The coronavirus snuck up on us and established its unchallenging position that required the immediate actions of the healthcare community. There has been considerable success, even though Republicans, especially, governors like Florida's Ron DeSantis and Texas' Greg Abbott who oppose any precaution recommended by the CDC. These heads of states are responsible for horrific numbers of death and suffering in their states, yet they refuse to back down.
Climate change has also been creeping along at a slow yet enduring pace that has produced calamities of excessive rainfall and heat hardships like we are experiencing this summer. And then there are the dry areas that have spawned wildfires like those recently in California, particularly the one in Lake Tahoe currently threatening thousands of people and homes and the resort areas hotels. Republicans swear that climate change is a myth, refusing to address the problem.
Just recently there was the New York times headline: "Governors DeSantis and Abbott, ‘Undermining Public Health’" Now this is a mandate that should unravel the residents of Texas and Florida, but so far, very little from the ranks. School districts are defying DeSantis regularly on his ban of mask mandates, and Abbott has taken a few hits on his regulations from the courts. But new Covid-19 cases and deaths just keep piling up. Texas, as an example, had 257 deaths today.
This country has other problems like gun violence and immigration reform, both with figures like immigrant encounters are at a 21 year high, and 29,759 deaths using guns since the first of the year. There are more and with all the dilemma facing us, one might think we are approaching apocalypse. Study after study proves that masks prevent the spread of the virus, and environmental groups have shown the value of clean energy to stave of atmospheric nightmares. Go figure.
And then the NYT opinion page asks, "What if the Coronavirus Crisis Is Just a Trial Run?" After all, this country is wallowing in a good life that has recently lost sight of the future and what could happen to our children if we don't put the brakes on excesses of all kinds. But the children themselves are being taught they can have whatever they want with no consequences for their destiny. There is a certain amount of innocence here but there is also willful participation.
In summation, if we are in as bad a shape as the media reports in fighting future viruses as well as stopping changing weather patterns that kill, as an example the recent Ida hurricane that hit Louisiana, are we, in fact, heading for an apocalypse?
I know immigration reform is an issue that must be addressed, but currently more lives are at stake in the matter of getting guns off the street. Especially since much of the targeting has been children in respect to mass shootings. I was more than a little surprised to see a recent poll by Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Business and Economics Polling name immigration as the number one issue this fall. Now this is Florida voters in the state where the most recent gun violence massacre occurred, Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. You have to wonder if this is because Florida has such loose gun laws with the NRA's leading lobbyist, Marion Hammer, in residence, or is this predicting the familiar trend after major gun violence...back to public apathy.
Yesterday I posted on Hillary Clinton's attack that Bernie Sanders couldn't match up to Barack Obama's drive for the Presidency in 2008 because he "can't galvanize the African-American vote and he will not dominate caucus contests." I went on to show how he was well on his way in both cases. And then we talked about the Democratic establishment and how the hardliners are fighting him in favor of Clinton. Like Debbie Wasserman Schultz handling of the debates.
Today it's the media and its attack of Sanders' single-payer plan for universal healthcare which says he is "...proposing sweeping policies that defy political realities." Further, it calls his approach on immigration incomparable. The MSNBC piece does give Bernie credit for getting his message on revolution across and almost bringing Hillary Clinton to her knees. Further, "But the substance of his proposals easily crumble under scrutiny."
Sanders senior policy adviser Warren Gunnels admits, “It’s going to take a political revolution to pass single-payer {health care} for all Americans.” But didn't it take something of a revolution for Lyndon Johnson to pass Medicare and for Harry Truman to bring us social Security? No one says the single-payer plan is perfect, but, then, Obama didn't pass the Affordable Care Act thinking it wouldn't need tweets. All great welfare programs have gone through this scrutiny.
And don't we know why there has been no immigration reform passed? A GOP Congress that has ideologically blocked every program President Obama has put before them just because it is...Barack Obama. Bernie's plan for immigration is considered overly optimistic when it comes to immigrant coverage for healthcare, but many believe making at least some coverage available will alleviate emergency room visits and could bring health care costs down.
