Thread: MN: IA bus driver arrested in Minnesota school tragedy

I just called both of my senators to express how they hold their share of the responsibility for this tragedy and to let the one up for re-election this year know that I will be voting against him. His staffer called me by my name without me having identified myself. I pointed out that they must have caller ID there and he said no, that they were familiar with my number. I went on to tell him that this does not intimidate me and that I shall continue to do my civic duty by voicing my opinions and thoughts to the people who are supposed to represent me. But the fact that they know me by name, I will wear that as a badge of honor. They know me only because I have called and made their day long so many times for their lack of representing me. Now if only I could wake up more people in this area to do the same thing.(All over the country really) That's a tall order though. It seems that some of my fellow citizens will wake up only when they are being loaded onto cattle cars, If then.

Unlike politicians, however, when I go into the voting booth, I will not break my promise to vote against him even if there's only a billy goat running against him. The billy goat will get at least one vote. I hate to be bitter but this has gone far enough. He introduced the SAVE act and all the while voted to gut the Secure Fence Law of 2006. This tells me that his introducing the Save Act is just smoke and mirrors. A way to feather his hat in order to convince the sheeple to re-elect him.

Many people across this country will agree that we need to clean house in Congress and in the Senate this year, but it " should be someone else's conressman or senator, not mine." In fact there are indeed some good ones who represent the people and I don't advocate throwing them out, but some of them are fence sitters who would have voted for amnesty if they hadn't been up for re-election this year. I for one am not afflicted with "NOT MINE" syndrome.

[quote]Despite her illegal status, she is employed by Norcraft Cabinetry in Eagan, Minn. The company’s website http://www.norcraftcompanies.com displays a section entitled “Code of Business Ethics and Conduct.â€

Originally Posted by jimpasz

Bachmann writes to ICE regarding Cottonwood bus crash suspect

WILLMAR, Minn. (AP) U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann has written to U.S. immigration officials to determine how an illegal immmigrant allegedly was able to cause last week's fatal school bus crash in Cottonwood.

Bachmann asks the assistant secretary of Homeland Security in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Julie Myers, how federal and local law enforcement can ensure such a thing never happens again.

Bachmann also raises questions with ICE about the suspect, Olga Martinez Franco, who had gone by the alias Alianiss Morales. A woman using that name was ticketed for driving without a license in Montevideo in 2006.

Bachmann says she wants to know what measures ICE has in place to "foster greater cooperation with local law enforcement authorities." ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok says the agency responds directly to members of Congress when they make inquiries.

He says ICE works closely with law enforcement agencies on every level. But he says ICE routinely is not notified by local law enforcement when traffic tickets are issued to suspected illegal aliens.

He says the incident in Cottonwood is tragic, and ICE continues to work with law enforcement agencies to help minimize the possibility of future incidents.

Information from: J.P. Cola/KWLM-AM, http://www.kwlm.com (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 02-26-08 1530CST | save this article / add to your favorites list
http://www.kxmb.com/News/213290.asp

Just got off the phone with a staffer in her DC office (forget his name offhand). Anyway, had a nice and sincere discussion about the 'accident' there and Rep. Bachmann's comments in the above news report. I gave the staffer a quick description of the 287g program and a link to the ICE website which outlines the program in detail. I then talked about our experience in OR regarding DLs/IAs and related issues. He received the information politely and constructively. See what happens...

Oh, he also said representative Bachmann was supposed to do a news/press conference at 6pm (not sure which time) by same news station.


Update: If anyone has the time... here's Representative Bachmann's contact info:

Washington Office
412 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2331
Fax: (202) 225-6475

Woodbury Office
6043 Hudson Rd, Suite 330
Woodbury, MN 55125
Phone: 651-731-5400
Fax: 651-731-6650

St. Cloud/Waite Park Office
110 2nd Street S, Suite 232
Waite Park, MN 56387
Phone: 320-253-5931
Fax: 320-240-6905

(Emails are restricted to in-district senders)

Sent to the Consul General in Chicago: (format tweaked for aesthetics)

Licenciado Gustavo A. López Calderón
General Consul, Government of Guatemala


Dear Mr. Consul General,

I am writing regarding the terrible accident involving Guatemalan national Olga Marina Franco within the past week in Cottonwood Minnesota.

The patience of most Americans is already hard pressed in allowing illegal immigrants entry and de facto safe harbor in our country. However, Americans are absolutely incensed when those same people commit crimes and injure or even kill here. I believe you have some explaining to do.


