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New York Invites Terror
Newsmax.com ^ | July 18th, 2005 | Steve Mahlzberg

Posted on 07/23/2005 10:50:58 PM PDT by Cougar66

New York Invites Terror Steve Malzberg Monday, July 18, 2005 New York, New York, so nice they had to name it twice. New York, New York, victim of the single largest act of terror ever carried out against the United States on our own soil. New York, New York, where the constant cry since those 9/11 attacks has been over the way anti-terror funds are allocated by the federal government. New York, New York, their politicians say, was and still remains the number one target of terrorists around the world and should be granted funding accordingly.

Yet New York, New York, its City Council and its mayor, Michael Bloomberg, continue to make it easier and easier for terrorists to slink around their fair city and possibly do it harm. You may not have heard much about this, but on June 23 the New York City Council passed a bill banning the questioning of applicants for street vending licenses about their immigration status. The vote was an unbelievable 42-8. And then on July 11, just days after the London bombings, Mayor Bloomberg put his signature to the legislation, which put an end to a legal procedure that had been in place since the late 1930s. Under the law that this new bill erases, applicants for street vending licenses had to show the Department of Consumer Affairs documentation of citizenship, or valid immigration or working status before obtaining their licenses.

Yes, the margin of the City Council vote was veto proof, but a veto would have at least put Bloomberg on record as having opposed this obscene loosening of the rules regarding illegals.

What makes this even worse is that the bill was introduced by City Councilman Charles Barron. Barron is a former Black Panther and says he's proud of that fact. He is considered by many to be the most radical leftist in that legislative body, and has long been at odds with Mayor Bloomberg over most city issues. But at the signing ceremony at New York's City Hall, the pair had nothing but praise for each other.

There's more. The Acting Consumer Affairs Commissioner of New York is quoted as thanking Barron for "relieving us of this last vestige of citizenship status checks in the laws" that his agency is responsible for carrying out. Barron's next bill now pending would get rid of other safeguards on perspective street vendors such as fingerprinting.

At this point I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not assuming that all or most of New York's street vendors are illegal immigrants. I am not claiming that all or most of the illegal aliens in New York are or would ever consider becoming terrorists. But making it harder to find the one, two, three or four who might is simply foolish. No, it's suicidal.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Mayor Bloomberg has caved to the pressure of political correctness, nor is he the first New York City mayor to do so.

In 1989 Mayor Ed Koch signed Executive Order 124. It prohibited city employees from inquiring about a person's immigration status and from transmitting that information to federal authorities such as INS. For the sake of clarity, "city employees" include police.

The twisted logic behind this order appears to be that if you allow city workers to rat out illegals, then the illegals will be frightened away from using vital city services, which will make the entire city less safe. They won't go to the police for help, to city hospitals for health care, and won't send their kids to public schools.

Whether the logic is sound or not is, in my view, beside the point. You don't pass laws or sign executive orders that permit law breakers to get away with breaking the law. Back in 1989 Koch's order was bad enough. But who would believe that even in the aftermath of 9/11, "America's Mayor" Rudy Giuliani would refuse to rescind or in any way tamper with Executive Order 124.

It's true. It defies logic, but it's true. In fact Rudy fought a 1996 law passed by Congress that in effect rendered 124 null and void.

Enter Mayor Bloomberg, who on May 13, 2003, issued Executive Order 34, which mended, not ended, Koch's order. It prohibited city employees from asking about immigration status, but allowed them to report illegals to the Department of Homeland Security under certain circumstances. But that didn't sit well with so-called "immigrant advocacy" groups and various elected officials, some of whom took to the streets in protest.

So Mayor Bloomberg mended his own order with a new one, signed on September 17, 2003. Under this latest one, there are very specific circumstances which would allow a city worker to disclose illegal status.

The illegal would have to be suspected of engaging in illegal activity other than mere status as an "undocumented alien." Or dissemination of the illegal's status would have to be considered necessary to apprehend a person suspected of engaging in such illegal activity. Or finally, such disclosure would need to be deemed necessary in furtherance of an investigation of potential terrorist activity.

Can you believe it? Bloomberg's latest order actually mentions the word "terror" and explores the possibility of "an investigation of potential terrorist activity." New York, New York, it's a hell of a town.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: New York; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: mahlzberg; nyc
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To: Cougar66
"...so-called "immigrant advocacy" groups..."

Just a great line deserving its own post!

21 posted on 07/24/2005 12:07:43 AM PDT by endthematrix ("an ominous vacancy"...I mean, JOHN ROBERTS now fills this space!)
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To: durasell
One novel, to the best of my recollection.

Rave reviews, poor sales.

22 posted on 07/24/2005 12:17:08 AM PDT by Do not dub me shapka broham
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To: Cougar66

Bloomberg was a democrat who switched to run for mayor


23 posted on 07/24/2005 12:21:10 AM PDT by Citizen Soldier
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To: Citizen Soldier
Bloomberg was a democrat who switched to run for mayor

Right. The fact he governs the city like a liberal shouldn't surprise anyone.

