Thread: NumbersUSA Fence, Elections, A Death in Our Office

From: Roy Beck NumbersUSA <immigrationinfo@numbersusa.com>
Date: 2006/10/13 Fri AM 12:10:46 EDT
Subject: UPDATE: fence, elections, a death in our office

From: Roy Beck, President, NumbersUSA
Date: Thursday 12oct06 11:30 p.m. EDT

UPDATES: border fence, elections, power of our faxing/phoning & a death in our staff

CONGRESSMAN TOM TANCREDO SAYS FAXES ARE THE WIND BENEATH HIS WINGS

The chairman of the 100-plus-Member Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus and national hero of the immigration sanity movement recently paid high tribute to all of you citizen activists:

"Grassroots activism and support is what gives people like me the ability to influence the immigration debate in Washington.

"The phone calls and faxes of activists help demonstrate the size and influence of our movement.

"My colleagues sometimes ask me to ‘make it stop’ – but I’m not the one sending the faxes. And the truth is I wouldn’t call off the dogs if I could."
----------U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo

Did Tom Tancredo just call all of us "dogs?"

As I prepare to start sending you many special requests for action to play on opportunities raised by the election campaigns, I want to re-emphasize how effective you have been this year with your faxing, phoning and showing up at events.

We are able to track the delivery success rate of every fax you send to a congressional office. We know that nearly all get through.

And we have double-check evidence because so many offices call us to complain about the volume of your faxes. (They call you to find out that NumbersUSA is offering the service that you are using. We don't mind them knowing that we are behind the faxing as long as you make it clear that you approved the message and actually clicked the SEND button, not us.)

We have to keep up the pressure on the congressional offices, not only because elections are coming up, but because Congress will return in mid-November for a lame-duck session. Many U.S. Senators have said they hope to return to pass an amnesty and giant immigration increase -- feeling that it will be another two years before more elections and voters may just forget by then.
in this email:
1. New web page to help you promote ATTRITION THROUGH ENFORCEMENT -- the best political and practical solution to illegal immigration

2. What's UP (or down) with THE FENCE

3. A Death On Our Staff

4. Ted Kennedy on the defensive on immigration in his re-election bid

5. Which Candidates Are The Best On Immigration?

6. Pres. Bush Makes His Amnesty Support Clear

7. Fantastic bill introduced to eliminate CHAIN MIGRATION
.
actions in brief:
Catch up on all the faxes and other actions that have been added to your Action Buffet corkboard:

NumbersUSA.com/actionbuffet
.
donate now:
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Use Our New ATTRITION THROUGH ENFORCEMENT Web Page


Perhaps nothing is more important during the last three weeks of campaigning before the elections than to try to force candidates and the media to deal with the fact that we have an ATTRITION THROUGH ENFORCEMENT option.

Roy, I was very pleased by the content of the fax we were asked to send out on "Attrition through enforcement." I think it was sorely needed at this time and hit the nail on the head. I hope there will be similar faxes to send out over the next few weeks that provide additional suggestions to the Congress regarding the type of enforcement bills that will provide the needed enforcement that will in turn provide a solution to the illegal immigrant problem."
----------Jim Smith

You at NumbersUSA do a great job on this issue. I like the way you don't (seem to) exaggerate to make your point. The illegal alien supporters are hard-pressed to argue against unbiased, hard facts. One point that does not seem to get much coverage - ATTRITION THROUGH ENFORCEMENT. It is political SUICIDE to talk of mass deportations! It gives ammunition to the extremists on the other side."
----------Mark Schulte

Most people who support amnesty claim that the government has only a choice between mass roundups and deportations on the one hand, and mass legalization of illegal aliens on the other.

Polls actually show support for mass deportations growing. But most Americans when given just two options choose legalization.

I'm not aware of a single member of Congress who is advocating mass deportations.

That's why we must constantly emphasize that we have a 3rd option of dramatically increased enforcement that will cause more and more illegal aliens to buy their own bus and plane tickets to go home over time.

If you have any questions about the ATTRITION THROUGH ENFORCEMENT option, please visit our new web page at:

http://www.numbersusa.com/interests/attrition.html

You can find this link in the bottom left-hand column of our Home page. Fight constantly to get your local news media to include this as one of the solutions for illegal immigration.

And try to get commitments from all candidates -- federal, state and local -- to support measures that will encourage illegal aliens to self deport.


