Posted on 06/14/2007 11:16:52 AM PDT by kristinn
A spokeman for the Bush administration sent an e-mail to Jim Robinson and myself confirming the authenticity of a post on Free Republic this afternoon regarding the immigration bill currently before the Senate as having been posted on behalf of the White House.
The spokesman, Nicholas Thompson, works for the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives. The Politico reported yesterday that Thompson and Kerrie Rushton, associate directors in the Office of Strategic Initiatives who work under Karl Rove, would be engaging the blogosphere on the immigration bill.
Thompson's post is on the thread titled Penalty Mitigation in the Immigration Reform Bill, a vanity posted by philman_36. Thompson posted at comment #53.
Thompson's e-mail to Free Republic included a brief introduction and the text of his posted comment:
Hi,
I just wanted to let you know that I just posted a response to the post "Penalty Mitigation in the Immigration Reform Bill."
The White House appreciates the opportunity to respond on Free Republic.
Response:
I would like to point out that the Secretary is authorized to reduce or mitigate penalities against employers who in good faith are trying to comply with the law. Certainly, we understand that not all employers knowingly hire illegal immigrants; this will remain the case, especially before the bill’s new secure documentation requirements are fully phased in. We do not seek to wrongly penalize honest employers who unknowingly hire illegal immigrants, therefore we reserve the right to reduce or mitigate their penalties if the employer can show good faith compliance in following the law.
For those employers who do knowingly hire illegal immigrants, please know that we intend to penalize these employers strongly, and the Administration has already stepped up these penalties in the last couple of years. For example, a 2005 program, “Operation Rollback,” assessed $15,000,000 in civil fines to employers, an amount greater than the sum of administrative fines collected in the previous eight years and was the largest worksite enforcement penalty in US history. In the first quarter of FY07, criminal and civil forfeitures have totaled $26,700,000 for employers.
As a reminder of what’s in the bill, fines for hiring an illegal worker are $5,000 maximum per illegal worker for the first offense, $10,000 maximum per illegal worker for the second, $25,000 maximum per illegal worker for the third , and $75,000 maximum per illegal worker for the fourth. In addition, the bill increases the maximum criminal penalty for a pattern or practice of unlawful hiring twenty-five-fold, from $3,000 to $75,000, and would impose a prison term of up to six months. This represents a significant increase in fines for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.
Nicholas Thompson
White House Office of Strategic Initiatives
We elected the man Nic
The definition of "honest" is? ...and who is the "we" that reserves "rights?" When did the American people lose their right for their elected officials to do the will of the people and uphold existing law? The arrogance of the "we (ruling elites)" reserving rights for themselves in human trafficking (smuggling of humans -- slavery) is getting harder to swallow.
That is, sadly, true. I do wonder what would have happened had Kerry been elected....I tend to think little difference, ultimately.
You're still just trying to rationalize a way of breaking the law and not feeling guilty about the damage you're doing if you hire illegal aliens.
I'll bet you're really careful in your business about not accepting counterfeit dollars and you're not relying upon the government to check all those bills for you. Why? Because it damages YOU and your business if you accept a fake bill. But when the damage is done to someone else by you accepting counterfeit ID and other documentation from an illegal alien, then you just don't want to care. Would you like to come down to where I live near the U.S./Mexican border to see the damage the illegal aliens do on their way to meet up with their lawbreaking employers?
Does President Bush have serious health problems? Perhaps a brain tumor, mini-stroke, or other unknown (or known) illness?
It wouldn’t be the first time debilitating medical problems of a sitting President have been hidden from the public. Just askin’.
(Excerpted, my paragraphs)
To: silverleaf
As far as the Bush-bashing goes, it may be getting a little out of hand, but Bush has brought this on himself. It’s not just the questionable judgment with the immigration bill or allowing the hanging of people out to dry (Libby, Border Patrol, US Marines).
I think what has driven many over the edge is the apparent complete contempt with which he now holds the very people who put him in office.
Not only does he ignore the wave of protest from conservatives regarding the amnesty bill, but he derides us in public, saying we don’t want to do what’s right for America and calling Minutemen and their supporters “vigilantes”, all the while cozying up to the very people we put him in office to counter.
That’s a betrayal of the first order. In the same way that a general shouldn’t insult his boss in public, an elected official has no business insulting his boss in public.
Bush’s boss is the portion of the electorate that put him in office.