Bernie Sanders believes in the average person and detests wealth in relation to inequality between that and the other 99% of the country. This has kept him in office for almost 35 years now but it has all been in the state of Vermont. Not many racial problems there or gun violence or difficulty with immigration, nor has he had to really get out and actively woo the female vote. But that was Vermont and now he wants to be President of the United States. Although he is reasonably defined on many issues, his goal must be to make these positions crystal clear to the public. Here they are:
Racial issues:Voted NO on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions. Rated 97% by the NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance. Sponsored Recognize Juneteenth as historical end of slavery. Gun Control: Voted YES on banning high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets. Voted YES on allowing firearms in checked baggage on Amtrak trains. Voted YES on prohibiting foreign & UN aid that restricts US gun ownership. Voted YES on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers. Voted YES on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse. Voted NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1. Rated F by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun control voting record. Immigration Reform: Voted YES on continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities". Voted NO on comprehensive immigration reform. Voted NO on declaring English as the official language of the US government. Voted YES on eliminating the "Y" nonimmigrant guestworker program. Voted NO on building a fence along the Mexican border. Voted NO on reporting illegal aliens who receive hospital treatment. Voted NO on more immigrant visas for skilled workers. Rated 0% by FAIR, indicating a voting record loosening immigration. Rated 8% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance.
For a Hillary Clinton that can be cautious on the campaign trail, she has come out swinging by backing full citizenship for potentially millions of undocumented immigrants. Earlier she had spoken out in favor of giving driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, both issues a certainty to arouse the need for the Republican field to respond. It's all about the Hispanic vote; although it hasn't exerted its full muscle yet, there are still over 25 million registered Latino voters in the U.S. Historically Democrats, this voting block is slowly pulling away, in my opinion, caused by the lack of effort by the Obama administration. The question will be what gets Hispanics out to vote in 2016: in 2014 it was hands down the economy, followed by healthcare, surprisingly, the immigration issue coming in third.
It’s all about “ME,” and by that I mean a dysfunctional
Congress thinking only about what it takes to get reelected.When it means turning on a huge new voting population
like Hispanics, they are now rushing in to enlist this group in hopes of
holding on to their jobs in 2014, and maybe adding a few seats in heavily
Latino districts.But when it comes to curbing gun violencethrough the passage of reasonable
gun control legislation that will save innocent lives, the votes evaporate
under the cloud of Wayne LaPierre and his National Rifle Assn. (NRA).
And it isn’t just Republicans.There are turncoat Democrats representing
conservative to moderate districts who walk the fence and vote with the right
just to stay in office.The primary
example is Dems who refuse to back the President’s gun control legislation
because of the gun bubbas they represent.Much of this group is likely to be against immigration reform but if
their district has a sizable Hispanic population, the typical politician will
no doubt find a way to justify a vote in favor just to stay competitive.I say throw ‘em all out.
As an example of a classic flip-flop, there was Arizona
Republican Sen. John McCain who championed immigration reform prior to the 2008
election.But in his run for President,
in a time where the Tea Party still had a firm grip on the GOP, he turned
against the issue to please his Arizona and national constituents.As it turned out it worked, at least as far
as turning off the Latino vote.Obama
received 67% nationally, 56% in McCain’s home state of Arizona compared to
McCain’s 31% and 41% respectively.Overall,
Obama 52.9%, McCain 45.7%.
In a recent CNN/ORC International survey, 53% want the main
focus of the immigration issue focused on allowing undocumented immigrants a
pathway to citizenship.This is a change
from 2011 when 55% said the main focus should be on deportation.With a wishy-washy American public, is
Congress making its decisions based on the current direction taken on
immigration reform?If so, why don’t
these blockheads listen to this same constituency when it says in a CBS News
poll following the Sandy Hook massacre that 59% favorstricter gun control?
