LaxPower Back-Up Stick

CU88a wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 7:21 am Say this yesterday:

Representative Bill Johnson (R-OH) today submitted his resignation, effective January 21, to become the president of Youngstown State University. This shaves the Republican majority in the House of Representatives even thinner. With the recent expulsion of George Santos (R-NY) and resignation of Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the Republicans will control just 219 seats, permitting them a margin of only two seats to pass legislation when the House returns on January 9.

The Republican House has been one of the least effective in history, and it has its work cut out for it in the new year. The first phase of the continuing resolution Congress passed in November to fund the government expires on January 19, ending funding for transportation, housing, energy, agriculture, and veterans’ affairs. The second phase expires on February 2. Much of the 2018 Farm Bill that covers food and farm aid expired in 2023. As of yesterday, January 1, the items usually covered in farm bills fall under a hodge-podge of fixes, with some old provisions from the 1930s and 1940s going back into force.

Also outstanding is the measure to provide supplemental funding for Israel, Ukraine, and the southern border between the U.S. and Mexico, as well as providing humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

House Republicans refused to pass that measure unless it included their own extreme anti-immigration measures, but they have refused to participate in efforts to hash out legislation, clearly preferring to keep the issue hot to use against the Democrats in 2024. Since President Joe Biden took office, he and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have asked Congress for additional funding for Customs and Border Patrol officers and additional immigration courts, but despite Republicans’ own demand for such legislation, House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) wrote to Biden in December demanding that he impose stricter immigration rules and build a border wall through executive action. Today, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) echoed the idea that Biden, not Congress, should deal with the border.

Meanwhile, Emily Brooks and Rebecca Beitsch of The Hill reported today that about 60 House Republicans are planning to visit the border in Texas to emphasize the issue. They are also preparing to impeach Mayorkas on the grounds that he has failed to meet the requirements of the Secure Fence Act, “which defines operational control of the border as a status in which not a single person or piece of contraband improperly enters the country.” As Brooks and Beitsch point out, “not a single secretary of Homeland Security has met that standard of perfection.” House Republicans plan to hold hearings on impeaching Mayorkas, but Homeland Security Committee chair Mark Green (R-TN) has suggested to the Fox News Channel that the articles of impeachment are already written.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 7:37 am IMO the Republicans have a very long history of ineffectual leadership when given the opportunity. A Fan has pointed out the Republicans ran the show when Trump was in charge and couldn't find a fix for the chit show at the southern border.

WaffleTwineFaceoff wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:15 pm

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 7:37 am IMO the Republicans have a very long history of ineffectual leadership when given the opportunity. A Fan has pointed out the Republicans ran the show when Trump was in charge and couldn't find a fix for the chit show at the southern border.

The border wall proposed by Trump caused the press, politicians and a great many people to lose their minds.

Our law makers on both sides of the aisle are bad at math. The expense of the border wall (estimates from $15-30 billion) was balked at and/or
attacked economically, socially, racially, intellectually, morally, legally, and emotionally.

In the meantime, just 2022's illegal immigration has burdened US taxpayers with an estimated $150 billion price tag. $12.5 billion a month. That's the combined GDP of 14 states.

I won't even go into the statistics regarding violent crimes (murder, rape, felony assault, felony theft) being committed by the illegals who we support better than our veterans.

Anyone have any solutions in mind?

WaffleTwineFaceoff wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:15 pm

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 7:37 am IMO the Republicans have a very long history of ineffectual leadership when given the opportunity. A Fan has pointed out the Republicans ran the show when Trump was in charge and couldn't find a fix for the chit show at the southern border.

The border wall proposed by Trump caused the press, politicians and a great many people to lose their minds.

Our law makers on both sides of the aisle are bad at math. The expense of the border wall (estimates from $15-30 billion) was balked at and/or
attacked economically, socially, racially, intellectually, morally, legally, and emotionally.

In the meantime, just 2022's illegal immigration has burdened US taxpayers with an estimated $150 billion price tag. $12.5 billion a month. That's the combined GDP of 14 states.

WaffleTwineFaceoff wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:15 pm
I won't even go into the statistics regarding violent crimes (murder, rape, felony assault, felony theft) being committed by the illegals who we support better than our veterans.

