Twitter folks - this is your moment to shine. Use tag #HR3012. You can send tweets to Senators - find their info here: http://twitter.com/#!/who_to_follow/search/senator
For example: Senator Grassley: @ChuckGrassley
Suggested tweet by **: Request your leadership to support HR 3012 Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act #HR3012
Agreed, with one caveat. I think we still ought to have the counter arguments published on a website somewhere.Quote:
Originally Posted by imdeng
This will serve two purposes. a) If and when staffers (I don't think any of us will get in front of our senators) start referring to any of the arguments we'll have somewhere we can point them to it to disabuse them of this misinformation and b) when future trolls come along to this forum, we can point them to it instead of addressing their arguments.
I think i'll be stuck at an airport most of this afternoon. I'll try and get a first draft of our arguments going. A couple of people on this forum offered to host the page. Hopefully we'll have a working site ready by Monday for further tweaks. I'm not talking about a blog or a forum; it will allow no comments or posts. It will simply have our message and action items. Refer to my posts earlier on this thread for further details.
Makes sense Pedro - a informative site without comments or discussion makes sense. We can then use that as a link to support our arguments.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pedro Gonzales
All - This is my version built on imdeng's copy. I have NOT read **'s version because I didn't want this version to be biased after reading that.Quote:
Originally Posted by imdeng
What was the aim?
1. Don't complain about the pain, just focus on what is important and beneficial for US.
2. Explain the most important points as a numbered list.
3. Make the letter personable - a human wrote it to be read by another human.
4. We all will have opinions about what the "best" letter needs to comprise, but this is my version of the "most important and just enough" contents of such a letter. So don't complain to imdeng or I. If you don't like this, please go ahead and write your own.
BUT SPEND THOSE $9 to send the 3 printed copies.
===========START==========
I am writing to you to ask you for your support for H.R. 3012 - Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act.
Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness may be what one recognizes this beautiful country for, but "Fairness" is also an attribute that is deeply embedded in its ethos.
I am cognizant of how deeply contentious any immigration policy decision can be for elected officials. Years of partisanship and division over the issue have proven how difficult it is to resolve these issues. However, what you have today in front of you is a bill that puts aside all contentious aspects of immigration, and focuses purely on the singular aspect that every United States citizen agrees with - Attract the best and brightest in the world to its shores, just as it always has.
That said, H.R. 3012 does NOT bring a single new person in to United States. It only aims to make the "process" of employment based immigration fair for the best and brightest English speaking, educated, tax-paying, law abiding, experienced professionals who have previously entered United States legally after proving their worth. These are people who have done their best to pay their dues to call this country home, but at the same time, have been treated unfairly. H.R. 3012 is a technical fix that makes the process of employment based immigration more "American" because "Fairness" is the quintessential American way.
As you may already be aware, H.R. 3012 proposes to remove the arbitrarily prescribed limit of 7% per country on annual allotment of green cards - the root cause of the unfairness. Because of this limit, applicants from countries like India, China, Mexico, and Philippines are subjected to an inhumane wait of more than 10-12 years.
As I write to you, I also understand that United States' immigration policy decisions should not and cannot be made based purely on the sacrifice that a potential immigrant has to make. But at the same time, I also want to question how the existing, arbitrary, employment based immigration policy helps the United States' economy. If it doesn't help, it should be removed in order to make the lives of those professionals working hard to call US their home a little better.
I would like to bring your attention to the following list of points:
1. This bill does NOT increase the number of immigrants allowed in the United States.
2. This bill eliminates an archaic provision of the current employment based immigration law that discriminates the amount of time an employment based applicant needs to wait based on his country of birth.
3. This bill will have no impact on the diversity of the immigrant pool (much less the diversity of the population of United States) because it only impacts a small percentage of the total immigrant pool entering United States.
4. This bill is a product of patriotic minds on both sides of the aisle working together to produce small, beneficial results for the US economy. It has thus passed the House of Representatives with a 96% approval - a rare feat in today's times.
I request you to support H.R. 3012 with your honorable colleagues from both sides of the aisle.
Thank you.
============END============
Manubhai
Great job. I will just state my core view on why country quota doesn't make sense and leave it to you and others to change it.
Fundamentally "Freedom" is a very American core value. Current country quotas are forcing EB-IC applicants to work for an employer for unrealistic time periods which is for all practical purposes - economic slavery. American Experience should start with Freedom and Equal Opportunity. The premise that "All men are born equal" should also apply to immigrants. "All Immigrants should enter the US equally". And then let their own energies, capabilities and ideas take them to different heights.
That's how I fundamentally see it.
If anybody needs a twitter template for copy paste - I found this to be a well written one. Please send to as many Senators as you can - at least do so for your home state Senators.
Pls support bi-partisan #HR3012 Fairness For High Skilled Immigrants Act, passed 385-19 by House, now waiting for Senate vote
Totally rocks!
Just the right amount of emotion and harking to American values, combined with solid facts.
Just some minor carping. Overall the letter is awesome.
A couple of typos, and some suggested changes to make it more readable. Just what I think- may not be right.
I have bolded / highlighted areas that may be places to make changes.
OTOH I may be wrong and this reads best.
Sorry for the unsolicited editing, but I think the letter is great and we should give it wider circulation.
