1.The Obama Administration took NINE DAYS before organizing any response to help contain and cap the Gulf oil spill.
2. Obama has yet to personally visit the area to observe the damage.
3. The Obama team spent the weekend on talk shows trying to convince the public that they were involved "from day one". But, this is a blatant lie. No Department of Defense or any agency was involved until nine days later.
4. Once again, Obama thinks that spin, and repeating a lie often enough, can substitute for facts and actions.
5. This is arguably even more severe a dereliction of responsibility than Bush waiting two days after Katrina. In the Katrina case, we had a mayor of a New Orleans and a governor of Louisiana with responsibility and resources of their own and the protocol was for them to call in the federal government for help.
6. In the gulf oil spill, it is ridiculous to put the responsibility on a private company, BP, when an entire region of many states and industries are at risk as well a widespread environmental disaster is looming. The federal government should have been the first responder to protect the environment and stave off an economic disaster to many industries along the Gulf Coast.
7. Instead, the "first responders" from the Obama team, were a group of lawyers from the Justice Department; Eric Holder looking at who he might sue or fine, rather than fix the problem.
8. Obama spent the past nine days, bashing the new Arizona immigration law and pushing for government takeover of Wall street with a 1400 page bill, instead of immediately taking charge of the pending national disaster from the Gulf oil spill.
THIS IS ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF THE INCOMPETENCY AND MISDIRECTED FOCUS OF THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
Will this oil spill give the Democrat's and Obama the excuse to get out of his reluctant commitment to pursue off-shore drilling?
Monday, May 3, 2010
Mexico's Immigration Law is Common Sense and Should Be Adopted Here
Writing a straight-forward comprehensive immigration bill is a simple task. Mexico already has done all of the legislative work.
All the United States' Congress and Obama need to do is to copy the law already in place in Mexico and THEN ENFORCE IT.
Here are some key elements of the Mexican immigration law, it's common sense:
1. Foreigners are admitted into Mexico "according to their possibilities of contributing to national progress".
2. Immigration officials must "ensure" that "immigrants will be useful elements for the country and that they have the necessary funds for their sustenance" and for their dependents.
3. The Secretary of Governance may "suspend or prohibit the admission of foreigners when he determines it to be in the national interest".
4. Mexican authorities must keep track of every single person in the country: Federal, local and municipal police must cooperate with federal immigration authorities upon request, i.e., to assist in the arrests of illegal immigrants.
5. A National Population Registry keeps track of "every single individual who comprises the population of the country," and verifies each individual’s identity.
6. A national Catalog of Foreigners tracks foreign tourists and immigrants and assigns each individual with a unique tracking number.
7. Foreigners with fake papers, or who enter the country under false pretenses, may be fined or imprisoned.
8. Foreigners who commit a crime in Mexco may be imprisoned.
9. Foreigners who sign government documents "with a signature that is false or different from that which he normally uses" are subject to fine and imprisonment.
10. Foreigners who fail to obey the rules will be fined, deported, and/or imprisoned as felons.
11. Foreigners who fail to obey a deportation order are to be punished.
12. Foreigners who are deported from Mexico and attempt to re-enter the country without authorization can be imprisoned for up to 10 years.
13. Foreigners who violate the terms of their visa may be sentenced to up to six years in prison .
14. Foreigners who misrepresent the terms of their visa while in Mexico — such as working with out a permit — can also be imprisoned.
15. Under Mexican law, illegal immigration is a felony. The General Law on Population says, "A penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of three hundred to five thousand pesos will be imposed on the foreigner who enters the country illegally".
16. Foreigners with legal immigration problems may be deported from Mexico instead of being imprisoned.
17. Foreigners who "act "against national sovereignty or security" will be deported.
18. Mexicans who help illegal aliens enter the country are themselves considered criminals under the law.
The Mexican constitution strictly defines the rights of citizens — and the denial of many fundamental rights to non-citizens, legal and illegal.
All the United States' Congress and Obama need to do is to copy the law already in place in Mexico and THEN ENFORCE IT.
Here are some key elements of the Mexican immigration law, it's common sense:
1. Foreigners are admitted into Mexico "according to their possibilities of contributing to national progress".
2. Immigration officials must "ensure" that "immigrants will be useful elements for the country and that they have the necessary funds for their sustenance" and for their dependents.
3. The Secretary of Governance may "suspend or prohibit the admission of foreigners when he determines it to be in the national interest".
