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
Hey, you! Good to see you!
I really shouldn’t be here...too much to do.
But couldn’t pass up an opportunity to speak to the White House.
Hope someone is listening.
I posted this on the other thread.
I’m so hopping mad that I think I will c/p it here.
I don’t have time to retype it.
To: nthompsonwhitehouse; devolve; wardaddy
Thanks for the ping, and the graphic, devolve. It is absolutely perfect!
Thank you, too, Mr. Thompson for engaging those of us who are in the process of being sold down the river by your boss, whom I voted for twice, and who is the beneficiary of many of my $$$. You are a brave man. ;o)
I take issue with this.
“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. “
I don’t know where you all got the idea that it’s hard to verify a person’s standing in this country. My husband hires people every day, and he has no problems weeding out the illegals.
And, he does NOT hire illegals...period. It’s against the law. Unlike many employers, he loves and respects this country, and it’s laws.
I’ve pinged one of those folks who conducts business as my husband does...wardaddy. Those who comply with the law in their business practices pay dearly to do so, but wouldn’t do business in any other manner.
This bill is a slap in the face to those employers who do everything they can to comply with the laws on the books.
Speaking of which, why don’t you folks in the DC bubble enforce the laws we have now? Should you do so, there would be no need to spend this time debating one of the most perverse, and treasonous, bills I’ve ever seen in my life.
And, tell those amnesty supporters in the Senate that we don’t appreciate backroom deals, and their attempts to thwart the committee process, to ram this down our throats.
Remind them that THEY work for US. And, they can be fired by the same people who sent them to DC.
One more thing...please tell Trent Lott, Lindsey Graham and those who believe this amnesty bill (Z visas ARE amnesty) will somehow help John McCain win the Republican nomination, that they are smoking dope. There is absolutely NO way John McCain will win the nomination, especially now, not that I ever thought he had a chance.
123 posted on 06/14/2007 12:23:16 PM PDT by dixiechick2000 (There ought to be one day— just one— when there is open season on senators. ~~ Will Rogers)
I have to run, now.
Maybe I’ll see you later!
Have a great day! ;o)
Of ALL the candidates running, Hunter is far and away the most “orthodox” conservative. I sent him a campaign contribution already. If that’s not enough, have his people call again. I’ll gladly pay more.
Hey, you signed up two years before I did, so you had your chance.
IOW, no, you can't have my login!!! ;)
Thank you for your message. As a loyal supporter of our president, I appreciate your initiative to communicate with us directly, and hope you can continue to do so periodically.
thanks for the ping.
We can’t take the White House seriously as they had a chance.
They blew off the Border Fence Bill authored by Duncan Hunter and funded.
We in San Diego see and live with the illegal situation everyday.
It is costing us tax payers tens of millions of dollars a year to support these illegals.
While folks are living in the burbs and flyover country, you are out of touch with reality.
My ancestors didn’t build this country and die for it to have it turn into a third world country.
We have over 1 million Mexicans not counting the illegals
here in San Diego. What we are putting up with is no different than a national disaster only this is every day.
Beyond all the “immigration” coverage which perpetuates a feudal serf/slave system for the profits of US employers, no one seems to be remembering that this bill:
WRITES THE SECURITY AND PROSPERITY PARTNERSHIP INTO LAW
or so I have been told. If this is not true, please, someone,
correct me.
If it is true, this bill is the start of the end of national sovereignty.
ENFORCE THE EXISTING LAW!!!
BEGIN DEPORTATION!!!
PERFECT!
"I hope you're not going to get in trouble for Freeping at work..."
Moose, you da man!!!!
Thanks! I like that FREE SEN. INHOFE’s BILL!
Why are they afraid to take up his bill is what I want to know?
We are not fringers or right-wing bigots who want, as Michael Chertoff said, the death penalty for illegal aliens. We want our borders secured. We want the gate-crashers (from whatever country they came from) to leave now, and if they want to share in the benefits of our great country, they should return here the legal way like my great grandparents did one hundred and fifty years ago.
