Utah Law maker to propose bill that mirrors Arizona's E-verify law

By david montero

The Salt Lake Tribune
First published May 27 2011 04:53PM
Updated 3 hours ago

Rep. Stephen Sandstrom on Friday proposed a Utah version of a newly upheld 2007 Arizona law requiring businesses to use a federal verification program to screen for undocumented immigrants applying for jobs

The Orem Republican, who had been sitting on the bill, said Thursday’s 5-3 U.S. Supreme Court decision settled the question of constitutionality.

"I’m going to run the exact same bill," Sandstrom said. "There is no doubt it [will] hold up."

Sandstrom, who expects to have language for the measure within two weeks, said it would mirror Arizona’s law — mandating employers use E-verify and setting up severe penalties if companies knowingly hire undocumented immigrants or fail to use the federal system.

He warned that employers who violate federal law by hiring undocumented immigrants would have their business licenses suspended for up to two weeks and be put on probation for five years. If a violating company had another offense during that five-year span, its business license would be revoked.

The bill wouldn’t impact workers already on a payroll, but would affect future hires.

"We need to take down the ‘Help wanted’ sign for illegal aliens looking to come to Utah," Sandstrom said. "Now that the Arizona law has been upheld by the Supreme Court, we need to act fast."

The lawmaker plans to lobby Gov. Gary Herbert to call a special session in September to pass his measure because he worries undocumented immigrants in Arizona now will head to Utah.



Herbert spokeswoman Ally Isom wouldn’t say whether the governor would consider a special session.

"Gov. Herbert has not been contacted by Rep. Sandstrom, nor have we had opportunity to review any new proposals from him," Isom said in a statement. "E-verify, which is already mandatory in the state of Utah, is a program the governor has supported."

The Arizona law was challenged by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Obama administration and civil-rights groups, but Chief Justice John Roberts, in his opinion, said the law was within the state’s authority.

The law was written by Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, who said Thursday he was confident the high court would uphold it.

It’s not the first time Sandstrom has picked up Pearce-inspired legislation and run it in the Beehive State.

The Utahn’s enforcement-only bill, HB497, was born of Pearce’s SB1070, which required police to enforce federal immigration law. Parts of SB1070 are currently held up in the courts, and Sandstrom’s bill is awaiting a July hearing after the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Law Center filed a lawsuit saying it’s unconstitutional.

Marty Carpenter, spokesman for the Salt Lake Chamber, said individual state immigration laws create a patchwork problem and that the solution must come from the federal government.

"Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s good policy. This opens the door for state legislators to try and solve a problem by treating one symptom rather than treating the root cause of the issue," Carpenter said. "Businesses are in the business to create markets, transport and sell goods. Businesses are not in the business to police or enforce immigration policy."

So after reading this are you saying to yourself "I Just Don't Get It?"

Woman Cuts her Kids’ Throats & Her Own Because of Doomsday Prophecy

A story traveled around social networks yesterday about a woman so distraught over the impending "rapture" stories she took it one step further. Armed with a box cutter she sliced the throats of her two daughters and then herself. Had it not been for a friend stopping by the house all would be dead.

The children are recovering in the hospital and their mother, without severe injures sits in jail under a bond of $1 million dollars.


Is this the only such tragedy that Harold Camping's lunacy caused? Probably not. And I would go further and say he doesn't even care. He sits on a fortune collected from donations for years by those who needed so badly to believe the end of the world and the coming of Christ.

Neither happened and yet lives are ruined. There is no going back for this woman. She wanted to spare her children. Instead of the anticipated god's judgement she will go to court and explain her actions. A totally different kind of judgement.

And the man behind the curtain lives oblivious or uncaring that his crazy words had serious consequences. Is he legally responsible for anything? I hope that he is inundated with civil law suits. False Promise. And up until his dying day he is deposed spending much of the fortune he stole from his followers on lawyers

Here is the link to the video that puts a face to this tragedy> bit.ly/iiY93a.

False prophecies take their toll on the believers. Too bad Harold Camping is left to count his money.

I Just Don't Get It.

Carlos Santana: Immigration Policies Admonished by Santana at Baseball Game

B/R Swagger

By

Gabe Zaldivar

(Featured Columnist) on May 16, 2011

.

Carlos Santana Jumps in Georgia for Immigration Law at Braves vs. Phillies Game
We have some Carlos Santana news to dole out from the wonderful world of baseball. Fantasy owners rest assured that I am talking about the legendary rocker, not the budding Cleveland Indians catcher.
Santana was present at the annual Civil Rights game which celebrates equal rights and the long history of the fight to attain just that.
This year, the game was held at Turner Field in the final match-up of a three game series between the Braves and Phillies. Santana was not all about love, peace and happiness. He used the moment to admonish Georgia for a law that was passed on Friday.
MUST READ: The 25 Best Sidekicks in Sports History
The law mandates that employers check the status of new hires for immigration status, as well as allows officers to check the status of some suspects.
Santana used this law to also call out Arizona that passed a similar law. He stated the following at the event.

The people of Arizona, and the people of Atlanta, Georgia, you should be ashamed of yourselves. This law is not correct. It's a cruel law, actually. This is about fear. Stop shucking and jiving. People are afraid we're going to steal your job. No, we aren't. You're not going to change sheets and clean toilets.

