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
THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.
Thomas Payne 1776
BTW, no one sent an illegal to do my ironing.
I had to tend to it myself.
I'm a peasant. lol
Back for just a bit, jedward, and trying to catch up.
Could not have said it better myself!!!...
So far they are holding their own and are on the side of Inhofe, Sessions, Coburn, Dole. I would bet they are getting enormous pressure. We need to give them support to keep up the good fight. I will call both offices in the morning to tell them to hang tough — think we should all be propping up the people that are fighting this battle and give them kudos.
Never seen Kay Bailey look like that around the President — she was not happy even a little.
And that we elected you to do.
Thanks F15.
You are a little late to the ballgame, we have been discussing this for years right here on FR, I can't tell you how many posters were banned for saying the same things everyone is saying now...
I'll go you one further. I'll give you an example of an *effective vote*. The senators under pressure are (surprise) largely from voter states.
They can go back to their law firms in Jan 09 if they support this legislation.
I like Sen. Bob a great deal. However, SHE is the one who should have run in '96.
I hope she can git 'r done again!
Thank you for sharing the email with us.
If I understand Jude correctly, even Michael showed respect to Satan. Jude 8 In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"
I do not imply that the president is Satan. I am beyond disappointed in him.
Any man who deserts his own friends when they have done nothing wrong has lost his vision.
Thank you for the ping!
It is truly nice to see you. ;o)
And TANKS For Yours,,,It’s A NWO/NAU PUSH For Open Borders,
Fast-Track NAFTA Trans-Texas-NAFTA-Hi-Way/Free-Trade,,,
SELL-OUT !!!...
Thank you!
Si Se Puede...
NOT!
Hey, good to see ya! We have a confirmed (by me) Troll here who is now mocking Freepers.
If I’m wasting their time, why do I have to keep on replying and reexplaining what I was trying to make them understand.
Apparently none want to understand, none want to quit enjoying the continual tear down the White House and run George out of town rhetoric.
Maybe they enjoy those statements and feel comfortable around them.
So, be it. Let them solve the problems, let them continually send the faxes and make the phone calls trying to get the notice of the congress people of their views. Of course how many of them even see the calls or faxes? I would have thought a major conservative website of conservative posters would be a quick check-in place for politicians wanting to see the views of the conservatives but guess not.
I thought she was the one that should have run in 1996 as well and I would have been much more enthusiastic about the 1996 elections.
Why are you still here?
See Post 1230 for a possible explanation of this obsessive interest.
“Any man who deserts his own friends when they have done nothing wrong has lost his vision.”
Amen to that. He’s not only deserted us, he’s insulted and defamed to boot!
Chalk it up to it takes a troll to know one...you out just get the hell off the thread. You’re wasting good FReeper’s donations, mocking FReepers as being clowns, refuse to discuss the topic at hand, and other than that, you’re not really saying anything...you’re simply talking people into circles.
But if you were a representative of the White House what would you think? Huh?
You would read the 1200 posts? No, you would get a feel that this is merely irate rantings seeking to disparage the president and move on out. But, hey, that is what we are - a site to disparage the president 24 hours a day.
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