Another job Americans won’t do: Calling the police
posted at 12:28 pm on June 20, 2006 by Allahpundit
From the ever-fattening perverse incentives file, city cops are refusing to help the feds catch illegals lest the undocumented stop helping them catch violent criminals. It’s the equivalent of a national plea bargain: roll over on the guys we really want and we’ll let you off with time served.
“Vulnerable people have always needed to see the police as being there to protect and serve, and that can’t happen when the first words out of a cop’s mouth are, ‘I need to see your papers,’ ” Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said…
“We have spent many years … getting special communities to talk to us, to report crime, to be witnesses,” said Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt. “If we stop individuals (to ask about immigration status), we would lose all of that.”
NYC has extended the nonenforcement rule to its hospital system, which is probably wise. In an age of bird flu and biowarfare, you don’t want anyone trying to tough it out at home.
More immigration news: ICE celebrates a rare success, rolling up a forgery kingpin in Guadalajara. Here’s his Most Wanted page. SeeDubya plays follow-the-campaign-contribution with the Times’s article on how employers exploit illegal workers. And the Mexican presidential election is precisely as dignified as you’d expect. Fun fact: “Hot air, wet pants” was actually my original submission to Michelle for the name of this site. Shot down, alas.
Update: A reader points me to this old Heather MacDonald piece in City Journal that exposes a flaw in the cops’ theory.
Blowback
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You mean you’re being CENSORED in the land of free speech?
Shame on Michelle. You’re only doing a job she won’t do.
clyde on June 20, 2006 at 1:09 PM
Now it’s certain: unions are no longer interested in helping American workers or the “little guy.”
If they were they wouldn’t want to import cheap labor to compete with American workers.
Unions just want more dues, regardless of the overall paycheck of the employees. The decrease in income would be made up for by the increase in dues payers. More members, more money, more clout. Eventually they will affect public policy more than even now and will be able to tip elections towards communist ideals. Once the gulags are in place they can continue to get their dues even when the workers get paid in rotten potatos. Hitlary and the unions will scratch eachother’s backs in a sick socialist incest-fest.
We MUST enforce our laws and punish illegal alien employers and unions with equal voracity to ensure the survival of capitalism.
NTWR on June 20, 2006 at 1:12 PM
A District Attorney here is Southeastern PA had rounded up a bunch of illegals a week or so ago, but when he called the Fed’s in Philly to come and get them they told him they weren’t interested.
Since one of them was a wanted child molester, he held on to him but had to let the rest go! So much for stopping the Federal catch and release program.
Dread Pirate Roberts VI on June 20, 2006 at 1:15 PM
NTWR: you got it. That’s why a third party may be the only long-term solution to join blue- and white-collar middle-class workers in a new coalition. Each is being sold out by their “current” parties. The problem is getting there from here without losing the country in the process.
dman on June 20, 2006 at 1:20 PM
“The problem is getting there from here without losing the country in the process.”
Yes, that truly IS the problem. There has been no successful third party in this Nation’s history. Never. Not ONCE.
When the GOP was created there really wasn’t any 2nd Party as the Whigs had collapsed. Back further, when the Whig Party was created it was out of the ashes of the Federalist Party.
Sorry folks, but history says no third Party will ever work.
Warner Todd Huston on June 20, 2006 at 1:27 PM
It’s ironic that the Houston police chief considers illegal Mexicans a “special community”, in light of the rise in crime in Houston that’s so bad they’ve appealed to Congress for more taxpayer money to fight it. Of course, lots of the crime is due to another “special community” made up of former New Orleans residents, so maybe it will go down in Texas as it’s rising in New Orleans again. You DID notice the National Guard had been sent in to “control crime” in New Orleans, right? Love those “special communities”. Especially the ones with guns who kill five kids in one day (last Saturday) in the Big Easy. Civilization, where is thy sting? Oh, yeah, from an M-16 in a National Guardsman’s hands, that’s where apparently.
clyde on June 20, 2006 at 1:29 PM
Dread Pirate Roberts VI:
The DID stop the Catch and Release program. Unfortunately, however, if they don’t CATCH them, they can (and do) truthfully say they are not releasing them because how can you release someone you won’t catch? You get the idea. . .
