captainhooker
10-11 03:50 PM
no, you need visa to each country or captain won't let you get on board.
wallpaper (Star Wars: Episode II
enigma006
11-30 11:07 AM
Hai..
F1 to H1..
My H1 is still pending..RFE on Oct 1st and employer replied..but staus is still same saying RFE sent..case on hold..
can I go for OPT Extension now as my current OPT dint end yet??
Do I need to work in this current OPT to be qualified for OPT Extension or is it sufficient if I have an offer from my employer and he is E-verified??
Looks like some of you got approval for OPT extension..so please help me by posting how you applied..
Let me know of legal stay during these times..
Please help me..
thanks...
F1 to H1..
My H1 is still pending..RFE on Oct 1st and employer replied..but staus is still same saying RFE sent..case on hold..
can I go for OPT Extension now as my current OPT dint end yet??
Do I need to work in this current OPT to be qualified for OPT Extension or is it sufficient if I have an offer from my employer and he is E-verified??
Looks like some of you got approval for OPT extension..so please help me by posting how you applied..
Let me know of legal stay during these times..
Please help me..
thanks...
Macaca
08-16 05:49 PM
Graham Facing More Heat on Immigration (http://www.rollcall.com/issues/53_19/politics/19734-1.html) By Matthew Murray, ROLL CALL STAFF, August 13, 2007
For the second time this month, a local South Carolina Republican Party committee is expected to decide soon whether to formally scold Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) for supporting the Senate's now-stalled immigration overhaul proposal, putting the once-popular lawmaker on the defensive and upping the ante for a potential 2008 primary challenger.
"The frustration [with Graham] is real," said one state Republican source, who added that the state's large conservative base is "just searching for someone" to challenge Graham in next year's primary.
The Spartanburg County Republican Party is expected to vote Aug. 23 on a resolution officially rebuking Graham for supporting his chamber's immigration bill. Criticism of the reform package, which was shelved last month after failing to gather the 60 votes necessary to cut off debate in the Senate, has raged throughout the country and particularly in states such as South Carolina, where AM talk-radio hosts have bloodied the Senate proposal and said it tries to reward those who have broken the law.
Rick Beltram, chairman of the Spartanburg County Republican Party, said he doubts a resolution criticizing Graham's stance on immigration would pass by a wide margin. But should the measure come up for a vote, Beltram already has developed a game plan to manage what likely will be an angry lot.
"This being as explosive as it is, we would ask for a secret ballot so 30 or 40 Rep. Ron Paul [R-Texas] people yelling in the background wouldn't have an influence on the election," Beltram said.
Last week, the Greenville County Republican Party passed a resolution censuring Graham for continuing to "adamantly support legalization of illegal immigrants." In addition to immigration, local party officials reprimanded Graham for supporting campaign finance reform and participating two years ago in the "Gang of 14," a bipartisan Senate group that negotiated a compromise on controversial federal judicial nominations.
The resolution also criticized Graham's recent statements before the National Council of La Raza, which were captured by cable news networks.
"We are not going to run people down. We are not going to scapegoat people. We are going to tell the bigots to shut up and we're going to get this right," Graham told the crowd.
Samuel Harms, the Greenville GOP chairman whose group adopted a resolution in 2001 "opposing any legalization of illegal immigration," said Graham's speech to La Raza was the "straw that broke the camel's back." He added that the resolution was "about informing people that Lindsey Graham called the good people of Greenville bigots and that we need to be told to shut up."
A successful censure vote next week in Spartanburg may signal a widening opportunity for a potential Graham challenger next year. So far, Graham faces only token primary opposition and last month he dodged a potential bullet when popular state Treasurer Thomas Ravenel (R), who was considering a run, was arrested for allegedly distributing cocaine.
Democrats have yet to find a challenger to the first-term Senator.
After recapturing some of the love lost during his Gang of 14 days, a GOP source said Graham's recent bruising for supporting the immigration bill may convince some conservative party activists that an opportunity is again at hand. Also, Graham's support of tanking presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) campaign, the source said, is not helping his cause.
"The immigration issue reignited the ember," the source said.
Still, with Graham sitting on $4 million in the bank, potential primary challengers face a steep uphill battle contending with an incumbent who may have twice that total squirrelled away before the year's end. Lt. Gov. Andr� Bauer (R), frequently said to be mulling a run, told Roll Call last week that he has not ruled out the possibility of challenging Graham.
