Initiative 946 has been put into law in Colorado

Initiative 946 has been put into law in Colorado
Tuesday, July 11, 2006 · 8AM
BY MARTIN D RINGHOFER
Protect Washington Now

Now is the time for Protect Washington Now to organize by having Leaders and Teams in each of our 39 counties. We have leaders and teams in five counties now, and are looking for the same in the remaining 34 counties.

We need an organization to get our legislature to pay attention.

Volunteer to head up or volunteer in your county, and we will finish the job Bob Baker led with I-946.

Now is no time to throw in the towel.

Bob Baker deserves to be recognized for heading up an effort valiantly, and doing the best he could with the resources he had at his disposal. Send Bob Baker a BIG THANK YOU to let him know how much you appreciate all of his efforts.

Let’s RALLY together – all of us – and lets each of us get these news to all of our friends, family members, others, asking them to join us in implementing Initiative 946 in our state, as Colorado has.

Colorado Legislators implemented I-946.

Let’s get organized and get our legislators do the same.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Colorado_Immigration.html

Seattle Post Intelligencer
Tuesday, July 11, 2006 · Last updated 7:00 a.m. PT

Colorado OKs toughest U.S. immigration bills

By STEVEN K. PAULSON AND JON SARCHEASSOCIATED PRESS WRITERS

DENVER -- Colorado lawmakers ended a five-day special session on illegal immigration with a resounding approval of several bills that Democrats call the toughest in the nation and Republicans say don't go far enough.

The legislation sent late Monday to Republican Gov. Bill Owens would force a million people receiving state or federal aid in Colorado to verify their citizenship.

It would deny most non-emergency state benefits to illegal immigrants 18 years old and older - forcing people to prove legal residency when applying for benefits or renewing their eligibility. The state Senate passed it 22-13 and the House voted 48-15 in favor. Both chambers are controlled by Democrats.

"At the end of the day, everybody who serves in this building as senators or representatives knows we're making Colorado history," said the bill's sponsor, Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald. "We want to be able to look in the mirror and say we did legislation that is tough, enforceable and humane."

Republicans said the legislation still left glaring loopholes, including allowing benefits for minors and denying voters the chance to have a direct say on the issue.
The bill would apply to Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, energy assistance programs and aging and adult services. Owens has said an estimated 50,000 illegal immigrants could be thrown out of those programs.

"It simply puts teeth into existing federal regulations," Owens said.

Sen. Dan Grossman, one of four Democrats to vote against the measure, said: "I don't think the poor people of the state of Colorado or businesses of the state of Colorado should have to pay because we want to play politics with immigration."

Congress has been debating immigration reform for months, sparking demonstrations this spring involving millions of illegal immigrants and their supporters in several cities. With no major federal changes yet, however, some local governments have been taking matters into their own hands.

Last month, the City Council of Hazleton, Pa., tentatively approved a measure that would revoke the business licenses of companies that employ illegal immigrants; impose $1,000 fines on landlords who rent to illegal immigrants; and make English the city's official language.

"Illegal immigrants are destroying the city," Hazleton's Republican Mayor Lou Barletta said then. "I don't want them here, period."

Two Florida communities, Palm Bay and Avon Park, are considering similar immigration measures.

Idaho's Canyon County took a different tack - it filed a racketeering lawsuit against agricultural companies accused of hiring illegal immigrants. A federal judge threw the case out, but county commissioners voted to appeal.

Protect Washington Now launches renewed effort statewide

Stand by for a renewed effort which plans to launch imminently, with a statewide organization with team leaders and supporters in each of our 39 counties. The first order of business is putting up a professional interactive web site which will provide current status of activities, and do it at both county levels and statewide level.

We currently have team leaders in five counties. We are looking for team leaders to head up each of the 39 counties. As soon as we reach 20 counties with team leaders in place, the team leaders will elect a statewide Team Leader for the group – and establish the vision and mission for the organization.

We have three immediate ways to eradicate the ILLEGAL aliens and non-citizens from our midst:

#1. JUROR POOLS. All 39 county judicial bodies (be they county, municipal, or other local jurisdictions) are required to maintain current Juror lists, selected under strict state guidelines. The potential jurors used to be selected randomly from registered voter lists until 1992. In 1994, all states were required to adopt legislation compatible with the 1992 Motor Vehicle Voter Registration Act, and when it was implemented, all 50 states began to draw potential jurors from a combined pool of [A] registered voters, and [B] people who applied for and were issued a drivers license.

The DMV does not ask for proof of citizenship for applying for a driver’s license, or registering to vote. As a matter of routine for the past 12 years, every driver's license applicant or renewal is asked if they would like to register to vote -- which nearly everyone says SURE -- YOU BET.

We have a potential of 100,000 to 200,000 registered voters in our 39 counties who are not eligible to register to vote and have -- and coincidentally, the five reasons for disqualification are the same for voting, as they are for serving as a juror:

[1] You have to be a US citizen;
[2] You must reads, write & speak the English language;
[3] You have to be at least 18 years of age;
[4] You can't be a felon without rights restored; and
[5] You have to live in the jurisdiction you will serve as a juror, or vote.

Picture illegal aliens and non-citizen green cards -- receiving a WARRANT to serve as a Juror where they have to sign an affidavit, punishable by fine and prison, that they meet all the eligibility requirements. It's one thing to register to vote without being asked to prove they are eligible; it’s another to meddle with jury duty and blow their cover.

In King County alone, in 2002 and 2003, the Superior Court disqualified 40,000+ jurors for failure to meet all the eligibility requirements. They have the names, addresses, etc., though we have not mounted a campaign yet to get them released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). When we get names, we will cross match the names with the statewide HAVA list -- and will find between 50,000 and 100,000 registered voters who are NOT QUALIFIED to be registered and have been voting.

Registering is one Class C Felony with 5 years jail time and a $10,000 fine. Voting in any election, going back seven years, will each be one count. Anyone who not qualified will [1] be challenged via the local election office, [2] charged with multiple felonies, and [3] subject to stiff fines and jail time.

And the politicians want us to believe Christine Gregoire won the election by 108 votes?

#2. ICE DATABASE. Cross checking registered voters in all 39 counties with ICE (formerly Immigration and Naturalization Services) database to identify green card non-citizens who may be registered to vote. This won't get at the illegal aliens as ICE doesn't even know who they are. But -- there will be plenty of green cards found who thought they would not be found. Kim Wyman, Thurston County Auditor, has gone to ICE with a written request -- and w are in pursuit to get to the bottom of where her request stands. We suspect nowhere because of political pressure to ignore the request. Our group will go after the facts, and put pressure to get this done.

#3. IRS. Each year, in March, the Internal Revenue Service issues a press release announcing how many million$ are being defaulted from 3 years earlier by people who fail to file for an average $800-$1,000 refund. In March 2006, the IRS issued a release stating that $60,000,000 have again not been filed by 60,000 to 70,000 Social Security Washingtonians. Does this number sound suspect? $800 - $1,000 average ... 60,000 to 70,000 people in our state? Again, the illegals, non-citizens who have fake ID's, use someone else's SS number or identity, a fake SS number, or one belonging to a dead person -- they are not about to blow their cover. The $800 - $1,000 is a small price to pay for all the FREEBY benefits they get courtesy of the US citizens. :o)


*** FORWARD THE LINK TO THIS SITE TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS *** WE ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS AND TEAM LEADERS IN EACH OF THE 39 COUNTIES *** HAVE THEM WRITE BACK DIRECTLY TO US -- OR YOU -- AND FORWARD TO OUR ATTENTION ***

WASHINGTON PROTECT NOW looking for citizens in 39 counties

WASHINGTON PROTECT NOW is looking for citizens in all 39 counties to build a volunteer association that will decide the best course of action to stop non-citizens from taking what is reserved for US citizens. Desirable qualifications include a High School Diploma or GED. See: http://www.protectwashingtonnow.blogspot.com/

We now have County Team Leaders in Cowlitz, Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties. We are looking for leaders and volunteers in the remaining 36 counties. First come basis gets the spot.

As soon as we have team leaders in 20 of the 39 counties, we will have a VIRTUAL meeting and select a statewide Team Leader for the organization. At the same meeting, we will begin the process of deciding the best course of action to take back what is reserved to lawful U.S. Citizens.

We have retained a well-known and very successful WEBSITE Management Group to create and put up a winning fully interactive website, which will provide DAILY UPDATES and status reports on the activities of PROTECT WASHINGTON NOW to keep the citizen volunteers fully informed on how we are doing. All citizen volunteers will have a vote in the organization and the group will be self-directed by a leadership elected by the group.

