tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27983999042924874372024-03-05T12:38:11.737-07:00Immigration UtahD. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-46170808012283152622017-03-02T09:04:00.000-07:002017-03-02T09:05:06.837-07:00Senator Escamilla Calls for Immigration Reform Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Senator Escamilla recently <a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4937268-155/op-ed-fixing-broken-immigration-policy-is#PhotoSwipe1487465529398">called for immigration reform again</a> (this time with Republican Utah State Senator Howard Stephenson). <br /><br />Her current call for reform seems a lot like the reform that consistently doesn't pass Congress.<br />
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If it really had the support she claims it has, it would have passed easily by now.<br />
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She seems particularly concerned with DACA recipients. <br />
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Obama's unilateral and unconstitutional DACA program may be to her liking, but it was a dictatorial power grab that should have invited a much stronger response from the "opposition" party at the time.<br />
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Her policy wishes correlate with the wishes of the cheap-labor lobby and, since they have a powerful voice in the media and other areas of the public, they can pretend that high levels of immigration and amnesties are somehow great for the economy and society.<br />
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They are not.<br />
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The economic blather constantly thrown out in support is nonsense.<br />
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We should be looking for ways to reduce immigration - not maintain it at its current historically high levels.<br />
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The Dreamers are a special case that are always used as the sympathetic front to ultimately push for an amnesty.<br />
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Why are there so many Dreamers in the first place?<br />
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Because we have failed to enforce our immigration laws for a significant period of time.<br />
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Is Senator Escamilla going to support actual immigration enforcement if an amnesty is granted?<br />
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Her work on behalf of Mexico, via the CCIME, speaks volumes.<br />
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When the government proves they can and will enforce immigration laws, then those currently here illegally can be discussed.<br />
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Absent that, all the talk and schmoozy op-eds pushing reform (often through emotional appeals) are just propaganda for one or more of the special interests that have driven us to this point to begin with.D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-57939021665818352312016-03-17T22:02:00.003-06:002016-03-17T22:12:10.358-06:00Senator Cruz, TPA, TPP, and TTIP<br />
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Ted Cruz's position on TPA, TPP, and TTIP strike me as either naive, ignorant, or deceptive - or a mix of all three.<br />
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One commentator has this view:</div>
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"What really frustrates me about some of those on the right who are in favor of TPP and TTIP (a.k.a. ObamaTrade) is they seem to accept at face value the current trade deals are simply about “free trade.” I’m all for free trade. If this was just about “free trade,” I’d be all for it. But these trade agreements are, in reality, political and economic unions. This is how the European Union started, all under the guise of the “Common Market.” This is globalism, plain and simple."</blockquote>
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(See more at: http://www.therightplanet.com/2015/06/ted-cruz-on-jeff-sessions-and-the-tpatpp-agreements/#sthash.F739g9Ms.dpuf)</div>
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Mr. Cruz seems to try and have it both ways - making it easier for the president to create such agreements while he gives us assurances he'll oppose any sovereignty destroying elements in them. <br />
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That gives a president considerable ability to ram through any agreement he wants - regardless of Mr. Cruz's wishes or assurances. </div>
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He tells us such deals have no ability to rewrite U.S. law. Technically, that is true. But they do have teeth and ways to compel us to rewrite laws. Here's an example from last December:</div>
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"On Friday, Congress repealed the country-of-origin-labeling rule (COOL) on beef and pork after the World Trade Organization (WTO) imposed $1 billion in retaliatory import tariffs against United States if the rule was not overturned. The repeal was part of the omnibus spending bill signed by President Obama on Friday."</blockquote>
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Here's why they we changed our law:</div>
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"Canada and Mexico had argued that the mandatory U.S. labeling program discriminated against meat imports and violated WTO limits on what sorts of product-related “technical regulations” WTO signatory countries are permitted to enact."</blockquote>
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(see: http://www.forbes.com/sites/nancyhuehnergarth/2015/12/21/quashing-consumers-right-to-know-congress-repeals-country-of-origin-labeling-for-beef-and-pork/#26065ab53fb3)</div>
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One wonders about other mechanisms being created to "govern" other areas that are being embedded in such agreements. </div>
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This from the New American:</div>
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"The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement is not “free trade” in the classic sense, nor is it even much about trade. It is about creating new institutions of global governance. The TPP is an assault on U.S. national sovereignty, as its objective is to create a European Union-style Pacific Union. And much like how the EU's executive body is the European Commission, the TPP will also have an executive body known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Commission or TPP Commission."</blockquote>
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(see: http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/foreign-policy/item/22114-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-agreement-threatens-u-s-sovereignty)</div>
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Ted Cruz will give us assurances till the cows come home and that he will fight tooth and nail against any challenges to our sovereignty. But, up and down votes, with no amendments, of trade deals that undermine our economy and our very sovereignty seem to be the project of those he claims to excoriate. </div>
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Yet, he seems to be on board. </div>
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He can claim that our nation is not being altered through such agreements and that trillions in trade deficits have no impact on our economic well-being, but it rings hollow. </div>
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I hope he is honest and sincere, but "trust" must be accompanied by "verify." </div>
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We need more verification and public scrutiny before we allow the global players to maneuver us into a subordinate relationship to their global ruling mechanisms. </div>
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I am just not sure which side Cruz is actually on. <br />
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D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-36113861451991440372015-11-13T11:19:00.000-07:002015-11-13T15:19:26.244-07:00LDS Church Protest Organized by Communist!<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
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A communist organized a recent protest of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).</div>
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The protest took place on November 8, 2015 to express oppositio<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">n to the "new policies issued by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding same-sex couples and their children" (KSL story - linked below).</span></div>
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This post is not about those policies. They have sparked tremendous debate on the issue and many good people have widely divergent views on the matter.</div>
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It focuses, rather, on how the organizer was portrayed.</div>
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Channel 4 (ABC) did not mention who organized the event.</div>
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Channel 2 (CBS), Channel 5 (NBC), the <i>Deseret News</i>, and the <i>Salt Lake Tribune</i> all merely mention Gregory Lucero as the organizer.</div>
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Only one, Fox 13, gave any information about Mr. Lucero. They state that he is from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.</div>
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This group sounds rather far left as a socialist group. However, when looking a bit deeper, a distressing picture emerges.</div>
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This is from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization's website:</div>
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"Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) is a revolutionary socialist and Marxist-Leninist organization in the United States. The members of Freedom Road are very active in movements fighting for justice, particularly in labor, oppressed nationality, anti-war and anti-imperialist, and student movements. Freedom Road is characterized by our understanding of national oppression in the United States. Freedom Road was founded in 1985 with the merger of 3 groups that were born in the New Communist Movement of the 1970s. Since then other groups and many new activists have joined our ranks."</blockquote>
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Sounds like a warm and cuddly group, doesn't it?</div>
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The six news stories might have struck the public differently if they had begun with: "Communist leads protest of LDS policy!"</div>
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It would be nice if the media would bring this to the public's attention when giving us quotes from Mr. Lucero.</div>
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Sources:</div>
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Channel 4 (ABC): <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.good4utah.com%2Fnews%2Ftop-stories%2Flds-policy-met-with-protest-at-temple-square&h=SAQHaaeecAQH2CgnPhEHmGv3SDVa4mv-GJs2gLaTJZDoM_g&enc=AZMi_QX3lyafL5XBkQVmwCbqx9r-eUxp3vwsaf0oW7efFLnbx-uNbTZmFq_3Vi4rWrz_mY9kAo2DunnwGQU3bpHXJI5Uz2OoPHzHcXo-AVk30bRMcygmRNPffdfUaMfkHWUAkYjyfH5WCTyWBoGtFEewi2c6ksjYmUZGa_ANmkpegyf-kmpQ9-MKsnc0CtXNXVv9meq-27QsaZj1VHY7dQLY&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.good4utah.com/…/lds-policy-met-with-protest-at-t…</a></div>
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Channel 2 (CBS): <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fkutv.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fdemonstrators-stage-vocal-protest-outside-temple-square&h=KAQHVYj01AQHhk2X7cqAZ9wnRvJwXfPhqMocNG0glb_Mw0w&enc=AZNSFLRKfgXDA_RkQxFhIUzIrb0-bU1M2IVKjSQRpJn6w6KJZClKJtbTjuyiBbPC1Gqzz1BJdpsyICN9s0DSldSnlQMC5HuZ0kDVrcHeoPRbD74XOCW-Mh9W8mkkXi0MT6VhQ_A5zrxDLcywh8tlrtPIzEavt5n7vO8qW_N3o_0FA085bh0sPJSuig9MuaNA1NoL542d-ljg3Qap_IuvkVeC&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://kutv.com/…/demonstrators-stage-vocal-protest-outside…</a></div>
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Channel 5 (NBC): <a href="https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ksl.com%2F%3Fsid%3D37284724%26nid%3D148%26fm%3Dhome_page%26s_cid%3Dtoppick2&h=qAQE5nxyoAQGMjkf9mZaFAHkwDfBjpGEOOFfp9Y79H3ghpg&enc=AZOoSk4i_BeDNzEJW4okmOGCK1p97dQQrWU6_sUOlRgUFzpWu1toPnn1ThFxvHwe0CXoH_H8dlYR72Him5Jt6CKiWMNuGn_c82EeSkjTKhTRVs7rMDRp5xvS6SWmTXqOTTLJdV9gQpVD_2vlWhfXHXm2hjDbCHfqSAjjPfb2HNZtbXd-OaTlWrymNNWmh-kUAmDvRqlwKO__BUuzyepaJEUV&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://www.ksl.com/…</a></div>
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Deseret News: <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.deseretnews.com%2Farticle%2F865641013%2FGroup-protests-LDS-policy-on-same-sex-marriage-and-children.html%3Fpg%3Dall&h=pAQEioRqdAQHIN5FVGzr-66S1jN417nJfzZqIWowqPWcBxw&enc=AZPN4MpbBuoaKO6l-zO8HLHcWCEVaKkmLSKLEGKaOqm2IJifRKtodzgMeTfHsvnUgnaCyOjz6fvT596rYbLEynH97xLJfuUtlB_dPUUvE3eKTcuGbQ_5RDBHuhYNZwlC1LkwBXLIPxmmyiBduEffno9-bbTWslffdtCwJz_6I9fJu2rsQZ32FtKLM2pp4ShdYUy08-_FpToV6YrQF2lokouD&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.deseretnews.com/…/Group-protests-LDS-policy-on-s…</a> (the text posted at Channel 5 appears to be the same as that posted at the Deseret News site)</div>
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Salt Lake Tribune: <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sltrib.com%2Fhome%2F3150261-155%2Fprotesters-rally-against-lds-policy-regarding&h=5AQGBnZpyAQG3yElkSkj_p-gTBA1TloSHxf9AKPDhHbYiEQ&enc=AZNocWTNzhE_MMfooua6G1Vwt6tpPd1DtBN2U1M4pmNEbipbyHx5cS8wR-Cc0-tvb2xXh3S4stT9nCwmRBjlTWERca3FSwusSsVmuXghwf0lzqqmkkA-y8pJprA6kJ3ROc8GkdluhrO4R70aH6yg4ReW3nin_kPmq9ktQZ2I2rQeCierTrrsXWwtnKp0jhP7R9t0GPY7gqdnQ9FdYTYkCwYz&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.sltrib.com/…/protesters-rally-against-lds-policy…</a></div>
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Channel 13 (Fox): <a href="http://fox13now.com/2015/11/08/rally-near-temple-square-protests-lds-church-policy-on-membership-for-children-of-same-sex-couples/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://fox13now.com/…/rally-near-temple-square-protests-ld…/</a></div>
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The FRSO quote: <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.frso.org%2Fabout%2Findex.htm&h=YAQH4AWexAQEIId-YfUBJ86ZlIxN_iMHxZG6zGs-gNd5rGA&enc=AZM0UmyC3ivfow7SDKAM5zwGSwoeOcaIWgtQjqYBI0U0LZyKAjq2HraAk-oJ24lJfNoXAJ6Ka2euRTJ3NPXnnEIq2QfIA7bhN284pG0oq0qZUI4knGEwqpsKVgvVj8Ev75O8qGtFJTFcN1-g4DPVe2Gcux4-MYg-gq5H2s45GGxMcq3h46Q9DVJO9qb2GE0yxzhGWzR8y4Heg7xszi5PYW_n&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.frso.org/about/index.htm</a><br />
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D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-20839449659371197412015-10-09T11:32:00.001-06:002015-11-13T15:19:40.318-07:00Video: The H1-B Visa Scam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-83634309964757202322015-08-20T10:07:00.005-06:002015-08-20T10:10:07.284-06:00Video - Globalization of Education: Producing Green Global CitizensBelow is a video from <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/">The New American</a> about the globalization of education. <br />
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Here is what they say about it:<br />
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"The education establishment has big plans for your children, and its operatives are openly bragging about them. In essence, UNESCO and its cohorts are working to globalize education for the purpose of indoctrinating all of humanity with the same dangerous propaganda — and to create what they refer to as “green” and “global” citizens."</div>
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The video is available at:<br />
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The New American website is at:<br />
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D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-15141259530088982872014-10-30T22:45:00.000-06:002014-10-31T09:49:45.452-06:00Wrong Messages: The Case of Luz Robles and Her Campaign's Illegal Immigrant Staffer <b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">The Luz Robles' campaign has an illegal immigrant as a member of its team. </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Angelica Rodriguez is an illegal immigrant who, as a child, was either brought into the U.S. illegally or overstayed a visa and has been granted a temporary amnesty under the Obama administration's dubious Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">She is also a member of the Luz Robles congressional campaign team. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am sure that the campaign will claim that the status conferred through DACA and its accompanying work authorization mean that everything is on the up and up regarding this individual working for the campaign. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the world of the Obama administration, this will be seen as accurate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But, there are two strong negative messages that the Robles campaign is sending by their actions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let me begin by saying that I am not criticizing or attacking Ms. Rodriguez on a personal level. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The focus of this post is on the two main implicit negative messages created by the Luz Robles campaign by having Ms. Rodriguez as part of their team. </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">Angelica Rodriguez, an illegal immigrant, is a paid member of the Luz Robles campaign team.</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the campaign financing and expenditure reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission, the Robles campaign has made a number of disbursements to Ms. Rodriguez. These disbursements are:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">$1000.00 on 10/17/13 (wages)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">$1000.00 on 12/17/13 (wages)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">$1000.00 on 5/22/14 (wages)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">$1000.00 on 6/18/14 (wages)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">$1000.00 on 7/11/14 (salary expense)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">$1000.00 on 8/12/14 (salary expense)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">$500.00 on 9/2/14 (salary expense)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">$500.00 on 9/16/14 (salary expense)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">$84.55 on 9/17/14 (reimbursement)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">$1000.00 on 10/2/14 (salary expense)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">$92.02 on 10/2/02 (salary expense/staff salary)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As you can see, the Luz Robles campaign has paid Ms. Rodriguez $8092.02 (through October 15, 2014) for her work for the campaign. [1] </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What role does Ms. Rodriguez have in the campaign?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On Ms. Rodriguez' public LinkedIn profile, she tells us that she is a "Campaign Manager/Personal Assistant" for the Robles campaign and that she has worked for the campaign from September 2013 to the present. <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/angelica-rodriguez/63/550/805" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[2]</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Another interesting item on the profile is that she mentions her affiliation with the Salt Lake Dream Team. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />She also gives us a very significant bit of information by telling us that she was a volunteer for the Utah State Senator Luz Robles reelection campaign in 2012. The dates she lists, June 2012 - October 2012, are very significant in terms of the DACA program. As far as I can tell, the DACA program was announced on June 15, 2012 and began accepting applications on August 15, 2012. If these dates are accurate, that means that Ms. Rodriguez was active as a volunteer for the 2012 Robles for Utah Senate campaign prior to having even the veneer of legality through the DACA program. </span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Who is Angelica Rodriguez?