CLT
UPDATE
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Treacherous "liberal media bias" in the
open, undeniably
If you want to know how "liberal bias" in the media
stories gets started, here’s a textbook case.
For days we’ve seen big media coverage of rallies in Boston and across
America by illegal immigrants. The point of these rallies: to exert
political pressure via media exposure so illegal immigrants can stay.
On Thursday afternoon, 3 to 5, Gardner Auditorium, the State House,
there was the counter-rally by those who don’t like illegal immigrants
breaking the rules. The point of this rally: to exert political pressure
via media exposure so Congress won’t grant illegals amnesty.
By 3:15 the 600-seat Gardner Auditorium was packed. By 3:30 park rangers
were re-routing people to Doric Hall, which soon filled up. Outside,
those too late to get in peeked through windows or waved to passing
cars. Crowd estimate: close to 1,000. "It was one of the biggest I’ve
ever seen and we only put out the invitation on two days’ notice," said
Marie Parente, the 20-plus-year state representative who sponsored the
rally, organized by 96.9 FM talk host Michael Graham. (Disclosure: I
work there, too).
But don’t feel bad if you had no idea any of this happened. The Boston
media, basically, ignored it....
Yet there was also Natalia Crivello, a Topsfield neuroscientist who left
Russia in 1993 and just became a citizen last year.
"I am so proud to be an American," she said, almost weepy. Then she
blamed the coverage on "a political agenda" that reminded her, get this,
of propaganda, back home, in Russia.
The Boston Herald
Sunday, April 9, 2006
'Liberal media' turns out lights as rally slams illegals
By Margery Eagan
Why was there not one word about this rally in the Globe? I
can't think of a bigger news story than a large group of patriotic, taxpaying
Americans gathering (in the middle of the work day) to stand up and defend this
country, especially in a city known for its liberal position on this issue.
The Boston Globe
Sunday, April 9, 2006
Letter to the editor
A rally that got no news coverage
Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, speaking to thousands of
immigrants and their supporters yesterday, urged lawmakers to overhaul the
country's immigration policy to make it fair to the estimated 11.5 million
undocumented workers in the United States.
"This country is great because of immigrants," O'Malley said to the crowd that
jammed Copley Square about 6 p.m. "The immigration policy we need in the US must
be based on the cornerstone of respect for the dignity of every human person."
Boston police estimated the crowd at 5,000 to 7,000 people....
They carried mostly American flags, as well as flags from their home countries
such as El Salvador, Mexico, and Brazil. In recent days, organizers had urged
rally participants to carry more American flags, saying that they did not want
to alienate the broader public.
The Boston Globe
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
O'Malley urges policy reform based on respect
Immigration backers stream through Hub
Hundreds of thousands of immigrants flooded the streets of
the nation's capital and scores of other cities yesterday, in an unprecedented
nationwide display designed to pressure lawmakers to allow undocumented
immigrants to achieve citizenship....
Similar rallies of varying sizes took place in some 150 other cities yesterday
-- including Boston -- capping weeks of grass-roots organizing tied to
Congress's consideration of the most sweeping overhaul in the nation's
immigration laws in two decades.
The Boston Globe
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Immigrants' voice: 'We're in the fight'
Thousands rally across nation for change in policy
Few dissenters showed up.
A small plane flew above Boston Common trailed by a sign that read: "ENFORCE
IMMIGRATION REFORM. NO AMNESTY!!"
At Copley Square, police quickly separated out a group of eight immigration
reform opponents who held signs that read, "Mexicans in Mexico" and "Illegals
out now." At least 30 special operations officers circled the group after heated
verbal blasts with marchers.
The Boston Herald
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Immigration supporters rally, call for reforms
Unlike Thursday's anti-illegal State House rally - which got
almost no media attention - yesterday's got everybody's eye. Herald, Globe,
radio stations, Channels 4, 5, 7, 25 and New England Cable News. The rally also
got plenty of pre-publicity. WBZ announced both its place and time yesterday
morning. So did the Globe. Boston.com publicized it on the Web. At one point
four news helicopters circled ...
The Boston Herald
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Cultures clash during protest
By Margery Eagan
Almost all of the state's poorest residents will have to show
proof of US citizenship to continue getting medical care by July 1, under a
little-noticed federal law that could endanger coverage for many, as
Massachusetts is trying to expand access to healthcare.