Anyone have any solutions in mind?

a fan wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:32 pm

WaffleTwineFaceoff wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:15 pm

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 7:37 am IMO the Republicans have a very long history of ineffectual leadership when given the opportunity. A Fan has pointed out the Republicans ran the show when Trump was in charge and couldn't find a fix for the chit show at the southern border.

The border wall proposed by Trump caused the press, politicians and a great many people to lose their minds.

Our law makers on both sides of the aisle are bad at math. The expense of the border wall (estimates from $15-30 billion) was balked at and/or
attacked economically, socially, racially, intellectually, morally, legally, and emotionally.

In the meantime, just 2022's illegal immigration has burdened US taxpayers with an estimated $150 billion price tag. $12.5 billion a month. That's the combined GDP of 14 states.

Got a cite for that?

WaffleTwineFaceoff wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:15 pm
I won't even go into the statistics regarding violent crimes (murder, rape, felony assault, felony theft) being committed by the illegals who we support better than our veterans.

Anyone have any solutions in mind?

Yes. Give every one of them work VISAs. We have several hundred Venezuelans that arrived here in Denver this winter.....there are entry level jobs in the MILLIONS that are unfulfilled. Don't believe me? Next time you go to get something to eat----ANYWHERE----ask them how hard it is to get entry level jobs filled. The ACTUAL problem is that they can't work legally. Fix that? This whole issue goes away.....they pay taxes like everyone else.

Biden just gave our troops their biggest raise in Decades. Give them a bigger one, and pay their full tuition at any .gov college or vocational school of their choice after they've served. Who the F would complain if we did that for our troops? No one. Make it happen.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm A question for you a Fan. That certainly would be a daunting task to issue all those work VISAs to such a large volume of folks with no vetting having been done.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm My question is without a valid social number how does the federal and state government collect payroll taxes? Can you collect FICA taxes without a SS number??

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm FTR the situation in Colorado and say NYC could not be more different. NYC has been so overwhelmed by the massive influx of new people they are struggling to even provide basics such as food and shelter. There are also rumblings from NYC residents already barely keeping their heads above water. The sudden influx of 130 thousand new people creates a massive strain on NYC to accommodate them and to provide services that are already stretched too thin.

a fan wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 1:05 pm

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm A question for you a Fan. That certainly would be a daunting task to issue all those work VISAs to such a large volume of folks with no vetting having been done.

So what? We're doing ZERO vetting now. Right now.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm My question is without a valid social number how does the federal and state government collect payroll taxes? Can you collect FICA taxes without a SS number??

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/18/us/undoc ... index.html

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm FTR the situation in Colorado and say NYC could not be more different. NYC has been so overwhelmed by the massive influx of new people they are struggling to even provide basics such as food and shelter. There are also rumblings from NYC residents already barely keeping their heads above water. The sudden influx of 130 thousand new people creates a massive strain on NYC to accommodate them and to provide services that are already stretched too thin.

Great. Give them work visas. Again---pick up the phone, and call around to places with entry level work. Ask if they've got jobs.

Put them to work. That's it. Then they're just another worker.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 1:24 pm

a fan wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 1:05 pm

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm A question for you a Fan. That certainly would be a daunting task to issue all those work VISAs to such a large volume of folks with no vetting having been done.

So what? We're doing ZERO vetting now. Right now.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm My question is without a valid social number how does the federal and state government collect payroll taxes? Can you collect FICA taxes without a SS number??

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/18/us/undoc ... index.html

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm FTR the situation in Colorado and say NYC could not be more different. NYC has been so overwhelmed by the massive influx of new people they are struggling to even provide basics such as food and shelter. There are also rumblings from NYC residents already barely keeping their heads above water. The sudden influx of 130 thousand new people creates a massive strain on NYC to accommodate them and to provide services that are already stretched too thin.

Great. Give them work visas. Again---pick up the phone, and call around to places with entry level work. Ask if they've got jobs.

Put them to work. That's it. Then they're just another worker.

That becomes rather difficult if they don't have a place to live first. I don't know to what degree but there are stories out there about people who have lived in NYC their entire lives that are resentful at the preferential treatment given to people sent to their city that isn't available to them. So if you find them a job how do they get back and forth to that job? Do they call an Uber??The inability to speak English is a problem. What restaurant owner can hire a server who can't communicate with a customer?? At present in NYC the most pressing issue is a severe lack of housing. Many of these folks are living in tent cities

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 1:24 pm That becomes rather difficult if they don't have a place to live first. I don't know to what degree but there are stories out there about people who have lived in NYC their entire lives that are resentful at the preferential treatment given to people sent to their city that isn't available to them.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm So if you find them a job how do they get back and forth to that job? Do they call an Uber??