You are actively encouraged to raise your hand and volunteers for the team in your county, as well as recruit friends, family members, neighbors, and associates, to join this group. Give them our website, and have them volunteer on:
http://www.protectwashingtonnow.blogspot.com/

Law and Order: I-946’s champion says it’s not about race

June 16, 2006
By CYDNEY GILLIS
Staff Reporter

The first thing to know about Bob Baker is that he sees himself as a patriot. He’s a father and Sunday school teacher who quotes Thomas Jefferson on vigilance being the price of freedom and James Madison on the privilege of citizenship.

The second thing to know about the amiable Mercer Island resident is that he’s a Minuteman. He’s always packing a 40-caliber Heckler & Koch — a semi-automatic pistol typically carried by police — and joins about 30 to 40 of his fellow self-appointed border watchdogs for occasional weekend and month-long camp-outs at 22 posts along the Canadian border.

Because of his odd hours as a fill-in Alaska Airlines pilot, says Baker, 53, “I’m usually the night guy. It’s cool because I get to use NVGs — night vision goggles. You can just see everything.”

But, “I’m not going to go out and shoot people,” he says. “We have ROE, rules of engagement.

[If] I see a guy coming across, all I’m doing when I’m there is observe and report. I have a cell phone, I have a radio, I have a signal flare. All I’m doing is saying, ‘Border Patrol, come and look at this guy.’

Baker is the man behind Protect Washington Now and Initiative 946, which would strip illegal immigrants of certain state assistance and penalize state workers who knowingly provide aid.

“I’m for immigration. That’s not what this is about,” says Baker, a retired “Top Gun” Air Force pilot who moved from California three years ago. “We should have an immigration system that brings people into our country and makes them productive members of our society [who] speak English, assimilate, and become nothing more and nothing less than Americans.”

Baker says most of the illegal crossings up north are made by drug smugglers, not people seeking jobs, as thousands do from Mexico each year. They cross into states such as Arizona, where the Minuteman Project and an initiative similar to Baker’s got their start.

Protect Washington Now is a spinoff of Protect America Now, which formed in Arizona after Proposition 200 passed in 2004. PAN’s founder, Kathy McKee, wrote I-946 a check for $200, which was the campaign’s first monetary contribution. But Baker says he doesn’t intend to take any more out-of-state money — something that his opponents at From Hate to Hope, an immigrants advocacy coalition, worry he’ll do at the last minute to help pass I-946 in November.

Between now and then, Baker must gather nearly 225,000 valid signatures by July 7 to get I-946 on the ballot. So far, he says roughly 40,000 signatures have been gathered by an all-volunteer operation of 550 people, all of whom Baker says clamored to get petitions once they heard about the intiative.

Martin Ringhofer, a Moses Lake resident who is working with Baker, failed to get a similar initiative (I-343) on the ballot last year. Through May 10, the state’s Public Disclosure Commission lists a total of only $2,280 in contributions to this year’s initiative, which opponents point out would affect every low-income resident who applies for state assistance by making them show a passport or certified birth certificate to prove citizenship.

Baker says Washington’s Mexican nationals — estimated at more than half a million — have access to $360 million in state benefits. According to the Department of Social and Health Services, the total is around $145 million and goes to programs such as emergency medical aid, pregnancy care, and child care for low-income children.

Baker acknowledges Mexican nationals pay taxes but says it doesn’t cover what they use in services. “They’re being paid a sub-living wage, so the rest of us taxpayers are paying for the rest of their living: their children’s education, their health care [and] babysitting,” he says.

He insists that I-946 is not racist, that it’s merely intended to stop lawbreakers — a label that Paul Lawrence, an attorney working with From Hate to Hope, rejects.

“The whole notion of criminalizing a person because of their immigration status seems terribly wrong,” Lawrence says. “This is just a punitive effort to go after a segment of the population that needs our support.”

Baker says his activism on the issue began after serving six months on a federal grand jury in Los Angeles, where many of the felony cases involved repeat deportations of Mexican nationals.

“I’m talking about armed robbery,” Baker says. “They don’t serve any jail time, they get deported to Mexico to the city of their choice, and they don’t serve any jail time in Mexico. So, literally, the next day they can come back across the border.

“One guy, it was his fifth deportation in about six years,” he says. “He gets up on the stand and he says very arrogantly, ‘Yes, I do not see my family for a while, so I commit a felony so I get to go home for free.’ And I mean, I almost jumped out of the box and strangled him right there on the spot.”

Rally shows support for ban on services for illegal immigrants

by MARK MOREY
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

A better immigration policy for the United States starts with locking down the country's borders, deporting illegal residents and punishing the employers who hire them, organizers of a Yakima rally said Tuesday night.

About two dozen people who attended the rally also heard from members of the 21st Century Paul Revere Ride, a group of motorcycle riders traveling across the country to voice their concerns about illegal residents, and from Republican congressional candidate Claude Oliver of Kennewick, who wants to unseat veteran GOP Rep. Doc. Hastings of Pasco.

Ruth Drollinger of Yakima organized the rally to boost local signatures for Initiative 946, which would restrict state and local governments from providing social services to undocumented residents unless the federal government mandates it.

Opponents of the change say that reform is needed, but believe I-946 could create public health problems and harm children.

Drollinger said she formed Grassroots on Fire, affiliated with the I-946 campaign, to raise awareness about the broader impact of illegal immigration. About 80 people belong to the group, Drollinger said.

She said many of the Valley's problems — including access to social services — can be tied to illegal immigration.

"The cost is exceeding the benefit of having them here to work in the agricultural area," she said in an interview.

Members of the rally audience signed bricks that they planned to mail to members of Congress to show support for immigration reform.

Oliver, a Yakima native who has spent 25 years as a Benton County treasurer or commissioner, said he hasn't studied I-946 to develop an opinion yet on the measure. But he said Hastings and other members of Congress have failed to administer their immigration responsibilities, including investigations of border security and illegal entry.

"What has taken so long for you to address our broken border security and immigration laws? We can only survive as a nation if we are a nation under law — the law of the United States," he said in prepared remarks.

Frosty Wooldridge, a member of the Paul Revere Ride, which arrived in the Yakima area Tuesday on the way to Olympia, recounted statistics that he said demonstrate that illegal immigration will flood and destabilize the country.

At the current growth rate, the U.S. population could pass 500 million by 2050, Wooldridge said. Based on the birth rate, the population would reach a peak of 255 million if only 200,000 immigrants were allowed per year, he said.

The speakers' messages appeared to hit home with the audience.

"I'm not against guest workers, but I'm against opening our borders and letting people come here by the millions," said Harvey Mushman of Yakima.

$25,000 to distribute 600,000 petitions statewide through several major newspapers.

There are more facts and statistics then anyone can fully understand, so they won’t be part of this communiqué.

The purpose of this letter is to underscore something so basic that most of us forget it: we are under an invasion of 12-18 million illegal aliens, and have been for the past twenty years. The impact to our quality of life is beyond comprehension. The invasion has been so gradual, and the impacts downplayed so much by the mainstream media, that most of us dismiss how we are being affected.

We are living through a paradigm shift which has altered our reality, and has accelerated since 9/11. Most of the 19 illegal alien highjackers had valid driver’s licenses, and several were registered voters. Besides being quite easy to get, fake ID’s are available to anyone who wants them. Unlike the past, when 189 Texas & Tennessee patriots stood up against Santa Anna at the Alamo, giving their life for this country – and unlike a time we had Paul Revere to warn us the enemy was coming – we have elected representatives and civil servants at all levels of government who PROTECT the illegal aliens, instead of the US people who they are supposed to represent.

We have pricing from several newspapers to distribute copies of I-946 petitions statewide. We need $25,000 to distribute 600,000 petitions statewide through several major newspapers. With only 30 days before we need to turn in 225,000 valid signatures, the I-946 campaign is making a final push with confidence that I-946 will pass by an 80% to 20% margin on the Fall ballot.

Toward the goal of raising $25,000, I make a challenge pledge of $1,000 to urge you to join me in getting our petitions to enough registered voters to help qualify the measure for the Fall ballot. Your matching challenge pledge is triggered by a total of 24 other donors making a similar pledge. Only when a total of $25,000 is raised in such pledges, will we know if there are enough with a “Paul Revere” passion to help qualify the measure for a vote by the people. Consider an alternate challenge pledge of only $500 and see if we get 49 others to take on the challenge!

How to make a $1,000 or a $500 challenge pledge? It’s simple: respond with an e-mail indicating you make a matching challenge pledge of either or both amounts, subject to sufficient other donors making a matching donation to raise the $25,000.

If 5% are returned with 20 signatures each, we'd collec tollect 600,000 signatures.

If 2% are returned with 20 signatures each, we'd collec tollect 240,000 signatures.

