Author: Alanna

Press Release from Prince William County Schools concerning a confirmed case of the swine flu.

Also, interesting is the World Health Organization (WHO) Update which tabluates the number of people infected and the deaths per country.

Case of H1N1 Virus (Swine Flu) Confirmed
Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Early Tuesday evening PWCS received notification of a confirmed case of the H1N1 Virus, otherwise known as “Swine Flu” involving a West Gate Elementary School student. The student is recovering at home and will not return to school until cleared by a doctor.

Our School Division has been in frequent contact with local and state health officials regarding this particular case, in accordance with established PWCS guidelines. We are closely monitoring the situation and are utilizing the guidance of the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). All appropriate measures are being taken to ensure the health of all of our students and staff.

While the spread of the virus from person-to-person continues throughout the United States, the severity of the virus does not appear to be any more severe than seasonal flu. The new guidance from the CDC does not recommend closing a school unless there is significant faculty or student absenteeism which would interfere with the school’s ability to function. School Division officials will work closely with local and state health officials to monitor the situation and determine if our response needs to change. This could include the future possibility that a school may need to close.

Parents are asked to continue to monitor their children for any of the symptoms of influenza, which include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue, and occasionally vomiting and diarrhea. If your child is experiencing any symptoms which you are concerned about, please contact your child’s healthcare provider.

This is a good opportunity to remind everyone regarding simple steps that you can take to keep your family healthy. These include:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water. Clean hands with an alcohol-based hand cleaner if soap and water are not available
• Cover your nose and mouth with your sleeve or a tissue when you cough or sneeze
• Stay home when you are sick
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth to prevent the spread of germs
• Avoid close contact with those who have symptoms of flu
• If you need to seek care for you or your child, please call ahead to your health care provider’s office and tell them what symptoms you have, so they can see you quickly and prevent exposing other people in the waiting room.

Parents are encouraged to report the reason for their child’s absence to the school. It is very important, during a health situation such as this, to have accurate information about absences.

The health and safety of our students and staff is always of the utmost importance. Please refer to the PWCS web site at pwcs.edu or the VDH web site at www.vdh.virginia.gov for more information and for helpful resources regarding the H1N1 Virus.

Questions and answers about swine flu from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

World Health Organization (WHO) Update

How quickly things have changed. Now, Limbaugh states that he would supports the Sotomayor nomination as long as she has “sensibility towards life in a legal sense”, Gingrich retracts his accusations of her being a racist, and conservative justices support her decision in the handling of a second amendment case. That’s a pretty fast turn around from Republicans over the course of a week. Now the buzz about Obama’s opposing vote for Alito & Roberts takes form as the main reason why she should not receive Republican votes.

These two are extremely lucky to be alive.

I had heard about this but just saw the video and thought I’d share it. I don’t know anything about Mancow, other than I think he’s a shock jock. So, I don’t really know if I should take him seriously or not. Wasn’t there some discussion of a Keith Olberman Sean Hannity Waterboarding, but I don’t know if anything came of it.

All over the internet, the popular discussion of the day, seems to be President Obama’s Supreme Court Justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor. If approved she would be the first Hispanic and the third woman appointed. The appointment which was supposed to galvanize Republicans in opposition has instead once again turned the party into a circular firing squad with contradicting messages.

First off, there’s GOP spokesman Michael Steele suggests restraint to avoid the appearance of anti-Latino sentiment. Then there’s Rush Limbaugh’s comments claiming ‘reverse racism’. I don’t know how Republicans could object to her, she’s been voted on twice by the Senate. She was originally nominated by George Herbert Walker Bush. It just seems that this going to be a ‘win’ for Obama and objections by Republicans will prove futile. Sometimes you have to pick your battles and barring any explosive new, previously undiscovered vetting material; it appears to be a solid nomination that will gain approval.

I’ve read Sotomayor’s ‘controversial’ comments which reminds me of statements by Sandra Day O’Connor’s concerning her disappointment at not being replaced by a woman. We don’t want activist judges. But remember judges issue ‘opinions’. They obviously have differing and dissenting viewpoints which must be based on something other than straight facts and the law. So it seems rather naive to expect that a person’s life experiences would somehow not influence their decision making process.

