Idaho

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Craig is a strong PROponent of the bill and is close to Feinstein on the related AgJobs bill. His office was less than enthusiastic when I contacted them on May 18 - approx 11:00 am. Craig responded to me once via form letter that the economy of Idaho is at stake as well as the econnomy of the US, therefore we NEED immigration "reform" as per the last two bills in the Senate!! Senator Crapo is one of us and his office indicated that he is dead set against the latest fiasco. Contacted May 18 approx 11:00 am.

Later note:  The offices contacted were those Senator's district offices in Northern Idaho.

05/27:  From Eagle Forum Email:

Amendment:                                             Craig   Crapo

Dorgan Amendment
To eliminate the guest worker program.   Nay       Nay
Failed 31-64 (Roll Call 174)

Bingaman Amendment                             Nay       Nay
To limit guest workers to 200,000 annually.
Passed 74-24 (Roll Call 175)

Coleman Amendment                               Yea       Yea
To allow law enforcement officers and
government officials to inquire as to the
legal status of individuals they serve.
Failed 48-49 (Roll Call 177)

Dorgan Amendment                                 Nay       Nay
To sunset the guest-worker program after
5 years.
Failed 48-49 (Roll Call 177)

Vitter Amendment                                    Nay      Yea
To strike Title VI, the amnesty portion, of
the Senate bill.
Failed 29-66 (Roll Call 180)

Looks Like Crapo is NOT as firm as I had thought!

 

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I also contacted Senators in Idaho on May 18th, early afternoon.   I also sensed a downword spiral in his voice (Senator Craig's office) as I voiced my opposition to this Immigration Proposal!  Karen

Just called Senator Craig's office. He said he is undecided on this bill. The citizens need to call in mass to get him to stand up to the pressure and vote for US, the citizens of Idaho and the United States. Everyone call!

I called Senator Craig's office (2:30 pm) today and he has a tally running for and against this current immigration bill. Please call and make your opinion known! I also found this press release on his website: For Immediate Release: May 17, 2007 Craig Lauds Compromise Immigration Proposal WASHINGTON, D.C. - Idaho Senator Larry Craig offered the following comments on the announced compromise on immigration reform: "The American people have rightly demanded that Congress solve the national problem of immigration, and the bill announced today is a serious effort to do just that. It has all three legs of the immigration reform stool - increasing border security, reforming our guest worker programs, and addressing the workers already in our country. "While there is no way to please everyone on an issue as complex and divisive as this one, the legislation the Senate will be debating next week has many provisions that will promote our economy, protect the security of our country and its citizens, and deal fairly with both citizens and non-citizens alike. I believe this bill will serve the interests and needs of Idaho and the nation well." For the past several years, Craig has promoted extensive changes to the agricultural guest worker program and border security. S. 340, the most recent iteration of AgJOBS, is sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and 28 other Senators. It has been incorporated as part of this compromise on immigration reform. It was also included in the immigration reform bill that passed the Senate last year. For the past several years, he has also worked closely with Senator Robert Byrd, D-W.V., on border security. Their efforts have added thousands of border patrol agents, improved detention facilities and enforcement efforts, and added technological security efforts to our borders. Debate on the immigration compromise proposal is expected to begin in the U.S. Senate on Monday, May 21.

Called Craig's and Crapo's office this morning.  Craig's gave me the song and dance (similar to the song and dance I got on the border agent issue), Crapo's was upfront and left no question he does not support the bill.  I just sent this email to Craig:

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Dear Senator Craig,

I just got off the phone with your Washington office, of whom I enquired about your stance on the Bush-Kennedy Immigration Bill.  I was dismayed and greatly disappointed by the vagueness of their response.  Contrast this with the response I received from Senator Crapo’s office, who told me in no uncertain terms that he will vote against the bill as long as it maintains its amnesty provisions.

I’ve written to you on this issue a number of times before, and I want to reiterate my position:  I do not support amnesty in any form.  I expect you to hold US companies accountable for hiring illegals, which will dry up the job supply and drive the illegals back to their country, where they can really get back in line to come here legally.  And I also expect you to secure our border using a combination of the military, border patrol, and mechanical barriers – whatever it takes to drive illegal border crossings to zero.