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Angelica Rodriguez is a Dreamer (see Note 1) - a person who, as a child, was either brought to the U.S. illegally or overstayed a visa.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A sympathetic 2013 KUER article tells us:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Angelica Rodriguez came to Utah just before her sixth birthday from the Mexican state of Veracruz. By the time she was a teenager, her dream was to serve in the US armed forces. She says she wanted to help and protect people, especially during natural disasters." <a href="http://kuer.org/post/utahs-undocumented-immigrants-want-chance-serve-military" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[3]</a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ms. Rodriguez is also a graduate of the University of Utah. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">She is a dedicated, hard-working, intelligent, and probably a very pleasant individual. <br /><br />She is also the kind of person the amnesty movement has been lurking behind as they use emotional appeals to sell us amnesty. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ms. Rodriguez has herself been an activist - most notably in conjunction with the Salt Lake Dream Team for whom she served as president until recently. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For example, in 2013, the group sought to influence Senator Hatch to intervene on behalf of the Canenguez family:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>“Senator Hatch is our main target, “ said Angie Rodriguez, another member of the Salt Lake Dream Team. To win a private bill for the Canenguez family, the group must persuade a member of Congress to present it on the floor. He’s the only representative in Utah with an even mildly pro-immigration platform, and he’s known for having a soft spot for families.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>“We are first asking the ‘proper way,’ setting up meetings and such,” Rodriguez continued. “But knowing politicians, it will take a little persuading before any decisions are made,” she added, as the rest of the group giggled." <a href="http://www.alternet.org/activism/fighting-stay-inside-one-mothers-fight-keep-her-family-united-and-safe-united-states" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[4]</a></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am not sure what she meant by "a little persuading" - but I assume it means something different in Salt Lake City than it does in, say, Chicago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ms. Rodriguez could be the poster child for the Dreamer movement. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A big part of the problem in the debates about illegal immigration, however, is precisely the use of such sympathetic individuals and families as fronts for the amnesty movement to hide behind. Such use tends to mislead the public by too narrowly focusing the range of issues to be considered as we seek good public policy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even so, it is hard to hide the negative messages lurking in the DACA project of the Obama administration. . </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Robles campaign implicitly exemplifies at least two of these negative messages through its hiring of a DACA Dreamer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The first of these negative messages relates to the illegality of Obama's DACA program.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Wrong message #1: The Robles campaign's actions implicitly give a stamp of approval to President Obama's abuse of power in creating the DACA temporary amnesty for Dreamers</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The DACA project is an unconstitutional one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In his commentary on a lawsuit filed against the Obama administration's DACA policy by a group of <span style="color: black; line-height: 19.5px; text-align: justify;">Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers</span>, W.D. Reasoner, stated:</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Many people (myself among them) believe that the program is both unconstitutional, because it infringes on the lawmaking prerogative unique to Congress under the separation of powers, and illegal, because it is not an act of prosecutorial discretion, but rather an abuse of discretion." <a href="http://cis.org/reasoner/daca-prosecutorial-discretion-or-egregious-abuse-discretion" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[5]</a></span></i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Apparently, President Obama agreed with this perspective - at least prior to his "discovery" of a newfound presidential power to ignore Congress and our laws.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">In an article about the DACA policy, Mark Krikorian tells us:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"The president knows what he’s doing is unconstitutional. We don’t have to read his mind to know this — he’s said it repeatedly. In July of last year, he told the National Council of La Raza, “The idea of doing things on my own is very tempting, I promise you, not just on immigration reform. But that’s not how our system works. That’s not how our democracy functions.” In September he told some journalists:</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"I just have to continue to say this notion that somehow I can just change the laws unilaterally is just not true. We are doing everything we can administratively. But the fact of the matter is there are laws on the books that I have to enforce. And I think there’s been a great disservice done to the cause of getting the DREAM Act passed and getting comprehensive immigration passed by perpetrating the notion that somehow, by myself, I can go and do these things. It’s just not true." <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/313996/today-day-mark-krikorian" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[6]</a></i></span></blockquote>
The judge hearing the lawsuit by the ICE officers dismissed the case on jurisdictional grounds. However, he also had this to say about the challenge to the DACA policy:</div>
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<i style="font-family: inherit;">"On July 31, 2013, Judge O’Connor of the Northern District of Texas dismissed the case of Crane v. Napolitano on a jurisdictional issue. In doing so, the Court for the second time found that the challenged Obama Administration policies are unconstitutional. “[T]he Court finds that Plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim challenging the Directive and Morton Memorandum as contrary to the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act…” <a href="http://www.irli.org/node/81" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[7]</a></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The implicit message being sent by the Luz Robles campaign, in having a DACA beneficiary work for them, is one of tacit approval of the actions of President Obama in usurping the legislative powers of the Congress in creating the DACA policy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a rather odd thing to be doing by someone who wants to be a member of the very legislative body that Obama so readily casts aside when it suits his political agenda.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One would think that a candidate for Congress would very strongly and clearly resist presidential encroachments that diminish the constitutional role and power of the Congress. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But, that's not the only wrong message being sent by the Robles campaign.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wrong message #2: The Robles campaign sends the wrong message to those contemplating entering or remaining in the U.S. illegally - especially to those thinking of sending their children.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">During the spring and summer of this year, the southern border was scene to thousands of young people from Central America arriving and turning themselves in to Border Patrol agents. This became known as the "border surge." This surge had its beginnings with the Obama administration's public statements about backing off immigration enforcement for most illegal immigrants - particularly children. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">John Sexton, for example, tells us:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"President Obama's executive actions on immigration did not begin with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in mid-2012. It began in 2011 with his announcement of "prosecutorial discretion" on deportations. A few months later the border patrol noted the first uptick in unaccompanied children at the border." <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2014/08/05/Timeline-Border-Surge-Began-a-Few-Months-After-Obama-s-First-Executive-Action-on-Immigration" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[8]</a></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">An Investor's Business Daily editorial concluded:</span></div>
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<i style="font-family: inherit;">"...The border surge is mainly a rational response to a U.S. government that refuses to enforce its own border, offering a variety of incentives to lawbreakers — and a huge business opportunity for Central American smuggling gangs, which are drumming up new markets well beyond the traditional Mexican one." <a href="http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/080414-711732-border-surge-in-immigration-is-about-magnets-not-violence.htm" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[9]</a></i></blockquote>
DACA itself seems to be a strong motivator of the recent border surge. Sexton again:</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"There has been an ongoing argument in the public sphere over whether or not President Obama's executive action known as DACA is responsible for the current surge of unaccompanied children at the border. GOP members have claimed it is a contributing factor and some note that the June 15, 2012 announcement seems to coincide with the sharpest uptick in children arriving from Central America."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A number of other commentators and politicians have also linked DACA to the recent surge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even the Obama administration links the surge to the DACA policy. Mr. Sexton, in a follow-up to his earlier article:</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: inherit;">"Contrary to denials by many in the media, the Obama administration had repeatedly connected the current crisis of unaccompanied children on the border to the President's executive actions on immigration, in particular Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)." <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2014/08/08/More-Evidence-the-Obama-Administration-Sees-a-Connection-Between-Border-Crisis-and-DACA" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[10]</a></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">By hiring an illegal immigrant beneficiary of the questionable DACA policy, the Luz Robles campaign is implicitly incentivizing those who wish to come here illegally.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Many children have been sent illegally into the United States believing that they will be permitted to stay. The DACA policy is one major reason for this belief. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hiring a DACA recipient affirms the idea that the violation of immigration laws will be set aside when children are involved. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the wrong message to send to those who are contemplating illegal entry into the United States or overstaying a visa. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">George Soros, the Ford Foundation, and United We Dream.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Going back to Ms. Rodriguez' LinkedIn profile we find another curious item. She lists herself as an "Affiliate Lead" for United We Dream. Her information may or may not be current, so I will focus on the group itself rather than on her affiliation with it. What is the United We Dream group?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">From the United We Dream website:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"United We Dream is the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the nation. Our powerful nonpartisan network is made up of over 100,000 immigrant youth and allies and 55 affiliate organizations in 26 states. We organize and advocate for the dignity and fair treatment of immigrant youth and families, regardless of immigration status." <a href="http://unitedwedream.org/about/our-missions-goals/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[11]</a></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of those affiliated organizations is the Salt Lake Dream Team. </span><a href="http://unitedwedream.org/groups/#ut" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">[12]</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">United We Dream describes their mission, in part, as:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"We believe we can build power by organizing at the local, regional, and national levels and aim to provide tools and resources to support our leaders and member organizations, as well as create meaningful alliances with other advocacy organizations." <a href="http://unitedwedream.org/about/our-missions-goals/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[11]</a></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What do they mean by building "power"? What will it be used for? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Perhaps they have in mind something like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"With the midterm elections less than a week away, immigration activists are reminding President Obama that they still expect him to enact unilateral executive amnesty before the end of the year.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>“We won’t take anymore excuses” Cristina Jimenez, the managing director of the pro-amnesty group United We Dream told reporters on a Wednesday conference call." <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/10/29/Amnesty-Activists-Put-Obama-on-Notice-Call-for-Bold-Action" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[13]</a></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ms. Jimenez goes on to propose this:</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: inherit;">"We expect [Obama] to be unapologetic and bold abut his actions on any administrative package. He must be inclusive and he must be broad to protect as many people as possible from our community. It is his legal authority and any package of administrative reform must include our parents,” Jimenez said, adding there there is “there is no excuse.”</i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Or perhaps they mean pressuring politicians by agitating at campaign events - like some Dreamers did recently at an event for North Carolina Senator Hagan:</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: inherit;">"Viridiana Martinez, with the North Carolina DREAM Team, an organization of undocumented youth, was part of the group who showed up at the event and caused the disruption. She said before the event someone with the campaign asked to see their shirts and signs. Some activists were let in to the baseball field where the event was being held but those with the signs were not allowed in.</i></blockquote>
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<i style="font-family: inherit;">But once the event started, those outside the fence began chanting and interrupting Hagan. Eventually, the activists inside walked over, grabbed the signs, and went up on stage where aides halfheartedly tried to stop them." <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/dreamers-confronted-democratic-sen-kay-hagan-on-immigration" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[14]</a></i></blockquote>
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The United We Dream organization has had good success - so developing "power" must be working for them. From an article posted on their website:<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">"The organization lobbied the White House and played a key role in getting deferred action put in place. Over 420,000 children brought illegally to the United States have so far gotten temporary work permits. Their work didn’t go unnoticed. One of the biggest national immigration funders, the Open Society Foundations has given them $800,000 in grants to date." <a href="http://unitedwedream.org/uncategorized/grantmakers-play-an-important-role-in-comprehensive-immigration-reform-efforts/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[15]</a></i></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Money from the Open Society Foundations? That would be George Soros money. </span><a href="http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/people/george-soros" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">[16]</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Soros isn't the only one in on promoting United We Dream. A 2011 discussion in New York City for interested funders titled, "How DREAM Leaders Are Building a New Immigration Movement," was co-sponsored by the Ford Foundation and the Open Society Foundations along with Philanthropy Unbound. According to a notice for the event:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Join us for an interactive discussion with DREAM leaders about how they successfully built a new movement for change and succeeded in affecting local and national policy, changing the discourse on immigration, and empowering a new generation of youth leaders." <a href="https://philanthropynewyork.org/event-calendar/how-dream-leaders-are-building-new-immigration-movement" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[17]</a></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The meeting was held at the Ford Foundation in New York City. The Ford Foundation has also put its money where its mouth is and approved a grant to United We Dream in 2013 for $2,350,000. The grant is:</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: inherit;">"For the Own the Dream Campaign to implement the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, for the 11 Million Dreams Campaign for immigration reform, and to build capacity and strengthen advocacy" <a href="http://www.fordfoundation.org/grants/grantdetails?grantid=120779" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[18]</a></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Interesting, isn't it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">George Soros and Ford Foundation money pouring into an amnesty front group pushing for President Obama to massively expand his abuse of power and create an "executive" amnesty for millions. . </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If they succeed, what will have been accomplished? </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Conclusion: The Robles Campaign and the Dreamer Nightmare.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">President Obama, and those who see nothing wrong with him pushing Congress aside in order to accomplish his political goals, will be emboldened in the abuse of power and the attack on our constitutional separation of powers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Additionally, millions in foreign nations we be given the implicit message that we are not serious, and may never be, about enforcing our immigration laws and should immigrate at will into our nation - regardless of our laws.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">These two tacit negative messages are being promoted by the Dreamers and by those groups promoting Obama's executive amnesty. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">They are the same two implicit messages that are being sent by the Robles campaign through their hiring of a DACA Dreamer to work for their campaign. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What is really being promoted for our nation is not a dream, i.e., a pleasant goal that is as yet unrealized, but a nightmare.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The presidential abuse of power, constituting an attack on our constitutional order, coupled with essentially telling the world we will look the other way regardless of who enters or remains illegally is a prescription for greatly multiplying all problems currently stemming from illegal immigration. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What we need, before any discussion of any exceptions for anyone who is here illegally, is effective enforcement. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">No immigration law will control illegal immigration unless it is accompanied by effective enforcement. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The government needs to establish effective enforcement in order to restore respect for our laws and allow for reasoned immigration policies now and in the future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For additional information about Utah State Senator Luz Robles, please see the two links below:<br /><br /><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/ufirenow/Home/misc-information" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://sites.google.com/site/<wbr></wbr>ufirenow/Home/misc-information</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://immigrationutah.blogspot.com/p/luz-robles-utah-state-senator.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://immigrationutah.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/p/luz-robles-<wbr></wbr>utah-state-senator.html</span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sources:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[1] - </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The disbursements can be found by examining the Federal Elections Commission reports linked below:</span><br />