Help make this happen. Together we will succeed and start taking back what is being taken away from us without our permission. If we don’t act: who will act for us besides our elected officials and civil servants who are giving away the farm while we are trying to figure out how to save it?

We want to hear from you with your thoughts, views, comments, suggestions, and hope you will take the time to respond: with a challenge pledge of either $1,000 or $500 - but if not - we want to hear your thoughts on this cause, which aims only at holding on to what belongs us, the American people, not the illegal trespassers.

Coward abusive anonymous posters who do NOT identify themselves have made this a moderated blog

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Deal, or NO Deal? I-946 campaign geared up to distribute 544,000 petitions in two major newspapers statewide":

Posted by Anonymous to PROTECT WASHINGTON NOW at 5/27/2006 06:54:49 PM

Deal, or NO Deal? I-946 campaign geared up to distribute 544,000 petitions in two major newspapers statewide

IINITIATIVE 946 has pricing from two major statewide newspapers to INSERT or PUBLISH a total of 543,000 petitions in Sunday June 11 editions.

The I-946 campaign is working on a plan to qualify for the November ballot for as little as a $53.43 pledge (based on 500 donors of the same amount), or $1,068.52 pledge (based on only 25 donors of the same amount).

BOB BAKER has taken the initiative as far as he can, and because of it we have a once-in-a-life opportunity to make history by saying: "Enough is ENOUGH." Now is the time for all of us to make a commitment to get INITIATIVE 946 on the ballot to give the people the final say: "Deal, or NO DEAL?"

With as few as 5% of the 543,374 petitions returned with 20 signatures each, we will have collected 326,025 signatures; 101,025 MORE signatures than needed to qualify for the ballot.

We have pledges to join as many as will join to get the petition distributed to 543,374 people. With as few as 100 of us donating only $267.13, we will make this happen. Should more PLEDGE to make this happen, as few as 300 DONORS will make the cost to each $89.04.

This petition at this time in the history is of GREAT significance.

Unlike the passengers of UNITED 93, who gave their LIFE, we need only pledge to a few dollars to get BOB BAKERS's I-946 on the ballot. The time is before us to act.

We look forward to hear from each of you with your pledge. The MORE pledge, the lower the cost to each of us. Send your pledge, contingent on sufficient funds pledged, to martinringhofer@aol.com.

STAND UP and be counted.

As soon as we have sufficient pledges to get 543,364 petitions distributed -- we will move out.

"Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought. Let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith let us; to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it" ~ Abraham Lincoln

"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."
~ Harry Truman

"The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves." ~ George Washington

Initiative 946 campaign mirrors U.S. trend: Measure called hurtful

Sunday, May 7, 2006
By KATHIE DURBIN , Columbian staff writer
metrodesk@columbian.com

The coalition opposing Initiative 946 intends to focus on a simple message: This measure will punish children. Opponents point out that seven state health and social service programs that would be closed to illegal immigrants serve children or pregnant women.

"You are hurting people at the most basic level," said Leno Rose-Avila of the Seattle-based Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. "Most immigrants pay taxes, pay into Social Security and never collect benefits. This is a misguided attempt to mislead the people of Washington. Washington is much better than this initiative."

Baker said the goal of the campaign is not to punish those who are in this country illegally but to require them to follow the same path to citizenship that immigrants have taken for 200 years.
"We want them to follow the law," he said. "Millions of people have come to our country legally. They have the same opportunities we do to prosper and to flourish in our country.

Unfortunately, what we have done, although I don't think it was the intent, is create an underclass of people. They are not learning English, they are not assimilating into our society, therefore they don't have the same opportunities. What I want is for them to all become good Americans."

Initiative 946 also is about letting a free-market economy work, Baker said. "If employers paid people a decent wage, there would be Americans who would do the work. A free-market economy depends on supply and demand. If these businesses (that employ illegal immigrants) had to compete with businesses that do it right, they would be paying these people a living wage. The taxpayers of Washington are subsidizing the businesses that don't pay a living wage."

Opponents say the measure does not address the long-term best interests of Washington residents or the state's economy, including the agricultural industry, which relies on undocumented farm workers to get Washington crops to market.

Dean Boyer, spokesman for the Washington Farm Bureau, said his organization has taken no position on the initiative, which has not yet been presented to its board of directors.

"Many groups wait to see what is on the ballot before they take positions," Ramos said. "But the agricultural community has indicated on a number of occasions that what we need is comprehensive immigration reform that creates pathways to citizenship, allows families to be reunified, and respects the basic civil rights of hard-working, tax-paying immigrants."

The majority of the American public appears to agree. According to an April 11 Washington Post-ABC News poll, 63 percent of Americans support a plan backed by President Bush and U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that would allow illegal immigrants who have lived here for many years to apply for legal status and eventually become permanent citizens if they pay a fine and back taxes. Just 20 percent of those polled said they favor declaring all illegal immigrants felons and forbidding them to work here legally, as a bill that passed the House in December would do.

The immigration issue requires people to move past their narrow views of the world and get in touch with the most basic human values, said the Rev. Perez, whose church is the only one in Clark County that ministers to Latinos. Perez said he baptizes about 100 Spanish-speaking children each year and holds Mass in Spanish.

"Obviously, many that come here are illegal," he said. "We get caught up in our governments, our means of control. We have created these borders, we have created this nationalism. Someone has to be the bad guy, and right now it's the illegal immigrants. The defenseless, the one who has no rights, no control, is the enemy. It's absurd."

"There is an argument that if we give too much, we lose," Perez said. "But it's the opposite. We want life to be better for our children. We're all called to sacrifice, even for the illegal immigrants."

Bob Baker to Vincente Fox: We want to convey to Mr. Fox that we don’t appreciate what he’s doing to our state and our country

VICENTE FOX - GO HOME
MAY 22, 2006
by Bob Baker
206-275-2684

Protect Washington NOW (PWN), in conjunction with Washingtonians for Immigration Reform, Oregonians for Immigration Reform, and other supporters of Proposition I-946, are sponsoring a protest/rally at the Yakima Airport on Wednesday, May 24, 2006, at 1:30 p.m.

PWN Chairman Bob Baker explains the purpose: "We want to convey to Mr. Fox that we don’t appreciate what he’s doing to our state and our country. He can say all he wants that Mexico is ‘our neighbor, our friend, our partner,’ but his exportation of millions of his country’s poor people and a staggering amount of drugs into the United States belies those words.

Washingtonians are generally caring and hospital, but only a fool would welcome their own assassin. We respectfully request that Mr. Fox go home immediately, and take his 12-20 million Mexican nationals currently in this country with him . . . pronto.

Mexico is the #1 source of heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine – not to mention illegal aliens – coming into the U.S., and Mexican nationals in the U.S. sent $20 billion back to Mexico in 2005. Some friend, eh?"

Baker continues, "PWN feels that if people are legally in the United States, welcome to America–how can we help you? If you’re here illegally, please go home, get in line and follow the rules to come here legally.

Mexico is a rich country, having the world’s 6th or 7th largest economy, and can easily take care of its own people.

But why should it, when politicians in this country force taxpayers to subsidize Mexico’s corruption by taking care of the needs of the 20% of Mexico’s population living in this country?

We say –and will say it to his face, ‘ Vicente Fox–GO HOME, and take your 12-20 million citizens with you.’

Any elected official who caters to Mr. Fox will be remembered at election time.

I-946 shifts into high gear: 20,000 petitions now distributed statewide

The I-946 Campaign has now distributed over 15,000 petitions statewide, with a potential of 400,000 signatures. Bob Baker, I-946 Sponsor, said "We need everyone to get petitions and get signatures," adding "Weve had a big break-through in Eastern Washington where people have finally woke up and are getting involved."

Bob Baker was on a radio show for an hour on Friday, with great results.

The campaign is working to get coverage at several local radio and TV stations -- some affiliated with national networks.

To download a .pdf file of I-946, go to:

http://www.protectwashingtonnow.info/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1.

Retired Border Patrol Agent Speaks TRUTH about Illegal Aliens

by David J. Stoddard
U.S. Border Patrol
(RET) Hereford, Arizona
A very interesting letter sent to Senator Frist from a retired border patrol agent.

Dear Senator Frist: There is a huge amount of propaganda and myths circulating about "Illegal Aliens", particularly "Illegal Mexican, Salvadorian, Guatemalan and Honduran Aliens".

1. "Illegal Aliens" generally do NOT want U.S. citizenship. Americans are very vain thinking that everybody in the world wants to be a U.S. citizen. Mexicans, and other nationalities want to remain citizens of their home countries while obtaining the benefits offered by the United States such as employment, medical care, in-state tuition, government subsidized housing and free education for their offspring. Their main attraction is employment and their loyalty usually remains at home. They want benefits earned and subsidized by middle class Americans. What "Illegal Aliens" want are benefits of American residence without paying the price.

