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
BUMP! .
Well ... with just a quick glance at this thread and I see there’s not much discussion/debate on how the immigration mess can be fixed and improved
Your own chart betrays you. Why were there so few arrests in 2002 and 2003. That is right after 9/11 when we were supposed to be securing the country.
Look, would you be impressed if you had an employee that does absolutely no work but then when he wants a raise he suddenly generates a spurt of work?
1) BUILD THE FENCE
2) DEPORT ALL ILLEGALS
3) FINE / PROSECUTE EMPLOYERS BREAKING THE LAW
4) INCREASE BORDER PATROL
5) CONTINUE LEGAL IMMIGRATION
He’s duck and covering...return fire is apparently too heavy and on target.
We do not need this immigration bill. We need to have the laws that we have enforced. If our government is unwilling or to incompetent to enforced the present laws, they certainly will not enforce news ones.
Let's first build a fence; deport illegal aliens by direct and indirect means; cut off social services to illegals and many will leave voluntarily; increase BP and allow them to protect the border - this might mean getting rid of the Johnny Sutton types and having our troops on the border temporarily; punish employers and others who actively aid in violating our laws.
We absolutely must make it clear that children of visitors or illegal aliens born her do not get citizenship. We must get rid of "anchor baby" loophole - it provides us no benefits.
Thanks for the confirmation, kristinn.
If the government vigorously enforces the law on employers, they will go home without the need for deportation.
It’s that simple. IMO
LOL - more from the "my president, right or wrong" cheerleaders.
If you had read the thread, almost every post contained a solution. In case you missed it, the solutions are to enforce existing laws (i.e. seal the border AND go after employers of illegals HARD).
Don't forget Sheriff's Deputy Gilmer Hernandez.
“The level of passion present is a direct result of the conviction that their representatives aren’t listening to them and have no intention of doing so, and regard the problem as that they aren’t listening to their representatives. That is a very dangerous situation for anyone who depends on re-election for a job.”
Correct. The Trust Bank Accout is ZERO.
Bush’s numbers show that less than half of Republicans
approve, and amazingly low number, given that many people
have simply stopped calling themselves Republican over this issue . ..
“Among all Americans, just 29 percent now approve of his handling of immigration, a career low.”
And they propose a “POS” bill that anyone can tell up front will be a failure at stopping further illegal immigration, because it is designed not to help us but to help solve the ‘problems’ the cheap labor lobby and illegal immigrants have.
And they try to pass it with this secretive closed-door stunt. ...
“Fifth, the Achilles heel of the Axis of Amnesty’s putsch was that the bill had to be posted on the Internet.
The legislation was written in secret. Committee hearings on it were blocked. It was far too long for many busy Senators and their staffers to read.”
http://www.parapundit.com/
The “Kennedy-Bush Axis of Amnesty” is destroying the GOP.
Hey WB,,,True Dat,,,Piggy Roast Time...;0)
There’s a term for what the White House is doing...Fogging...and it’s despicable.
:o)
Not much debate is needed in the short term. Any proposed solution, from amnesty to forced deportation and anything in-between, will fail unless the borders are secured first. That's Fred's position. What's yours?
Recently large demonstrations have taken place
across the country protesting the fact that Congress
is finally addressing the issue of illegal immigration.
Certain people are angry that
the US might protect its own
borders; might make it harder
to sneak into this country and,
once here, to stay indefinitely.
Let me see if I correctly understand
the thinking behind these protests.
Let’s say I break into your house.
Let’s say that when you discover
me in your house, you insist that I leave.
But I say, “I’ve made all
the beds and washed the
dishes and did the laundry
and swept the floors. I’ve
done all the things you don’t
like to do. I’m hard-working
and honest (except for when I broke into your house).
According to the protesters:
You are Required to let me stay in your house
You are Required to add me to your family’s insurance plan
You are Required to Educate my kids
You are Required to Provide other benefits to me & to my family
(my husband will do all of your yard work because
he is also hard-working and honest, except for that
breaking in part).
If you try to call the police or force me out,
I will call my friends who will picket your
house carrying signs that proclaim my
RIGHT to be there.
It’s only fair, after all, because you have
a nicer house than I do, and I’m just
trying to better myself. I’m a hard-working
and honest, person, except for well,
you know, I did break into your house
And what a deal it is for me!!!
I live in your house, contributing only a
fraction of the cost of my keep, and
there is nothing you can do about it
without being accused of cold,
uncaring, selfish, prejudice!, and bigoted behavior.
Oh yeah, I DEMAND that you learn
MY LANGUAGE! so you can communicate with me.
And don’t forget to make sure your forms are in MY language - I need to understand them...
However, if you are interested in what I want: 1. Enforce the existing laws
2. Secure the borders
3. Finish the wall, not just parts of it.
4. Give up this hell bent notion to grant amnesty to law breakers who flood our social service systems and fraud Social Security.
I realize you view me as part of the unwashed, rednecked gun toting nativist crowd. But you sure like my money. In fact, its clear the only voices heard in Washington come simultaneously with the ringing sounds of a cash register. Well, I understand the RNC is a little short of of change lately.
I ceased giving to the Republican Party and if this sham of a bill passes, I will also end my association with it.
The fact he didn’t bother to reply to any of the dozens of posts to him, make me have less faith in the Admin and the Pres.
I am truly impressed the WH bothered to post on this great forum. It says a lot for JimRob and all the hard work FReepers do everyday.
Good Point!
For anyone wondering what WSD is, it’s a term coined by a former freeper that stands for “Whoosh Scream Disease”. The disease attacks the central nervous system of both male and female. WSD causes temporary loss in the ability to stop following someone or some idea. As appropriate, people that suffer from WSD will commonly be found walking in a line towards the edge of a cliff. The victims can hear both the whoosh and the scream of others in front of them, but they are still unable to stop following blindly.
Treatment? Early detection is critical for effective treatment. The best way to treat WSD is to simply stop, wherever you are, look for more information and re-evaluate what your senses are telling you. No matter how long you have to wait, or how many times you have to review more information. When you recognize the danger from the sounds of WSD victims, you have cured yourself of the disease. You can turn and walk in a safer direction at this point.
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