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<a href="http://images.nictusa.com/pdf/408/14960711408/14960711408.pdf#navpanes=0" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://images.nictusa.com/pdf/<wbr></wbr>408/14960711408/14960711408.<wbr></wbr>pdf#navpanes=0</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://images.nictusa.com/pdf/945/14961662945/14961662945.pdf#navpanes=0" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://images.nictusa.com/pdf/<wbr></wbr>945/14961662945/14961662945.<wbr></wbr>pdf#navpanes=0</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://images.nictusa.com/pdf/153/14978445153/14978445153.pdf#navpanes=0" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://images.nictusa.com/pdf/<wbr></wbr>153/14978445153/14978445153.<wbr></wbr>pdf#navpanes=0</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://images.nictusa.com/pdf/792/14952553792/14952553792.pdf#navpanes=0" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://images.nictusa.com/pdf/<wbr></wbr>792/14952553792/14952553792.<wbr></wbr>pdf#navpanes=0</span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">[2] - <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/angelica-rodriguez/63/550/805" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.linkedin.com/pub/<wbr></wbr>angelica-rodriguez/63/550/805</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">[3] - <a href="http://kuer.org/post/utahs-undocumented-immigrants-want-chance-serve-military" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://kuer.org/post/utahs-<wbr></wbr>undocumented-immigrants-want-<wbr></wbr>chance-serve-military</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[4] - <a href="http://www.alternet.org/activism/fighting-stay-inside-one-mothers-fight-keep-her-family-united-and-safe-united-states" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.alternet.org/<wbr></wbr>activism/fighting-stay-inside-<wbr></wbr>one-mothers-fight-keep-her-<wbr></wbr>family-united-and-safe-united-<wbr></wbr>states</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[5] - <a href="http://cis.org/reasoner/daca-prosecutorial-discretion-or-egregious-abuse-discretion" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://cis.org/reasoner/<wbr></wbr>daca-prosecutorial-discretion-<wbr></wbr>or-egregious-abuse-discretion</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[6] - <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/313996/today-day-mark-krikorian" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.nationalreview.<wbr></wbr>com/articles/313996/today-day-<wbr></wbr>mark-krikorian</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[7] - <a href="http://www.irli.org/node/81" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.irli.org/node/81</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[8] - <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2014/08/05/Timeline-Border-Surge-Began-a-Few-Months-After-Obama-s-First-Executive-Action-on-Immigration" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.breitbart.com/<wbr></wbr>InstaBlog/2014/08/05/Timeline-<wbr></wbr>Border-Surge-Began-a-Few-<wbr></wbr>Months-After-Obama-s-First-<wbr></wbr>Executive-Action-on-<wbr></wbr>Immigration</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[9] - <a href="http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/080414-711732-border-surge-in-immigration-is-about-magnets-not-violence.htm" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://news.investors.com/<wbr></wbr>ibd-editorials/080414-711732-<wbr></wbr>border-surge-in-immigration-<wbr></wbr>is-about-magnets-not-violence.<wbr></wbr>htm</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[10] - <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2014/08/08/More-Evidence-the-Obama-Administration-Sees-a-Connection-Between-Border-Crisis-and-DACA" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.breitbart.com/<wbr></wbr>InstaBlog/2014/08/08/More-<wbr></wbr>Evidence-the-Obama-<wbr></wbr>Administration-Sees-a-<wbr></wbr>Connection-Between-Border-<wbr></wbr>Crisis-and-DACA</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[11] - <a href="http://unitedwedream.org/about/our-missions-goals/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://unitedwedream.org/<wbr></wbr>about/our-missions-goals/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[12] - <a href="http://unitedwedream.org/groups/#ut" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://unitedwedream.org/<wbr></wbr>groups/#ut</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[13] - <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/10/29/Amnesty-Activists-Put-Obama-on-Notice-Call-for-Bold-Action" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.breitbart.com/<wbr></wbr>Big-Government/2014/10/29/<wbr></wbr>Amnesty-Activists-Put-Obama-<wbr></wbr>on-Notice-Call-for-Bold-Action</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[14] - <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/dreamers-confronted-democratic-sen-kay-hagan-on-immigration" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.buzzfeed.com/<wbr></wbr>adriancarrasquillo/dreamers-<wbr></wbr>confronted-democratic-sen-kay-<wbr></wbr>hagan-on-immigration</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[15] - <a href="http://unitedwedream.org/uncategorized/grantmakers-play-an-important-role-in-comprehensive-immigration-reform-efforts/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://unitedwedream.org/<wbr></wbr>uncategorized/grantmakers-<wbr></wbr>play-an-important-role-in-<wbr></wbr>comprehensive-immigration-<wbr></wbr>reform-efforts/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[16] - <a href="http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/people/george-soros" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>opensocietyfoundations.org/<wbr></wbr>people/george-soros</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[17] - <a href="https://philanthropynewyork.org/event-calendar/how-dream-leaders-are-building-new-immigration-movement" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://philanthropynewyork.<wbr></wbr>org/event-calendar/how-dream-<wbr></wbr>leaders-are-building-new-<wbr></wbr>immigration-movement</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[18] - <a href="http://www.fordfoundation.org/grants/grantdetails?grantid=120779" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.fordfoundation.<wbr></wbr>org/grants/grantdetails?<wbr></wbr>grantid=120779</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Notes:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">[Note 1] - The term "Dreamer" occurs in articles as either "DREAMer" or as "Dreamer." I will primarily use the "Dreamer" form in this post. A Dreamer is someone who would have been granted amnesty had the DREAM Act passed and been signed into law. </span></div>
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D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-3619867424480456842014-10-09T23:15:00.000-06:002014-10-09T23:27:09.621-06:00Luz Robles' New Hubby Was Honored by Mexico in 2011<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Juan Carlos Escamilla, Luz Robles' new husband, was awarded the prestigious "Ohtli" award in 2011. </div>
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What is the Ohtli?</div>
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It is an award granted by the Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior (IME) through the Mexican consular network in the United States.</div>
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The IME, as you may recall, is the branch of the Mexican Foreign Ministry that coordinates the activities of the Consejo Consultivo del Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior (CCIME) - the advisory board that Luz Robles served on from 2006-2008.<br />
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From the IME website description of the award, we have the following:</div>
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<i>"One of the objectives of the Institute of Mexicans in the Exterior (IME) is to strengthen relations with the Mexican community and those of Mexican origin residing outside of our country. To this end we have put into operation a great variety of projects that have allowed us to strengthen the links of Mexico with her diaspora."</i><br />
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<i>("Uno de los objetivos del Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior (IME) es fortalecer las relaciones con la comunidad mexicana y de origen mexicano residente fuera de nuestro país. Con este fin se han puesto en operación una gran variedad de proyectos que nos han permitido estrechar los lazos de México con su diáspora.")</i></div>
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The IME description of this prestigious award also tells us:<br />
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<i>"This award is given, to individuals who have dedicated most of their life and professional activity, to "open a path" abroad, so that the younger generations of Mexicans who have followed them, find a path relatively easier to walk."</i></div>
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<i>("Este reconocimiento se otorga, a personas que han dedicado la mayor parte de su vida y actividad profesional, a “abrir brecha” en el extranjero, para que las generaciones más jóvenes de mexicanos y mexicanas que los han seguido, encuentren un camino relativamente más fácil de andar.")</i></div>
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Generally speaking, each consular area is permitted to award one Ohtli per year. </div>
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The IME page describing the Ohtli award is at:<br />
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<a href="http://www.ime.gob.mx/en/agenda-de-informacion/reconocimiento-ohtli" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.ime.gob.mx/en/<wbr></wbr>agenda-de-informacion/<wbr></wbr>reconocimiento-ohtli</a><br />
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The newsletter ("Informe") of the CCIME also carried a story about Mr. Escamilla's Ohtli (see page six at the link below):<br />
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<a href="http://www.ime.gob.mx/ime2/images/ccime/informes/11_ene.pdf" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.ime.gob.mx/ime2/<wbr></wbr>images/ccime/informes/11_ene.<wbr></wbr>pdf</a></div>
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Some photos of Mr. Escamilla receiving the award are at:<br />
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<a href="http://www.ime.gob.mx/en/galeria/category/3-premio-ohtli" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.ime.gob.mx/en/<wbr></wbr>galeria/category/3-premio-<wbr></wbr>ohtli</a></div>
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How did Mr. Escamilla feel about receiving the award?</div>
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According to an article in the Yuma Sun about the event, Mr. Escamilla had this to say:<br />
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<i>“I would like to thank the Mexican Consulate in Yuma and the consulate’s Institute of Mexicans in the Exterior for this profound honor,” Escamilla said in a prepared statement. “As mayor it is my most solemn obligation to serving others. It makes me so proud to be among those who have received this distinction and recognition in the past."</i><br />
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He also added this:</div>
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<i>“I will accept this award on behalf of all the Hispanics who work tremendously in improving the lives of others. It has not been easy to persevere in the mission of preserving our Hispanic cultural heritage, our rights as Latinos, but we will continue to strive and be successful to achieve the place we deserve in the United States. Our history shows that if we work together, we can accomplish great things.”</i><br />
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The Yuma Sun article is available at:<br />
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<a href="http://www.yumasun.com/san-luis-mayor-honored-by-mexican-government/article_52e82829-106b-53b2-8cad-26f606ea0812.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.yumasun.com/san-<wbr></wbr>luis-mayor-honored-by-mexican-<wbr></wbr>government/article_52e82829-<wbr></wbr>106b-53b2-8cad-26f606ea0812.<wbr></wbr>html</a></div>
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It seems rather strange for elected officials in America to be receiving awards from a foreign nation for serving, in some sense, the interests of that nation. </div>
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Mr. Escamilla, at the time he received this award, was the mayor of San Luis, Arizona. </div>
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He is currently a member of the Arizona House of Representatives. </div>
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Mexico, through its IME website, has stated that one of its goals is "to strengthen the links of Mexico with her diaspora." The Ohtli award should be seen in that light - as a propaganda tool of the Mexican government to strengthen ties between itself and those of Mexican heritage in the United States. </div>
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It is hard to fault the sincere efforts of well-meaning people who seek to better the lives of others. I am not criticizing such efforts by Mr. Escamilla.</div>
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However, the ethnocentric politics being promoted in America by Mexico should be carefully examined and Mexico should be politely, but firmly, told to mind its own business. </div>
D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-89881106298695974642014-10-02T21:58:00.002-06:002014-10-02T22:12:28.574-06:00Key Luz Robles Campaign Contact a Former Candidate for the Mexican Legislature<div>
<br /></div>
One of the most interesting aspects of Luz Robles' association with Mexico's <i>Consejo Consultivo del Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior</i> (CCIME) was her strange presence at the April 2009 CCIME meeting in Mexico. <br />
<br />
This was after having taken office as a Utah State Senator. <br />
<br />
Much more information about why she may have been at this meeting can be found at: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://immigrationutah.blogspot.com/2012/10/is-luz-robles-planning-to-run-for_31.html">http://immigrationutah.blogspot.com/2012/10/is-luz-robles-planning-to-run-for_31.html</a><br />
<br />
Germán Trejo was also there. <br />
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Who is Germán Trejo?<br />
<br />
He is a long-term associate of Luz Robles, having served with her on the CCIME from 2006-2008 and worked with her on the same commission for much of that time. His associated campaign consulting company, G&T Consulting, was also a campaign consultant for her 2008 Utah State Senate campaign. Her fec.gov reports for her current campaign indicate that Trejo associated campaign companies are a key component of her campaign. <br />
<br />
From the article linked above:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Germán Trejo has a close relationship with Luz Robles - they both served on the same CCIME commission (political affairs) for a time. Germán Trejo, you may recall, was also a significant advisor to Luz Robles' state senate campaign - contributing $6,000.00 in in-kind contributions pre-convention in 2008.</blockquote>
In that earlier post, I suggested that one reason Luz Robles may have been in Mexico was to help with an effort to push the major Mexican political parties to create a law mandating a quota of migrant candidates. Other proposals for migrant representation were also circulating among certain immigrant leaders in the U.S. with the goal of achieving immigrant representation in the Mexican legislature. <br />
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A Trejo associated campaign company, Battleground Solutions, has this quote from Luz Robles featured prominently on their website:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Every candidate needs consultants that know what they are doing and know how to achieve the ultimate goal of winning.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Battleground Solutions’ professionalism and determination are felt throughout the staff by always meeting their goals. German Trejo is a great strategist. He is able to vision the necessary process to get to the goal.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
He is very detailed oriented and is always thinking ahead. His communication skills allow him to keep a team apprised of the processes that are needed in order to achieve the goals the campaign has set forth whether they be short or long term goals.</blockquote>
(see: <a href="http://www.battlegroundsolutions.com/">http://www.battlegroundsolutions.com/</a>)<br />
<br />
From the website, <a href="http://germantrejo.com/">germantrejo.com</a>, the following is found at the bottom of the "about" page:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In 2009, Trejo ran for Congress in Mexico as an “Immigrant Congressional” candidate (Diputado Migrante), under Mexico’s proportional representation system. Trejo’s candidacy received wide media coverage in Mexico. As a candidate, Trejo exposed the lack of political rights provided by Mexico’s top electoral institutions and political parties to Mexican ex-pats. As a result of these issues raised by Germán Trejo’s campaign, the Human Rights Commission in Mexico issued an official recommendation to the Mexican Government and Mexican political parties to stop violating the political rights of Mexicans living abroad.</blockquote>
In other words, at some point during the 2009 Mexican legislative electoral time-frame, Germán Trejo was himself a candidate for the Mexican Chamber of Deputies (similar to the U.S. House of Representatives). <br />
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Why is this significant?<br />
<br />
A fair question to ask of Luz Robles is how close she is to Germán Trejo and how compatible are her views to his when it comes to immigrants and illegal aliens in the United States having political representation in a foreign legislature. <br />
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Can one legitimately be dedicated to serving the United States while holding the view that a large segment of the population should also be represented in a foreign nation? <br />
