http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/12/23/102604.shtml

Democrat Landlord Bilks Republican's Homeless Shelter


A liberal lawyer in Los Angeles is threatening to throw nearly three dozen homeless center residents back on the streets because of something he finds indefensible: The center's founder is a Republican and voted for President Bush.

Roughly 30 men, women and children may be forced to leave Dome Village – a 20-year non-profit center for support and housing of the homeless – and will have to try to survive on the streets because of a punitive rent hike imposed by the landlord right before Christmas.

Milton Sidley, a retired attorney and landlord, said he discovered earlier this month that Ted Hayes, founder of Justiceville/Homeless, USA, was a Republican.

News of Hayes’ political affiliation came after a visit to a Republican women’s group, reported by the L.A. Times, which referenced Hayes’ solid support for President Bush.

Two days later, Sidley decided to raise the rent at Justiceville’s "Dome Village” from $2,500 per month to $18,333 per month because, he states, "This Democrat is tired of supporting Ted and his Dome Village.”

So much for the notion that Democrats want to help the country's poor.

The more than 600 percent rent hike cannot be absorbed, Hayes said, meaning Dome Village cannot survive unless Sidley retracts this demand.

According to a Dec. 4 article in the L.A. Times, Hayes "forsook a middle-class lifestyle years ago to live on the streets because he believed it would allow him to better serve the homeless." He has been a registered Republican since 2003.

Hayes, who is black, told the Bel-Air Republican Women’s Federation that his politics are similar to their own and his compassion for those in need are reflective of his political believes and moral strength.

"I support President Bush, and I support the Republican Party," reports the Times. … "I don't believe in the welfare state … If you're poor, you're still expected to be a responsible citizen in this society. I believe in strengthening the hands of the poor where they can learn to stand on their own two feet."



The directors of Dome Village are making an urgent appeal for public assistance to find a new location to aid the homeless and build a new facility.

The Justiceville/Homeless, USA group plans a press conference in L.A. Friday to bring national attention to this issue.

RED ALERT:

Threatened Eviction of Dome Village - Join Ted Hayes on FRIDAY (12/23) at 10 am
e-mail from Ted Hayes | December 21, 2005 | Ted Hayes [via RonDog]

An e-mail from TED HAYES:

Hello Everyone,
Dome Village has been given a sudden "eviction" notice by the property of 847 Golden Avenue in the form of rent hike from $2,500 dollars plus a $10,000 annual tax fee, to $18,330 per month.

Obviously, JHUSA does not have that kind of money, and even if we did, we would not pay such an outrageous amount of rent.

Also, the property owner has made it clear that he will not receive our money, even if we did have it, because he is absolutely resolute that Dome Village is to leave his property.

This stealth "eviction" is not a consequence of JHUSA not paying the $2,500 per month rent, but rather his political bias, prejudice and racism.


You see, the eviction came two days (Tuesday, December 13,2005) after he had viewed an Los Angeles Times article in the California Section B-3, dated Sunday, December 11,2005, in which I expressed my political persuasion of being a Republican to the Bel Air Women's Republican Club the day before.

During several telephone conversations the property owner clearly stated that the reason for the sudden rent hike was the fact that I proclaimed myself a Republican loyal to the ideals of our party.

In fact, among many other mad statements from this ardent Democrat-liberal was his challenge of, "If you are such a Republican and the Republicans care so much about you, then let the Republicans help you from now on. This Democrat is tired of supporting Ted Hayes." Something to that effect.


It is evident that the eviction is based on the political bias and prejudice of Mr. Milton Sidly, who is actually punishing the homeless residents of Dome Village (* single men and women, children and senior citizens, families, and pets) as well as attempting to weaken the Justiceville movement to end homelessness, as well as "cool-down" the effective political profession of Ted Hayes.

Ironically, the United States of America is fighting, killing and dying in places like Afghanistan and Iraq that the peoples of those lands are free to their political expression without the fear of retaliation from government, vigilantes, individuals, employers or property owners.