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm The inability to speak English is a problem.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm What restaurant owner can hire a server who can't communicate with a customer??

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm At present in NYC the most pressing issue is a severe lack of housing. Many of these folks are living in tent cities

a fan wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 1:43 pm

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 1:24 pm That becomes rather difficult if they don't have a place to live first. I don't know to what degree but there are stories out there about people who have lived in NYC their entire lives that are resentful at the preferential treatment given to people sent to their city that isn't available to them.

What are we doing currently that's so great?

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm So if you find them a job how do they get back and forth to that job? Do they call an Uber??

Walk. Mass transit. That's why they need to be in cities.

But again: what are they doing right now that you think is better?

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm The inability to speak English is a problem.

Not anymore. 30 years ago? Sure. Now? If you don't at least speak "kitchen spanish", your restaurant back of house won't work as well. Same for fast food.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm What restaurant owner can hire a server who can't communicate with a customer??

You don't hire them for those jobs. Simple.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm At present in NYC the most pressing issue is a severe lack of housing. Many of these folks are living in tent cities

Then ship them to any number of American cities, all of whom cannot find entry level workers. Kitchens are the big one. In Denver? Going rate for dishwashers is $20+ an hour at good restaurants. And they CANNOT find them/keep them.


This has been our mindset for the last 40 years: everyone wants to compare any immigration bills/solutions to some magic, sparkly-awesome solution that they've cooked up in their minds. And then measure ANY fixes to that bar.

This is idiotic. We need to measure solutions versus what's ACTUALLY HAPPENING right now. Today. And right now, conservatives are complaining about immigrants paying taxes. Great: then put them on the freaking payroll.

They came here to work, FFS. Stop preventing that....it's insane.

a fan wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:32 pm In the meantime, just 2022's illegal immigration has burdened US taxpayers with an estimated $150 billion price tag. $12.5 billion a month. That's the combined GDP of 14 states.

WaffleTwineFaceoff wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:15 pm
https://homeland.house.gov/wp-content/u ... Report.pdf

Our esteemed elected government officials. Take it and the numbers with whatever partisan grain of salt you choose.

a fan wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 1:43 pm

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 1:24 pm That becomes rather difficult if they don't have a place to live first. I don't know to what degree but there are stories out there about people who have lived in NYC their entire lives that are resentful at the preferential treatment given to people sent to their city that isn't available to them.

What are we doing currently that's so great?

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm So if you find them a job how do they get back and forth to that job? Do they call an Uber??

Walk. Mass transit. That's why they need to be in cities.

But again: what are they doing right now that you think is better?

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm The inability to speak English is a problem.

Not anymore. 30 years ago? Sure. Now? If you don't at least speak "kitchen spanish", your restaurant back of house won't work as well. Same for fast food.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm What restaurant owner can hire a server who can't communicate with a customer??

You don't hire them for those jobs. Simple.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm At present in NYC the most pressing issue is a severe lack of housing. Many of these folks are living in tent cities

Then ship them to any number of American cities, all of whom cannot find entry level workers. Kitchens are the big one. In Denver? Going rate for dishwashers is $20+ an hour at good restaurants. And they CANNOT find them/keep them.


This has been our mindset for the last 40 years: everyone wants to compare any immigration bills/solutions to some magic, sparkly-awesome solution that they've cooked up in their minds. And then measure ANY fixes to that bar.

This is idiotic. We need to measure solutions versus what's ACTUALLY HAPPENING right now. Today. And right now, conservatives are complaining about immigrants paying taxes. Great: then put them on the freaking payroll.

They came here to work, FFS. Stop preventing that....it's insane.

WaffleTwineFaceoff wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 2:09 pm https://homeland.house.gov/wp-content/u ... Report.pdf

Our esteemed elected government officials. Take it and the numbers with whatever partisan grain of salt you choose.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 2:15 pm I'm not preventing anything.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 2:15 pm The problem is too many people crossing the southern border with no attempt by the government to regulate the influx of people.