Born out of ongoing efforts in Washington to clamp down on illegal immigration,
the new federal requirement compels anyone seeking Medicaid coverage to provide
a birth certificate, a passport, or another form of identification in order to
sign up for benefits or renew them.
No such proof is required now....
The intent is to prevent undocumented immigrants from posing as citizens and
taking advantage of taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits that are afforded only
to legal residents. (Under federal law, undocumented immigrants can receive only
emergency Medicaid care; Massachusetts has 40,000 on such a program, which is
called MassHealth Limited.)...
The provision was added to the Deficit Reduction Act by two Republican
representatives from Georgia, Charles Norwood and Nathan Deal, who have been
outspoken against illegal immigration....
Norwood issued a statement in February saying, "After years of listening to
'advocates' whine about compassion for those who intentionally break our laws
for financial gain, I'm glad to see us finally showing some compassion for our
own poor and sick who abide by the law."
The Boston Globe
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
US rule demands proof of citizenship for healthcare
Law could hurt the state's poorest
Chip Ford's CLT Commentary
Most of us instinctively understand why this
now-critical issue of illegal immigration is important, on many levels
but especially to taxpaying citizens. Our organization has not
been called Citizens for Limited Taxation for 32 years just by
coincidence or serendipity.
For those who might still wonder why or how this is a
CLT issue, taxpayers are
footing the bill for the social costs of illegal aliens. As
Barbara noted in her "taxpayer appreciation" column of Jan. 26 ("All
most Bay Staters want is a simple thank-you — and a tiny tax cut"):
Every public job, every public paycheck, benefit
and pension, every public service provided, need met or privilege
granted comes from us taxpayers.
Even the Boston Globe recognized part of our burden
in its report today, "US rule demands proof of citizenship for
healthcare," when it noted in a rare admission (that somehow must have
slipped past its PC censors): "... undocumented immigrants can receive
only emergency Medicaid care; Massachusetts has 40,000 on such a
program, which is called MassHealth Limited."
That's just one single burden on one
taxpayer-provided service: then there's the cost of educating the
children of the occupying force of illegal aliens -- and we appreciate
what that army does to property taxes, with the Education Industrial
Establishment ceaselessly demanding more, more, more to "reduce
class size" and expand school buildings. And this is just the
start of a shopping list of what we citizen-taxpayers fund to provide
amenities for
the invaders.
If this invasion and occupation of the USA isn't
halted and turned around, we citizens for limited taxation can expect
our burden to increase. There's simply no alternative.
But, like the proverbial elephant in the middle of
the living room, little if anything is ever mentioned by the media elite
about this added, growing, and inexcusable burden on taxpaying citizens. "Never
is heard a discouraging word" is the obvious directive from the
editorial and assignment offices.
How else to explain the near-absolute void of
coverage following the packed Gardner Auditorium (State House) rally of
over 1,000 "Protect Our Borders" defenders? (See
my photos of the crowd.)
The Boston Globe report of the highly-successful
"Protect Our Borders" rally consisted of the following:
-- DEATHLY SILENCE --
That's correct, not one word, as if it didn't happen --
or the Globe wished it never had and didn't want anyone to know that it
did.
It printed one token letter-to-the-editor in Sunday's Globe, but look at its
coverage of the Pro-Illegal Immigration side, taken right from its own
website:
From boston.com (The Boston Globe website)
Today's coverage:
Immigrants' voice: 'We're in the fight' (Today's Globe)
GLOBE GRAPHIC: Organized demonstrations (Today's Globe)
O'Malley urges policy reform based on respect (Today's Globe)
Immigration rally in Boston (Today's Globe)
US rule demands proof of citizenship for healthcare (Today's Globe)
Recent Boston Globe coverage:
Deal on immigration bill collapses amid partisan fight (By Rick Klein,
Globe Staff, 4/8/06)
Senators strike deal on immigration laws (By Rick Klein, Globe Staff,
4/7/06)
ADRIAN WALKER: Border patrol is no future (By Adrian Walker, Globe
Columnist, 4/6/06)
SCOT LEHIGH: A sensible look at immigration (By Scot Lehigh, Globe
Columnist, 4/4/06)
A 'chasm' in Congress deepens over immigration (By Michael Kranish,
Globe Staff, 4/3/06)
Show of force emboldens sides on immigration (By Yvonne Abraham, Globe
Staff, 4/2/06)
PETER SCHRAG: California's lessons on immigration (By Peter Schrag,
Boston Globe, 4/2/06)
ROBERT KUTTNER: Stagnant wages? Made in USA (By Robert Kuttner, Boston
Globe, 4/1/06)
Senate urged to ignore immigrant plan (By Rick Klein, Globe Staff,
3/29/06)
GLOBE EDITORIAL: Becoming legal (Boston Globe, 3/29/06)
Reports of the "Protect Our Borders" rally appeared
only -- only -- in the Boston Herald, the MetroWest Daily News,
and on New England Cable News. It was covered nowhere else
in the media.