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Would pursuing political rights in Mexico for immigrants living in the United States serve to help assimilate immigrants to America or serve to make that process much more difficult and conflicted? <br />
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Imagine a voting block of immigrants, both legal and illegal, pursuing their political agenda in Mexico of pushing Mexico to advance their agenda in the United States while pushing the United States to cater to their political power. <br />
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In broader terms, it seems to be the perfect wedge to attack the sovereignty of the United States in favor of transnational rights and the globalist goal of creating supranational governing structures. <br />
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For more information about Luz Robles and the CCIME, please see the links below:<br />
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/ufirenow/Home/misc-information">https://sites.google.com/site/ufirenow/Home/misc-information</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://immigrationutah.blogspot.com/p/luz-robles-utah-state-senator.html">http://immigrationutah.blogspot.com/p/luz-robles-utah-state-senator.html</a><br />
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<br />D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-79044014981345830492014-09-24T19:28:00.000-06:002014-09-24T19:29:59.394-06:00Luz Robles' Fizzling Campaign Theme<div>
Thursday night, 9/25/14, Utah State Senator Luz Robles will debate Representative Chris Stewart.<br />
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The question is: will she continue her early campaign theme of trying to paint Stewart as an extremist or will she adopt a different tactic?<br />
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Her campaign website (<a href="http://www.roblesforcongress.com/">http://www.roblesforcongress.com</a>), for example, quotes her as saying:<br />
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"I think my record speaks for itself in the Legislature. I’m very much in the middle. I focus on issues of veterans, immigration and education that are pertinent to all Americans."</div>
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The website then quotes former Utah State Democratic Party Chair (and current state senator), Jim Dabakis:<br />
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"Voters, will come to see Stewart as an extremist who doesn't really share Utah values."<br />
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Ms. Robles apparently wants us to see her as one of us, as just a regular person, fighting to make Utah and the United States better by removing the extremist, Chris Stewart, from office. <br />
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The extremist theme was also used several times in early campaign emails. <br />
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For example, in a 10/30/13 email, the campaign threw in these two gems:<br /><br />
"The only way we can see real change is to replace extremists in Congress like Chris Stewart."<br />
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"We must have the resources to combat the special interests that support extremists like my opponent who recklessly shut down the government."<br />
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A bit later in the year (12/28/13), the campaign threw this into an email:<br />
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"Going into the New Year, we must prove that we can keep this pace up in the face of these outside interests and extremists that support our opponent’s Tea Party agenda."<br />
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The new year (1/23/14) brought a couple more slams to reinforce the theme:<br />
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"My opponent is completely out of touch with what Utahns and the 2nd Congressional District believe are most important."<br />
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"We cannot afford 2 more years of an extremist Congressman that supported the government shutdown, cost Utahns over $300M and is completely disconnected from the State and the hard working people of the 2nd Congressional District."<br />
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To be honest, I have not seen any Robles campaign emails since March, so I don't know if Ms. Robles has continued with this extremist theme since then or not. <br />
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But, if the tone of statements about Mia Love on the Utah State Democratic Party Facebook page is any indication, the theme of labeling opponents as extremists may be a more widespread strategy of the Democrats than the representation of a single campaign's conscious decision to flay an opponent with misleading labels. <br />
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It will be interesting, therefore, to see the debate and how Ms. Robles characterizes Rep. Stewart's views and record.<br />
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In any event, the move to characterize Rep. Stewart as an extremist appears to be fizzling and a non-starter as we head into the final weeks of the campaign<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">. </span></div>
D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-53402186971029295012014-05-07T21:39:00.002-06:002014-05-07T21:39:54.507-06:00A New Book Sheds Light on the Lack of Need for Foreign STEM Workers:A new book, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/069115466X/centerforimmigra">Falling Behind? Boom, Bust & the Global Race for Scientific Talent</a> </i>by Michael Teitelbaum, gives us "essential background information regarding our policies about high-tech migrants," according to David North.<br /><br />Mr. North, <a href="http://www.cis.org/north/there-really-shortage-high-tech-workers-read-book">writing about the book in a brief review</a> at cis.org, also noted:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The author politely dismisses the claims that there are widespread shortages of STEM workers, but notes with care the strenuous efforts of various interest groups (including Silicon Valley, immigration lawyers, many universities, and the Chamber of Commerce) to make the opposite point. Unfortunately, those voices of authority (and moneyed interests) carried the day on issue after issue..."</blockquote>
Mark Zuckerberg, of Facebook fame, has been busy spending millions trying to bring about a cheap-labor bonanza for Silicon Valley. Perhaps someone should send him a copy of the book. Unfortunately, I doubt he would read it - as he clearly has hitched his horse to the moneyed interests and against the American worker. <br />
D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-82436996127248767462014-04-18T20:33:00.001-06:002014-04-18T20:48:47.611-06:00Religion, Contention and the Open Mind in the Immigration Debate:When religion enters into the immigration debate, it can at times become rather contentious. <br />
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Jerry Kammer at <a href="http://cis.org/">cis.org</a> has written:<br />
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"I came to work at the Center for Immigration Studies because I wanted to respond to those who try to shut down the discussion by claiming that those who want to limit immigration are motivated not by legitimate concerns but by bigotry, racism, nativism, and anti-immigrant hostility.<br />
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"I want to be part of a well-informed discussion of the complexity and moral ambiguity of the issues involved in shaping immigration policy. I think people on both sides of the debate should take note of this admonition from Jonathan Haidt:<br />
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[I]f you are trying to change an organization or a society and you do not consider the effects of your changes on moral capital, then you're asking for trouble. This, I believe, is the fundamental blind spot of the left. It explains why liberal reforms so often backfire and why communist revolutions usually end up in despotism. It is the reason I believe that liberalism – which has done so much to bring about freedom and equal opportunity – is not sufficient as a governing philosophy. It tends to overreach, change too many things too quickly, and reduce the stock of moral capital inadvertently. Conversely, while conservatives do a better job of preserving moral capital, they often fail to notice certain classes of victims, fail to limit the predations of certain powerful interests, and fail to see the need to change or update institutions as times change.</blockquote>
"In order to have this discussion, each side must be willing to open our ears and our eyes to the other..."<br />
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The article by Kammer is available at: <br />
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<a href="http://www.cis.org/kammer/catholics-dissent-bishops-immigration-policy-pt-3">http://www.cis.org/kammer/catholics-dissent-bishops-immigration-policy-pt-3</a></div>
D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-55982806433988338482014-04-18T19:42:00.001-06:002014-04-18T20:48:00.924-06:00Jerry Kammer on Religion in the Immigration Debate:Jerry Kammer published a series of articles about the religious aspect of the illegal immigration debate at <a href="http://cis.org/">cis.org</a> recently (see "<a href="http://www.cis.org/kammer/catholics-dissent-bishops-immigration-policy-pt-2">A Catholic's Dissent from the Bishops' Immigration Policy, Pt. 2</a>").<br />
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Below is a citation from the second in his series:<br />
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"Yale law professor and immigration scholar Peter Schuck offered this concise explanation in his essay in the 1985 book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0917616693/centerforimmigra"><i>Clamor at the Gates</i></a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Having ordained an activist welfare state that increasingly defines liberty in terms of positive, government-created legal entitlements to at least a minimum level of individual security and well-being, the nation cannot possibly extend these ever-expanding claims against itself to mankind in general. Instead, it must restrict its primary concerns to those for whom it has undertaken a special political responsibility of protection and nourishment, most particularly those who reside within its territorial jurisdiction. Even this more limited task becomes impossible if masses of destitute people, many ill-equipped to live and work in a postindustrial society, may acquire legally enforceable claims against it merely by reaching its borders.</blockquote>
"I think Father Groody and the Catholic bishops should understand that U.S. immigration policy, like the U.S. Constitution, is not a suicide pact. If they believe, as I do, that we have great responsibilities to assist our society's most vulnerable members, they should not insist on policies that would overwhelm our capacity to fulfill those duties. If they persist in that delusion, they should not be surprised that they will continue to lose credibility among those who dissent from their version of Catholic social teaching."<br />
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Part one of the series is at: <a href="http://www.cis.org/kammer/catholics-dissent-bishops-immigration-policy">http://www.cis.org/kammer/catholics-dissent-bishops-immigration-policy</a><br />
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Part two is at: <a href="http://www.cis.org/kammer/catholics-dissent-bishops-immigration-policy-pt-2">http://www.cis.org/kammer/catholics-dissent-bishops-immigration-policy-pt-2</a></div>
D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-5742409695641093572014-04-17T09:09:00.000-06:002014-04-17T09:09:32.693-06:00Another View of the Religious Aspect of the Immigration Debate:"In 1986, as Congress used the commission's recommendations as the framework for Immigration Reform and Control Act, Hesburgh wrote:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>I undertook my role as commission chairman by asking: Why should immigration be a problem? Why not let down the barriers and let people move freely? After our two years of study, the question answered itself. It is not enough to sympathize with the aspirations and plight of illegal aliens. We also must consider the consequences of not controlling our borders. What about the aspirations of Americans who must compete for jobs and whose wages and work standards are depressed by the presence of illegal aliens?</i></blockquote>
Concerns like these receive little or no attention at conferences like the one at Notre Dame. That is my criticism, both of the conference and of the bishops. I believe this lack of interest in – or even awareness of – the concerns of those on the other side of the debate is part of the reason for the current legislative stalemate."<div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.cis.org/kammer/catholics-dissent-bishops-immigration-policy">http://www.cis.org/kammer/catholics-dissent-bishops-immigration-policy</a></div>
D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-15392993338868516682013-11-06T11:15:00.003-07:002013-11-06T11:15:55.023-07:00Should an LDS Bishop Be Using His Title to Endorse Amnesty?<br />Should an LDS bishop be using his title to endorse amnesty? The citations below are from a link posted by Mark Shurtleff (board member of the National Immigration Forum) on his facebook page to an article at ready4reform.org (the website of the operation, "Bibles, Badges and Business," of the National Immigration Forum). Notice his last sentence - how he wants Republicans in the House to push amnesty even though he knows it is not supported:<br />
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"Furthermore, I work as an immigration attorney. My professional and ecclesiastical work involves documented and undocumented individuals. All of these experiences have shaped my views on immigration laws and immigration reform."<br />
__________<br />
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"As a bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I feel strongly the need for families to be together. "<br />
__________<br />
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"I participated in the Americans for Reform Day of Action because, as a Republican voter, I wanted to encourage our Republican leadership to debate the issues surrounding immigration laws and their reform. I wanted to encourage them to get these issues on the floor of the House and not wait for the rank and file to feel at ease with the issue."<br />
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The article is available at:<br /><br /><a href="http://ready4reform.org/post/66190049600/dallin-as-a-bishop-in-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of">http://ready4reform.org/post/66190049600/dallin-as-a-bishop-in-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of</a>D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-81297437741496066282013-09-17T10:52:00.001-06:002013-09-19T09:56:02.847-06:00Will Women "Buy" Amnesty? - Leftist Immigration Messaging<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /><b>Key Points:</b><br /><br />- Immigration messaging is a key feature in the battle to sell amnesty to America.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">- A recent professional memo outlines examples of messaging directed at obtaining women's support for amnesty. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">- By primarily focusing on values, rather than on amnesty, the values become a substitute for amnesty in the sales pitch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">- The process is manipulative and deceptive.<br /><br />- The two companies that wrote the messaging memo are linked strongly to the political left.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">- The organization for which the research was done is also linked to the political left. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">- The leftist penchant for moving debate to a set of values, removed from the realities of illegal immigration and its consequences, makes good immigration policy unlikely. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em style="color: #222222; text-align: start;">Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net</em></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><strong style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Immigration messaging is a key feature in the battle to sell amnesty to America.</strong><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Messaging includes seeking words, phrases, and statements that will influence the middle - those who are undecided about amnesty - to support amnesty and other immigration policies. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">At the same time, the idea of "messaging" itself is not talked about much. <br /><br />I recently came across an example of a professional effort at messaging pushing for amnesty. <br /><br />This example, a memo, is specifically oriented towards women and how to influence "persuadable women voters," The memo, prepared by Lake Research Partners and ASOCommunications, can be found at: <br /><br /><a href="http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1109104170502-14/LRP+New+Immigration+Messaging+Memo.pdf" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://library.<wbr></wbr>constantcontact.com/download/<wbr></wbr>get/file/1109104170502-14/LRP+<wbr></wbr>New+Immigration+Messaging+<wbr></wbr>Memo.pdf</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">It makes some fascinating reading.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The Lake/ASO memo outlines examples of messaging directed at obtaining women's support for amnesty.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The memo tells us, for instance:<br /><br /><i>"Our goal for this project has been to find language and frames that speak to women voters—that engage and persuade them on immigration..."</i><br /><br />They believe they have found messaging elements that will influence women's perceptions of the amnesty issue.<br /><br />One such element is to use a woman's voice:<br /><br /><i>"These messages were also delivered with a woman’s voice, which we found persuades women voters more than a male voice."</i><br /><br />The approach includes appealing to the following ideals:<br /><br /><i>"Women have very positive responses to values of community, commitment, contribution to our culture, responsibility to others, and protecting families. Language about strengthening communities is powerful and shifts attitudes in a positive direction toward immigrants."</i><br /><br />However, there is another side to this process of seeking widely supported values and then coding amnesty appeals in those terms. </span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The messaging being used to sell amnesty to women is a careful evasion of anything that may not appeal to undecided women on this issue.</span></strong></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Amnesty is being sold at a step removed from debate about the facts of illegal immigration and the implications for our society of a large-scale amnesty.<br /><br />What is being sold are the values themselves that appeal to undecided women. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />For example, as part of the memo's message #3 ("Equality and Opportunity"), the memo states:<br /><br /><i>"Americans are <u>at our best when we help one another. Women especially know the importance of coming together and wouldn't be where we are today without the help and support of the women in our lives</u> – [our mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends]. <u>As Americans, we honor and celebrate our unique commitment to protecting families</u>, and giving equal opportunities and respect to women and girls, and many immigrants come here to share in this commitment." </i>[emphasis in original]<br /><br />The message ends with this euphemistic appeal to amnesty:<br /><br /><i>"<u>That’s why we need an immigration process that reflects this</u> commitment and provides freedom and opportunity to everyone, especially mothers, daughters and families."</i> [emphasis in original]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The message has subtly transformed "amnesty" into "an immigration process" that represents commitment to a set of values that appeals to "persuadable" women. