Look west for hope!
The New York Times has a good article about the new generation of leaders in California who have the dynamism and energy to replace the aging lions, the national leaders who are now in their 70s.
The leaders of the party affirmed their intention to ward off the worst of Trump’s policies.
Previewing an adversarial relationship between California and the federal government over the next four years, legislative leaders opened a new session on Monday by vowing to preserve California’s liberal agenda and passing a resolution rejecting President-elect Donald Trump’s hardline immigration stance.
Members of both houses directly confronted Trump’s tough-on-immigration rhetoric, which has included calls to deport millions and block immigration by Muslims. Lawmakers passed a resolution that says “California stands unified in rejecting the politics of hatred and exclusion” and exhorts Trump “to not pursue mass deportation strategies that needlessly tear families apart, or target immigrants for deportation based on vague and unjustified criteria.”
“We have all heard the insults, we have all heard the lies, and we have all heard the threats,” said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount, adding of an undocumented immigrant population that is the nation’s largest, “if you want to get to them, you have to go through us.”
Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles, opened his chamber’s business by accepting the election results but rebuffing Trump. He urged Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress to “treat immigrant families and children humanely, with a modicum of dignity and respect.”
“They are hard-working, upstanding members of our society who contribute billions of dollars to our economic activity and tax revenue to our state each year,” de León said.
The immediate challenge to Trump drew criticism from Republican members who said Democrats were demonizing a man who had not yet taken office. Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, said the tactic “seeks to flare up tension between communities.”
“To throw down a gauntlet and say ‘here we go’ without ever having time to discuss this” is inappropriate, said Assemblyman Rocky Chavez, R-Oceanside.
But dark warnings about the coming Trump administration set the tone, with Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, saying the president-elect had advocated “ethnic cleansing policies.”
With fiery language that broke from his usually staid public demeanor, Rendon said California faces a “major existential threat.” He spurred raucous applause for an apparent dig at Trump aide Stephen Bannon, saying that “white nationalists and anti-Semites have no business working in the White House.” Bannon’s Breitbart website has drawn admiration from nationalists and opponents of multiculturalism as well as criticism for pushing bigotry into mainstream discourse.
“It is up to us to pass policies that would firewall Californians and what we believe from the cynical, short sighted, and reactionary agenda that is rising in the wake of the election,” Rendon said, adding that “unity must be separated from complicity…Californians do not need healing. We need to fight.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“This nation can be great again.” Donald Trump? No, the pledge of Ferdinand Marcos who won the presidency of the Philippines in 1965.
All the best to the legislators of CA in combatting Trumpism and his bigoted policies toward immigrants. Trump’s rhetoric against immigrants has been tough but will he actually do what he promised during the campaign? He has backtracked and flip-flopped on so many issues.
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“…exhorts Trump “to not pursue mass deportation strategies that needlessly tear families apart, or target immigrants for deportation based on vague and unjustified criteria…”
Apart from the idiotic statements trump made about the character of the immigrants, as an immigrant I do believe that illegal immigrants should indeed be forced to leave, and start the process legally.
In the 70’s I was here on a student visa, and was extremely limited in my options. My visa was for education at a specific school, for a specific time. If I wanted to transfer to another college, a lot of paperwork would be involved.
When I moved here, I was separated from my family for an extended period of time, had to pay considerable fees – all with the risk that I wold not get a visa. Not only that, but I would run the risk after being refused, not to get any other entry visa, in fear of my not leaving the country again.
So I do understand the pains and cost involved with immigration, so I do not speak to this lightly and out of ignorance. Walked in those shoes, have the paperwork to prove it.
There is no other country that functions differently. There is one policy for bona fide refugees (Victims f persecution, bei it religious or political, war environment). And there is a different set of rules for people who immigrate for economic reasons, and yet another set of rules for family reunification.
I cannot cross the border into Mexico illegally, and expect to be treated like illegal immigrants are expected to be treated here. Were I to be able to disappear for a while, the moment I am found, I would be extradited. Why would the U.S. function any different?