Yet, here in the land of the free and home of the brave, I can't freely express my political views without having to suffer consequences from a land owner to whom my organization has faithfully paid rent of $2,500 and annual fee of $10,000 taxes. This bigotry and racism has no place in this country nor anywhere else in the world.


Also, what is strikingly disturbing, according to Democrats, it appears that being a Republican is already bad enough in and of itself, but to be Republican and BLACK is the worse thing that a person can be or do. It is wickedness!

What is this phenomenon, that American Black people are not allowed to be openly Republican?

I know that there are many Black folks who are "closet" Republican because they fear retribution from friends, family members, work associates and employers.

It is as though it was Republicans and not Democrats who held us as slaves; fought the government to keep us a slaves; placed us under the oppression of Jim Crow laws; denied us the right to vote; and destroyed the Black communities with the last forty years of indoctrinating us with Socialist philosophy of the welfare state.

Frankly, the disdain should be the very opposite, that being a Black Democrat is odious. In other words, knowing the truth of these two political parties, the question can be asked, "How can a Black be or remain a Democrat."


In light of our beloved nations racial history, it is racist for anyone Democrat, especially White Democrats to denigrate any Blacks who freely chooses to return or be a part of the Political party - REPUBLICAN that freed our ancestry from slavery by the shed blood, maiming and death of their young men.

What is so frightening about a Black Republican? I know and so do you.

We are determined to fight back.

We will open our first volleys of return fire this Thursday morning, December 22, 2005 at 10:00 am at the Dome Village located at 847 Golden Avenue, when we will expose the political prejudice and racism of this Democrat who is simply keeping with the line of his party.

I will keep you updated as we proceed.

Thank you for your continued support, interest and vigilance against terrorism, including pyschological terrorism that Black Republicans feel from Democrats.

Ted

Milton Sidley is ABOVE THE LAW

MALIBU -- It's been said that good fences make good neighbors, but trees can be a different story.

Two homeowners in this exclusive coastal enclave are tangled up in a court fight involving the mysterious felling of a stand of eucalyptus trees that might have been cut down to improve one resident's prized ocean views.

In March, homeowner Rick Thurman, a sports agent, discovered that 18 eucalyptus trees in his backyard been chopped to the stump while he was out of town on business.

He concluded that a neighbor, real estate investor Milton Sidley, 73, was the culprit.

The district attorney charged Sidley with felony vandalism, and Sidley faced a possible five-year prison sentence until a judge reduced the case to a misdemeanor Friday. The decision by Superior Court Judge Lawrence J. Mira leaves open the possibility of a one-year jail sentence, and restitution that could reach tens of thousands of dollars.

Authorities say Sidley paid to have the trees removed to improve his ocean view, sending a work crew onto Thurman's land without permission.

"This guy went onto someone else's property and basically destroyed a small habitat," said Deputy District Attorney Ralph Shapiro. "It's wrong."

Sidley denied he did anything inappropriate and has offered to work out a solution with Thurman.

"This whole thing, as far as I'm concerned, is a fabrication. It's not what I would do. I spent my whole life dealing with people on an aboveboard basis," Sidley said.

Thurman said one landscaper estimated it would cost $595,000 to replace the mature trees. He misses the greenery, which framed his backyard and provided habitat for deer and hawks.

"What's next, he doesn't like the color of my roof tiles, so the next time I'm out of town he comes and has them taken down?" Thurman asked.

Mr. Nice Guy??

Beavers?

Based upon everything I've read, and heard (on C-Span,actually), the amount of retrievable oil from the Alaskan preserve would reduce our dependency on mid-east oil from around 61% to about 60%.

Hardly seems worth permanently interupting migratory patterns & negatively impacting a pristine wilderness area for a measely 1% reduction in oil dependency...that'd be pretty god da**ed stupid, imo.

Welcome Chris.

You might check out this site: http://www.warriorsfortruth.com/alaska-oil-anwar.html There is high potential for oil in ANWAR and only 8% of it would be affected.

Thanks for the welcome.

warriors for truth? Anything like swiftboaters for truth?

