Kill the Bill: Senate ‘Gang of Eight’s ‘Grand Bargain’ on Immigration a Terrible Deal

A father mourns his son, murdered by a gang member who would not even have been in the country if the government were serious about enforcing immigration laws

The National Review editors have a new piece out today against the amnesty currently being contemplated in the Senate.

The fundamental problem with this bill, both in its earlier form and in the new Hoeven-Corker form, is that it confers an immediate amnesty on illegals already present in the country in exchange for promises of tightened border security at some point in the future. Not very tight, mind you: The bill’s own supporters do not contest forecasts that over the next 20 years we would once again find ourselves with 11 million or more illegal immigrants, just as we have now. Stronger security provisions, such as requiring that the border fence be completed before amnesty is handed down, were rejected.

Music Video: Remy on NSA Surveillance

Remy and Reason TV have a new satirical song out about the NSA’s surveillance programs:

30-year Parking Lease Signed after All

You’ll recall that a remarkably large, broad bipartisan coalition of Cincinnatians came together earlier this year to subject the parking deal to a referendum.  (Here was Judge Winkler’s order granting the permanent injunction against the ordinance, prohibiting the city from signing the lease until the voters could have their say this November.)

Letter to Representatives: End the IRS

Feel free to use or modify this in writing to your own representatives.  (Find your congressman and senators and their online contact forms.)  It’s not futile; one senator, Ted Cruz, is already on board.

“I think we ought to abolish the IRS and instead move to a simple flat tax where the average American can fill out taxes on [a] postcard,” he explained . . . . “Put down how much you earn, put down a deduction for charitable contributions, home mortgage and how much you owe. It ought to be a simple one-page postcard, and take the agents, the bureaucracy out of Washington and limit the power of government.”

Air & Water

Global-warming Projections Not Borne Out

Via Eternity Matters, The Economist had an interesting article recently.

‘the birthday clown of the academic world’

Good line:

Mercifully, my graduation ceremony did not feature a commencement speaker, the birthday clown of the academic world.

(Charles Cooke, “Oprah’s Commencement Confusion”)