24 posted on 07/24/2005 12:27:33 AM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (Liberalism is a form of insanity)
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To: Cougar66
What is desperately needed is conservative direction & new leadership, not the current insanity.
25 posted on 07/24/2005 12:29:21 AM PDT by M. Espinola (Freedom is not free)
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To: Citizen Soldier; Tabi Katz; NYCGOPMAN; firebrand; rmlew
He's still a Democrat, in my opinion.

He just conceals it more artfully nowadays.

26 posted on 07/24/2005 12:30:01 AM PDT by Do not dub me shapka broham
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To: Cougar66
It's even worse in LA. The mayor is a pro-communist MEChista, dedicated to turning the Southwest into "Aztlan."

"Mayor MEChA:"

Read about how a pro-communist, ultra radical "MEChista" named Tony Villar cut his hair, changed his name, put on a tie, and became the mayor of America's second largest city.

27 posted on 07/24/2005 12:46:13 AM PDT by Travis McGee (--- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com ---)
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To: Do not dub me shapka broham
This is blatant. Executive Order 41
28 posted on 07/24/2005 12:52:14 AM PDT by dervish (freedom is a long distance race)
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To: Travis McGee

good grief, this country has alot of ummmm "ignorant people" in it.


29 posted on 07/24/2005 1:12:02 AM PDT by Cougar66 (If Sonny had EZ Pass, "The Godfather" would have been a completely different movie)
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To: Travis McGee

Wow. I hadn't realized he led a shady past, but it doesn't surprise me.


30 posted on 07/24/2005 1:12:50 AM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (Liberalism is a form of insanity)
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To: dervish
This legislation is sick, NYC counclimen are morons, and Bloomberg is a dilettante pretending to be Republican. I would rather vote for Al Sharpton.

If the Republican Party had any core principles (other than grabbing money, power and reelection) it would throw Bloomberg out of the party on his ass.

But it doesn't, so it won't.

31 posted on 07/24/2005 1:15:31 AM PDT by Hank Rearden (Never allow anyone who could only get a government job attempt to tell you how to run your life.)
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To: dervish

Its simple. They vote.


32 posted on 07/24/2005 1:23:08 AM PDT by I_dmc
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To: Cougar66; neverdem; Do not dub me shapka broham; dervish; Cacique; Calpernia; Octar; ...
The official Republican Party has spent so much effort shutting out the grassroots--who are not Rockefeller Republicans but true Republicans--that it is now forced into a situation where it is not only challenging the signatures of the true Republican contender from Queens (Ognibene) but challenging the Queens district leaders who have supported Ognibene as well. Challenging its own district leaders!

Take a good look at yourselves, guys. And I do mean guys. Even with Bloomberg's money falling like snow, we can still see the picture.

33 posted on 07/24/2005 10:54:53 AM PDT by firebrand
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To: Octar

And we have perennial candidate, founder of the Young Lords street gang, and convicted murderer Felipe Luciano running for Council in the 8th District. There seems to be no bottom to this barrel of clowns.


34 posted on 07/24/2005 11:13:35 AM PDT by firebrand
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To: firebrand
The dork who used to be a correspondent for Good Day New York?

Does he actually have a chance of being nominated?

35 posted on 07/24/2005 11:37:30 AM PDT by Do not dub me shapka broham
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To: Do not dub me shapka broham
He's running against Eddie Baca, Nelson Denis, Joyce Johnson, Edwin Marcial, John Ruiz, Melissa Mark Viverito, and Gwen Goodwin. The GOP doesn't have a candidate in that district, so I'm guessing these are all Dems (the Board of Elections has helpfully omitted party affiliation in their latest list). It's a mostly Latino district, but Phil Reed is the term-limited councilmember.

Your guess is as good as mine. He never seems to go away.

36 posted on 07/24/2005 11:46:39 AM PDT by firebrand
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To: Do not dub me shapka broham

Isn't he on WWRL?


37 posted on 07/24/2005 11:49:06 AM PDT by Tabi Katz
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To: Tabi Katz

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ent_radio/story/325432p-278174c.html


38 posted on 07/24/2005 12:11:43 PM PDT by Do not dub me shapka broham
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To: Do not dub me shapka broham

OOPS! I need to get with the program ;)


39 posted on 07/24/2005 12:39:32 PM PDT by Tabi Katz
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To: Cougar66
Enter Mayor Bloomberg, who on May 13, 2003, issued Executive Order 34, which mended, not ended, Koch's order. It prohibited city employees from asking about immigration status, but allowed them to report illegals to the Department of Homeland Security under certain circumstances. But that didn't sit well with so-called "immigrant advocacy" groups and various elected officials, some of whom took to the streets in protest.

This is insane. Just damn.

40 posted on 07/24/2005 12:43:16 PM PDT by Jackknife (No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.-MacArthur)
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