Letiecq’s thread entitled the ‘Traitors In Our Midst’ is as close as actionable litigation as I have seen posted on any blog site. Honestly, you’d think that someone who thought their Puerto Rican neighbors were ‘illegals’ might be a little more cautious in his future allegations. Personally, I’d love to see some Chipotle attorneys decend upon him with a ‘cease and desist’ order. Or better yet, SUE SUE SUE….

In case you haven’t had the opportunity to read the lunacy first hand, here it is –

I am writing this to inform about the General Manager from Chipotle in Manassas. Her name is Juana and she is from El Salvador. She works in the Liberia location in Manassas. I used to work in Chipotle and at that time Juana told me about her ties to the MS 13 gang. I reported this to Chipotle but no action was taken. She is also illegal. She does not have documents to work in the US. Chipotle knows this. Now she is the General Manager. And she is in charge of hiring other employees. She has pretty much filled her restaurants with illegals. Someone should stop this.

Then Letiecq continues on with his basis allegations from an unnamed source which most likely is either a disgruntled employee or conceivably Letiecq himself who seems anxious to attack anyone or anything associated with Mexicans even if it’s an American company with the word ‘Mexican’ in the title, like Chipotle Mexican Grill.

My only question is how long will it take before Letiecq accuses the company of being part of a zapitista reform movement? This wouldn’t be too much more far fetched than his current attempts to tie a Mexican restaurant to an El Salvadorean gang.

So according to this person, when you patronize Chipotle, a portion of the money you pay them is used to provide financial support to the Mara Salvatruca 13 gang. How lovely. I wonder how many patrons are aware of this, and whether they might change their spending habits if they knew.

He tries to suggest the unnamed person intimates ties between the corporation and an MS13 gang when in fact it is he himself who makes the assertion.

One can only hope a Chiptole attorney gets wind of this lunacy. Any bets on whether or not this thread will be permitted to stay on his blog?

Another interesting piece from Jerry Erickson, in News & Messenger, discussing the economic benefits of legalizing an undocumented workforce.

After reading the piece, I’d add that the stabilization of the housing market alone would be a tremendous benefit to the economy. One need only recall the recent Business Week article, where John McClain, a senior fellow at George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis, stated that Prince William has witnessed higher foreclosure rates as immigrants moved to neighboring jurisdictions. Nobody should replicate Prince William County’s experience with some of the highest foreclosure rates in the country combined with double digit property losses to a national level. In fact, offering an opportunity at legalization should strengthen the housing sector as those undocumented homeowners with high interest loans could be able to re-finance into lower, more affordable products. Just a thought…

Jerry Erickson
Published: May 20, 2009

QUESTION: Can immigration reform provide a boost to the U.S. economy?

Before our country can actually agree to implement any real immigration reform, there has to be a meeting of the minds, or at least a general consensus, that this decision will lead to long-term, worthwhile and measurable economic benefits. Opponents of immigration reform often argue that the costs associated with this effort will outweigh the benefits. A review of the facts suggests that this position is off the mark.

As reported in separate reports by the Immigration Policy Center and the Executive Office of the President, Council of Economic Affairs (EOP), the following are some points to consider:

FACT: Providing legal status to undocumented workers would increase tax revenues.

Department of Labor (DOL) sponsored surveys have concluded that those workers who obtained legal status under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) experienced, on average, a 15 percent increase in wages within five years. It’s also a given that when your wages increase, you pay more in state and federal taxes. There are also other benefits that flow from legal status, including home ownership, investment in education, job creation and community development.

FACT: Legalizing undocumented workers would improve wages and working conditions for all workers, and increase tax revenues for federal, state, and local governments.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) have estimated the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, as proposed in April 2006, would have had the effect of generating $66 billion in revenue between 2007-2016, primarily from payroll and income taxes.

The CBO and the JCT also concluded that the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 would have generated approximately $48 billion in revenue from 2008-2017. Again, this would have primarily resulted from payment of income and payroll taxes.

Read More

The Washington Post article, U.S. to Expand Immigration Checks to All Local Jails, states that the Obama administration will expand the Secure Communities Program currently being implemented in Fairfax County, to all jails nationwide. By doing so, we can once and for all accurately determine the number of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants that are non-immigration related. I believe, Prince William County’s data will prove to be a reliable indicator of what the results would prove nationally, with misdeamenor crimes like driving without a license being the primary offense committed.