4. Mexican authorities must keep track of every single person in the country: Federal, local and municipal police must cooperate with federal immigration authorities upon request, i.e., to assist in the arrests of illegal immigrants.
5. A National Population Registry keeps track of "every single individual who comprises the population of the country," and verifies each individual’s identity.
6. A national Catalog of Foreigners tracks foreign tourists and immigrants and assigns each individual with a unique tracking number.
7. Foreigners with fake papers, or who enter the country under false pretenses, may be fined or imprisoned.
8. Foreigners who commit a crime in Mexco may be imprisoned.
9. Foreigners who sign government documents "with a signature that is false or different from that which he normally uses" are subject to fine and imprisonment.
10. Foreigners who fail to obey the rules will be fined, deported, and/or imprisoned as felons.
11. Foreigners who fail to obey a deportation order are to be punished.
12. Foreigners who are deported from Mexico and attempt to re-enter the country without authorization can be imprisoned for up to 10 years.
13. Foreigners who violate the terms of their visa may be sentenced to up to six years in prison .
14. Foreigners who misrepresent the terms of their visa while in Mexico — such as working with out a permit — can also be imprisoned.
15. Under Mexican law, illegal immigration is a felony. The General Law on Population says, "A penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of three hundred to five thousand pesos will be imposed on the foreigner who enters the country illegally".
16. Foreigners with legal immigration problems may be deported from Mexico instead of being imprisoned.
17. Foreigners who "act "against national sovereignty or security" will be deported.
18. Mexicans who help illegal aliens enter the country are themselves considered criminals under the law.
The Mexican constitution strictly defines the rights of citizens — and the denial of many fundamental rights to non-citizens, legal and illegal.
Obama White House - A Division of Goldman Sachs
GOLDMAN SACHS DONATED $1,007,370 TO OBAMA IN THE 2008 CAMPAIGN.
THE FIVE BIGGEST HEDGE FUNDS DONATED ALMOST ALL OF ITS MONEY TO DEMOCRATS; THE FIVE BIGGEST RECIPIENTS WERE SEN. CHRIS DODD (D-CT), SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV) AND SEN. CHUCKY SCHUMER (D-NY).
THE CURRENT CHAIRMAN OF GOLDMAN SACHS CHAIRMAN LLOYD BLANKFEIN ENDORSED THE DEMOCRAT'S WALL STREET REGULATION BILL. Guess why? Wall Street loves the $50 billion permanent "bailout fund" whereby big banks like Goldman Sachs can get bailed out with this slush fund and no further embarrassing congressional action would be needed. Goldman Sachs, like the government, doesn't have money of its own, its contribution to build the bailout slush fund will come from its clients (taxpayers).
What are the links between Goldman Sachs and Obama? First, Rahm Emanuel, Obama's Chief of Staff, worked for Goldman Sachs and made millions. Other major links directly in the administration, or closley allied where they affect national economic policy, include:
1. Dianna Farrell: Obama Administration Deputy Director, National Economic Council; former Goldman Sachs Financial Analyst
2. Stephen Friedman: Obama Administration Chairman, President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board; former Goldman Sachs Board Member (Chairman, 1990-94; Director, 2005-)
3. Gary Gensler: Obama Administration Commissioner, Commodity Futures Trading Commission; former Goldman Sachs Partner and Co-head of Finance
4. Robert Hormats: Obama Administration Undersecretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs, State Department; former Goldman Sachs Vice Chairman, Goldman Sachs Group
5. Philip Murphy: Obama Administration Ambassador to Germany; former Goldman Sachs Head of Goldman Sachs, Frankfurt
6. Mark Patterson: Obama Administration Chief of Staff to Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geitner; former Goldman Sachs Lobbyist 2005-2008; Vice President for Government Relations
7. John Thain: Obama Administration Advisor to Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geitner; former Goldman Sachs President and Chief Operating Officer (1999-2003)
8. Reuben Jeffery III: Obama Administration undersecretary of state for economic, business, and agricultural affairs; former managing partner at Goldman Sachs
9.Neel Kashkari: Obama Administration assistant secretary of the treasury for financial stability, responsible for administering the TARP funds.former Goldman Sachs vice president.
