truesee's Blog

Arizona Ethnic Studies Classes Banned, Teachers With Accents Can No Longer Teach English

First Posted: 04-30-10 12:38 PM   |   Updated: 04-30-10 01:45 PM

Arizona's new immigration law is just about crime, its supporters say, but given that the state's new education policy equates ethnic studies programs with high treason, they may not be using the commonly accepted definition of "crime."

Under the ban, sent to Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer by the state legislature Thursday, schools will lose state funding if they offer any courses that "promote the overthrow of the U.S. government, promote resentment of a particular race or class of people, are designed primarily for students of a particular ethnic group or advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals."

As ThinkProgress notes, the Tucson Unified School District's popular Mexican-American studies department is the target here. The state superintendent charges that the program exhibits "ethnic chauvinism."

Meanwhile, in a move that was more covert until the Wall Street Journal uncovered it, the Arizona Department of Education has told schools that teachers with "heavy" or "ungrammatical" accents are no longer allowed to teach English classes.

As outlined by the Journal, Arizona's recent pattern of discriminatory education policies is ironic -- and is likely a function of No Child Left Behind funding requirements -- given that the state spent a decade recruiting teachers for whom English was a second language.

In the 1990s, Arizona hired hundreds of teachers whose first language was Spanish as part of a broad bilingual-education program. Many were recruited from Latin America.

Then in 2000, voters passed a ballot measure stipulating that instruction be offered only in English. Bilingual teachers who had been instructing in Spanish switched to English.

Teachers who don't meet the new fluency standards have the option of taking classes to improve their English, the Journal reports, but if they fail to reach the state's targets would be fired or reassigned.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Incestuous-Grandmother-Pearl-Carter-Having-Baby-With-Grandson-Phil-Bailey-In-Indiana-USA/Article/201004415623115?f=rss

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/30/duncan-hunter-deport-ille_n_558137.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/29/louisiana-oil-spill-gets_n_556444.html

HermèsKnown for the classic Birkin bag, Hermès took second place on the list.

Gucci/handoutGucci rounds out the top three of most powerful luxury brands.

We’ve heard it all about the recession. Consumers are employing new tactics for saving money in tough economic times. They’re also cutting back on excessive spending and looking for more deals when making purchases.

But where does that leave the luxury brands – Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton, to name a few? Can people still justify those expensive purses and designer footwear when the economy is in a state of turmoil?

In short, yes. Though the luxury industry has fallen by 3% as a whole, some brands have rallied by adopting unique strategies to make sure they stay on top.  Some turned to online advertising, others chose to concentrate on investment pieces that people could use to supplement their wardrobe, and still others tried more innovative approaches for their brands.

Global brand strategy and financial consultancy firm Millward Brown Optimor ranked the world’s most powerful luxury brands from an economic angle, taking into consideration both their current value and demand which will lead to future profit.
1. Louis Vuitton – Taking the No. 1 spot again, Vuitton’s value rose 2% to $19.78 billion. The company focused on heritage travel pieces last year, appealing to those already committed to the brand.

2. Hermès – Hermès stayed at No. 2 from last year and rose 8% in 2009 to $8.46 billion. It's 71% family-owned, which means there is strong control over the brand and it’s only sold in the company’s own stores.

3. Gucci – Rounding out the top three and keeping its spot from last year, Gucci’s value rose to $7.59 billion, a gain of 2%. In a bid to get a hold of the secondhand market, it entered a partnership with Christie’s to have the auction house appraise vintage products.

4. Chanel – Chanel also kept its spot from last year, despite an 11% drop in value to $5.55 billion. Though people still bought bags and fragrances, the loss could be attributed to a drop in sales of ready-to-wear items.

5. Hennessy – Hennessy rose one spot on the list, losing only 1% of value and coming in at $5.37 billion. The cognac company is popular in countries such as China.

6. Rolex – As people bought less expensive jewelry, the luxury watch company suffered last year. It only dropped one spot on the list, but is now valued at $4.74 billion, a 14% loss.

7. Moët & Chandon – Moët & Chandon went down 12% in value to $4.28 billion, but rose a spot on the list and is still the best-selling champagne brand.

8. Cartier – Another jewelry retailer to suffer, Cartier dropped a list spot and 19% of its value. Now estimated at $3.96 billion, the company lost money both in its own stores and at third-party shops.

9. Fendi – Fendi lost 8% of value to $3.20 billion, but kept its ninth-ranked position. The company looked to the worldwide market to increase sales. In the U.S., Fendi is known for its purses, but the ready-to-wear line is superpopular in Asia.

10. Tiffany and Co. – The only new entry on the list, Tiffany and Co. managed to rise to $2.38 billion, a 6% gain. It looked more toward the world market, but the company’s success is also down to not offering discount prices. 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2010/04/29/2010-04-29_vuitton_herms_gucci_the_top_ten_luxury_brands.html#ixzz0mXloy7qp

National ID Card Included In Democratic Immigration Bill

First Posted: 04-29-10 06:12 PM   

Updated: 04-29-10 07:05 PM

Democrats pushed forward on an immigration overhaul on Thursday evening with no Republican support, as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) continues to hold out, arguing that the divisive issue will make progress on climate change legislation impossible.

The Senate is also in the middle of debating Wall Street reform, which is expected to take up the next few weeks of floor time. Reid, however, said that the chamber would be able to handle the task. "We can do more than one thing at once," he said.

The Democratic proposal includes increased money for border patrol and drug war agents, equipment, helicopters and unmanned drones. It would create a national ID -- which is dubbed a "biometric social security card." Though Democrats insist that it is not an ID card and can only be used for employment purposes.