Drawbacks to these types of programs include an apprehension among immigrants, legal or not to report crimes out of concern that their immigration status could somehow be put in jeopordy, including the possibility that legal permanent residents could lose their status for minor criminal offenses.

This program combined with the continued construction of the fence, the revival of the vitual fence project indicate the administrations willingness and ability to address the issue, and hopefully, sooner rather than later will require those otherwise lawfully residing immigrants an opportunity to adjust their status.

Virginia Virtucon reports on efforts in Stafford to oppose terrorists being transferred from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Quantico Marine Base. Apparently, the brig is technically located in Stafford; however since the base spans both counties, Prince William County residents and Supervisors should keep a close eye on developments.

Stafford Co. Supervisor Makes The Case Against Bringing Terrorists To Quanitco
Posted on May 7, 2009 by Riley
Stafford Co. Garrisonville Dist. Supervisor Mark Dudenhefer has a great op-ed in today’s Free Lance-Star laying out the various reasons why the terrorists being detained at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba should not be brought to the brig at Quantico. (For the record, the Quantico brig is located in Stafford Co., but the base itself spans both Stafford and Pr. William counties making it a concern for residents of both.)

Radio Talk Show Host Michael Savage gives conservatives a bad name. His outrageous claims goes beyond what society should accept as the norm. Words have consequences and he should be held accountable for his. Simply put, you are not allowed under the guise of free speech to state anything you choose. Some of Michael Savage’s claims are the moral equivalent of screaming fire in a crowded movie theater. For example, his statement about ‘illegal immigrants being used as weapons in germ warfare by terrorists intent on exploiting a weak southern border’. Tell me, Mr. Weiner (aka Michael Savage), why wouldn’t a terrorist simply go to a terminal in the nearest international airport and find a flight bound for the United States and release it there? Your words are meant to incite hatred for Mexicans. The United Kingdom is 100% correct in refusing your entry to their country. Now, if the talk radio station that employs you would recognize your idiocy and refuse you entry into the office building, we could call it a day.

Other Americans included on the list of banned persons include:

• Stephen Donald Black, a.k.a. Don Black, former Alabama Klan leader and creator of the white nationalist online forum Stormfront, banned for “promoting serious criminal activity and fostering hatred that might lead to inter-community violence in the UK.”

• Erich Gliebe, chairman of the neo-Nazi National Alliance, for “engaging in unacceptable behaviour by justifying terrorist violence, provoking others to commit serious crime and fostering racial hatred.”

• Fred Phelps, Sr., and Shirley Phelps Roper, leaders of the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church, for “picket[ing] the funerals of Aids victims and [claiming] the deaths of American soldiers are a punishment for US tolerance of homosexuality.”

• Michael Alan Weiner, a.k.a. Michael Savage, right-wing talk radio host, for “seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred.” The Home Office also noted that Savage’s “views on immigration, Islam, rape and autism have caused great offence in the US.”

This is an update to a previous thread, Supreme Court to Hear Case Concerning Illegals & ID Theft. The US Supreme Court has unanimously rejected tactics of the federal government in pursuing Identity Theft charges against undocumented workers as a means to enforce immigration laws.

More from the American Immigration Law Foundation:

American Immigration Law Foundation

For Immediate Release

AILF Lauds Today’s Supreme Court Decision
Supreme Court Overrules Government Tactics to Criminalize Immigrant Workers
May 4, 2009

Washington, DC – AILF’s Legal Action Center applauds a unanimous decision today of the U.S. Supreme Court, that rejects the government’s efforts to overreach in prosecutions of immigrant workers. The Court held that to convict a defendant of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison, the government must establish that the person knew the identification belonged to another person.

“The Court sent a clear message that the government must not misuse a criminal statute intended to combat actual identity theft in order to drop a hammer on unauthorized workers,” said Nadine Wettstein, Director of the Legal Action Center.

