Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and Loganville city council member Rey Martinez

It has long been my suspicion that at least some of the Georgia politicians who are involved with or become board members of the rabidly anti-enforcement GALEO don’t fully understand the level of ‘crazy’ at that corporate-funded mob run by Jerry Gonzalez when they sign up.

Example: Rey Martinez, a Loganville city council member and Chairman of the Public Safety Committee there was a member of the GALEO board of Directors  when Georgia Governor Nathan Deal appointed him  to the state’s Board of Commissioners of the Commission on Equal Opportunity in 2015. He is apparently no longer part of the GALEO family.

But Martinez is now an active and very visible Donald Trump supporter and has spoken out for Trump on Atlanta radio and at a recent Middle Georgia Trump rally that featured vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence and various Republican pols.

The Macon Telegraph covered the  August 29 Trump rally at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter and reported on Martinez’s remarks supporting Trump/Pence ticket:

Rey Martinez, a Hispanic city councilman in Loganville, urged Hispanics to consider whether their lives have improved in the last eight years.

“We have been lied to and bamboozled,” he said. “We don’t need to keep going down the same path.”

I wonder if I am the only one who is curious about the seeming metamorphosis involved in being on the GALEO board of directors a year before being on the stage supporting Donald Trump, who is usually supportive of the immigration enforcement that GALEO fights on all fronts?

Or what military veteran Martinez would have to say if asked if he was aware of GALEO’s public safety “accomplishments” over the years before he joined and while he was on their board. Or if he has chatted with Jerry Gonzalez about their differences on a presidential candidate?

“Most politicians agree that illegal immigration should end. My legislation would double border patrols and accelerate the deportation process for criminals and illegal entrants. But many lawmakers feel that lowering legal immigration is too dicey. This is a cop-out.

My legislation calls for a reduction of legal immigrants from the current level of about 1 million admissions a year to approximately 325,000. Even that more realistic level means 25,000 newcomers entering every month, looking for jobs, housing and education.”

Los Angeles Times
August 10, 1994

“PERSPECTIVES ON IMMIGRATION : Cut Legal Admissions by Two-Thirds : Immigration: A senator offers a ‘stabilization’ bill.
August 10, 1994|Harry Reid | Harry Reid is a Democratic U.S. senator from Nevada

The federal government has been grossly irresponsible in its neglect of mounting immigration problems, even as these problems place unbearable burdens on states like California. It is regrettable that states have reached a point where the only avenue they have for justice is the courts. It is even more regrettable that this Administration and this Congress stand by and allow the federal courts to decide the nation’s immigration policies.

Taxpayers simply cannot continue to sustain new populations the size of San Diego or the state of Nevada every year. California is sending up the red flag tat Washington should heed.Unprecedented demands are being placed on job markets, schools, hospitals, police, social safety nets, infrastructure and natural resources. Unlimited new arrivals pressuring these systems threaten to overwhelm them.

In the West, we have a real appreciation for dwindling natural resources. We fight for water from the Colorado River, the Truckee River and other scarce sources. We endlessly debate policies governing public lands, mining and livestock grazing. But rarely do we consider the burdens that millions of new people place every year on our water supplies air quality, parks, lakes, recreation areas and public land.

Our doors should remain open, but only wide enough to admit those to whom we can realistically offer opportunity and security. To leave the door unguarded is to create an environment in which no one can live securely and peacefully. And so I am sponsoring a bill in the Senate to reduce immigration-legal and illegal.

Most politicians agree that illegal immigration should end. My legislation would double border patrols and accelerate the deportation process for criminals and illegal entrants. But many lawmakers feel that lowering legal immigration is too dicey. This is a cop-out.

My legislation calls for a reduction of legal immigrants from the current level of about 1 million admissions a year to approximately 325,000. Even that more realistic level means 25,000 newcomers entering every month, looking for jobs, housing and education.

When I sat down with Rev. Jesse Jackson not long ago to discuss immigration, he advised me to look at the moral implications of what I proposed. I did, and found the moral imperative on Congress and the President to enact change, quickly. Americans have sat freely around a bountiful dinner table. Now, the table is becoming overcrowded. People are squeezing in and elbowing each other to get what they want. Unless changes are made, our dinner table eventually will collapse, and no one will have security and opportunity.

