Phil Gordon: Travelin’ in style, taking ego along for the ride

From the United Arab Emirates port of Dubai to Toronto and points in between, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon is on the go.  He even works in a few trips to Washington D.C. to rail against those who oppose his Sanctuary City  policies.

As to his global jetsetting, Philly says:

“When developing new economic opportunities, you have to do things face to face. I believe to create jobs, to help our city, to keep people safe, the mayor of Phoenix should be leading, not following, and risking that Phoenix will be passed by others cities in the country.

And I’m good at it. I’ve got the energy, I’ve got the background, and I’m representing the state of Arizona when I’m doing this.”

A suggestion you might want to consider regarding keeping the people of the city of Phoenix safe, Mr. Mayor: How about discarding the policies that provide safe haven to lawbreakers and reward criminality?

The article in the daily can be read here.

Another on Hizzoner’s globetrotting includes this portion: Gordon may be all over the map, literally and figuratively, as his critics allege. A more focused approach might make more sense.

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Obama and Napolitano lay out welcome mat to greater influx of illegals

With Barack Obama ensconced in the White House — when the global traveler is actually in Washington DC –  and Janet Napolitano as Homeland INsecurity Secretary (DHS), new federal standards have been announced intended to tie the hands of local police in enforcement of  immigration laws.

Think of it this way: Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has essentially had a federal program crafted specifically to restrain him.       

Former Arizona Gov. Napolitano says that targeting people who commit minor offenses is not the goal of the program. It is arresting and deporting illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes and major drug offenses, the daily reports.

In other words, come on in, the door is open and the welcome mat is out. The federal government of the United State has no intention of enforcing border security or protecting national sovereignty, less than eight years after September 11^th.

For his  part, Arpaio has vowed to continue conducting crime-suppression operations and says he will continue booking suspected illegal immigrants who commit minor crimes in jail, where immigration status has been automatically checked as part of the federal 287 (g) program.

According to the administration, the culprits to be curbed are not those illegally entering the U.S., but the law enforcement professionals who apprehend them.

A DHS spokesman made this odd statement:  “The focus is going to be on criminal aliens.”

Isn’t that anyone who breaks into our country in violation of the law? The fact is, illegals engage in continued criminal activity once the initial act of stealthy crossing into this country has occurred.  There is a booming market in forged, counterfeit and stolen identification, birth certificates, Social Security numbers and driver’s licenses, the necessary components to facilitate their lives in the U.S. after arriving.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has referred 30,000 suspected illegals to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the program, about 26,000 of whom were identified after being booked into jail for crimes ranging from felonies to misdemeanors.

Arpaio’s crime sweeps have been hailed by the voters who repeatedly reelect him and other advocates of stricter enforcement.

“DHS has already negotiated agreements with numerous state and local agencies – many just within the last few years. It is counterproductive to bully them now with this kind of ultimatum and undermine their successful programs,” said U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, (R-TX), a strong supporter of the 287 (g) program. “This is another example of the administration making it harder to find and deport illegal immigrants,” he said.

Resuscitating “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” to the detriment of American workers

Illegal immigration is once again front and center in today’s Arizona Republic‘s editorial. Nothing surprising there.

But before getting to the meat of this unpalatably re-heated meal, readers are served the appetizer litany of deaths of “migrants” succumbing to desert heat, kidnappings and drop-houses along with the gnawable bone for the ecology minded: “devastation to the borderland ecosystem.”  These are today’s initial reasons put forth as key to the pressing need for ‘immigration reform.”

The real story in Linda Valdez’s editorial titled Arizonans Can Help Obama, is the role of  the hometown crowd.

The editorial enthuses that Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl will join forces with Democrats Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and former Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano turned Homeland Security Chief, to “lead a bipartisan group assigned to advance reform.” 

According to Valdez, McCain’s immigration credentials are “beyond reproach, since he recognizes that reform is necessary to facilitate an orderly future flow of migrant labor that is adequate to meet the need.”

Valdez’s assertion stands in direct contradiction to an above-the-fold, front page article in same issue of the newspaper detailing the growing number of churches and synagogues across the Valley forming support groups to assist with networking, career coaching and attempts to restore hope to desperate unemployed citizens. How does importing foreign competition, willing to work for lower wages, aid frantic American citizens who are jobless and losing their homes to foreclosure at record rates?