2. There are no jobs that Americans won't do. "Illegal Aliens" are doing jobs that Americans can't take and still support their families. "Illegal Aliens" take low wage jobs, live dozens in a single residence home, share expenses and send money to their home country. There are no jobs that Americans won't do for a decent wage.

3. Every person who illegally entered this nation left a home. They are NOT homeless and they are NOT Americans. Some left jobs in their home countries. They come to send money to their real home as evidenced by the more than 20 billion dollars sent out of the country each year by "Illegal Aliens". These "Illegal aliens" knowingly and willfully entered this nation in violation of the law and therefore assumed the risk of detection and deportation. Those who brought their alien children assumed the responsibility and risk on behalf of their children.

4. "Illegal Aliens" are NOT critical to the economy. "Illegal Aliens" constitute less than 5% of the workforce. However, they reduce wages and benefits for lawful U.S. residents.

5. This is NOT an immigrant nation. There are 280 million native born Americans. While it is true that this nation was settled and founded by immigrants (Legal Immigrants who were proud to be Americans and did not want to destroy it), it is also true that there is not a nation on this planet that was not settled by immigrants at one time or another.

6. The United States is welcoming to "Legal Immigrants. "Illegal Aliens" are NOT immigrants by definition. The U.S. accepts more lawful immigrants every year than the rest of the world combined.

7. There is no such thing as the "Hispanic Vote". Hispanics are white, brown, black and every shade in between. Hispanics are Republicans, Democrats, Anarchists, Communists, Marxists and Independents. The so-called "Hispanic Vote" is a myth. Pandering to "Illegal Aliens" to get the Hispanic Vote is a dead end.

8. Mexico is NOT a friend of the United States. Since 1848 Mexicans have resented the United States. a) During World War I Mexico allowed German Spies to operate freely in Mexico to spy on the U.S. b) During World War II Mexico allowed the Axis powers to spy on the U.S. from Mexico. c) During the Cold War Mexico allowed spies hostile to the U.S. to operate freely. d) The attack on the Twin Towers in 2001 was cheered and applauded all across Mexico. e) Today Mexican school children are taught that the U.S. stole California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. If you don't believe it, check out some Mexican textbooks written for their schoolchildren.

9. Although some "Illegal Aliens" enter this country for a better life, there are 6 billion people on this planet. At least 1 billion of those live on less than one dollar a day. If wanting a better life is a valid excuse to break the law and sneak into America, then let's allow those one billion to come to America and we'll turn the USA into a Third World nation overnight. Besides, there are 280 million native born Americans who want a better life. I'll bet Bill Gates and Donald Trump want a better life. When will the USA lifeboat be full? Since when is wanting a better life a good reason to trash another nation?

10. There is a labor shortage in this country: This is a lie. There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of American housewives, senior citizens, students, unemployed and underemployed who would gladly take jobs at a decent wage.

11. It is racist to want secure borders: a) What is racist about wanting secure borders and a secure America? b) What is racist about not wanting people to sneak into America and steal benefits we have set aside for legal aliens, senior citizens, children and other legal residents? c) What is it about race that entitles people to violate our laws, steal identities, and take the American Dream without paying the price?

For about four decades American politicians have refused to secure our borders and look after the welfare of middle class Americans. These politicians have been of both parties. A huge debt to American society has resulted. This debt will be satisfied and the interest will be high. There have already been riots in the streets by "Illegal Aliens" and their supporters.

There will be more. You, as a politician, have a choice to offend the "Illegal Aliens" who have stolen into this country and demanded the rights afforded to U.S. citizens or to offend those of us who are stakeholders in this country. The interest will be steep either way. There will be civil unrest. There will be a reckoning. Do you have the courage to do what is right for America? Or, will you bow to the wants and needs of those who don't even have the right to remain here? There will be a reckoning. It will come in November of this year, again in2008 and yet again in 2010. We will not allow America to be stolen by third world agitators and thieves.

Illegal immigrants' aid targetedBackers start gathering signatures for an initiative to cut off access to social services

HeraldNet

Published: Saturday, April 29, 2006

Illegal immigrants' aid targetedBackers start gathering signatures for an initiative to cut off access to social services

By Jerry CornfieldHerald Writer
jcornfield@heraldnet.com

OLYMPIA - Backers of an initiative to cut off benefits to illegal immigrants began their quest for signatures Friday with high hopes of earning a place on the November ballot.

"We're on our way. I've got people champing at the bit to get started," said initiative proponent Bob Baker of Mercer Island.

Baker had to wait until Friday because opponents of Initiative 946 had challenged some of its content. Friday morning, a Thurston County Superior Court judge made some of the requested alterations and rejected others.

The changes did not weaken the intent of the measure, Baker said.

By lunchtime, petitions were being printed and distributed for signing.

Shawna Forde of Everett waited to receive a stack.

"I am in total support of this initiative," Forde said. "I don't know why it is a problem. If you are not a legal citizen, you should not be getting the benefits."

Today, there are believed to be 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the country. In Washington state, the number is estimated to be between 150,000 and 400,000. Those with low incomes might qualify for help under several state-run programs.

Baker's initiative would deny illegal immigrants access to taxpayer-financed benefits such as food stamps, prenatal care, child care and nonemergency medical care. Under federal law, emergency medical care cannot be denied.

The initiative would require state and local government workers to verify the identity and immigration status of those seeking benefits. If government workers were to fail to tell federal authorities when they encountered an illegal immigrant, they could be charged with a misdemeanor.

"It is a punitive measure against hard-working, faith-filled and family-oriented taxpaying immigrants," said Michael Ramos, co-chairman of From Hate to Hope, a Seattle-based coalition of 45 groups opposed to the measure. The coalition includes labor unions, businesses and churches.

"The immigrants we know come here to work and not to use social services," he said. "It is a measure designed to sow fear into our communities."

The initiative will have a broad chilling effect, Ramos said. Those who provide services may do less outreach. Immigrants may stop seeking needed medical treatment and refuse to tell police if they've been the victim of a crime out of fear of being turned over to federal authorities.

For the initiative to qualify for the November ballot, the signatures of 224,880 registered voters must be turned in to the secretary of state's office by 5 p.m. July 7.

Baker said he's established a statewide network of people ready to circulate petitions.

The leader in Snohomish County is Forde, 38, who is making her voice heard in the debate on immigration.

Six weeks ago she launched a company, Take Back America, that sells T-shirts with slogans such as "Just say no to illegal immigration" and "Illegal Immigration is not a race issue, it is a criminal issue."

Now she's primed to help pass Baker's initiative.

"Because I'm pissed off," she explained. "I'm sick and tired of the middle class getting kicked in the teeth. We can't even get benefits and medical treatment. They do and it all comes out of our money, our taxes."

Forde said she has no problem with legal immigrants, "as long as they are paying into the system, not taking from the system." Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.

Campaign Update: I-946 NOW available at all 34 KINKO's Copy Centers in the Greater Puget Sound Region – More Locations Soon

Go to this LINK to find the closest KINKO's Copy Center:

http://fedex.kinkos.com/locations/locator_results.php?LOC=47.603502024213277%3A-122.32973988406056&IC=47.603502024213277%3A-122.32973988406056%3A32%3ASeattle%2C+Washington&GAD2=&GCITY=Seattle&GSTATE=Washington&GZIP=&GAD3=Seattle%2C+Washington&GAD4=United+States&AD4=USA&AdvSearch=&SCH=

After you locate the store of your choice, upload the petition .pdf to the KINKO's store of your choice at:

https://docstore.kinkos.com/defaultAccount/ExceptionPathRouterAction.do

If you prefer, download the petition on to a CD ROM from the following LINK:

http://www.protectwashingtonnow.org/946%20PETITION.pdf

and take to the KINKO's store of your choice. KINKO'swill charge a nominal 32 cents for each double sided petition that will hold 20 signatures on the front side.

For More Information:

Mr. Robert D. Baker
PO Box 911
Mercer Island, WA 98040
Cell (206) 300-8682
protectwa@hotmail.com
bobbaker88@hotmail.com
Phone: 206-275-2684
http://www.protectwashingtonnow.org/Initiatives.htm

News Flash: Get your I-946 NOW as a download

Protect Washington Now announced on Saturday April 29, 2006, that finial wording has been approved for the initiative and 10,000 copies are being printed. For those who would like copies of I-946, you may download your own copy of the initiative onto a CD ROM by visiting:

http://www.protectwashingtonnow.org/Initiatives.htm, take to any copy shop and print as many as you need for yourself and others to help collect the 225,000 signatures needed by July 5, 2006, to qualify for the November 2006 Election.