"I would never say never," Bauer said. "But I don't have any plans to run against him."
But Bauer does plan to appear at the Aug. 23 meeting of the Spartanburg County GOP.
Katon Dawson, chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, said that while it's unusual for party activists to go to such extremes with federal officeholders, the immigration issue has struck a nerve with the party's base.
"You can't bluff it, you can't beat around the bush about it, it's there and it's real," he said. "Lindsey has a different philosophy on immigration and there's no question it's hurting him."
For now, Graham appears to be resting on his conservative laurels and betting that the controversy will pass. Graham currently is out of the country, his campaign said Friday, but will return to the state to campaign later this month.
"Lindsey Graham is a strong conservative voice in the U.S. Senate with a lifetime conservative rating of 91," according to a statement provided by spokesman Scott Farmer. "He will seek re-election based on his conservative voting record and willingness to tackle the hard problems facing our nation."
Whit Ayers, a Republican pollster, said immigration undoubtedly is a challenging issue, but one that plays to Graham's strengths. Even more, despite the current controversy, Ayers said voters ultimately respect lawmakers who take principled positions.
"Sen. Graham is a remarkedly adept politician who will be able to be very persuasive about the reasons why he's done the things he's done," Ayers said. "I don't think we would expect our politicians to be in lock step on every single issue that comes up."
He added: "There's no question that Lindsey Graham is right where most Republican voters in South Carolina are on God, guns, gays and taxes."
For the second time this month, a local South Carolina Republican Party committee is expected to decide soon whether to formally scold Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) for supporting the Senate's now-stalled immigration overhaul proposal, putting the once-popular lawmaker on the defensive and upping the ante for a potential 2008 primary challenger.
"The frustration [with Graham] is real," said one state Republican source, who added that the state's large conservative base is "just searching for someone" to challenge Graham in next year's primary.
The Spartanburg County Republican Party is expected to vote Aug. 23 on a resolution officially rebuking Graham for supporting his chamber's immigration bill. Criticism of the reform package, which was shelved last month after failing to gather the 60 votes necessary to cut off debate in the Senate, has raged throughout the country and particularly in states such as South Carolina, where AM talk-radio hosts have bloodied the Senate proposal and said it tries to reward those who have broken the law.
Rick Beltram, chairman of the Spartanburg County Republican Party, said he doubts a resolution criticizing Graham's stance on immigration would pass by a wide margin. But should the measure come up for a vote, Beltram already has developed a game plan to manage what likely will be an angry lot.
"This being as explosive as it is, we would ask for a secret ballot so 30 or 40 Rep. Ron Paul [R-Texas] people yelling in the background wouldn't have an influence on the election," Beltram said.
Last week, the Greenville County Republican Party passed a resolution censuring Graham for continuing to "adamantly support legalization of illegal immigrants." In addition to immigration, local party officials reprimanded Graham for supporting campaign finance reform and participating two years ago in the "Gang of 14," a bipartisan Senate group that negotiated a compromise on controversial federal judicial nominations.
The resolution also criticized Graham's recent statements before the National Council of La Raza, which were captured by cable news networks.
"We are not going to run people down. We are not going to scapegoat people. We are going to tell the bigots to shut up and we're going to get this right," Graham told the crowd.
Samuel Harms, the Greenville GOP chairman whose group adopted a resolution in 2001 "opposing any legalization of illegal immigration," said Graham's speech to La Raza was the "straw that broke the camel's back." He added that the resolution was "about informing people that Lindsey Graham called the good people of Greenville bigots and that we need to be told to shut up."
A successful censure vote next week in Spartanburg may signal a widening opportunity for a potential Graham challenger next year. So far, Graham faces only token primary opposition and last month he dodged a potential bullet when popular state Treasurer Thomas Ravenel (R), who was considering a run, was arrested for allegedly distributing cocaine.
Democrats have yet to find a challenger to the first-term Senator.
After recapturing some of the love lost during his Gang of 14 days, a GOP source said Graham's recent bruising for supporting the immigration bill may convince some conservative party activists that an opportunity is again at hand. Also, Graham's support of tanking presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) campaign, the source said, is not helping his cause.
"The immigration issue reignited the ember," the source said.