10. William C Dudley: NY Federal Reserve Current President/CEO; former Goldman Sachs Partner and managing director – 2007
11. Stephen Friedman NY Federal Reserve, Former Chairman of the Board – 2009; former Goldman Sachs Board Member (Chairman, 1990-94; Director, 2005-)
12. Edward Liddy: Current Title: AIG CEO; former Goldman Sachs Board Member (Chairman, 1990-94; Director, 2005-)
13. Duncan Niederauer: Current Chair/CEO NYSE; former Goldman Sachs Managing Director – 2007
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Goldman-Sachs, The Financial Crisis and The Demagogue
The recently uncovered actions of Goldman Sachs are NEGLIGENT AT BEST and PERHAPS INTENTIONALLY DECEPTIVE AND CRIMINAL. The Justice Department is right in investigating Goldman Sachs and Congress needs to make some changes in the laws to better regulate megabanks and possibly break them up so we no longer have financial institutions that are "too big to fail". Goldman Sachs does not stand alone; many, if not all, big Wall Street banks and investment houses acted similarly in contributing to the 2008 crash and have been often working against the best interests of their clients while making huge profits for themselves for a decade or more. Meanwhile, many of these same megabanks got TARP fund bailouts and are now lending LESS money to small businesses than those banks that didn't get bailouts, while the executives of the bailed out firms are getting bigger raises and bonuses. This is what happens when government interferes. If Goldman-Sachs had openly informed every client that they believed the mortgage market was going to crash and that they were betting in that direction, then no-one could fault them for making a profit at a time when others did not see the looming disaster.
But, it appears that Goldman-Sachs mislead their clients, by commission or omission, to believe the opposite, which is unethical and perhaps criminal. The political grandstanding in congress is disgusting, but does not excuse Goldman Sachs actions.
What slips by with little notoriety, is the fact that the GOVERNMENT WAS COMPLICIT, for 15 to 20 years, in creating the conditions for the 2008 meltdown. The GOVERNMENT SPONSORED ENTITIES, FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE MAC, led the charge for so-called "affordable housing" with little or no down payments, no proof of affordability and even without proof of employment. It is a disgrace that the government gets off the hook and is able to turn the total focus on Wall Street. If one person can be cited as being most responsible for the culmination in the financial meltdown of 2008, it is Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) who promoted the affordable housing gimmicks, who blocked every effort to regulate Fannie and Freddie, even to this day, and who lied to his colleagues in Congress and to the public many times by assuring everyone that Fannie and Freddie were financially sound. The people of Frank's district in Massachusetts must be ignorant or just gullible fools; they ought to take notice of their home values due to Frank's irresponsible actions and they can look forward to higher costs of living with inflation due to the huge debts accumulating in Fannie and Freddie. Barney Frank was not alone in protecting Fannie and Freddie from scrutiny; he had help along the way from Sen. Chris Dodd, Sen. John Kerry, Sen., Barack Obama, Sen. Hillary Clinton and others who took political contributions from Fannie and Freddie.
Another area where the government was complicit in creating the financial crisis is when the GLASS-STEAGALL ACT WAS REPEALED under Democrat Bill Clinton in 1999. Glass-Steagall kept a clear separation between what was intended to be low-risk commercial banking and high-risk investment banking. The repeal of Glass-Steagall led to the growth of the megabanks and the mixing of commercial banks, investment banks, brokerage and mutual fund firms and insurance companies with everyone getting into each others' businesses and all dealing in new high risk highly leveraged financial instruments .
Obama has gotten into the act by claiming that in the Spring of 2008 he predicted the financial meltdown due to a lack of regulation. Of course, what OBAMA DOESN'T MENTION, is that he VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED REFORM of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the two government sponsored entities that were at the core of the mortgage crisis. OBAMA SIDED WITH HIS BUDDY REP. BARNEY FRANK (D-MA) TO PROTECT Freddie and Fannie from any scrutiny. Now, with the Goldman Sachs scandal, Obama has found one more chance to demagogue, create a boogeyman and push for "change" far beyond what is required, so that he can further transform America toward becoming a socialist nation.
Obama never misses an opportunity to take advantage of a crisis (as Rahm Emanuel has been quoted in the past). The opportunity here is for Obama and big government to take over the entire financial industry instead of making a few sensible reforms. WHAT IS NEEDED is full transparency of derivatives (they should be traded like stocks with all information available), full disclosure in real time of the direction of investment from financial institutions dealing in derivatives or other highly leveraged instruments, re-instituting Glass-Steagall or some similar legislation that once again separates commercial and investment banking and strengthening of the enforcement of numerous existing regulations by numerous existing government agencies. What is NOT NEEDED is more government agencies, more bailout funds and the government deciding if and when it can take over a financial institution.