WHAT'S UP or down WITH THE FENCE?


The blogosphere has been rife with rumors that Pres. Bush was going to use a pocket veto on the 700-mile fence bill passed by Congress in September.

The Washington Post added fuel to cynicism by reporting that backroom deals had inserted loopholes in the fence bill so that it could never be built at key populated parts of the Mexican border.

Your NumbersUSA staff has been working behind the scenes the last week trying to move the fence bill along. The pocket veto (allowing a bill to die by not signing it soon enough) was never an issue because Congress still hasn't sent the bill to the White House. We have been trying to shake up the asleep-at-the-wheel staff and the subversive staff to force a routine delivery of the bill by Senate staff to House staff so the latter can hand it over to the President.

You have every right to be skeptical about this Administration enforcing any immigration law. But all the panic on the internet forced Pres. Bush this week to publicly state that he will sign the bill and build the double-wall fence.

As for the Post's assertions, Rosemary Jenks (our Director of Government Relations) says the supposed loopholes are not the fence-killers that the Post made them out to be and that several were always part of the bill. She says she believes the Post's story was mostly intended to demoralize and discourage from voting Americans who are committed to secure borders.

Although Senate Majority Leader Frist (R-TN) has hardly been a friend in the past, I think he provided practical reasons for optimism with this statement:

By requiring the construction of at least 700 miles of two-layered reinforced fencing along our southwest border and by mandating the use of cameras, ground sensors, UAVs and other forms of hi-tech surveillance, this legislation will help us gain control over every inch of our borders.

The Homeland Security appropriations bill authorizes $1.8 billion in funding … so construction will proceed as quickly as possible. As the fence is erected, more funding in future budgets will be required, but I’m confident that the 71 Senators who proved themselves serious about border security (in voting for the fence bill) will support continued funding.

The main point we must remember is that 95% or more of the legislation that is needed to bring immigration back into control has yet to be passed.


DEATH OF ONE OF YOUR NUMBERSUSA STAFF


Karen Owens never let us grow complacent about the effect of high immigration on America's huge black underclass.

Karen and her husband had recently seen their three children through college as a successful part of America's middle class. But with family roots in rural Louisiana, an upbringing in Philadelphia and long residence in Washington D.C., Karen had a view of plenty of black Americans who remain outside the economic mainstream (40% of black American men do not have a full-time job).

She was incensed at the decisions of Congress and businesses to prefer foreign workers over unemployed and underemployed black Americans -- and at examples everywhere in our nation's Capital of discrimination in favor of the foreign-born.

For the last four years, Karen has been the person you were most likely to encounter at NumbersUSA -- and from whom you received assistance.

As Membership Services Coordinator, Karen responded to your requests for foldover cards, videos, posters and other materials. She was the person most likely to answer your phone calls and try to help you.

Karen has been an absolutely relentless fighter. Three years ago, she was diagnosed and underwent surgery for cancer. For three years, she has gone in for chemo treatment every other week. Although this treatment often made her ill and fatigued, she almost never missed a day of work.

Finally this August, she had to have another surgery. She was back in the office a couple of weeks later, determined not to get too far behind -- and sternly lecturing me on communications with many of you Financial Investors in NumbersUSA, a task that I AM behind on.

But suddenly a couple of weeks ago, everything turned for the worse and we lost her this week. The funeral will be Saturday.

She insisted that we in the office never ask her how she was doing because she didn't want people to think of her as her disease. She told me she was going to think positively and live her life as a well person, and come in every day and help NumbersUSA with its fight.

I can see how her personal philosophy is not a bad one for our organization. The fact is that our nation is severely weakened and under attack by ill-thought immigration policies. But I think if we are to have a chance at success, we have to fight not in the mindset of a sick nation but of the well nation we hope to become.


TED KENNEDY ON DEFENSIVE IN HIS RE-ELECTION BID -- and tips on voting for the best immigration-reduction candidate


I'm disabled, 64 years old, fixed income but I will try to help. Let me know who to vote for in my state in our best interest & higher up for our sake.
----------Jerry Rhea

I am not a Republican and never will be. I am with you on the immigration issue and my Democrat Representative Adam Smith listened to us and voted for the 700 miles of fence along the southwest border. I appreciate all that you do for immigration, although I am a bit disturbed that suddenly you are bringing up Republican candidates instead of just the immigration cause. I would rather you stick to causes instead of promoting candidates.
----------Marilyn C., Washington State

Marilyn is referring to an Alert I sent last month stating that no candidate's success is probably more important symbolically than that of Randy Graf the Republican nominee for congressman from Tucson, Arizona, because of his absolute firmness on border security issues and his opponent's preference for an amnesty -- and the fact that the national news media states that you can't win on the border if you stand for really tough immigration laws.