A media elite agenda? Liberal media bias? Now
it's conclusive.
Any doubt what's going on across the fruited plain in
the United States of America today?
The Boston Herald
Sunday, April 9, 2006
'Liberal media' turns out lights as rally slams illegals
By Margery Eagan
If you want to know how "liberal bias" in the media stories gets
started, here’s a textbook case.
For days we’ve seen big media coverage of rallies in Boston and across
America by illegal immigrants. The point of these rallies: to exert
political pressure via media exposure so illegal immigrants can stay.
On Thursday afternoon, 3 to 5, Gardner Auditorium, the State House,
there was the counter-rally by those who don’t like illegal immigrants
breaking the rules. The point of this rally: to exert political pressure
via media exposure so Congress won’t grant illegals amnesty.
By 3:15 the 600-seat Gardner Auditorium was packed. By 3:30 park rangers
were re-routing people to Doric Hall, which soon filled up. Outside,
those too late to get in peeked through windows or waved to passing
cars. Crowd estimate: close to 1,000. "It was one of the biggest I’ve
ever seen and we only put out the invitation on two days’ notice," said
Marie Parente, the 20-plus-year state representative who sponsored the
rally, organized by 96.9 FM talk host Michael Graham. (Disclosure: I
work there, too).
But don’t feel bad if you had no idea any of this happened. The Boston
media, basically, ignored it.
The Herald covered it. And New England Cable News and The MetroWest
Daily News.
But The Boston Globe, which ran a picture and 536-word story on the
2,500-person rally in Boston on March 27 supporting illegal immigrants -
as well as a picture and 64-word story about a pro-illegal immigrant
State House event Tuesday - ran nothing on Thursday’s anti-illegal
rally. Likewise channels 4, 5, 7 and 25.
"I rushed home from work to watch the 6 o’clock news," Ron Lambert of
Millis complained to Graham. "What did I get for a report on the rally?
Nothing."
Cris Cataudella wrote the Globe, "First off, a few months ago, you
released my credit card number.... I was willing to accept this as a
mistake." But how, Catudella asked, does the Globe justify this?
Corrie Painter, a doctoral student in biochemistry at the University of
Massachusetts, complained that Channel 7 missed the rally but managed to
feature the plight of "Sam the golden retriever who was caught after two
years on the lam."
Surely all of us are thrilled for Sam. But Painter, who works with legal
immigrants from India, China, Russia, and Colombia ("We have green-card
parties for them all the time."), was stunned that the rally was ignored
on the very day the U.S. Senate’s immigration compromise fell apart.
So why no coverage? The Globe’s Carolyn Ryan said that, in retrospect,
"I think we should have covered it.... I don’t think you can attribute
this to editorial bias." Channel 4’s Jennifer Street said they’d planned
on covering it, but instead covered the missing would-be congressman in
New Hampshire. News directors from channels 5 and 7 and Fox News did not
return calls.
My theory: "intra-media rivalry," as Graham put it, or a reluctance by
TV and newspapers to cover a radio event no matter how newsworthy. And
knee-jerk class bias, or the notion that only racist yahoos go to anti-illegals
rallies. I thought we’d learned, 35 years after busing, that
everything’s not all about race. But maybe not.
Now to be sure, there were some yahoo moments Thursday. Parente, God
love her, did an odd monologue about communicable diseases, the
undocumented, and robbing citizens’ trash. Someone shouted, "Remember
the Alamo!" Yet there was also Natalia Crivello, a Topsfield
neuroscientist who left Russia in 1993 and just became a citizen last
year.
"I am so proud to be an American," she said, almost weepy. Then she
blamed the coverage on "a political agenda" that reminded her, get this,
of propaganda, back home, in Russia.
