Progress Now Action

A year and a half after Democratic lawmakers and Republican Gov. Bill Owens pushed through measures to cut off state services to illegal immigrants, the state has seen no savings, members of the Joint Budget Committee said.

Rep. Al White, R-Hayden, said multiple agencies have reported they have saved nothing or lost money implementing the legislation.

White said that when Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Director James Martin told the Joint Budget Committee earlier this month, "We will not actually incur any savings," his testimony was emblematic of what every other witness has said over the past two months.

"The only impact has been the expense of implementation," White said.

When it was passed during the Legislature's 2006 special session, House Bill 1023 was sold as a way to cut off most state services to illegal immigrants.

The bill, lauded as "landmark legislation" by Owens' office, required Coloradans to prove their legal residency before they could receive non-federally mandated public services...

"The fact is that some people may not be applying for benefits because they know Colorado tracks it carefully," Buescher said. "But we also did not find anyone who was eliminated from the system because they were illegally receiving benefits."

Nonetheless, Buescher, who heads the Joint Budget Committee, said the legislation, penned by Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, and then-Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, D-Golden, has constituted more of a burden to the state than a blessing.

He said that burden has been seen most glaringly among senior citizens who have had trouble establishing their citizenship due to lost birth certificates and other identification documents.

Statehouse Republicans want to deny bail to illegal immigrants accused of repeat drunken driving and serious felonies, and require proof of citizenship to vote.

The proposals announced Tuesday were part of the GOP's 2008 legislative package aimed at advancing a state crackdown on illegal immigration...

Democrats argued that feeding, housing and clothing inmates "indefinitely" could eat up money intended for education and other priorities.

Another Republican proposal released ahead of the legislative session starting in January would require jails to determine the immigration status of all detainees when they are booked.

Other measures focus on ensuring only citizens vote in elections.

One would require photo identification at the polls and another would call for proof of citizenship to register to vote.

Republicans concede they don't believe many illegal immigrants are voting, but said that's not the point.

One video was obtained by SPLC through e-mail, where the organization says that Robert Crooks, head of the California-based Mountain Minutemen group, mailed several nativist leaders the video and allegedly wrote that "this video shows how to keep a 'Home Depot' parking lot empty."

U.S. soldiers and Marines filed into the marble hall of Saddam Hussein's former Al Faw Palace on Independence Day as foreigners at home as well as here. But they left the room as American citizens.

Standing under a glittering chandelier, 161 service members took the oath of citizenship Wednesday, the largest group to be naturalized at once in Iraq since the conflict began in March 2003. The mostly young, mostly male troops with last names such as Toledo and Serrano stitched across the backs of their caps vowed to "support and defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America against all enemies," an abstract promise with a deeper daily meaning here...

Immigrants have long filled the ranks of America's military, fighting in the Revolutionary War, Civil War and both world wars. The Navy recruited Filipinos from the late 1940s until the law changed in 1992, and they remain the largest nationality among noncitizen soldiers, followed by Mexicans and Jamaicans.

More recently, permanent residents, particularly the so-called Mexican "green card soldiers," have drawn attention for their heroism and sacrifices in Iraq. Lance Cpl. Jose A. Gutierrez of Lomita and Cpl. Jose A. Garibay of Costa Mesa were granted posthumous citizenship after they died in the first three days of the war.

Immigrants' military service has become part of the Washington immigration debate in recent months. Legislation that stalled in the Senate last week would have created a path to citizenship for undocumented youths who serve in the military for at least two years.

Although undocumented immigrants are ineligible for military service by law, some so-called "no-card soldiers" manage to join using false documents, said Margaret Stock, an Army reservist and part-time associate professor at West Point. Stock said many service members who hold green cards or are U.S. citizens have immediate family who are undocumented and would benefit from a provision granting them legal status, similar to laws that apply to Cuban nationals who enter the U.S. illegally.

The Democratic leadership is attempting to revive the “compromise immigration bill.”  They just don’t get it – nobody likes this bill.  Whether conservative, liberal or leftist, the American public recognizes that this bill is bad news.  A recent poll from Rasmussen Reports demonstrates how out of touch the supporters of this bill are: 

As the Senate prepares to resume debate the “comprehensive” immigration reform bill, the legislation continues to face broad public opposition. In fact, despite a massive White House effort, public opinion has barely moved since the public uproar stalled the bill just over two weeks ago.