Enron trials loom

Sunday, December 25, 2005 Posted at 12:02 PM EST

Associated Press

HOUSTON — Simpler scandals have come and gone since Enron Corp.'s spectacular flameout ushered in an era of white-collar perp walks and investor outrage illustrated by the disgraced company's name.

Now, the defining chapter in Enron's sprawling saga is approaching. On Jan. 17, Enron founder Kenneth Lay, his CEO successor Jeffrey Skilling and the company's former top accountant, Richard Causey, will finally go to trial more than four years after the company that made them multimillionaires crumbled, leaving the trio with shattered reputations under a cloud of alleged crimes.

“This era of corporate fraud was essentially defined by Enron and it's really not surprising that it's taken the government this long to bring this case to trial given its level of complexity,” said Robert Mintz, a former federal prosecutor.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...Story/Business/

This story is a perfect example of Republican REAL morals and values. Culture of life? Party of the family? Fat chance. They are the party of corporate corruption, pollution and birth defects.

Dec. 26, 2005, 1:22AM
Five bids to control pollution kept at bay
Houston-area lawmakers voted to table legislation that was aimed at public safety

By DINA CAPPIELLO
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

The majority of Houston-area lawmakers in the Texas House voted against legislation intended to protect the public from toxic air pollution, a Houston Chronicle analysis of 2005 voting records has found.

The five rejected amendments would have made the state's health screening levels for pollution more strict, required companies to continuously monitor emissions and set fines for the periodic releases known as "upsets" that plague fence-line neighborhoods.

Yet 20 of 34 representatives in the eight-county region, where toxic pollution problems have been well-documented, particularly along the Houston Ship Channel, voted to table these actions.

All 20 of the dissenters are Republicans, some of them representing industrial districts such as Pasadena, Baytown and Seabrook, where people and industry exist side by side.

Typically, a party-line vote on legislation to increase regulations on industry would not be surprising. However, legislators during this year's regular session were presented with increasing evidence that toxic pollution was a problem locally and that Houston residents were more concerned than ever about its impact on health.

"These numbers are shocking when you consider the myriad of air issues facing the Houston area," said Colin Leyden, executive director of the League of Conservation Voters. The League recently reviewed votes on three of the amendments as part of its annual Scorecard; the Chronicle analysis revisited and expanded upon the group's effort.

Several local lawmakers said they voted against the amendments solely on the legislation's merits, not because they were unconcerned about pollution or influenced by industry donations.

"We can always do better. We just want to do better fairly," said Rep. Wayne Smith, R-Baytown, whose district includes the massive ExxonMobil refinery. "I do believe we should have good quality air to breathe."

In January, both the state and the Houston Chronicle released data showing several communities had levels of chemicals that could increase the risk of contracting cancer. The findings prompted community meetings and special Houston City Council hearings.

In May, days after the House vote, the 2005 Houston Area Survey revealed that nearly half of area residents considered local pollution control poor, more than any in the study's 24-year history.

Democrats who backed the amendments were banking on that momentum continuing into the session. It didn't.

The issue "was certainly brought to the forefront for Houston legislators, especially. I was hoping that there might be enough pressure building that there would be some support behind these efforts," said Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, the only Democrat to not vote to keep all five amendments in House Bill 1900, legislation that streamlines the reporting of pollution.

"You are still having to overcome industry opposition," Eiland said. "Industry still has a lot of say-so, even in areas like this, where public health and quality of life are at issue."

Rep. Toby Goodman, R-Arlington, whose tabled amendment would have lowered the levels the state uses to screen pollution's health effects, agreed.

"I didn't need many more votes. I am a mainstream Republican member and a lot of mainstream Republicans follow me," Goodman said. "I get closer than anyone else, but I still don't win. Industry is the reason you don't win, the mindset of the members of the House against further regulation, and the misguided perception that if you vote for an amendment to clean up the air and water you are some sort of liberal activist."

$600,000 in contributions
The Texas petrochemical industry contributed more than $600,000 to the political accounts of legislators and state officials in 2004. Chemical industry lobbyists were expected to reap nearly $2 million this year to try to influence votes.

Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, who chairs the House committee on Environmental Regulation and who raised the motion to table the amendments, said his "significant contributions" from the industry had nothing to do with it.



His votes, he said, are in line with his constituents, who view the risk posed by pollution very differently than residents of east Houston.

"In the Ship Channel, these are big corporate companies that have no benefit. The people that live by those plants have no connection to them and just live there, and they view" pollution as a nuisance, Bonnen said.

"The people (I represent) work in these plants and live here," he said. "We understand these things, and we don't think they are dangerous."

Cancer risk doubted
Rep. Robert Talton, R-Pasadena, said he has seen no proof of an increased risk of cancer from pollution.

"I have been around this all my life, I have been up to my waist in the levee which holds dredgings from out of the Ship Channel, and I don't have cancer yet," Talton said. "We've done a lot to clean it up."

In Bonnen's eyes, the amendments failed because they were impractical, knee-jerk solutions to a complex problem, and because one session is not enough time to craft legislation on any challenging topic, particularly air pollution.

"Something that gets raised of this magnitude, I don't care what it is, you are not going to get an immediate legislative response," Bonnen said. "On these issues, you have to have science and fact, but you also have to have it on the table, you have to discuss it and you have to come up with fair solutions."

The lack of support by the Houston delegation for pollution-cutting measures this year could crimp plans by Mayor Bill White, who has said he will use the Legislature as a means to improve air quality in the region.

Elena Marks, the mayor's health policy director, said the administration will work next session to change some minds.

"Ultimately, I don't think it will cut along party lines. For those for whom it is not a top priority, we have to work that much harder to educate them," she said. "I'm just not sure they have been educated on balancing out need for regulations and need for public health."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3547817.html

Respect the law, Mr. President

REVELATIONS of Bush administration spying on U.S. citizens are shocking enough, but they are particularly alarming as a part of a broader pattern of ignoring or interpreting the law as it sees fit.

President George Bush, and especially Vice President Dick Cheney, argue for expansive executive powers without regard to laws passed by Congress or respect for its oversight role. The failure of the majority Republican Party to assert that responsibility is all the more disturbing. The latest case involves the failure of the administration to secure warrants from a special court prior to using wiretaps and other technical means to monitor communications between U.S. citizens and people abroad or from a foreign county to the U.S.

Subsequently, it was reported those sophisticated electronic devices have also picked up purely domestic communications by accident.

Too often, in too many circumstances, the administration behaves as if the laws of the land do not apply — or it simply chooses to ignore them.

The secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court was created to put secret requests for eavesdropping or searches before a judge. They were routinely approved. Regulations even provided a 72-hour window for the government to act before it explained itself and sought retroactive permission.

One of the judges has resigned to protest Bush's secret, 4-year-old order for warrantless spying that evades the court, The Washington Post reported.

The Bush administration again and again appears to be making it up as it goes along, mining the Justice Department for sympathetic legal interpretations or simply plowing ahead.

Terrorism suspects were defined as enemy combatants to give them an extra-legal veneer so they could be kept out of the U.S. court system, denied fundamental rights, carted off to compliant nations for interrogation or stuck in limbo, ironically, on the island of Cuba.

The U.S. has suffered legal and humanitarian scandals over the use of torture. International agreements and our own domestic laws have been flouted.

After the administration's spying was exposed, the president refused to discuss the matter for security reasons. The next day, he delivered lengthy defenses of the indefensible.

Take away the names, and the policies sound more like Vladimir Putin than Thomas Jefferson. The administration is emboldened to push the limits and create new boundaries because there is no congressional oversight by Republicans.

This is dangerous territory.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/edit...6_bushed26.html

Our soldiers fight for our freedom and seems now it's been taken a way, we sure have to be alert to keep up with this adm. Spying on us for over a year, didn't know, what else do we have to watch out for.

How many people in the US were merely domestic political opponents? Artie likes to use Clinton as an example of how presidents use government agencies to retaliate against their opponents but says nothing when Republicans do it.

Now, with the Patriot act, which is faaaar from patriotic, they can cover their domestic political shenanigans.

