Tea Party Patriots Ordinary citizens reclaiming America's founding principles.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Coming this week; The DREAM Act

Nancy Pelosi DID NOT have the votes for to pass The DREAM Act last week and is expected to reschedule the vote for some time this week -- possibly Wednesday.  It is rumored the Senator Harry Reid will move for a Cloture Vote on the DREAM Act as soon as today.  Recent studies show the DREAM Act will have an estimated cost of $6.2 Billion!
Patriots, your calls, emails and faxes are working!  Continuing your calls, emails & faxes, can and will stop the fiscal nightmare backdoor amnesty for illegal immigrants will cause our country  Contact info for House & Senate members is below.
The dangers of The DREAM Act --
To help remind you of the dangers of this bill, we are reposting Sen. Jeff Sessions' "Ten things you need to know about S.3827, the DREAM Act," which was featured on Michelle Malkin's website on Nov. 18th. (To read the entire memo, visit: http://michellemalkin.com/2010/11/18/dream-act-scorecard-the-gop-senate-fence-sitters/)
1.       The DREAM Act is NOT limited to children, and it will be funded on the backs of hard working, law-abiding Americans.
2.       The DREAM Act PROVIDES safe harbor for any alien, including criminals, from being removed or deported if they simply submit an application.
3.       Certain criminal aliens will be eligible for amnesty under the DREAM Act.
4.       Estimates suggest that at least 2.1 million illegal aliens will be eligible for the DREAM Act amnesty.
5.       Illegal aliens will get in-state tuition benefits.
6.       The DREAM Act does not require that an illegal alien finish any type of degree (vocational, two-year, or bachelor's degree) as a condition of amnesty.
7.       The DREAM Act does not require that an illegal alien serve in the military as a condition for amnesty, and there is ALREADY a legal process in place for illegal aliens to obtain U.S. citizenship through military service.
8.       Despite their current illegal status, DREAM Act aliens will be given all the rights that legal immigrants receive, including the legal right to sponsor their parents and extended family members for immigration.
9.       Current illegal aliens will get federal student loans, federal work study programs, and other forms of federal financial aid.
10.   DHS is prohibited from using the information provided by illegal aliens whose DREAM Act amnesty applications are denied to initiate their removal proceedings or investigate or prosecute fraud in the application process.
Let's melt the lines
The Washington Post article also reported that "a coalition of labor and immigrant advocacy groups announced Tuesday they're launching a radio and print advertising campaign to pressure Republican senators to support the measure. Targets include Florida Senator George LeMieux, Maine Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, Nevada Senator John Ensign and Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison."
Patriots, it is imperative that we counteract the efforts of these pro-amnesty groups. The Senate needs to know that "We the People" want our government to uphold the current federal immigration laws and to act in a fiscally responsible manner by not passing this spending-nightmare bill.
We urge you to contact our Ohio senators as well as the list of targeted senators and tell them to vote NO on the DREAM Act.
List of Ohio / targeted senators
Sen. Sherrod Brown
DC Office Phone: (202) 224-2315 / DC Fax: (202) 228-6321
Cleveland Office Phone: (216) 522-7272 / Cleveland Fax: (216) 522-2239
Sen. George Voinovich
DC Office Phone: (202) 224-3353 / no fax provided
Cleveland Office: (216) 522-7095/ Cleveland Fax: (216) 522-7097
Sen. George LeMieux (FL)
DC Office Phone: 202-224-3041 / Local Office Phone: 904-398-8586
(Recently, LeMieux stated he is voting "No." We must continue to call him and reinforce his decision.)
Sen. Olympia Snowe (ME)
DC Office Phone: 202-224-5344 / Local Office Phone: 207-874-0883
Sen. Susan Collins (ME)
DC Office Phone: 202-224-2523 / Local Office Phone: 207-945-0417
Sen. Scott Brown (MA)
DC Office Phone: (202) 224-4543 / Local Office Phone: (617) 565-3170
Sen. John Ensign (NV)
DC Office Phone: (202) 224-6244 / Local Office Phone: (702) 388-6605
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)
DC Office Phone: 202-224-5922 / Local Office Phone: 214-361-3500
(According to staff, Hutchison will vote against the DREAM Act in its present form.)
Sen. John McCain (AZ)
DC Office Phone: 202-224-2235 / Local Office Phone: 480-897-6289
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK)
DC Office Phone: 202-224-6665 / Local Office Phone: 907-271-3735
Sen. Sam Brownback
DC Office Phone: 202-224-6521 / Local Office Phone: 785-233-2503

Saturday, December 4, 2010

DREAM Act will cost an estimated $6.2 Billion

Not only will the DREAM Act be a fiscal nightmare by creating unfunded mandates on the States, it will greatly diminish opportunies of higher education for many U.S. students, and further strain the resources of the already strained finances of public institutions -- all on the backs and out of the pockets of legal U.S. citizens.

From PR Newswire --
A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies examines the costs and likely impact of the DREAM Act currently being considered by Congress.  The act offers permanent legal status to illegal immigrants up to age 35, who arrived in the United States before age 16, provided they complete two years of college. Under the act, beneficiaries would receive in-state tuition.  

