immigrant; this is not about hate," said Chris Simcox, president of the Arizona-based Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. "This is about citizens doing their duty."More than 170 students, faculty and community leaders attended the event at the Massey Business Center, according to estimates by Belmont officials.
More than 9,000 Minutemen volunteer for patrol trips on U.S. borders, primarily focusing on identifying and reporting people crossing illegally from Mexico into the United States.
Simcox spoke out mainly against the federal government, saying members of the U.S. Congress were ''selling out our citizenship'' in exchange for furthering American addictions to drugs and cheap labor.''Angst and anger and activism need to be directed at those we hired,'' Simcox said.
The audience mostly listened quietly during the 45-minute lecture, which included a question-and-answer session. Simcox drew ire from some students during the speech for insinuating that protesters at previous events were actually upset over crackdowns on drug cartels coming from Mexico.''Sometimes I think that's what they're really protesting, is losing their cheap drug supply,'' Simcox said.
Simcox will be at Middle Tennessee State University at 6 p.m. in the State Farm Room of the Business and Aerospace Building. The event is free and open to the public.
By COLBY SLEDGE Staff Writer
A leader in volunteer patrolling of U.S. borders said his group was at a "no-compromise position" concerning illegal immigration during a speech at Belmont University this morning.
"This is not about being anti-immigrant; this is not about hate," said Chris Simcox, president of the Arizona-based Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. "This is about citizens doing their duty."More than 170 students, faculty and community leaders attended the event at the Massey Business Center, according to estimates by Belmont officials.
More than 9,000 Minutemen volunteer for patrol trips on U.S. borders, primarily focusing on identifying and reporting people crossing illegally from Mexico into the United States.
Simcox spoke out mainly against the federal government, saying members of the U.S. Congress were ''selling out our citizenship'' in exchange for furthering American addictions to drugs and cheap labor.''Angst and anger and activism need to be directed at those we hired,'' Simcox said.
The audience mostly listened quietly during the 45-minute lecture, which included a question-and-answer session. Simcox drew ire from some students during the speech for insinuating that protesters at previous events were actually upset over crackdowns on drug cartels coming from Mexico.''Sometimes I think that's what they're really protesting, is losing their cheap drug supply,'' Simcox said.
Simcox will be at Middle Tennessee State University at 6 p.m. in the State Farm Room of the Business and Aerospace Building. The event is free and open to the public.
Monday, November 5, 2007
And They Tell Us it is No Problem
The Morristown-Hamblen Chamber of Commerce thinks that there is no problem with illegal immigration in Hamblen County.
Here at T-FIRE we are certain of one thing, and it is that the percentage of school populations in Hamblen County Schools that are considered "Hispanic" was not nearly as high as late as five years ago as the Citizen-Tribune (a paper that all but favors illegal immigration) is reporting that they are this year:
Fairview- Marguerite, 33.7 percent Hispanic; Hillcrest, 26.6 percent; Lincoln Heights Elementary, 32.3 percent; and West Elementary, 25.7 percent.
Either there has been a massive influx of new legal immigrants from Mexico and Latin America who have followed the law, a large portion of the population of Puerto Rico have relocated en masse to East Tennessee, or there has been a massive increase in the number of illegal aliens in East Tennessee in the last decade, some of whom have had children while here so that they can milk the system.
What hypothesis do you think most likely?
Here at T-FIRE we are certain of one thing, and it is that the percentage of school populations in Hamblen County Schools that are considered "Hispanic" was not nearly as high as late as five years ago as the Citizen-Tribune (a paper that all but favors illegal immigration) is reporting that they are this year:
Fairview- Marguerite, 33.7 percent Hispanic; Hillcrest, 26.6 percent; Lincoln Heights Elementary, 32.3 percent; and West Elementary, 25.7 percent.
Either there has been a massive influx of new legal immigrants from Mexico and Latin America who have followed the law, a large portion of the population of Puerto Rico have relocated en masse to East Tennessee, or there has been a massive increase in the number of illegal aliens in East Tennessee in the last decade, some of whom have had children while here so that they can milk the system.
What hypothesis do you think most likely?
Alien Sits on Local Jury
Now here is a question to be asked...