Protect Washington Now is a grass roots organization which aims to preserve the quality and accessibility of community services in the State of Washington. The group’s mission is: “to allow the citizens of Washington the right to chose what standard of law to apply to those who live in and receive services with the State of Washington. To this end, we are sponsoring an initiative, I-946, which will require all recipients of publicly funded state programs provide proof of legal immigration status.”

You may reach Protect Washington Now as follows:

Telephone: 206-275-2684

Postal address: PO BOX 911, Mercer Island, WA 98040

Electronic mail: General Information: info@ProtectWashingtonNow.org
Webmaster: Web@ProtectWashingtonNow.org

For More InformationMr. Robert D. BakerPO Box 911Mercer Island, WA 98040Cell (206) 300-8682protectwa@hotmail.combobbaker88@hotmail.comhttp://www.protectwashingtonnow.org/Initiatives.htm

Also:
Protect Washington Now Blog
http://www.protectwashingtonnow.blogspot.com/

Protect Washington NOW http://www.pan2005.com/washington.html

Protect Washington NOW (PWN): Although state coordinator Bob Baker is fairly new to political activism, he's ready, willing, and able to build the grassroots organization necessary to get citizen initiatives on the ballot in Washington, as well as get more candidates in office "who understand what the word 'representative' means.

Washingtonians will be well educated as to which public officials care about their oaths of office, the constitution, and their constituents, and which ones have sold out to the special interests pushing illegal immigration. Arrogant, unresponsive public officials need not apply for reelection."
Protect Washington NOW P.O. Box 911 Mercer Island, WA 98040 Protect WA@hotmail.com

The Columbian: In Their View - This Idea Is Absurd

Thursday, March 9, 2006
Columbian editorial writers

If you tried to come up with a "make-work" project for employees of the state and its 39 counties, you'd be hard pressed to top an initiative that would require all 3.5 million state voters to re-register.

But that's the absurd and perhaps illegal goal of an offshoot of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, which fancies itself a protector of Washington taxpayers.

In the meantime, the secretary of state's office and the Clark County auditor's office this week provided fresh evidence that the "problem" of ineligible voters casting ballots is being addressed nicely right now, thank you very much.

Two weeks ago, the Olympia-based Evergreen Freedom Foundation (www.efawa.org) created Washington Grassroots, and called a press conference to announce the new group would file an initiative and begin collecting signatures in hopes of getting its silly and expensive scheme on the November ballot. Their idea is to force all voters, including those already registered, to show their birth certificate, passport or other official document to voter registrars to prove they are legal residents who are who they say they are. In short, start from scratch.

"It's something we have to address in order to ensure that we have clean voter rolls," EFF's Booker Stallworth said at the time. On Wednesday, he told The Columbian the same thing, but was unable to make his case. (He did concede, when asked, that he is not a Washington state voter himself, despite starting work at Evergreen Freedom Foundation on March 1, 2004.)

If Washington Grassroots ever gets around to filing the initiative, voters should turn their thumbs down and noses up when approached by someone asking them to sign the petitions. In the first place, the act of disenfranchising present voters and requiring them to register again might be illegal, as the secretary of state's office suggests.

"The National Voter Registration Act says we may remove names if they are duplicates, deceased or a felon," said Steve Excell of the secretary of state's office. "It doesn't talk about citizenship checks and it doesn't say we can make them re-register." Furthermore, the state's new effort to ensure clean voter rolls is working very well.

For example:

* 16,610 duplicate registrations have been canceled, mostly people who failed to notify election officials when they moved to a new part of the state and registered in their new county. Excell said there has not been evidence of even one of those duplicates voting twice in the same election.

* Names of 14,470 deceased people have been removed from voter registration lists. The state gets names of deceased from the state Health Department and the Social Security Administration.
* In Clark County, 257 voters have been identified as deceased so far this year thanks to the new state database, said Tom Godkin, assistant director of county elections. Another 873 were canceled because they are duplicates, mostly folks who moved and didn't notify the elections office.

Next, the state and counties will go after any felons who are registered to vote but should not be.

The Evergreen Freedom Foundation ought to call off the salivating dogs at Grassroots Washington and let the process work.

Seattle Times:Initiative would force all voters to reregister

Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Page updated at 12:17 AM

By RACHEL LA CORTE
The Associated Press

OLYMPIA — Voters would have to prove they are U.S. citizens and reregister to vote under an initiative that supporters said they will file this week.

Conservative think tank Evergreen Freedom Foundation has formed Grassroots Washington, which is backing the initiative that is expected to be announced today.

The group takes issue with the state's new $6 million voter-registration database, which has been checked for duplicate and dead voters since last month.

Booker Stallworth, the foundation's spokesman, said he was concerned with the number of duplicate voters the system has found, as well as the number he believes the system hasn't caught.

The initiative would make all voter registrations inactive until people proved their citizenship and reregistered. Voters who show up at the polls and find they are inactive can vote by provisional ballot until their registration is verified, he said.

Grassroots Washington must collect nearly 225,000 valid voter signatures by July 7 to qualify for the November ballot.

But Assistant Secretary of State Steve Excell said it's a wrong move. "Just because we don't happen to think that every voter record is perfect, we can't, wholesale, disenfranchise everybody," he said.

Excell said investigators had not found any evidence of illegal votes, and noted that most of the questioned registrations were inactive.

Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company

The Immigrant Vote: Proposed initiative would crack down on illegals at the polls and on welfare rolls

By Nina Shapiro
http://www.seattleweekly.com/authors/ninashapiro/

A group, called PROTECT WASHINGTON NOW http://www.protectwashingtonnow.blogspot.com/, has decided to focus on state benefits.

Protect Washington Now is affiliated with Protect America Now, an Arizona-based national group spawned by the effort to pass Proposition 200.

The local offshoot is headed by Bob Baker, a Mercer Island resident who is an Alaska Airlines pilot and who, before that, spent two decades flying Navy fighters.

Baker says he intends to file an initiative in the next two weeks using language from Proposition 200, which requires state officials to verify the immigration status of applicants for "state and local public benefits that are not federally mandated."

Such broad language created confusion as to what benefits were at stake until the Arizona state attorney general's office ruled that it affected a limited number of welfare programs. In spite of that confusion, Baker says, he has no plans to make the initiative more specific. "Arizona was so successful," he says.

Baker, who ran unsuccessfully for Mercer Island City Council last year, says he is launching this effort for reasons of national security.

"I've really been shocked 9/11 hasn't brought more attention to closing our borders," he says.

"They're here. There are potential terrorists here."

He maintains that cutting off access to welfare will make it less advantageous for illegal immigrants to come.

==================

For More Information

Mr. Robert D. Baker
PO Box 911
Mercer Island, WA 98040
Cell (206) 300-8682
protectwa@hotmail.com
bobbaker88@hotmail.com

Protect Washington Now Blog
http://www.protectwashingtonnow.blogspot.com/

FREE HEALTH & FAMILY CARE FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS?

Should illegal immigrants be able to tap into free health and family services for the poor?

That’s the question behind an initiative filed in Washington State this week. The measure would require state employees to verify immigration status of anyone seeking benefits under a handful of programs funded by the state Department of Social and Health Services.

Workers would also have to report suspected illegal immigrants to federal officers. Mercer Island resident Bob Baker is sponsoring the initiative.

Baker: “I just got a document from D-S-H-S that shows that illegals have access to $360 million dollars a year from our state in benefits. And I don’t think anybody feels that’s fair, that it’s something that we as the taxpayers of the state should be paying for these people that are here in our state illegally.”

Baker’s measure is based on one passed by Arizona voters two years ago.

Immigrant advocates say the initiative would spread fear, and make immigrants reluctant to seek emergency help when they need it.

Nearly 225-thousand signatures must be gathered by early July for the measure to make the November ballot.

(Cathy Duchamp) Copyright 2005
KUOW Posted: Monday, March 27, 2006

Group files initiative to deny illegal immigrants public aid

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A group has filed an initiative to deny illegal immigrants public benefits, such as free prenatal care for poor women or subsidized child care for seasonal workers.

Protect Washington Now, headed by Mercer Island resident Bob Baker, needs to collect nearly 225,000 valid voter signatures by July 7 for the measure to make the November ballot.It would require state employees to verify the immigration status of anyone seeking benefits not mandated by federal law, such as emergency medical care, and report suspected illegal immigrants to federal authorities.

The state has an estimated 136,000 illegal immigrants, though officials say they don’t know how many use the handful of programs administered by the Department of Social and Health Services.Like other needy families, illegal immigrants might qualify for help under at least seven programs administered by the state Department of Social and Health Services.