The Bush administration’s “response” to illegal immigration is appalling. It is, in fact, non-existent. The cursory and pathetic responses (like using the unarmed and thus impotent National Guard to do nothing on the border) are merely a charade to fool Americans and accommodate el Presidente Fox and the endless parade of illegals.
If Bush or Congress REALLY wanted to solve the problem, they’d cut off federal fundsing to sanctuary cities and police forces that do these un-American things. Instead, they INCREASE grants and the inflow of money, thus SUPPORTING illegal immigration!
They are fooling only the gullible among us.
ForYourEdification on June 20, 2006 at 1:30 PM
Huston: check your history. The Republican party is a third party formed from a split in the Whigs.
It’s a difficult, not impossible.
dman on June 20, 2006 at 1:35 PM
The third party will be formed from the ashes of the current Republican party. But it won’t be easy.
(sorry for the split post)
dman on June 20, 2006 at 1:37 PM
The only way a third party comes out of this mess is with what would practicaly be a new American Revolution… hopefully nonviolent. The FACT is that the two political powers have created laws to perpetuate their own party, and exclude any others…
They actualy get and use TAX dollars for elections? And decide who gets that money? They decide who can be on the ballot? They even now have an impact on Freedom of Speech during elections (FEC “deciding” who is partisan, or who is just an Issue speaker)….
A Plauge on both their houses.
Romeo13 on June 20, 2006 at 1:45 PM
That’s funny, when I’m not logged in the last few posts are blue links. When I logged in, regular text. Glitch Allah, Brian?
ScottG on June 20, 2006 at 1:51 PM
It’s not that bleak, Romeo. Huston’s post is misleading. The Whigs were not a depleted party until 1852, when they split over the spread of slavery. They had successfully elected Zachary Taylor in 1848 (who died in office and was succeeded by Whig Millard Fillmore).
The modern parallel would be a Republican split over illegal immigration (neo-slavery), loss of the subsequent national election, and formation of a new party by defectors from the Republicans and Democrats.
A bumpy ride, and risky. (The last re-alignment led directly to the Civil War.) But it has and can happen. We just have to keep our heads and let the Constitution work this time.
dman on June 20, 2006 at 1:52 PM
Ok, so now it’s gone. Nevermind.
Actually the best result is that the Dem party dissolve and the really wackos splinter off into an extremist rump.
ScottG on June 20, 2006 at 1:54 PM
Scott: I had problems on another thread with bold type. It seems the HTML stuff isn’t quite 100% yet.
dman on June 20, 2006 at 1:58 PM
It’s interesting that when I drive by the day labor sites where I live now and when I was living in Houston, that the Houston cops just kind of hang around drinking coffee and eating donuts. They are really there to keep the peace, not to arrest illegal aliens (which is a really nice term compared to what we used to call them!) These illegals haven’t been in the shadows – they’ve been living in the frickin’ spotlight for as long as I can remember. So, this article about the Houston Police Chief is not surprising at all. it’s just now making national news.
pullingmyhairout on June 20, 2006 at 2:12 PM
Don’t know what happend to the link I posted. See what the Mayor of Hazelton, PA’s doing with the illegal aliens in his town!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060620/ap_on_re_us/illegal_immigrants_crackdown_4
Dread Pirate Roberts VI on June 20, 2006 at 2:13 PM
If you think the Whigs were STILL a power as the GOP was birthed, you are misreading history. The Whig Party was dead as a political force when the GOP came into being.