Now, most of you should remember that I am a life-long political Independent -- and that we have both Democrats and Republicans on our staff -- and that we are equal-opportunity praisers and critics, sticking to immigration issues.

The problem during this election campaign is that in most races the candidate with the better (usually far better) record on immigration is the Republican (or sometimes a Libertarian).

On the other hand, there are some really bad Republican incumbents (on immigration). And we are pleased to see that most Democrats who are in competitive districts are campaigning on being tough on border security issues.

We don't actually endorse candidates, because we respect that you will vote based on a whole list of criteria including character and many issues. We wouldn't presume to know who the best candidate for you might be.

But we DO tell you which candidate (if any) is committed to true immigration reform.

You can find all kinds of helpful information on the best immigration-reduction candidates at:

http://www.betterimmigration.com/candid ... races.html

It is not too late to try to press candidates to take our survey and get themselves on record about what they would do on various key immigration issues if they win this election. (Find the survey with the above link.)

Now is the time they are paying attention and when you can have the most influence on them.

You can go to each candidate's webpage by clicking on the names of candidates on our pages.

I am including a recent news story about Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) because it shows that even an entrenched politician like him can find himself on the hot seat over immigration.

Nobody has worked harder or longer than Sen. Kennedy to flood American occupations and communities with foreign workers and their dependents. It is nice to see that Kenneth Chase is a candidate who can put Sen. Kennedy on the defensive like that.

We are getting strong appeals from our members in Massachusetts to let others around the nation know that Kenneth Chase has a remote chance because of the immigration issue.

Compare the candidates at:

http://www.betterimmigration.com/candid ... masen.html

You can learn how to help their campaigns at:

Chase: http://www.chaseforsenate.com/

Kennedy: http://tedkennedy.com/


Senator on defensive during most of event

By Lisa Wangsness
Boston Globe

October 11, 2006

(excerpts)

In his first and only scheduled debate with US Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Republican challenger Kenneth G. Chase focused relentlessly yesterday on two topics: energy independence and illegal immigration.

Chase, who lives in Belmont, repeatedly accused Kennedy of failing to develop a sound alternative energy policy during his 44 years in the Senate. Chase said Kennedy's immigration bill was nothing but ``a clarion call" to hundreds of millions of Mexicans, Chinese, Indians, and others determined ``to break in" to the country.

Kennedy often found himself on the defensive. But, as a popular incumbent who has not had a serious challenge in 12 years, Kennedy struck the tone of a battle-worn realist.

He said there was little he could do to fundamentally change America's energy policy, because ``this administration is owned lock, stock and barrel by the oil companies." He said his immigration bill did not offer amnesty to illegal immigrants, but rather a realistic compromise to address a difficult problem.....

....When Curtis (the debate moderator) changed the subject to domestic policy, asking Chase about No Child Left Behind, the sweeping 2002 education bill that Kennedy cosponsored, Chase seized the opportunity to change the subject himself, to illegal immigration.

Chase -- who recently spent most of a week on the Arizona border with Mexico with the Minutemen, a civilian border patrol corps -- said that illegal immigration is the greatest problem facing American education.

``A whole lot of children are left behind, Chet, in the real world, in a classroom when you've got 10 to 18 percent of a given classroom population that has limited or no proficiency in the English language," he said. ``The class lesson of that particular day comes to a screeching halt."

When it was his turn to speak, Kennedy said No Child Left Behind needed more funding, but so did other aspects of education, such as early learning and college loan programs.

But Chase kept pressing on the immigration bill, saying it was nothing short of ``amnesty, because you're giving the illegal immigrants exactly what they want, which is the right to come here and work and not suffer any of the consequences."

In May, the Senate approved legislation sponsored by Kennedy and US Senator John S. McCain III, Republican of Arizona, that would strengthen border security, establish a guest worker program and provide the means for millions of undocumented immigrants to stay in the country. But the bill has languished, and Congress has voted to extend a fence along the Mexican border.

Kennedy defended the bill. ``We're not saying they're forgiven," he said of the immigrants who would have a chance at citizenship. ``They pay a penalty."


