Posted on 05/03/2013 7:09:19 AM PDT by AuntB
The "Gang of Eight" senators argue that their bill (S.744) is not an amnesty because illegal immigrants would have to pay a fine and fulfill other requirements as a condition of legalization. Yet seven recent tax and parking-ticket amnesties imposed conditions and payments on those who violated the law, and in every case these programs were considered to be amnesties by elected officials, the public, and the media. Like the Schumer-Rubio immigration bill, each of the amnesties discussed below set aside the normal penalty, but still required payment.
Examples of recent amnesties:
* In 2012 Rhode Island offered what the state government and multiple media outlets, including Boston.com and WPRI Radio explicitly called a "tax amnesty". The state even created the website www.TaxAmnesty.ri.gov to promote it. The amnesty allowed certain taxpayers to pay overdue taxes plus 75 percent of interest due by November 15. The remaining interest and civil and criminal penalties were waived.
* The town of Huntington, N.Y., just completed a parking ticket program described as an amnesty by the town board, the town supervisor, and local media. To qualify for the amnesty, past due tickets issued January 1, 2005, or later had to be paid by April 30, 2013. The person had to pay the ticket value plus any penalties, but could do so at a 40 percent discount.
* In 2009 Louisiana ran what the state itself called a "tax amnesty", even setting up a "Tax Amnesty Web Site". The media also referred to it as an amnesty (see here and here). The program covered past due taxes from 2001 or later. If taxes owed and 50 percent of interest were paid during the two-month amnesty period, the remainder of the interest plus civil penalties were waived.
* The city of Houston recently completed an amnesty for traffic and non-traffic citations. The media called the program an amnesty (see here, here, and here). The city's 2013 "Amnesty F.A.Q." described the program as requiring payment of tickets plus penalties, but allowed discounts based on "amnesty rates". Court officials explained that those who took advantage of the amnesty would not be "subject to arrest during any upcoming warrant sweeps".
* A recent District of Columbia parking ticket program — labeled an amnesty by the mayor, the Washington Post, WTOP news radio, and others — required those with overdue tickets to pay them, but the normal late fees and penalties were waived if a ticket was issued prior to January 2010 and paid by April 12, 2013.
* Texas ran what it called a "Fresh Start tax amnesty" from June to August 2012. If businesses paid past due state taxes plus any fees they owed by August 17, interest and penalties were waived. The program did not include fees owed to the Public Utility Commission. The state comptroller and the media, including the Houston Business Journal and the National Law Review, described the program as an amnesty.
* Ohio is currently running a program that the state itself, local media, and accounting firms have all described as a "tax amnesty", for its consumer use tax. If taxes owed since 2009 are paid by May 1, 2013, penalties and interest will not be charged.
Related Topics: [Senate Bill S.744 Topic Page] [Illegal Immigration Topic Page]
Members of the Senate's Gang of Eight have argued that S.744 is not an amnesty. On his web site promoting S.744, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) states that, "No one gets amnesty." He argues that because the beneficiaries have to meet requirements and pay fines it is not an amnesty. He even states, "no undocumented immigrant is rewarded with anything." Similarly, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) argued in a National Review Online opinion article, that "This bill ensures that no illegal immigrant will be given amnesty or rewarded for illegal behavior." When asked if the bill was amnesty in a recent interview Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated "not at all." Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also claimed in a recent interview that the bill is not amnesty.
Despite claims to the contrary, S.744 is similar to the tax and parking ticket amnesties discussed above. The normal penalty for being in the United States illegally is that the alien must leave the country. Under S.744 this penalty is set aside and illegal immigrants who arrived prior to January 1, 2012, are given legal status and can remain in the country. They must also pay a fee of $500 initially, and undergo a background check. Like all the amnesties discussed above, S.744 has conditions and payments. If S.744 is not an amnesty, then none of the tax and parking ticket amnesties discussed above are amnesties, even though everyone involved with them considers the programs to be amnesties.
The Schumer-Rubio immigration bill is an amnesty, and those who claim otherwise are not being honest with the American people.
Duck Amnesty. If it looks like a duck...
Is the Pope from Argentina?
Lets just say its a huge jump in line for illegals AHEAD of immigrants who are applying legally following our laws.
It doesnt appear to be giving them a green card right away but of course who decides if they violate that probation before then? Obama’s AG?
I’ll bet it says somewhere in the small print that they can pay the “fine” with food stamps.
Every immigration reform proposal is amnesty, because in every case, the cornerstone is providing some form of legalization to the alleged 11 million illegal invaders. It doesn’t have to be citizenship or even a path to it.
Even I don’t propose to round them up. Just turn off the magnets and most of them will go away. And, we don’t have to live in a police state to do this.
I humbly suggest this: 
Dick Durbin Defends Commies and Socialists at May Day Rally (Video)
The Gateway Pundit ^ | May 2, 2013
Posted on Friday, May 03, 2013 9:35:26 AM by KeyLargo
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3015330/posts
Normal penalty for being in the United States illegally is that the alien must leave the country.
But wait we need voters we can fix it later,about that bridge it’s still for sale.
If they get to stay its Amnesty.
Rubio says they will wait much longer if they stay in US, like many years, so long they will be old and gray before they get it, and they wont get help from the government either... and they must pay those taxes.......he says his 8 bill will be terrible for them....almost sadistic....and he got Schumer and Durbin to cave on all his demands on it too....
......Rubio has Dems eating out his hands... a truely ferocious negotiator who has them shaking in their boots.... we need someone like that in the WH...
how about Rubio-Christie???
Yas and full Presidential Pardon.
How Rubio got Dems to agree to this I'll never know.
<><> Does not keep slobbering illegals out of the welfare trough.
<><> Gives Obomba's militarized DHS even more power.
<><> Gives enormous power over Americans to the corrupt Third World.
<><> Grants amnesty to illegal aliens simply after the DHS Secy submits her jerry-built plans to secure the border;
<><> Grants amnesty to criminals and gang members swarming into the US;
<><> Does not require amnestied illegal aliens to pay back-taxes;
<><> Does not require amnestied illegal aliens to learn English;
<><>Allows illegal aliens to sue the US government for amnesty;
<><> Allows "ethinc solidarity" to reign: lobbies can sue to prevent enforcement measures from taking place before illegal aliens can receive green cards;
<><> Requires taxpayers foot the bill for illegal aliens to fight deportations (at the AG’s sole and unreviewable discretion);
<><> Requires only 3 of 9 southern border sectors to have a 90% apprehension rate, leaving the rest in "porous status";
<><> Grants green cards and citizenship after 5 years to illegal aliens claiming (no proof needed) to have come to the US before the age of 16;
<><>Effectively halts all deportations for years by prohibiting deportation until the illegal alien’s application is adjudicated;
<><> Extorts "slush funds" amounting to $150 million tax dollars (as a starter) to ethnic solidarity groups like La Raza ( which advocates bloody, violent uprisings agaiinst Americans);
<><> Allows the ethnic solidarity bunch to sue to prevent enforcement measures from taking place before illegal aliens can receive green cards;
<><> Requires taxpayers to foot the bill for illegals to fight deportation.
<><> Requires no penalties for the thousands of illegals w/ forged/faked multiplte identities (a common practice).
<><> Allows illegals to freely slobber at the public trough under several identities.......sending US tax dollars back to their homelands.
<><> Does not include key provisions like Motor Voter reform that would “secure the vote.”
IOW, we Americans are a conquered people---subservient to the Third World.
Old joke: What do you call four Mexicans in quicksand?
Quatro cinco.
Illegal one minute and legal the next. That is amnesty.
No thank you.
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