Still, with Graham sitting on $4 million in the bank, potential primary challengers face a steep uphill battle contending with an incumbent who may have twice that total squirrelled away before the year's end. Lt. Gov. Andr� Bauer (R), frequently said to be mulling a run, told Roll Call last week that he has not ruled out the possibility of challenging Graham.
"I would never say never," Bauer said. "But I don't have any plans to run against him."
But Bauer does plan to appear at the Aug. 23 meeting of the Spartanburg County GOP.
Katon Dawson, chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, said that while it's unusual for party activists to go to such extremes with federal officeholders, the immigration issue has struck a nerve with the party's base.
"You can't bluff it, you can't beat around the bush about it, it's there and it's real," he said. "Lindsey has a different philosophy on immigration and there's no question it's hurting him."
For now, Graham appears to be resting on his conservative laurels and betting that the controversy will pass. Graham currently is out of the country, his campaign said Friday, but will return to the state to campaign later this month.
"Lindsey Graham is a strong conservative voice in the U.S. Senate with a lifetime conservative rating of 91," according to a statement provided by spokesman Scott Farmer. "He will seek re-election based on his conservative voting record and willingness to tackle the hard problems facing our nation."
Whit Ayers, a Republican pollster, said immigration undoubtedly is a challenging issue, but one that plays to Graham's strengths. Even more, despite the current controversy, Ayers said voters ultimately respect lawmakers who take principled positions.
"Sen. Graham is a remarkedly adept politician who will be able to be very persuasive about the reasons why he's done the things he's done," Ayers said. "I don't think we would expect our politicians to be in lock step on every single issue that comes up."
He added: "There's no question that Lindsey Graham is right where most Republican voters in South Carolina are on God, guns, gays and taxes."
2011 STAR WARS EPISODE II : ATTACK
ariel the alien
09-04 06:18 PM
I am from the UK currently on an 18 month J1 visa in the US that expires in a couple of weeks.
I am going back to the UK and will be studying to get a degree and returning to the US for the summer on a temp J1 Visa. My goal is to get the degree and then apply for an H1B Visa to be here for up to 6 years through my employer.
My employer is supportive and would be willing to help sponsor me for a green card application. Can i start that application now and while i am waiting for it to be processed (i understand that it can take many years) still continue on the path of getting my H1 B visa? I would be considered under a employment category 3 as the job that i want is a Camp Director job and needs a bachelors degree.
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated - i want this more than anything despite the fact that it is going to take years to achieve - i am driven! :)
I am going back to the UK and will be studying to get a degree and returning to the US for the summer on a temp J1 Visa. My goal is to get the degree and then apply for an H1B Visa to be here for up to 6 years through my employer.
My employer is supportive and would be willing to help sponsor me for a green card application. Can i start that application now and while i am waiting for it to be processed (i understand that it can take many years) still continue on the path of getting my H1 B visa? I would be considered under a employment category 3 as the job that i want is a Camp Director job and needs a bachelors degree.
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated - i want this more than anything despite the fact that it is going to take years to achieve - i am driven! :)
more...
harry_78
03-20 03:11 AM
Dear All,
Today i read that their is a new law prohibiting the employers from filling multiple applications for the same employee.
I have applied with 2 companies,as an employee , i have two different employers, who will file application for me.
Is it against the current law or ?
Pls help me asap , so that i can stop atleast one of the employer , if needed to file the application.
Thanks
Harry
Today i read that their is a new law prohibiting the employers from filling multiple applications for the same employee.
I have applied with 2 companies,as an employee , i have two different employers, who will file application for me.
Is it against the current law or ?
Pls help me asap , so that i can stop atleast one of the employer , if needed to file the application.
Thanks
Harry
ItIsNotFunny
03-22 10:41 AM
What help do you need? To complain about this company to USCIS or to buy this company? :)
Let us not make these forums a place to discuss companies and job prospects.
In better words, let us keep IV limited to retrogression and immigration related issues only. There are other portals available where you can discuss all this.
Let us not make these forums a place to discuss companies and job prospects.
In better words, let us keep IV limited to retrogression and immigration related issues only. There are other portals available where you can discuss all this.
more...