According to this Citizen-Tribune report, the woman in question claims to have a Green Card, which if true means that she is legally entitled to live and work in the United States of America, but is NOT a citizen of said United States, or of the State of Tennessee. As a non-citizen, this woman should not be voting.
Perhaps she isn't voting...but as a non-citizen, if she is not on the voter roles of Hamblen County, she should not have been summoned for jury duty.
How did she get a jury summons? It stands to reason that she is on the roles somewhere in the County, and we have no way to know if she is voting or not.
If she is, how many other non-citizens are illegally casting ballots and influencing the process of election that is reserved for sovereign citizens alone? How many illegal aliens are voting? Is it any wonder that members of a certain political party in Nashville oppose mandatory identification for voters, lest a part of their voter-base be suddenly ruled illegal?
___________________________________________________________
By Robert Moore, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
The inadvertent inclusion of a non-U.S. citizen on a Hamblen County grand jury Thursday required an extraordinary legal solution Friday afternoon that averted a complete do-over, officials say.
What was at stake was the integrity of 124 cases against 56 defendants, not counting the secret indictments, which are called presentments.
Criminal Court Judge John F. Dugger resolved the matter and found that all of the indictments and all but one of the presentments the grand jury returned Thursday were valid.
Dugger says state law requires that only 12 votes are required to indict an individual for a crime. The 12-member grand jury also had a voting foreman, June Zeigler, who was sitting in for regular foreman Sam Moore.
After questioning Ziegler under oath, Dugger learned from the grand jury foreman that the votes on all the indictments were unanimous.
That means that even without the non-U.S. citizen’s vote, the district attorney’s office has the necessary 12 votes to proceed with the cases.
A grand jury will consider the presentment that didn’t get 12 votes at a later date.
At one point Thursday morning before an attorney located the 12-vote state law, court personnel feared that the entire day’s work would be lost.
The non-U.S, citizen, a woman with a Hispanic surname, reported that she has a "green card" and has been working legally in the United States for seven years, according to Kathy Mullins, Hamblen County Circuit Court clerk.
Mullins says the woman speaks English well, but apparently didn’t understand that by taking the oath to serve on the grand jury the woman was affirming that she is a citizen and a resident of Tennessee.
Potential grand jurors are randomly chosen from a list of licensed Tennessee drivers supplied by the state Department of Safety, not from voter-registration information.
The court clerk says there was no intentional deception, and the woman will face no charges. Mullins says this is the first and last time that a mix-up of this nature will occur while she remains in office.
"It won’t happen again because we will be more specific in the future," Mullins said. "It caused a great deal of pain because she didn’t say anything (Wednesday)."
What’s not clear, Mullins says, is how the woman learned that her residency status could impact grand jury results. The woman phoned the clerk’s office Friday morning and volunteered the information that she is not a U.S. citizen.
According to this Citizen-Tribune report, the woman in question claims to have a Green Card, which if true means that she is legally entitled to live and work in the United States of America, but is NOT a citizen of said United States, or of the State of Tennessee. As a non-citizen, this woman should not be voting.
Perhaps she isn't voting...but as a non-citizen, if she is not on the voter roles of Hamblen County, she should not have been summoned for jury duty.
How did she get a jury summons? It stands to reason that she is on the roles somewhere in the County, and we have no way to know if she is voting or not.
If she is, how many other non-citizens are illegally casting ballots and influencing the process of election that is reserved for sovereign citizens alone? How many illegal aliens are voting? Is it any wonder that members of a certain political party in Nashville oppose mandatory identification for voters, lest a part of their voter-base be suddenly ruled illegal?
___________________________________________________________
By Robert Moore, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
The inadvertent inclusion of a non-U.S. citizen on a Hamblen County grand jury Thursday required an extraordinary legal solution Friday afternoon that averted a complete do-over, officials say.
What was at stake was the integrity of 124 cases against 56 defendants, not counting the secret indictments, which are called presentments.
Criminal Court Judge John F. Dugger resolved the matter and found that all of the indictments and all but one of the presentments the grand jury returned Thursday were valid.
Dugger says state law requires that only 12 votes are required to indict an individual for a crime. The 12-member grand jury also had a voting foreman, June Zeigler, who was sitting in for regular foreman Sam Moore.
After questioning Ziegler under oath, Dugger learned from the grand jury foreman that the votes on all the indictments were unanimous.
