TeaParty Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (La Bruja) Vows to CUT Medicaid for the Neediest of the Poor while Extending Tax Cuts for the Rich!

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer proposed dropping Medicaid coverage for 250,000 people, although she has extended Tax Cuts to Rich Big Business. She "says" her proposal is to help balance the state budget. Brewer discussed Medicaid issues with federal Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in Washington on Monday. Brewer originally proposed dropping coverage for 280,000 people.

It is clear that Brewer is heartless!
Her proposed CUTS will cut 1/5 of the Medicaid budget, cutting off aid to the poorest and neediest recipients, especially those in need of transplants. Without their required surgeries, they will DIE!

Brewer is following, dot to dot, the Republican Agenda.
. Cut Medicaid
. Demolish the Unions
. Cut Aid to the Poor and Middle Class
. Cut Jobs
. Do everything possible to undercut the President so he loses re-election
. YET: Reduce Taxes for the Rich -- Extend Tax Cuts

Additionally, Brewer (La Bruja) continues with her promise to Racially Profile all Latinos by putting in place Racial Profiling laws to stop education and terrorize Latino Neighborhoods.

Largest ICE Raid in US History: Howard Industries Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Violate Immigration Laws

On August 25, 2008, in Laurel, Mississippi, the largest ICE Raid in US History took place. Immigration agents swooped down on Howard Industries, a Mississippi electrical equipment factory, taking 481 workers to a privately-run detention center in Jena, Louisiana. A hundred and six women were also arrested at the plant, and released wearing shackles, electronic monitoring devices on their ankles. Many of the women were pregnant. Eight workers were taken to Federal court in Hattiesburg, where they were charged with aggravated identity theft. Meanwhile, the company repeatedly denied allegations that it had knowingly hired individuals without work authorization, putting all of the blame on its human resources manager, Jose Humberto Gonzalez, who was later charged in a 25-count indictment with conspiracy and employee verification fraud.

Last Thursday, Howard Industries pled guilty to conspiracy to violate immigration laws. They also agreed to pay a $2.5 million fine (largest fine ever in the state of Mississippi), which is roughly 5 times the standard penalty, supposedly for the actions of their one human resources manager. Clearly, there was significant wrong-doing here by the company to warrant such steep penalties.

According to court documents, their HR Manager routinely hired unauthorized workers. He solicited them. He utilized e-verify procedures. He accepted false documents, including social security cards; when he found this information false, he completed the I-9 documentation with bogus information. It is important to note that only 8 of the nearly 600 arrested were charged with any sort of identity theft. It is clear those falsifying data for the workers was the company itself. The HR Manager also regularly instructed employees to obtain alternative identity documents which he knew falsely represented their true identities and assured Spanish-speaking workers at the plant that he would warn them in the event of a raid. The HR Manager pled guilty in December 2009 to conspiracy and admitted that he hired hundreds of people who he knew were not authorized to work. He faces a maximum of 5 years of imprisonment on the conspiracy charge and on each employee verification fraud count. He also faces a minimum of 2 years of imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft charge and possible fine up to $250,000. However, he has yet to spend a day in prison or pay a dime of the fines.

As I have long reported, it is Big Business that entices/hires the so called "illeegals" to work here. In the Laurel case, Howard Industries received a large government contract in 2002. They quickly needed 1000 productive workers to fill the need. They consciously recruited and hired workers from south of the border. They provided them false documentation. Their HR Dept. told them they would alert them if there was an upcoming ICE Raid.

What is also interesting is, prior to the ICE Raids, the undocumented workers were being recruited by their Local Unions and the workers were starting to sign up. This same scenario happened in Postville, Iowa. The workers were being solicited by Local Unions prior to their ICE Raid. In Laurel and in Postville, as soon as the workers starting listening to the Unions, started talking about unsafe working conditions, no breaks and lower wages, at that point, both Employers started working with ICE and massive ICE Raids occurred. Laurel had the largest ICE Raid in US History. Postville had the 2nd largest. In both cases, the workers were whisked away to Privately Owned Detention Centers -- owned by Republican donors. Laurel workers were whisked away to the Jena Louisiana private prison. The Postville workers were whisked to Texas Private Prisons before eventually being sent back to their countries of origin.

I find the actions of Howard Industries despicable. They solicited and recruited these workers, providing them false papers and false promises. Many of the workers were recruited from ravaged countries like Guatemala. They used them, shackled them, imprisoned them and sent them back. Howard Industries and Agriprocessors did the same exploitation as many other Businesses, the difference is in the number of workers they abused then swept away.

Why are Howard Industries and Agriprocessors being punished when other employers have NOT been punished? I imagine it is quite a surprise to them that they are being held accountable. Afterall, the ICE Raids occurred during the Bush Administration. Both companies were big RNC contributors. Howard Industries had just received a huge government contract. How could they know the Obama Administration would promise that Employers would be held accountable and they would be the primary target for prosecution. How would they know that the World is watching to see if President Obama keeps this promise.

Howard Industries and Agriprocessors were both blatant in their actions in the number of workers hired; blatant in their abuse of e-verify and creating false documentation, blatant in contacting ICE once the workers sought relief from Unions for their mistreatment and unsafe working conditions. Postville Owners were punished; now Laurel has pleaded guilty for their crimes. May the owners and those responsible for their actions be punished to the fullest degree.
It is time for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. No rational person expects Mass Deportation to occur. A recent Pew poll indicated that the vast majority of Americans do NOT support Mass Deportation and support a path to citizenship for those here. Until CIR is passed, we are going to see the continued exploitation of workers and the continued Racial Profiling and Race-Based Hate Bills as is occurring in Arizona.

I doubt, however, that CIR will be introduced before 2013. Sad to say, it appears we are going to continue to live in status quo until after the next election.
References:
Mississippi Manufacturer Agrees to Pay Record $2.5 million fine for Immigration and I-9 Violations
Howard Industries Human Resources Manager Charged with Conspiracy and Employee Verification Fraud
Did a Mississippi Raid Protect Rightwing Politicians?

Wake Up TeaPartiers! Wake Up Republicans! Give America a Chance!

Republicans and Tea Partiers are an enigma. They have so many supporters that DO NOT HAVE A CLUE regarding their Leaders' true agenda. When you think about the Tea Party members, most of them are over 50. Many/most are receiving or are approaching receiving Social Security and Medicare. There are many on medicaid or on some type of support, particularly those in the South. They ARE the Working Poor, for Heaven's Sake! Most TeaParty Members have children or grandchildren in school. Most are currently or soon will be receiving the type of aid they are advocating against. Don't they know this? Don't they realize this? Are they that blind, deaf and dumb? Are they so brain-washed that they don't get it?

From my perspective, I have worked and paid taxes for over 40 years. I love our country. I believe in our country. I have paid my taxes and social security taxes all of my life. I've never asked a dime from anyone. I view social security as a paid benefit. I've paid into social security all of my life. If I live another 30 years, I may get paid back for all I've contributed. Maybe not. But I knew going in, that it was a benefit based on my contributions. I think most people, if they stop and think about it, think like I do. WE'VE PAID INTO SOCIAL SECURITY and MEDICARE ALL OF OUR LIVES!!! THIS IS A BENEFIT WHICH WE SHOULD RECEIVE BASED UPON OUR CONTRIBUTIONS!

The Republican/Tea Party Agenda DOES NOT BELIEVE THIS! They want to Eliminate Social Security and Medicare AS WE KNOW IT and change it to some type of Privatized program RUN BY BIG BUSINESS where recipients start over and contribute into some Private Program THEY develop!

So I ask you, WHY are Tea Partiers fighting AGAINST THIS? I don't get it! Social Security is PAID FOR! There is NO SHORTAGE on Social Security at this time (It is PAID for -- for 20 years). WHY STOP IT? Yet Republicans and TeaPartiers are advocating changing it to some type of Private Contribution program. In other words, allow some Big Business group to manage the program and then we ALL start Over and pay into some type of 401K program. Anyone who has ever had a 401K program knows how that goes. Give anyone access to their money (as a 401K does) and upon their 1st Emergency, withdraw funds. This is a joke! WE NEED GUARANTEED CARE FOR OUR OLD FOLKS! AND, those of us who have PAID INTO the program for 40 years, we NEED to be Paid Back!