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">What is now being sold are the values rather than amnesty itself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The messaging is manipulative and deceptive.</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">It is manipulative because the messages carefully lead people to avoid any type of debate about illegal immigration by reframing amnesty as an expression of positive values and pushing the focus of attention onto the values rather than the facts of amnesty. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />It is manipulative because it pushes amnesty advocates to use the same tactic in public debate - thus quashing debate that tries to discuss issues outside of the values.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />It is deceptive because the memo seeks to influence the public by using evasive and misleading euphemisms to garner support for amnesty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">For example, on page four of the memo, the authors present a list of phrases commonly used in the amnesty debate. They also present what many people think when hearing the phrases and suggest substitutions to use.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />When the phrase "Immigrants do pay taxes" is used by an amnesty advocate, for instance, the memo claims that many will think:<br /><br />"I should assess source of your facts; issue not about values but what immigrants can do for us."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Notice the memo specifically asks amnesty advocates to avoid language that pulls the debate away from the values being promoted by the messaging memo.</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The phrase below is suggested in place of the claim that immigrants pay taxes:</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">"New Americans realize the value of participating in our communities"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The claim that "Immigrants pay taxes" has now been turned into the above fuzzy and vague statement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Any debate over the taxes issue has been sidestepped and pushed away. <br /><br />In this same hazy statement, illegal aliens have been also been framed as "New Americans." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">This euphemism, which avoids any discussion of legal status or how illegal aliens came to enter the United States, subtly calls on us to see our laws as the problem and not the behavior of the illegal aliens themselves. </span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Both ASOCommunications and Lake Research Partners are linked strongly to the political left.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">ASOCommunications, one of the organizations responsible for the memo, is run by Anat Shenker-Osorio. Her <a href="http://www.asocommunications.com/html/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">short bio</a> at <a href="http://asocommunications.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">asocommunications.com</a> lists a variety of her clients:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>"Anat’s current and previous consulting clients include the Ford Foundation, America’s Voice, Opportunity Agenda, Ms Foundation, We Belong Together, the Roosevelt Institute, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Caring Across Generations and CoreAlign, to name a few. Her writing and research has appeared in The Altantic, Salon, Huffington Post, Colorlines and the Christian Science Monitor."</i><br /><br />The political left, as seen in this list of clients, forms a significant part of her clientele. <br /><br />The same is true of Lake Research Partners. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Their webpage includes an "<a href="http://www.lakeresearch.com/clients/index.asp" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Outstanding Clients</a>" page which has links to several client lists. The lists outline a very impressive collection of clients - a tremendous number on the left. On the "<a href="http://www.lakeresearch.com/clients/issue.asp" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Issue Advocacy Groups</a>" page, for instance, the National Council of La Raza, National Immigration Forum, America's Voice, and the National Immigration Law Center are listed. These are leftist pro-amnesty groups. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">It should be no surprise, therefore, that this memo was created for an organization which also has strong ties to the political left.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">That organization is the group called "We Belong Together."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Pramila Jayapal is <a href="http://www.webelongtogether.org/bio/pramila-jayapal" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">a key figure</a> in We Belong Together, serving as <a href="http://www.webelongtogether.org/press-releases/104-women-including-more-25-undocumented-immigrants-arrested-protesting-house%E2%80%99s" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">co-chair</a> of the organization. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">She was also founder and executive director of the <a href="https://weareoneamerica.org/pramila-jayapal-leaving-oneamerica" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">pro-amnesty leftist group OneAmerica</a> until 2011. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Some of her accomplishments at OneAmerica include:<br /><br /><i>"Under her leadership, OneAmerica has achieved significant policy change in Washington State, leading efforts to win numerous victories for immigrants including: a New Americans Executive Order signed by Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, a comprehensive plan to address the needs of immigrant communities in Seattle, <span style="background-color: yellow;">an ordinance preventing City of Seattle employees from inquiring about immigration status</span>, and numerous resolutions at the city and county level upholding the human rights and dignity of immigrants and affirming the need for comprehensive immigration reform."</i><br /><br />In 2012, Representative Adam Smith (D-Washington) <a href="http://capitolwords.org/date/2012/06/01/E953_recognizing-the-accomplishments-of-pramila-jayapal/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">honored her accomplishments</a>. This was her focus and work just following 9/11:<br /><br /><i>"In the days immediately following the attacks of September 11, 2001, Pramila began the Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington as an entirely volunteer-run organization to combat discrimination against immigrants, especially from communities of color--primarily Muslim, Arab American, East African and South Asian--and to work against stereotypes in a post 9/11 world. At first, the mission was to advocate for the rights of those who were likely to be victims of hate crimes."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">In 2010, Ms. Jayapal and others were arrested for blocking a road in Seattle to promote amnesty. See the links below for coverage of this incident. The video is particularly interesting as it shows Ms. Jayapal being led away singing while oblivious to the chaos her group's actions created for those trapped in the traffic snarls resulting from their illegally blocking the intersection:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkETCNFuuJU" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr></wbr>v=jkETCNFuuJU</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.komonews.com/news/local/97044454.html?tab=video&c=y" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.komonews.com/news/<wbr></wbr>local/97044454.html?tab=video&<wbr></wbr>c=y</a></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />In a similar action just a few days ago, Ms. Jayapal <a href="http://feministing.com/2013/09/14/the-feministing-five-pramila-jayapal/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">was arrested again</a>. <br /><br />We Belong Together cites Ms. Jayapal in a <a href="http://www.webelongtogether.org/press-releases/104-women-including-more-25-undocumented-immigrants-arrested-protesting-house%E2%80%99s" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">press release</a> about a protest for amnesty in Washington, D.C. on 9/12/13 in which 100 women, <a href="http://feministing.com/2013/09/14/the-feministing-five-pramila-jayapal/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">including Ms. Jayapal</a>, were arrested:</span></div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>“Each one of us here today understands what incredibly high stakes we are talking about—immigration reform is not just a piece of legislation but <span style="background-color: yellow;">the ability for us to take care of our families</span>,” said Pramila Jayapal, co-chair of We Belong Together: Women for Common-Sense Immigration Campaign. “<span style="background-color: yellow;">Women contribute every day to our families, our economy and our country. Immigration reform is about being able to live, breathe free, and remember the values that brought us all here in the first place: democracy, freedom, and justice</span>.”</i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="background-color: yellow;">Notice Ms. Jayapal's careful amnesty messaging.</span></span></div>
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<strong style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></strong></div>
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<strong style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></strong></div>
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<strong style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The leftist penchant for moving public debate to a set of values removed from the realities of illegal immigration and its consequences makes good immigration policy unlikely.</strong></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Immigration is a very complex issue. Illegal immigration forms part of this larger issue. There are many angles to consider. <br /><br />With all the left-wing think tanks, pro-amnesty organizations, and foundations pouring resources and money into the amnesty movement (along with the additional ones being heaped on the sizable resource pile by the cheap-labor business interests and groups pandering for political or other advantage), amnesty advocates can certainly engage the full range of immigration issues. And they do - in certain contexts (although I would argue inadequately and in a wrong-headed fashion). <br /><br />And yet we are confronted by a left-wing memo which suggests that the way to persuade undecided women is to sell a small set of values rather than amnesty itself. <br /><br />But, consequences of bad policy cannot be ignored. Wishing them away will not make them go away and using euphemisms to push the real debate about real issues into the shadows only serves to fool the public, not enlighten it. <br /><br />Policy built on a foundation of pro-amnesty wishful thinking will give us the pretense of having solved something now, but will lead to another situation down the road where we will be discussing how to legalize millions and millions more illegal aliens. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Illegal immigration poses a considerable number of serious issues. They need to be confronted openly and thoroughly. <br /><br />The government must adequately enforce our reasonable immigration laws and demonstrate the political will to continue to do so before any talk of any exceptions. </span></div>
</div>
D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-57605722320731539812013-08-22T10:04:00.000-06:002013-08-22T10:04:46.836-06:00Video: D.A. King Interviewed by Jorge Ramos of Univision<div>
<br /></div>
Below is a great video of D.A. King being interviewed by Jorge Ramos on Univision (August 2013).<br />
<br />
Ramos tries everything he can think of to try and paint King into a corner. It doesn't work. <br />
<br />
If Ramos, as he says many times, is seeking a solution to the 11 million illegal aliens, why does that solution always mean amnesty? <br />
<br />
Ramos is not seeking a solution to 11 million illegal aliens, he is seeking to aid them in their demand for amnesty. <br />
<br />
He is not a journalist, he is an advocate.<br />
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D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-90667581876229173462013-08-02T00:10:00.001-06:002013-08-02T00:10:28.758-06:00Mark Shurtleff's Fellow National Immigration Board Member Arrested<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18.88888931274414px;">Mark Shurtleff's fellow National Immigration Forum board member, <a href="http://www.immigrationforum.org/about/board">Angelica Salas</a>, was arrested on Thursday in Washington during a mob action to push for amnesty. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18.88888931274414px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18.88888931274414px;">Along with Angelica Salas, Frank Sharry was also arrested. Mr. Sharry is the former Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum. From <a href="http://americasvoiceonline.org/experts/frank_sharry/">his bio</a> at America's Voice:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18.88888931274414px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18.88888931274414px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18.88888931274414px;">"Up until recently Mr. Sharry served as the Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum. The Forum, based in Washington D.C., is one of the nation’s premier immigration policy organizations, and has been at the center of every major legislative and policy debate related to immigration over the past 25 years."</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18.88888931274414px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18.88888931274414px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18.88888931274414px;">The left is finding it harder and harder to not act like a mob and try to force amnesty through street action. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18.88888931274414px;" /><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18.88888931274414px;"><br />It would be interesting to hear Mark Shurtleff's thoughts about the radical amnesty thugs that seem to permeate the amnesty movement - including the board of the National Immigration Forum. <br /><br />The arrested:<br /><br />"Those arrested in the morning action include church leaders, advocates and union representatives, people such as Angelica Salas, the executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, and Frank Sharry of America’s Voice. They were charged with blocking passage and held for several hours before being released in the afternoon."<br /><br />The article about the arrest is available at:</span><br />
<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18.88888931274414px;"><a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/08/01/198350/dozens-arrested-in-pro-immigration.html#.UftFKdLOl2A" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18.88888931274414px;">http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/08/01/198350/dozens-arrested-in-pro-immigration.html#.UftFKdLOl2A</a></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18.88888931274414px;"><br /><span style="color: #333333;">The National Immigration Forum's board:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.immigrationforum.org/about/board" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>www.immigrationforum.org/about/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>board</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #333333;">Frank Sharry's bio:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://americasvoiceonline.org/experts/frank_sharry/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>americasvoiceonline.org/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>experts/frank_sharry/</a></span>D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-79978914056493096652013-06-30T12:50:00.001-06:002013-06-30T12:50:45.152-06:00 Libertarian Guest Worker Mania
<br /><span style="background-color: yellow;">How fanatical are some libertarians on immigration issues? This will give you some idea:</span><br /><br />Alex Nowrasteh, an immigration policy analyst at the Cato Institute, made some curious comments in a recent <a href="http://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/catosletter-v11n2.pdf" target="_blank"><i>Cato's Letter</i></a>. <br />
<br />The Cato Institute is, of course, the premier libertarian think tank
in America. Even so, it is hard to not argue with just about
everything that Mr. Nowrasteh said in his interview. For instance, Mr.
Nowrasteh's comments on guest workers seem both fanatical and myopic:<i> </i><br />
<br />
<i>"A guest worker visa program must be large and cheap
enough to channel the vast majority of would-be unauthorized
immigrant workers into the legal market."</i><br />
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Large enough and cheap enough? </div>
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<br /></div>
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It
may not be fair to read too much into his brief comments, but Mr.
Nowrasteh's view, that the number of foreign "guest" workers ought to
include the "vast majority" of "would-be unauthorized immigrant workers"
(i.e., illegal aliens), seems boundless. <br />
<br /><span style="background-color: yellow;">Is there a limit to such channeling of foreign workers into the legal workforce? </span><br /><br />Would
creating a greatly expanded legal "guest worker" labor force invite an
ever increasing number of foreign workers to try for the same deal? <br />
<br />What would the impact be on American workers and legal immigrants of such a system? <br /><br />It
would be devastating. On the other hand, however, it would be a dream
come true for certain employers as Mr. Nowrasteh makes clear. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
He continues:</div>
<br /><i>"Furthermore, the program
must be dynamic and allow the widest possible variety of businesses from
all sectors of the economy to hire guest workers in the numbers they
deem fit."</i><br />
<br />
In addition, Mr. Nowrasteh believes that guest workers
should be free to change their employment in order to keep employers
from abusing them. <br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
One can admire his concern
for the well-being of foreign workers, but why does he not express the
same concern for American workers, who would surely be cast aside in
such a scheme of unlimited "guest" workers? </div>
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And, would they truly be "guest" workers? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Mr.
Nowrasteh also proposes that the system have "unlimited renewals of
visas" - in other words, permanent "guest worker" residency. </div>
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Another idea in Mr. Nowrateh's interview is that
immigrants are complementary to the American workforce - not competitors
with Americans. According to him, immigrants are <i>"more likely to be higher skilled or lower skilled than most Americans."</i>
We could spend a lot of time arguing strongly against this idea and the
damaging impact such a view would have on America if not carefully
examined and limited to a small number of very specific temporary
situations. </div>
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Briefly, however, let's consider what this idea of
worker complementarity means if applied to Mr. Nowrasteh's views of
guest workers.</div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow;">When Mr. Nowrasteh says that <i>"the widest possible variety of businesses</i>" in <i>"all sectors of the economy"</i> must be allowed to <i>"hire guest workers in the numbers they deem fit,"</i>
we need to be concerned that the idea of complementarity of worker
populations, even if accurate in some limited circumstances, will be
quickly thrown out the window in favor of pushing Americans and legal
immigrants out the door in favor of cheap labor "guest" workers.</span><br />
<br />Temporary foreign labor in America might make sense in certain very
limited circumstances - such as some agricultural work. But, opening
the door to a never-ending flood of foreign labor would be ill-advised
and counterproductive to the well-being of the nation on many levels.