FOX News reports that liberal Democrat Chuck Schumer, steering an immigration overhaul through the Senate expects to have a bill ready by Labor Day. This time Arizona Republicans Kyl and McCain are deviously letting the Democrat take the flak for a bill on which they have previously been the architects and leading cheerleaders — along with their now ailing liberal cohort, Ted Kennedy. They are keenly aware their own Republican party has had its fill of their duplicity on this crucial issue.

According to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, Arizona’s unemployment rate has risen from 6.6 percent in December to 8.2 percent in May. And home foreclosures  in Arizona rose to 16,865 properties with foreclosure filings in May, a 4 percent increase from the previous month and 31 percent ahead of May 2008.

And we need to import workers, Linda?

Just a few more good people coming to do the work Americans refuse to do

illegal aliens selling pirated movies still in theaters

Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Karina Romero-Figueroa, 24, and Judith Romero-Figueroa, 27, on two counts of pirating movies and music, a class-three felony.

The two suspects are being held in the county jail without bond, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

One suspect who fled deputies, leaving two teenagers behind, is still at large. Those children are currently with Child Protective Services. The two suspects in custody have admitted to selling these pirated movies and music titles for the past year at a Mercado for five dollars apiece.

“We have received intelligence indicating that illegal aliens are believed to be heavily involved in this type of activity locally and I will be working closely with these companies to crack down on the problem” Sheriff Joe Arpaio said.

Sheriff’s officials were contacted with the information leading to the arrests by a local private investigation firm that is working for the Recording Industry of America. During the raid, deputies recovered 1,252 movies and over 1,800 music CD’s and MP3’s. Some of the movie titles included Transformers, Ice Age, and Up, all of which are currently in theaters.

 The early morning raid comes just hours after a news conference where Sheriff Arpaio and his attorneys announced their disappointment in the way that the U.S. Department of Justice’s civil investigation is being conducted.

 “I will say it again; I am not going to be deterred by the Justice Department’s attempt to intimidate me from doing my job” Arpaio says.

Since the civil investigation was launched by the Justice Department in March of this year, the Sheriff’s Office has arrested and booked over 4,000 illegal aliens.

Barto lays down her hand — and gets trumped

In the back and forth emails making the rounds after six defectors left the Capitol building to avoid going on record as opposing HB 2280 –  a bill which would have ended sanctuary city policies –  Rep. Nancy Barto (R-Dist.7) attempts to defend her actions.  

She writes: “Rank and file officers are not calling for this bill — they want and need true discretion to perform their duties.”

How, then, does she explain this?

The bill authored by Sen. Russell Pearce (R-Dist.18) was endorsed by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, AZ Fraternal Order of Police, Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA), Maricopa County Deputies Association, Border Patrol Officers Association, Arizona State Republican Party, Maricopa County Republican Party, Arizona Highway Patrol Association. It also gained the support of  the Arizona African American Republican Committee, Arizona Republican Assembly, The Pachyderm Coalition, NumbersUSA, and F.A.I.R.

Seeing Red AZ covered the spineless misadventures of these legislators in this post: Keep these folks in mind when elections roll around.  Maricopa County Republican Chairman Rob Haney voiced his concerns in this letter sent to GOP political activists.

Haney wrote: Last week nine of our Republican state representatives opposed a SOVEREIGNTY bill which would have attempted to end sanctuary city policies. Six of the nine did not even have the courage to vote their convictions. They chose to attempt to protect their political future by not voting. This lack of courage, as well as the failure to understand that the well-being, if not survival, of our citizens and our country is so intricately tied to this invasion is unconscionable. The billed failed by five votes. It was within the power of these nine Republican representatives to protect you and enforce Constitutional mandates. They failed you.

Point well taken, Chairman Haney.

Keep these folks in mind when elections roll around

This is a special message for NumbersUSA members in Arizona

Dear Arizona friends,

Before adjourning for the year on July 1, the Arizona House defeated a bill (HB 2280) authored by Sen. Russell Pearce that would have cracked down on pro-illegal alien “sanctuary” laws and aided in immigration enforcement by expanding the state’s trespassing law. The House voted 26-15 for the bill, five votes short of the 31 needed for passage. The Senate had approved the bill 16-11 earlier that day.

Although most Democrats were expected to oppose the bill, they were joined by three Republicans – Reps. McComish, Tobin and Jones.  An incredible 19 members of the House did not vote on the bill at all.

On the Republican side, these included six members – Reps. Driggs, Barto, Konopnicki, Crandall, Mason, and Quelland — who all left the Capitol building so they didn’t have to go on record as opposing HB 2280.