Blog Feeds
05-19 08:10 AM
I started to notice this back in 2006 when the immigration debate was heating up in Washington. I was getting those annoying email forwards and this time they were of the Lou Dobbsian anti-immigrant variety. The surprising thing to me was that most of them were coming from older family members or acquaintances in the senior citizen set. And since then I've noticed that when I do presentations for civic groups or have observed focus groups on immigration, the older attendees seem to be more hostile. Certainly when one looks at the typical anti-immigrant activist showing up at a FAIR...
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/05/the-immigration-debate-gender-gap.html)
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/05/the-immigration-debate-gender-gap.html)
2010 John Williams: Star Wars (Main
chriskalani
11-09 01:09 AM
I don't think anyone ever even gets jobs from posting here....
more...
sadib888
05-18 11:52 AM
So i have only been driving for 3 years, never been pulled over, and no accidents.
hair Episode II - Attack of the
Blog Feeds
04-01 10:40 AM
Our friendly anti Jack has provided in the comments a couple of links to an intriguing story regarding Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele (currently embroiled in another scandal - this time involving strippers and GOP money - oy!). Steele has been one of the moderate voices in the GOP when it comes to immigration reform in the past and apparently he met with a pro-reform group called the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM). Accounts differ regarding whether Steele promised to work for immigration reform and, more specifically, help round up a second GOP Senator to sponsor the reform bill...
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/04/gop-head-sort-of-promises-to-support-cir.html)
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/04/gop-head-sort-of-promises-to-support-cir.html)
more...
hemendrac
08-03 02:43 PM
Hi,
I have an interview scheduled for my H1B revalidation stamping at the Mumbai consulate next week. My son will be accompanying me for his H4 stamping.
My wife is already in the US(she travelled using her AP).
The FAQ page of the Chennai consulate says that incase both parents are not accompanying the child for the interview, then the absent parent must submit a signed and notarized 'no objection certificate' to the parent going for the interview. There is no such mention on the Mumbai consulate FAQ page.
Question - Does this apply in my case - since my wife is already in the US ?
Thanks for the help.
I have an interview scheduled for my H1B revalidation stamping at the Mumbai consulate next week. My son will be accompanying me for his H4 stamping.
My wife is already in the US(she travelled using her AP).
The FAQ page of the Chennai consulate says that incase both parents are not accompanying the child for the interview, then the absent parent must submit a signed and notarized 'no objection certificate' to the parent going for the interview. There is no such mention on the Mumbai consulate FAQ page.
Question - Does this apply in my case - since my wife is already in the US ?
Thanks for the help.
hot Attack of the Clones
Blog Feeds
11-08 03:30 PM
Our lawmakers are again behaving badly in public over illegal immigration. This time the tussle threatens passage of health care reform legislation. The latest contentious debate, as the New York Times reports, revolves around a slew of issues. Among these is whether unauthorized migrants -- who will be subject to the mandate that all purchase health insurance -- will be allowed to use their own money to buy coverage from the public exchanges. Another is whether uninsured legal immigrants -- who must also buy their own insurance -- will be barred from insurance-premium subsidies until long waiting periods have elapsed....
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/angelopaparelli/2009/11/on-october-11-2009-pope-benedict-xvi-canonized-a-belgian-priestdamien-de-veuster-two-days-earlierpresident-obama-----on.html)
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/angelopaparelli/2009/11/on-october-11-2009-pope-benedict-xvi-canonized-a-belgian-priestdamien-de-veuster-two-days-earlierpresident-obama-----on.html)
more...
house Star Wars: Episode II, Attack
sufiyan_ansari
03-28 08:38 AM
At runtime or in Expression Blend?
Thank God Kirupa u replied... pheww...
Yep at Runtime and in Expression Blend..
Desc: I have a listbox populated with 100x100 images... i want to drag it from here and drop in onto an InkCanvas where i have drawn something.
Eg: I have drawn a house and i want to drop an image that describes the colour that must be filled. Hence the images wd be bold colour boxes that would indicate a colour.
Plz help :puzzle:
Thank God Kirupa u replied... pheww...
Yep at Runtime and in Expression Blend..
Desc: I have a listbox populated with 100x100 images... i want to drag it from here and drop in onto an InkCanvas where i have drawn something.
Eg: I have drawn a house and i want to drop an image that describes the colour that must be filled. Hence the images wd be bold colour boxes that would indicate a colour.