It’s clear why.Because
of the intimidation of LaPierre’s NRA and the fear he instills in Congress that
he will get them fired if they don’t back his brand of gun control.Once again, looking out for number one over
passing common sense gun control legislation that could save thousands of
lives.And there’s a connection between
the Hispanic vote and gun control. A November 2011 poll by Mayors Against
Illegal Guns found that 69 percent of Latino voters support stricter laws on
gun sales.Hispanics for gun control in
2014 could be a formidable force.
After the Romney disaster with Hispanics, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus
said: "I think you are seeing a lot of movement from our party on these
issues.A lot of it, I tell you, was
tone. You know, it wasn't necessarily the policy on immigration, it was what is
coming out of your mouth."I’m not
sure just how to interpret this but it sounds suspiciously like an approach to
Latinos of ‘we will tolerate you for your vote but don’t expect too much from
the GOP in the way of change on immigration issues.’That’s just my take.
John Feinblatt, chief adviser
for policy and strategic planning to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg,
says our “antiquated immigration laws” are still meant for the black and white
TV era.Adding, even China provides
generous stipends and other perks to lure the best scientists and engineers to
its country.Further, while “Canada, the
United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore and Chile offer visas and other incentives
to attract entrepreneurs to their countries, we make it nearly impossible for
most entrepreneurs to come here.”There’s
more but you get the idea.
And gun control is just one more example illustrating the
mental retardation of the United States on issues clearly beneficial to
Americans living a better life.But in
Congress you will jeopardize your career in politics if you cross Wayne LaPierre
and his NRA.FormerArizona Sen. Dennis DeConcini, a Democrat, championed legislation
against assault weapons in 1989 after the Stockton, CA shooting of school
children.It passed in the Senate,
failed in the House.DeConcini, in
Arizona, was almost recalled.What else
would you expect from this state?
The 2014 elections will be interesting from
several standpoints.A lot depends on
what happens to gun control and Immigration reform legislation in the next
several months.Even more will be
decided on how the GOP Congress of “NO” will work with the President on the
programs he laid out in his State of the Union message.Obama’s win was a mandate but he is still
hampered by a Republican led House and a bare majority in the Senate. And so far the conservatives have shown few
signs of cooperation.How long will the
American public put up with this?
President Obama says “Now’s the time” and he is talking
about making immigration reform a reality for the U.S. in a way that will
benefit both the 11-plus million who are undocumented and our country as
well.Keep in mind, this legislation
does not apply just to Hispanics but also to Asians, Europeans, etc.Those of us who came here like Obama said for
a better life, which includes everyone but Native Americans.It is easy to forget the heritage of our
ancestors who came to the U.S. through Ellis or Angel Islands to work and
contribute in the new country.
It is true of course; they were legal, at least most of
them.And the 11-plus million
undocumenteds are illegal.But according
to a CNN/ORC International poll conducted this month, 53% of Americans favor
allowing this group to become legal residents opposed to 43% who don’t.And what if we followed the latter’s advice
and deported the illegals?Restaurants
and the hospitality industry would be without help; there would be no gardeners
to take care of your yards; no one to clean your house; and agricultural fields
would have no one to work them and the crops would rot.Do we want that?
FACT CHECK reportsthat
“Economists say immigration, legal or illegal, doesn’t hurt American workers.”But a new House Caucus, Reclaim American Jobs
consisting of 41 members says otherwise.The economists counter there is little to support their claim that these
undocumenteds take American jobs.At
least those in which Americans are willing to work.With this obstacle out of the way you would
think that most states would understand the need for this group of
workers.But a clueless Arizona Governor
is still fighting to prevent illegals from getting driver licenses, even under Obama’s
deferred action plan.
The President has a plan that is a broadly sweeping outline
of what needs to be accomplished in immigration reform.He advocates focusing on enforcement while
strengthening border security then insuring that businesses don’t knowingly
hire illegal workers.Obama is convinced
we must deal with the 11+ million illegal immigrants, but at the same time
feels this group must have hope for citizenship.And he would update and upgrade the current immigration
system to the point that it is more user-friendly in accommodating legals to
get their families into the U.S.