“Well, were all immigrants…” is an excuse based on ignorance. Make a trip to Ellis Island, and learn of the daily tragedies that took place. It will open your eyes to the immigration policies…
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Maybe the system through which you entered in the ’70s, Rudy, functioned well, but today the system is broken. It only accepts political refugees, those with lots of money that get to cut the line, and H1-Bs that get to serve the needs of corporations cheaply. If you tell people to get in line and wait their turn, it is a lovely legal idea. You should know it will take about twenty years for someone to be served in this line. The people that arrived here ten or more years ago have families and children here. It is far more harmful to pull families apart through deportation to make a legal point, especially when these people are a net plus to our economy. Dividing families will cost a lot more in food stamps, welfare, public housing, health care, and emotional damage, if the family’s bread winner is deported.http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/08/us/immigration-visa-long-waits/
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There were just as much problems with illegal immigrants (remember the “clemency” of president Reagan?) in the 70’s. And that was just a student visa. After moving back to the Netherlands when my studies were completed, for the next three or four visits (years apart) I still had to request a visitor’s visa. It was not until about 10 years later that I was granted a permanent entry visa – but still had to be out of the country within 90 days.
Maybe add some more people to the staff of departments dealing with the approval process will solve some of the current difficulties.
Illegal immigration is just that. I officially immigrated in 1996. It took over a year. And I had been married to an American citizen for 20 years at that time, had 2 children who were recognized as American citizens by the U.S. Government, was paying a mortgage and all that other responsible stuff. It still took almost a year. People here wrote the senator and asked for his help. Response? There is nothing I can do for you, but, feel free to come see me in Washington when you are in the neighborhood…
It was not an “arranged” marriage just to get me a green card.
The process works – but you have to use the process. The U.S. allows for persecuted groups to immigrate relatively fast. But that is a minority. The majority come to the U.S. for economic reasons. Workers visas really do work (in many other countries). You are allowed in for a specific length of time, for specific work. When done, you leave, and come back the next time.
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“I do believe that illegal immigrants should indeed be forced to leave, and start the process legally.”
With about 11 million undocumented immigrants, expecting them to leave, with or without their American-born children, is ridiculous. Most have jobs as well, so the deportation of 11 million people would have serious moral, financial and societal ramifications.
“I cannot cross the border into Mexico illegally, and expect to be treated like illegal immigrants are expected to be treated here.”
Why do people who take a hard line on illegal immigration always point to Mexico and what it does or doesn’t do? Mexico’s law is based on Napoleonic law, meaning you’re guilty until found innocent. Should we copy that too? People on US soil are covered by the Constitution; should we throw that out as well? 43 student teachers were disappeared two years ago for protesting. While searching for them, other unmarked mass graves were found. Gee, how about that? Is that a good way to deal with protesters? For what else shall we look to Mexico for some guidance?
Illegal immigration exists for various reasons, one of which is US demand for cheap labor. Yet we never hear about that, nor did you even mention it. What of the employers of these people? They’re breaking the law, and yes they’re quite aware of who has papers and who doesn’t. If they say they don’t know or can’t ask because of charges of bigotry, they’re lying. (I was married to an undocumented immigrant, so I know of what I speak. Boy, was that ever an eye-opener.)
In my northern California county ALONE, the wine industry brings in almost a BILLION dollars when you count agriculture and things like tourism. Governor Brown has said he estimates that at least 80% of ag workers are undocumented. Add in the other ag produced here, and you’re over a billion dollars. There are many more counties that are also bringing in that much money with ag.
If politicians, both Dems and GOP alike, were to clamp down, their friends in Big Ag would be most upset. Thus, nothing ever changes.
Some places in other states have taken drastic steps like making it illegal to turn on utilities for the undocumented renters/home buyers. The same towns, however, completely ignore the meat plant down the road that employs the undocumented. Stupid, bigoted and useless.