Plz help :puzzle:
tattoo Star Wars: Episode II - Attack
pthoko
08-28 11:37 PM
Hi,
Is this where you E-File AP Renewal?
https://efiling.uscis.dhs.gov/efile/
Is the renewal form I-131? Isn't it same as applying for FRESH AP??
No where on the form we indicate that this is a RENEWAL??
Who ever has e-filed AP renewal please help...
Thanks!
Is this where you E-File AP Renewal?
https://efiling.uscis.dhs.gov/efile/
Is the renewal form I-131? Isn't it same as applying for FRESH AP??
No where on the form we indicate that this is a RENEWAL??
Who ever has e-filed AP renewal please help...
Thanks!
more...
pictures Star Wars: Episode II
jambapamba
08-08 06:51 PM
I have filed for AOS for myself and my wife. She is visiting india next month and needs to return on H4.
Since I have valid h1....can she apply for h4 or is that risky?
Hard to tell not knowing these things:
1. Were you ever out of status from the last time you entered?
2. Do you have paychecks for all the months on H1?
3. Which visa center are you visiting ?
4. Was your wife ever out of status from the last time she entered US?
It's all in the history. If it's clean, its not a problem. If you are not sure, then wait for AP as it would be a safe backup.
Since I have valid h1....can she apply for h4 or is that risky?
Hard to tell not knowing these things:
1. Were you ever out of status from the last time you entered?
2. Do you have paychecks for all the months on H1?
3. Which visa center are you visiting ?
4. Was your wife ever out of status from the last time she entered US?
It's all in the history. If it's clean, its not a problem. If you are not sure, then wait for AP as it would be a safe backup.
dresses Star Wars: Prequel Trilogy
neeshpal
07-14 10:20 AM
Hi,
I'll appreciate if someone can help me clarify my below questions.
my situation:
- my h1b visa was rejected in my home country in Mar'2010 and I applied for h4 and came back to US in june'2010.
- I am on h4 visa currently.
- I've a h1b petition valid till dec' 2010 (with company A)
Ques:
- If I apply for a transfer (with a new company B) of my H1b petition and also file a COS (i.e h4 to h1b) , does uscis going to give me a new I-94 or they'll approve my transfer without an i-94. I guess my question is that is it totally a USCIS discretion to give I-94 or we can do something to make sure that we get an I-94 in order to avoid travel and visa stamping.
( I've heard that they are troubling people who are filing h4 to h1 COS)
- Can I also file an extension (simultaneously with transfer and COS) of my current h1b based on my I-140 approval (I am planning to file I-140 within 15 days in premium) so that I can get 3 yrs extended on my h1b.
Thanks a lot.
I'll appreciate if someone can help me clarify my below questions.
my situation:
- my h1b visa was rejected in my home country in Mar'2010 and I applied for h4 and came back to US in june'2010.
- I am on h4 visa currently.
- I've a h1b petition valid till dec' 2010 (with company A)
Ques:
- If I apply for a transfer (with a new company B) of my H1b petition and also file a COS (i.e h4 to h1b) , does uscis going to give me a new I-94 or they'll approve my transfer without an i-94. I guess my question is that is it totally a USCIS discretion to give I-94 or we can do something to make sure that we get an I-94 in order to avoid travel and visa stamping.
( I've heard that they are troubling people who are filing h4 to h1 COS)
- Can I also file an extension (simultaneously with transfer and COS) of my current h1b based on my I-140 approval (I am planning to file I-140 within 15 days in premium) so that I can get 3 yrs extended on my h1b.
Thanks a lot.
more...
makeup Star Wars: Episode II - Attack
sam_hoosier
06-22 04:56 PM
Hello all,
Form I-693 downloading from the following site is valid until 6/30/07.
Is it ok to use this form though we will be filing the I-485 on 07/01/07.
http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-693.pdf.
As long as you get your medicals done before 6/30/07 you should be fine.
Form I-693 downloading from the following site is valid until 6/30/07.
Is it ok to use this form though we will be filing the I-485 on 07/01/07.
http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-693.pdf.
As long as you get your medicals done before 6/30/07 you should be fine.
girlfriend Star Wars
Blog Feeds
09-10 12:50 PM
From Walter Ewing at the Immigration Policy Center: It would seem that the Center for Immigration Studies has decided to jump on the talk-radio bandwagon of far-right commentators who are loudly attempting to derail substantive health care reform through fear-mongering and falsehoods . Although CIS has so far steered clear of the baseless rants about �death panels� and �socialized medicine,� it has issued a new report that seeks to buttress an equally farcical claim: that health care reform will leave American taxpayers footing the bill for millions of unauthorized immigrants who will receive federally subsidized health insurance. Specifically, the report...
