Common Sense - City-State of Crack & Sanctimony
Written by Kevin Hanley   
Just about every Sunday morning, I have at least one “head-shaking moment.” The ritual begins when I’m comfortably ensconced in my favorite chair with a cup of freshly brewed coffee and the big Sunday edition of the newspaper strategically scattered around me. It usually takes less than seven minutes and thirty seconds for me to find a strange or outrageous article, read it, shake my head from side and side in puzzlement, and call out to the wife, “Hey, honey you won’t believe what I just read!”

Last Sunday, I had two “head-shaking moments.” The first one concerned a new law in the Netherlands that will ban the smoking of tobacco cigarettes in bars and restaurants but not marijuana cigarettes, which are technically illegal. Trying to figure out the logic of this new law will bring on a migraine faster than watching cage fighting.

Of course, reading the San Francisco Chronicle on a peaceful Sunday morning practically guarantees more than one “head-shaking moment.” The article “City’s Shield of Migrants Probed” (June 29, 2008), reports that federal immigration officials are investigating San Francisco’s juvenile probation officials who – citing the city’s 1989 immigrant sanctuary ordinance – “are protecting Honduran youths caught dealing crack cocaine from possible federal deportation and have given some offenders a city-paid flight home with carte blanche to return.”

While those arrested for drug dealing say that they are minors, police suspect that most are adults living together in small apartments at the behest of drug traffickers. According the article, the city’s policy came to light when federal immigration officials detained a San Francisco juvenile probation officer at the Houston airport, where he was accompanying two Honduran juvenile drug offenders, as they were about to take a flight to Tegucigalpa.

William Siffermann, chief of San Francisco’s Juvenile Probation Department, doesn’t want the immigrant drug dealers deported because “it would prevent them from obtaining citizenship.” Yes, Mr. Siffermann actually said those words out loud to the Chronicle reporter. Let’s not discriminate against criminals becoming U.S. citizens!

U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello says that he was “flabbergasted that the taxpayers’ money was being spent for the purpose of ferrying detainees home.” “You have to have a perfect storm of dumb moves to have it happen,” said Russoniello. Even some on the city’s own police force raised questions about the consequences of the city’s illegal immigrant sanctuary law. Captain Tim Hettrich says that many of the immigrant drug dealers “pass themselves as juveniles” and are typically “arrested four or five times.” “They probably get the round trip and the next day, they will be right back here,” says Captain Hettrich.

Having one or more cities passing “sanctuary laws” and devoting taxpayer money to defy and obstruct federal officials from carrying out our laws against illegal immigration and drug dealing should not be tolerated. Such sanctimony ruins the lives of those hooked on crack cocaine. Any city that has passed a destructive “sanctuary law” should have all federal law enforcement grants immediately cut off until they repeal these ordinances.  House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid, who say they are for “immigration reform” and against “illegal drugs,” have a responsibility to act. Will they?

Kevin Hanley serves on the Auburn City Council and as Chief Consultant on health and insurance legislation with the California Legislature. Send your comments to Kevin at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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written by werebeingliedto, July 03, 2008
The Netherlands law isn't so confusing. Tobacco kills 400,000 people every year in this country while marijuana has never killed anybody in any country at anytime in the history of humanity. In fact marijuana is so non-toxic researchers can't determine whether it even has an LD50!

So inhaling second-hand marijuana smoke isn't harmful to the health of wait staff, while inhaling second-hand tobacco smoke is extremely harmful and has been responsible for the deaths of a large number of people already.
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written by Brittanicus, July 03, 2008
Has YOUR community joined the ranks of 'Sanctuary Cities' or states around the nation?
There is no excuses for 'Sanctuary cities', who are pandering to the millions of illegal foreign nationals. Like San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom lost his chance of ever hoping of becoming Governor, because his highly controversial liberal issues. California has become a refuge for hundreds of thousands of criminal aliens, who have taken over the streets and highways of this state. Gang member-filth, rapist, pedophiles have infested Los Angeles, San Francisco and remain as allusive to the police because of 'Sanctuary city' laws, like SPECIAL ORDER 40. Originally mandated to protect Americans, it has become the nemesis of Los Angeles, such as the recent criminal case of Jamiel Shaw, shot down in cold blood by a gang member. Sanctuary city laws are giving free reign to illegal aliens, so they can run freely. Has Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa or Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger openly become a panderer to the illegal immigration occupation and the special interest lobby. That is why we must enact the Federal SAVE ACT (H.R.408smilies/cool.gif It will kill any "Sanctuary City' laws on a nationwide basis and give ICE and the police more funding, to rid America of this illegal invasion. Read the truth NUMBERSUSA.

Under the federal SAVE ACT (H.R.408smilies/cool.gif predatory employers would be arrested, fined and possibly imprisoned and millions of illegal aliens would leave of their OWN ACCORD. It would give (ICE) more funding and build the US border patrol up to 20.000 more agents in strength, build the fence as ORIGINALLY intended. This nationwide law would also begin to remove criminal aliens, 'SANCTUARY STATES' from our society. It would give extra teeth to all immigration laws now on the books. Demand the SAVE ACT! (2022243121 ) Unsuppressed details at NUMBERSUSA.
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written by Cole Younger, July 03, 2008
"House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid, who say they are for “immigration reform” and against “illegal drugs,” have a responsibility to act. Will they?"

You must be kidding? Pelosi and Reid rely on the illegal alien vote to stay in power. Why do you think liberals (not to be confused with democrats) don't want voter ID's to be presented at the polls? Its so the fraudulant vote can be counted. They yell that it would disenfranchise voters but they mean it will disenfranchise the illegal casted ballot. The only voter disenfranchised is the legal voter when the illegal vote wins a election. I am a independent and I have allot of real "democrats" and republican friends. None of them support amnesty and all want immigration laws enforced. Many of the democrats I know believe Pelosi and Reid should not be affiliated or be a member of the democrat party. They also suggest that McCain is more of a democrat then those two are.
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