In most cases, families must meet federal poverty guidelines to qualify.The programs include short-term child-care services for homeless families as they try to find employment, and money for pregnant women and families with children for emergency food, shelter, clothing and medical care.

But Baker, a pilot for Alaska Airlines, said any use of the programs by illegal immigrants is an inappropriate use of his tax dollars.“

They come here and have their babies born at one of our hospitals at our expense; they have it all,” he said.

The measure is patterned after one passed by Arizona voters in 2004 that denied public benefits to illegal immigrants and forced residents to prove their citizenship to vote.

For More Information:

Mr. Robert D. Baker
PO Box 911
Mercer Island, WA 98040
Cell (206) 300-8682
protectwa@hotmail.com
bobbaker88@hotmail.com


Protect Washington Now Blog
http://www.protectwashingtonnow.blogspot.com/

Your papers, please

by Cydney Gillis
Staff Reporter
cgillis@realchangenews.org
(206) 441-3247 ext. 209

While Hispanics march nationwide to stop a bill that would criminalize illegal immigration, a Mercer Island resident is taking a different track here at home.

On March 15, Bob Baker filed an initiative requiring public agencies to verify a person’s legal status before providing any services or benefits, such as food stamps or welfare, that aren’t federally mandated.

The Protect Washington Now initiative is modeled, in part, on Arizona’s Proposition 200, an initiative passed in 2004. To get on the November ballot, Baker needs to collect the signatures of 224,880 voters by July 7 — something he says people are calling left and right to volunteer for.

Baker says illegal immigration isn’t fair to taxpaying Americans or to the people who come here. Elected officials just don’t get that “the people in this country are overwhelmingly for controlling our borders,” he says.

What Baker doesn’t get is that, documented or not, immigrants work in service jobs that few Americans would take and pay the state sales tax like everyone else, says George Cheung of From Hate to Hope, a coalition of 60 groups that formed last year to fight a similar initiative (I-343) that failed to get enough signatures.

The new measure isn’t about fairness, says Cheung, whose parents immigrated from Hong Kong in 1974. It’s about limiting who is an American and who should be included in our society.

INITIATIVE 946

Ballot Title

Initiative Measure No. 946 concerns immigration status of applicants for public benefits.This measure would require state and local government employees to verify the identity and immigration status of applicants for non-federally mandated public benefits and report immigration violations, making failure to report a misdemeanor. Should this measure be enacted into law? Yes [ ] No [ ]Ballot Measure

Summary

This measure would require state and local government employees to verify the identity and immigration status of applicants for non-federally mandated public benefits, which the measure describes as including TANF, Medicaid, food stamps, WIC, and public housing, and cooperate in providing such information. Identification issued without verifying immigration status would not be accepted. Failure to report discovered immigration violations to federal officials would be a misdemeanor, and private suit to remedy violations would be authorized.

I, Sam Reed, Secretary of State of the State of Washington and custodian of its seal, hereby certify that, according to the records on file in my office, the attached copy of Initiative Measure No. 946 to the People is a true and correct copy as it was received by this office.

AN ACT Relating to illegal immigration; adding a new section to chapter 74.04 RCW; creating new sections; and prescribing penalties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. INTENT. The intent of this act is to prohibit illegal aliens from receiving public benefits unless mandated by the federal government. Public Benefits as used herein shall mean all non-federally mandated programs in RCW Chapter 74, in addition to all non-federally mandated state and local welfare programs including TANF, Medicaid, Food Stamps, WIC, public housing, and their successor programs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. SHORT TITLE. This act may be known and cited as the Washington taxpayer and citizen protection act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 74.04 RCW to read as follows:

VERIFYING APPLICANTS FOR PUBLIC BENEFITS--VIOLATION--CLASSIFICATION--CITIZEN SUITS. (1) An agency of this state and all of its political subdivisions, including local governments, that are responsible for the administration of state and local public benefits that are not federally mandated shall do all of the following:

(a) Verify the identity of each applicant for those benefits and verify that the applicant is eligible for benefits as prescribed by this section;

(b) Provide any other employee of this state or any of its political subdivisions with information to verify the immigration status of any applicant for those benefits and assist the employee in obtaining that information from federal immigration authorities;

(c) Refuse to accept any identification card issued by the state or any political subdivision of this state, including a driver's license, to establish identity or determine eligibility for those benefits unless the issuing authority has verified the immigration status of the applicant; and

(d) Require all employees of the state and its political subdivisions to make a written report to federal immigration authorities for any violation of federal immigration law by any applicant for benefits that is discovered by the employee.

(2) Failure to report discovered violations of federal immigration law by an employee is a misdemeanor. If that employee's supervisor knew of the failure to report and failed to direct the employee to make the report, the supervisor is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(3) This section shall be enforced without regard to race, religion, gender, ethnicity, or national origin. Any person who is a resident of this state shall have standing in any court of record to bring suit against any agent or agency of this state or its political subdivisions to remedy any violation of this section, including an action for mandamus.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The provisions of this act are to be liberally construed to effectuate the intent and purpose of this act in favor of Washington state residents.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Captions used in this act are not any part of the law.

--- END ---

For More Information:

Mr. Robert D. Baker

PO Box 911

Mercer Island, WA 98040

Cell (206) 300-8682

protectwa@hotmail.com

bobbaker88@hotmail.com

Local Coalition Decries Proposed Initiative

Nationally, the battle over immigration reform is red hot. And Washington State residents could be asked to vote on major changes for the local immigrant population

April 2, 2006 By Tracy Vedder
TracyV@komotv.com
kOMO 4 NEWS

SEATTLE - They build our houses, clean our skyscrapers and work in our fields. And some argue they take more than they give back. We're talking about illegal immigrants.

Nationally, the battle over immigration reform is red hot. And Washington State residents could be asked to vote on some major changes for the immigrant population.

All week long, students around the state have rallied, protested and marched. The target: a federal House bill that would make illegal immigration a felony. Up at the border, self-named Minutemen are patrolling - doing the job they say the federal government won't.

And now voters will be asked to sign onto a new initiative that brings the argument over immigration home in a very personal way.

"If the federal government was doing it's job right, we wouldn't be here," said Bob Baker, who is a member of the Minutemen. Baker is also the initiative sponsor.

If approved, the measure would prevent the state from giving illegal immigrants any benefits not required by law. "I am trying to do at the state level what the federal government should be doing," said Baker, "and that's taking incentives away for people to come here illegally."

Baker's initiative would keep illegal immigrants from receiving benefits like food stamps, education, and medical care. But a coalition of church, labor, medical and business organizations is fighting Baker's plan.

"The initiative is designed to try to sow fear into our communities," said Michael Ramos, who co-chairs the Coalition From Hate to Hope. The group says the Minutemen are a vigilante organization and that Baker's initiative is racist.

The coalition adds that undocumented workers bring in more to the state economy than they take out. "It's unacceptable," says Ramos of the initiative. "It's immoral and it's a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars and would be far more expensive to implement than anyone knows."

Baker denies he or the initiative is racist and says it's a simple matter of numbers. He adds that if federal immigration laws were enforced, and if businesses paid fair wages for all work, then there wouldn't be an immigration problem.

Protesters are focusing now on the national debate over immigration reform. But if Baker's initiative gets enough signatures, the future of immigration law in Washington state will be in everyone's hands.

Baker's group, Protect Washington Now, needs to collect 224,000 signatures by July 7th to get the initiative on the November ballot.

The state estimates 136,000 immigrants are in Washington state illegally.

For More Information:

Mr. Robert D. Baker ~ PO Box 911 ~ Mercer Island, WA 98040 ~ 206) 300-8682 protectwa@hotmail.com ~ bobbaker88@hotmail.com

Protect Washington Now Blog

http://www.protectwashingtonnow.blogspot.com/

Five Years is UNFAIR

In a message dated 4/11/2006 5:43:01 PM Pacific Daylight Time, anonymous-comment@blogger.com writes:

Its unfair, it takes 5 years for my wife to get her brother here, plus, a $1000 and all the legal background checks, from the philippines, and they speak English. Make it 5 years for the illegals to become legal...2nd build the fence.

Glen

Posted by Anonymous to PROTECT WASHINGTON NOW at 4/11/2006 05:43:31 PM

Initiative would force state to deny some benefits to illegal immigrants

Thursday, March 23, 2006 - Page updated at 09:01 AM

By Lornet Turnbull
Seattle Times staff reporter

Washington voters may be asked to decide in November whether illegal immigrants should be allowed to receive public benefits.

Bob Baker, a Mercer Island resident who heads a group called Protect Washington Now, has filed an initiative to force the state to deny illegal immigrants benefits like those in a handful of programs administered by the Department of Social and Health Services.

One such program provides free prenatal care for poor pregnant women and 10 months' family planning after delivery.