Medicare is Another whole story. The government has allowed Healthcare providers to manage Medicare programs since its inception and even more so since the Prescription Drug Programs came into effect in 2006. The reason for the shortages in Medicare today is due to Private Healthcare Company abuses. Ask anyone who is familiar with Medicare Programs. They will tell you the same.

My wish and hope is for the Tea Party members to WAKE UP! Study! Learn the Facts! Stop living in this delusion! Give America a Chance!

Republican TeaParty Official Fired for Urging "Deadly Force" on Wisconsin Teachers

TeaParty Republican Official in Indiana Fired for urging "Deadly Force" on Wisconsin Teachers:
A Republican TeaParty official in Indiana has been FIRED for urging "LIVE AMMUNITION" be used on Peaceful Teacher protesters in Wisconsin. Indiana Deputy Attorney General Jeff Cox was removed on Wednesday for saying on his personal Twitter account that police should "use live ammunition" on Teachers Peacefully Protesting in the Wisconsin legislature for their rights.

TeaParty Republican Extremist Cox made the comment last Sunday in response to a Tweet from Mother Jones magazine that riot police might force protesters out of the Wisconsin capitol building.

In a Twitter exchange with Mother Jones editor Adam Weinstein, Cox argued, "Against thugs physically threatening legally-elected state legislators and governor? You're damn right I advocate deadly force."

The back-and-forth continued with Cox telling Weinstein, "I support police unions. Funny you would advocate for a police union when liberals hate police." He later told the journalist, "Typical leftist. Try to silence anyone who disagrees with you."

Weinstein at the time did not know he was talking to one of Indiana's deputy attorney generals.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said late Wednesday he was dismissing Cox after a "thorough and expeditious review" of his online postings.

The same day, Indiana lawmakers dropped a similar ANTI-union bill after Democrats followed their Wisconsin counterparts and fled the state.

Cox's postings include blog entries in which Cox called President Barack Obama "incompetent and treasonous," and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich and members of the Service Employees International Union "brownshirts," referring to the paramilitary group of the Nazis. The COWARDLY Cox has since deleted his blog, but his Twitter comments remain online. "We respect individuals' First Amendment right to express their personal views on private online forums, but as public servants we are held by the public to a higher standard, and we should strive for civility," Zoeller said.

The removal of Cox occurred on the second day of a boycott by Democratic state lawmakers. The lawmakers are in neighboring Illinois to prevent a quorum required to pass the Republican bill.

Republican TeaParty Candidate Condones Violent Attack Against President Obama!

On Tuesday, Teaparty Republican Rep. Paul Broun held a Town Hall meeting. The first question one of his constituents asked was, "Who is going to shoot Obama?" Broun's Tea Party supporters all laughed. Broun laughed.
In this year of violence and HATE, especially after the Tuscon shooting, Broun should have chastised his supporter when he asked such a violent and despicable question. Instead, Broun LAUGHED and responded, "The thing is, I know there's a lot of frustration with this president. We're going to have an election next year. Hopefully, we'll elect somebody that's going to be a conservative, limited-government president that will take a smaller, who will sign a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare."

WE SAY SHAME ON BROUN!!! SHAME ON ANY TEA PARTY CANDIDATE OR MEMBER THAT DOES NOT SHOUT DOWN VIOLENCE OR ANYONE WHO ADVOCATES VIOLENCE!!!! (Can you imagine the outrage had a Democratic Representative condoned an attack against a Republican??)

Guest Voz - SPLC: "The Year in Hate & Extremism, 2010" -- TeaParty, Right-Wingers and Militia -- Oh My!

Guest Voz - SPLC: The Year in Hate & Extremism 2010
For the second year in a row, the radical right in America expanded explosively in 2010, driven by resentment over the changing racial demographics of the country, frustration over the government’s handling of the economy, and the mainstreaming of conspiracy theories and other demonizing propaganda aimed at various minorities. For many on the radical right, anger is focusing on President Obama, who is seen as embodying everything that’s wrong with the country. Hate groups topped 1,000 for the first time since.. the 1980s. Anti-immigrant vigilante groups, despite having some of the political wind taken out of their sails by the adoption of hard-line anti-immigration laws around the country, continued to rise slowly. But by far the most dramatic growth came in the antigovernment “Patriot” movement — conspiracy-minded organizations that see the federal government as their primary enemy — which gained more than 300 new groups, a jump of over 60%.

Taken together, these three strands of the radical right — the hatemongers, the nativists and the antigovernment zealots — increased from 1,753 groups in 2009 to 2,145 in 2010, a 22% rise. That followed a 2008-2009 increase of 40%.

What may be most remarkable is that this growth of right-wing extremism came even as politicians around the country, blown by gusts from the Tea Parties and other conservative formations, tacked hard to the right, co-opting many of the issues important to extremists. Last April, for instance, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed S.B. 1070, the harshest anti-immigrant law in memory, setting off a tsunami of proposals for similar laws across the country. Continuing growth of the radical right could be curtailed as a result of this shift, especially since Republicans, many of them highly conservative, recaptured the U.S. House last fall.

But despite those historic Republican gains, the early signs suggest that even as the more mainstream political right strengthens, the radical right has remained highly energized. In an 11-day period this January, a neo-Nazi was arrested headed for the Arizona border with a dozen homemade grenades; a terrorist bomb attack on a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in Spokane, Wash., was averted after police dismantled a sophisticated anti-personnel weapon; and a man who officials said had a long history of antigovernment activities was arrested outside a packed mosque in Dearborn, Mich., and charged with possessing explosives with unlawful intent. That’s in addition, the same month, to the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona, an attack that left six dead and may have had a political dimension.

It’s also clear that other kinds of radical activity are on the rise. Since the murder last May 20 of two West Memphis, Ark., police officers by two members of the so-called “sovereign citizens” movement, police from around the country have contacted the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to report what one detective in Kentucky described as a “dramatic increase” in sovereign activity. Sovereign citizens, who, like militias, are part of the larger Patriot movement, believe that the federal government has no right to tax or regulate them and, as a result, often come into conflict with police and tax authorities. Another sign of their increased activity came early this year, when the Treasury Department, in a report assessing what the IRS faces in 2011, said its biggest challenge will be the “attacks and threats against IRS employees and facilities [that] have risen steadily in recent years.”

Click Here Entire Article.

God Bless Our Teachers and Unions!

Guest Voz - Latino Politico: Racist Russell Pearce Declares Arizona is 1st Tea Party Senate -- Announces Anti-Latino "Birthright Citizenship" Bill!

Guest Voz - Latino Politico: Arizona's Continued Downward Spiral
When the AZGOP dropped SB1070 onto the heads of migrant and Latino communities, there were immediate calls for a boycott. Rep. Raúl Grijalva bravely joined the movement, putting his political future at risk but ultimately won his reelection in November 2010. Unfortunately, that election also saw a huge wave of conservatism sweep a veto-proof GOP supermajority into both the state House & Senate chambers. The agenda is now driven by the author of SB1070 himself, Russell Pearce (R-National Alliance), who was installed as Senate President in January.

When Pearce took the reins, he declared that Arizona would have the country's first Tea Party Senate.
A blog from Pearce picked up by the Sonoran Alliance website is signed “Russell Pearce…Tea Party Senate President-Elect.” He said in the blog, “I consider this to be the Tea Party Senate and we intend to take back America one state at a time.” - AZCentral.com

That threat - and it is a threat - is becoming reality. Yesterday, the state's Senate Appropriations Committee became the first in the nation to advance a repeal of birthright citizenship for a full vote.
After a rocky start, the birthright legislation finally received committee approval on Feb. 22, overcoming the initial hurdle before the full Senate can debate and vote on the measure that is stirring so much raw emotion and is solidifying Arizona’s reputation as ground zero in the struggle to confront illegal immigration. By an 8-to-5 vote that hewed nearly along party lines, the Senate Appropriations Committee gave the green light to a two-bill proposal whose ultimate aim is to get the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit the issue of American citizenship, though critics question whether the judiciary would actually answer this exact issue and not dismiss the legislation on some other grounds. - AZ Capitol Times

Yesterday's hearing was packed with a passionate audience on both sides. Interestingly enough, the Chamber spoke out against the bill because they fear an even worse backlash than the one from SB1070, proving that the boycott is working. There's an opportunity to drive a wedge between them if an economic populist message starts entering the conversation as to why voters should reject the AZGOP's extremist agenda.

