Queens Community House in Jackson Heights, N.Y., doesn’t advertise its free English courses, but for many years its lotteries for places in the class drew hordes that required police presence. A new system has eliminated the crowds — and the need for cops — but competition for spaces remains fierce: Three out of four applicants are turned away.
Isn't that funny....we have NYS lottery that supposedly helps fund our schools.....WHAT THE HELL ARE WE TEACHING???
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
I agree...but it should be taken out like 401k's. Through our employers as opposed to the government taking it for us.
The downside...what about the people who don't work? Be it by choice or unfortunate circumstance. Who will support them? And where will their supportive money come from?
They must be those long lost relatives or the "black sheep" of the family.....
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
All the money that's going to be given to the illegal immigrants in the for of welfare, SS, and amnesty on back taxes is money that came from the taxes we paid all those years and now the government wants to deny us benefits in order to give it to them. What's wrong with this picture?
BK...good for you! I guess we all should be doing the same thing! We pay their salary and benefits and retirement for God's sake! If they don't hear from their constituants, whether for or against a policy, they will just move forward with 'whatever'!! You must let us know if you get a 'personal' respond.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Senate heads toward more votes on immigration bill BY JIM ABRAMS The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Senators pushing a new immigration policy appealed Sunday to wavering supporters ahead of renewed debate on securing the borders and dealing with 12 million undocumented immigrants. A fragile compromise was pulled from the Senate in early June, then resurrected after bipartisan negotiations with the White House. The bill awaits a crucial test vote this week. With several senators distancing themselves from the proposal, the outcome was too close to call. “We’ll see if between the two parties we have 60 votes” needed to keep the bill moving toward a final vote, said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. The measure would tighten borders, require workplace verification and create a guest worker program. It also would lay out a way by which the estimated 12 million people illegally in the U.S. could gain legal status and work toward citizenship. President Bush long has advocated an immigration overhaul. On Saturday, he urged lawmakers to “summon the courage” to support what could be the last major legislative achievement of his presidency. “The status quo is unacceptable,” he said in his weekly radio address. But he faces dissension from fellow Republicans who demand better border security and oppose any policy that suggests amnesty for undocumented immigrants. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., last week said his support for the bill hinges on the outcome of a series of amendments agreed to as part of the compromise to revive the legislation. Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., who has faced critical ads back home over his support for the bill, said Sunday, “I’m not committed to voting for the final product. The wheels may come off. But I am committed to trying.” Democrats have taken hits from their normal allies, including labor and some Hispanic groups. They say the proposal is bad for workers or that provisions for obtaining visas place too much emphasis on skills, to the disadvantage of family ties. “We know what they’re against. What are they for?” asked Sen. Edward Kennedy, DMass. He noted that since the Sept. 11 attacks, there have been 39 hearings on immigration, 23 days of debate in the Senate and 52 amendments. “We have a terrible problem in this country that demands an answer,” he said. But Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., a leading critic of the legislation, argued that support for the bill continues to plummet, both among senators thought to be behind it and among the public. “We are going to use every effort to slow this process down and continue to hold up the bill,” he said. Senate passage would send the issue to the House, where Democratic leaders have promised to take it up at an early date.
The Bush Legacy: No Illegal Alien Left Behind creates an immigration reform bill which seeks to strip away the meaning of Citizen of the United States. It will hand this title and all the rights and privileges reserved for it over to any illegal alien who wants it
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Here's the form letter that I got from Mr. McNulty on immigration. While I dislike form letters, at least he seems to be leaning the right way on this.
1 dated 6/20/07, 1 dated 6/21/07. That's the only difference in the 2.
Quoted Text
Mr. Kevin March 163 Princetown Road Schenectady, NY 12306-1023
Dear Mr. March
I am in receipt of your communication regarding immigration.
I support secure borders and our country needs to do a much better job in that regard.
I believe in a reasoned approach to immigration legislation and I am carefully reviewing any proposals affecting our national immigration policy.
Thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to do so whenever there is a matter of interest or concern.
Sincerely /s/ Michael R. McNulty Member of Congress
Immigration Bill Fails Crucial Test Vote Thursday, June 28, 2007
By Major Garrett and Trish Turner
WASHINGTON — A defiant group of senators refused to continue down the path of a widely unpopular immigration reform bill Thursday, putting up a roadblock on a procedural debate and squeezing out any time left to work on one of President Bush's top domestic priorities.
Even before the end of the vote, FOX News had tallied 15 vote changes from two days earlier, putting an end to the doomed legislation.
As day broke Thursday ahead of a vote to cut off debate, it appeared only the White House believed the bill could be saved. An increasing number of senior Senate aides and outside lobbyists who support the bill reconciled themselves to defeat.
"I'm not building my afternoon around the idea we save this bill," a senior Republican Senate aide told FOX News.
"We're doing everything we can, but things do not look good and, honestly, it will take a miracle to keep it alive," said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, a key advocacy group that helped draft the legislation.
"All we're hoping for is senator's waking up, looking in the mirror and changing their mind and keeping the bill alive," said another pro-bill lobbyist.
Senate leaders began to see the writing on the wall as tallies for the necessary 60 votes on Thursday morning's crucial procedural vote had lost critical support.
Republican Sens. Pete Sessions of Alabama and Jim DeMint of South Carolina remarked on the Senate floor that the sergeant-at-arms' office told them that the volume of calls leading up to the immigration vote was so high it had crashed the phone system, and no one was able to get through during morning debate.
Before the vote on the Senate floor, bill supporters made one last, passionate pitch to keep the bill alive.