Another subsidizes child-care services for seasonal workers in the state's fruit orchards and tree farms.

Officials say they don't know how many of the state's estimated 136,000 illegal immigrants use these programs — most combine state and federal funding — but they know that many do.
Baker calls that an inappropriate use of his tax dollars.

"They come here and have their babies born at one of our hospitals at our expense; they have it all," said the 53-year-old Alaska Airlines pilot, who ran unsuccessfully for Mercer Island City Council last year.

Programs available to illegal immigrants

Along with other needy families in Washington, illegal immigrants may qualify for help under at least seven programs administered by the state Department of Social and Health Services. In most cases, families must meet federal poverty guidelines to qualify.

Working Connections child care provides child-care services for children who are citizens. The parents' immigration status is irrelevant.

Pregnancy program for women provides prenatal care plus 10 months' family planning after delivery.

Emergency medical program: Mandated and funded by the federal government, it covers emergency-medical services for immigrants. They must meet all Medicaid qualifications but be ineligible for Medicaid because of their immigration status. Welfare reform made most noncitizen immigrants ineligible for Medicaid.

Children's health program resumed coverage this past January after suspending the program in 2003 as a way to save money. It's for noncitizen children under 18 years old whose immigration status makes them ineligible for other medical assistance programs.

Seasonal child care provides child care for seasonal workers who produce crops or harvest trees.

Homeless child care provides short-term child-care services for homeless families as they try to find employment, keep health care or substance-abuse appointments, secure permanent housing or other social services.

Consolidated emergency assistance provides funds to pregnant women and families with children for emergency food, shelter, clothing and medical care. It's available only once in a 12-month period.

Source: Department of Social and Health Services


"And that's the real tragedy. Where does it stop? Do we allow the entire nation of Mexico to come here?"

Baker volunteers with the Minuteman Project, which got its start in Arizona two years ago to spot and report illegal immigrants crossing the border from Mexico.

Critics have called members of the group vigilantes and racist.

Baker said he and his supporters should have no trouble collecting the 224,000 signatures needed to get the issue on the November ballot.

The measure is patterned after one passed by Arizona voters in 2004 that denied public benefits to illegal immigrants and forced residents to prove their citizenship to vote.

It bitterly divided the border state and forced the issue into the forefront nationally. Opponents branded it racist.

In Washington, Baker's initiative would require state employees to verify the immigration status of anyone seeking benefits not mandated by federal law — such as emergency medical care — and to report suspected illegal immigrants to federal immigration authorities.
"Public benefits"

The proposal does not define "public benefits," but Baker said they would fall generally in the categories of health care, the state prison system and education.
Employees and their supervisors would face misdemeanor charges for refusing to report violations. The measure also would allow anyone to bring a suit against state agencies for refusing to enforce the law.

Immigrant advocates say such a measure would spread fear in immigrant communities, making people reluctant to contact authorities or seek emergency help when they need it.
"Washington residents won't stand for this form of imported initiative," said Michael Ramos, co-chairman of From Hate to Hope, a coalition of 40 local groups formed to campaign against the measure.

"They're proposing to deputize social-service providers as immigration agents and hold them accountable for service the state provides, when it will be a rare case that an undocumented person will be provided such a service."

Estimated figure

Nationwide, an estimated 12 million people live in this country illegally, and are not eligible for such benefits as food stamps or Medicaid.

In fact, under changes to the welfare program, even legal immigrants — those here on green cards — are not entitled to such benefits, which are reserved for U.S. citizens.

But many noncitizen immigrants have U.S.-born children who do qualify, and federal law mandates emergency-medical care for everyone — regardless of their immigration status.

Though many states consider the influx a problem of the federal government's making, they are scrambling for ways to mitigate the drain on their resources; they feel it most in their schools and in health care.

Several have proposed legislation and initiatives to cut benefits to illegal immigrants or penalize companies that employ them.

California was the first.

Its Proposition 187, which sought to deny public education and other benefits to that state's expanding population of illegal immigrations, passed in 1994. But a federal judge later overturned major provisions in the measure.

Programs for poor

In Washington, DSHS administers at least seven programs for the state's poor, to which illegal immigrants have access. For those programs available only to citizens, application forms ask whether a person is a citizen to determine his or her eligibility.

Applicants are also asked if they are in this country legally, said Leo Ribas, operations manager and special assistant in DSHS' division of employment and assistance.

Unless citizenship is an eligibility factor for receiving benefits, the immigration status of an otherwise qualified person is not relevant.

In January, the state reinstated a health program for noncitizen children that it discontinued in 2003 in a money-saving move.

The program, with a two-year budget of $21.2 million, provides free health coverage for children whose immigration status makes them ineligible for any other medical programs.

Jim Stevenson, a DSHS spokesman, said that when the state ended the program in 2003, officials had hoped many poor immigrant children would shift to the state's basic health-care plan.

But there were out-of-pocket costs associated with that plan that some families couldn't afford, leaving many without coverage and renewing the need for the program, he said.

Immigration impact

Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which is supporting many of the states' initiatives, said illegal immigration affects everyone.

"People see it in their daily lives — it affects their children's education, their trip to the hospital or the local Home Depot," he said.

"The federal government has dropped the ball on this and states are forced to deal with it because they are the ones paying the bills. It's perfectly legitimate for states to determine how they are going to spend their own money."

Baker thinks that if you dry up benefits for illegal immigrants — including jobs — they will go away. "You either address the supply side or the demand side.

The problem, he said, is most acute in emergency care, which illegal immigrants use for regular care: "They know [emergency rooms] have to accept them."

But advocates say that making immigrants fearful of seeking medical care when they need it poses a health risk that affects everyone.

And the idea that illegal immigrants will simply go away fails to recognize the role they play in the state and national economies.

"The reality is that much of our service sector relies on labor of immigrants — some of whom are documented and some of whom are not," Hate to Hope's Ramos said. "If you want to pull the carpet out from under the economy of this state pass an imitative like this."

Leon Donahue, of the Washingtonians for Immigration Reform, doesn't buy that argument.
"There was a time when Americans — black, white, yellow — were doing these jobs," he said. And Americans would do those jobs again "if employers were willing to pay a decent, living wage."

Lornet Turnbull: 206-464-2420 or lturnbull@seattletimes.com

14 Illegal Aliens Reportedly Voted

Proof of citizenship before registering to vote is needed to protect the integrity of the ballot

The article below addresses voting by illegal aliens. This violation of the law has captured the limelight because it is so purely outrageous. Legal aliens, that is green-card holders, are not citizens and they are not entitled to vote. They can become voters, but only after being naturalized and becoming citizens.

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14 Illegal Aliens Reportedly Voted

KSL NewsRadio 1160 (Salt Lake City, UT), August 8, 2005
http://radio.ksl.com/index.php?sid=224157&nid=19

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Elections Division of the Lieutenant Governor's Office is looking into the report during last winter's legislative session that at least 14 illegal immigrants may have voted in an election.

The issue was raised during discussion of legislation on drivers' licenses for undocumented workers.

Legislative Auditor General John Schaff said more than 58,000 illegal immigrants had Utah drivers' licenses, nearly 400 of them used their license to register to vote in Utah, and a sampling of that group revealed at least 14 actually voted in an election.

As a result, the Legislature enacted a measure that provides undocumented workers may not get a regular driver's license but may get a driving privilege card that is not a valid form of identification.

Elections director Michael Cragun said he wants information on the possible illegal voters so county clerks can look at it and take appropriate action.

'If we find we've got someone who is not a citizen who has registered ... someone at the polling place can challenge their right to cast a ballot,' he said. 'As far as someone proven to be a noncitizen who did cast a ballot, that would be referred to the county attorney for prosecution.'

Schaff said he has received the Election Division's request for records but may only be able to release them to the attorney general's office.

Assistant Attorney General Thom Roberts said his office might try to obtain the information if the lieutenant governor can't.

While lawmakers originally said they'd seek a more in-depth audit, Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, who sponsored the legislation, has since said the audit served its purpose by identifying a problem and the legislation was designed to solve it. Bramble has said any follow-up should by handled by state investigative agencies.

A Department of Public Safety investigation, a joint effort with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. postal inspectors, has since been closed, according to Sgt. Dale Neal of Highway Patrol Investigation.

Neal said two suspects are being sought for federal mail and being in the country illegally. They allegedly charged people $800 to help them get a driver's license in Utah.

Activists on both sides of the immigration debate said they have tried unsuccessfully to gain access to the voter registration information mentioned in the auditor's survey.

Frank Cordova, director of Utah Coalition of La Raza, said the survey was inconclusive but 'has implicated the entire Latino community. They've made us all look suspicious and legally ineligible voters. That isn't true.'