"Russell Pearce's vision for Arizona is killing jobs, etc etc" ...because it's clear that the moral argument falls on deaf ears in this state. Of course, it's vital that it continues to be made strongly, and it will.

There's really no end in sight to what these Tea Party bigots have planned for the state. From banning race-based abortions to saving the republic from the threat of healthcare for the poor, it's no wonder that Baja Arizona is starting to organize a secession of its own.

Luis Ramirez Murderers Sentenced! Piekarsky and Donchak Get 9 years!

U.S. District Judge A. Richard Caputo ruled that Derrick M. Donchak and Brandon J. Piekarsky must spend nine years in a federal prison for their role in the 2008 Shenandoah murder of Luis Ramirez. Neither perpetrator reacted to the sentence. Donchak did not address the court. Piekarsky made a brief statement apologizing to the family of Ramirez and denying he was a racist. After serving the nine years, each man must remain on supervised release for three years.

Justice has been served for Luis Ramirez.

May HATE CRIMES like this Never Happen Again!

PUNK'D! GOVERNOR WALKER EXPOSED!

As I have been reporting, Wisconsin Governor Walker is in the pocket of Big Business, particulary the Koch brothers. Walker took the call of someone posing as David Koch. Walker spent 20 minutes schmoozing the Fake Koch, scraping and bowing and kissing his ring. During the 20 minute call, Walker admitted:
. his goal is to Obliterate the Unions in Wisconsin and in other states!
. freeze the senators' paychecks,
. accelerating the timetable for public employee layoffs
. plans to terrorize the state Democratic Senators upon their return

Listen to how Cocky Walker sounds! How Arrogant! How he is SUCKING UP (It's Sickening)! How GULLIBLE on this PRANK Call!

AND WORST OF ALL, his plan to LIE to the HERO State Democrats to get them back into Madison. As you listen to the audio, REMEMBER, he is talking to one of the Koch Brothers (one of the Big Business Political Contributors from KANSAS!) and NOT to one of his Constituents from Wisconsin:
LISTEN TO THE AUDIO (7:00) "An interesting idea that was brought up to me by my chief of staff, we won't do it until tomorrow, is putting out an appeal to the Democratic leader. I would be willing to sit down and talk to him, the assembly Democrat leader, plus the other two Republican leaders -- talk, not negotiate and listen to what they have to say if they will in turn -- but I'll only do it if all 14 of them will come back and sit down in the state assembly. They can recess it ... the reason for that, we're verifying it this afternoon, legally, we believe, once they've gone into session, they don't physically have to be there. If they're actually in session for that day, and they take a recess, the 19 Senate Republicans could then go into action and they'd have quorum because it's turned out that way. So we're double checking that. If you heard I was going to talk to them that's the only reason why. We'd only do it if they came back to the capitol with all 14 of them. My sense is, hell. I'll talk. If they want to yell at me for an hour, I'm used to that. I can deal with that. But I'm not negotiating."

STOP GOP Union Busting Pt 3: Teachers & Unions NOT to Blame for Wisconsin's Economic Woes!

Republicans and Wisconsin Gov. Walker are attempting to blame Teachers and Unions for all of their "Budget Crisis" issues. This is like the Gambling Addicted Dad blaming the kids for his losing at the crap tables, then forcing them to give up their lunch money to pay off his bookies. The Budget crisis in any state is NOT due to the Teachers, their pay, their benefits nor the Unions.
As we all know, the reason we are in this economic mess is primarily due to the shenanigans on Wall Street. We cannot allow Republicans to target our Teachers and Unions and use them as scapegoats. It's all a SCAM! They know our Teachers and Unions are NOT at fault. However, what they are really doing is attempting to Bust the Unions across the country. Union members traditionally vote Democratic. They are Union busting in hopes of gaining more strength for the 2012 election. We've already seen the attacks on Teachers and Unions beyond Wisconsin, in neighboring states like Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
Now let's talk about how the Wall Street shenanigans are the root cause for the problems in Wisconsin.

As we know, our economic mess started in the early 2000's. Almost everyone was getting calls from lenders to refinance their homes or purchase new homes. Bankers and Mortgage companies were lending money to everyone. There were countless independent people also hawking cheap, unscrupulous, balloon mortgages, reverse mortgages, and scam loans. You didn't need good credit. Loans were easy. Everyone was raking money in. Builders were building new homes in every neighborhood. Most of these homes were overpriced, particularly in states on both coasts. Home flippers were everywhere -- buy low, sell high for a quick profit.

Banks, Mortgage Companies and Lenders were not holding on to these mortgages. Wall Street unscrupulously bundled these very risky loans and sold them as securities -- Bonds or Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs). To those of you who don't "play the market," Bonds, or asset backed securities are sold as "low risk" investments. The shady bankers/mortgage companies sold them as highly rated, virtually risk free investments. Many states purchased these CMOs from their State Pension Fund monies, believing what they were told by their Investment Advisors (also Wall Streeters), that they were safe, risk free investments. We are talking about State Pension Funds....YES, the Teachers and Other State Workers' Pension Funds. These same Pension Funds that Governor Walker is saying are bankrupting the State.
IF THERE ARE SHORTAGES IN THESE PENSION FUNDS, IT IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE STATE WORKERS OR THE UNIONS! IT IS THE FAULT OF THE UNSCRUPULOUS SHENANIGANS THAT OCCURRED ON WALL STREET IN THE EARLY 2000's AND WHICH ULTIMATELY CAUSED OUR ECONOMY TO NEARLY COLLAPSE IN SEPTEMBER, 2008.
What is astounding is that Governor Walker knows this, yet continues to Blame the Teachers and the Unions. And even more preposterous, even with all of his so-called Budget shortfalls, he continued with his TAX CUTS to the rich-Big Business, many of whom were the connivers in the Wall Street Mess!

The reason Republicans are targetting teachers and unions is just part of the Republican Agenda. If we allow them to Bust the Unions in Wisconsin, look for them to target Unions in every state in the Country. Once they abolish Unions, look for them to fulfill the rest of their Republican Political Agenda:

1. Eliminate Entitlements including: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid

2. Privatize the School System (No More Public Schools)

3. End to Global Warming Initiatives

4. Demolish Planned Parenthood

5. End Unemployment Compensation

6. Mass Deportation of Latino Immigrants and Racial Profiling bills like sb1070 in Every State; Changing Birthright Citizenship.

7. CONTINUE to Cut Taxes for the Rich and let the Wall Street Crooks Walk!

BREAKING NEWS: SHAWNA FORDE GET'S DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDERING BRISENIA FLORES & HER DAD!

The Jury has announced its verdict! Minutemen Group Leader Shawna Forde has been sentenced to death for plotting a deadly home invasion that murdered 9-year-old Brisenia Flores and her Dad. A Pima County jury deliberated just four hours over two days before deciding Shawna Forde, 43, should join the other two women on Arizona’s death row.

Hopefully, this harsh sentence will deter others from even contemplating the thought of such vicious, vicious HATE Crimes!
We never want to see such HATE Crimes happen again!





Meanwhile, Minutewoman Shawna Forde continues to be non-repentant for her crimes!

STOP GOP Union Busting Pt 2: The Unions' Many Accomplishments & Why Big Business Wants to Destroy Them!

Unions have helped America and follow our Founding Fathers' principles that All People are Created Equal and should be treated fairly. Prior to Unions, greedy Big Business took advantage of the working poor. They forced workers to work long hours for low wages in unsafe conditions. They fired at will.