But, it appears that Goldman-Sachs mislead their clients, by commission or omission, to believe the opposite, which is unethical and perhaps criminal. The political grandstanding in congress is disgusting, but does not excuse Goldman Sachs actions.
What slips by with little notoriety, is the fact that the GOVERNMENT WAS COMPLICIT, for 15 to 20 years, in creating the conditions for the 2008 meltdown. The GOVERNMENT SPONSORED ENTITIES, FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE MAC, led the charge for so-called "affordable housing" with little or no down payments, no proof of affordability and even without proof of employment. It is a disgrace that the government gets off the hook and is able to turn the total focus on Wall Street. If one person can be cited as being most responsible for the culmination in the financial meltdown of 2008, it is Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) who promoted the affordable housing gimmicks, who blocked every effort to regulate Fannie and Freddie, even to this day, and who lied to his colleagues in Congress and to the public many times by assuring everyone that Fannie and Freddie were financially sound. The people of Frank's district in Massachusetts must be ignorant or just gullible fools; they ought to take notice of their home values due to Frank's irresponsible actions and they can look forward to higher costs of living with inflation due to the huge debts accumulating in Fannie and Freddie. Barney Frank was not alone in protecting Fannie and Freddie from scrutiny; he had help along the way from Sen. Chris Dodd, Sen. John Kerry, Sen., Barack Obama, Sen. Hillary Clinton and others who took political contributions from Fannie and Freddie.
Another area where the government was complicit in creating the financial crisis is when the GLASS-STEAGALL ACT WAS REPEALED under Democrat Bill Clinton in 1999. Glass-Steagall kept a clear separation between what was intended to be low-risk commercial banking and high-risk investment banking. The repeal of Glass-Steagall led to the growth of the megabanks and the mixing of commercial banks, investment banks, brokerage and mutual fund firms and insurance companies with everyone getting into each others' businesses and all dealing in new high risk highly leveraged financial instruments .
Obama has gotten into the act by claiming that in the Spring of 2008 he predicted the financial meltdown due to a lack of regulation. Of course, what OBAMA DOESN'T MENTION, is that he VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED REFORM of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the two government sponsored entities that were at the core of the mortgage crisis. OBAMA SIDED WITH HIS BUDDY REP. BARNEY FRANK (D-MA) TO PROTECT Freddie and Fannie from any scrutiny. Now, with the Goldman Sachs scandal, Obama has found one more chance to demagogue, create a boogeyman and push for "change" far beyond what is required, so that he can further transform America toward becoming a socialist nation.
Obama never misses an opportunity to take advantage of a crisis (as Rahm Emanuel has been quoted in the past). The opportunity here is for Obama and big government to take over the entire financial industry instead of making a few sensible reforms. WHAT IS NEEDED is full transparency of derivatives (they should be traded like stocks with all information available), full disclosure in real time of the direction of investment from financial institutions dealing in derivatives or other highly leveraged instruments, re-instituting Glass-Steagall or some similar legislation that once again separates commercial and investment banking and strengthening of the enforcement of numerous existing regulations by numerous existing government agencies. What is NOT NEEDED is more government agencies, more bailout funds and the government deciding if and when it can take over a financial institution.
Truth About The Arizona Law on Illegal Aliens
Here is the truth about the Arizona law. It's a simple straightforward bill easy to read and is very specific about NOT PROFILING with various safeguards put in place which clarify the law so there should be LESS PROFILING than without the new law.
Meanwhile, with over 400,000 illegal aliens in Arizona and the vast majority being Hispanic, who should the law enforcement agencies be focusing upon in trying to identify illegal aliens? Asians? Blacks? Scandinavians? Australians? Native American Indians? GET REAL!
With limited law enforcement resources and catching illegal aliens a statistical process, it makes sense to focus on Hispanics.
THIS EFFORT IN ARIZONA PROTECTS ALL LEGAL IMMIGRANTS who are not citizens AND HISPANIC-AMERICANS AS MUCH AS ANY GROUP OF CITIZENS. IT IS A SHAME IF SOME HAVE TO BE INCONVENIENCED, BUT THERE IS A DE FACTO WAR OCCURRING IN THE BORDER STATES.