 

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that just 22% of American voters currently favor the legislation. That’s down a point from 23% a couple of weeks ago from 26% when the debate in the Senate began. Fifty percent (50%) oppose the Senate bill while 28% are not sure.

 

Among the public, there is a bi-partisan lack of enthusiasm for the Senate bill.  It is supported by 22% of Republicans, 23% of Democrats, and 22% of those not affiliated with either major party.  It is opposed by 52% of Republicans, 50% of Democrats, and 48% of unaffiliateds.

 

From an ideological perspective, the bill is opposed by 59% of conservatives, 54% of liberals, and 45% of political moderates. Among those for whom none of the traditional ideological labels apply, just 20% are opposed.

 

Support is found from 20% of conservatives, 32% of liberals, and 18% of moderates.

 

Just 32% believe it would be better to pass the current bill instead of doing nothing. Forty-five percent (45%) believe it would be better to pass nothing at all.

 

If the current bill passed, 71% of American voters believe that another bill would be required to focus on securing the border and reducing illegal immigration. That’s up from 65% in our previous survey.

 

Rasmussen Reports and other firms have consistently found majority support for a hypothetical bill combining border security and legalized status for the 12 million or so illegal aliens already in the country. However, the data has also shown a huge gap between support for the actual legislation and a hypothetical bill. The reason for the gap is simple -- reducing illegal immigration is the first priority for voters but only 16% believe the Senate bill would reduce illegal immigration.  In fact, 41% believe the Senate bill would make things worse and lead to even more illegal immigration.

Bernie Sanders - for my money the only true "progressive" in the Senate - makes the case very well at Link.  Bernie Sanders was joined by AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka at a Capitol Hill news conference to spell out how an immigration bill now under consideration by the Senate would hurt workers in the United States and other countries. Edward Sullivan, president of the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, and United Food and Commercial Workers President Joe Hansen also participated in the press conference.

This bill is bad for everyone.  Write Senator Salazar and tell him to vote against it.

Here’s a “Way to GO!” for David Brock (President and CEO, Media Matters for America), and the Campaign for America's Future.  They have completed a new report that is a welcome relief for those of us who must content with friends and family members who are afflicted with the worst cases of Radical Republican Right WingNut –itis. 

The typical Right WingNut relies on a foundational ideal of an American conservative majority.  From there they promulgate all sorts of outrageous and dangerous policies. 

Thanks to Media Matters for America and the Campaign for America's Future, we now have proof that the WingNuts are way off the mark. The hard work now is to put he pressure on the media (yes, I know Faux Noise is a lost cause), politicians and those irritating (but still beloved) friends and family. 

Here’s the highlight summary provided by Media Matters for America.

• The role of government -- 69 percent of Americans believe the government "should care for those who can't care for themselves;" twice as many people (43 percent vs. 20 percent) want "government to provide many more services even if it means an increase in spending" as wanted government to provide fewer services "in order to reduce spending."
• The economy -- 77 percent of Americans think Congress should increase the minimum wage; 66 percent believe "upper-income people" pay too little in taxes; 53 percent feel the Bush tax cuts have failed because they have increased the deficit and caused cuts in government programs.
• Social issues -- 61 percent of Americans support embryonic stem cell research; 62 percent want to protect Roe v. Wade; only 3 percent of Americans rank gay marriage as the "most important" social issue.
• Security -- 43 percent of Americans say we are spending too much on our military; 60 percent feel the federal government should do more about restricting the kinds of guns that people can purchase.

• The environment -- 75 percent of Americans would be wiling to pay more for electricity if it were generated by renewable sources to help reduce global warming; 79 percent want higher emissions standards for automobiles.
• Energy -- 52 percent of Americans believe "the best way for the U.S. to reduce its reliance on foreign oil" is to "have the government invest in alternative energy sources;" 68 percent of the public thinks U.S. energy policy is better solved by conservation than production.
• Immigration -- 57 percent of Americans feel "most recent immigrants to the U.S. contribute to this country" rather than "cause problems." 67 percent of Americans feel that "on the whole" immigration is a "good thing for this country today."
• Health care - 69 percent of Americans think it is the responsibility of the federal government to make sure all Americans have access to health coverage; 76 percent find access to health care more important than maintaining the Bush tax cuts; three in five would be willing to have their own taxes increased to achieve universal coverage.

