Immigration reform?
A big part of the immigration issue is enforcement and federal officials are falling short, according to the Denver Post [December 22, 2005, "Hiring-rules enforcement nonexistent"]. From the article, "Government statistics show that workplace arrests of illegal workers nationwide decreased from 17,554 in 1997 to 159 in 2004. Notices of intent to fine employers decreased from 865 in 1997 to three in 2004. In Denver, no employer has been fined for three years for hiring illegal workers, said Carl Rusnok, regional Homeland Security spokesman for the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Immigration officials blame their lagging enforcement of the current work-site law on post- 9/11 security priorities. Field agents focus on sensitive work sites: nuclear power plants, military bases and airports."
Pius Kamau: "My medical colleagues - voiceless, politically neutral and unsung heroes - toil incessantly for America's uninsured and the undocumented. In contrast, there are those who give nothing of themselves, who neither feed, bind wounds nor raise funds for the undocumented. They're talkers, journalists and political activists who use a lot of ink and energy excoriating anyone who as much as questions illegal immigration. Today, health care is a leaky boat burdened by millions of uninsured Americans; illegal aliens are helping to sink it. Few know of the economic impact the undocumented have on our society and our health care system. We pick up the tab in many ways for the undocumented - from burying their dead, to delivery of their babies, to emergency medical and surgical care. There are 300,000 babies born to undocumented mothers annually at a cost of $5,000 a baby. In Colorado, Medicaid pays for 6,000 births for a total of $30 million annually. In 2002, California paid $79 million for births, Texas $74 million, Arizona $31 million and New Mexico $6 million. Small hospitals can be overwhelmed. Copper Queen Hospital in Bisbee, Ariz., spent $200,000 out of its $300,000 operating budget on illegal immigrants." [Denver Post, December 22, 2005, "Illegal immigrants jam our emergency rooms"].
Westword skewers Tom Tancredo this week.
Bull Moose: "The Moose warns about the GOP ruse. While the President's numbers are improving, the GOP has reason to be very concerned about their political prospects for 2006. And their worries come down to two words - Jack Abramoff."
Josh Marshall: "The leaks to Anne Kornblut continue. Abramoff nears a deal to testify against 'at least a dozen lawmakers and their former staff members.'"
Juan Cole: "Robert Scheer points out that Iran yet again won the Iraqi elections. (It should be remembered that Jalal Talabani, the Kurdish leader, is also a close ally of Tehran.)"
TalkLeft: "After a day of haggling, filibustering Senators have agreed to extend the Patriot Act for six months while they continue to press for more protection of civil liberties. The bill has to be approved by the full Senate, the full House and then Bush. [Update: The Associated Press reports the full Senate has passed the extension bill.]"
Elevated Voices: "...intelligent design should absolutely not be taught in science class. You can't give me a valid argument that this should be taught in science class any more than you can argue with me that intelligent design should be a core part of the algebra curriculum. It's not science. It's not. Sorry."
Oval Office 2008" "The Boston Herald considers whether or not Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is capable of winning the Republican presidential nomination and concludes that he can't... but actually maybe he can."
Cateogry: 2008 Presidential Election
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