What does it take for them to get a clue?
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
Do NOT reward lawbreakers!
ENFORCE the laws already on the books!
I ain’t buyin’ it.
nthompsonwhitehouse’s posting history tells it all. One post. Just a hit & run troll as far as I am concerned.
If nthompsonwhitehouse and the rest of the Bush Administration are that serious about this whole amnesty travisty, perhaps he can answer my questions instead of running away.
Which Felony can I be rewarded for committing? *crickets*
Why are 20 to 30 million illegals being rewarded when *I* have been repeatedly shafted by this same Government? *crickets*
Why is Border Security so important in Iraq and not here at home? *crickets*
Well???
*crickets*
Tell it to Ramos and Compean, and the illegal drug-smugglers granted immunity.
And, where's the fence we were promised?
etc., etc.
Lesser men would not apologize. Hooah!!
::: cue the 5th Dimension:::
Shamnesty Bill Blues
BILL !!!!
We loathe you so, we always will
We look at you and see the GOP divorced
OH, but are we ever gonna see our laws enforced?
We were on your side, George, when you were losin’
We see you scheme and lie now, and it’s confusin’ ~
Your promise and love don’t mean a thing til you cancel this
BILL!!!
I know; I’m afraid of the answer, too.
Please pass on to your boss this article by the person that SHOULD have had the job Martinez now claims his own.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1850268/posts
Seems Michale Steele is another of those racists your boss talked about, huh?
More red meat for the base...
You know Conservatives asking Bush to pass a Conservative filled (Border Wall) (Enforce the existing law) standard bill as part of immigration reform with a Democrat controlled Congress, is like the liberals asking Bill Clinton, while mired in the Monica scandal, to attempt and have Congress pass a law that says a women has the right to murder her unborn child up until the day of birth and then getting upset with him when he doesn’t do it.
The base in its attempt to hold Bush accountable allows nothing to get done about immigration in the present and if the GOP loses the WH in 08.. Well lets just say you can pretty much bet the Dem bill to “FIX” the Illegal problem is going to make the current one look like it is sponsored by Tom Tancredo.
; ) so what WH personage are you?
I’ll Reiterate:
1) BUILD THE FENCE
2) DEPORT ALL ILLEGALS
3) FINE / PROSECUTE EMPLOYERS BREAKING THE LAW
4) INCREASE BORDER PATROL
5) CONTINUE LEGAL IMMIGRATION
This is the job we expect you to do. Thank you.
Exactly!
Our American prosperity should NOT be the LOTTERY for the rest of the world.
If they want to join it, come in the right way, and behave properly by OUR laws.
What does it take for them to get a clue?
The way this has taken off, I think rolling thunder will pale in comparison.
I think we should hire illegals to build the Mexican side of the double fence, and make sure the door is closed by the time it's finished.
And, I don't care what nationality those illegals are...even if they are Klingons!
Dear Nicholas,
You’ve certainly gotten an earful here. I hope you read and take our comments up the chain.
I have tried to call the White House comment line for the last two days and found that I can’t get through. You must be getting an earful there too.
Here’s what I want you to tell President Bush:
1) I’ve been a GOP booster for many years and voted for the President in both national elections.
2) I supported President Bush in his efforts in the War on Terror... although I want him to take the gloves off and let the military win decisively.
3) I supported President Bush’s judicial nominees with the one notable exception of Harriet Miers.
4) I hated the President’s approach to Sandy Berger, the 911 families, Campaign Finance Reform, Education Bill, Farm Bill, sunseting tax reductions, out of control spending, recent support for Albanian KLA objectives in Kosovo and dogged ramming of this shamnesty deal.
5) President Bush has worked harder and shown more passion toward legalizing law-breakers than he did toward any other initiative of his presidency. He didn’t make the tax cuts permanent... and let the issue die. He let multiple judicial nominees twist in the wind and although he supported them, he didn’t show the tenacity he’s showing with this immigration bill.
6) The existing laws call for enforcement of our borders and shutting off the benefits that are drawing the illegals hers. They are not being enforced. Why should we expect a new law to be enforced any better? We shouldn’t and don’t.
7) President Bush is trying to pull the rug over my eyes by calling for immediate spending on enforcement to get his immigration bill through. How stupid does he think I am? I have read the current immigration laws on the books and I remember the fence bill from last August that was passed to pay lip service to border enforcement. Putting lipstick on this pig won’t help, it only makes you look stupid.
8) The Legislature writes the laws. The Judiciary decides disputes of the law. The Executive enforces the law. Mr President, you aren’t doing your basic job. If I could personally fire you, I would have done so a long time ago.
I’ve prayed for President Bush and done everything I can to support him. His determination to fight harder for illegal immigrants than for citizens of this country (while telling me I’m an ignorant, racist hick) have killed that support. I don’t care what bill goes through the Congress now... I don’t trust the President to do the right thing anymore.
Call me a skeptic.
“They’re herding the party right over a cliff chasing a magic mirage”
You can say that again. Some may recognize the term WSD (lol).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.