I can never remember an adm so dirty. This is what you get when you get rep. in power. They would love to get any thing passed to shut people up, look how the house keeps trying to add words to every thing they up for a vote, all the house has to watch or they will be signing something that's been slipped in at last moment, last min. stuff.

Not just little greedy earmarks either. That's always been the case. These guys add major issues. Huge implications.

Like Kerry for victory?

Leo Strauss,
Fascist Godfather of the Neo-Cons
http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2003/3011...le_strauss.html

anything for "victory", right AV?

The hallmark of Strauss' approach to philosophy was his hatred of the modern world, his belief in a totalitarian system, run by "philosophers," who rejected all universal principles of natural law, but saw their mission as absolute rulers, who lied and deceived a foolish "populist" mass, and used both religion and politics as a means of disseminating myths that kept the general population in clueless servitude.

no diebold, no bush

we know who really won in 2000 AND 2004

You ought to douche LaRouche.

Quoting LaRouche?

that's sad.

knocking the messenger is what you guys do best

that way you can conveniently IGNORE THE MESSAGE

Went to get a photo of that Republican mole Jeff Gannon.




Went to the link and it came up empty.


File Not Found

The file you are looking for cannot be found on the GOPUSA web site.

If you want his picture, just email him and ask for an autographed glossy.

I'll leave that for the goatman. He's with you.

DeLay deserves a bogey on ethics

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Current congressman and former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has swung many key votes over the years. Apparently he's swung a fair number of golf clubs, too.

Documents obtained by the Associated Press show the Texan enjoying a luxurious lifestyle on campaign donors' dime - 48 visits to golf resorts, 100 flights on corporate planes, dozens of stays at world-class hotels, 500 meals at high-priced restaurants. While only the most naive among us would think that congressmen aren't wined and dined, only a fool would dismiss DeLay's egregious pampering. How was that $35 bouillabaisse, sir?

Thing is, DeLay's opulent junkets appear to be legal. Even a politician about to go on trial on money laundering charges, like DeLay, can use campaign donations for luxurious vacations if a trip's stated intent is to raise more money or "talk" politics. Perhaps those who conceivably could get another shot at making DeLay their leader should listen to Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn.: "It's an abuse of campaign finance law and of our ethics law. . . . We need a new leader."

Ah, the best government money can buy. Could there possibly be anybody left on Capitol Hill still willing to defend this guy?

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/122705/EDI_B8G1L9GV.002.shtml

Well, President Bush says Delay is innocent. The last one to defend him.

Really? Well as that jerk always says the opposite of what he intends, I'd say that he knows DeLouse is guilty.

Nice of him to give the opposition a heads up.

King George dismisses Constitution, tramples on rights of all Americans
http://www.niagarafallsreporter.com/gallagher245.html

The American people suffer and endure as we enter the sixth year of George W. Bush's failed presidency, an increasingly dangerous and threatening time for our resilient, but hardly invincible, republic.

We are not alone. People around the world -- victims of our government's aggression, arrogance, greed, indifference, and aversion to the rule of law -- share in our suffering. Bush is a global disaster. He views the rest of the world with disdain, even Canada and Mexico, our close neighbors and great trading partners.

Bush wants to build a real wall between the United States and Mexico -- which only reflects his obscene failure to recognize geopolitical realities. Pretending, as he always does, to make us safe, he panders to his base....

Can you blame them, sound judgment in my estimation.

Of course. Sound judgement. Much easier and less expensive and more effective to do that as compared to say vigorously enforcing existing laws.

I think we should build a giant hiring hall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Any non-U.S. national or legal resident entering should be outfitted with a GPS ankle-bracelet. Better yet, a GPS-tracking implant.

Sound judgement in your estimation?

I have an older Mexican friend. He came to the US legally in the 50s. He took the tests, filled out the proper forms, went through the right channels. Even though some of his in laws have been illegals working ag jobs he doesn't approve.

He figures he did it legally, so should they.

As far as a wall or a fence? I must be honest, I find it difficult to argue against better border security. Fences are easy to cross. They probably won't concentrate on that border unless someone catchs a bunch of suspicious Syrians, Saudis or someone like that coming across. Now it's a gaping hole in our defenses. Mainly used by workers and probably lower level drug runners.