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2009/09/ipc-targets-myth-that-immigrants-are-driving-the-health-care-crisis.html)
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2009/09/ipc-targets-myth-that-immigrants-are-driving-the-health-care-crisis.html)
hairstyles John Williams: Star Wars (Main
Blog Feeds
07-29 06:20 PM
Robert Creamer has an interesting analysis of how the ruling in Arizona could affect the Democrats' prospects in November. Many pundits are assuming that Republicans benefit. But Creamer makes a point I've said here many times. The only voters who switch their votes on the immigration issue are Hispanics. Anti-immigrants NEVER vote for the Democrats anyway. They almost always have a host of issues that they care about and in most cases the GOP is the better fit for those voters. So Democrats who try and pander to the Tea Party types are wasting their time.
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/07/why-the-arizona-ruling-is-good-for-democrats.html)
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/07/why-the-arizona-ruling-is-good-for-democrats.html)
Macaca
08-15 07:28 PM
Honest and Open Thievery (http://www.reason.com/news/show/121947.html) The limits of Congress's ethics reforms By Jacob Sullum, August 15, 2007
In a letter posted at Congress.org, a constituent praises Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.) for his "brilliant intellect." As evidence, Mitchell's admirer cites the congressman's vote for the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007.
The margin by which the act passed�411 to 8 in the House, 83 to 14 in the Senate�takes some of the shine off Mitchell's brilliance. Still, he's probably smart enough to realize what his colleagues evidently understand: Congress's new honesty and openness are not what they're cracked up to be.
The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act requires that special appropriations added by individual legislators be listed in an online database at least 48 hours before they come to a vote. Critics such as Sens. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) complained bitterly about a loophole: Congressional leaders can certify that a bill contains no earmarks, and there's no way to challenge that determination.
A deeper problem is that publicity does not deter wasteful, parochial spending that legislators want to publicize. Consider what happened last month when Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) challenged a $100,000 appropriation for a prison museum near Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
The earmark's sponsor, Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-Kan.), defended the honor of Leavenworth County, bragging that "we probably have more prisons...than any other county in the United States." She indignantly added that "the local residents are proud of their heritage and rightly so," since Leavenworth has hosted the likes of George "Machine Gun" Kelly and Nazi spy Fritz Duquesne.
The House approved Boyda's earmark by a vote of 317 to 112. Later she told The New York Times, "Democracy is a contact sport, and I'm not going to be shy about asking for money for my community."
So far this year the Democratic House has approved spending bills that include some 6,500 earmarks, not quite keeping pace with the Republicans' record of nearly 16,000 in 2005 but more than twice the whole-year total of a decade ago. Far from shaming legislators into fiscal restraint, the Times reports, "the new transparency has raised the value of earmarks as a measure of members' clout" and "intensified competition for projects by letting each member see exactly how many everyone else is receiving."
Congressional shamelessness likewise may undermine the goals of the new Senate ban on anonymous holds. A hold occurs when a senator refuses to let a bill or nomination proceed by unanimous consent, thereby requiring the measure's supporters to muster 60 votes to allow consideration of the measure.
Holds obviously can be used for purposes that offend supporters of limited government�to extort pork, for example, or obstruct fiscal reform. But any tool that blocks legislation is apt to do more good than harm. Notably, the hold's defenders include fiscal conservatives such as Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) as well as big spenders such as Robert Byrd (D-W.V.).
Still, it's hard to find fault with the new requirement that senators publicly identify themselves and state their reasons when they block legislation. We just shouldn't expect too much as a result of this openness. As with earmarks, legislators don't try to hide their actions when they're proud of them, even if they shouldn't be. Interestingly, no one put a secret hold on the secret hold ban.
Transparency may also prove overrated as a way of preventing lobbyists from influencing legislators by arranging campaign contributions. The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act requires public disclosure of "bundles" totaling $15,000 or more in a six-month period. Like the new attention to earmarks, highlighting these donations may simply spur competition, as K Street's denizens strive to keep up with their neighbors.