</div>
D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-41634984971170165552013-05-31T09:15:00.000-06:002013-05-31T09:15:18.530-06:00The Immigration View from a Globalist Perch<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Big-Time Globalist Pushes Immigration</u></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Peter Sutherland is a big-time globalist. </span><br />
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He's also a big-time immigration pusher. </div>
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In the current Gang of Eight Amnesty debate, it is important to consider the issue from the globalist perspective. </div>
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Why? </div>
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Because globalist influences on the debate are out of view, but may be a powerful force pushing for U.S. amnesty and other immigration changes. </div>
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<u>The Globalist View of Immigration</u></div>
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In a 2012 BBC article, "<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18519395" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">EU should 'undermine national homogeneity' says UN migration chief</a>," Mr Sutherland made some interesting comments. Among them are his claim that individuals, not the receiving nations, should be the ones with the right to determine what country they live in. Mr. Sutherland, for instance: </div>
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<i>"...called on EU states to stop targeting "highly skilled" migrants, arguing that "at the most basic level individuals should have a freedom of choice" about whether to come and study or work in another country."</i></div>
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The European problem, according to Mr. Sutherland, seems to be that European countries don't see themselves as "migrant societies." They need to give up this notion, embrace multiculturalism, and abandon the idea of population homogeneity:<br />
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<i>"He told the committee: "The United States, or Australia and New Zealand, are migrant societies and therefore they accommodate more readily those from other backgrounds than we do ourselves, who still nurse a sense of our homogeneity and difference from others."</i></div>
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The article then adds this zinger from Mr. Sutherland:<br />
<i><br />"And that's precisely what the European Union, in my view, should be doing its best to undermine."</i></div>
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Notice that he didn't say France should decide for itself if it wishes to flood its nation with immigrants. Nor did he declare that Germany, Italy, Sweden, or any other European Union member, should decide what it wants to do regarding immigration. He said the European Union, as a supranational entity and as a matter of policy, should be undermining the idea of homogeneity of its member nations in order to promote immigration. </div>
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<u>The Globalist Attack on National Sovereignty</u></div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow;">It's not an easy thing to analyze globalist writings and statements - as they tend to be a mix of truth and propaganda.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> Sifting through the information in order to get a sense of what the real goals are, i.e., the ones that are central to the globalist fixation with supranational governing structures, is a difficult process. But, it seems clear that promoting mass immigration into certain nations is one such goal. Couple this with the globalist view of national sovereignty as an impediment to their project and we can surmise that </span><span style="background-color: yellow;">immigration is being used as one mechanism to attack national sovereignty.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div>
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In fact, in <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/12/19/the-melting-of-the-melting-pot.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">a 2008 article</a> of an interview with Mr. Sutherland, the author refers to Mr. Sutherland as "a champion of a border-lite world." </div>
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How many immigrants does Mr. Sutherland have in mind?</div>
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In the same <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/12/19/the-melting-of-the-melting-pot.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">2008 interview</a> with Mr. Sutherland, he gives us a view of the masses he is talking about:<br />
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<i>"<span style="background-color: yellow;">There's an inevitable need for many hundreds of millions of people to move from one part of the world to another</span>, sometimes incited not merely by poverty but by poverty which itself could be the result of climate change. It is also realistic to expect that there will be huge movements of people because of the differences in GDP per capita. While globalization has lifted some parts of the world, there are others where it has had little or no impact."</i></div>
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An inevitable need for many hundreds of millions of people to migrate around the globe?<br />
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<span style="background-color: yellow;">Mr. Sutherland did not specify how many "hundreds of millions" he meant or where exactly they might be headed - but it seems reasonable to conclude that many of this large non-specific number will be heading to the U.S.</span></div>
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Mr. Sutherland doesn't see this as a problem, because he has "never seen immigration and the multiculturalism of a society as a threat to the identity or values of the host community."</div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow;">On the contrary, globalist insiders must know that these levels of immigration will certainly impact the nations that undergo such levels of mass migration - that's the point in the globalist worldview. Supranational power structures can't grow sufficiently in strength when people have a strong sense of attachment to their nations and resist internationalist encroachments on their sovereignty.</span> Changing the demographics of a nation is one way to change the political perspective of that nation and to suppress and diminish the political role of those who oppose the increasing stranglehold of supranational governance over their nation. </div>
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Directly addressing problems around the world, which are put forth as reasons for migration, seems a more reasonable and effective avenue than having people moving all over the place in such large numbers. An approach that seeks to aid nations in solving their problems, while preserving their sovereignty, is one that is oriented towards finding effective solutions. However, when creating supranational governing structures is the goal, then actually finding solutions to problems becomes secondary to the power project. Aggregating more and more power into a handful of international organizations leads to a place far from the political roots of our nation - the roots designed to discourage tyranny. If one truly cares about people and their well-being, about cultures, about history, about nations, and about finding solutions to the world's problems, one must reject the globalist power drive. </div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow;">Each nation should be free to determine what immigration policies are congruent with its national goals and interests</span><span style="background-color: white;">. </span></div>
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<u style="background-color: white;">Who is Peter Sutherland?</u></div>
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But who is Peter Sutherland and should we take him seriously?<br />
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According to the two articles already referenced, Mr. Sutherland is or has been:</div>
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- special representative on migration for the United Nations</div>
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- director-general of the World Trade Organization</div>
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- a European Union commissioner</div>
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- chairman of British Petroleum</div>
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- chairman of the London School of Economics</div>
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- non-executive chairman of Goldman Sachs International</div>
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- head of the Global Forum on Migration and Development</div>
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- attended meetings of the Bilderberg group</div>
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- former Attorney General of Ireland</div>
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To this impressive list, we should add that Mr. Sutherland is also a prestigious member of the <a href="http://www.trilateral.org/go.cfm?do=Page.View&pid=24" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Trilateral Commission</a> - where he is also listed as having received 15 honorary degrees and an honorary knighthood in the United Kingdom. The Trilateral Commission's short biography also tells us that Mr. Sutherland "was presented with the Robert Schuman Medal <span style="background-color: yellow;">for his work on European integration</span>." That's an interesting award. He has also been honored by the Trilateral Commission with its David Rockefeller Award. Within the Trilateral organization, he is <a href="http://www.trilateral.org/go.cfm?do=Page.View&pid=32" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">a former European Chairman</a> and currently an <a href="http://www.trilateral.org/download/file/TC_list_5-13.pdf" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Honorary European Chairman</a>. </div>
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I would say that we should take Mr. Sutherland very seriously. </div>
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We should also take the globalist approach to the world and immigration seriously. </div>
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Doing so will add a dimension not generally considered publicly in our immigration debates. </div>
D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-27182347467350337052013-05-19T13:08:00.001-06:002013-05-19T13:08:35.363-06:00The Tribune's Empty Immigration Argument<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Salt Lake Tribune</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> recently published an editorial promoting amnesty ("</span><a href="http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/56253956-82/hatch-reform-immigration-comprehensive.html.csp" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">Hatch leads the way</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"). If you are looking for reasons, backed up by evidence, for supporting amnesty, you are out of luck. There aren't any. It is an empty appeal.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We are told by the </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Tribune</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">, for instance, that Senator Hatch knows how to read writing on walls, polls and letters from campaign contributors. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">These remarkable abilities, developed over 36 years, apparently make Hatch a "savvy" politician. When this savvy is combined with his expertise on immigration, Hatch is also able to discern that now is the time for amnesty and we need to act before the current window of opportunity closes.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">But this is not an argument for amnesty. It merely assumes that amnesty is good policy.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The key to Hatch's new realization:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"And now, Hatch says he sees what many others have seen. There are an estimated 11 million human beings who are living, working, going to school, buying things and paying taxes who continue to live lives completely or partially in the shadows. It would be neither humane nor practical to send them home, especially when a great many of them came here as children and truly have no home other than the U.S.A."</i><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We are not told why it would not be humane to send them "home." We are not told why it would be impractical. Again, the editorial merely assumes the truth of these statements. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Any debate about exceptions should follow adequate border and interior enforcement - not grant amnesty now with empty promises for future enforcement. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Regarding the path to citizenship for illegal aliens and its proposed 13-year wait: </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Hatch rightly notes that such a long wait hardly gives anyone an unfair advantage over those who have entered, or sought to enter, the United States legally."</i><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This incredible statement wants us to believe an absurdity: that someone who entered the nation illegally, not with the permission of the United States (but on his or her own whim) and has remained here for years, is the same situation as someone patiently waiting for years to enter the nation legally and is willing to abide by our laws even if it means they are never permitted to reside in the United States. One is here, the other is not. One is rewarded while one patiently waits. Are these equivalent? </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Yes, Mr. Hatch, it does give illegal aliens an unfair advantage and invites others to do likewise. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">There are other problems with this editorial. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The editorial ends by telling us that leading the way on immigration reform is right for Hatch. Embedded in this idea is the interesting notion that Hatch is providing "political cover" for other senators: </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /><br />"Leading the way toward reform — <span style="background-color: yellow;">and providing inspiration and political cover for other senators to follow</span> — is something that is both the right thing for Hatch..."</i><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Presumably, the earlier mentioned polls were telling Hatch that the public wants amnesty. Why do senators need "political cover" if this is true?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The actual situation is more in line with "writing on the walls" and letters from campaign contributors. In other words, </span><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">special interests are pushing this bill, not public opinion, and they know it</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> - thereby creating the need for the mental gymnastics on the part of the </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Tribune</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> in this editorial and by other other amnesty promoters (such as Senator Hatch). </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We should expect a lot of assumptions to be presented as established facts by the amnesty crowd and by their political spokesmen. It is the only way they can create enough confusion in the public to pass the Gang of Eight amnesty. </span>D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-55130885627127050082013-05-05T10:33:00.001-06:002013-05-05T10:33:44.975-06:00Is Amnesty a Conservative Position? <br />
<i>Politico</i> recently ran an article about <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/conservatives-immigration-reform-89649.html" target="_blank">conservative groups pushing for amnest</a>y. This is how they put it: <br />
<br />
<i>"High-profile conservative groups are taking on an unexpected cause: passing immigration reform."</i><br />
<br />
The article continues:<br />
<br />
<i>"<span style="background-color: yellow;">A
diverse mix of the Washington consultant class</span> is cutting TV ads,
revving up the grassroots and advising lawmakers on messaging and
strategy in hopes of getting a bill across the finish line this year."</i><br />
<br />
Sounds like this "diverse mix" of the "consultant class" can really
move amnesty along. <span style="background-color: yellow;">But, why should they have to work so hard if
amnesty really is a conservative issue? Wouldn't it be an easy sell if
it is an obvious conservative position? </span><br />
<br />
The answer is that it is not conservative.<br />
<div>
<br />
Conservatives tend to
oppose amnesty. Conservative opposition creates the need for
extraordinary measures to convince congressmen and senators that this
opposition doesn't really exist. Even so, opposing amnesty is a
position that cuts across political lines. Many from all political
persuasions oppose amnesty.<br />
<br />
Grover Norquist, a leader in the effort, adds this as his motive: </div>
<br />
<i>“We’re doing it to make sure…that Republican congressman and
senators feel comfortable,” said American for Tax Reform’s Grover
Norquist in an interview. “They look out and hear the guys on talk
radio, and they go ‘Oh my goodness, everybody out there thinks this.
That’s not necessarily where I was, but I guess if everybody thinks that
way, I’ll either be quiet or go along, or I’ll listen to them so they
can convince me.’ They’re now hearing the other side of the issue.”</i><br />
<br />
Making congressmen and senators feel "comfortable" may be an
admirable goal, but Norquist's comment betrays the true mood of much of
the country - <span style="background-color: yellow;">one doesn't have to make congressmen and senators "comfortable" if they are respecting the will of
the citizens</span>. In this case, that means refusing to go along with
amnesty.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, those talk radio "guys" opposing amnesty are giving a
public voice to millions of Americans - a voice that the mainstream
media generally ignores in favor of the point of view being promoted by
Mr. Norquist. Our elected representatives are not hearing "the other
side of the issue" from the "Washington consultant class." They are
hearing the other side from talk radio, their constituents, and those
organizations that oppose amnesty.<br />
<br />
Norquist is sticking to this theme of telling us that a "handful" of
talk show hosts are the block to amnesty while working hard to push
conservatives in Congress into the amnesty camp. In <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/345142/grover-vs-bitter-enders-betsy-woodruff" target="_blank">another recent article</a>
we are told about Norquist's Friday meetings devoted solely to amnesty
strategy and coordinating activities.<br />
<br />
These meetings include powerful
organizations devoted to amnesty along with "staffers from some of the
offices of members of the Senate's Gang of Eight." The group
coordinates "strategy" and "messaging."<br />
<br />
Sounds like a very cozy bunch.<br />
<br />
But, who is Grover Norquist that we should listen to him? <br />
<br />
Mr. Norquist participated in <a href="https://www.numbersusa.com/content/action/business-immigration-lobby-tips-hand-private-washington-meeting.html" target="_blank">a secret amnesty strategy</a> session in 2009. He has recently participated in left-wing National Immigration Forum conferences as <a href="http://forgingconsensus.org/pages/-/midwest-summit-october-12-2012" target="_blank">a featured speaker</a> in October 2012 and <a href="http://www.statesman.com/news/news/national-govt-politics/conservatives-at-austin-summit-push-bibles-badges-/nWN26/" target="_blank">again in February</a> of this year.<br />
<br />
In addition, the <a href="http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-02-13/politics/37088472_1_immigration-laws-immigration-overhaul-numbers-usa" target="_blank"><i>Washington Post</i></a>
has mentioned Mr. Norquist in connection with a campaign against the
three main anti-amnesty groups. Frontpagemag.com labels the effort a "<a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/grover-norquist-attempting-to-smear-anti-amnesty-groups-as-leftist-eugenicists/" target="_blank">smear campaign</a>." Other responses to the smear can be found at the <a href="http://www.cis.org/edwards/can-you-use-saul-alinskys-radical-tactics-and-also-be-conservative" target="_blank">Center for Immigration Studies</a>, <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/340738/debating-immigration-right-ramesh-ponnuru" target="_blank">National Review Online</a>, <a href="http://townhall.com/columnists/tomtancredo/2013/02/17/immigration-and-the-prolife-movement-n1514159" target="_blank">Townhall.com</a>, and <a href="http://immigrationutah.blogspot.com/2013/03/more-on-call-them-racist-strategy.html" target="_blank">Immigration Utah</a>.<br />
<br />
Even more troubling are Mr. Norquist's connections to and work on
behalf of Islamic radicals in promoting their influence in conservative
circles. For more on this issue, see articles by <a href="http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/03/grover_norquists_jihad.html" target="_blank">Pamela Geller</a>, <a href="http://www.wnd.com/2011/01/247341/" target="_blank">Brian Fitzpatrick</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CEQQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wnd.com%2Ffiles%2FGaffneyMemo.pdf&ei=fuFiUaqpLY2oqQGJj4FI&usg=AFQjCNFC4iLRfhXjGDjcrcicDasCbArKnQ&sig2=CN6HWkctU2Rj0G1OANxGaA&bvm=bv.44770516,d.aWM" target="_blank">Frank J. Gaffney, Jr</a>., <a href="http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/viewSubCategory.asp?id=1291" target="_blank">discoverthenetworks.org</a>, and <a href="http://michellemalkin.com/2009/01/05/the-gops-grover-norquist-problem/" target="_blank">Michelle Malkin</a>.<br />
<br />
If Grover Norquist and other Republican insider elites give Obama and
the left an amnesty victory, what will be the ultimate outcome for
conservatives? <br />
<br />
In stark political terms, amnesty would
create a large pool of new Democratic voters and make it increasingly
difficult for a Republican to ever be elected president in the future. <br />
<br />
The Democrats understand this and are anxious to get the GOP to
go for amnesty - they know it will benefit them in increasing and
maintaining liberal power in America. <br />
<br />
Conservative columnist Ann Coulter understands the stakes. In a recent column titled, "<a href="http://www.humanevents.com/2013/01/30/coulter-rubios-amnesty-a-path-to-oblivion-for-gop/" target="_blank">Rubio's Amnesty: A Path to Oblivion for the GOP</a>," she says:<br />
<br />
<i>"Strangely, some Republicans seem determined to create more Democratic
voters, too. That will be the primary result of Sen. Marco Rubio’s
amnesty plan."</i><br />
<br />
Later in the essay, she lays out the political reality of amnesty:<br />
<br />
<i>"...With Hispanics on track to become the largest ethnic group in
California this year, the state that gave us Richard Nixon and Ronald
Reagan is incapable of electing any Republican statewide anymore. Taxes
keep going up, and there’s no one left to pay the bill.