That means that even without the non-U.S. citizen’s vote, the district attorney’s office has the necessary 12 votes to proceed with the cases.
A grand jury will consider the presentment that didn’t get 12 votes at a later date.
At one point Thursday morning before an attorney located the 12-vote state law, court personnel feared that the entire day’s work would be lost.
The non-U.S, citizen, a woman with a Hispanic surname, reported that she has a "green card" and has been working legally in the United States for seven years, according to Kathy Mullins, Hamblen County Circuit Court clerk.
Mullins says the woman speaks English well, but apparently didn’t understand that by taking the oath to serve on the grand jury the woman was affirming that she is a citizen and a resident of Tennessee.
Potential grand jurors are randomly chosen from a list of licensed Tennessee drivers supplied by the state Department of Safety, not from voter-registration information.
The court clerk says there was no intentional deception, and the woman will face no charges. Mullins says this is the first and last time that a mix-up of this nature will occur while she remains in office.
"It won’t happen again because we will be more specific in the future," Mullins said. "It caused a great deal of pain because she didn’t say anything (Wednesday)."
What’s not clear, Mullins says, is how the woman learned that her residency status could impact grand jury results. The woman phoned the clerk’s office Friday morning and volunteered the information that she is not a U.S. citizen.
Employee of Nuclear Plant Had Pipe Bomb in Truck - Facility in LOCKDOWN
A couple of years ago there where about 6 illegal aliens working at Oak Ridge. They had access to a trailer which contained classified documents. Naturally the story to the public was "there is nothing to worry about." Oh really?
Anything Can Happen
Anything Can Happen
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Missouri Enforces the Law and Gets Sued
A company called Sam's Janitorial Service has sued Missouri Governor Matt Blunt.
Why?
Governor Blunt fired Sam's Janitorial Service from its regular position as the service which cleans many Missouri State office buildings. Now, the company that has apparently violated the law says the State of Missouri is guilty of racial discrimination.
"This wasn't one or two people that might have slipped through the cracks of employment verification; this was a large portion of his work force," Blunt said. "I am confident that we have taken the appropriate action, the sort of action that Missouri taxpayers expect and deserve their government to take."
Why?
Governor Blunt fired Sam's Janitorial Service from its regular position as the service which cleans many Missouri State office buildings. Now, the company that has apparently violated the law says the State of Missouri is guilty of racial discrimination.
"This wasn't one or two people that might have slipped through the cracks of employment verification; this was a large portion of his work force," Blunt said. "I am confident that we have taken the appropriate action, the sort of action that Missouri taxpayers expect and deserve their government to take."
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Illegal Aliens Love New York
Remember the fight here in Tennessee during the last legislative session over the "driver certificate program" that allowed illegal aliens to drive?
Apparently the State of New York wants to lure all the illegal aliens there, so that the whole State may harbor them illegally.
Apparently the State of New York wants to lure all the illegal aliens there, so that the whole State may harbor them illegally.
A Bad Dream
ALIPAC ALERT
Senator Harry Reid has brought the Bad Dream Act Amnesty back and is using procedures designed to vote it into law before the nation can react.
While we have defeated the Bad Dream Act Amnesty four times already, Reid has invoked "Rule 14", which allows him to move quickly on the bill and without much debate. He and the AMNESTY supporters have filled the act as a bill this time, instead of trying to amend it onto other legislation.
At the time of this e-mail, our DC sources tell us they plan to vote on the Bad Dream Act Amnesty as early as tomorrow or Wed so you must call today for your voice to be heard! There may be some time on Wed. for you to get your calls in, but do not count on that unless you must.
Please locate your US Senators on our directory at this link....
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict
Call your Senators and say, "This is ______ from (Your city and state) and I am appalled that Senator Reid is pushing the Bad Dream Act AMNESTY again today. This measure has already been defeated four times! I want Senator _______ to vote NO on CLOTURE and NO on S.2205 submitted by Senators Durbin, Hagel, and Lugar. Americans overwhelmingly oppose this legislation and are sick and tired of DC lawmakers pushing Amnesty. I will be watching the cloture votes closely and expect my Senator _____ to vote NO ON CLOTURE"
For those of you who are new, it requires 60 votes in the Senate for Cloture which allows the bill to proceed for a final vote. Our best chance to stop it is by defeating the cloture vote so proper wording is essential.