Although honesty and openness are surely preferable to dishonesty and secrecy (in politics, at least), they're not an adequate solution to a government that does too much and is therefore a magnet for people seeking gifts and favors. If a pickpocket becomes a mugger, he becomes more open and honest, but that doesn't make him more admirable.
In a letter posted at Congress.org, a constituent praises Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.) for his "brilliant intellect." As evidence, Mitchell's admirer cites the congressman's vote for the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007.
The margin by which the act passed�411 to 8 in the House, 83 to 14 in the Senate�takes some of the shine off Mitchell's brilliance. Still, he's probably smart enough to realize what his colleagues evidently understand: Congress's new honesty and openness are not what they're cracked up to be.
The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act requires that special appropriations added by individual legislators be listed in an online database at least 48 hours before they come to a vote. Critics such as Sens. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) complained bitterly about a loophole: Congressional leaders can certify that a bill contains no earmarks, and there's no way to challenge that determination.
A deeper problem is that publicity does not deter wasteful, parochial spending that legislators want to publicize. Consider what happened last month when Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) challenged a $100,000 appropriation for a prison museum near Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
The earmark's sponsor, Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-Kan.), defended the honor of Leavenworth County, bragging that "we probably have more prisons...than any other county in the United States." She indignantly added that "the local residents are proud of their heritage and rightly so," since Leavenworth has hosted the likes of George "Machine Gun" Kelly and Nazi spy Fritz Duquesne.
The House approved Boyda's earmark by a vote of 317 to 112. Later she told The New York Times, "Democracy is a contact sport, and I'm not going to be shy about asking for money for my community."
So far this year the Democratic House has approved spending bills that include some 6,500 earmarks, not quite keeping pace with the Republicans' record of nearly 16,000 in 2005 but more than twice the whole-year total of a decade ago. Far from shaming legislators into fiscal restraint, the Times reports, "the new transparency has raised the value of earmarks as a measure of members' clout" and "intensified competition for projects by letting each member see exactly how many everyone else is receiving."
Congressional shamelessness likewise may undermine the goals of the new Senate ban on anonymous holds. A hold occurs when a senator refuses to let a bill or nomination proceed by unanimous consent, thereby requiring the measure's supporters to muster 60 votes to allow consideration of the measure.
Holds obviously can be used for purposes that offend supporters of limited government�to extort pork, for example, or obstruct fiscal reform. But any tool that blocks legislation is apt to do more good than harm. Notably, the hold's defenders include fiscal conservatives such as Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) as well as big spenders such as Robert Byrd (D-W.V.).
Still, it's hard to find fault with the new requirement that senators publicly identify themselves and state their reasons when they block legislation. We just shouldn't expect too much as a result of this openness. As with earmarks, legislators don't try to hide their actions when they're proud of them, even if they shouldn't be. Interestingly, no one put a secret hold on the secret hold ban.
Transparency may also prove overrated as a way of preventing lobbyists from influencing legislators by arranging campaign contributions. The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act requires public disclosure of "bundles" totaling $15,000 or more in a six-month period. Like the new attention to earmarks, highlighting these donations may simply spur competition, as K Street's denizens strive to keep up with their neighbors.
Although honesty and openness are surely preferable to dishonesty and secrecy (in politics, at least), they're not an adequate solution to a government that does too much and is therefore a magnet for people seeking gifts and favors. If a pickpocket becomes a mugger, he becomes more open and honest, but that doesn't make him more admirable.
bubli167
03-17 08:49 AM
HI..
My grand father and grand mother are trying to apply for visitor visa.. my grand father is a retired govt employee and grand mom is home maker.. my grandfather is coming on their own and we are not sponsoring them..he will be able to submit tax returns as he runs small business and owns 1 apartment and few lands my questions are:
1.what are the documents should he take for visa ?
2.how much of bank balance? (they say 6 months of bank statements is necessary)
3.cant he just say he's retired and take the asset evaluation and bank statements alone?
please help ...
My grand father and grand mother are trying to apply for visitor visa.. my grand father is a retired govt employee and grand mom is home maker.. my grandfather is coming on their own and we are not sponsoring them..he will be able to submit tax returns as he runs small business and owns 1 apartment and few lands my questions are:
1.what are the documents should he take for visa ?
2.how much of bank balance? (they say 6 months of bank statements is necessary)
3.cant he just say he's retired and take the asset evaluation and bank statements alone?
please help ...
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