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
STOP ALL OF THE GOVERNMENT HANDOUTS. WELFARE, FOOD STAMPS, FREE MEDICAL, ETC. SHOULD NOT GO TO ILLEGALS!!!!!
If you make life unlivable, they will leave!!!!!
Hey There,,,I’ve never seen that pic,,,TANKS a Bunch...;0)
1) BUILD THE FENCE 2) DEPORT ALL ILLEGALS 3) FINE / PROSECUTE EMPLOYERS BREAKING THE LAW 4) INCREASE BORDER PATROL 5) CONTINUE LEGAL IMMIGRATION 6) ENFORCE EXISTING LAWS
They have to do it now because they see we will no longer put up with it and we will come up with our own laws on the local level.
They don’t want that. They don’t want enforcement.
My rage level is reaching new heights today.
You apparently did not read the whole thing, ICE wasn’t even formed until March of 2003. In reference to the worker, if that “spurt of work” as you call it, lasted over a year and was steadily increasing, yes, I would give them a raise for their effort.
But you aren't fooling anyone, you know all that and you've read Senator Session's take down of your bill. Here's what I want to know: Why are you fools supporting a bill that will make us a permanent minority party?
I come from California. I was a pollwatcher as a kid in the Carter - Ford race, was involved with a lot of assembly and state senate races. Typical volunteer. I watched illegal immigration change California from a swing state to a blue state, both due to stuffing illegals into Dem districts in reapportionment to increase Dem strength and because naturalized hispanics voted Democrat about 2 - 1. (We won't go into the illegal aliens who openly voted and bragged about it on TV, in the mid 90s, after the reporter demonstrated how easy voter fraud was the LA County Registrar tried to prosecute the reporter -- hilarity ensued.)
This margin was due both to overwhelming anti-American propaganda in the Spanish press and because they were poor and wanted taxpayers services. As one told me when I knocked on his door during a precinct walk in 1988 for a Riverside assembly candidate: "No Republicans, Democrats give you more stuff." Lots of middle class flight out of the state further drove our numbers down as folks got fed up and left the state (and, in fairness, suburban white women got very turned off by the GOP for reasons not relevant to this discussion which hurt us further.) And before you bring it up, anybody who tells you 187 is what turned the poor hispanics "against" us is crazy, they never were for us. The court overturning 187 did accelerate the middle class flight that began with the riots in 92.
I left California for Virginia, and I see here in Virginia the same situation developing. The democrats have ALWAYS been the party of the very poor and the very rich, and the GOP has ALWAYS represented the middle class. What, in God's name, makes you think if we import millions of poor people they will vote Republican????? It's a two fold political hit: If you think the Spanish language press or the MSM will give the GOP **ANY** credit for passing this "pander-sty" you are crazy -- AND why would these people vote against their financial interests?
This bill is wrong on policy and wrong politically. Please understand: if this bill passes I personally will never vote or volunteer again. It will be pointless, we will be a tiny minority and we won't matter. I have better things to do with my time then help a party bent on suicide.
bump that!
1) Based on history we all believe you are lying.
2) YOU (the Executive and Legislative Branches) have been derelict in your elected duty to uphold the Constitution. You have turned a blind eye to what amounts to an invasion. The net results has been a non-assimilated sub-culture; Falling wages; reduced health care capabilities (we just read yesterday how some lady died in an Emergency Room crisis because the Emergency Room was overloaded and could not help her in time); failing schools; people coming into this country without necessary vaccinations; etc, and etc.
3) Crack down on illegal immigration for a few years -- really show us that you mean it, and are upholding our nation's sovereignty -- then let's talk. And by all means, if you want to increase the legal immigration limits now (processed through the legal, existing channels and with the existing criteria) - by all means do so. But do it legally - no 'cutting in line'.
Oklahoma just passed the toughest immigration laws of any state. We have two Senators leading the fight against this bill as well. Senator Inhofe has a bill in Judiciary with English Only and enforce the laws we have that is not seeing the light of day even though some grandstanders ask for other bills that would be better. They have one with ENFORCE they refuse to hear authored by Sen Inhofe!
....they're too good at finding a way to screw Americans first.
LOL... Let's see, there are 20 million illegals in the US and the big news today is the arrest of 165. ICE no doubt practically tripped over 10,000 illegals just driving to the plant for the arrests.
With "stepped up enforcement" like this, we might just as well run up the Mexican flag above the White House today.
So why, then, did it take three years for enforcement to improve?
And why did that coincide with Bush wanting shamnesty passed?
Give it up. You ain't fooling anyone parroting the Administration's line here. Their credibility is shot. Don't shoot down yours as well.
Aside from all the other valid and legal reasons for securing our borders and deporting those here illegally, I can’t understand the political aspect of amnesty either. Legalizing 12-20 million illegals, the VAST majority of which will feast on our social services and earned income tax credits, will complete the Democrats vision of socially engineering an unbeatable majority through the tax code and social programs. A Republican won’t be able to win a race for dog catcher if you add 12-20M - and I bet the real number is closer to 35-40M - voters to the Dem rolls. The US will become France faster Henry Waxman can start another witch hunt.
Ever heard of the INS? Geesh...how far will you guys go to be an apologist for this guy?
And if shamnesty is passed, guess what? That law is effectively gelded.
I think JRochelle is right - this is an effort by the DC power structure to head off grassroots, local and state efforts to deal with illegal immigration. If you make them all legal, those laws are worthless. Pretty sickening.
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