NOW you're talking. lol. The real reason the security is low. Of course the implant idea is wacky but you knew that. (come to think of it, don't give them any ideas)

"It happened on his watch".

911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911 911

I hasten to point to the following numbers:


Year Total population Foreign-born population


1990 248,709,873 19,767,316
1980 226,545,805 14,079,906
1970 203,210,158 9,619,302
1960 179,325,671 9,738,091
1950 150,216,110 10,347,395
1940 131,669,275 11,594,896
1930 122,775,046 14,204,149

extracted from: http://www.census.gov/population/www/docum...0029/tab01.html

thanks

start at 1492

for what? 1921, 1924, 1952 and 1965 are important years in the 20th century wrt immigration.

The day after the [Reichstag] fire, Hitler persuaded President Hindenburg to issue a decree entitled, “For the Protection of the People and the State.” Justified as a “defensive measure against Communist acts of violence endangering the state,” the decree suspended the constitutional guarantees pertaining to civil liberties :

Restrictions on personal liberty, on the right of free expression of opinion,

including freedom of the press; on the rights of assembly and association; and

violations of the privacy of postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications; and

warrants for house searches, orders for confiscations as well as restrictions on

property, are also permissible beyond the legal limits otherwise prescribed.

Two weeks after the Reichstag fire, Hitler requested the Reichstag to temporarily

delegate its powers to him so that he could adequately deal with the crisis.

Denouncing opponents to his request, Hitler shouted, “Germany will be free, but

not through you!” When the vote was taken, the result was 441 for and 84 against,

giving Hitler the two-thirds majority he needed to suspend the German

constitution. On March 23, 1933, what has gone down in German history as

the “Enabling Act” (think Patriot Act) made Hitler dictator of Germany, freed of all

legislative and

constitutional constraints.



Anyone who thinks that government monitoring mosques for radiation levels and wire tapping international calls doesn’t affect them because they don’t go to mosques or make international calls doesn’t know nearly enough about history.

First they came for…

Sherry this is exactly what will happen if it's not nipped in the bud now. The next generation will be the ones under goverment control, we should think of our kids and grandkids and get this all stopped now.

I'd rather have the government monitoring mosques for radiation than homes for marijuana pollen.

The dems are getting nutty about their paranoia and Bush hating.

bush kills

No "probably" about it. If the rest is by design, that may just as well be so, also.

Looks like at least now some of both sides are against illegal immigration.

But there are a lot of unintended consequences. Dems are used to their votes and Reps want the cheap labor. And Mexico relies on our support more than even their socialized oil company.

You, on the other hand, are in tip-top shape and exemplary form. You have yet to miss an opportunity to regale us with your canned responses.

FOAD

You are the radical. Bush is the radical.

If you idiots wouldn't use and abuse every power available maybe people would trust you more. But I'll NEVER trust them. Ever. Radiation monitoring doesn't bother me. If it weren't for the usual method of operation of the Republicans. If they do that then they'll use similar technology for other purposes. They'd start with radiation then move to illegal drugs or anything else they want to target. We'll only use it to fight terrorism is a lie and you know it. They use everything to get around the law and the constitution. It isn't the specific program this time, it's the guarantee that the Bush administration will abuse it to the point of absurdity. It isn't the program itself, it's the totally untrustworthy people who run it.

They've proven they must be watched like hawks. They've proven they'll do anything to advance THEIR goals. And THEIR goals don't necessarily reflect the goals they project to the country. Freedom and democracy? I don't think so.

You whine and cry about the Boland amendment and things like it yet at the first opportunity Republicans will abuse the powers they are given if it's politically advantageous. The worse of users and manipulators. But you go ahead and march lock-step with them.

I was thinking low level because a man can only carry so much. Then you always read about tons of drugs being taken off ships in ports. It's probably not the biggest entry point into the US as far as amounts but it's definitely a security hole the size of the southern US. hmmm.....

They finally got one. One they can deport! All the illegals walking in the country and staying forever never get deported and some want them to have amnesty. But not for this one.



