Immigration..... again.

My last blog is about immigration too. I agree with USA All The Way! Many immigrants thinks that America is a home of opportunity, that even if it means of leaving your family, one will sacrifice. I totally agree that the government should pass a bill that will, at least help immigrants, but in my opinion, the bill should be review. One of my colleagues message me, commenting about the bill. She said that because of the big amount of penalty, their is, for certain a loophole. My colleagues blog wrote this; "I read another article called “ Some Say Immigration Bill Is Bad Deal for the GOP” who was written by Charles Babington ,stated that “ Many conservatives are scared to death that the Republican Party is committing suicide, that were going to end up legalizing 9 million automatic democrat voters” Now with all that said, this bill wont “automatically” legalize immigrants for their green card. " Somehow, it gave me the impression that most GOP are not totally convinced with the bill because of what might be the voting turn out. We all know that Obama got a lot of support from Hispanics.

I will say that my colleagues blog is great, because she used personal stories to make a  persuasive essay. I know the immigration process. I am a international student, and for me to have a legal status, I have to pay and work for it. I gone thru a lot of interviews and waited for long. I know that the other reason why illegal immigrants would rather live in secrecy because they don't have the money and scared that if the showed they will get deported. I still hope and wish that in the end, the bill will be review and passed. No matter what, those illegal immigrants contributed something and somehow good to this country.

Immigration bill in progress?

4 months had past since I last talked about immigration. Since then, a lot of things had happen, we had this sequester thing, the gun control and health care act issue. I thought we already forgotten, or at least me, the immigration bill the president promised to create during his first term. During that 4 months, the Senate has created a group they called the “Gang of 8”, that drafted immigration reform bill.

Last January, the President and the Senate Democrats talked about creating a new reform bill that will give “probationary legal status” to those eligible undocumented immigrants. Now that the “gang of 8” has drafted this reform bill they want, let's talk about what's inside this bill.

 

I personally looked and downloaded the copy of the reform bill (I got the copy in CNN.com). I will not claim that I fully understand everything, but when I read it, it doesn't clearly stated how undocumented immigrants can legally gain naturalization. Not until it started to talk about the fines, years and exception. The "gang of 8" stipulates that illegal immigrant won't be able to see path for legal residency not until the “Southern Boarder” will be secure. But how far America is in securing the boarder? Not so far. Just last month, Sen. John McCain, along with Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Michael Bennet, and Sen. Jeff Flake who are all part of “Gang of 8”, witnessed a lady jumping over the 18 foot fence separating Nogales Arizona to Sonora Mexico. Sen. McCain tweeted this at the same time, admitting that there is something wrong in keeping the boarder secure.

We can expect that clear path from legal residency for undocumented immigrants will take a lot of work, money, and some time. But what the bill offers? The bill offers two pathways for legal residency that is neither attainable by boarder security and those who are eligible by the DREAM act. Undocumented immigrants can apply for Registered Provisional Immigrant (RIP) that will allow them to work legally and can leave and go back in America freely. This RIP is good for only 6 years, but before they can apply for this, undocumented immigrant should pass the requirements first. They have to pay a $500 penalty, and also pay taxes as part of attaining provisional consideration. Also undocumented immigrants should not have any criminal records or any act of misdemeanor. After 6 years, one can re-apply for RIP, paying the same penalty and owned tax. After 10 years in RIP status, one can apply to become a lawful permanent  resident, but they have to follow the set of guidelines same as immigrants who wish for green card. At the same time, a fee of $1000.

 

To get a legal residency status is pricey, but in the end, I still have question. I know that undocumented immigrants are not allowed to work, and we all know that even the law say they can't, most of them still have work, but that is only a low paying job. Maybe $10 for an hour, or even lower, but how can they pay the penalty if they earned so little? I don't know, maybe they can work their magic. The only thing I wish, is in the end, this people will be able to get a normal life. Not a life in secrecy. I am a international student, and I worked a lot and payed so much just to get approved to study. Even though this is will be my last semester studying here in America, I hope that this people will eventually get naturalization and be called  as AMERICANS.