Pres. Bush Makes His Support For Amnesty Clear


For years, Pres. Bush and the White House claimed that what they wanted was a way to bring illegal aliens out of the shadows, get them to sign up for a few years of legal work and then return home.

They often said they were not for permanent residency or citizenship for illegal aliens.

Many of you criticized me for stating some hope that the President actually meant what he said. You said that the President was salivating for an amnesty no matter what he said in public.

Well, you have definitely proven yourselves on the mark this week.

The Washington Times reported this:

On the heels of signing a bill to boost border security funding, President Bush yesterday said immigration reform requires granting citizenship to current illegal aliens.

"You can't kick 12 million people out of your country," Mr. Bush said at the White House celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. "We must figure out a way to say to those that if you're lawful and if you've contributed to the United States of America, there is a way for you to eventually earn citizenship."

The President clearly has an interesting idea of what "lawful" means.

And, as you can see, he is either totally misled by the false two-option choice -- or he is trying to perpetrate it on us.

His logic is: (1) We can't deport all 12 million illegal aliens at once. (2) Therefore, we have to give them citizenship.


Activist Members Who Cannot Contribute Financially


I realize that you need money, but I am one of the unlucky ones who cannot send any. If it was not for your site, I would be unable to contact my "representatives" in Washington, because I would never be able to afford to send faxes.

I just wanted you to know that sometimes we just CANNOT afford to pay for this service, so when you send us emails asking for financial help, it is not only a slap in the face for some of us, it is also very humiliating. If you decide that I am no longer "worthy" to recieve your emails, then that is the way it has to be, but I am sure hoping that you will realize that when you do send these financial requests, that there are those of us who are totally unable to help you out, plus, like I said, if it wasn't for you, we would be unable to get mad at all and contact anyone. So, thank you for your service, but also please don't get mad when we cannot respond the way you wish.
-----------J. Roberts

For some reason, the monthly request for a month's budget that we sent in September brought a number of responses like that one.

I, obviously, miscommunicated something.

I am NEVER mad at anybody for not sending in a donation. I am grateful for every person who takes a stand and sends a fax, makes a phone call and attends a meeting to advance our cause.

And I plead with all of you to not get MAD at me for sending a request for donations once a month. We don't know who can afford to make a donation and who can't. We just send the monthly appeal to everybody.

Having said that, though, I DO give great honor to all of you who generously and voluntarily decide each month to send some bucks in to keep running this rather amazing constituency pressure machine that produces the results that Tom Tancredo described at the top of this email.

You probably have heard many reasons why some people can not give. Here's ours: we really don't have the budget to send to your most worthy organization. Both my wife & I are on a very low fixed income. If you did not provide the means we just could not send any faxes. We get e-mails from other worthy grass roots organizations but we can't participate. We wanted you all to know that we care, rather than not say anything. I hope you all will not think too unfavorably about us.
----------Bill & Peggy H.

These kinds of emails break our hearts. We don't want anybody who is using our activist tools to feel "unworthy" because you are not able to help with the financial part of this. Your commitment is part of the reasons that so many others -- who are able -- DO send in money. They want people like you to be able to fully exercise your responsibility as U.S. citizens to raise your voice to your elected officials.


Fantastic Bill Introduced To Stop Chain Migration


This may seem like a strange time to introduce a bill.

But anything that can create some momentum for immigration cuts just before the lame duck session in November can be worth the effort.

Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) has introduced H.R. 6283, the Nuclear Family Priority Act, which, if enacted would effectively end the system of "chain migration" that has largely been responsible for immigration numbers skyrocketing from less than 300,000 annually in the mid-1960s to around one million per year today.

Cosponsoring H.R. 6283 is, perhaps, the single most important thing that a Member of Congress can do right now to rein in out-of-control immigration. It would cut the number of legal immigrants admitted drastically and immediately. In addition, it would eliminate one of the greatest catalysts for illegal immigration by purging the sense of entitlement everybody with relatives in the United States seems to have in thinking that they might as well come to this country illegally since they eventually will qualify for legal status anyway.

You will find a fax to send on this bill -- along with other actions that have been added to your Action Buffet corkboard.

THANKS FOR ALL THAT YOU DO,

-- ROY

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Thank you, Karen. Thank you Mr. Roy Beck for sharing that with us. Karen is and will continue to be an inspiration to us all. God Bless Karen and God Bless America.