American Workers have realized significant improvements in the work place due to the accomplishments of Unions. Union Accomplishments Include:
- End Long Work Hours (+80 per week - set standard at 40 hrs per week)
- End Unsafe Working Conditions: set safety standards; eliminate toxic dumping
- End Child Labor Abuses
- Established Minimum wage; Overtime Pay; Vacation Time; Pensions; Healthcare
- Equal Pay for Equal Work for ALL Employees Minimizing Preferential Treatment towards "Favorites"

WE SHOULD ALL BE GRATEFUL TO UNIONS FOR MAKING SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS AND LIVABLE WAGES A NORM IN AMERICA!
LET'S NOT LET BIG BUSINESS SUPPORTED REPUBLICANS TAKE ALL OF THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AWAY FROM US!

My Father was a proud Union Member. He worked in the auto industry in Michigan most of his adult life. He worked very hard and he was never a rich man, but he did believe in the union. All workers were paid equal wages for equal work, regardless of race, color, creed or gender. The union helped establish safe working conditions, so in the auto shops, this potentially hazardous work-environment, there were very few fatalities or dismemberments.

Now, the Republican Party (based on the urgings of their Big Business contributors) has decided to demolish the Unions. Republicans are funded by Big Business, particularly the Koch Brothers. They want to continue to: . DRIVE DOWN WAGES
. DRIVE DOWN BENEFITS
. END PENSIONS
. REDUCE, LIMIT and in some Cases, END REGULATIONS, including SAFETY & ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS!
. INCREASE THEIR OWN MULTI BILLION DOLLAR SALARIES & BONUSES

To do this, they want to Obliterate the Unions -- totally Demolish them, thereby ending the working man's last hope of arbitration, collective bargaining. In other words, they want to take away all of the GOOD the Unions accomplished and DESTROY THE MIDDLE CLASS. They want to revert us back to the 1920s. Pre-Regulation.

WE SHOULD ALL BE GRATEFUL TO UNIONS FOR MAKING SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS AND LIVABLE WAGES A NORM IN AMERICA!
LET'S NOT LET BIG BUSINESS SUPPORTED REPUBLICANS TAKE ALL OF THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AWAY FROM US!

STOP GOP Union Busting Pt 1: Why I Love Teachers

Over the last several days, tens of thousands of teachers, nurses, firefighters and other public sector workers have camped out at the Wisconsin State Capitol. They have been protesting Republican Gov. Scott Walker's attack to Break the Unions. His plan includes reducing their take-home pay -- by increasing their contributions to their pension plans and health care benefits -- and BREAK THE UNION. Although Republican Walker CLAIMS he was forced to impose cutbacks because the state is broke, teachers found that he offered generous TAX BREAK to BIG BUSINESSES that were equivalent to the value of their proposed givebacks.

Teachers do not have large salaries, particularly considering they are required, at a minimum, to have Bachelors degrees; all continue their education and many have Masters degrees. The starting salary for Wisconsin teachers is $25K; the average salary is $46K. In return for lower salaries, their unions have helped them negotiate pension and healthcare benefits. Where the STARTING salary for teachers is $25K, overall, the average salary offered to 2010 graduates is $48.4K, almost DOUBLE the amount of starting wage for Teachers in Wisconsin. Now the governor wants to unilaterally slash what has been negotiated. The Governor is WRONG. He is deep in the pockets of Big Business/Koch Brothers! (more on this in Parts 2 and 3 of this topic)

I stand with the Teachers, the workers, the Unions. We are Middle America. WE THE PEOPLE! March On Heroes! We support you!

I LOVE TEACHERS! As President Obama has often said, "Education is the Great Equalizer!"
You have to be a very special person to become a teacher. Most teachers know and understand they will have low salaries. Most are compassionate, caring human beings who care about educating our children. I had several teachers in my lifetime that were very influential in helping me become who I am today. Perhaps the most influential was my 1st grade teacher.

We were a poor, hard working Mexican American family with ten children. My Dad worked three jobs and my mother was a stay at home mom. Every summer, we picked crops - migrant laborers. My father wanted us to learn a good work ethic.

In first grade, I was the only Mexican American in class. I was shy. The first time I stood up to read in class, I stumbled over my words and the kids laughed, whispering I couldn't speak English. My teacher, a nun, stood next to me, put her arm over my shoulder, and she told all the children in class, "Dee is a little shy today, but she is a very good student. We are All God's Children! And she is going to prove to us this year how good she can be!" I finished reading and the kids didn't laugh again. My teacher encouraged me and encouraged me, often saying, "Dee, you can do anything you set your mind to!" I believed her. Within months I was in the top reading group and by the end of the school year, I won the spelling bee. I attribute much of who I am today to that one teacher. Had she ignored me, I could have easily failed. There were other teachers throughout my school years who were also very influential. I am grateful to them!

I stand with the Teachers, the workers, the Unions. We are Middle America. WE THE PEOPLE! March On Heroes! We support you! God Bless You! God Bless America!

Republicans: Out to Destroy the Unions and Anyone who Opposes their Big Business Agenda!

Republicans are up to their dirty tactics again. This time, they are out to bust the unions. During their Republican Governors' Conference, they set the agenda. Bust the Unions. Why? Traditionally, Union Members tend to be Democrats. By busting the Unions, this is their way of disrupting votes for the 2012 elections. We are seeing their Union Busting agenda in action right now in Wisconsin. They are targetting the Teachers' Union and other Government Worker bargaining units. We all know Teacher's traditionally have low pay, but they do have good benefits, thanks to the unions. Republicans are also attacking Teachers' pensions. Can you imagine how the teachers in Wisconsin feel right now? They've given their lives dedicated to educating our children for little pay. Now the Big Business supporting Rethuglican Governor Walker and his cohorts are after Teachers' pensions and health insurance.
The Gov. says he is attempting to Destroy the Union because of the impact on Wisconsin's economy. However, Wisconsin Fiscal Bureau disagrees. They said the "Current Budget Shortfall Is A Direct Result" Of Governor Walker's Tax Cut (for Big Business) Policies.

Meanwhile, the Rethug Women Haters in Congress are attempting to demolish Planned Parenthood. Nevermind that the Government has NOT funded abortions in decades. Nevermind a FAKE Video by James O'Keefe's protege Lila Rose has been proven to be a blatant lie. Nevermind that Planned Parenthood helps women by providing birthcontrol and health assistance. The Republicans don't like Planned Parenthood and their plan is to Demolish it! Such a Blatant attack against women!

Republicans are such an engima. Their 1st goal after the 2010 election was to EXTEND the Tax Cuts for the Rich! That accomplished, their next goal (per Mitch McConnell) is to Defeat President Obama in the 2012 election. Their plan is to destroy the Unions, demolish Planned Parenthood, Eliminate Entitlements including: Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. They also want to privatize Education. They want to shut down the Government and not extend the budget in March.

They say they are Pro-Life, yet they support the Death Penalty and advocate the use of weapons of terror - open carry - assault weapons and ammo.
They say they are for an improved economy, yet their first agenda is to extend tax cuts for the rich.
They say they are for the middle class, yet they aim to eliminate regulations and safety standards. They want to eliminate/cap our right to sue when we are harmed by dangerous products.
They say they want all Americans to have access to Healthcare, but they want to eliminate the Healthcare bill which includes eliminating the Pre-Existing Conditions clause. They advocate privatizing Medicare and all Healthcare. No restrictions.
Many in their groups advocate Mass Deportation of the 12M here and Racial Profiling ala bills like sb1070.
They do not believe in multi-culturalism. They do not believe in Freedom of Religion for all or equality for all. Instead they wail: "I want my country back...from a Black President."

Republicans.....how can any rational, logical person ever, ever vote for them??

To Bill O'Reilly: "YOU LIED!" About Brisenia Flores' Citizenship and the Shawna Forde Murder Trial! BOYCOTT FOX NEWS!!! BOYCOTT O'REILLY!

Will we NEVER get Justice for Nine Year Old Brisenia Flores???