The Civil Rights game has been a success in tying the Civil Rights struggle to sports. This is one example of the game extending the discussion.
Regardless of your opinion on current immigration policies. It would be irresponsible to not have a discussion on some of the merits.
This is yet another case of the sports world extending upon itself  So it must be asked, why is this a polarizing issue? I just don't get it?

Video: Man licks his shoes on New York City train

Video: Man licks his shoes on New York City train

Washington Post Publisher Pay | Newsroom Guild Demands Raise | Mogulite

Washington Post Publisher Pay | Newsroom Guild Demands Raise | Mogulite

WashPo Newsroom Irate Over Exec Pay Bump

4:52 pm, May 9th | by Amy Tennery

Things are getting ugly for the Washington Post’s executive team. After announcing just a few days ago that profits were way down in the first quarter — 66 percent down, to be precise — the paper’s newsroom union is crying foul over publisher Katharine Weymouth’s pay. See, despite her company’s recent jaw-dropping performance decline, Weymouth is getting a 16.4 percent pay increase. Media Matters snatched up the details from the SEC filing:

“In 2010, Ms. Weymouth was paid $537,000 in base salary and received a bonus of $483,750 based on the achievement of pre-established 2010 performance goals. In addition, Ms. Weymouth received $1,053,441 based on achieving pre-established goals under the WP Media Three-Year Long-Term Incentive Plan and a payment of $72,000 for her 2,400 vested Performance Units in the 2007-2010 Award Cycle.. Effective April 1, 2011, Ms. Weymouth’s base salary will increase to $625,000.”

In Weymouth’s defense (we’ll keep this short), the recent quarterly performance drop was largely due to Washington Post subsidiary Kaplan’s 48 percent drop in enrollment, according to Reuters, so it would be sort of unfair to besmirch Weymouth’s pay increase based solely on the Q1 figures. Weymouth is responsible for the paper, not the entire company.

Unfortunately for Weymouth, however, the newsroom guild really doesn’t see it that way. At all. With the union’s contract set to expire June 7, they’re now demanding across-the-board pay increases commensurate with Weymouth’s. The union pointed to the increasingly poor financial performance at the paper in a written statement (also posted by Media Matters):

“The Newspaper Publishing Division (of which The Post is the major part) reported significant operating losses in 2008 and 2009, and a smaller operating loss in 2010 (due in part to several one-time charges), and The Post continues to experience declines in circulation and print advertising revenue. In 2010, for example, The Post’s Sunday and Daily circulation fell 8.2% and 7.5%, respectively.” PAper losing money and owner takes a raise...I Just dont get it....

When Is PhotoShopping not OK?

By now much of the world has seen the iconic picture of POTUS in the situation room with his closest advisers and cabinet members as they watched the raid on Bin Laden's compound. 

SOS Hillary Clinton's  posture, hand covering mouth,showed just how intense those moments were. Most newspapers around the world reported the story of that night with the photo untouched. Except for one.

In Israel there is an ultra orthodox newspaper that
reported on the events with one change. Hillary Clinton was photo shopped out. Erased. Women are forbidden to sit with men in the Orthodox world. It's religious law. And no one dare contradict.

Here is my problem..By manipulating the picture the story is changed. It matters that she was there that night. No doubt she weighed in heavily on the decision whether or not to go ahead with the plan. After all  if it had failed she would have spent the rest of Obama's term mending fences.

Religious belief should have nothing to do when reporting news. Erasing women is never ok. 

And I Just Don't Get It

Financial Manager In Benton Harbor unconstitutional

Yesterday, by a vote of 6 to 2, the Benton Harbor City Commission and Mayor declared the appointment of Joseph Harris as the Emergency Financial Manager and his subsequent stripping of the Commission's ability to govern the City unconstitutional.

Whereas, The City of Benton Harbor declares the appointment of an Emergency Manager a violation of Article I §1, which states that all political power is inherent in the people and that government is instituted for their equal benefit, security and protection. Whereas, The City of Benton Harbor declares the appointment of an Emergency Manager a violation of Article I §3, which allows the citizens of Benton Harbor the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.
Whereas, The City of Benton Harbor declares the appointment of an Emergency Manager a violation of Article VII §22, which affords Benton Harbor citizens the the power and authority to frame, adopt and amend its charter, and to amend an existing charter of the city or village heretofore granted or enacted by the legislature for the government of the city or village. Each such city and village shall have power to adopt resolutions and ordinances relating to its municipal concerns, property and government, subject to the constitution and law.
Whereas, The City of Benton Harbor declares the appointment of an Emergency Manager a violation of Article VII §34, which states that the provisions of this constitution and law concerning counties, townships, cities and villages shall be liberally construed in their favor.
Whereas, The City of Benton Harbor declares the appointment of an Emergency Manager a violation of Article IX §2, which provides the citizens of Benton Harbor the right of taxation with representation.
Resolved, The appointment of an Emergency Manager is in direct violation of the Michigan Constitution and therefore demands the removal of said Emergency Manager immediately.
Resolved, That the Benton Harbor City Commission is hereby directed to forward copies of this resolution to Governor Rick Snyder, State Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, Speaker of the House Jase Bolger, State Senator John Proos, and State Representative Al Pscholka.  MAYBE SOMEONE COULD EXPLAIN THIS BECAUSE I JUST DON'T GET IT