Government to Increase Citizenship and Green Card Fees

From controversy residing over citizens arming themselves to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border, to failed mandates aimed at ridding U.S. cities of undocumented aliens, immigration has recently been a hot debated topic in this country. To add to this heated topic, the U.S. government announced today that it would increase immigration fees--doubling, and in some cases, tripling the cost to apply for legal immigration status. Here are a few examples: to bring a foreign fiancee/fiance into the states will cost $455 (currently $170); a green card or permanent resident applications will set you back $930 (currently $325); finally, citizenship papers will cost $675 (currently $330).

It's funny that most statistics will show that many immigrants know more U.S. facts and history more than the native born citizens. With this new change in immigration fees, naturalized citizens will probably be better off than most native born Americans. People may legitimize that this fee increase is due to the new security features the government are putting into legal documents, such as digital finger printing and rfid tags to easily access your personal data. However, they should realize that these technology have been around for almost a decade now and its cost should not be that tremendous. What I see is that this is the government's way to collect the necessary money to fund the inflated government spending (i.e. Iraq). This move will certainly hinder many immigrants from naturalizing, and above all, this policy is reflective of the renewed movement to deter immigration from the United States.

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Mitt Romney Will Donate His Salary if Elected

As many candidates look to the situation in Iraq as a platform for their candidacy, Mitt Romney tries to steer clear of the bandwagon trails and declares his own. It was reported earlier today that Mitt Romney, a multi-million dollar venture capitalist and former governor of Massachusetts, declared that if he wins the '08 presidential election he would donate his annual salary of $400,000. As many may not know, Romney did exactly this when he was governor.

I have no idea what issues Romney is running for. Undoubtedly, this charitable announcement will allow him to gain more ground with voters. But then again, It's hard to run for a position as leader of the free world and be a Mormon at the same time. It would suit him well if he uses the millions of dollars he has to familiarize Mormonism and down play the social stigmas associated with the religion.

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U.S.-Iran Diplomacy: No Real Progress

The U.S. and Iran ended a nearly 3 decade long diplomatic silence earlier today. The two sides met up to discuss the security strategy in Iraq. Their aim is to achieve a mutual understanding and resolution to the current security crisis in Iraq. Unfortunately, the talk yielded no real solution for the problem at hand.

It's good to see that Americans are leaning toward diplomacy instead of war. The only reason why this government would do such a thing is that they simply drained all government spending on Iraq. With troops stretched thin, they can't afford to start war with another nation. I'm sure if we had the resource, diplomacy would be the last thing anyone would hear.

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Thousands Turned out for Fallwel's Funeral

It turns out that the late Jerry Falwell had numerous fans. Over 10,000 people packed into service to pay respect. Falwell, 73, died a week ago in his office of a heart rhythm abnormality. He was best remembered for creating the Moral Majority, a conservative group responsible for sending Regan into office.


I don't have much to add, except, watch this video.

The Middle East Hates Us!

According to surveys conducted in Egypt, Indonesia, Morocco, and Pakistan, 8 out of 10 people believe that the United States is on a mission to "weaken and divide the Islamic world." In other parts of the Middle East, feelings of resentment and growing opinions that the United States is in a war against Islam itself. Moreover, U.S. News adds that this is a good explanation as to why Al Qeada are still able to find new recruits.

I guess going to war under false pretences and the continuous blunders in Iraq resulting in heavy Iraqi civilian casualties wasn't an enough indicator. Why do you need a study to confirm what was already known by many? Many critics of the war has said before that this is a political battle rather than a military one. We lack the experience and skill to physically fight terrorism. Rather than trying to find political allies, our government keeps insisting that we shoot first and use diplomacy later. I think it would be much better for everyone, especially the men and women serving in Iraq to defend democracy, that the government starts listening to the public and experts. Perhaps in doing so, we can keep the few political allies we have left.

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Crazy Californians

The New York Times reported today that California officials are seeking to increase the emission standards in California. California's general attorney, Jerry Brown, made a request that the EPA needs to make the current standards on greenhouse gasses or else he and followers would sue the government. Many representatives of the auto industry warned that doing so would be "counter productive" due to the rising cost of gasoline. Many other states have prompted similar legislations if California is able to force this change.

Wow, as if there isn't enough problems in California already. Why are we always the first to go greener than other states? We already have one of the highest emission standards in the nation. I guess it's not a bad idea since we are also one of the heaviest polluters. But come on, how much will it change global warming? It would be wiser to try and negotiate with other countries to adopt tighter control on greenhouse gasses. For instance, China is becoming the biggest--if not already the biggest--polluter on earth. Get them to change their standards first. It's not fair that we have to constantly endure increasing costs.

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Endgame

World Bank's President Paul Wolfowitz have resigned. His resignation is effective as of June 30th. His resignation came with a price however. Wolfowitz and his attorney were able to establish an agreement with board members of the bank to exonerate his name despite the dismay of several European representatives.

