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
I live in Oregon, not too far from the Del Monte Fresh plant that was raided earlier this week.
We have more than our fair share of illegals, though Portland is a Sanctuary City so it's understandable.
We are about to visit my in-laws in Texas. Having spent quite a bit of time there, throughout my life, the changes that have taken place are unreal, though I still love the state.
"Sad, isn’t it?"
Yes...it is heartbreaking.
You, Mark Steyn, and Molson are the best Canadian imports.
You people have zero credibility.
You have brazenly refused to enforce the laws we already have, and now you seek to subvert them.
This administration is a disgrace, and it is openly hostile to the people who voted it in.
Do something decent. Resign.
.
No
I saw your #
Dunno why your browser cannot see it
That's exactly right. I find it amazing that we have to beg, borrow and deal for our enforcement.
Very clever, devolve!
Very sad, too...
Not bad for a day’s work.
Spokesman for President Bush Posts on Free Republic About Immigration Bill
Posted by kristinn
On News/Activism 06/14/2007 11:16:52 AM PDT · 939 replies · 18,760+ views
.
No
I saw your #
Dunno why your browser cannot see it
You have brazenly refused to enforce the laws we already have, and now you seek to subvert them.
This administration is a disgrace, and it is openly hostile to the people who voted it in.
Do something decent. Resign. That would, indeed, be for the good of this country.
Oklahoma is blessed with two of the best Senators in the land.
The only ones that come close are DeMint and Sessions.
Although, I must admit, Liddy Dole is growing a pair that her husband never had. She was an architect of the first downfall of this abomination of a bill.
Allocating money that you have NO intention of spending to secure the border will NOT do the job. Come back and talk to us AFTER you have actually done it.
Who can know for sure what will happen if you manage to cram down our throats this bill that destroys U.S. sovereignty or sneak it past us in the dead of night.
That would be an attempt to establish an anti-American dictatorship that ignores the will of over three quarters of the American people. Please don't add to the dishonesty by telling us that WE want and demand immigration "reform" when WE know that WE want enforcement of current laws.
Please, please don't make us find out what would happen if you attempt a coup.
I see, so we have one set of foolishness which of course justifies the next. BTW we have reuduced our actual employees down to 3 family members and we contract labor with all the rest just so we can reduce a goodly amount of the foolishness you just mentioned.
But I am glad to see you are onboard with the government on this one. If after we get the immigration thing fixed and the government decides to target say smokers. Are you on board with them telling me I have to report who smokes and has kids in the home?
It would be "for the children" afterall.
My browser doesn’t see it because it didn’t even show up in this copy and paste I showed you;
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there is NO [to #] and you won’t find it in your ping list because of that.
Hmm, yes, because liberals have never been known to state the obvious once or twice in their lifetime. I suppose I should go re-read Arnold's latest statements that using Spanish speaking mediums discourages leaning the English language then. Clearly my interpretation of that must be off, since he is a liberal.
And when Fineman notes it is boneheaded for a President with low approval ratings to engage in an ultimate fighting bout with his own base, well, clearly my non thinking self should have re-read the article multiple times rather then agree with him. Though the truth of the matter is that these liberals came to these conclusions AFTER conservatives did and reacted. After all, it was the reaction of conservatives that led to their action of comment. I'm not agreeing with, so much as they chose to agree with conservatives.
Yes, we agree on the bill being bad. We don't agree on the President's intent, nor do we agree differing from the opinion of the pack necessarily makes you right.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/systems/mexico-wall.htm
That is NOT where I heard it.....I heard it from Michael Medved.....FWIW
If our Congress and President can not enforce and fund the current laws, then what makes them think we will trust a new bill that they wish to sign into law?
Shut down the border.
After three years, do an evaluation.
If you have succeeded, then we can talk about the other “stuff”.
Until then, you are liars.
My 18 month old children learned faster than this.... :)
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