The Gang of Eight Senators
But CNN chief political analystGloria Borgersaid, “…she believes Obama is playing good cop-bad cop,
with his own left-leaning proposals being the bad cop and his Senate colleagues
being the good cop. He's essentially saying, if you don’t deal with them,
you’re going to deal with me.”So enter
the on-and-off Senator from Arizona, John McCain.He was for immigration reform when he wasn’t
running for office but changed his position radically to conform to the demands
of the AZ Tea Party when a presidential candidate.Now he’s back on the side of immigrants
again.The classic flip-flop.
Time’s Swamplandexclaims
that John McCain has been a determined opponent of Barack Obama since the
scathing loss to the President in 2008.The Gang of Eight Senators includes 4 Democrats, Bob Menendez, NJ, Dick
Durbin, IL, Charles Schumer, NY, and Michael Bennet, CO.Republicans are McCain, AZ, Marco Rubio, FL,
Lindsey Graham, SC and Jeff Flake, AZ.Swampland says this bunch has a blueprint introduced the day before
Obama’s but very much a parallel to what he proposed, as follows:
“It would
create a ‘tough but fair’ path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants while
beefing up border security. It would streamline the legal immigration system
and create incentives to lure sought-after tech and science whizzes. It would
establish a mechanism for employers to check the immigration status of
potential hires. And it would try to create ways for employers — particularly
in the agricultural sector — to find low-wage undocumented workers when
Americans are not available.”
Any bill will have a hard time
getting through the GOP-held House, particularly up against the Tea Party
fanatics. The House is also apparently
working on a plan of its own.Norm Ornstein, longtime
political analyst and co-author of "It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the
American Constitutional System Collided with the New Politics of Extremism” had
reservations:
“Will this compromise make it
through the Senate, once the details are hammered out (always more difficult
than frameworks) and with a lot more than 60 votes? Next, will House
Republicans, who have very different impulses and constituencies, be
supportive? Finally, if not, will (House Speaker John) Boehner bring an
immigration bill to the floor that will get many more Democratic votes than
Republican?"
If I were a Republican in
Congress (God forbid) and I looked at the dynamics of the Hispanic demographic that is exploding
throughout the country, I would figure some way to get on the bandwagon.With the total Congress hovering around a 10%
approval level, and Republicans who have repeatedly been identified as
obstructionists, putting them at even a lower level, my gut tells me that
immigration reform will happen this time.
It looks like the President is tired of taking the crap that
the Republicans have been dishing out for the last 4 years.It started with a comment by Senate Minority
Leader Mitch McConnell in October of 2011.He said: “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for
President Obama to be a one-term president.” He wasn’t, and McConnell turns out to be the
idiot he looked like for the last four years.He and House Speaker John Boehner, since the GOP took over the house in
2010, have spewed a non-stop diatribe of what a failure Barack Obama had
been.They were wrong and the American
people knew it.
And because the Republicans were trounced last November in
the elections, Boehner now is taking a new approach.He is saying that “Obama’sfocus is to annihilate the Republican Party.”Actually, Obama doesn’t have to do anything.The GOP, led by the Tea Party, is doing that
all on their own without any help.The
remark from Boehner made at a Ripon Society luncheon was confirmed by the
Speaker’s spokesperson.Even with a
Republican majority in the House that can block the President’s legislation, it
is obvious that this gang of obstructionists is running scared, as they should
be.
David Gergen, who has advised
four Presidents, said: “Years from now, historians are likely to look back upon
Barack Obama's second inaugural address as a rich treasure trove for understanding
his presidency and possibly the course of American politics.”It’s the sort of thing you say about a great
President.Another interesting comment
by Gergen was that not only was Obama more confident, but that he was also
“liberated.”Gergen thinks that refers
to the comfort of a second term and not having to run again, as well as showing
that Republicans are not willing to compromise.Either way it is very promising.