My point was, when the GOP began, there was effectively NO 2nd Party at the time. The GOP filled that gap. Same with the Whigs when they took over from the Federalists. The GOP rose quickly (a matter of less than a decade) because there was no real 2nd Party and the time was ripe.
In fact, the last Whig president had little by way of a political machine. He won by rights of his military fame… in fact BOTH elected Whig presidents won by that fame. The Whigs were always a fractious Party with no strong base of support. The Whig Party itself was split over the slavery issue and was never able to command a solid block of popular support. Many Whigs were Whigs because there wasn’t any other Party to belong to!
On the other hand, today neither the Democratic Party nor the GOP are on the verge of collapse. So, a 3rd Party has no traction and will not succeed if history is a guide.
It’s more sensible to pressure the GOP to be more conservative than leave it and have NO Conservative influence in ANY place of influence. If conservatives leave the GOP for some panacea like a third Party, the gov’t will have no vestige of conservative policy in play and ALL conservative ideas will fade out of power.
3rd Party panaceas will not work. If and when one of the current Party’s collapse a new Party will takes its place. but, until then any third Party efforts will be a waste of time.
Warner Todd Huston on June 20, 2006 at 2:20 PM
Huston, thanks for repeating the Karl Rove line. You’re half right. One of the current majors will probably have to collapse before a new party can replace it.
Where I disagree is that the conservatives can regain control from the RINOs without triggering an election loss. That happened in 1964 with the Goldwater effort. Nixon won in 1968 due to Johnson’s collapse over Vietnam. The party didn’t really come back until Reagan’s 1980 victory over a failed Carter. The dislocations are, unfortunately, part of the process.
The problem is that the middle class is not represented by either party. This is an “unstable equillibrium” that must ultimately collapse. More and more voters are disaffected each election cycle. If there is no re-alignment, the Constitution itself is in jeopardy.
The RINOs and their corporate backers are in firm control of the RNC, while the Deaniacs and Sorros have the DNC in their grasp. The middle class has been divided and conquered. They are being hammered from both sides. This will not stand.
dman on June 20, 2006 at 2:48 PM
Thanks for the history discussion. I went to a publik reeducation camp until high school so I missed out on our country’s history. That is, our history besides how evil we are and will always be…
NTWR on June 20, 2006 at 3:59 PM
What we really need is someone to replace our politicians. They wont do their job.
pat on June 20, 2006 at 10:10 PM
dman,
Man, your way off.
There WAS no “Conservative” part of the GOP in 1964. Goldwater CREATED the first vestige of modern conservatism. He lost because Conservatives were so new that they had no organization, no intellectual back-up, and no track record of past wins or even attempts. Goldwater invented them and they grew from his shadow.
In FACT, if you were to go back and look at the Democrats and the Republicans in 1964 you’d see that many Democrats were just like WE are now. And THAT is why Reagan won. He brought in those Conservative Democrats who were sick and tired of the McGovern nutballs and saw the GOP as their only home.
You are woefully misinformed on where today’s Conservatives have evolved from.
Besides, Conservatives have NEVER been a majority of the GOP base, even today. We Conservatives have ALWAYS been around 1/3 of the Party strength. Our power is in activism. We work harder than the other 2/3s. And THAT is why if we leave we will have NO power at all because 1/3 does NOT a majority make!
If you think Conservatives are able to go off on their own you are in for an utter shock and a complete loss of any and all influence. As a Conservative, myself, I would find that a calamity.
But, maybe you are one of those utopian, purists who imagine it is worth losing if you can’t get absolutely every single thing you want? If so, you might be a Conservative, but also a fool.
Warner Todd Huston on June 21, 2006 at 1:56 AM
Ooops. I spelled “your” when I menat “you’re” in that first part. Sorry.
Warner Todd Huston on June 21, 2006 at 1:57 AM
OK, I’m tired… It’s MEANT not menat!
Goodnight Mrs. Calabash, where ever you are.
Warner Todd Huston on June 21, 2006 at 1:59 AM