Continuing a Tradition

While Governor, Janet Napolitano would occasionally send invoices to the Bush administration for the expenses incurred as the result of illegal immigration, border security and incarcerating illegal immigrants.

Arizona state Treasurer Dean Martin, who is reportedly considering a run for Governor has continued the show of protest by sending U.S. Homeland Security chief Napolitano a bill for a billion dollars.

In a 3-Way, the One with Motivated Voters Wins

There have always been elements within the Arizona Republican Party, who would openly call John McCain (R-AZ) a "carpetbagger" and on more than one occasion, he's had to explain why he chose the state.

In 2008, before cementing the Republican nomination for President, the national conservative leadership considered him too moderate and some leaders of the Christian right said that if he were to become the nominee, they would stay home. (Obviously, they changed their mind)

Now the subject of immigration reform has prompted Chris Simcox, one of the Minutemen founders to run in the 2010 Republican primary, plus former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), a popular talk radio host and the author of an anti-immigration book is also weighing a bid.

Supplementing Social Security with Cash for Kids

Maria Camarillo ran a multi-decade, multi-generational marriage mill, where she sold-off members of her family to those seeking a green card. Her program was so successful, she and others phonied-up driver's licenses, divorce decrees, tax returns, birth certificates, etc.

This eventually led to the exposure of her enterprise; Her daughter had the misfortune of drawing the same Immigration Officer, who had almost caught her the year before and the second time, she was using a different name.
(AP Photo)

Green Cards for the Rich; Jail for the Poor

Patrick Williams of the Dallas Observer has written a relatively short juxtaposition of his city's crackdown on immigrant day-laborers with a program he read about in the Dallas Morning News, which will sell green cards and the promise of permanent residency to rich people for a $500,000 or a million dollar investment.

To be honest, I had never heard of this new federal program, most likely because if Dallas is approved, they'll be the first locality to implement it on such a large scale.

The nuts and bolts appear to be that a foreign citizen would apply to the program; The feds will check them out and make sure, both they and their money are clean. Then, the immigrant wannabe will invest either $500k or $1 million with the "City of Dallas Regional Center", who will turn it over to a fund management firm called "Civitas".

Civitas will invest the funds into an approved project; A million dollar investment could be applied to any part of the city, while those providing half a mil must invest in an area with high unemployment and every investment of either amount has to create at least ten jobs.

Right now, the city is shopping about a dozen unidentified projects and local developers are chomping at the bit to add more.

And there seems to be a tremendous amount of interest among potential investors from China, South America and Mexico, hundreds have been prescreened, which leads the city to hope for a net of $50 million in 2010, $150 million in 2011.

While back on the day-labor corner, cops are making arrests.