U.S. insists on deporting German teen'No remedies' for Putnam County student, immigration official says


Manuel Bartsch and his girlfriend, Ashley Painter, enjoyed her high school prom last spring, but the German native faces the prospect of being deported before he can graduate next year from Pandora-Gilboa High School in Putnam County.





By JENNIFER FEEHAN
BLADE STAFF WRITER


GILBOA, Ohio - A Pandora-Gilboa High School senior will not be allowed to stay in Putnam County until he graduates and will be deported to his native Germany, immigration officials said yesterday.


"There are no remedies available here in the United States for the kid. Today we're one step closer to enforcing the removal," said Greg Palmore, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Detroit.

Manuel Bartsch, 18, has been held in a Bedford Heights, Ohio, jail since Dec. 21, when he went to the immigration office in Cleveland to try to straighten out his legal status. Born in Germany, he was brought to the United States in 1997 by his step-grandfather, who, at the time, was his legal guardian.

Mr. Bartsch had only a 90-day visa waiver and had not questioned his citizenship until he tried to get a Social Security number, a driver's license, and proper documents. His step-grandfather returned to Germany earlier this year.

"Usually in these cases, there's always two sides to it," said David Leopold, a Cleveland attorney who is representing Mr. Bartsch for free. "In this case there seems to be one thing the government can do and that's to let him finish high school. I don't think what we're asking for is unreasonable."

Supporters in Putnam County and even many who did not know Mr. Bartsch were outraged by the case.

"I understand the laws. I understand what's happened since 9/11, but the kid is not a terrorist. The kid is just a normal 18-year-old who wants to graduate from high school and better himself by going to college," said David Bzovi, who coached Mr. Bartsch on the Pandora-Gilboa football team this fall.

Mr. Leopold had filed a request asking immigration officials to let Mr. Bartsch stay in the country until July so he could graduate. He holds out hope that they might change their minds.

"They continue to have the ability to do the right thing," Mr. Leopold said. "This decision can be reviewed by anybody at the Department of Homeland Security in the line of authority, including [Secretary] Michael Chertoff."

Mr. Palmore said Mr. Bartsch simply did not qualify for what is known as deferred action.

Mr. Bartsch had overstayed his 90-day visa waiver, a document typically granted for tourists from qualifying countries such as Germany. When a visitor overstays a visa waiver, the government has the right to deport that individual without the benefit of going before an immigration judge.

Still, Mr. Leopold said, Mr. Bartsch's case is different from that of an adult who comes to the United States and deliberately stays longer than allowed.

"What's unusual is he's in this situation absolutely through no fault of his own," Mr. Leopold said. "He was brought here as a young boy, and he didn't have any obligation or responsibility to understand what his status was here."

Asked if those circumstances were taken into consideration, Mr. Palmore said, "Overall law is taken into consideration. The law is black and white. There is no gray area in the law. We don't have the luxury of turning our cheek. The law spells it out accurately and precisely."

He couldn't say when Mr. Bartsch would be deported, but immigration policy is for it to happen within 90 days, he said.

Karen Blankenship, a neighbor and friend, said that across Putnam County people were signing petitions and writing letters in support of the young man. His 44 classmates have vowed that "they won't graduate without him," she said.

Pandora-Gilboa Superintendent Dale Lewellen said teachers have come into school over their holiday break to write letters of support for Mr. Bartsch.

"I think it would be a great thing if he would be able to finish his education," Mr. Lewellen said. "From looking at his records, it would seem like he's overcome some difficult situations and managed to stay on track."

Mark Wellman, chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Paul Gillmor (R., Old Fort), said Mr. Gillmor is among the lawmakers trying to help out in the case, although their influence is limited.

"We can't change the outcome. They have to follow the law," he said, adding, "We hope it works out for the kid."

Contact Jennifer Feehan
at jfeehan@theblade.com
or 419-353-5972.

When the Germans gave Hitler all the power of a dictator to go around existing laws, I'm sure they didn't know what he'd do with that power. Nor do we. With Bush/Cheney.