Opponents of immigration reform cry racism or point toward our historic role as a nation of immigrants. Charges of racial bias are unfounded. Unlike anything proposed before, my Immigration Stabilization Act explicity prohibits discrimination in refugee admissions.

The real injustice to future Americans would be to do nothing. America is proud of its immigrant tradition. This tradition should be reconciled with our responsibility to create a better country in which to live. If we do not take responsible steps today, we will be forced to take radical and sadly preventable action only a decade from now.”   HERE

Macon Telegraph

August 23, 2016

OPINION

A respectful reminder for Rep. Allen Peake

Macon’s Republican state Rep. Allen Peake is one of the most intelligent, sincere and genuine thinkers in state government. As a long-time but reluctant denizen of the Gold Dome, I hope he has a long and bright future in public service ahead of him.

In publicly expressing his reasonable concerns about supporting Donald Trump, Peake has made it clear that he worries about the “extinction” of his political party. It seems he is concerned that Trump’s stated position on immigration enforcement has driven Hispanic voters away from the Republican Party.

Addressing the deceitful immigration fairytale endlessly offered up to decent politicians like Peake from the anything-for-a-buck, globalist propagandists, a respectful dose of reality to all concerned: Lawlessness and a repeat of the “one time” immigration amnesty of 1986 would not create a great wave of Republican Hispanic voters.

Proof? Two short years after Ronald Reagan was persuaded by the Chamber of Commerce wing of the GOP to sign the ’86 amnesty bill, Republican presidential candidate George H.W. Bush received just 30 percent of the Hispanic vote — putting him in the John McCain (31 percent) and Mitt Romney (27 percent) range. McCain had promised legalization “on day one” in the White House. Romney took the pro-American “enforce the law” position.

Neither does advocating for an increase in legal immigration result in a Republican advantage. About 80 percent of all new immigrants want even more services and bigger government — and they vote Democrat to that end. So would legalized illegals. We are importing about a million legal immigrants every year, most of whom are poor and low-skilled. That fact should be discussed.

It is important to acknowledge that Hispanics are not a monolithic voting bloc. The proud Hispanic board members of our America-first, pro-enforcement effort here support Donald Trump and sanity on immigration.

Peake’s common-sense plea to fellow Republicans for a platform of smaller government and more personal responsibility should be matched with a well-informed position on immigration and recognition that Georgia has more illegal aliens than Arizona.

The Democratic-media complex will stop at nothing to inspire Trump’s defeat. We hope Rep. Peake will ignore them and stick with Donald Trump. We are.

D.A. King
Marietta
President, the Dustin Inman Society, for the board of advisers HERE

We are grateful for the space.

Atlanta Jewish Times

Letters to the editor

August 26, 2016

Latinos Dominate Immigration

In her report on the fourth annual Charla and Challah Jewish-Latino community event (“Immigrant Experience Helps Unite Jews, Latinos,” Aug. 12), Sarah Moosazadeh has “informed” your readers that “today, immigration restrictions stand in the way for Latin American immigrants who seek new opportunities and a better standard of living in the United States.”

Respectfully, that statement is absurd.

Event participant Judge Dax Lopez said, “People have valid concerns, but debates should be based on facts vs. feelings.” We wholeheartedly agree.

The latest available annual official figures show that of the more than 1 million legal immigrants admitted to the United States in 2014, Mexico was the No. 1 sending nation. The Department of Homeland Security flow chart “U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents: 2014” shows that Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Colombia also are in the top 20 sending countries.

By region, the combined numbers of immigrants from Central America and South America are far ahead of Europe and Oceania, for example.

We hope that the AJT’s future news coverage of immigration will include more careful research, less baseless opinion, and perhaps a nod to the underrepresentation and possible oppression of European immigrants in the oft-described “rich tapestry of the diverse fabric” of the “press-one-for-English,” changing American population.