In a statement released last night, the board conceded that "a number of mistakes were made by a number of individuals in handling the matter under consideration," and the bank would need to improve its ethical procedures. The board declared that Wolfowitz "assured us that he acted ethically and in good faith in what he believed were the best interests of the institution, and we accept that."

The statement added: "We are grateful to Mr. Wolfowitz for his service at the bank. Much has been achieved in the last two years."

I haven't seen anything like this since Dick Cheney shot his friend in the face with birdshots. Not only did Wolfowitz get off with no punishment or fine, the World Bank even apologized for mishandling the case. I really like this line "[he] assured us that he acted ethically and in good faith in what he believed were the best interests of the institution, and we accept that." Um what? How is giving unreasonable raises to your girlfriend align with the interest of the World Bank? I guess when you hold high political power, you're basically above the law.

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Oh so screwed!

Despite recent his recent failure to remember information pertaining to the mass firing of U.S. Attorneys around the country, President Bush still stands by his man. Well, this is about to change. The congressional hearings are calling key players in the firing incident. It seems that the storm is about to grow even larger as Democrats are seeking to round up impeachment votes to oust Gonzales.

For those of you who are not on top of things, Gonzales is being questioned for the random and frequent firing of numerous U.S. Attorneys around the nation. The allegation came about after a few bloggers discovered that their local District Attorneys were being let go abruptly without a clear reason. A investigative committee was establish shortly thereafter. Gonzales was called to testified and when asked about reasons behind the mass firing, he supplied that he could not remember the details.

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Hilary's new campaign ad

This is a great campaign advertisement in my opinion. The video features Bill Clinton talking about her life. Most of the stuff he mentions in the video I did not know until now. Obviously most people do no know most of these facts either. It's a great way to briefly introduce and humanize candidates and connect them with voters.



Video Via Hilary's Youtube campaign site.

It's in the report: Wolfowitz is found accountable!

The World Bank recently released a 52 page report on their investigation on Wolfowitz's alleged abuse of company resource. The report states at one point that "Mr. Wolfowitz saw himself as the outsider to whom the established rules and standards did not apply." Moreover, it assets that his behavior had damaged and tarnished the bank's reputation. Wolfowitz, however, maintains that this is a part of a smear campaign on his image. He spoke in front of 24 World Bank members earlier today in order to defend his actions.

Man this guy is just crazy. How are you gonna use that "smear campaign" excuse to defend yourself? Just get it over with and fire him. Obviously, he's not gonna get anything more than a slap on the hand, but at least his public image will lose credibility.

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Chinese American: Guilty in Conspiracy Case

Earlier today, Chi Mak--an electrical engineer-- was found guilty of all charges for allegedly trying to send sensitive government information to China. The court ruled that Mak had violated export control laws while acting as an agent of the People's Republic of China. Specific information regarding the case has not been release due it its sensitivity. Mak's relatives however are awaiting trial as accomplices to the crime.

Good thing he was caught before any real damage was done. I think the trial should have been more open due to the fact that the surrounding evidence was not a top secret. The government should have allowed full media access or none at all. It's frustrating to read stories like this and find out that you can't get anymore out of it since the government have a hold on it.

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Wolfowitz is innocent? Needs more time to defend himself.

The White House released a press statement on Wednesday urging the need for the World Bank to give Paul Wolfowitz a "fair process and a fair hearing of the facts". Robert Bennett, Wolfowitz's attorney have also been trying to press the bank into giving his client more time to defend himself against the allegation of abusing company resource his own benefit. Bennett have told the press that the administration (World Bank) is still deliberating in the evidence surrounding the allegation. Wolfowitz might be in trouble, however, since France have involved itself in the matter and have been voicing strong opinion towards a speedier trial.

Well I usually don't align myself with a country that have never won a single war battle since the dawn of time, but France is totally right. What more can he say? The evidence is clear, and his actions were not "in good faith" as he claimed several weeks ago. What is more puzzling than his failure to admit to guilt is how the Bush administration have chosen to back him up the whole way. Just as Bush had done with the Alberto Gonzales' controversy. Loyalty runs deep in this administration.

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Kansas Governor points finger at Bush for slow response to recent disaster, or did she?

Boston Globe reports that President Bush and Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius are pointing fingers at each other for the failure to quickly response to the storm victims. Initially, Sebelius blames the lack of aid from the federal government due to the fact that most of the National Guards are deployed in Iraq. Press secretary for the White House, Tony Snow, did more than its share and provided necessities requested. Snow adds that the fault lies in Sebelius for not follow procedures and failed to provide the government with necessary information.

This sounds like the Senator is riding on the Democrat-bandwagon and attacking the Bush administration. It's early to say who's at fault, but it seems that the disaster was handled appropriately by the federal government. Obviously people died, but considering the size and frequency of this type of disaster, it's not that big of a deal. The midwest is prone to this type of weather. I'm sure the local government could have handled the relief effort on their own.