In the case before the Court, a worker, Ignacio Flores-Figueroa, had given his employer counterfeit Social Security and alien registration cards in order to continue working. The government charged Flores with misusing immigration documents, but also elevated the charges by including a charge of aggravated identity theft. The government argued that to convict on that charge, it did not have to prove that Flores knew the number actually belonged to another person.

The Court disagreed. It rejected the government’s claim that it would be too hard to prove a defendant knew the identification belonged to someone else. Significantly, the Court said that when the government properly charges defendants with this crime, the government should have no difficulty proving “knowledge:”

…[I]n the classic case of identity theft, intent is generally not difficult to prove. For example, where a defendant has used another person’s identification information to get access to that person’s bank account, the Government can prove knowledge with little difficulty. The same is true when the defendant has gone through someone else’s trash to find discarded credit card and bank statements…”

The government charged more than 300 workers in Postville, Iowa in 2008 with violating this very statute. Because of the threat of serving two years in prison, almost all of the Postville defendants pled guilty to lesser charges in expedited hearings that led to widespread condemnation.

Mr. Flores-Figueroa was represented at the Supreme Court by Kevin Russell of Howe and Russell of Bethesda, Maryland. Amicus Curiae (“friend of the court”) briefs were filed by several organizations, including Washington Square Legal Services, New York, on behalf of approximately 20 organizations.

Just read this story, and if I understand it properly, it suggests boycotting so that localities don’t receive additional federal funding that could be used for ‘crackdowns’. Additionally, it wouldn’t allow the nativists to point to census data about foreign born individuals. Is it required by law that we participate in the census? This sounds interesting… I will investigate further.

Some Hispanic advocacy groups are calling for illegal immigrants to boycott the 2010 Census unless immigration laws are changed. The move puts them at odds with leading immigrant rights advocates and creates another hurdle in the Census Bureau’s quest to count everyone in the USA.

The National Coalition of Latino Clergy & Christian Leaders, a group that says it represents 20,000 evangelical churches in 34 states, issued a statement this week urging undocumented immigrants not to fill out Census forms unless Congress passes “genuine immigration reform.”

Similar grass-roots campaigns are unfolding in Arizona and New Mexico to protest state and local crackdowns on illegal immigrants. Asking immigrants to be counted without giving them a chance to become legal residents counters church teachings, says the Rev. Miguel Rivera, president of the Latino religious coalition.

When the Census counts growing numbers of Hispanics, the counts are often used to support crackdowns on illegal immigrants, he says. About 38% of the churches’ 3.4 million members are undocumented, he says. The Census Bureau does not ask people if they are here illegally.

Federal funding and apportionment of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are based on a Census of the population every 10 years. Not counting the estimated 12 million immigrants who are here illegally would send less money to states and cities that have large numbers of undocumented residents and could shift political clout elsewhere.

“We know it will hurt a lot of cities,” Rivera says.

That’s the bargaining chip boycott supporters are using to lobby lawmakers to issue temporary work visas for undocumented workers and give them a way to become citizens.

The call for a boycott “may be well-intended but misguided and ultimately irresponsible,” says Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials and a member of a Census advisory panel.

“There is a sense of desperation and frustration among some immigrant rights leaders” that Congress has not taken action on such issues, Vargas says. They should give the new administration a chance, he says.

That is not allaying concerns in states that have imposed sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants or in cities and counties that have given police the power to enforce immigration laws.

In Phoenix, immigrant advocates such as Alfredo Gutierrez, host of a daily radio program on a Spanish station, threaten a Census boycott to protest crackdowns on illegal immigrants.

In Roswell, N.M., businessman Bobby Villegas launched a campaign in February to get undocumented workers to boycott the Census. He’s doing it as the city nears 50,000 population, a mark that would give it the government designation as a metropolitan area, which puts cities on the map for national marketers and retailers.

“Are we going to bring more money in the community so that they can hire more police officers who then will go out after more undocumented?” Villegas asks.

The Roswell Hispano Chamber of Commerce he helped found voiced support for the Census, but “it’s going to be very hard to reach these individuals and say, ‘Trust me,’ ” says Juan Oropesa, executive director.

Nationally, efforts to have the Census reach Hispanics get backing from major Spanish-speaking media and organizations. For the first time, the Census will send forms in English and Spanish to about 13 million households in areas that have a high concentration of Hispanics.