Return to top
The Boston Globe
Sunday, April 9, 2006
Letter to the editor
A rally that got no news coverage
On Thursday there was a large gathering at the State House in Boston to
support legal immigration and to show state lawmakers that there is a
large group of underrepresented people opposed to granting amnesty to
criminals and to letting this country's border security remain a joke.
Why was there not one word about this rally in the Globe? I can't think
of a bigger news story than a large group of patriotic, taxpaying
Americans gathering (in the middle of the work day) to stand up and
defend this country, especially in a city known for its liberal position
on this issue.
It is a huge disservice not to report inspiring events that you may
disagree with. I can only hope that people realize that just because
they don't hear about it in the news media, that doesn't mean that there
aren't passionate and concerned citizens in this city -- people who
won't sit idly by while this country is handed over to those who have
not earned the right to be here and who are uninterested in embracing
the culture and patriotism of the greatest country in the world.
Courtney Magarian
Boston
Return to top
The Boston Globe
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
O'Malley urges policy reform based on respect
Immigration backers stream through Hub
By Ralph Ranalli and Yvonne Abraham, Globe Staff
Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, speaking to thousands of immigrants and their
supporters yesterday, urged lawmakers to overhaul the country's
immigration policy to make it fair to the estimated 11.5 million
undocumented workers in the United States.
"This country is great because of immigrants," O'Malley said to the
crowd that jammed Copley Square about 6 p.m. "The immigration policy we
need in the US must be based on the cornerstone of respect for the
dignity of every human person."
Boston police estimated the crowd at 5,000 to 7,000 people.
The march and rally up St. James Street, which was closed to traffic,
was boisterous but peaceful. It caused significant rush-hour traffic
snarls downtown, according to Boston police spokesman David Estrada.
Police also closed a section of Dartmouth Street as the crowd filled
Copley Square, stretching from Trinity Church to the steps of Boston
Public Library.
O'Malley -- who spoke to the crowd in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and
French -- was treated like a pop star by the crowd. Many people pressed
to shake his hand or pose next to him for a picture. His address was the
culmination of the march, one of nearly 100 rallies supporting
undocumented immigrants nationwide over the past two days. Catholic
clergy have been especially prominent in the movement nationwide.
The local rally began on Boston Common, where, starting at about 4 p.m.,
a steady stream of participants fed a swelling crowd that cheered a
number of speakers and chanted "si se puede," Spanish for "yes, we can."
While most marchers were out in support of the immigrants, there were
scattered opponents. Above the crowd, a plane flew towing a banner that
said: "Enforce immigration laws. No amnesty!"
Dennis Coull, of Quincy, was standing on the Tremont side of the Common
with a sign reading: "Secure Our Border. Support HR Bill 4437."
"I'm here because I want to protect my country," Coull said. "I'm sick
of seeing illegal marches going on in our country.... This is insane.
These people get better healthcare than our veterans and our elderly,
and something needs to be done. I'm outraged. I can't sit in the house
and watch this stuff anymore."
Vital Rosa of Merrimac, who emigrated legally from Portugal, said he was
upset by any effort that would reward people for entering the country
illegally.
"I had to wait in line with my family for five years," said Rosa, who
came to the United States in 1973. "It's an injustice that illegals come
here, and they cut to the front of the line. It's vital that all
Americans should learn how to speak two words of Spanish: No mas. [No
more]."
At the Copley Square portion of the rally, about a dozen members of a
skinhead group stood by, chanting "INS, INS." Scores of uniformed Boston
police officers kept them separated from the rally.
Organizers had urged marchers not to interact with their opponents, and
the spirit of the event was generally upbeat. An Irish band and Peruvian
musicians performed. Some immigrants carried signs with messages that
read "Today we march, tomorrow we vote," and "I was a stranger and you
welcomed me -- Jesus."
They carried mostly American flags, as well as flags from their home
countries such as El Salvador, Mexico, and Brazil. In recent days,
organizers had urged rally participants to carry more American flags,
saying that they did not want to alienate the broader public.
Robin Martini, 26, is a construction worker who emigrated legally from
Guatemala 10 years ago, and said immigrants make a vital contribution.
"We give a grain a day of ourselves to this country," Martini said. "We
want to be part of it. We respect the laws. We pay our taxes. We want a
piece of the American dream."