Let me also make this very clear – for this next election, I will be a single issue voter.  If you can not support the above, you will not receive my vote.

Regards,

staff reported he is in favor for tighter borders, and no amnesty, but did not state he was not in favor of the bill

PLease get all your friends, family, and neighbors to call Senator Craig and let him know that we the people do not support the bill  in any form and supporting illegals or making them more "comfortable".  We do not want anyone coming across the border without going through the regular channels already in our laws.  It is obvious that the United States will not enforce the laws already passed and promised to us to fix the border problems--so why are they trying to fool us into thinking we will fall for the same trick Senator Kennedy pulled on us 20 years ago and let even more illegals in.  We are not against immigration--just illegal immigration!

Senator Craig vote for the bill he has sold out Idaho and the U.S. I will do my best to see that he is defeated in the next election. He doesn't care what we want he cares about the Corporations who finance his next re-election campaign. He is a RINO!

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Craig voted to end cloture.  Craig supports amnesty - I traded mailed with him after the first Bill.  Craig is in the back pocket of Simplot, et al.  We need to vote Craig out of office.  -Dave

I emailed and have faxed Sen. Craig many times, he is for amnesty and will not vote against the Kennedy/Bush bill. The people of Idaho cannot count on Sen. Craig. I am originally from Texas, I saw with my own eyes what illegal immig- ration problems arose in Texas. I saw gang violence, free medical services, free lunches, special teachers to teach Spanish, special options for the illegal immigrants. I have kin folk that fought in the Alamo, as I tried to explain to Sen. Craig, they will take over Texas and never fire a shot. We cannot afford to see that happen here in the great State of Idaho. We need to keep the pressure on Sen Craig or he will give in. Sen. Crapo needs to be commended, he is against the bill and will stand strong, not so with Craig. I truly hope and pray, that we can stop the amnesty bill before us. I promise, that if it passes, our kids will be paying for it the rest of their lives and their children also. God Bless America and the great State of Idaho. Jimmy Chambers

Here is my letter to Senator Craig which is following up my phone call:

 

Dear Senator Craig,

I have visited your website to learn more about you and would like to compare your stated goals with a little thing I like to call "reality" regarding the proposed Imigratin Reform Bill.

goal one:	Deliver timely, high quality constituent service. Perhaps you need to reconsider what "high quality" means.
goal two:	Protect the sovereignty and security of the nation while guarding our personal freedoms and restraining the growth and power of the federal government.  How does supporting an amnesty bill that grants legal status to people who are already breaking our laws protect our national sovereignty and security?
goal three:	Defend and strengthen the traditional values of the American family.  What's next?  Will Cinco de Mayo become a federal holiday like Thanksgiving and Christmas?
goal four:	Establish federal policies that are responsive to the needs and interests of the West by building strong, sustainable rural communities; ensuring access to adequate, affordable health care; and developing natural resource and energy policies that protect water and ensure a clean, safe environment, consistent with sound science, economic growth and the principle of multiple use.  Can you possibly believe that we can sustain our current level of healthcare, not to mention standard of living with this bill?
goal five:	Develop education policies that recognize the role of parents and local communities, encourage innovation, enhance school choice, and improve the quality of education.  Our education in Idaho is under enough strain to provide quality education to the children of citizens.  I just voted for 2 tax levies that were essential to maintaining necessary programs in our school district.  I really don't like the idea of paying even more to ensure the education for children of those who did not come here legally, not to mention the other problems that occur when we are forced to educate their children.
goal six:	Promote policies that stimulate a robust free and fair market economy, encourage economic development, strengthen American agriculture, open markets for Idaho and U.S. products, and foster job creation and entrepreneurship, especially in emerging technologies.  A free and fair market for whom?
goal seven:	Increase opportunities and incentives for citizen involvement in the political and legislative process.  You've got me here.  I'm definitely motivated to be part of the process.  I have a question.  How do you go about removing a sitting US Senator from office?  Senator Craig, listen to the people who have entrusted you to represent their values and ideas.  We do not want the proposed legislation for Immigration Reform.  It IS NOT in the best interest of our citizens  If you continue to support this bill, you will not have our support in the future.  I have an idea.  How about we start enforcing the current laws?  I shudder to think about the impact this bill will have on my children. Sincerely, Becky Jo Funk Coeur d'Alene, ID

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Senator Craig accepts huge donations from the MEGAfarmers and ignores the wishes of the "LITTLE PEOPLE."  He has lifetime tenure on that senate seat.  Let's show him how mad a bunch of LITTLE VOTERS can get.  Every state has LIFERS in the senate just like him.  We need to get rid of ALL LIFERS and maybe common sense will return to Washington.  These people we have now have no idea who we are, what we want, and why we want it.  SHOW THEM!