Given the low income of illegal immigrants, most can be expected to attend state schools, with a cost to taxpayers in the billions of dollars.  As both funds and slots are limited at state universities and community colleges, the act may reduce the educational opportunities available to U.S. citizens.  

The Memorandum is available online at http://cis.org/dream-act-costs. Among the findings:
  • Assuming no fraud, we conservatively estimate that 1.03 million illegal immigrants will eventually enroll in public institutions (state universities or community colleges) as a result of the DREAM Act.  That is, they met the residence and age requirements of the act, have graduated high school, or will do so, and will come forward.
  • On average each illegal immigrant who attends a public institution will receive a tuition subsidy from taxpayers of nearly $6,000 for each year he or she attends for total cost of $6.2 billion a year, not including other forms of financial assistance that they may also receive.
  • The above estimate is for the number who will enroll in public institutions.  A large share of those who attend college may not complete the two full years necessary to receive permanent residence.  
  • The cost estimate assumes that the overwhelming majority will enroll in community colleges, which are much cheaper for students and taxpayers than state universities.
  • The estimate is only for new students not yet enrolled.   It does not include illegal immigrants currently enrolled at public institutions or those who have already completed two years of college.  Moreover, it does not include the modest number of illegal immigrants who are expected to attend private institutions.
  • The DREAM Act does not provide funding to states and counties to cover the costs it imposes.  Since enrollment and funding are limited at public institutions, the act's passage will require some combination of tuition increases, tax increases to expand enrollment or a reduction in spaces available for American citizens at these schools.  
  • Tuition hikes will be particular difficult for students, as many Americans already find it difficult to pay for college.  Research indicates that one out of three college students drop out before receiving a degree.  Costs are a major reason for the high dropout rate.  
  • In 2009 there were 10.2 million U.S. citizens under age 35 who have dropped out of college without receiving a degree.  There was an additional 15.2 million citizens under age 35 who have completed high school, but have never attended college.  
  • Lawmakers need to consider the strains the DREAM Act will create and the impact of adding one roughly million students to state universities and community colleges on the educational opportunities available to American citizens.  
  • Providing state schools with added financial support to offset the costs of the DREAM Act would avoid the fiscal costs at the state and local level, but it would shift the costs to federal taxpayer.  
  • Advocates of the DREAM Act argue that it will significantly increase tax revenue, because with a college education, recipients will earn more and pay more in taxes over their lifetime.  However, several factors need to be considered when evaluating this argument:  
    • Any hoped-for tax benefit is in the long-term, and will not help public institutions deal with the large influx of new students the act creates in the short-term.

    • Given limited spaces at public institutions, there will almost certainly be some crowding out of U.S. citizens - reducing their lifetime earnings and tax payments.  

    • The DREAM Act only requires two years of college, no degree is necessary.   The income gains for having some college, but no degree, are modest.  

    • Because college dropout rates are high, many illegal immigrants who enroll at public institutions will not complete the two years the act requires, so taxpayers will bear the expense without a long term benefit.  
Data Source:  The analysis in this report is based on one developed by the Migration Policy Institute, which is based on the 2006 to 2008 Current Population Survey (CPS) collected by the U.S. Census Bureau.  We have updated their analysis using the 2009 and 2010 CPS.   The above estimates focus on the number of illegal immigrants likely to enroll in state universities or community college.  It must be emphasized that it is not an estimate of the number of individuals who are eligible for the DREAM Act amnesty or the number that will ultimately meet all the requirements for permanent residence.

The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent non-partisan research institution that examines the impact of immigration on the United States.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Another Chance to Kill the Food Bill

The House Ways and Means Committee might be the last chance we have to kill the food bill passed by the Senate Tuesday morning.

According to the Constitution, all bills generating revenue (taxes) have to originate out of the House of Representatives. Sec. 107 of the Food Safety Modernization Act includes taxes (i.e. raising revenue), and the bill originated in the Senate, NOT the House. You can read about the Senate’s error by visiting: http://www.rollcall.com/news/-201012-1.html.

While there are no members of the Ways and Means Committee from Ohio, we urge you to contact several of them and ask them to support the "blue slip" procedure to be invoked concerning S. 510. Here is a list of the Ways and Means Committee members: http://waysandmeans.house.gov/singlepages.aspx?newsid=10462

If the “blue slip” procedure is invoked, the Senate will most likely not have enough time to redo the bill, before the end of the lame duck session. This might be our last chance to kill this bill.

Representative-Elect Bill Johnson (OH-6) already doing Ohio Proud!

Before even being sworn in, Representative-Elect Bill Johnson (OH-6), by declining his Congressional Health Care benefits, immediately sets the stage for a new day and a new way in D.C. by jumping in with action and not empty political speech.

From the Marietta Ohio 9.12 Project --

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT BILL JOHNSON DECLINES CONGRESSIONAL HEALTH CARE BENEFITS

Says Congress should focus on patient-based, market-driven solutions.
Bill Johnson is a Congressional Candidate that the Marietta OH 9-12 Project and many other TEA Parties in the Ohio 6th District worked to elect last month. He is demonstrating the kind of character that TEA Party Candidates are bringing to Washington. We can only hope that others in Congress follow his lead.
Poland, OH -- Representative-elect Bill Johnson has announced his decision to turn down Congressional health care benefits as he enters the House of Representatives.