Well we can go back one more time to the amnesty deal Reagan made with the Democrats. You remember part 2 Where Washington was going to seal the border and control the influx of new immigrants? Well that idea was sure shortlived wasn't it? There would be no crisis at the border my man if the DC folks had kept the promise they made 40 years ago. Or did that little gem escape you? I don't think it did. We discussed it not all that long ago. I'm old but not quite as senile as some members of this forum think I am.

dislaxxic wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 3:04 pm The last time this affair got CLOSE to resolution, with what they called the "Gang of Eight" Senators, four from each party as i recall...they got up against a vote to approve this comprehensive immigration reform and at the very last minute, the deal got scuttled by a group of hard-right conservatives over the whole "pathway to citizenship" model in the legislation. They started screaming "amnesty" and the deal was murdered in it's cradle.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 2:15 pm

a fan wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 1:43 pm

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 1:24 pm That becomes rather difficult if they don't have a place to live first. I don't know to what degree but there are stories out there about people who have lived in NYC their entire lives that are resentful at the preferential treatment given to people sent to their city that isn't available to them.

What are we doing currently that's so great?

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm So if you find them a job how do they get back and forth to that job? Do they call an Uber??

Walk. Mass transit. That's why they need to be in cities.

But again: what are they doing right now that you think is better?

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm The inability to speak English is a problem.

Not anymore. 30 years ago? Sure. Now? If you don't at least speak "kitchen spanish", your restaurant back of house won't work as well. Same for fast food.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm What restaurant owner can hire a server who can't communicate with a customer??

You don't hire them for those jobs. Simple.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:48 pm At present in NYC the most pressing issue is a severe lack of housing. Many of these folks are living in tent cities

Then ship them to any number of American cities, all of whom cannot find entry level workers. Kitchens are the big one. In Denver? Going rate for dishwashers is $20+ an hour at good restaurants. And they CANNOT find them/keep them.


This has been our mindset for the last 40 years: everyone wants to compare any immigration bills/solutions to some magic, sparkly-awesome solution that they've cooked up in their minds. And then measure ANY fixes to that bar.

This is idiotic. We need to measure solutions versus what's ACTUALLY HAPPENING right now. Today. And right now, conservatives are complaining about immigrants paying taxes. Great: then put them on the freaking payroll.

They came here to work, FFS. Stop preventing that....it's insane.

I'm not preventing anything. The problem is too many people crossing the southern border with no attempt by the government to regulate the influx of people. Well we can go back one more time to the amnesty deal Reagan made with the Democrats. You remember part 2 Where Washington was going to seal the border and control the influx of new immigrants? Well that idea was sure shortlived wasn't it? There would be no crisis at the border my man if the DC folks had kept the promise they made 40 years ago. Or did that little gem escape you? I don't think it did. We discussed it not all that long ago. I'm old but not quite as senile as some members of this forum think I am.

a fan wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 3:14 pm

dislaxxic wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 3:04 pm The last time this affair got CLOSE to resolution, with what they called the "Gang of Eight" Senators, four from each party as i recall...they got up against a vote to approve this comprehensive immigration reform and at the very last minute, the deal got scuttled by a group of hard-right conservatives over the whole "pathway to citizenship" model in the legislation. They started screaming "amnesty" and the deal was murdered in it's cradle.

This is just low-rent, junior varsity level logic.

We're giving all the people here illegally amnesty RIGHT NOW. That ship has sailed. It's idiotic to think otherwise.

The ONLY question is: what do we do with them now that they are here?

a fan wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 3:03 pm

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 2:15 pm I'm not preventing anything.

I was addressing the Federal government.

cradleandshoot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 2:15 pm The problem is too many people crossing the southern border with no attempt by the government to regulate the influx of people.

Well we can go back one more time to the amnesty deal Reagan made with the Democrats. You remember part 2 Where Washington was going to seal the border and control the influx of new immigrants? Well that idea was sure shortlived wasn't it? There would be no crisis at the border my man if the DC folks had kept the promise they made 40 years ago. Or did that little gem escape you? I don't think it did. We discussed it not all that long ago. I'm old but not quite as senile as some members of this forum think I am.

Didn't escape me at all. They failed. And the BIG fail, as we discussed? 9/11. Americans would have signed up for ANYTHING to secure ALL of our borders.

What did Bush and the Dems and R's do?

Nothing. Big, fat, nothing.

The ONLY way I see out of it, is if Republican voters hold their leaders accountable for fixing this problem. They failed to do that, and this was after Trump ran on the idea of fixing it.

The Dem voters don't see this as a priority.