Rod Blagojevich, godfather to his state’s 600,000 illegals, is at it again.

On the sixth anniversary of 9/11, Blago signed into law a bill requiring all state agencies to fly Old Glory at half staff to honor Illinois military personnel killed by enemy fire, [Blagojevich signs bill to honor fallen soldiers, Peoria Journal-Star, September 12, 2007]

What a guy!

“As we remember the anniversary of one of the worst days in our nation’s history, Illinoisans should take comfort in knowing that we are not only remembering the tragic events of September 11 but also finding a way to better honor and serve our veterans,” said Blago, who in his effort to make Illinois the friendliest of “immigrant friendly” states, has given instate tuition to his illegal compadres, OK’d acceptance of their foreign consulate cards as trustworthy ID, and has said repeatedly he would sign any bill giving illegals driving privileges in the Land of Lincoln.

But, wait, because it gets better.

Last month, Blago further showed just much he appreciated young Americans sticking their necks out overseas to protect “American values” by signing a bill that discourages Illinois employers from participating in any workplace verification program, including E-Verify (formerly Basic Pilot). In part, the new law reads:

Employers are prohibited from enrolling in any Employment Eligibility Verification System, including the Basic Pilot program . . .until the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) databases are able to make a determination on 99% of the tentative nonconfirmation notices issued to employers within 3 days . . .

Huh? Is there any government agency that is 99 percent accurate on anything?

At first blush you think, uh-oh, doesn’t this put the business community at odds with the federal law prohibiting the hiring of illegals. And, gee, how are employers supposed to protect themselves from Uncle Sam’s wrath?

Well, if you read this law closely you will find that employers who receive the necessary training are exempt from this latest legal maneuver to hinder attempts to remove illegals from the workforce. Such training always has been a requirement before participating in the Basic Pilot program. With the possible exception of Blago himself and the bill’s sponsors, state Reps. Cynthia Sota and Monique D. Davis, who would be stupid enough to think that any workplace verification system allows just anybody to sit down in front of a computer and begin poking around employees’ personal and work-related information?

So why then the need for this law? Phone calls to the offices of Blago, Sota and Davis to determine the impetus behind this bill weren’t returned.

Hmmmmm.

I’m guessing that this ban is an attempt to be “content-neutral” in banning all flags, because students have been wearing Mexican flags to school.

High School Bans American Flag

Tuesday, Sep 11, 2007 - 11:56 PM Updated: 02:36 PM

SAMPSON COUNTY, N.C. – On the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, students at one high school were not allowed to wear clothes with an American flag.

Under a new school rule, students at Hobbton High School are not allowed to wear items with flags, from any country, including the United States.

The new rule stems from a controversy over students wearing shirts bearing flags of other countries.

Gayle Langston said her daughter, Jessica, was told to remove her Stars and Stripes t-shirt.

“Today she wanted to wear her shirt, and I had to tell her no,” said Langston. “She didn’t like it at all because I knew it would get her in trouble. Of all days, 9/11, she could not wear her American Flag shirt.”

The superintendent of schools in Sampson County calls the situation unfortunate, but says educators didn’t want to be forced to pick and choose which flags should be permissible.

On Wednesday afternoon Superintendent Dr. L. Stewart Hobbs, Jr.[Send him mail] released the following statement:

“We have had a disruption in school caused by the wearing of certain flags by some of our students. We are in the process of consulting with our legal counsel to address the issue presented.”

Email the school principal and ask him what the problem is.

Greatschools.net says that this North Carolina school is 16 percent Hispanic.

Source: NCDPI, 2004-2005 Ethnicity This School State Average White, non-Hispanic 53% 58% Black 31% 31% Hispanic 16% 7% Asian <1% 2% Indian <1% 1%

Over in Sacramexico, Gov. Schwarzenegger has big expensive plans in mind to service the state’s exploding population.

One looming problem is the severe drought in southern California, which threatens mandatory water rationing in some cities early next year.

So the pols are trying to keep water coming out of people’s taps, which of course requires lots of taxpayer money — $4 billion in bonds for water projects. (Arnold doesn’t like honest taxation, so he has become the Bondinator so that the costs get kicked down the road for a bit, while they accumulate added interest. The state’s debt stands at $92 billion, according to a 7/10 Lou Dobbs report.)

The rock bottom fact is there is not enough water for a growing population (now 38 million), particularly with environmental concerns like keeping species alive.

After 35 years of hemming and hawing over how to fix the largest estuary in the Western Hemisphere – the sprawl of canals, levees, and flood plains that join the Golden State’s two river systems – the state has been told by a federal judge that business-as-usual is now illegal.

A new ruling to stop pumping up to 37 percent of the water that flows through the delta to protect endangered fish species has sent shock waves of concern into the three main sectors that have long competed for it: cities, farms, environment. [...]

The biggest issue, say Mr. Quinn and others, is the clash between the environment, the California economy, and the population, which is pouring in at more than 600,000 per year.
[Water Crisis Squeezes California's Economy Christian Science Monitor 9/12/07]

In a choice between saving the smelt or shipping water south to wash the dust off Juan’s low-rider , I’ll take the fish.

Interestingly, one group in California is talking about the limits to growth — a federal court wants to end any expansion of the prison population because overcrowding is degrading their quality of life.

Hey, what about the rest of us?

I have an interview scheduled with George Putnam, the Dean of Talk Radio, on September 12th , at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time. You can listen here.

Several readers have pointed out that this story is likely to get more national coverage than similar local crime cases. I wonder why …

Details emerge in W.Va. torture case

By JOHN RABY and TOM BREEN, Associated Press Writers 34 minutes ago

For at least a week, authorities say, a young black woman was held captive in a mobile home, forced to eat animal waste, stabbed, choked and repeatedly sexually abused — all while being peppered with a racial slur.

It wasn’t until deputies acting on an anonymous tip drove to a ramshackle trailer deep in West Virginia’s rural hills that she was found. Limping toward the door with her arms outstretched, she uttered, “Help me,” the Logan County sheriff’s office said.

Six people, all white, including a mother and son and a mother and daughter, have been arrested and could face federal hate crime charges in the suspected attack on 20-year-old Megan Williams, who remained hospitalized Tuesday with injuries that included four stab wounds in the leg, and black and blue eyes.

Damn. If only they were lacrosse players, or yachtsmen, or something else like all the bad guys on “Law & Order,” then the New York Times would be all over this story. Heck, even Jayson Blair would have gotten off his couch and gone to West Virginia for real for that story.

Anne Broache writes at CNET news.com:

A congressional push this year for an increase in the H-1B visas coveted by Silicon Valley companies seemingly evaporated with the death of a contentious immigration bill. But 13 state governors say the politicians must revive that effort–and soon, please.

Claiming “a critical shortage of highly skilled professionals in math and science to fill current needs,” the band of chief executives on Tuesday sent a letter urging U.S. Senate and House of Representatives leaders to forge ahead with upping the number of the temporary H-1B visas and permanent-resident green cards. Click here to view a copy (PDF).

The signatories represent a number of tech-industry-heavy states, including Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, Rick Perry of Texas, Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, Chris Gregoire of Washington and Eliot Spitzer of New York.

This means it is now time to write to your state legislators and educate them on the H-1b issue-and the governor’s office in your state.

Basically, the issue has gotten a little hot for congress to touch-so the lobbyists that bought congress years ago, have to cast a wider net.

The thing is, state government is a lot more responsive. Gregoire, for example got her office by a 48% plurality and a margin of a few thousand votes(and allegations of dubious vote counts in some urban Democratic strongholds).

I can easily imagine that some of these governors could be made to greatly regret this stupidity and corruption.