I watched the Senate hearings all day Monday, May 21, and have emailed Sen. Craig and Crapo essentially the following:  There is only one path to take consisting of two parts:  One:  secure the borders by whatever means necessary, military if need be and Two:  Attrition through Enforcement to reduce the number of purported 10 million (or 20 million) illegals.  Forget all the rest of this nonsense and stick to the real issues. .....  The current postings reflect my experience with both Senators Coeur d'Alene offices over the past year.  I have reminded other Senators who insist on ramming this issue through that Recall is an option.  This will not affect Sen. Crapo since he is Mr. Common  Sense. .......I applaud all you Idahoans who remain in the fight.  I am of the WWII generation, so you know I will never give up.  The silent majority is speaking.  It is too bad that the Republican Party is suffering.  An Independent Party may be in the offing.  We shall see.  I have mixed feeling about that, but only time will tell.

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INDEPENDANT??  That's how we got Billary by 43% of the vote.  A 3rd party will never win.  He draws off just enough votes that the Dems win.  Ross Perot handed the election to Clinton by getting some of the Republican voters to vote for him.  I doubt any D voters did.  We had to pay for a recall in a mayoral election in Nampa, where it takes a 51% majority.  Our old mayor and the one we have now were very close.  Some lady from back east moved here, wanted to run our town "effieiently- - the way we did in" (Akron or Pittsburgh or- - -)  and she got 3%, so nobody got a majority.  That is what happens with third party candidates, no matter how good they sound.   If nobody runs against Craig as a Republican, I plan to vote for the one with the HONESTY TO ADMIT HE IS A DEMOCRAT!  No, I understand that Craig is not- - but he IS ON THIS ISSUE!  And- -if we do not secure our borders, then not much else matters anyway because we have LOST OUR COUNTRY!  The presidente of Mexico will dictate our laws from now on.

Spoke with Senator Craig's office this morning, and, as indicated by others, I was very disappointed that he has voted yes on the bill.  I feel that we need to make a change in this position next time around.  We do not need representation from someone who has no real concern or connection with the people he represents.

Craig's home is safe up on a mountain. My home is a nice 5 bedroom home we bought in 1970 in SE Nampa. We hear gunfire almost every night. We are surrounded by gang members and drug dealers. Flocks of Mexican children walk by almost every day. They seem to always be eating. They toss vanilla wafer boxes, candy wrappers, Walmart bags, soda bottles in our yards. They vandalize. They spray grafitti on our fences and garages. If a smaller, cheaper house in the area comes up for sale, Mexicans either rent or buy it. One was painted mustard yellow with Prussian Blue trim. They park cars all over the lawns. Might as well- - they do not water the grass or mow it, so running over it helps keep it from growing so high. Senator Craig wants to make citizens of them because they work cheap. No other reason. What his rich friends save on farm wages is lost to the rest of us in higher costs in medical, Welfare, education, police, jails and prisons. I am absolutely outraged that Sen. Craig is voting to destroy OUR country! YO NO HABLO ESPANOL!! I do speak and understand a little, but I REFUSE! In 2005 when I was 66 years old, a 24 year old MEXICAN came in my back door. He was high on meth and would have killed me if not for my dog and my pistol. Hence my nickname. I do not want ONE MORE MEXICAN in my town!

In late May of 2004, my wife and and I were returning home from a trip to visit our son in Moscow, Idaho, six hours north of Boise.  It was 11:00 at night as we climbed a hill just north of Boise, when we passed a car with a lowered suspension and loud exhaust traveling slowly in the right hand lane.   As we crested the hill, I heard the exhaust sound from a rapidly approaching car, followed immediately by a hard impact to the driver's side door.  I struggled to maintain control of our Jeep, and as I looked up I saw the car we had passed earlier speeding off at an estimated 80 mph.  We pursued the vehicle into Boise at speeds exceeding 100 MPH, but lost sight of it as we entered the city.