Around 5:30, the mass of people began moving in a slow, orderly fashion
across the Common and toward Copley Square. Organizers urged marchers to
pick up their trash.
Ching-In Chen, a rally participant who was born in the United States to
parents who emigrated from Taiwan, saw positive signs in the rally.
"It's so gratifying to see so many people from different communities
coming together. I've never seen anything like this in Boston," he said.
"It gives me hope for Boston that it can change and acknowledge the
contribution of the immigrants that have made this city what it is. This
is amazing."
Globe correspondent Catherine Elton contributed to this report.
Return to top
The Boston Globe
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Immigrants' voice: 'We're in the fight'
Thousands rally across nation for change in policy
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON -- Hundreds of thousands of immigrants flooded the streets of
the nation's capital and scores of other cities yesterday, in an
unprecedented nationwide display designed to pressure lawmakers to allow
undocumented immigrants to achieve citizenship.
In Washington, more than 100,000 people of various nationalities marched
past the White House to the National Mall, and stood between the Capitol
and the Washington Monument to lend their voices to the debate.
They wrapped themselves in American flags, waved "We Are America" signs,
and alternated between Spanish and English as they vowed to make
themselves known to the nation's elected leaders.
"Today we march. Tomorrow we vote," said Jaime Contreras, president of
the National Capital Immigration Coalition, which helped organize the
rally.
Contreras led the crowd in a chant. "Bush escucha: Estamos en la lucha."
(Listen Bush: We're in the fight.)
Similar rallies of varying sizes took place in some 150 other cities
yesterday -- including Boston -- capping weeks of grass-roots organizing
tied to Congress's consideration of the most sweeping overhaul in the
nation's immigration laws in two decades.
The explosion of pro-immigrant sentiments has surprised many lawmakers,
revealing a depth and breadth of support for immigrants' rights that has
already shifted the debate in Congress.
Though the crowd in Washington was predominantly Latino, immigrants'
rights groups have turned to a broad cross section of constituencies to
help make their case. The rally on Boston Common featured Irish
immigrants alongside Russians, Brazilians, Chinese, Somalis, and
Ethiopians.
In the San Francisco Bay area, Filipinos and Chinese joined Latinos in a
morning march in downtown Oakland and an early afternoon protest at the
University of California at Berkeley. Thousands lined the streets of San
Francisco's heavily Latino Mission neighborhood, and activists in
Chinatown distributed handouts about the immigration bills in Congress.
The public events are coming at a crucial time. When Congress reconvenes
in two weeks, lawmakers will be grappling with one of the most
contentious and explosive political issues of the day, and their
decisions could affect the lives of immigrants -- and the shape of
politics -- for decades.
"This debate goes to the heart of who we are as Americans," Senator
Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, told the crowd in
Washington. "Some in Congress want to turn America away from its true
spirit.... They say you should report to deport. I say, report to become
American citizens."
Late last week, a compromise that would allow most of the nation's 11
million undocumented immigrants to eventually obtain citizenship
collapsed in the Senate. That dimmed the prospects of any measure that
would provide new legal avenues for undocumented immigrants.
So far, the only immigration bill to pass Congress this term is an
enforcement-only measure passed by the House. That bill would make
illegal immigration a felony, punish those who help the undocumented,
and construct a nearly 700-mile fence along portions of the Mexican
border.
President Bush yesterday took note of the massive rally in Washington
and used it as an opportunity to renew his push for a comprehensive bill
along the lines of the one being discussed in the Senate.
"It's a sign that ... this is an important issue that people feel
strongly about," Bush said. "People ought to ... be able to work on a
temporary basis, and if they want to become a citizen, after a series of
steps they've got to take, they get in line like everybody else."
The rally in Washington brought a smattering of counterprotesters. They
bristled at the Spanish-language chants -- proof, they said, that
undocumented immigrants do not want to assimilate in American society.
"You cross the border illegally, and you violate our sovereignty," said
Jessie Sanders, 19, a sophomore at the University of Maryland. "It's an
invasion -- this whole idea of, 'You've been here for a long time, so
you should be a citizen.' "
The rallies appear unlikely to persuade those who are solidly opposed to
relaxed immigration laws. Representative Tom Tancredo, the leader of a
hard-line coalition of House members, said the rallies would be
"counterproductive" because they highlight the "mockery" that the
nation's immigration laws have become.