Blog 6:

A very well made point given by What in the U-S-A is going on?!. When I first got here, my uncle gave me a small card with my name on it. I was wondering what is the use of it and he told me that, that is a health insurance. Insurance is a big thing here in America, specially health insurance. When I got here by December, I always heard the news about the new health care law the government will implement, the Obamacare. At first i thought that it was a good thing, and i questioned why do people don't like it. Even though I've read some articles and news about ObamaCare, I still don't understand it as a whole. Many Americans are still confuse with this new health care law; now they want to hire people just to explain it to you (i thought, why not just make it plain simple in english so that people can understand it!) paying $40- $50 bucks an hour. It is just crazy. But what it really looks like to me now, is another way for the insurance companies and government to get more money from the people. Many people were opposed to it, it is invasion of the government. Obamacare was supposed to help, its goal is to help people to get more coverage for hospital and medical bills, but it turns out, it will cost a lot more money to those who are healthier and younger folks. I still think Obamacare is a win-lose thing. The government and insurance companies wins, and normal/average people lose.

Over Reaching Government?

In first month of the year, health care became a great issue. With the new health care act by the President, affecting business and personal life of its citizens. Another health bill was passed, the soda ban. Though this new bill will be in effect in City of New York, people's reaction booms as New York Health Board passed and signed the bill proposed by Mayor Micheal Bloomberg of New York City.

The soda ban restriction was set to hit NYC until Supreme court judge Milton Tingling ruled the decision that makes the soda ban upheld. Why? Because of its obvious loopholes. The soda ban limits restaurants, fast food establishments, delis, sport venues and movie theaters to sell less than 16 ounce of sugary soda drinks. What are the loopholes? The soda ban does not covered alcoholic beverage; which has more bad effects in our health, low calorie drinks like water or diet soda. The argument is that, why does the government will only have restriction ban with soda, wherein alcoholic beverage has a big contribution with obesity as well. If the government really care about the health of its people, why not have a restriction ban in all beverage that has a bad effects in people's health? Another is that the soda ban will only be implemented to the businesses that are regulated by the Health Department; which means people can still buy super size soda in grocery stores and some drug stores. In other word, the restriction ban will be useless if super size sodas are still available in the market. Judge Milton Tingling wrote in his ruling that “the loopholes in the new regulations defeated the limit's stated purpose”. In which he added that, “It is arbitrary and capricious because it applies to some but not all food establishments in the City, it excludes other beverage that have significantly higher concentration of sugar and/or calories on suspect grounds, the loopholes inherent in the rule.”

In Mayor Bloomberg's defense, he said that, 9 out of 10 of the New York City neighborhoods with the highest obesity rates also were neighborhoods with the highest rates of sugary drink consummation. The City officials said that it is proven that sugary drinks are harming New Yorkers' health.

 The government wanting to decrease obesity in the country thinks that restriction ban is the answer. First of all, the cause of obesity have lots of factors. Samantha Gross' article in Huffington Post, stated that, "the proposal wasn't backed up by scientific evidence and that it is not reasonable enough to blame or cite one product." Many critics said that, the government taking initiative to do something about the issue is a big baby step, though banning it is not the answer. With the soda ban restriction, comes along ruling the lives of people. It's like taking away the freedom to choose what to drink and how much. My argument is, why do the government interfere in the individual, daily lives of people. It just made it look that the government wants us to think that they care with the lives of people. I think with Mayor Bloomberg taking initiative to do something about obesity is a good start, but banning such thing only makes the impression that the government will take our freedom little by little by controlling small things with our daily lives. In his proposal, loopholes can be seen clearly. Banning soda, but not alcohol? It is that alcohol is far more dangerous to drink? Drunk driving is one thing, but how about the sickness you can get from drinking to much beer, vodka, whiskey and so on.



New York Soda Ban brings arguments to NYC Health Board
Bloomberg "confident" soda ban will be upheld

Blog 4: Releasing Immigrants, blamed it to the President.

"We, as nation will not go into default anytime soon because are revenue exceeds our debt payments. So the full fault and credit of the United States of America in not in danger unless the president put it in danger." - Mark Leveni

For the last few months, media's attention was in the issue of a $85 billion worth of spending cuts in government funding. National security, military operations, health care, education, disaster relief, unemployment benefits and scientific research are some who will be affected by the budget cut. In Huffington post, one article wrote by Lisa Miller, said that the budget cut will be for 9 years, starting this remainder of the year 2013 up to the end of 2021; total of $1.2 trillion budget cuts, spread for over 9 years.