This legislation, in its original form as passed by the Senate a few days prior, was SB 1175. Rep. Driggs, a long-time opponent of immigration enforcement, derailed that bill’s chances by refusing to hear it in his committee. In order to keep the measure alive, Sen. Pearce placed the bill’s language on HB 2280, which had already passed the House and only needed a “concurrence” vote to clear the measure. The Senate passed HB 2280 on July 1, but when the House voted on the bill a few hours later, Republican opponents left rather than vote.

For years now, certain Republicans have fought responsible enforcement legislation, while at the same time denying their anti-enforcement positions. In fact, some even purported to be concerned about enforcement as they carried water for open-border and cheap-labor groups. The time has come to hold those Republicans accountable for their actions.

Seeing Red AZ wrote about these defectors in this July I, 2009 post Your legislators hard at work, taking a dive — we name names.

 Rob Haney, Maricopa County Republican Committee Chairman has boldly written this article in which he holds accountable those who are responsible for this malfeasance.

Illegal Update

Just a few more good people coming to do the work Americans refuse to do

 Alfonso Valdez-Cota, 24, and Kaven Alfonso Chavez-Aguirre, 25, both “citizens of Mexico,” were sentenced on June 29, 2009, by U.S. District Judge Neil V. Wake to five years in federal prison after both defendants pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess With the Intent to Distribute Heroin. A third co-defendant, Jesus Amaral-Samaniego, pleaded guilty to the same charge and is scheduled for sentencing on July 29, 2009.

Based on an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the three defendants were stopped by Glendale Police officers in November 2008. A search of the passenger compartment of their vehicle revealed a firearm concealed in the rear passenger seat area and two firearms in the trunk. Also found in the trunk were 10 small plastic wrapped ball shaped packages containing a total of 251.2 grams of a substance containing heroin.

Obamenforcement: Putting the onus on the employer rather than the illegal worker

The Obama administration has begun launching investigations of hundreds of businesses around the U.S. as part of its strategy to focus immigration enforcement on the employers who hire illegal workers — rather than the illegal aliens themselves.

Thirty-two Arizona companies are among the 652 nationwide being “audited.” According to a report in the daily, the audits are not random. The businesses were identified based on “leads and information obtained through other investigative means.” ICE would not release the names or locations of the businesses that are being audited citing ongoing investigations.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has begun notifying businesses of plans to audit their I-9 forms — employment eligibility documents that employers fill out for every worker.

The unreliable Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has said investigations will focus on businesses that knowingly hire immigrants who cannot legally work in the U.S.

Read the FOX News report here.

Your legislators hard at work, taking a dive — we name names

HB 2280, the intent of which was to require officials and agencies of the state, counties, cities and towns to fully comply with and assist in the enforcement of federal immigration laws, making trespassing by illegal aliens a crime — failed in the waning hours before legislative sine die.

In the event you are moved to give them a call and inquire about their disgraceful disappearing act or “no” votes, their contact information is included under the links to their names.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS WHO WALKED OUT MOMENTS BEFORE THE VOTE:

Rich Crandall Dist. 19

Adam Driggs Dist.11

Doug Quelland Dist. 10

Lucy Mason Dist. 1

Nancy Barto Dist. 7

Bill Konopnicki Dist. 5

HOUSE REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED NO:

Andrew Tobin Dist. 1

Russ Jones Dist. 24

John McComish Dist. 20

SENATE REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED NO;

Carolyn Allen Dist. 8

John Nelson Dist. 12

HOUSE DEMOCRATS WHO DID NOT VOTE:

Ed Ableser

Jack Brown

Olivia Cajero Bedford

Cloves Campbell

Christopher Deschene

Martha Garcia

Phil Lopes

Eric Meyer

Robert Meza

Ben Miranda

Daniel Patterson

Rae Waters

Nancy Young Wright

Find the missing word

The article in the daily began this way: Two years after engineering the nation’s toughest employer-sanctions law, state Sen. Russell Pearce has taken the lead in a new round of anti-immigration reforms that could have long-lasting effects on Arizona.

One would require school districts to collect data on any student who can’t prove legal residency. Another would require state and local officials to enforce federal immigration laws, thus making sanctuary [city] laws illegal.

The report, centered on Sen. Russell Pearce (R-Dist.18), is rife with the term “anti-immigration.” 

The missing word is “illegal.”