"Millions of people are flaunting the fact that they are here illegally
and are demanding special treatment. I don't think that flies with John
Q. Public," said Tancredo, Republican of Colorado. "I hope my colleagues
don't get scared and run away from a mob in the street."
Those who came to the rallies said they were eager to provide human
faces to the debate. Victor Alderete stood on the lawn of the National
Mall with his wife, Analia, and two young daughters. His 8-year-old,
Angelina, held a sign: "I am a good student. I love America. I am not a
criminal."
"Who cleans the offices? Who picks up the trash? Who picks the crops in
the field?" said Alderete, 40, who said he came to the United States
from Bolivia illegally five years ago. "We are not criminals. We love
our families. We are here to work."
Edith Umanzor, who moved to Maryland from El Salvador 23 years ago, said
she took the day off from her job as a housekeeper to send a message
that undocumented immigrants are not going to hide. "We want everybody
to hear us," she said. "We want some answers, positive ones. We're
uniting to see something done."
The protesters want any efforts to tighten the borders to be paired with
provisions that would allow those who are now in the country illegally
to become citizens. The rallies were meant to warn lawmakers who only
want to impose penalties on undocumented immigrants, Contreras said.
"The sleeping giant [of Latino citizens] is awake, and many of us vote,"
said Contreras, who is also an organizer with a local chapter of the
Service Employees International Union.
Still, the standoff in the Senate has so far shown no sign of breaking.
Both sides are blaming each other for the lack of movement, and Senate
Majority Leader Bill Frist has not committed to bringing an immigration
bill back to the floor this year.
Yesterday, a top aide to Frist, a Tennessee Republican, issued a
statement blaming Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid for blocking a final
bill with his insistence that no changes be made to the measure that's
been negotiated.
"As long as Senator Reid stands in the way of senators getting votes,
there can't be a fair process, and every day we delay, America is less
safe and less secure," said Eric Ueland, Frist's chief of staff.
Democrats fired back by accusing conservative Republicans of blocking
the bill -- and blasted Frist and Bush for not pushing them more.
"President Bush and Majority Leader Frist need to look in the mirror and
find the courage and backbone to stand up to the radical right and give
the American people the real security they deserve," said Jim Manley, a
spokesman for Reid.
Bryan Bender of the Globe staff contributed to this report from San
Francisco.
Return to top
The Boston Herald
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Immigration supporters rally, call for reforms
By Jessica Fargen
Thousands of people carrying American flags and shouting in Spanish
through megaphones marched for immigration reform in downtown Boston
yesterday.
"This movement has gotten bigger than one individual, than one
organization," said Ali Noorani, director of the Massachusetts Immigrant
& Refugee Advocacy coalition, which organized a similar Boston rally two
weeks ago that drew 3,000 people. "It's our movement."
Thousands of people, including 50,000 in Atlanta, marched nationwide
yesterday in dozens of cities to protest a proposal that would
criminalize illegal immigration and build more fences along the Mexican
border. Ralliers yesterday called for Congress to enact comprehensive
immigration laws including U.S. citizenship for illegal aliens.
Cristina Cabrera, a 42-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, has been in the
United States on a work visa for 12 years but says she can't start a
business, get a loan or further her education because she is not a U.S.
citizen and has no Social Security card.
"I want to live legally with the things Americans have," she said.
Boston's rally started at the Common at 4 p.m. with about 2,000 people
and swelled to 8,000 by the time marchers reached Copley Square forcing
street closures that tied up Back Bay traffic. People banged drums,
waved flags and chanted "Si, se puede," which means, "Yes, we can," in
Spanish.
Few dissenters showed up.
A small plane flew above Boston Common trailed by a sign that read:
"ENFORCE IMMIGRATION REFORM. NO AMNESTY!!"
At Copley Square, police quickly separated out a group of eight
immigration reform opponents who held signs that read, "Mexicans in
Mexico" and "Illegals out now." At least 30 special operations officers
circled the group after heated verbal blasts with marchers.
Return to top
The Boston Herald
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Cultures clash during protest
By Margery Eagan
Some observations about yesterday's rally for illegal immigrants:
Unlike demonstrations in Los Angeles and Dallas, there were almost no
Salvadoran or Guatemalan or Honduran flags yesterday, the sight of which
had really riled the anti-illegal crowd. Instead, red, white and blue
was everywhere. Immigrant groups handed out tiny American flags for
free. Vendors sold bigger ones for $3.