I have also listened as some of the amnesty apologists in the RINO wing of the Republican party say, "We hear a lot of negative comments about our (amnesty) plan, but nobody offers a better plan," and "If you have a better idea, let's hear it." Well, here's mine:
Make an announcement that all illegal residents in this country have a specific time period (let's use 120 days, just for the sake of discussion) in which they will have "amnesty" from deportation so that they may liquidate all of their assets here, pack their things and move on out. Also make it very clear that if they haven't left of their own accord by the time that 120 days is up, when we catch them (note that I wrote when, not if) we will deport them, they will lose the ability to liquidate their assets themselves, we will liquidate them and we will deduct from the proceeds of their ill-gotten assets the costs of said liquidation, the costs of deportation, the costs of any medical care, education, social services, etc. that they received while in this country illegally.
Harsh?
No, what's harsh is this administration, as well as the RINOS and Democrats pushing for amnesty expecting the American taxpayer to continue to fund lawbreakers' bankrupting our federal, state and local services.
One more thing, earlier I wrote, "when we catch them," and I want to elaborate on why I chose that wording. If one goes into an endeavor with a wishy-washy or even negative attitude, that attitude affects the outcome. A positive, can-do attitude encourages success.
If we (the US) can identify the VIN number on a single blown to smithereens Ryder truck in the bombed out wreckage of the WTC garage, we can certainly identify persons who are using someone else's Social Security numbers and the employers who are, wittingly or not, reporting income on those Social Security numbers to the US government.
If the illegals are made to understand that we are serious about this, the vast majority will self deport; and those that don't and are caught, will serve as an example to the dawdlers to rethink their strategy and remove themselves before we do it for them.
Oh, I almost forgot...
...BUILD THE WALL, for criminy sakes!
For the other's I pinged, do you guys have any ideas about the amnesty bill that you'd like to share with a WH spokesman?
I voted for President Bush and have been a strong supporter of his attempts set Iraq and Afghanistan on a better course, but his support for this pro-illegal immigration legislation fills me with revulsion. Don’t know if other FReepers would characterize it this way, but I consider this and any other similar legislation to be treasonous. I want every single supporter of this vile piece of legislation voted out of office.
Build the fence. Enforce the law.
"If you had a traffic ticket and you paid it, you're not forever a speeder, are you?" White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said in response to questions from The Examiner.
___________________________________________________________
Is this the same Tony Snow that compared 25 million people entering this country illegally to a mere traffic ticket? Are we at war?
If so why are millions entering illegally, along with endless trucks full of drugs and human cargo?
Is this considered security during war? By whom?
This historic invasion of America was all but ignored by most all politicians. Why? Follow the money. The corporations and business owners send their dollars to support the politicians campaigns to ensure their low wage labor never ends.
The consequences? 20,000 American victims a year due to burglaries, robberies, rapes, murders, shootings, fraud, drunk drivers etc. Not to mention the thousands of pounds of drugs smuggled in weekly, the lost jobs, reduced wages, and destroyed neighborhoods.
Is there anyone that is still fooled by any of this?
Awesome graphics!
At least the White House was up front about posting here as they should be and I think Duncan Hunter’s son was up front when he began to post here in support of his dad. I’d bet there are other posters with a vested interest in some agency/candidate/party/etc that post here without coming forward...
To: kristinn Can I say (and fellow FReepers chime in please - as if you wouldn’t, LOL) 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.I second this... BIGtime... If current laws are not enforced, how the heck will anything you pass be enforced? And Sen. Graham calls US bigots?
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) dramatically enhanced its efforts to combat the unlawful employment of illegal aliens in the United States since its creation in March 2003 {in case you forgot, they are still a relatively new group}.
Under this new strategy, ICE is targeting unscrupulous employers of illegal aliens, seeking to initiate criminal prosecutions and cause asset forfeitures.
The best measure of this new strategy lies in the number of arrests ICE has made for criminal violations in worksite enforcement investigations. Those arrested include a variety of persons–corporate officers, employers, managers, contractors and facilitators. These arrests also include illegal aliens charged with criminal violations. Aliens have been charged with possession and/or distribution of fraudulent documents, re-entry after deportation or entry without inspection.
In the past, administrative fines often proved to hold little deterrence value for violators. Many employers came to view these fines as simply the “cost of doing business.” Administrative fines were ignored, not paid in a timely matter or mitigated down over several years.
In criminal cases, ICE is often pursuing charges of harboring illegal aliens, money laundering and/or knowingly hiring illegal aliens. Harboring illegal aliens is a felony with a potential 10-year prison sentence. Money laundering is a felony with a potential 20-year prison sentence. ICE has found these criminal sanctions to be a far greater deterrent to illegal employment schemes than administrative sanctions.
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.