"This is a vote of enormous importance," said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., a co-author of the bill along with Arizona Republican Sen. Jon Kyl. "This is really the vital vote about the future of the country or the past. Every person that votes no has to know this situation is going to get worse and worse and worse."
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., called the bill "the very best that can be done."
"Let us finish this bill," implored Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. "To cut this bill off now is a huge mistake. We are so close."
Despite those pleas, a FOX News tally of senators ahead of the vote revealed that at least four of the 64 senators who voted Tuesday to bring the bill back to the Senate were going to vote to curtail debate.
Another eight other senators who also voted to bring the bill back before the Senate now described themselves as leaning against the vote or undecided.
Opponents appeared to sense that victory was within grasp. DeMint said the whole debate demonstrated why Americans are feeling a "crisis of confidence" in their government.
"This immigration bill has become a war between the American people and their government. ... This vote today is really not about immigration, it's about whether we're going to listen to the American people," he said.
"I don't pretend to know that I am on the right side or the wrong side of the American people," responded Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a supporter of the bill who added that once the provisions are explained to Americans, polls show they overwhelmingly support it.
Another Republican, New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici once supported the bill. Up for re-election in 2008, he told FOX News that Republicans are "getting hammered here at home and for what? Something that doesn't even have the chance of becoming law? No. This bill is going down. ... Why are we having all these big amendments? They (supporters) don't even know what's in this bill. We learned it's not even enforceable. I just don't think I can support this bill."
Many lawmakers who changed their mind and voted against the bill added that they didn't see the point of wasting their time when the bill was going to die in the House of Representatives. On Tuesday, only 23 of the 201 Republican congressman said they supported the bill.
Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus also were unsuccessful in lobbying their colleagues in the upper chamber, canceling a morning meeting to make last-minute calls for passage.
Thursday’s defeat of the immigration bill will boost the chances of a Democratic victory in 2008, giving Hillary Clinton – the probable Democratic candidate – a strong advantage, according to political strategist Dick Morris.
"Hispanic voters will undoubtedly blame the Republicans for the failure of the bill,” says Morris, co-author with Eileen McGann of the new book "Outrage: How Illegal Immigration, the United Nations, Congressional Ripoffs, Student Loan Overcharges, Tobacco Companies, Trade Protection, and Drug Companies Are Ripping Us Off . . . and What to Do About It."
"In 2004, George Bush made progress among Latino voters, coming within 10 points of John Kerry among Hispanics after losing them by 30 points to Al Gore four years before. But in 2006, Latinos voted Democrat by more than 40 points, according to exit polls, because of their anger at the harsh Republican immigration proposals.
"Now that the Republicans have defeated the immigration bill, they will very likely pay a steep price at the polls in 2008.”
Supporters of President Bush’s plan to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants fell 14 votes short of the 60 needed to limit debate and clear the way for final passage of the legislation, which critics assailed as offering amnesty to illegal immigrants.
Morris added that the price Republicans will pay "is likely to be compounded by the probability that a Democratic Congress and president after the 2008 election will pass some form of immigration reform, probably a bill even more to the liking of the Hispanic community than the Bush proposal Congress just defeated.”
U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110th Congress - 1st Session
as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate
Vote Summary
Question: On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on S.1639 ) Vote Number: 235 Vote Date: June 28, 2007, 11:04 AM Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Cloture Motion Rejected Measure Number: S. 1639 Measure Title: A bill to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes.
Vote Counts: YEAs 46 NAYs 53 Not Voting 1
Grouped by Home State New York: Clinton (D-NY), Yea Schumer (D-NY), Yea
Price: “Our first and foremost priority is securing our nations borders and enforcing the rule of law.” For Immediate Release Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Washington, DC – Rep. Tom Price (GA-06-R) issued the following statement after the Democrat Senate passed a motion to proceed with debate on the immigration compromise legislation (S. 1639).
“Many Americans are guarded and suspicious of the action taken by the Democrat Senate yesterday,” said Price, “and I join with them in expressing our reasonable concerns. We have little faith in a government that has promised border security in the past, coupled it with a path to citizenship, and then only enacted the latter half. We should not go down the same path again.
“Comprehensive reform can only occur if we proceed in an orderly and sequential fashion where certain parameters and benchmarks of success are met before moving forward. Logically, border security must come first. It is the cornerstone of any realistic reform. Once we establish security at the border and actually stop the leak in our boat, then we can move forward with a plan to address the consequences caused by years of inaction.
“Thankfully, border security is not only imperative to earn back the trust of the American people; it is the common thread that is present throughout all immigration reform proposals. Before we take on the momentous challenge of working out our differences, let’s build on something upon which we can all agree: border security and border control.”
Price: “Our first and foremost priority is securing our nations borders and enforcing the rule of law.” Washington, DC – Rep. Tom Price (GA-06-R) issued the following statement after the Democrat Senate passed a motion to proceed with debate on the immigration compromise legislation (S. 1639).
“Many Americans are guarded and suspicious of the action taken by the Democrat Senate yesterday,” said Price, “and I join with them in expressing our reasonable concerns. We have little faith in a government that has promised border security in the past, coupled it with a path to citizenship, and then only enacted the latter half. We should not go down the same path again.
“Comprehensive reform can only occur if we proceed in an orderly and sequential fashion where certain parameters and benchmarks of success are met before moving forward. Logically, border security must come first. It is the cornerstone of any realistic reform. Once we establish security at the border and actually stop the leak in our boat, then we can move forward with a plan to address the consequences caused by years of inaction.
“Thankfully, border security is not only imperative to earn back the trust of the American people; it is the common thread that is present throughout all immigration reform proposals. Before we take on the momentous challenge of working out our differences, let’s build on something upon which we can all agree: border security and border control.”
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