The families whose children were killed or badly injured deserve the opportunity to ask (and expect timely answers to) the following important questions:

1. Have you or a representative of the consular staff contacted the families of those Americans killed and injured?

2. What compensation will the Government of Guatemala provide to the families of those that were killed or injured?

3. What are you doing to educate Guatemalan nationals that are living in the area (without authorization - eg. illegally) as to the importance of otherwise abiding by all US and applicable state laws?

4. What is the Government of Guatemala doing to raise awareness (in Guatemala) of the legal issues associated with illegal entry into the United States?

5. Do you think it is a satisfactory policy to casually ignore and tacitly encourage the export Guatemala's poor to the US - despite the vast cultural, economic, linguistic and educational differences between our countries? (Despite assumptions to the contrary, we do have our own poor here as well)

6. Most importantly, where is the justice for the four innocent children on their way to school that day? They broke no law, they followed the rules required of them. I would even be willing to guess that they would look favorably upon the possibility of striking up a friendship with a Guatemalan chosen at random. What will you do to ensure justice is done for them?


In closing, I would like to remind you that this is not the first high-profile incident of a Guatemalan involved in killing innocent Americans. Does the name Luis Alonso Martinez-Flores mean anything to you? I would be willing to bet that most of the families of the 184 Americans murdered at the Pentagon on 9/11/01 know it by heart. Yes, I know that you know who he is.


I eagerly await your response.

Sincerely,

<PhredE>


Photos from Cottonwood and Marshall Minnesota:

http://www.wctrib.com/gfx/photos/full/0 ... -copy1.jpg
http://www.wctrib.com/gfx/photos/full/bus1.jpg

PhredE: That was an awesome letter......and one that deserves to be reprinted in newspapers across Minnesota for all Minnesotans to read.

Good going Phred, excellent letter.

RE: WILLMAR, MINNESOTA: THE IMMIGRANT CONNECTION

From what I am finding on the Internet, I think the towns of Willmar and Cottonwood, want the Illegal Aliens there.

I base that on a thread I started and everywhere you look you find the buzzwords like, Diversity, cultural, hard working, and provide our family with an excellent quality of life, provides us with great jobs, and a diverse, creative, and a motivated work force (from the turkey plucking factory). Then you have the "Multicultural Market", which sort of reminds me of the farmer's market or Olvera Street.

I have a list of about 200 businesses and social assistance centers that cater to Hispanics, just in Minnesota

It is kind of difficult to tell if they embrace the influx of illegal aliens or they are against it.

Just my thoughts.

R/ Skip



http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-105338.html

legalatina, MD: Hey, thanks. It was one that needed to be written and sent to the consular people. They are a huge part of this problem in outright aiding and abetting, and, on top of that, I felt better in the process too..

Also, in case the name (Luis Alonso Martinez-Flores) you don't recognize, he is the Guatemalan IA that sold a couple of the 9/11 hijackers fake docs which were used to get 'legal' IDs which were used to board 2 of the jets used in the attack. (The Hot Air 'Connect the Dots' vid shows all this most effectively)

I just saw REpresentative Michelle Bachman talking about this awful case on the O'Reilly Factor....he sure was fired up about it....

I will contact her office tomorrow and and ask her to also send a LETTER to the Guatemalan Consulate demanding that they immediately cease and desist any activities that aid/abet/harbor/encourage illegal alien Guatemalans to continue to reside, work or commit crimes in the state of Minnesota, including the issuance of the phony-baloney Matricula Consular cards. I think the state of Minnesota should pass a law that says it officially doesn't recognize any consular cards issued to illegal aliens by any foreign consulate in its state or any other state in the United States.

legalatina - ah, good idea.

I caught that interview also (I normally don't watch O'Reilly these days, but just caught it when flipping through the news channels - honest!) anyway, it was mentioned in the news story about her that the theme of her communications with ICE will be basically 'How can "we" work together to ensure that such things never happen again in MN'? - Which seemed to me to be begging for a pointer to 287g. So, I called her office and just mentioned it and provided the ICE link. I think if you reinforce the 287g idea and provide some other references or sources about it, it may be the spark which begins to get MN going on enforcement (way too overdue to be sure.... )

Oh, forgot to add: She did a really nice job in the interview. Much substance, much class.

http://bachmann.house.gov/Biography/
Anyone that opens up their home for 23 kids - foster or not - has to be pretty darn good!