Eleuterio Tena, 51, a Vietnam-era army vet, waved a large flag from his
birthplace, Mexico. But it might have been part of his fashion
statement. He also wore a 10-gallon hat, lizard skin cowboy boots, a
blazing red and black leather jacket and a T-shirt depicting an American
Indian. "The only real American," said Tena, adding that if illegals
ever stop working, we'll all be "paying $100 for a tomato."
Unlike Thursday's anti-illegal State House rally - which got almost no
media attention - yesterday's got everybody's eye. Herald, Globe, radio
stations, Channels 4, 5, 7, 25 and New England Cable News. The rally
also got plenty of pre-publicity. WBZ announced both its place and time
yesterday morning. So did the Globe. Boston.com publicized it on the
Web. At one point four news helicopters circled as well as a small plane
pulling a banner that read, "ENFORCE IMMIGRATION LAWS, NO AMNESTY."
This prompted, "Has to be a Nazi," plus a few choice expletives, from
Jorge Garcia, 23, a native Honduran but an American now. He wore a flag
wrapped around his neck and watched the rally while sipping a cocktail
from a nearby bar.
Counter-protesters were few, but Dennis Coull, 34, of Quincy, made up
for it with his tireless crusading. He wore a "Secure our Borders"
placard. His friend's read, "Deport Bush, Kennedy & Illegal Immigrants."
"I can't take it anymore," said Coull, a warehouse worker and Teamster.
"Five-hundred thousand protesting in L.A. and Dallas, it's out of
control. These guys are undercutting American workers."
As he talked, a Guatemalan illegal immigrant, who's been here 16 years,
started waving his flag at Coull and shouting, "Hitler, Hitler!!"
When you talk to enough illegals, you find out many of them are like
many of us: out for themselves. Take Raul, 41, who came here from
Honduras 17 years ago. He thinks it's unfair that under some immigration
reform plans, illegals who just got here get the same deal as those who
got here 17 years ago like him. He's not interested in becoming a
citizen. He just wants to work legally so he can make the same as his
restaurant co-workers (he's getting $8 an hour compared to their $12),
then go home and retire. But unfortunately, he says, he'll need at least
$100,000. He's nowhere close.
But he and many others told heart-wrenching stories about leaving
brothers, sisters, parents behind, and never seeing them again. About
childhoods spent hungry, drinking dirty water. About paying smugglers
small fortunes to lead them through deserts scorching by day, freezing
at night. About being promised cash by a boss on Friday. Then Friday
comes, and the boss can't be found.
To me the McCain-Kennedy proposal was fair: Let illegals learn English,
pay back taxes, plus a fine, and get in line for citizenship. But at
least a dozen demonstrators yesterday said they don't have money for
rent and heat, never mind back taxes or fines.
Here's what else they said: They don't vote because they can't vote. So
the political winners here are who, exactly?
Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo showed up yesterday nonetheless,
addressing the cheering crowd, first in Spanish, then English.
Return to top
The Boston Globe
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
US rule demands proof of citizenship for healthcare
Law could hurt the state's poorest
By Scott Helman, Globe Staff
Almost all of the state's poorest residents will have to show proof of
US citizenship to continue getting medical care by July 1, under a
little-noticed federal law that could endanger coverage for many, as
Massachusetts is trying to expand access to healthcare.
Born out of ongoing efforts in Washington to clamp down on illegal
immigration, the new federal requirement compels anyone seeking Medicaid
coverage to provide a birth certificate, a passport, or another form of
identification in order to sign up for benefits or renew them.
No such proof is required now.
The requirement was tucked into the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which
President Bush signed into law earlier this year.
The measure was part of an effort to limit the skyrocketing growth of
federal entitlement programs. It has surfaced as Massachusetts begins to
implement its sweeping healthcare plan, which aims to bring health
coverage to almost all of the state's uninsured, in part by enrolling
those in Medicaid who are eligible but who have not signed up.
Healthcare specialists voiced fear that because many Medicaid recipients
-- including the homeless and the mentally disabled -- won't be able to
easily produce documentation of their citizenship, they will have
difficultly receiving care at community health centers, hospitals, or
anywhere else.