Bill O'Reilly LIED!!!! Nine Year Old American Citizen Brisenia Flores is called an "Illeegal" by the Hate-Filled O'Reilly! Shameful! Boycott O'Reilly! Boycott Fox News!!!
C&L Reports:
Of all the media entities that have ignored the case of Shawna Forde and her killer Minutemen, the silence at Fox News has been the most egregious and noteworthy -- particularly because Bill O'Reilly is fond of criticizing other news organizations for supposedly "ignoring" stories that he has deemed eminently newsworthy (even if, in fact, they haven't really ignored them at all, or it's in fact a story of dubious veracity). So naturally we were pleasantly surprised when O'Reilly began tackling the Forde case last night with his panel of legal "experts" -- and, to no one's great surprise, it was nothing but a pack of lies, disinformation and grotesque distortions, from start to finish. For instance, here's O'Reilly's opening, having just discussed yet another case of an "illegal immigrant" having committed a murder, one of O'Reilly's favorite schticks:
O'REILLY: Now -- exact opposite on the political spectrum, in
Arizona. A woman member of the Minutemen breaks into an illegal alien house?
GUILFOYLE: Right.

No, that's wrong! Both Raul Junior Flores and his 9-year-old daughter, Brisenia (as well as Gina Gonzalez, the girl's mother) were American citizens, born and raised in Arivaca. And from a factually false opening, it goes rapidly downhill: Both Guilfoyle and Wiehl begin trading in even more factually wrong characterizations of Forde and her relationship to the Minuteman movement. Guilfoyle was perhaps the worst:

GUILFOYLE: This woman has some, um, problems otherwise. This wasn't really about immigration -- this was a woman who is a criminal, was working with this group to do drug ripoffs.
O'REILLY: She's a criminal herself.
GUILFOYLE: Yes. The organization she belonged to was Minuteman American Defense, otherwise known as MAD. But I did a lot of research on this case, and essentially she was using this organization to say, 'I'm gonna do rip-offs of drug cartels to fund my group.
O'REILLY: Ohhh, so she joined the group to find out where illegal aliens who might be dealing narcotics.

Wiehl at least points out that Forde didn't join MAD -- she founded it. But that's the least of the issues here: What's more important is that in fact this case had everything to do with immigration, which was the entire fuel motivating Forde's radicalism: She saw herself as a Minuteman "willing to take it to the next level" -- and she was using the drug money to do that.

Indeed, as we reported early on, she intended to metastasize MAD with the money so that it became a kind of super-militia whose larger purpose was to take on the federal government, not just over immigration but a whole panoply of related "Patriot" movement issues. This wasn't about ordinary criminality: It was about right-wing radicalism. As Tim Steller at the Arizona Daily Star reported back then, she was talking to a lot of people about her plans for the group:

Accused ringleader Shawna Forde told her family in recent months that she had begun recruiting members of the Aryan Nations and that she planned to begin robbing drug-cartel leaders, her brother Merrill Metzger said Monday in a telephone interview from Redding, Calif.
"She was talking about starting a revolution against the United States government," he said.
In any event, at this point things in the O'Reilly Factor discussion became nothing but a farrago of falsehoods:

WIEHL: She was kicked out of two other organizations.
O'REILLY: Oh, she got kicked out of the Minutemen?
WIEHL: Well, that was the point. She was such a nut that she was kicked out of Minutemen. She started her own organization.
O'REILLY: All right, so her scam was, she would enter suspected drug dealers' homes and steal their drugs.
WIEHL: She thought he had $4,000 bucks in drug money, she wanted to go in there and get that money with her two accomplices.
O'REILLY: She killed how many people?
WIEHL: She killed the man, she killed the 9-year-old child --
O'REILLY: She killed a 9-year-old.
WIEHL: Yes. The mother of the 9-year-old was on the phone --
GUILFOYLE: She was present, she wasn't the shooter.
O'REILLY: Now, does she get the death penalty? Has she been sentenced?
GUILFOYLE: She is now eligible for the death penalty. The jury is considering it. Her defense at the time was, 'It wasn't me. It was the girlfriend of one of my codefendants.'
O'REILLY: But it doesn't matter, because she was convicted of the murders.
WIEHL: Right.
O'REILLY: So she's gonna go. All right, so then, uh --
GUILFOYLE: And she should -- and the Minutemen organizations don't want any association with her.
O'REILLY: And we want to emphasize that she was kicked out --
WIEHL: She was not part of the Minutemen.
GUILFOYLE: One of them, she was kicked out within 40 minutes of attending her first meeting!
WIEHL: She lied, she said she was leader, she wasn't any of those things.
O'REILLY: So she covered her own stupid organization as a cover for her own criminal activities.
GUILFOYLE: That's correct.
O'REILLY: Then she got what she deserved.

Both Wiehl and Guilfoyle are simply lying here: Shawna Forde was a significant figure in the Minuteman movement in Washington state for the better part of two years before she headed to Arizona. She appeared onstage in Everett with Minuteman Project cofounder Jim Gilchrist at a big Minuteman rally in 2007, and appeared on a public-TV town hall as a spokesman for both the Minutemen and the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which later -- much later -- repudiated her as their spokesman.

Though Media has Ignored Brisenia Flores' Murder by Minutemen, Shawna Forde's Death Sentence will Force it to the Headlines!

To date, the mainstream media (MSM) has ignored 9 year old Brisenia Flores' Murder. Sure, an occasional story or two has made its way through. However, think of the coverage the MSM provided to:
1. Jon Benet Ramsey
2. Natalie Holloway
3. Caylee Anthony
Nancy Grace was relentless in her coverage of these stories, day after day, month after month, year after year. Where was Nancy Grace on this story? Where was Fox news? Where was the majority of the MSM?
Hiding! Hiding, afraid to print this hot, sizzling story. Think of the headlines: "Crazed Minutemen Murder 9 Year Old Mexican American Girl and her Dad!"

Remember the 911 call by Brisenia's brave mother, Gina? She lay shot on the ground, feigning death, waiting until the savage murderers slithered away. Brutally shot, she bravely called 911, hoping in vain she could save her family. During the 911 call, the cowardly gunman returned, not expecting brave Gina to defend her family and shoot back. This, ALL caught on the 911 call recording. Where was the MSM?

The evil perpetrators, these Minutemen leaders, caught on the property of their comrades by the FBI, pictures and video all available. Where was the MSM? The perps were caught. Their connections identified. Where was the MSM?

Even now, throughout the trial, the blame is clear! The jury was quick to convict. The death sentence looming. Where is the MSM?

They were QUICK to jump on false stories. Remember Deputy Louie Puroll's fake shooting? Puroll FIRED by Sheriff Babeu for LYING? Remember Rancher Krentz's murder? No one even knows who shot him. Yet the MSM was everywhere for these stories! Quick to jump on the ANTI Bandwagon blaming the faceless "Illeegals" for these crimes and allowing this excuse to be used in pushing forward Arizona's sb1070 racial profiling bill.

Sitting around the water cooler with some new friends of mine, we started talking about the President. Half the group was liberal. The other half conservative. One liberal turned to me and said, "I think the President is right of center and we are finally seeing his true self, his true agenda." He knew I was a supporter of the President, but I responded, "I know one thing. He certainly has not addressed my main agenda item." He asked, "What is that?" I said, "Comprehensive Immigration Reform." Everyone stopped talking and turned to me. The right winger said, "Amnesty? You want Amnesty again?" They all shook their heads. I responded, "I said Comprehensive Immigration Reform. I want the Hate Crimes to stop! I want the Racial Profiling to stop! I want the Immigration Reform discussion started! And I certainly DO NOT support Mass Deportation! Do you?" Everyone shook their head.

Perhaps we will owe the remorseless murderer Shawna Forde one small thank you! When the Jury finally gives her the Death Penalty for these heinous murders and her story is finally all over the headlines, perhaps then, FINALLY THEN, the Conversation about Comprehensive Immigration Reform can finally BEGIN! Only then will Brisenia Flores finally receive some sort of Justice!

Guilty MinuteWoman Shawna Forde says "I am not sorry!"

Convicted murderer/Minutewoman Shawna Forde said, in an interview with the Daily Beast after her conviction, "I am NOT Sorry!"
Forde remained calm when she listened to the verdict, even though the murder charges could lead to a death sentence in a state that does not shy away from executions. The 43-year-old former child burglar, mom, beautician, and self-professed Minuteman from Everett, Washington, kept her composure, because, (as she told The Daily Beast in an exclusive post-verdict jailhouse interview), “you can’t freak out with the whole world watching you.”