</i><br />
<br />
<i>That will be our entire country if Republicans fall for Rubio’s phony
“Enforcement First!” plan. Perplexingly, some Republicans seem
determined to turn the whole nation into California, in the foolish hope
of winning one last election."</i><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">Given this reality, it is hard
to understand why many Republican insiders are pushing so hard for
amnesty.</span> <br />
<br />
Amnesty is not a conservative position and an amnesty would
do serious damage to the conservative movement. D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-21242614504173222242013-05-02T09:22:00.000-06:002013-05-02T09:26:29.846-06:00Did Utah State Senator Luz Robles Receive Free Travel to and From Mexico?<br />
Did Luz Robles receive free travel to and from Mexico while serving as the Director of the Utah Office of Ethnic Affairs?<br />
<br />
The quote below is from <a href="http://immigrationutah.blogspot.com/2012/09/who-paid-for-luz-robles-ccime-mexico.html">a previous post</a> on this issue: <br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><i>"It appears, therefore, that Luz Robles was likely reimbursed for her travel to Mexico City to serve the Mexican government at a time in which she served as an appointed official of the Utah state government."</i></span><br />
<br />
More information has been found that supports the above point. <br />
<br />
From an article by Carlos Gonzales Gutierrez ("The Institute of Mexicans Abroad"), we are told:<br />
<br />
<i>"The IME Consultative Council is made up of 128 consejeros or council members. The council members are independent community leaders who reside either in the United States or in Canada and are elected by the communities they represent. The position of </i>consejero<i> is unsalaried; <span style="background-color: yellow;">the government of Mexico covers only their travel expenses to two plenary sessions every year.</span> They serve for a term of three years; reelection is not permitted."</i><br />
<br />
Recall that these are conferences where the President of Mexico is frequently present - as well as other high level Mexican officials. <br />
<br />
The complete source for the above quote is:<br />
<br />
Carlos Gonzales Gutierrez, 2009, “The Institute of Mexicans Abroad” in Dovelyn Rannveig Agunias, ed., <i>Closing the Distance: How Governments Strengthen Ties with Their Diasporas</i>, Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute, pp. 87-98. (the citation above is on p.89)D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-46896526198573706692013-05-01T23:13:00.000-06:002013-05-01T23:28:37.055-06:00Senator Hatch Preaches Amnesty!<br />
Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, according to a recent <i><a href="http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/56230038-90/hatch-immigration-bill-reform.html.csp" target="_blank">Salt Lake Tribune</a></i> article, holds the following position on the Gang of Eight amnesty bill: <br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i>"Sen. Orrin Hatch says now is the time to reform the immigration
system for the economy, for his Mormon faith and for the people here
illegally."</i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
Hatch is not yet ready to endorse the Gang of Eight bill, but is planning to make some "tweaks" to it. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
While amnesty clearly would benefit illegal aliens, Hatch's support
for immigration reform for the "economy" and for his "Mormon faith" are
especially curious.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
Since Hatch sees his Mormon faith as central, it would seem a
foregone conclusion that he had discussed it with LDS leaders. But, we
have this astonishing admission:</div>
<div>
</div>
<i>"The senator said LDS officials haven’t talked to him about the proposal but "they know I know how they feel." </i><br />
<br />
Is Hatch saying that he should subordinate his position to whatever he thinks the LDS Church's view is? <br />
<br />
Most Utahns would find that problematic - especially non-LDS
citizens. The LDS position, as that of any large and important
institution in the state, ought to be carefully considered as part of a
larger social dialogue.<br />
<br />
However, it is doubtful that Hatch is merely
adopting what he claims is the LDS position.<br />
<br />
Why then is Hatch bringing
his "Mormon faith" into the discussion?<br />
<br />
This brings us to the economy. The <i>Tribune</i> article also cites Arturo Morales-Llan, a voice for immigration sanity:<br />
<br />
<i><span style="background-color: yellow;">"He [Morales-Llan] said in a rough economy Washington should be
looking out for U.S. citizens</span>, not illegal immigrants, and he said the
nation should not take actions to legalize anyone until the border is
locked down and employers are checking the immigration status of each
worker." </i><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">Is Hatch's appeal to his "Mormon faith" meant to divert attention and criticism away from what the <i>Tribune</i>
calls Hatch's "work on business-friendly portions" of the Gang of Eight
monstrosity?</span><br />
<br />
Morales-Llan is right. Washington should be "looking
out for U.S. citizens, not illegal immigrants." <br />
<br />
Amnesty and other
components of this bill do not do this. <br />
<br />
Another odd issue presents itself in this article:<br />
<br />
<i>"He
[Hatch] believes some of the opponents in his party and some of the
supporters among Democrats are motivated by electoral politics. Obama
received 71 percent of the Latino vote in 2012 and many expect newly
minted citizens to follow a similar pattern."</i><br />
<br />
What is Hatch's response to the fact that most amnestied Latinos will ultimately vote Democratic? Hatch says: <br />
<br />
<i>"There’s
no doubt most of them will," Hatch said "Republicans have a job ahead
of us to try to win them over, but I think we are up to the challenge."</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><span style="background-color: yellow;">Hatch and other Republicans seem to be following an electoral
suicide pact to curry the favor of the cheap-labor interests influencing
the Gang of Eight bill: amnesty now - figure out how to make them
Republicans later and hope the Republican Party is not destroyed in the
process.</span><i><span style="background-color: yellow;"> </span><br />
<br />
</i>If Hatch and others who support the Gang of Eight bill are truly
serving the national interest, and not the more narrow interests of the
cheap-labor lobby and others, they would reject the bill. <i> </i>D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-75364669202340862652013-03-28T15:43:00.000-06:002013-03-28T15:43:05.486-06:00More on the "Call Them Racist" Strategy - The Amnesty Movement Gets Nasty:<br />
Former
Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff recently joined the board of the
National Immigration Forum (NIF) - a leftist organization pushing for
amnesty. In fact, the forum is one of the key organizations in the
current amnesty-push. It was also a central partner in the <a href="http://immigrationutah.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-covert-operation-behind-utah-compact.html" target="_blank">shadowy Utah Compact operation</a> that led to Utah's state amnesty bill, HB116. <br />
<br />Ali Noorani is the Executive Director of the organization.<br /><br />In July of 2009, Mr. Noorani outlined <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNl4eURs8lI" target="_blank">a three part strategy</a> to push for amnesty that consists of: <br />
<br />- Mobilize the base<br />
<br />
- Persuade the middle<br />
<br />
- Marginalize the opposition<br /><br />Regarding the third of these areas, Mr. Noorani included this as an acceptable tactic: <br /><br /><i>"<span style="background-color: yellow;">How do we make sure that the opposition
is seen as driven by racist elements?"<span style="background-color: white;"><span><br /></span></span></span></i><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span>How this strategy may be related to the shadowy Utah Compact operation is described in <a href="http://immigrationutah.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-utah-compact-and-nifs-question-how.html" target="_blank">a recent post</a> on this blog.<br />
<br />The astonishing idea that opponents to amnesty should be labelled racists is not a fluke. <br /><br />Further evidence of this strategy comes from <a href="https://www.numbersusa.com/content/action/business-immigration-lobby-tips-hand-private-washington-meeting.html" target="_blank">a secret amnesty strategy session</a> held just a few weeks prior to the July 9, 2009 speech by Mr. Noorani. <br />
<br />This is how NumbersUSA's Jim Robb described the setting:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span><br /></span></span></span><i>"The setting? The Marriott convention hotel in the fashionable Dupont
Circle district of Washington, D.C. Date? June 15, 2009. Participants? A
coalition of big-business oriented, pro-Open Borders dedicated groups,
corporations, and lobbyists. Organizer? Tamar Jacoby and her
newly-formed ImmigrationWorksUSA lobbying group.
</i><i>
</i><br />
<i>
<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: yellow;">The doors were closed. Reporters and members of the public barred</span>.
Confidence that their words were private and their plans secret loosened
the tongues of most speakers. Embarrassing admissions were made.
Several preposterous claims were forwarded. Numerous shameful methods
and motivations admitted to"</i><br />
<br />
An attorney who attended took detailed notes, which NumbersUSA published along with some commentary by Jim Robb. <br />
<br />
The notes include a section for Ali Noorani of the National Immigration Forum, which attributes to him the following:<br />
<br /><i>"We need 279 votes and that means we need Republicans. New immigrant
voters affected 20-25 house races where voted pro-immigration. Talks
about 20% are with us, 60 % are undecided or inactive, and 20% are
against us. We need to work on those 60%. <span style="background-color: yellow;">We will handle the 20% against
by marginalizing them. CIS and NumbersUSA are funded by racists—so we
constantly make them deal with that question, that they are funded by
racists. Now the 60% we need to convince that CIR is in their best
interests."</span></i><br />
<br />
It is not completely clear who Mr. Noorani
is referring to here - whether he means Americans in general or those
serving in Congress. But from the context of the other statements, it
seems he had Congress in mind.<br /><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">The strategy, when applied to Congress, is to marginalize the 20% in Congress who oppose amnesty from the start. </span><br /><br />
How will that 20% be marginalized? <br /><br />Part of the strategy outlined by Mr. Noorani, Mark Shurtleff's
good friend and ally, appears to be to run around Congress tainting two
of the largest and best respected anti-amnesty groups (CIS and NumbersUSA) with "racism" so that those in Congress who use information
from these groups will be on the defensive and not be listened to by
those in the middle 60%.<br />
<br />
Two other participants in this secret strategy conference are worth noting.<br /><br />One is Craig Regelbrugge of the American Nursery & Landscape Association. Mr. Regelbrugge is listed as a National Immigration Forum board member on the <a href="http://www.immigrationforum.org/images/uploads/2010/ForumImpactReport09.pdf">2009 Impact Report</a> of that organization. <br /><br />
The other is Grover Norquist. <br /><br /><br /><b><u>Was the "racism" smear used in Utah?:</u> </b><br />
<br />Read the following, which is the first paragraph of a <a href="http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50897411-76/tanton-fair-immigration-bill.html.csp" target="_blank"><i>Salt Lake Tribune</i> story</a> from December 2010 about Rep. Sandstrom's immigration enforcement bill:<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>"The legal affiliate of a designated "hate group" provided assistance for
Rep. Stephen Sandstrom's enforcement-only Arizona-style immigration
bill — a partnership that has raised a red flag for those who see the
measure as racist."</i><br />
<br />
The story appeared just weeks before the bill was to be considered by the Utah legislature. <br />
<br />
I
do not wish to leave the impression that David Montero, the author of
the story, was colluding with anyone to write this story and I cannot
say that Mr. Montero's article was meant to smear Rep. Sandstrom as part
of any pre-conceived plan.<br />
<br />
Even so, it is a harsh story that seems designed to drive support
away from the bill through a similar mechanism as the tactic described
by Ali Noorani of the National Immigration Forum. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Fast-forward to the current amnesty push:</u></b><br />
<br />The "call them racist" strategy has mutated. <br />
<br />
It has become the "they're not really conservatives and they're trying to sneak in a radical philosophy" strategy.<br />
<br />
From the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/effort-to-change-immigration-law-sparks-internal-battle-within-gop/2013/02/13/2916d164-740a-11e2-aa12-e6cf1d31106b_print.html" target="_blank"><i>Washington Post</i> (2/13/13)</a>: <br />
<br />
<i>"A new battle has flared inside the Republican Party in recent days as
supporters of more-liberal immigration laws wage <span style="background-color: yellow;">a behind-the-scenes
campaign to discredit the influential advocacy groups</span> that have long
powered the GOP’s hard-line stance on the issue."</i><br />
<br />
Notice that the strategy is not to engage the arguments of those who oppose amnesty, but to "discredit" them.<br />
<br />
Sound familiar? <br />
<br />
Replacing "racism" with other ways to discredit has led some Republican heavy hitters to use the following: <br />
<br /><i>"Now, Republicans pushing the party to rethink its approach to the issue are accusing those groups — <a href="https://www.numbersusa.com/content/" target="_blank">Numbers USA</a>, the <a href="http://www.cis.org/" target="_blank">Center for Immigration Studies</a> (CIS), and the <a href="http://www.fairus.org/home" target="_blank">Federation for American Immigration Reform</a>
(FAIR) — of masquerading as conservative. Critics say the groups and
some of their supporters are pressing an unorthodox agenda of strict
population control that also has included backing for abortion,
sterilization and other policies at odds with conservative ideology.</i>"<br />
<br />
From the <i>Washington Post</i>
article, it is difficult to determine what role, if any, is being
played by Grover Norquist in this operation , but the following is
suggestive:<br />
<br /><i>"Another testy moment occurred recently at the weekly conservative
strategy session hosted by Norquist when Lopez stood to present his
arguments. <a href="http://www.heritage.org/about/staff/v/hans-von-spakovsky" target="_blank">Hans von Spakovsky</a>,
a former Justice Department official in the George W. Bush
administration who now works at the conservative Heritage Foundation,
spoke up to defend the credibility of the Center for Immigration
Studies.</i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="background-color: yellow;">“I haven’t heard folks take on the substantive arguments
CIS is making and saying why they’re wrong,</span>” said von Spakovsky, who
declined to discuss details of what happened in the off-the-record
meeting. <span style="background-color: yellow;">“Instead you just get these scurrilous attacks.”</span></i><br />
<br />
The
movement for amnesty in 2009 was promoting a smear strategy and it
appears that the amnesty movement of 2013 is willing to smear as
well. <br />
<br />
The beginning point of the smear was a recently published article in the <i>Human Life Review</i>, in which Mr. Lopez, mentioned above, smeared the anti-amnesty groups. This was one <i>National Review</i> commentator's reaction:<br />
<br />
<i>"The HLR article concludes, “Organizations that would limit
population growth through abortion, drugs, sterilization, and other
methods are pursuing a radical anti-life agenda that undermines our
country, freedom, prosperity, and morality” and calls for pro-lifers to
denounce CIS and other groups. <span style="background-color: yellow;">It presents zero evidence that CIS has
promoted any of the methods mentioned."</span></i><br />
<br />
Additional suggestive information about the potential connection between Grover Norquist and the smear is that <a href="http://hispanicleadershipfund.org/about/advisory-board/" target="_blank">Mr. Norquist sits on the board of the group</a> that <a href="http://hispanicleadershipfund.org/about/executive-committee/" target="_blank">Mr. Lopez represents</a>. The quote below is from a response to the attack by Mark Krikorian, who is the <a href="http://cis.org/Staff-List" target="_blank">Executive Director</a> of the Center for Immigration Studies:<br />
<br />
<i>"Both the SPLC and the current smear campaign started with the
publication of a report that served as the focal point for other groups.