"So we've got people in nursing homes, people in the [state Department
of Mental Retardation] institutions, we've got the homeless, we've got
the . . . mentally ill who now will have to come up with some
verification to prove that they're citizens," said Victoria Pulos,
health law attorney at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. "It's
ironic that this is happening in the state where part of the health
reform plan is to make sure that everyone who's eligible for Medicaid is
enrolled."
The new federal requirement, which all states have to comply with, would
apply to the vast majority of the more than 1 million people on
MassHealth, the Massachusetts Medicaid program.
The intent is to prevent undocumented immigrants from posing as citizens
and taking advantage of taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits that are
afforded only to legal residents. (Under federal law, undocumented
immigrants can receive only emergency Medicaid care; Massachusetts has
40,000 on such a program, which is called MassHealth Limited.)
Less than three months before the new citizenship requirement takes
effect, though, Massachusetts and other states are waiting for guidance
from the federal government on how it will work.
Mary Kahn, a spokeswoman for the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services, said that the agency is writing the regulations, but that
there is no indication of a delay.
Massachusetts already compels Medicaid recipients to verify their
incomes, usually through W-2 forms, to ensure that the figure is low
enough to qualify for the program. The state Medicaid director, Beth
Waldman, played down the difficulty of adding another requirement.
"This shouldn't take away from people's access to healthcare," Waldman
said. "All you need to do is show that you're a citizen."
Waldman said that many of the state's 1,033,000 MassHealth recipients
are not likely to have trouble proving citizenship, because they have
already had to do so in registering with some other federal program,
such as Social Security. (About 478,000 MassHealth members, for example,
also get Medicare, Social Security, or welfare benefits, the state
says.)
Some healthcare advocates, though, described the new rules as onerous on
community health centers and other healthcare providers, but more so on
Medicaid recipients, many of whom, they said, may not continue getting
care if they cannot provide the paperwork or may have to wait to get
treatment until they can locate the right documents.
"We're in the business of trying to make central Dorchester and parts of
Mattapan a healthier place," said Bill Walczak, chief executive officer
of Dorchester's Codman Square Health Center. "We didn't create the
healthcare centers to become citizenship enforcement centers."
The provision was added to the Deficit Reduction Act by two Republican
representatives from Georgia, Charles Norwood and Nathan Deal, who have
been outspoken against illegal immigration. Bush signed the legislation
two months ago, saying, "The bill I sign today restrains spending for
entitlement programs while ensuring that Americans who rely on Medicare
and Medicaid continue to get the care they need."
Chris Riley, Deal's chief of staff, said yesterday that the citizenship
provision was simply about "enforcing the law."
"The intent was to verify that US citizens are getting Medicaid," Riley
said.
Norwood issued a statement in February saying, "After years of listening
to 'advocates' whine about compassion for those who intentionally break
our laws for financial gain, I'm glad to see us finally showing some
compassion for our own poor and sick who abide by the law."
State Representative Marie J. Parente, a Milford Democrat who speaks
often about restricting illegal immigration, said she agreed with
Norwood's statement. Parente said she was at an event in Peabody
yesterday at which someone asked her about healthcare for illegal
immigrants.
"I said, 'Why don't you have the same compassion for the American people
who don't have a good healthcare plan?'" said Parente, who hosted a
meeting on immigration last week at the State House that she said drew
more than 1,000 people.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, D.C., issued a
report this year saying that the rule would affect nearly 50 million
people nationwide.
It would, the report said, "almost certainly create significant
enrollment barriers for millions of low-income citizens who meet all
Medicaid eligibility requirements."
An evaluation of the Medicaid program by the inspector general of the US
Department of Health and Human Services in July 2005 recommended the
agency strengthen quality control to prevent abuse by noncitizens.
It did not, however, recommend requiring recipients to provide proof of
citizenship.
Healthcare providers said it was too early to know how the federal
requirement would affect Massachusetts, but they say they would always
treat people who need care, no matter their ability to pay nor their
documentation. They said it could, however, create complications for
them in qualifying for federal reimbursement.
"We know that this will create some potential problems for folks in
traditional Medicaid programs," said a Massachusetts Hospital
Association spokesman, Paul Wingle. "What this comes down to for
hospitals is really not ... whether folks get urgently needed care. It
comes down to whether or not that care will be reimbursed."
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