And as reminder, the SCOTUS has ruled that children here without papers are still guaranteed a free public k-12 education.
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Socolaura,
On Long Island in New York, undocumented workers are employed by the vineyards, the farms, the hotels, the restaurants, the construction industry. I wish it were possible to sponsor them for work permits. Their employers would gladly do it. They are crucial to the economy.
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Let me add two more things before I get control of myself:
#1 The wild crowds at Trump rallies are not concerned about illegal immigrants aka undocumented immigrants, they don’t like Mexicans, legal or not.
#2 Effect of Trump’s election: we have cancelled a trip to Europe and are neither putting our house on the market nor refinancing due to uncertainty. Uncertainty and instability ruins markets.
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I see a looming problem. In the 70s, the term “male chauvinist pig” sprouted up and people soon began shortening it to chauvinist. I am sure many young people today, on encountering the word, think it means a sexist of some sort when it actually means an extremist in the guise of a patriot. So with “nationalist” as seen in this quote from the passage:
“saying that “white nationalists and anti-Semites have no business working in the White House.” Bannon’s Breitbart website has drawn admiration from nationalists and opponents of multiculturalism as well as criticism for pushing bigotry into mainstream discourse.” The “nationalist” is not the same as “White nationalist” and people should be careful to always call these people what they are: not nationalists in the normal sense of the word but White nationalists.
And Rudy does what so many people do: flattens the narrative to equate my grandfather coming from Italy in 1904 to a guy just coming across the border to take a job in Tucson. Very different. As time went on, more and more employers found such laborers useful. Eventually, NAFTA blew up the small farmer economy in Mexico and a flood of people took advantage of the easy crossings of “la frontera”, something well known to us here in AZ, in order to reach further into the country for work. Employers were only too happy to get them. Exactly when did we give a clear message to those border crossers that we don’t want their labor and taxes and why don’t we give that message to undocumented aka illegal workers from Ireland? I only hope that several million workers from Mexico will suddenly go home in peace so Americans can pay $25 for a hamburger and $240 for a T-shirt. We love exploiting people but get upset when they turn out to be people. Why can’t those Middle Easterners just give us their oil and shut up about it?
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One must be weary of California Democrats (and the media). Some California Dem legislators are progressive; others are financed by Big Oil and/or Big Charter Scam. They may fight mass deportation or incarceration, but then turn around and fight the labor movement or environmental protection. We have an overabundance of billionaires out here funding campaigns.
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Mass deportation and incarceration have financial, major financial repercussions for the state of California.
Mass deportation, because now they do not have the necessary field workers so harvest time will become extremely problematic.
Incarceration, because a) it is not cheap to put someone in jail and b) it will call for the building of new facilities.
So it is not so much a matter of concern for the alien as it is for the pocket book of the state.
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Good news: charter flounder Steve Barr dropped out of the race for mayorship of Los Angeles. He didn’t want to pay the fine for failure to gather enough signatures to put him on the ballot. Bye bye, Green Dot flounder.
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Good news, LeftCoastTeacher!
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I love these wonderful arguments for a sane immigration policy that includes those who got here without paperwork. One problem: those opposed to illegal immigration are opposed to the brown people, not Melania et al. Another problem: you argue from the Constitution; they don’t care about the Constitution b/c Trump routinely cites unconstitutional acts and they roar their approval, they only care about saying Obama violates the Constitution even though he doesn’t. Third thing: you use logic. It’s lost on these folks.
Trying to apply across the board rules about migration is nonsense (as some have patiently pointed out). Many migrants have no education, no money, are illiterate, but they have two strong arms to pick our fruit and care for our kids and the elderly. Many borders are totally porous, many change constantly, most can be crossed with a bribe. How come these people don’t just phone up their lawyer and tell him to fill out the necessary paperwork for them to cross over to wipe up your kid’s puke?
As you can tell, I’m getting really P.O.’d with this discussion and this discussion is with the choir! What would I do if I were talking to a Trumpster?
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