Obama’s inauguration
speech reminds us of Lyndon Johnson’s brand of liberalism and the Great
Society.It is a welcome return to
values that espouse equality with the emphasis off the wealthy and now directed
at middle America, lower income brackets and the needy.Another famous Mitch McConnell comment following
Obama’s speech was: “The era of liberalism is back.”How fitting that it comes at a time when we
must pass new laws on gun control, comprehensive immigration reform and
improving the environment.The President
also plans to work on his 2010 Obamacare.
Gergen says, “He emerged as an
unapologetic, unabashed liberal -- just what the left has long wanted him to be
and exactly what the right has feared.”
Pulitzer Prize winner Historian Gary Willis writes about
Lincoln’s maneuvering of the Declaration of Independence into the “founding
creed of the country.”In it, Lincoln
says, we are all created equal, which was mirrored by Martin Luther King 100
years later in 1963, and what President Obama was talking about when referring
to the declaration as our “founding creed.”Gergen maintains that Obama has made equal opportunity the “central goal
of his presidency.”He adds that the GOP
expected a plea for partisanship but received something of an ultimatum to
cooperate, or else.
The question is whether Americans support Barack
Obama in what he wants to accomplish in his second term.According to a CNN/ORCInternational surveyreleased Jan. 22, the percentage of those believing
global warming is a fact resulting from cars, power plants and factories has
doubled to 49%.On immigration, 53% want
a path for illegal immigrants to legal residents compared to 43% who want to
deport them. Today, 51% favor all or most of the Affordable Care Act
(Obamacare) with 44% opposed to all or most of it. Is there any doubt why the President would
demand cooperation from Republicans?
You remember Russell Pearce.Arizona’s resident bigoted and racist state senator until the people of his district threw him out of office in disgrace recently for his extremist views.Pals with the state’s best known racist and neo-Nazi, J.T. ready.Pseudo-author of Arizona’s famous anti-immigration law.Yes, this is the one, and now he has another notch on his gun.He has placed GOP presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney, in his despicable category.
Russell Pearce said that he and Romney have “identical” views on immigration.For some, most specifically Hispanics, that is the kiss of death for the candidate.Democrats have already jumped on the bandwagon to make Romney look like an extremist in his quest to unseat President Obama.Although I am firmly behind the President, I’m not sure Mitt Romney is that much of a fanatic, although he may eventually have to be in order to enlist Tea Party support.
Romney’s campaign website “outlines an immigration policy that calls for securing the border by completing a high-tech fence and hiring border patrol agents. He also said he supports E-Verify and opposes ‘magnets’ for illegal immigration, such as amnesty programs and in-state tuition for people in this country illegally,” according to Cronkite News.
But Pearce does claim that “…much of his {Romney’s} policy was modeled – by people who I’ve worked with – after my legislation.”
Mitt Romney on immigration
U.S. representatives Raul Grijalva, D-Tucson, along with Charlie Gonzalez of Texas and Xavier Becerra of California comment that “Romney has allied himself with Pearce, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, former California Gov. Pete Wilson and other backers of stringent laws against undocumented immigrants.”This is all followed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s endorsement of Romney back in February that just adds fuel to the anti-immigration fire.
Looking at President Obama’s position on immigration reform, there appears to be no change from his State of the Union speech in 2011 and 2012.But there are also no bold moves to advance an aggressive agenda on the issue.Lots of talk and no action.This is what the Hispanic community is looking at, plus the fact that Obama is setting records on deportation.However, the one real plus in the president’s corner is the mud-slinging against Hispanics by the GOP.
GOP Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich makes Obama's case:
Here are the President’s remarks on immigration in 2011:
Today, there are hundreds of thousands of students excelling in our schools who are not American citizens. Some are the children of undocumented workers, who had nothing to do with the actions of their parents. They grew up as Americans and pledge allegiance to our flag, and yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others come here from abroad to study in our colleges and universities. But as soon as they obtain advanced degrees, we send them back home to compete against us.