A strong majority of Americans -- including nearly two-thirds of Republicans -- favor allowing illegal immigrants to become citizens if they pay fines, learn English and meet other requirements, a new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll has found.

That is a striking show of support for a primary element of an immigration overhaul bill that has stalled in the Senate amid conservative opposition.

Only 23% of adults surveyed opposed allowing undocumented immigrants to gain legal status. That finding bolsters the view, shared by President Bush, that the bill's opponents represent a vocal minority whereas most people are more welcoming toward illegal immigrants...

I don't usually extensively quote someone else - but I have to make an exception today.  Bernie Sander, the Independant (Socialist) Senator from Vermont hits the nail right on the head:

"The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act addresses the concern all of us have about securing our borders, something I strongly support. It addresses the need to hold employers accountable for hiring illegal immigrants, something the Bush administration has neglected. It addresses the contentious and difficult issue of how we respond to the reality that there are some 12 million illegal immigrants in this country today, and carves out a path which eventually leads to citizenship, which I also support. What concerns me," Senator Sanders said, "are provisions in the bill that would bring low-wage workers into this country in order to depress the already declining wages of American workers. With poverty increasing and the middle-class shrinking, we must not force American workers into even more economic distress."

Alicia Figueroa was ready Monday to tuck her green card into her purse and be deported with her four youngest children, who do not have legal documents to remain in the United States.

Instead, the 57-year-old legal resident was relieved to learn that her children, ages 16 through 22, were given a temporary reprieve by Immigration and Customs Enforcement until mid-January, at the request of U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette.

"This family has been in a saga for years trying to keep their family together," DeGette said Monday. "I think it's un-American to split up a family."

The immigration raids on meatpacking plants in six states were the largest sweep of their kind against a single company and resulted in the arrests of 1,282 suspected illegal immigrants, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said yesterday.

The raids early Tuesday of facilities owned by meatpacking giant Swift & Co., based in Greeley, Colo., were followed by immigration charges against 18 percent of the 7,250 workers scheduled to work the morning shift...

At least 100 children are without parents because of the massive immigration raid Tuesday at the Swift & Co. meatpacking plant in Greeley, immigrant advocates estimated Wednesday.

But getting an exact count could prove challenging because many of the families are too fearful to seek assistance from a government agency...

"We expect that there will be more," she said. "There's a lot of single parents that were picked up. ICE did this without regard for family values or the (rights) of U.S. citizen children."

...fifth-grader Dinah Gutierrez said most of her classmates were affected by the raid.

The girl said kids were talking about the raid at school, saying "their uncles and aunts were taken."

"They're all scared," the girl said.

Mr. Schultheis, the Bustillos Family asks you:

1. How many other times have you asked these specific questions concerning accidents throughout the entire state?

2. Why not wait until an investigation was completed before making inquiries?

3. Did you verify the legal status of the "constituent" that contacted you regarding this accident?

4. More importantly, what information did you and your "constituent" use as a base to inquire about our deceased children's status in this Country?

5. Is it your position that all Latinos should be assumed "illegal aliens" unless proven otherwise?

To answer your questions, yes -- the car was properly registered and insured. Tania followed the required State of Colorado protocol to obtain a driving permit. ALL THE CHILDREN INVOLVED IN THIS ACCIDENT ARE AMERICAN CITIZENS with the same rights as you and your constituent (if the inquiring person is an American citizen). Their mother, Grasiela, is also an AMERICAN CITIZEN. Their father is a LEGAL RESIDENT...

Beauprez '02, '06 stands differ
Link
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez once supported granting in-state college tuition to an illegal immigrant - a position at odds with his recent attacks on Democrat Bill Ritter. In 2002, Beauprez said he thought the state should make an exception for Jesus Apodaca, an Aurora honor student whom Rep. Tom Tancredo wanted to deport. The Ritter campaign on Monday highlighted the congressman's changing position as the biggest example of his political grandstanding in the governor's race. "The hypocrisy of his position - supporting Jesus Apodaca four years ago and completely flip-flopping around this issue for political gain - is shameful," Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer said. "And (it's) perhaps the most classic 'Both Ways Bob' moment we've seen in this entire campaign," Dreyer said. "And we've seen a lot."