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TSA loses harddrive with important data

It was reported by the Washington Times that the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) is missing an important disk drive containing data of over 100,000 employees. These data are considered highly sensitive since they "include the archived records of employees and their Social Security numbers, dates of birth, financial allotments and payroll information."

Good job guys! I keep hearing about misplaced laptops and data disks. In most of these cases, the missing items were all considered to be important due to the information they contain. How do you lose something that is considered a risk to national security? Seriously, did someone go to the john and forget to bring it out with him? What happened to having the items handcuffed to the carrier? At lease he would notice when the briefcase go missing.

O8ama: Security Scare!

The Secret Service was dispatched to increase the 08' candidate's security. The reason for the security detail was undisclosed. This is the earliest the Secret Service has ever issued to protect a candidate. Besides Obama, Sen. Hilary Clinton is the only other candidate to have Secret Service protection as well.

I have a guess why these people need extra protection. One is a woman, and another is of African descend. I don't want to come off as controversial and a racist, but look at the situation! It's a woman and a African American; no matter how far civil rights have gone, the problem is still rampant in this country.

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Obama tries to force control over a fan's website

Joe Anthony started a page on the social website myspace.com as an unofficial tribute to Barack Obama in November of 2004. Initially, the Obama political campaign worked closely with Anthony and utilized what he created instead of making their own site. But as friend request towering over 160,000 people, negotiations over control broke down as Anthony requested a payment of $39,000 as compensation for the time he had devoted to the site. It seems that the Obama campaign had mentioned some sort of cash payment for control of the site but is unclear who brought it up first. Anthony posted on his blog on Tuesday that campaign is trying to "bully" him out of control of the page. According to Anthony the message is clear, when you get big, it's a liability for the candidate.

I just find this interesting. The guy made the page out of good will towards Obama and had even offered them access to what is his. Yet when it came down to control, they just wanted to take the page with out compensating him. That's seriously cheap considering how wasteful they are with campaign money. Also, why would you want to censor message left on the site? It's part of free speech. I think it's okay for an individual to do this, but not a political candidate. It sends the wrong message. Good thing he did this cause it gives a small glimpse into what kind of person he really is.

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Bush Vetoes bill that calls for troops to pull out, blames insurgencies as reason. [don't need to read my post, picture sums it up]

A few years ago, just before the Iraq War had started, the White House (mainly President Bush) assured Americans that the war to terrorism would prove effective if the U.S. had rid the world of Saddam. It was presented as "fact" that the U.S. government had gathered intelligence connecting Iraq with Al Qaeda through a secret meeting they had in Prague. Now four years later, thousands of soldiers (U.S. & allies), innocent men, women, and children in Iraq are dead, and some trillions of dollars already spent on the war as President Bush vetoes the Bill to withdraw troops. He explains that this "rigid and artificial" time table is dangerous due to public knowledge of the crucial time line. Insurgency, he explains would gain strength from this bill. Thus what was gained in Iraq will be lost.

What gain in Iraq? We haven't really won anything. The established government is weak. Democracy is a dream in Baghdad and countless other areas. What I want to know is why has the bill gone through the process so fast? Ever since Bush took over, Congress started meeting less days out of the session. They also spend less time debating over whether a proposal should become a bill or not. When something is this important, and entails valid warrants from the public, shouldn't they spend more time debating over it so to gain support from the opposition party? Secondly, we were promised that Saddam was a key role to fighting the war on terrorism, that hasn't shown to be true since. We are still facing the same threat, and Iraqis are enduring greater violence since. Understandably, terrorism is vague and sometimes unidentifiable enemy; it has no specific location to point to, and personnels are often elusive. There are no static country in which we can find and wipe them off the face of the earth, making the fight all the more difficult. Yet this administration has tried to make ease of the perplexing topic by branding several specific nations as the "Axis of evil". I am starting to see that the government is ambivalent to this fact as it tries to go after one nation after another. This is not to say that they are on any account innocent, but rather, I see it as a waste of resource used up on any one country (Iraq) rather than trying to find a new method to fight this enormous threat to democracy. Like many people have said, this unique warfare requires a unique strategy. I think a fight through the media and diplomacy is more effective. Support and friendship from the international community is key to weaving out terrorist cells. Machismoism is pasé and perhaps below us. How can we expect the world to perceive us as sophisticated when we acted like brutes on the international playground? We will only look like fools trying to fight something we can't see or touch. Blunders resulted from the war in Iraq have made us lost credibility with many nations, and many more if this continues without substantial progress.

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This guy is pretty fierce about it too. You can tell cause he's stuttering and being supremely redundant. Well maybe not cause he's excited about the topic, I'm guessing cause he's a million years old. When are we getting younger congressmen? We need more people that aren't deaf so they can hear public opinions.