An amazing series of coincidences led to the discovery one week later of the vehicle that hit us, parked in the parking lot of the El Tenampa Restaurant in the tiny town of Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, just minutes from where the accident took place.  Accompanied by a Horseshoe Bend police officer, we took pictures of damage on the vehicle that proved conclusively that it was the vehicle that hit us (see http://myweb.cableone.net/stestardi/hit%20and%20run/).

A short time later, the police officer confronted the registered owner of the vehicle, who was employed by the restaurant where it was parked. The owner explained that he was not driving the vehicle when the accident occurred, and that he was in fact not the real owner -- he had registered the car for a friend who was in the country illegally.  He directed the officer to the person who was driving the car (who was employed illegally by the restaurant).  The officer confirmed he was an illegal, had no driver's license, and no insurance.  The illegal admitted to the accident, providing details that confirmed he was telling the truth, and told the officer he would make full restitution.  The officer cited him on multiple charges (driving without a license, driving without insurance, leaving the scene of an accident) and issued him a summons to appear in court, but did not arrest him.

When the court date arrived, the illegal did not show up.  When the police tried to track him down, they discovered he had quit his job and moved out of the house he had been staying in.  The officer told me they had entered his identification information into the National Crime Information Center database, but that in all likelihood the name he gave was false, and he would simply change it again.

Scenarios like this are repeated daily, and with increasing frequency, throughout this country.  Because they are here illegally, illegals are in essence immune to the laws that citizens like you and I are bound by. They don't have to pay traffic tickets, they don't have to pay taxes, they don't have to heed a summons, they don't have to make restitution for damages -- they just change their identity and move on.

Even if you are not directly impacted as my wife and I were, you are already paying the price -- in higher insurance costs, higher medical costs, higher crime rates, and higher taxes.  Unless we act decisively to secure our borders and make it a felony to harbor, aid, or employ illegal aliens, we leave them free to flout our laws, while at the same time taking advantage of all this country has to offer.

I WAS IN NEW YORK NOT LONG AGO AND I VISITED LADY LIBERTY. TEARS CAME DOWN MY FACE WHEN I STOOD IN FRONT OF HER AND I SAW A BIG TEAR ON HER CHEEK SO I ASKED HER WHAT'S WRONG? SHE TOLD ME I CAN TALK TO YOU BECAUSE I REMEMBER THE IRISH AND POLISH SIDE OF YOUR FAMILY PASSING IN FRONT OF ME WITH "AMERICAN" FLAGS IN THEIR HANDS, THEY WAVED THERE FLAGS AND SMILED AT ME ON THERE WAY TO "ELLIS" ISLAND I CAN STILL HEAR THEM YELLING "GOD BLESS AMERICA" I WAS SO HAPPY BACK THEN..........SHE SIGHED AND SAID NOW I'M SAD, NO ONE PASSES ME NOW, THEY GO OVER FENCES, OR THROUGH TUNNELS THEY TAKE AND TAKE FROM ME YET WON'T SUPPORT ME. THEY WANT TO HAVE CHILDREN HERE, SO THEY BECOME AMERICAN'S THEY DON'T PAY TAXES, YET WANT FREE CARE AND COST THE REAL AMERICANS BILLIONS. WHERE DID I GO WRONG SHE ASKED ME...I SAID YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG WE STILL HAVE THE MILLIONS OF "LEGAL" AMERICANS THAT WILL FIGHT WITH THEIR BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS FOR OUR COUNTRY AND THEY WILL MAKE OUR CONGRESS AND SENATE START DOING THE RIGHT THINGS FOR OUR COUNTRY AND I PROMISE YOU THAT....OK? SHE GAVE ME A SLIGHT SMILE AND SAID OK.....AND CAN YOU TELL AMERICA SOMETHING FOR ME, I SAID YES, SHE SAID TELL ALL THE "REAL AMERICANS THAT I STILL LOVE THEM" AND I WANT AMERICA TO BE GREAT AGAIN......THANKS AMERICA FOR READING THIS.