Legal non-citizen immigrants and Hispanic-Americans in Arizona and elsewhere are paying the price, just as is everyone else, in overburdened education, medical and law enforcement systems, in fewer jobs available, in lower wages in many jobs as illegal aliens work for lower pay and in being targets for crime. An element of the illegal aliens are involved in various VIOLENT CRIME, HUMAN TRAFFICKING , DRUG SMUGGLING, and GUN RUNNING, all of which degrade the quality of life, are a real threat to life and property and are are a major economic burden on United States citizens and on the tens of millions of legal immigrants from Mexico and elsewhere.
Obama's comments questioning the constitutionality of the Arizona law and judging it to create racial profiling, before the law has even taken effect and BEFORE ANY COURT HAS RULES ON ITS CONSTITUTIONALITY suggest that OBAMA IS EITHER A MORON OR A LIAR.
The Arizona law is no more punitive than federal laws on the books but which have not been enforced by Bush or Obama.
The leftist media, the race pimp Al Sharpton, the demagogue Obama, and many pro-illegal-aliens spokesmen have all intentionally mischaracterized the bill for political advantage in an attempt to create a racial divide and pander to "potential Democratic voters" known as illegal aliens.
The Arizona law calls for exactly what the grossly incompetent Janet Napolitano was requesting when she was governor of Arizona but now as Homeland Security head refuses to do anything about.
It may be irrelevant to those who want to gain political advantage or notoriety by mischaracterizing the Arizona law but: ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE NOT A RACE. This news must be a big disappointment to Obama, Al Sharpton and all the other hypocrites trying to create a racial crisis for political or financial gain.
ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE A CRIMINAL GROUP.
Arizona deserves great credit for trying to do what Obama and Bush have not had the courage to do.
This country needs a continuing flow of millions of legal immigrants to continue to thrive and grow as we have for 200 years, but we need federal laws to be enforced and the economic burden of illegal aliens to be eliminated.
Meanwhile, with over 400,000 illegal aliens in Arizona and the vast majority being Hispanic, who should the law enforcement agencies be focusing upon in trying to identify illegal aliens? Asians? Blacks? Scandinavians? Australians? Native American Indians? GET REAL!
With limited law enforcement resources and catching illegal aliens a statistical process, it makes sense to focus on Hispanics.
THIS EFFORT IN ARIZONA PROTECTS ALL LEGAL IMMIGRANTS who are not citizens AND HISPANIC-AMERICANS AS MUCH AS ANY GROUP OF CITIZENS. IT IS A SHAME IF SOME HAVE TO BE INCONVENIENCED, BUT THERE IS A DE FACTO WAR OCCURRING IN THE BORDER STATES.
Legal non-citizen immigrants and Hispanic-Americans in Arizona and elsewhere are paying the price, just as is everyone else, in overburdened education, medical and law enforcement systems, in fewer jobs available, in lower wages in many jobs as illegal aliens work for lower pay and in being targets for crime. An element of the illegal aliens are involved in various VIOLENT CRIME, HUMAN TRAFFICKING , DRUG SMUGGLING, and GUN RUNNING, all of which degrade the quality of life, are a real threat to life and property and are are a major economic burden on United States citizens and on the tens of millions of legal immigrants from Mexico and elsewhere.
Obama's comments questioning the constitutionality of the Arizona law and judging it to create racial profiling, before the law has even taken effect and BEFORE ANY COURT HAS RULES ON ITS CONSTITUTIONALITY suggest that OBAMA IS EITHER A MORON OR A LIAR.
The Arizona law is no more punitive than federal laws on the books but which have not been enforced by Bush or Obama.
The leftist media, the race pimp Al Sharpton, the demagogue Obama, and many pro-illegal-aliens spokesmen have all intentionally mischaracterized the bill for political advantage in an attempt to create a racial divide and pander to "potential Democratic voters" known as illegal aliens.
The Arizona law calls for exactly what the grossly incompetent Janet Napolitano was requesting when she was governor of Arizona but now as Homeland Security head refuses to do anything about.
It may be irrelevant to those who want to gain political advantage or notoriety by mischaracterizing the Arizona law but: ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE NOT A RACE. This news must be a big disappointment to Obama, Al Sharpton and all the other hypocrites trying to create a racial crisis for political or financial gain.
ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE A CRIMINAL GROUP.
Arizona deserves great credit for trying to do what Obama and Bush have not had the courage to do.
This country needs a continuing flow of millions of legal immigrants to continue to thrive and grow as we have for 200 years, but we need federal laws to be enforced and the economic burden of illegal aliens to be eliminated.
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