The proposal would also include a crackdown on employers who hire undocumented workers. It works to deport some immigrants who are not in the country legally and creates a limited pathway to citizenship for others.

Democrats brought out their heavy hitters for the announcement: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.); Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.); Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who's been leading the push for immigration reform; Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.); Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) and Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

The crackdown on employers relies on the creation of national identity cards. "These cards will be fraud-resistant, tamper-resistant, wear resistant, and machine-readable social security cards containing a photograph and an electronically coded micro-processing chip which possesses a unique biometric identifier for the authorized card-bearer," reads the bill summary.

Broadly, the proposal includes:

1. More Border Patrol officers
2. More Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, worksite inspectors, document fraud investigators and drug-war agents
3. The "installation of high-tech ground sensors throughout the southern border and for equipping all border patrol officers with the technological capability to respond to activation of the ground sensors in the area they are patrolling."
4. More prosecution of drug smuggling, human trafficking and unauthorized border crossing
5. "[I]ncreases in the number of sport utility vehicles, helicopters, power boats, river boats, portable computers to track illegal immigrants and drug smugglers while inside of a border patrol vehicle, night vision equipment, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), Remote Video Surveillance Systems (RVSS), scope trucks, and Mobile Surveillance Systems (MSS)."
6. All prisoners will be checked for immigration status and deported if found to lack documentation.
7. DHS will "identify, investigate, and initiate removal proceedings" against folks who came here legally but didn't leave.
8. The bill would create "a broad-based registration program that requires all illegal immigrants living in the U.S. to come forward to register, be screened, and, if eligible, complete other requirements to earn legal status, including paying taxes."

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/29/1603473/why-dont-they-come-legally-they.html

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/alabama-gubernatorial-candidate-tim-james-this-is-alabama-we-speak-english/19456080

Smith for News

Mayor Bloomberg calls on President Obama to fight against the nation's immigration rules.

A fired-up Mayor Bloomberg warned the U.S. "is committing national suicide" by passing the buck on implementing comprehensive immigration reform.

Hizzoner delivered the blunt message Wednesday as he criticized Arizona's harsh new anti-immigrant law.

"This is not good for the country. I don't agree with it," he said. "We love immigrants here."

Bloomberg said that because federal lawmakers have failed to tackle the thorny issue, lawmakers in states like Arizona have taken matters into their own hands.

"This country is committing national suicide," Bloomberg said.

The Arizona law allows cops to stop anyone they think is in the country illegally and arrest folks who can't prove their immigration status or citizenship.

Bloomberg deemed it an invitation to harassment.

"We have to get real about the 12 million undocumented here," the mayor said. "We're not going to deport them. Give them permanent status. Don't make them citizens unless they can qualify, but give them permanent status and let's get on with this."

Bloomberg spoke as he thanked volunteers at the "Citizenship Now!" hotline sponsored by the Daily News and City University of New York, which helps callers who want to know how to become citizens.

He called on President Obama to lead the fight to overhaul the nation's immigration rules. "I will be there behind him supporting him 100%," he said.

Bloomberg long has been a supporter of immigration reform, saying current law deters international companies from sending employees through border hassles to work in the U.S. - and freezes out the highly skilled immigrants America needs. 

"We don't have doctors, and we're not allowing people who want to come here and be doctors to come here," the mayor said. "This is just craziness."

"People are developing new drugs in India, rather than here. They're going to win the next Nobel Prize in China or in Europe, not here. If we want to have a future, we need to have more immigrants here."

Dems raffle dinner with Obama, Pelosi

Eric Zimmermann

The Hill

04/28/10 12:33 PM ET

Democrats are raffling off the opportunity to dinner privately with President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Pelosi announced the opportunity in a fundraising letter for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

"Since America's progress would not be possible without grassroots Democrats like you, I wanted to give you and a guest the opportunity to have dinner with myself and President Obama the evening of May 13th in New York City," Pelosi wrote.

Supporters are asked to donate to the DCCC to automatically qualify for the drawing, but the fine print makes clear that no donation is required.

The winner will be allowed to bring one guest. No word on where the dinner will take place.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Strange-News/Holy-Man-Claims-To-Live-Without-Food-And-Water-For-70-Years-Prahlad-Jani-Put-Through-Tests-In-India/Article/201004415622202?f=rss

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/28/cable-news-ratings-april_n_554295.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/04/28/2010-04-28_meghan_mccain_criticizes_arizonas_antiillegal_immigrant_law_as_dad_sen_john_mcca.html

 

Opponents of Arizona's new anti-immigrant law are calling for a boycott of the state's products - including the popular Arizona Iced Tea.

The problem: Arizona Iced Tea is actually brewed in New York.

Online, misguided tea fans vowed to switch to Lipton or Snapple.

"Dear Arizona: If you don't change your immigration policy, I will have to stop drinking your enjoyable brand of iced tea," Twittered Jody Beth in Los Angeles. 

"It is the drink of fascists," wrote Travis Nichols in Chicago.

The company did not return messages asking if they planned to set the public straight.

Founded in Brooklyn in 1992, the firm was based in Queens before moving into a new $35 million headquarters in Nassau County last year. 

The new state law allows cops to demand citizenship papers from anyone they think looks illegal.

Actual Arizona firms facing a boycott: Cold Stone Creamery, U-Haul and Best Western.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/04/28/2010-04-28_ariz_law_leads_to_misfired_ire.html#ixzz0mO0TnDzL