Forde said she was "extremely saddened by the verdict" NOT because of the deaths/murders of an innocent child and her dad, but "because she wanted to set the jury straight on her Minuteman group, which “runs recon missions” and DOES NOT sit on lawn chairs." (As the prosecution witnesses testified.)

On Tuesday, the jury will hear aggravating and mitigating circumstances surrounding Forde and her crimes, and will then decide whether Forde should be put to death.

From Immigration Clearinghouse:
Jurors were asked to consider if Forde;
1.Killed either victim;
2.Attempted to kill either victim;
3.Intended to kill either victim; or
4.Was a major participant in the crimes that resulted in the deaths of either of the victims.
It took the jurors only 45 minutes to come to the unanimous conclusion, that yes, Forde was a major participant in all 4 actions described.

In addition to the above, the jurors were asked to consider the aggravating 4 circumstances of the crime.
They were:
1.The defendant has been convicted of another offense in the United States for which under Arizona law a sentence of life imprisonment or death was imposable.
2.The defendant has been or was previously convicted of a serious offense, whether preparatory or completed. Convictions for serious offenses committed on the same occasion as the homicide, or not committed on the same occasion but consolidated for trial with the homicide, shall be treated as a serious offense under this paragraph.
3.The defendant committed the offense as consideration for the receipt, or in expectation of the receipt, of anything of pecuniary value.
4.The defendant was an adult at the time the offense was committed or was tried as an adult and the murdered person was under 15 years of age, was an unborn child in the womb at any stage of its development or was seventy years of age or older
The jurors found Forde culpable of the first three in regards to the murder of Raul Flores and in all four in regards to the death of nine year old Brisenia Flores.

These findings triggered phase three of the trial.
PHASE THREE
This is the mitigation or penalty phase of the trial as some call it. The burden of proof rests on the defense to show why Forde should receive a sentence of life in prison, with or without parole. This is where the defense will offer excuses as to why Fordes life should be spared. This effort could last until the end of the week as they bring in witnesses to testify about Fordes early childhood, her alleged mental problems, drug use and other excuses they hope will sway the jury into deciding Forde deserves a life sentence instead of the death penalty.

Should this be their decision, then presiding Judge John S. Leonardo will have to decide whether to sentence Forde to “natural life” in prison without parole, or life with a possibility of parole after 25 years.

A decision could be rendered as early as Friday but we expect sentencing to be delayed until Monday or Tuesday of next week.

CONVICTED! Minute Woman Shawna Forde Finally Convicted for Brutally Murdering 9 year old Brisenia Flores and her Dad!

FINALLY.....JUSTICE FOR BRISENIA: A Pima County jury has finally convicted Minute Woman Shawna Forde today of two counts of first-degree murder in the May 30, 2009 murder/deaths of Arivaca residents 9-year-old daughter, Brisenia and her Dad. The jury also convicted Forde of attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of Brisenia's Mom, Gina Gonzalez, as well as related aggravated assault and robbery counts. Brisenia's Mom Gina started crying as soon as the first GUILTY verdict, the killing of her daughter, was read just before noon in a packed courtroom at Pima County Superior Court.

The jury deliberated for seven hours over two days. Jurors will now be asked if the death penalty ought to be considered. On the first day of the trial, which has gained national attention, BRISENIA'S MOM testified her husband woke her to say the police were at the door. The woman at the door (Shawna Forde) identified herself and the man with her as law enforcement officers looking for fugitives, Gina said. When her husband questioned the veracity of their story, Gina said the gunman opened fire, shooting her husband and her. As Gina played dead on the floor, the gunman fired two bullets into their youngest daughter, Brisenia's head, despite the little girl's pleas. Thankfully, their other daughter was spending the night at her grandmother's house. Moments after Forde, Gunny Bush and their two accomplices left, Gina testified Shawna Forde returned to find Gina on the phone with 911 and called out to Gunny Bush to finish Gina off. Gina said she fled to the kitchen, armed herself and fired back when the Minutemen tried to kill her again. Gunny Bush then fled.

Forde, Gunny Bush, 36, and Albert Gaxiola, 44, were arrested within two weeks of the slayings. Forde, Gunny Bush and Gaxiola are scheduled to go to trial March 15 and June 1, respectively.

Racist Alabama State Senator Vows to "Empty the Clip" on Latino Immigrants! (These Insane Comments after the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords!)

HP Reports: Alabama state Sen. Scott Beason, a Republican, reportedly made eyebrow-raising remarks over the weekend, calling on members of his party to "empty the clip and do what has to be done" in order to address (primarily Latino) illegal immigration, which he regarded as a problem. According to the Cullman Times, Beason concluded a fiery speech on the issue with the extreme language at a Republican party breakfast. His comments come in the wake of the tragic shooting in Tucson, Arizona. Beason accused Democrats in his home state of intentionally neglecting to tackle the immigration issue. He alleged his colleagues on the other side of the aisle were motivated by a belief that "when more illegal immigrants move into an area, when their children grow up and get the chance to vote, they vote for Democrats."

Later in his speech, the Alabama Republican warned that failing to confront illegal immigration could "destroy" local communities in the state. In a phone interview with the Gadsden Times on Monday, Beason said that his "empty the clip" reference was taken out of context. The Alabama-based outlet reports: He said he had told his audience an Internet-circulated joke about how you can tell the political beliefs of a liberal, a conservative, and an armed Southerner who are confronted by a mugger in New York City. According to Beason, what he said "makes perfect sense" if it's "all taken in context." He reportedly added, "Anyone sitting in the meeting completely understood it and I'm a little bit surprised that it left it hanging out there."

Arizona's Hate Bill sb1070's sponsor, Russell Pearce

Phoenix New Times reports: Recalling Russell Pearce
Consider it a classic pincer move: two separate, ongoing efforts to recall the most powerful, hateful politician in Arizona, state Senate President Russell Pearce. First into battle was the irrepressible DeeDee Blase, founder of Somos Republicans, an organization loathed by wingnut GOPers and mainstream Democrats with almost equal intensity. Somos Republicans' stated intent is to increase the Latino Republican voting bloc. In working toward that goal, the group fervently attacks the nativist right, which is now dominant in the party of the pachyderms. The group supports the DREAM Act and humane immigration reform, has opposed Pearce's breathing-while-brown law, state Senate Bill 1070, and continues to denounce the efforts of wingnut legislators to undermine the birthright citizenship clause of the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment.

Indeed, it was on the day that anti-birthright citizenship legislation was getting introduced by Pearce's lackeys in the state House and state Senate that Blase and a libertarian ally, Halina Reed, filed recall paperwork against Pearce at the Secretary of State's Office. The official "grounds" for the recall by Blase's new group, Arizonans for Better Government, specifically cites Pearce's "overt disdain" for the U.S. Constitution, and Blase clearly was motivated by Pearce's attack on birthright citizenship. "This guy is evil," Blase said of Pearce on the day she filed. "I was really bummed out because of the 14th Amendment [bills]. Now I'm so excited."

The recall effort will need to score 7,756 signatures of registered voters from Legislative District 18 by May 27. Once these are obtained and verified as legitimate, Pearce either has to resign or face a recall election on a date set by the Arizona Secretary of State's Office. Voters of all party affiliations can sign the recall petition, and there's a large pool from which to draw: 68,409 registered LD 18 voters, as of last count, according to the Secretary of State's Office.

This means that forcing a recall election on Pearce is doable. So much so that Assistant Secretary of State Jim Drake told me that his office is preparing for the eventuality that both the Blase-skippered recall and one filed days after hers by another group, Citizens for a Better Arizona, might be successful. If this occurs, Drake said his office will seek a judicial order combining the two recall elections into one. Pearce could face High Noon at the ballot box as early as November of this year or spring 2012. It's conceivable that Pearce could lose. In 2008, Pearce bested his Democratic rival for the state Senate by 5,343 votes. In 2010, Pearce exceeded the combined vote totals for both the Libertarian and Democratic candidates by just 4,081. Even if Pearce ultimately prevails, a recall would damage him politically.