ICE Won't Let Morristown Police Enforce the Law
MPD officers won’t enforce immigration laws
BY ROBERT MOORE, Tribune Staff Writer
Immigration officials refuse to grant Morristown police officers expanded powers to enforce laws against illegal aliens, in part, because the anticipated caseload increase could choke the system, police say.
Morristown City Council member Mel Tucker, who pushed the initiative, is steamed and adds he’s not taking "no" for an answer.
The Morristown Police Department approached the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency about having two MPD officers trained to perform certain duties of a federal immigration agent.
The so-called 287(g) program would have expanded police powers in two ways, according to Lt. Chris Wisecarver, MPD training officer who was assigned to sort out the details.
First, it would have allowed officers who encounter illegal immigrants during the course of routine police action to document their illegal status and begin deportation proceedings.
In cases of casual contact like a traffic stop, in which an illegal immigrant had committed no crime, the officers could not take the foreign national into custody.
Once an illegal alien was booked into jail, however, the officers would be able to process them into the I.C.E database without relying on a federal agent.
Wisecarver says he was told that MPD officers would not have access to the training by Agent Roland Jones, regional program manager of the 287(g) program.
"He went on to say that the Knoxville I.C.E. office is not equipped to handle transportation of more detained illegals than they currently experience," Wisecarver wrote in a summation to Police Chief Roger Overholt.
Tucker says that when he learned his months-long initiative had hit the wall, he felt "absolute anger."
"This whole issue for me is getting more and more significant," Tucker said Friday. "I think when you have a government — literally — that refuses to enforce the law, that’s the first step toward anarchy. And that’s what our federal government is doing."
The council member says the federal government’s unwillingness to enforce immigration laws is no less absurd than if the police department decided to suspend enforcement of laws against drug trafficking.
"I do not intend to let this issue sit there and say, ‘We just can’t do anything about it,’" the council member added.
Tucker says his next step will be to speak with U.S. Rep. David Davis to get his input on what Congress can do to assist communities like Morristown that are attempting to cope with thousands of suspected undocumented residents.
The vast majority of suspected illegal immigrants in Morristown are Latinos from Mexico and other Central American countries, but Tucker says his beef with the federal government over immigration policy has nothing to do with race or nationality.
Tucker says it’s about enforcing existing laws.
I.C.E agents routinely pick up illegal aliens at the Hamblen County Jail after the inmates finish serving their time.
In most cases, however, the illegal immigrants are given a court date to appear before an immigration judge, then released on their own recognizance.
What normally happens, immigration officials have said, is the illegal immigrants fail to appear in court and continue their lives on the lam.
Wisecarver said that in turning down the MPD for the 287(g) program, I.C.E maintained that the required computer equipment, which could cost as much as $30,000, would be too expensive to support just two officers.
"When asked if things would change if we trained more officers... (Jones) stated not currently," Wisecarver wrote in his summary to the police chief. "The local office just does not have the support personnel to handle it."
I.C.E. falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security. Nearly a third of this year’s DHS $35.6 billion budget is earmarked for improving border security and immigration enforcement.
Neither Jones nor his superior officer, William Black, I.C.E. senior special agent in charge of the 287(g) program in New Orleans, were available for comment Friday.
Wisecarver says that I.C.E.’s current 287(g) focus is on training jail personnel. All 287(g) training slots are filled until mid-2008, according to Wisecarver.
"Agent Jones suggested that we continue to do what we are doing as far as notifying the local I.C.E. officer when a suspected illegal alien is arrested and utilize the local office on operations as we currently do, when possible," Wisecarver wrote in his summation.
"He stated that local agents are already doing exactly what trained local officers would do and we probably would be taking on something that would not be as big a benefit as (we) first thought," Wisecarver added.
The police lieutenant said that I.C.E pointed out that booking an illegal alien into the federal system takes two to three hours, and this would take police off the streets.
Also, after illegal immigrants finish serving their jail terms, they can only be held for 72 hours before they must be shipped to an I.C.E.-certified detention facility.
The closest I.C.E.-certified detention facility to Morristown in the five-state immigration region is in Memphis, 438 miles away.
"I.C.E. doesn’t have enough manpower to do the transportation," Wisecarver said.
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