Cordova said he and others have worked for several years to register voters and have worked closely with Salt Lake County elections officials. It has always been made clear that only citizens can vote, he said.

Cordova said he wants to know 'how many people registered, where they registered and if there is some fraud going on. Right now there's no answer to any of those.'

Russell Sias, vice chairman of Utahns for Immigration Reform and Enforcement, has also been trying to access the information. Sias believes there are more undocumented individuals voting than the audit suggests, and he would like to see a full audit of the state's voter rolls.

Thank you John, Kirby, Mike, Stefan, Josef, and all

Write martinringhofer@aol.com if you would like to be put on distribution of our Journal

I express my sincere gratitude to all of you who have responded, provided feedback, offered suggestions, indicated support and a desire to help collect signatures. Your thoughts and comments overwhelm me as being thoughtful, caring, non-judgmental, and reflective only of your love of the United States of America.

I apologize if I inadvertently failed to include your comments in our first journal. It is late and I am a staff of one at the moment, not for lack of offers to help – only due to the virtual explosion of support and emails I’ve been inundated with. It did not escape my attention that you all have an underlying desire to fix the problem but not harm the illegal aliens, and others who are not citizens – not entitled to register to vote, and vote.

It is obvious that all of you take the mission and vision of ProtectWashingtonNow seriously, embrace it, and have a strong desire to find a solution which to date no political party has managed to address to the liking, wishes, and aspirations of the US citizens who in fact are appalled that our elected representatives simply refuse to recognize that they are elected by the people to represent the people, and not themselves.

I-912 offers all the evidence necessary to make the point that the voters of our state are not amused. Nearly 450,000 signatures in 32 days is astonishing and a powerful message which resonates loud, and it is not a message the elected representatives and senators of this state really want to hear, or address.

John Carlson, Wilbur Kirby and Mike Siegel are champions of the airwaves. Without a doubt, without their steadfast support and stick-to-it attitude, in giving the citizens the latest bit of news in regard to the I-912 effort, I-912 would not have collected sufficient signatures to make it. Thank you John, Kirby and Mike.

Stefan Sharkansky from http://soundpolitics.com/ has proven to be a true patriot, great American, fearless leader, with a never-give-up tenacity to leave no stone unturned in a quest for the truth. Stefan was recognized by KVI for his great contribution in the arena of putting the truth out there for all to know, read, and comment on. What a powerhouse Stefan has created with his blog, and team of contributing blogers like himself. With journalists in the finest tradition of journalism like Stefan and his team of blogers, using the Internet as the new source of news that apparently the mainstream meadia has no stomach to reveal to the people: the future looks bright… very bright. Thank you Stefan and team.

Though there are many blogers who are doing a superb job, another who well deserves mentioning as having proven to be every bit as effective as Stefan, is Josef Kunzler, of http://josef-a-k.blogspot.com/. A prolific writer, investigative reporter, journalist, and champion for the truth himself, Josef has managed to blog numerous first time news BEFORE anybody got a wind of it, and many which to date nobody has even published. The astonishing part about Josef is that he is a student and an internet consultant who has tought himself all he knows to broadcast to ALL who want to know just what happened and what is going on when it comes to elections, politics, and an endless list of topics. Way to go, Josef. Keep up the great work. You are a great American.

AMNESTY for non-citizens: Don't just deport them... fine them first!

by Deborah
expose@tb2k.com

OK...

So let's say I-343 passes by a huge margin. The LIBERAL PINHEADS are at a loss as how to pick up more illegal aliens, felons and dead voters....They lose terribly and shrink back to their Bohemian sewers in France and Canada...

Now....

What the heck do we do with the 11 million illegals who are now in our country? Can we offer a strict amnesty program? I hesitate to do this unless our borders get secure. But - we DO need to document these people somehow and we need the ability to weed out the dangerous criminal element among them..

One way to inspire illegals to try for amnesty is to get tough on our laws. Don't just deport them....fine them first! Charge their employers too! Can you imagine how much revenue that would generate? They are coming here for our money! Take it away from them until it hurts!

I-343 is the beginning - but we need to have some solid ideas for dealing with the illegal aliens in our country now. The lack of serious discussion about the subject is what gives the liberals power in their rhetoric. They try to stop any dialogue on the subject of illegals because they know once the subject is brought out into the open a solution will arise and there goes their cash-cow!

That's why any talk of illegal aliens is immediately met with a cry of racism from the liberal left! They want to shame us into silence with their false accusations! It's worked for far too long! Now the illegals are not just in our pocketbooks, not just bringing disease to our childrens schools...they are voting in our elections!

It's time to talk about this.

Councilor Reagan Dunn to Dean Logan: Purge King County voter registrations of non-citizen voters

July 25, 2005

Dean Logan
Director
King County Elections
500 4th Ave, Room 553
Seattle, WA 98104

Dear Mr. Logan:

Due to the recent inconsistencies in King County Elections, I request that you do your best to purge the voter lists of non-citizen voters. It has been brought to our attention that there may be non-citizens who have registered to vote in King County when applying for driver's licenses or social services. These names must be removed from the voter lists.

I know that your office is unable to investigate the citizenship status of registered voters without a formal voter registration challenge being made by another registered voter. Because of this, I would ask you to please contact Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS) and request that they help you purge King County voter registrations.

The CIS database may be a source that would help the county identify non-citizens who are registered to vote. Thurston County has asked CIS to help them clean their voter lists and King County should do the same. We must make sure that our elections are honest and only citizens are allowed to vote.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,
Reagan Dunn

I-343 on KVI 570AM Dial 7/26 7-7:30AM

I-343 will be the topic on KVI 570AM Tue 7/26, 7-7:30AM. Join the discourse.

Include citizenship, ID requirements in election reforms

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Any election reform package that comes out of this session of the Legislature would be seriously flawed if it omitted requiring voters to show photo identification at polling places before they receive ballots and prospective new voters to verify their U.S. citizenship with election officials.

Senate bills backed by both Democrats and Republicans include these requirements, but the bills were amended in committee by House Democrats to eliminate them.
Elections officials may find the identification-citizenship requirements inconvenient to enforce. Too bad. They are sensible, reasonable protection against voter fraud, although ID at polling places is a moot point in Lewis County now that it has gone to all-mail voting in elections. But that makes the citizenship requirement all the more important.

Many Republican legislators also want to require all voters to reregister by August 2006 to clean up registration lists and other discrepancies that were brought to light by the near tie in the governor election in November. Reregistration also might well be seen as an inconvenience or unfair, but the point is, registration lists need better updating.

In any event, the absence of adequate identification and verification requirements with reliance mostly on trust leaves the door wide open for fraud and inaccuracies. The need for accurate, honest elections outweighs any inconvenience that might occur because of the new safeguards.

“Our current system is skewed too far in the direction of convenience, openness and speed and has sacrificed security, integrity and accuracy,” said Rep. Toby Nixon, R-Kirkland, ranking Republican on the House committee that deals with elections.
Note further that at least the photo ID requirement at the polling places is supported as well by Secretary of State Sam Reed, a Republican, who led a task force on election reform, and Gov. Christine Gregoire, a Democrat, who appointed the task force.

If House Democrats don’t accede to Republican efforts this week to restore the ID and citizenship provisions to the Senate bills and they aren’t part of any election-reform package ultimately passed this session, it could end up on the ballot for voters to decide.

Conservative radio talk-show host Mike Siegel and others vowed Monday to pursue an initiative to the voters that would require the ID and proof of citizenship. It probably wouldn’t make it to the ballot, if sufficient voter signatures are gathered, until a year from this November.

‘‘If they (the Legislature) don’t do the reform, we will, and that’s a promise,” Siegel said. It’s likely such an initiative would draw widespread voter support.
Meanwhile, there is more agreement on a number of other worthwhile election reforms. They include allowing voter records to be randomly investigated by elections officials, statewide standards for handling of ballots, regular audits of county election departments, changing the look of provisional ballots cast at polling places to avoid their being counted with regular ballots before they can be authenticated, and regular reviews of voter registration lists to eliminate errors.
The worst thing that could happen is no election reform legislation at all this year, even provisions most agreed on, simply because legislators couldn’t agree on everything.

VOTER DATABASE: An election reform that should make a major difference in preventing illegal votes is already under way in this state, apart from the legislative battles over reform.

As a result of congressionally mandated reforms, the state is putting together its first-ever computerized voter database, paid for by $6 million from the feds. It brings together all the separate county lists and will help local election officials ensure felons, dead people and noncitizens can’t vote. It will also help ensure people aren’t registered in more than one locale or voting more than once per election.

Cleaner voter lists will help ensure ballots are sent only to valid voters (which can only be fully assured by requiring proof of citizenship) and that only properly cast ballots are counted.