July 22, 2008

Charles Bakst’s Illegal Immigration Paradox

Carroll Andrew Morse

Projo news columnist Charles Bakst suggests that supporters of Rhode Island Governor Donald Carceri should be troubled by the recent discovery that many illegal immigrants were employed by firms with state contracts…

Some taxpayers who admire [Governor Carcieri] on immigration must have been disappointed and puzzled by the possibility that so many illegal immigrants could be working in so many state agencies, some right under his nose.
…but, in the same column, wonders why anyone should care…
By the way, while I don’t urge people to come here illegally, why would the federal or state governments focus so much energy on these particular folks from Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil and Mexico?
So unless I’m missing something, Bakst is arguing that Carcieri should be embarrassed by the number of illegal immigrants working for state contractors, BUT shouldn’t be trying to do anything about it!

Does that make sense to you?

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Maybe he's just hungry and the low blood sugar is affecting his brain. God knows there aren't a lot of events he can bring his ziploc-lined pockets to in the summer.

Posted by: Greg at July 22, 2008 2:34 PM

Merrill Charles"The Schnorrer"Bakst is an example of the limousine liberal mentality-he lives in Barrington;makes a lot of money for barfing the contents of his demented brain onto a newspaper page;his heroes are the supposed "downtrodden and immigrants"-none of whom I am quite certain would be welcome in his home.Bakst apparently has no concern for the rape victim of Marco Riz or her family.He is a disgusting individual who pontificates on politics,yet probably couldn't get elected eraser monitor when he was in public school.He probably got his lunch money stolen.I wonder if the Schnorrer ever served this country where he squats like a parasite.I would guess not.At least Bob Kerr did,and some of his columns,like today's are good.Kerr just comes across as a little unbalanced,but he understands the price of freedom.Bakst only understands the price of lambchops.

Posted by: joe bernstein at July 22, 2008 3:43 PM

M. Charles Backstabber often makes no sense.

Posted by: Citizen Critic at July 22, 2008 4:15 PM

All Merrill did was point out the irony of Mr. Anti-Illegal Immigration Tough Guy getting caught with a bunch right under his nose.
Going after the illegals themselves? Don's willing.
Going after the corporations who employ and bring them in? Don's not such a tough guy then.
That said, I have personally witnessed Merrill nodding off at a large event with 1,500 people in the room.

Posted by: rhody at July 22, 2008 4:35 PM

Quite apparent Merrill still hasn't gotten over being b!tch slapped by our feisty and fabulous First Lady. lol
My favorite part of miserable Merrill's hilariously grousing grumpfest is when Merrill stated the governor didn't look comfortable in his own skin last week.
My query for Merrill is a simple one.
If Merrill was on vacation last week and the governor didn't do any big splash media and was keeping a low profile according to Merrill (Gov sounded awfully chipper as he was 'low profiling' on Helen Glover's show) then how did Merrill deduce that Governor Carcieri was not comfortable in his own skin when Merrill never saw him?
Here's a hint: 'The governor is not comfortable in his own skin over the latest ICE raid' is #2 on the liberals media talking points. The script is old and tired and quite transparent. Much like Merrill Charles Bakst.

Posted by: Tim at July 22, 2008 8:06 PM

Rhody’s the closest to getting it right.

Merrill’s lame and flawed point is that since the Gov is anti-illegal alien (said differently, he is in support of upholding the law), he must be embarrassed to learn that so many illegal aliens are working for the state.

Merrill makes a flawed argument here (not surprisingly, as he’s not too bright) because the Gov already acknowledged that we have illegal aliens working for the state, hence his Executive Order.

If anything, the whole raid thing is an “I told you so” moment for the Don.

That being said, I am still baffled by the hard-on people get for going after productive illegal workers. To compare the Rapist Marco Riz with your average hard-working illegal immigrant is just plain BS.

Yes, we should enforce the law and demand a legal work-force. But, we should spend equal (or more) time & energy ensuring that anyone obtaining taxpayer assistance, be it via Public Schools, medical care, welfare, interpreters, drivers licenses, etc., be a legal citizen.

Before we clamp down on the productive members of the illegal alien community, let’s first clamp down on the unproductive leeches sucking off the public tit. After all, it is the welfare / nanny state that the Unions and their GA lackeys have created that is the magnet for the illegals …far more so than janitorial jobs.

So let's see Brien & Cote sponsor legislation requiring anyone obtaining taxpayer assistance provide proof of legal status.

I'm sure they'll sponsor that legslation right after they sponsor legislation requiring members of the GA to pay their fair share of their health-care (i.e. 25%)!

Posted by: George Elbow at July 22, 2008 10:30 PM

I severed my 7-day relationship with Projo after Baksts first Upchuck Article on the Executive Session and e-mailed everyone up to the CEO. I will say Baksts e-mailed me back..."thanks for the comment".

Agreed that he is everything above, and obviously for the biased Projo it's all sensationalism versus responsible journalism.

Posted by: Suzanne Arena at July 22, 2008 11:04 PM

George-I've been suggesting this priority list for dealing with alien law violators for as long as I cabn recall:
1)criminal aliens in the community(illegal &legal residents)
2)criminal aliens in institutional settings
3)illegal aliens obtaining benefits for themselves or alien children unauthorized to receive those benefits
4)other illegal aliens working in the US-this is best approached by mandatory SS# verification of both current and prospective employees.These people will leave when employment opportunities diminish.
If anyone thinks the "advocates"will actually go along with deporting criminal aliens,think again.You can bet the advocates will have a heartrending"just this one case"crying towel out for every criminal alien except maybe if they worked for Pinochet or something.
When these people on RIF and PDD say no person is illegal,they really mean it.
Unless they or their loved ones were to run into a homicidal maniac like the illegal alien from El Salvador(which sends us more mindlessly violent people than any other country for reasons unknown to me)who murdered three innocent members of a family in cold blood without provocation.
I would like to see any of those advocates explain their point of view to the woman who lost her family.This occured in San Francisco,a "sanctuary" city.Listen up,Cicilline!

Posted by: joe bernstein at July 22, 2008 11:32 PM

Paradox? No, it's lunacy. Since when has Charlie Bakst ever made sense? I don't give him enough credit to assume he employs logic to figure out what he's thinking. He's an ideologue, and if that means he twists an argument completely backwards to fit his preconceived biases, he will and does. He can't leave the Projo soon enough.

PS I've seen him at numerous political events, and he's just plain creepy. That Ziploc joke was right on!

Posted by: Will at July 23, 2008 12:48 AM

Joe B.,

You're right. But you are trying to apply prioritizations and logic to an issue, something our current politicians are wholly incapable of doing.

Posted by: George Elbow at July 23, 2008 6:45 AM

"So let's see Brien & Cote sponsor legislation requiring anyone obtaining taxpayer assistance provide proof of legal status."

Not sure where Brien and Cote stood on it. But Rep Peter Palumbo attempted to do exactly what you said, George E. He tried to put a single sentence into the budget saying that state assistance must go only to citizens and legal immigrants.

It was debated and then voted down. I've never understood why; it is yet another reasonable, minimal measure (like requiring e-verify of the private sector) that the state could have taken but did not.

Posted by: Monique at July 23, 2008 9:35 PM

Monique,

Reason and logic aren't controlling in RI politics.

It's why reasonable people are fleeing the state in droves.

Posted by: Citizen Critic at July 24, 2008 12:57 AM