The SPLC published a report designating FAIR a “hate group” (as it did
later with the Family Research Council), just as Human Life Review published the above-mentioned article, written by one <span style="background-color: yellow;">Mario Lopez of the Hispanic Leadership Fund (whose <a href="http://hispanicleadershipfund.org/about/advisory-board/" target="_blank">board</a> includes
Norquist,</span> Chavez, Cardenas, the governor of Puerto Rico, former senator
Mel Martinez, and others). Other organizations then pointed to the
reports in follow-up op-eds, press releases, panel discussions, and
closed-door meetings. The SPLC report was key to the National Council of
La Raza’s “We Can Stop the Hate” campaign and to the establishment of
America’s Voice as a “war room” for the open-borders Left. <span style="background-color: yellow;">The Human Life Review
article has served the same purpose at Norquist’s Wednesday Meeting and
for presentations by Alfonso Aguilar of the Latino Partnership for
Conservative Principles."</span></i><br />
<br />
Notice how the strategy
works: a key article or item is placed in the media and then follow-up
commentary and reports build on it as the information begins to permeate
into the public sphere.<b><u> </u></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Is Grover Norquist one of the driving forces behind this strategy?</u></b><br />
<br />That is not an easy question to answer. But other signals regarding Mr. Norquist are not reassuring. For example, his <a href="http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/Articles/ATroublingInfluenceGaffney.html" target="_blank">connections to Islamists</a> is troubling - as is the fact that Pamela Geller, a well-known writer on the dangers of Islamism, <a href="http://www.wnd.com/2013/03/jihad-accommodating-cpac/" target="_blank">was kept out of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this year</a> and the <a href="http://www.wnd.com/2013/03/another-islam-critic-snubbed-by-cpac/" target="_blank">conditions placed on Robert Spencer</a>
(not to criticize Norquist and another American Conservative Union
board member for their Islamist ties) that led him to not appear this
year to accept an award for his blog, <a href="http://jihadwatch.org/" target="_blank">jihadwatch.org</a>, is also concerning. CPAC is a project of the American Conservative Union - on whose board sits Grover Norquist. <br />
<br />
Mr. Norquist also participated in a <a href="http://www.wnd.com/2011/10/355445/" target="_blank">conference in 2011</a>
sponsored by the Arab American Institute - a conference where Ali
Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, also
participated. Mr. Noorani was part of a workshop about defeating "hate"
legislation. From the <a href="http://aaiusa.org/pages/nlc-2011-full-schedule" target="_blank">conference schedule</a>:<br />
<br /><i><b>"Defeating Hate Legislation: From Arizona Copycats to Sharia</b></i><br />
<i><b> </b>
</i><br />
<i>In this workshop we will discuss the rampant emergence of hate
legislation, including the Arizona copycat laws and Sharia bans now in
nearly two dozen states across the country. We will examine why it is
important for the Arab American community to be an integral partner and
voice in the campaigns against these dangerous initiatives."</i><br />
<br />
Mr. Noorani's organization also had Mr. Norquist participate in the October 2012 pro-amnesty conference: "<a href="http://forgingconsensus.org/pages/-/midwest-summit-october-12-2012" target="_blank">Midwest Summit: Forging a New Consensus on Immigrants and America.</a>"<br />
<br />
Mr. Norquist was the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=a2FwPKze5Do" target="_blank">featured keynote speaker</a> and was introduced by Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. <br />
<br />
Apparently, he did a good enough job to be invited back this past February to speak at the <a href="http://www.statesman.com/news/news/national-govt-politics/conservatives-at-austin-summit-push-bibles-badges-/nWN26/" target="_blank">Texas Summit</a>
of the "Bibles, Badges and Business" amnesty campaign (the National
Immigration Forum's latest name for its amnesty push). A video of his
somewhat rambling and disjointed speech is available at: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HjCW465HlQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr></wbr>v=0HjCW465HlQ</a><br />
<br />
Indeed, the National Immigration Forum must really like Mr. Norquist as they posted another short <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrl1ybe2IjI&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">video interview</a> with him just a few days ago on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BBBimmigration/timeline?filter=1" target="_blank">facebook page</a>.<br />
<br />
All this points to a good working relationship between the National Immigration Forum and Mr. Norquist. <br />
But, going back to the February Texas speech for a moment: <br />
<br />
In the video of his Texas speech, Mr. Norquist points to those he
thinks halted immigration reform over the years. He begins by pointing
to labor unions. At about 9:00 in the video, he makes the following
statements:<br />
<br /><i><span style="background-color: yellow;">"...the
zero-population growth people, the guys who just don't like people at
all, the population control folks, these are the guys who all live on
the left, who set up some organizations, front groups, pretending to be
on the right</span>. But we're gonna need to have a united center-right
to come up with reasonable pro-immigration policy because the heart and
soul of the modern left is hostile to that."</i><br />
<br />
It seems that this reference is to the smear initiated by the <i>Human Life Review</i>
article. It has the same elements: population control people who don't
want immigration and who set up front groups to masquerade as
conservative groups. We only have two choices here. <br />
<br />This may have nothing to do with the smear strategy being employed -
but it was Ali Noorani of the NIF, after all, who brought up the idea
of smearing opponents on at least two different occasions in 2009 - one
of which Mr. Norquist was present for.<br />
<br />
So, I will leave it an open question as to whether or not Mr.
Noorani or Mr. Norquist is part of a smear campaign against the
principal organizations which believe that amnesty would not be good for
the United States.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>The many perspectives of those opposed to amnesty</u><u>:</u></b><br /><br />The strategy of smearing those who want immigration enforcement goes back a few years now. <br />
<br />
The
latest expression of it is to target, yet again, those groups which
provide good information about immigration issues to both Congress and
the public. This time with a new line of attack: that they are only
front groups for a message inimical to conservative political
philosophy.<br />
<br />
The immigration issue itself cannot be said to be either a
left or right one, but crosses all types of political boundaries and
pulls concerned citizens into alliances to work for the best interests
of the nation as a whole.<br />
<br />
For example, in <a href="http://www.cis.org/edwards/can-you-use-saul-alinskys-radical-tactics-and-also-be-conservative" target="_blank">another response</a> to the smear, James R. Edwards, Jr., of the Center for Immigration Studies, had this to say:<i> </i><br />
<br />
<i>"As it happens, immigration is one of those issues on which
individuals from all political persuasions and walks of life find
themselves allied with people with whom they may not agree on much else.</i><br />
<br />
<i>The immigration control movement draws supporters motivated by fiscal
concerns, economic concerns, environmental concerns, cultural concerns,
security concerns, patriotic concerns, population concerns, and
religious concerns, to name a few. Hence, one can marshal an argument
and interpret the facts from all of these perspectives."</i><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">The
problem with the current smear tactics is that the goal is to ensure
that these diverse perspectives are not heard from, not considered, and
are kept out of the public debate so as to produce a pro-amnesty
consensus by working to make sure that those who raise objections are
marginalized. </span><br />
<br />
If immigration policies are to be created that serve the national
interest, and not the more narrow interests of advocacy groups, then
these voices, indeed the voice of the American people, need to be
heard. D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2798399904292487437.post-76341921200255218812013-03-23T22:24:00.001-06:002013-03-23T22:24:39.920-06:00Utah Compact Problem Points: <br />
1.
The Utah Compact was created by a group of people who were already in
agreement, for the most part, on how to address illegal immigration
issues. The general public and those holding opposing views were not
heard from in its creation. Therefore, it is one-sided in its approach
to illegal immigration, but attempts to mask that fact by pointing to
the diverse areas of public life it's creators represent.<br /><br />
2. The Utah Compact uses manipulative language and text
structure in an attempt to bring the reader into agreement with it and
buy into amnesty.<br />
<br />3. The actual workings of the group that created the Utah
Compact are shrouded in mystery - as if the public had no right to have a
clear statement about the process, who was involved, and whether or not
any outside group, such as the left-wing pro-amnesty National
Immigration Forum, was pushing the process to achieve a political agenda
that most Utahns might object to.<br />
<br />4. The Utah Compact was designed to be a way to sell the idea
of amnesty to conservatives. It is part of a national campaign to lead to amnesty. Part of the campaign is to create a
"conservative" face for amnesty and draw in conservative supporters that
the left-wing amnesty and cheap-labor groups know are necessary to achieve a
national amnesty. <br />
<br />5.
The Utah Compact embodies a concept of the rule of law that
stands it on its head. It attempts to place the perceived needs of those who
should not be in the United States above the law by implying that the
law, when it comes to illegal immigrants, should be ignored and illegal
immigrants accommodated. The Compact promotes no mechanism for assisting the
federal government in discouraging increased numbers of illegal
immigrants from moving to Utah in the future - who, according to the
Compact, should be welcomed. <br />
<br />6. The Utah Compact has been used to work against enforcement
legislation and played a role in the recall election that removed
Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce from office. The support for the
Compact by the LDS Church has been used by amnesty proponents in a manipulative
way to create a "no-win" trap for LDS politicians to either support
amnesty or be seen as going against the Church. This "trap" leads to an unacceptable religious-test for public service. <br />
<br />7. The Utah Compact sets up a false "no-win" choice for people
who want to enforce our immigration laws. Either you are for the Utah
Compact and its set of values in addressing illegal immigration or you
are outside of the realm of responsible options and are, therefore, an
extremist. This is a ploy to limit the debate, not enlighten it. By
screening out everything that isn't part of the Utah Compact's model for
addressing illegal immigration, the debate becomes limited, simplistic,
and directed towards the specific policy agendas of those who created
the Compact. Such reductionism cannot adequately deal with the
complexity of the immigration issue. <br />
<br />8. The Utah Compact falsely implies that states have no role in
immigration enforcement. In the face of federal inaction in enforcing
our very reasonable immigration laws, states do have room to work to
restore integrity to our immigration laws.<br />
<br />9. One goal of the Utah Compact is to provide political cover
so that reluctant legislators/politicians can be pulled toward
supporting amnesty.<br /><br />10. The Utah Compact was the end point of one deceptive process
(creating the Utah Compact) and part of another (creating and passing
HB116).<br /><br />11.
Those behind and promoting the Utah Compact may have ulterior motives
for pushing it, yet it is sold as a
collection of noble principles. These motives may include financial
interests, promoting cheap-labor flows into Utah, and leftist political
power goals.<br /><br />12. The uses to which the Utah Compact has been put and the types of laws
created are indicators of the purpose for which it was created. <br /><br />13. The Utah Compact makes no distinction between legal and illegal immigrants.<br />
<br />14. The Utah Compact was signed and subsequently celebrated on
Veterans Day - subtly implying, although perhaps not intentionally, that
the call to legalize illegal immigrants is more significant to the Utah
Compact backers than honoring the nation's veterans.<br />
<br />15. The Utah Compact implies that a humane approach to illegal
immigration means ignore the law and grant amnesty. Welcoming the
"stranger," however, does not mean accepting illegal immigration.
Christian charity should be granted to those in need, but such charity
does not mandate ignoring immigration laws. <br />
<br />16.
The National Immigration Forum (NIF) was a central force in the
creation of the Utah Compact. The NIF finds its home among leftist
amnesty groups that are funded to a large extent by left-wing sources. The Utah Compact
is part of a national amnesty campaign to benefit the leftist amnesty
movement and their cheap-labor allies. The NIF's ties to radical
leftist organizations cannot be ignored. <br />
<br />17. The Utah Compact mixes general principles with statements
indicating specific policies. This mix is unjustified if the Utah
Compact intends to be a guide to an open and free discussion about how
to respond to illegal immigration. By incorporating specific policy
guidelines into itself, the Utah Compact lays bare that it is a document
in service of a particular approach to illegal immigration
and that the principles are window dressing to sell the policy points
of the Compact. D. Robbinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396414086328429264noreply@blogger.com0