Perhaps the object of the community event or news report was to add to the ongoing push for officially open borders and unrestricted immigration. In that case, we would point to the obvious fact that such a policy would be the end of any semblance of a sovereign, defined nation and a mindless betrayal of struggling American workers.

— D.A. King, Marietta, president, Dustin Inman Society, for the board of advisers   HERE

• “The number of immigrants added to the labor force every year is of a magnitude not seen in this country for over a century.
• “If this huge influx of mostly low-skill workers provides some benefits to the economy as a whole—especially by keeping our workforce young, in contrast to an increasingly geriatric Europe and Japan—it also threatens to depress further the wages of blue-collar Americans and put strains on an already overburdened safety net.”
• “Native-born Americans suspect that it is they, and not the immigrant, who are being forced to adapt” to social changes caused by migration.
• “[T]here’s no denying that many blacks share the same anxieties as many whites about the wave of illegal immigration flooding our Southern border—a sense that what’s happening now is fundamentally different from what has gone on before…”

Barack Obama, 2006 HERE

AJC

Political Insider blogger Greg Bluestein:

August 26, 2016

“Leading Georgia Latino judge won’t seek state Supreme Court seat

The DeKalb County jurist who was blocked from becoming Georgia’s first Latino federal judge earlier this year has withdrawn his name from one of three vacancies on the Georgia Supreme Court.

Dax Lopez, seen as a strong contender for one of the openings, said Thursday that he’s “humbled” to have been nominated but that he wants to instead focus on his role as a DeKalb State Court judge.

Lopez – who is Jewish, Republican and Hispanic – was President Barack Obama’s nominee for a U.S. District judgeship last year. His nomination was scuttled by U.S. Sen. David Perdue after anti-illegal immigration forces in Georgia pointed to Lopez’ past association with certain Latino groups.

Lopez was among 130 attorneys nominated for the open spots – two created by legislation that boosts the court from seven justices to nine and a third left open by Chief Justice Hugh Thompson’s decision to retire in January. Several other possible contenders have also dropped out of the running, including Court of Appeals Judge Stephen Dillard.

With the three new openings, Gov. Nathan Deal has the chance to appoint a majority of the court’s bench before he leaves office in January 2019. He has already made one appointment – Keith Blackwell was tapped in June 2012 – and Presiding Justice Harris Hines also said he plans to retire before Deal’s tenure is up.

Here’s Lopez’s full statement:

Recently, someone was nice enough to submit my name for consideration for one of the open spots on the Georgia Supreme Court. While I am truly honored and humbled that someone would think me worthy enough for such an important position, I have decided not to submit an application. While it would be a great honor to serve on the highest court in Georgia, I enjoy being a trial judge and I love serving the people of DeKalb County. There are many excellent candidates seeking these posts, and I am confident that the three individuals chosen will serve the people of Georgia with honor and distinction.” HERE

“All Americans, not only in the states most heavily affected but in every place in this country are rightly disturbed by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering our country. The jobs they hold might otherwise be held by citizens are illegal immigrants. The public service they use impose burdens on our taxpayers. That’s why our administration is moved aggressively to secure our borders more by hiring a record number of new border guards, by deporting twice as many criminal aliens as ever before, by cracking down on illegal hiring, by barring welfare benefits to illegal aliens.

In the budget I will present to you, we will try to do more to speed the deportation of illegal aliens who are arrested for crimes to better identify illegal aliens in the work face as recommended by the commission headed by former congresswoman Barbara Jordan. We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws. It is wrong and ultimately self defeating for a nation of immigrants to permit the kind of abuse of our immigration laws we have seen in recent years and we must do more to stop it.”

Then U.S. President, Bill Clinton. SOTU address, 1995. Video, HERE.

Part one 

Part two

• IERB Attachment to complaint of 18 August, 2016 – City of Atlanta

I have reason to believe that the city of Atlanta is and has been in violation of OCGA 50-36-1 since 2013 by not verifying eligibility for the issuance and renewal of business licenses, which are public benefits in Georgia.