The decision, Johnson says, is based on his belief that members of Congress shouldn't have access to premium health care benefits when millions of Americans are struggling just to make ends meet.

"Lincoln famously put forth the notion that government should be of the people, by the people and for the people," Johnson said.  "This is one substantial way I can show that my commitment to the people of Eastern and Southern Ohio is to help them, not to gain exclusive benefits for myself."

Johnson said Congress must focus on repealing Obama Health Care and instead adopt patient-based, market-driven health care solutions.

"I oppose ObamaCare because government-controlled health care will create more debt and huge bureaucracy," Johnson said.  "We need to reverse the government takeover of our health care, and we should adopt common sense, patient-centered, private sector solutions like making health care portable from job to job and state to state, tort reform, and promoting health savings accounts."

In addition to declining Congressional health care, Representative-elect Johnson will turn down the government 401K program and the associated matching portion that is paid for by taxpayers.

Bill Johnson will represent Ohio's Sixth Congressional District, which includes all or parts of 12 counties along the Ohio River in Eastern and Southern Ohio.  He lives in Poland with his wife LeeAnn and son Nathan.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Rep. Rob Bishop (UT-01) introduces the Repeal Amendment

From Rep. Rob Bishop --
Congressman Rob Bishop (UT-01), Co-Chair of the 10th Amendment Task Force, today introduced a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution known as the Repeal Amendment, which would provide States with the authority to repeal any federal law, regulation, tax, or unfunded mandate if two-thirds of the States are in agreement. The Repeal Amendment would provide a targeted way to reverse particular congressional acts and administrative regulations the public opposes.

“Recent history has shown that American liberties are threatened when there is an imbalance of power between the federal and state governments.  The Repeal Amendment will provide citizens, through their elected state representatives, with a powerful tool to check an overzealous and power-hungry federal government,” said Congressman Bishop. 

The U.S. Constitution, as drafted by the Founders, designed a system that created a balance of power between state and national government.  That original balance has eroded as the federal government has accumulated more and more power in Washington.  The Repeal Amendment will help restore the spirit of the Tenth Amendment by strengthening the ability of States to protect those powers “reserved to states”—as outlined in the Bill of Rights.

“I’m proud to sponsor the Repeal Amendment in Congress because it is a simple, transparent tool that can help restore balance and reduce the concentration of power in Washington,” Bishop added. “While the Repeal Amendment will not immediately turn the tide of a power-hungry, overreaching national government, it is an arrow in the quiver of states and a solid first step that can be taken to begin restoring the balance of power our Founding Fathers intended when they drafted the Constitution.”

Liberty Counsel’s Healthcare Lawsuit on Fast-Track to Court of Appeals

From Liberty Counsel --
Lynchburg, VA – Liberty University’s challenge to the healthcare law will now be heard by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals following today’s ruling by District Court Judge Norman Moon. Judge Moon found that Liberty University and two individual plaintiffs had standing to assert their constitutional claims against the individual and employer mandates in the healthcare law and that their claims were ripe for consideration. Judge Moon also held that the Anti-Injunction Act, which prohibits taxpayers from trying to enjoin the collection of taxes, does not bar the claims. He then ruled on the merits of the substantive claims, finding that Congress acted within its authority under the Commerce Clause when it enacted the mandates in the healthcare law.

That dismissal on the merits tees up the Commerce Clause challenge, along with other constitutional challenges based upon the First Amendment and a challenge under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), for an immediate appeal to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia. Liberty Counsel, which represents the plaintiffs in the suit, will be filing the appeal immediately. This will bring to the forefront the core constitutional issue in the case–whether Congress’ power under the Commerce Clause includes mandating that individuals and employers be compelled to purchase government approved health insurance under threat of monetary penalty.

Judge Moon’s ruling on the Commerce Clause claim contradicts decisions from courts in Richmond, Virginia, and Pensacola, Florida, which have denied similar motions to dismiss lawsuits against the healthcare bill. Those cases were not dismissed and are still pending in the district courts. The ruling by Judge Moon now allows Liberty University’s law suit to be the first case to reach the court of appeals on the substantive law issue.

Mathew D. Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law said: “I am confident that the federal healthcare law will eventually be struck down on appeal because it is unconstitutional. Congress does not have the authority to force every American to purchase a particular kind of health insurance product. I am pleased the federal court found that Liberty University and the private plaintiffs have standing to pursue this claim. The court’s ruling on the merits of the Commerce Clause, while wrong now, puts the case on a fast track to the federal court of appeals. This ruling will expedite a final resolution of the case.”

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Comments from Middleburg Hts Mayor Gary Starr & County Council-elect Dave Greenspan on proposed Sewer Rate Increase (Video)

Comments from the NEORSD, Middleburg Hts Mayor Gary Starr & County Council-elec Dave Greenspan after he NEORSD public meeting on the $3 Billion Clean Lake Project.... (H/T NotAtypicalPatriot)