It makes no sense.
Now, I strongly believe that we should take on, once and for all, the issue of illegal immigration. And I am prepared to work with Republicans and Democrats to protect our borders, enforce our laws and address the millions of undocumented workers who are now living in the shadows. I know that debate will be difficult. I know it will take time. But tonight, let's agree to make that effort. And let's stop expelling talented, responsible young people who could be staffing our research labs or starting a new business, who could be further enriching this nation.
And then in 2012:
Let's also remember that hundreds of thousands of talented, hardworking students in this country face another challenge: The fact that they aren’t yet American citizens. Many were brought here as small children, are American through and through, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new jobs somewhere else.
That doesn't make sense.
I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That’s why my Administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. That’s why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office.
The opponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now. But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let’s at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, and defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away.
Barack Obama speaking to latinos
Very similar, but in 2012 condescending to the fact that the upcoming election will prevent real reform while making another pitch for the Dream Act.Giving in to election year realities is expected these days but there is no excuse for the fact that nothing was started in the last 3-plus years.A real shocker would be for Obama to propose and push his immigration plan right up to November showing the forcefulness he needs to exhibit, in the process locking the Hispanic vote.
Hind-sight is always 20/20, but I have always thought the President should have tackled immigration reform before health care, but, then, that is probably the reason I am not a White House advisor.
Some in the four border-states with Mexico may not like it but Latinos are encouraged by the fact that President Obama plans to concentrate on law-breaking undocumented immigrants for deportation. But also because he has now proposed that those illegal immigrants closely related to U.S. citizens do not have to leave the country to attempt to get their legal status.This would reduce time measurably in the actual separation of family members.
Critics cry that it is just another way for the Obama administration to weaken the immigration laws.Others think it is simply election-year grandstanding for the Hispanic vote.As an example of the current situation, if you are an illegal immigrant married to a U.S. citizen, you must return to your country of origin first.But what many haven’t taken into consideration is the record number of illegal immigrants Obama has deported, much higher than former Presidents.
The PewResearchCenter has some interesting facts about the length of residency of unauthorized immigrants.Almost 10.2 million unauthorized adult immigrants in the United States have lived in this country for at least 10 years and nearly half are parents of minor children.Pew Hispanic found that 35 percent of this group has been in the U.S. for 15+ years; 28 percent 10 to 14 years; 22 percent 5 to 9 years; and just 15 percent less than 5 years.
They are younger than their legal counterparts; average age of 36.2 years for illegals and 46.1 for those legal.U.S. native adults are 46.5.The U.S. Hispanic population is 50,477,594 living in 14,110,760 households, according to the Census Bureau.Their median income is $44,404 with a high income average of $217,851.Over 6 million of the U.S. Hispanic population is making over $50,000 annually, almost 2 million $100,000+.
There was an interesting article on CNN, “Want jobs? Encourage immigration,” quoting the phrase, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses of immigrant entrepreneurs yearning to breathe free," expressing that that should be the message from Lady Liberty.The author, Amy Wilkinson, goes on to say, “Inviting immigrants in to create jobs may seem counterintuitive, but the facts are clear. Immigrant-led innovation is key to creating U.S. jobs.”She backs this up, below.
“According to statistics from Partnership for a New American Economy, 40% of Fortune 500 companies were created by immigrants or their children. Further, between 1995 and 2005, 25% of high-tech startups in the United States had at least one immigrant founder, and these companies have created more than 450,000 jobs.”Inc. magazine lists the top ten Hispanic entrepreneurs in 2010 you can see here.Wilkinson comments that while the U.S. often kicks out immigrant innovators, other countries welcome them.
The point is that immigrants, in general, and Latinos in particular, with their fast growing population can and have made their mark in the American marketplace.Congress and the U.S. public will have to deal with this soon, making amends and negotiating for rights that are currently being denied Hispanics or the white citizenry could very well find itself voted out of Washington, state and local offices.I am not sure this faction could handle being in the minority.