On July 25, 2016 I made a lawful request for public records from the City of Atlanta’s business license department for multiple affidavits from an Atlanta-operated business that are required to be collected before a business license is issued. The business entity in question is the Atlanta Historical Society, which operates the Atlanta History Center.

My request was for copies of the E-Verify and SAVE affidavits pertaining to Atlanta Historical Society business license renewal applications for the years 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 as well as other documents required by state law. Please see my original request via email and some of the various responses from the City of Atlanta representatives attached.

The SAVE affidavit requirement falls under the authority of the IERB as it is mandated in OCGA 50-36-1.

(5) “SAVE program” means the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security or a successor program designated by the United States Department of Homeland Security for the same purpose.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section or where exempted by federal law, every agency or political subdivision shall verify the lawful presence in the United States under federal immigration law of any applicant for public benefits.

As of today’s date, I have not received any of the requested copies of the documents in question, including the notarized SAVE affidavit. I suspect that the reason Atlanta officials have not forwarded the requested copies to me is that the original documents which are required by law do not exist.

To be clear: My complaint does not involve public records laws but only the requirement that all agencies that administer public benefits collect the SAVE affidavit before processing applications for or issuing such benefits, including business licenses.

Being that Atlanta city officials refuse to comply with my open records request, perhaps the IERB will consider use of its subpoena power to discover the existence – or absence – of the requested SAVE affidavit.

Because of past experience with the IERB, I feel obligated to add that I have little expectation of enthusiastic or effective oversight, investigation or meaningful sanctions if my suspicions of violation of state law were ever proven valid.

D.A. King – citizen
Marietta, Ga.
404-316-6712

• Sent to City of Atlanta, Information Management (via email)

25 July, 2016

To whom it may concern,

Please consider this email my official request for public records as designated under Georgia’s Open Records Act.

Please send me copies of the following documents for the years 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 as filed by the Atlanta Historical Society
* Notarized E-Verify Affidavit

* Notarized SAVE Affidavit

* Copy of government issued ID filed by applicant

* Business license issued for Atlanta Historical Society

I am happy to pay any lawfully accessed copy fees, but would prefer an electronic response.

Please contact me with any questions. I look forward to your timely reply.

Thank you,

D.A. King
2984 Lowe Trail
Marietta, Ga. 30066
404-316-6712
__
* Greetings,

We are in receipt of your email and evaluating your request. We will follow-up with you regarding our findings by Friday, August 11, 2016.

Thanks,

Lolita R. Ferrell, MBA | Management Analyst
City of Atlanta | Department of Finance | Office of the CFO
68 Mitchell Street SW, Suite 11100 | Atlanta, GA 30303
t: 404.330.6901 | m: 404.323.6273 | f: 404.589.2782
e: lrferrell@atlantaga.gov | w: www.atlantaga.gov
__

• On Aug 12, 2016, at 1:34 PM, DOFBusinessOffice wrote:

Greetings,

Attached you will find the final response to your Open Records Request.

Thanks,
DOF Business Office Team

Department of Finance | Business Office
City of Atlanta | City Hall Tower | Office of the Chief Financial Officer
68 Mitchell Street SW, Suite 11100 | Atlanta, GA 30303
p: 404.330.6430 | e: dofbusinessoffice@atlantaga.gov | w: www.atlantaga.gov

• From: D.A. KING [mailto:Dking1952@comcast.net] 
Sent: Friday, August 12, 2016 2:50 PM
To: DOFBusinessOffice
Cc: Phil Kent
Subject: Re: Open Records request

Ms. Ferrell,

Thank you for a response. However, this reply in no way matches the lawful open records request I made On July 25.
I am now working on the assumption that because you have not forwarded copies of the documents I have requested, they do not exist.

If the City of Atlanta has indeed issued and renewed a business license for the Atlanta Historical Society without soliciting and receiving the affidavits I requested, there is a serious violation of state law ( OCGA 50-36-1, OCGA 50-36-2 as examples) to be addressed in addition to the fact that the open records request saw no action in the three-day period clearly required by separate state law.

D.A. King

Cc;
Mr. Phil Kent, Publisher, Insider Advantage Georgia
Member, Georgia Immigration Enforcement Review Board