120 posted on 06/15/2007 4:36:41 PM MDT by fr_freak http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1850848/posts
That's it, I've been betrayed!!
Well said Doug.
You forgot education (include extra costs for bilingual teachers/classes/ESL/Sp.Ed), Automatic welfare, WIC upon having citizen child (as in ‘how will these poor folk pay a fine’, the same way we pay for each yearly delivery in our hospitals... that’s more than the fine, btw), prisons, the closing of hospitals, costs of second language re: documents. The re-emergence of previously eradicated diseases (I mean, who’s checking?, btw, nice job to those who tried to clean up the CDC, WHO and now defunct Border Health Office... I have the cache). (((Takes a breath)))
The fact that Arabic parents in NYC are starting suits in our schools to get language paras... then sep. classes, (they will not be able to find the translators, next a hearing against the BOEd, hence sep. classes... need I tell you what’s next? They have been shown the way... and weaknesses in the system. Side Note... I work with them, you don’t want to know.
Infinitesimal Important Side Note: I also like the total disregard of the terror issue... as well as the stepped up ease of entry passport legislation between Canada, Mexico and the US (Can you say Adnan/McMasters, shutting down schools in Canada? very militant)... as well as the continued push for Mexican trucks crossing our borders (fit more folks and drugs I guess... or a few goodies from the Central or South courtesy Hizballah). But what the hell, if the US can forget about 9-11 and other terror issues and how some of them were here illegal (many still are), it’s perfectly understandable how Mexico wouldn’t give a damn about it’s neighbor or fixing their corrupt gov’t... What a neighbor, you would think they would really look out such they get so much via nanny and GDP there, once the sugar daddy’s gone... game over. Oh... and someone in the WH should check the growth of Islam there.
But nothing to see in that paragraph... move along... baa.
Back to costs:
Case in point. That mayor in Hazelton paid $7,000 for ESL (English as a second language) in 2000, last year it was 870,000; He ran out of OT money for the cops way ahead of year end re: crime, the huge amount of Medicaid reimbursement via fed gov’t is not making a blip on costs for hospital and emergency services.
Never mind the Germans, Polish, Italian, Russian immigrants, the parents insisted on assimilation, especially speaking the language. I know... they’ll say, “But there’s so many of them”; Exactly... and why is that?
The final lament/paragraph (Thank the Lord):
Nevermind the last amnesties... what we were told and what actually happened (or I should say didn’t happen). Don’t you see? This time it will be different Doug; Never mind the extra cost and wait of legal immigrant who do it the right way... we need to make these poor folks legal so employers can pay them a fair wage (my bad, so employers ax them and find illegals to work cheaper). Nevermind the examples of Europe... don’t you want to be like France and pay 60% in taxes? If France can see it and we can’t... with the whole globe and history, this country goes the way of Rome. Sad thing is... you couldn’t think of another country to move to... this is it (for you folks that thought Switzerland or Norway... no dice, read up on what’s going on there).
This Administration’s not pinin’!
They’s passed on!
This Administration is no more!
They’s ceased to be!
They’s expired and gone to meet ‘dar maker!
They’s stiff!
Bereft of life!
If they’d not been makin’ deals wit’ da’ Dems. They’d be pushing up the daisies! ‘
They’s metabolic processes are now ‘istory!
They’s off the twig!
They’s kicked the bucket, shuffled off their mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible!!
THIS IS AN EX-Administration!!
re: Portland.
If they found 550 and detained 150, where are the other 400?
i DON’T KNOW.
There have been RUMORS of a recurrence of drinking bouts.
I have a question for the WH...how are these “POOR” under paid illegal aliens going to pay the fines? They are hard pressed to put food on the table from all the reports I read or is this just another law that will go unenforced?
How much are my local taxes going up to support them?
A: The same way they pay for the numerous labor/delivery/maternity costs yearly... us.
Posting on FR for the White House?
I’m not willing to bash him.
He’s tons better than alternatives.
In any case, we have enough to attend to doing what we CAN do without worrying about what we can’t do.
I’m feeling we need to enlist a 24 hour prayer coverage over FR. Will be prayerfully pondering and seeing how we might make that real . . . say in 15 minute chunks.
It’s not dead.
I believe the poster was referring to the administration as “dead.”
It’s hard for me to imagine a lamer duck than George W. Bush.
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