National security was part of the government budget cut, and according to Judson Burger of Fox news, the Pinal county jail of Arizona is experiencing the effects of budget cut, releasing mostly five hundred of illegal immigrants. Sheriff Paul Babue of Pinal County, Arizona said that “ Immigration and Custom Enforcements released more than 500 detainees in his county alone over the weekend... and that the ICE officials have said that they plan to release a total of nearly 10,000 illegal immigrants.” Though the numbers given were in dispute by the ICE officials. ICE officials confirmed releasing illegal immigrants, but said it was only 303.

Though Mr. Burger didn't wrote his feelings or thoughts in this article. He laid information, which is both parties side of story. He laid facts, as if showing to his reader the negative effects of the budget cut. Mr. Burger made a objective journalism by getting both sides of the story. He did a unbiased article; not letting his own opinion affect the decision of his reader. He laid information and facts given by both sides.

In my opinion, obviously the sequester has a big, bad effect in terms of the national security. Last nigth, i heard that the government gave some big amount of big money to a foreign country. In this case, why does the government will give such a big amount of money if the country face a big problem financially.  I'm not saying the government should not help other country, but what I'm trying to convey is that, the government should minimize the amount of money given to other country, they should think if it is really necessary. Other thing is the spending of the government with non-sense, and personal expense. The government should minimize the spending, not the fundings, specially those fundings that benefits most american; like the national security and health care. The government should prioritize the safety of its citizen.

(http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/02/26/dhs-to-release-thousands-illegal-immigrants-blaming-budget-cuts/)

BLOG#3:

The gun control bill has been one of the biggest issue this past few months. All of us still remember what happened in New town Connecticut. The massive shooting that killed the lives 20 kids and 6 adults. Since that incidents, plenty of anti-gun pop out, wanting to pass a new reform bill. A reform bill that many people oppose too.

Karoli is one of the writers in crooksandliars.com. Last February 1,2013, she wrote a commentary about Gayle Trotter, agreeing to the government to have armed guards in schools. Gayle Trotter of the Independent Women's forum made a testimony on why young moms approved on having armed guards in public school, which she totally disagree. Gayle Trotter said that “Gun-rights opponents have begun scoffing at the notion of armed guards in our children schools, doesn't prevent the gun-rights opponent-in-chief from relying on a government-provided security detail to protect his own children”. Gayle Trotter believes that having armed guards will scared off people in thinking of harming the lives of children within school perimeters. She strongly believes that will make the children feeling more safe in school. The thing is, yes, the children may be safer with armed guards around them, but is their any assurance that the kids would not be bother? I think children will be scared to go to school because they don't want to see armed guys walking in the corridor with them and it might cause trauma to other kids. I think having armed guys in school perimeters is over reaction by people. Karoli thinks so. She thinks that having armed guards in school might cause psychological problem to the kids.

Obama's Reform Bill: Prabationary legal status

"Since the election, Mr. Obama has repeatedly pledged to act on immigration this year. In his weekly radio address on Saturday, he again referred to the urgency of fixing the immigration system, saying it was one of the “difficult missions” the country must take on. " -From New York Times article


 

America is one of the biggest country and the most powerful in the world. It is the "great nation" as people called it. In New York Time article, it is said that there are about 11 million illegal immigrants, composing 2.3 percent of US population. Immigration reform bill is a hot topic in the House floor, it is said that there are six dozens of bills filled by the state law-makers concerning about illegal immigrants. Mr. President and the Senate Democrats reform plans to give a "probationary legal status" grant to the eligible undocumented immigrants, but, they wouldn't be allowed to apply for a permanent status or green card until the border is deemed to be secure. In this reform, that the President and the Senate Democrats is pushing, it leads me on asking this question: first is to what extent this probationary grant will offer? Will it offer some benefits to immigrants? Second is, what does it take to be categorized as eligible undocumented immigrants? What will happen to those who are not eligible? Will they be sent back to their country? Or would they still live their lives in secrecy? Lastly is, until when do the immigrants wait for the border to be secure? Until when do they have to wait to apply for a citizenship? Yes, this is a good reform bill, but not all illegal immigrants will be covered, only those who are categorized as eligible. There are always five ways to solve a problem. One is not to do anything about it, second is this reform bill and the other three is not yet discovered. There are always better answers, only if the problem is being studied or analyze well. Maybe the government will come up with a reform bill that can solve the problems of the immigration. Besides, these people we call illegal immigrants call this country their home.