See, Pearce longs to seek higher office, anything from governor or congressman to U.S. senator or — perhaps most powerful — Maricopa County Sheriff, should alterkocker lawman Joe Arpaio ever take a powder, get indicted, or just keel over while in office. But if Pearce has to campaign to beat back a recall in his own district, it will distract him from exploring other options, robbing him of time, money, and energy in the process. It also will expose an otherwise un-remarked-upon weakness: Many in his own district and party loathe him.

Indeed, I'm convinced that Pearce could never win a statewide election. Congress or sheriff? Maybe. U.S. senator or governor? No way, Jose. See, Pearce's ham-fisted use of power, his narrow, negative agenda, and his status as an icon of intolerance make him a hero to Tea Baggers, nativists, gun nuts, and the East Valley wackadoodles who dominate the Maricopa County Republican Party. To a broader audience, Pearce simply looks like what he is: a bigoted, far-right extremist.

Sure, many despise Republican Governor Jan Brewer for her policies or for signing SB 1070 into law. Still, as ditzy as she can be, she doesn't come off as an aggro redneck in need of some serious meds, as the Senate president most certainly does. Hell, even Sheriff Arpaio seems like a teddy bear compared to the truculent madman from Mesa....The grounds for CBA's recall are broader than those given for Blase's Arizonans for Better Government. CBA's statement knocks Pearce for "his failure to focus on issues and concerns that affect all Arizonans," demanding better representation on various issues.

"Mesa and Arizona need a leader who will pass laws to create jobs, protect public education, and ensure access to healthcare for our children and those most in need," CBA's petition statement reads, in part. "By signing this petition, we publicly withdraw our support for Russell Pearce and what he represents."

Day 7 Shawna Forde Murder Trial – Prosecution Rests, Defense mounts bumbling attempt to insert alternate suspect

Guest Voz - Porter Corn - Immigration Clearinghouse:
Day 7 – Shawna Forde Murder Trial – Prosecution Rests, Defense mounts bumbling attempt to insert alternate suspect
As expected, the prosecutors in the capital murder trial of Minuteman Shawna Forde rested their case this morning. Defense attorney charged in rebutting the prosecutions evidence try to say that Gina Moraga, girlfriend of Albert Gaxiola was the woman Gina Gonzalez saw, instead of Shawna Forde. All evidence presented offered so far puts Shawna Forde right in the center of the “donut hole” described by Eric Larsen in his opening statements.
Kim Smith picks up the story:
Jill Thorpe and Eric Larsen have repeatedly shown witnesses of Gina Moraga and asked for their descriptions of her (like the female home invader, short, brownish blonde hair). But, today Thorpe had Detective Juan Carlos Navarro read some texts with the word “Gina” in them.
On May 30, at 7:02 p.m. someone using a phone shared by Gaxiola and Moraga texted Forde’s phone. The message was “How you all hanging? Get your rest and gather strength Red on med leave Have next target intel Will need 4 man team details when we meet Gina”

Five minutes later, there’s a text about dropping off the keys to Forde’s Honda Element, which is in Tucson. The text reads “Pima & Craycroft Have them call when arrive will meet Gina”
Thorpe and Larsen will argue the texts were signed “Gina”, as in Gina Moraga. The state will likely argue the texter is Gaxiola and he’s telling Forde and Bush they’ll be “meeting Gina.”
This phase of the trial is almost over. Faster than anyone could have predicted.

Today is the last day of testimony until next Tuesday. Jurors have been sent home until then.
When they return, Larsen and co-counsel Jill Thorpe will be calling Byron Easter, a neighbor of Gaxiola’s and the other Colorado Minuteman and FBI informant, Robert Copley to testify.
Wednesday will be another day off for the jurors as attorney’s put their heads together to formalize final instructions Judge John Leonardo will give the jurors.

Thursday, defense will call a pay for play memory expert who will try to destroy victim Gina Gonzalez’s testimony. Prosecution will call and question any rebuttal witnesses with closing arguments from both sides to follow.
It’s possible Thursday evening, jury instructions will be given and the case turned over to the jurors.
When the jury returns their conviction, the second phase of the trial will begin. The mitigation phase.
There, prosecutors present evidence of aggravating circumstances that they believe will show Forde deserves the death penalty. The defense will present mitigating factors, or the “po’ little ol patriotic me” coming up with off the wall excuses as to why Forde committed the crimes and why she should be spared the death penalty.

The final phase will be the punishment phase, where the sentence will be decided. Life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.

John Quinones Hosts Fantastic Episode Highlighting Arizona's Racial Profiling Bill sb1070

I saw John Quinones' "What Would You Do" tonight on ABC. What an amazing show. This program is a modern day "Candid Camera" with a twist. His hidden cameras capture the reactions of every day people as they witness a scenario from today's headlines. In this evening's episode, John's cameras captured the reaction of people, in Arizona, witnessing an sb1070 Racial Profiling incident.
The results were very heart-warming and proved to me that there are Humanitarians in Arizona. They hate this law and they do not want it. They care about their fellow man and realize America, our True America, is a Land of Immigrants where ALL PEOPLE are Created Equal! What a Great Program! Thank you John, for providing us all a glimpse of the truth in Arizona! Not EVERYONE THERE is a Russell Pearce or Jan Brewer.
John Quinones Goes Undercover for Racial Profiling Scenario
Hidden Cameras Reveal Diners' Reactions
In 2010, the simmering debate about U.S. immigration reform exploded when Arizona's Senate Bill 1070 was signed into law. A portion of the bill requires police, during the enforcement of a law, to ask for someone's identification if that person is thought to be in the country illegally. Supporters say the law is a way to control Arizona's borders, and make the state a safer place. But critics say the law allows for widespread racial profiling. The legislation states that during the enforcement of a law -- even a small infraction such as broken headlight -- law enforcement officers are required to ask for identification from someone they think might be in the U.S. illegally. The fear is that the only ones being stopped and questioned by police would be people who look or sound Latino. Even though the law triggered a wave of protests, polls showed that over 50 percent of Arizona voters supported the bill. The law went into effect in July of 2010, but the more controversial parts of it were suspended by a federal judge and are currently being disputed in the courts.

"What Would You Do?" decided to travel to Arizona. We installed our hidden cameras at BK Carne Asada and Hotdogs, a popular restaurant in Tucson, and hired actors to portray an off-duty security guard and a Latino customer. Later, host John Quinones, who is Hispanic, went undercover to see how restaurant patrons would react when he was the one facing racial profiling. In our first scenario, the security guard approaches the actor playing the Latino customer moments after he enters the restaurant.
"You got any ID on you? Documentation? Papers?" he asks. "Are you visiting? Do you understand a little English?"
At first, people who seem to notice what's going on just stare nervously at the two men. But within a few minutes, a man charges up and confronts the security guard.
"Excuse me, who are you? Do you work here?" asks the man.
"No, I'm a security guard, I just stopped in to get some food," replies the guard. "I'm just trying to be a good American."
"I wouldn't say you're a good American. I'd say you're an ass!" yells the man.
What our actor playing the security guard was doing -- racial profiling -- was exactly what some argue would happen under the new immigration law. We wondered what would happen if the security guard challenges not just one Latino man, but an entire family.
"… I noticed you guys walk in, so I just wanted to make sure you're legal. … Just show me your ID," says our security guard to three actors portraying a Latino family.
"Are you flipping kidding me?" yells Rebecca Russ, a restaurant patron who gets in the guard's face. "You want to ask them if they belong here? Do you belong here?"
"Don't you guys want to know if they have ID?" the security guard asks.
"It's nobody's [expletive] business, get out!" yells Russ. "Oh my God, I want to punch him! ... They have a daughter!"
Possible Racial Profiling
All day, whites and Latinos alike give comfort to our Mexican-American actors. One woman, Candice Coker, approaches the actress playing the Latino mother and offers words of support after the guard leaves the scene. Later, Coker tells Quinones that she's never given a thought to the consequences of the anti-immigration law. But seeing the impact racial profiling has on a family made her think twice about the legislation.
In another scene, the sad face of Bella, our actress playing the little girl, causes a man named Manny Aparicio to spring into action.
"There's a time and a place, that ain't it. When you got a kid, you don't play that game," says Aparicio to the security guard.
When we decide to tell Aparicio that he is on "What Would You Do?" he tells Quinones, "When you are profiling people because of how they look -- that's not what this country is about, you know?"
He also points out that Quinones himself is Hispanic and could face profiling, which makes us wonder, what would happen if Quinones went undercover?
We decide to find out. Quinones dons a baseball cap and sunglasses, and goes into the restaurant along with our other actor, David Pinon, playing victims of the security guard's harassment.
"Speak English at all? You guys from Mexico?" the guard asks Quinones and Pinon. "You have some papers or anything like that?"
Upon hearing the guard's remarks, customer Neil Gago launches out of his seat. With quiet authority, he points to the door and says to the guard, "Go. Go. Go!"
Our actor obliges and leaves, but lingers outside the restaurant and pretends to call Border Patrol. Inside the restaurant, a young woman watches the guard warily and then gives him the finger. After a few minutes, she leaves to confront him, and is followed by another woman named Mayra Penunuri. The two women fearlessly confront the security guard outside, telling him to go home. Penunuri stamps her foot in anger and fires off a few cuss words in Spanish before going back inside to finish her dinner.
When Quinones reveals himself to Penunuri, she laughs heartily and tells him that among other things, she called the guard a "Gringo." She also said that it wasn't important that she didn't know Quinones -- she just thought it was important to defend him.
One after another, people step up and chase the guard out of the restaurant. Our most amazing intervention occurs when one woman decides she needs to do more than just yell at the guard -- she needs to act. She devises a plan to help Quinones and Pinon flee the restaurant to avoid possible deportation.
Over two days of filming, we were amazed to see dozens of people stepping up when witnessing racial profiling in action. All kinds of people intervened -- in fact, the majority were non-Hispanic. Despite the fact that the anti-immigration law seems popular in Arizona, we didn't see any evidence of it in this Tucson restaurant.

Days 5 & 6 - Shawna Forde Murder Trial

Guest Voz - Porter Corn - Immigration Clearinghouse:
Feb 01Day 5 – Shawna Forde Murder Trial – DNA conclusively ties Forde gang to Arivaca murders
Week 2, Day 5 of Minuteman Shawna Forde’s murder trial is in the books and testimony from Scott Walton of Sorenson Forensics conclusively links Shawna Forde, as well as her two cohorts to the murders of Raul Flores and 9 year old Brisenia Flores.
THE DNA EVIDENCE
•Shawna Forde’s DNA matched DNA found on a silver ring stolen from Flores’ wife that was recovered from the Honda Element that Forde was driving at the time of her arrest
•Jason “Gunny” Bush’s DNA was found on camo clothing and hiking boots seized from Albert Gaxiola’s house, blood found in the teal van seen cruising the Flores residence the day before the murders, on a shotgun taken from Gaxiola’s house and from blood found outside the Flores home.
We’ve already had verbal testimony from Chuck Stonex and Oin Oakstar tying the trio to the crime, but nothing like real scientific evidence to drive the point home.
COLORADO MINUTEMEN/FBI INFORMANT TESTIFIES
Ron Wedow, a member of the Colorado Minutemen, another border vigilante group and an FBI informer also took the stand to recount his encounter with Forde. According to David Ricker who is covering the trial as a stringer for the local papers,
Wedow testified that Forde was looking for a specialized team. “She wanted to know if I had a team that could go down there and take this house down,” he said. “The family was a front.”
FBI INVOLVEMENT
At the meeting, Wedow said Forde talked about the potential money they might find at this home in Arivaca. “She talked about millions of dollars being kept there,” he testified. “She said that at any given time there were $2-3 million in the house. After the house was secured her team would take the drugs, money and guns and they would meet at a later time.”
When Wedow questioned Forde regarding his source of information Forde assured him her information was solid. “She told me she had it under surveillance,” he said. “She started talking about drugs money and home invasions. I let it roll from there.”
RECORDED CALLS
After learning about the May 30, 2009, home invasion at the Flores home Wedow contacted the FBI to share his information. In response, the FBI asked him to call Forde on June 2 and June 9. Those recorded phone calls were played for the jury. Wedow asked Forde if she knew anything about the Flores home invasion. “I don’t know shit about that,” Forde said on the call. “If the cops want to talk to me they can call me.”
There was also testimony about a map Forde had drawn that for some reason was destroyed once it was in FBI custody according to the testimony of FBI Agent Chris Andersen. Anderson could give no reason why the sketch was destroyed and under questioning by defense attorneys, said no other evidence had gone missing, to his knowledge.
What wasn’t discussed is why the FBI failed to respond reports by Wedow of Forde's planned activities until after the murders, and then, requested the help of their informants.
Sources also have confirmed that the testimony given by FBI informant and Colorado Minuteman Ron Wedow and reported by David Ricker matched perfectly with information given last year in a series of confidential interviews.
PROSECUTION COULD REST BY END OF WEEK
This is just our opinion and nothing more, but it would appear the prosecution is nearing the end of it’s presentation and will rest by the end of the week.
Most of the witnesses have been called and have testified.
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Day 6 – Shawna Forde Murder Trail – Final Prosecution witnesses presented before State rests case
The final day of testimony in the Shawna Forde murder trial before the State rests it case and the defense attorneys begins their rebuttal, was filled with testimony of detectives who caught the case.
Pima County Sheriff’s Department Det. Charles Garcia told jurors of his initial contact and interviews with victim Gina Gonzalez including the photo lineup of six suspects, Forde among them. Garcia stated Gonzalez seemed fixated on the photo of Forde.
Det. Christopher Hogan testified he was on stakeout duty of a motel in Tucson where Forde had been staying and recounted seeing Forde and Gaxiola together at the motel on June 10, ten days after the murders in Arivaca
Det. Paul Montano testified he was part of the take down team who arrested Forde in Hereford, Cochise County and used Forde’s cell phone to send Gaxiola a message to meet her at a McDonalds where he was arrested.
These were witnesses that provided a continuation of the events leading up to the arrest of Forde and Gaxiola. The star of the day, if you could call it that was lead investigator Juan Carlos Navarro.
Detective Navarro testified of notebooks and other papers recovered during a search of Albert Gaxiola’s home in Arivaca, One entry read, “Green light Jr.” on it. The same sheet of paper also said “Truck (Him) and Hummer (Her).” Raul drove a pick up, and Gina, a Hummer.
Also, next to one of the notebooks found in a desk drawer was a business card, Shawna Forde, Minuteman American Defense.
SHAWNA FORDE LETTERS FROM JAIL
Some of the more damning evidence Navarro presented were letter written by Shawna Forde from the Pima County Jail instructing her son Devon Eddy to identify items of jewelry that Gonzalez reported stolen and found in her possession as jewelry he had given to her or that he recognized them from years ago.
According to Kim Smith of the Arizona Daily Star, Navarro also testified authorities also found a letter addressed to a Thomas Gibler. In that letter, Forde asked Gibler to testify he had given her an ornate belt buckle with the letter “G” on it because she loved the “Guess” brand name. She asked him to tell jurors he didn’t remember which Western store he’d purchased it from.
Forde started out that letter, “So the story is this:”
Gonzalez testified last week she bought the buckle when she was a teenager and the “G” was for her name.
TEXT MESSAGES AFTER THE CRIME:
Detective Navarro also presented the jury with transcripts of text messages sent from the cell phones of all the players, including Forde’s daughter Jazmine Eddy. While it is impossible to conclusively put the phones in the hands of the players, common sense tells you who sent the messages and who had possession of their own phones. (text messages)

Navarro also said phone records revealed Forde’s phone made a call to prosecution witness Oin Oakstar on May 30, at 12:28 p.m. The call lasted 2 minutes. The prosecution will rest this morning when court opens, probably after discussing several pending motions with the Judge and then the circus will begin.
Defense Attorney Eric Larsen and Co-Counsel Jill Thorpe will attempt to plant reasonable doubt in the mind of the juries as to Forde’s guilt. Larsen has an almost impossible job ahead of him.
We predict the defense will rest sometime next week, perhaps as early as Wednesday and the case could go to the jury as soon as a week from today.