Maybe I am missing soem nuances in your language, but here is what I am thinking in the earlier post:
The two typos (I think) are: you probably mean partisanship (& not bi-p), & countries instead of country.
I feel the upper casing and " " in every is not required there- it reads just as well otherwise.
Unfairly probably comes across more strongly than its passive variant.
The " " don't work in process teh second time around.
Reg. discriminatory - it probably comes across as a little too strong, and carries a lot of baggage; a softer word may serve us better.
"on the quantity and quality of sacrifice" can be substituted by the simpler "sacrifices".
helpful_leo - Have made the corrections and updates as you suggested on the original. Thank you.
Only thing not changed was the use of the word "discriminatory". I do think it is an appropriate word to use here because the current status, by definition, is based on "group of people" based on country of origin.
imdeng - can you please update the petition? I see it has already received 102 signs.
q, helpful_leo - Please remove the old quoted text from your messages so that folks don't copy that version by mistake if they decide to post it outside of imdeng's petition.
Updated version is here.
Thanks!
I agree with the above suggestions.Quote:
Originally Posted by helpful_leo
I also think the 'an' that was inserted by Leo before 'inhumane' but wasn't bolded by him is required.
As to 'in the same breath', I prefer 'at the same time' but both work.
On 'discriminatory', how about 'arbitrary'. Equally strong perhaps, but with none of the baggage. I'm deng/manubhai, we'll leave it to you to take or leave these comments. Do fix the two typos though, whatever else you chose to do.
I am not discouraging anyone and do not take my opinion in the wrong way. Online communication seldom results in anything substantial. As it is the internet is full of auto-tweeting services and email-bots. So senate offices rarely take these seriously. What matters is an in-person visit and telephone calls.
During the house judiciary Markup, the calls made the most difference. Also, on another note, the hold by Grassley is truly problematic as he is the Ranking member of Senate Judiciary committee and as such the Republican leadership will defer to him on matters of immigration. So those who can need to be in DC to visit Senators and more importantly, change Grassley's mind.
Until then the bill is truly stuck. It is a shame that a Republican Senator is putting a hold on a bill by a Republican Congressman which passed the house vote with a 96% approval or so.
Based on Manubhai's inputs, I am editing the petition. If you have already signed the original petition then there is no need to re-sign. The changed petition is below - please note that this is only a template and you will have the opportunity to edit and include your words when you sign the petition.
Link to Petition: http://www.petition2congress.com/566...rants-hr-3012/
-------------------
I am writing to you to ask you for your support for H.R. 3012 - Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act. This bill is a minor technical fix that will help reduce the long wait times and large backlog in the employment based green card system without increasing the number of green cards issued.
The root cause of the backlog and delays in the employment based green card system is the unfair and discriminatory per-country-limits of 7% per country on annual allotment of green cards. Because of this artificial limit, many high-skilled legal immigrants from countries like India, China, Mexico and Philippines are subjected to inhumane wait of more than 10-12 years for a visa. A minor technical fix of removing the per-country-limits and imposing the fair practice of first-come-first-serve will help reduce the long backlogs. H.R. 3012 - Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act, that contains the technical fix, passed the US House of Representatives with an overwhelming bipartisan support of 389-15 votes on Nov 29th.
H.R. 3012 does NOT increase the number of green cards issued. It only aims to make the process of employment based immigration fair for the best and brightest high-skilled, English speaking, educated, tax-paying, law abiding, experienced professionals who have previously entered United States legally after proving their worth. These are people who have done their best to pay their dues to call this country home, but at the same time, have been treated with a lot of unfairness because of their country of birth. H.R. 3012 is a technical fix that makes the process of employment based immigration more "American" because "Fairness" is the quintessential American way.
I would like to bring the following to your attention regarding H.R 3012:
1. This bill does NOT increase the number of immigrants allowed in the United States.
2. This bill eliminates an archaic provision of the current employment based immigration law that discriminates the amount of time an employment based green card applicant needs to wait based on his/her country of birth.
3. This bill will have no impact on the diversity of the immigrant pool (much less the diversity of the population of United States) because it only impacts a small percentage of the total immigrant pool entering United States.
4. This bill is a product of patriotic minds on both sides of the aisle working together to produce small, beneficial results for the US economy. It has thus passed the House of Representatives with a 96% approval - a rare feat in today's times.
I request you to support H.R. 3012 with your honorable colleagues from both sides of the aisle. I am cognizant of how deeply contentious any immigration policy decision can be for elected officials. Years of partisanship and division over the issue have proven how difficult it is to resolve these issues. However, what you have in front of you is a bill that puts aside all contentious aspects of immigration, and focuses purely on the singular aspect that every United States citizen agrees with - Attract the best and brightest in the world to its shores, just as it always has, irrespective of their country of birth. This bill will not only help create a fair high-skilled immigration system based on the principle of first-come-first-serve, it will also help the USA attract the best high-skilled talent from around the world to grow the economy and create jobs in the USA.
Thank You.
Pedro - Made the changes. Thanks. I don't personally feel that "discriminatory" is out of place here, but if that's what you both feel makes sense, then I'm in because there might be more people who agree with that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pedro Gonzales
Yes, I agree with Pedro - there needs to be an "an" before inhumane.
Discriminatory is indeed accurate - however, since we are communicating with the body that enacted the law, I wondered if the word came across as a bit accusatory. I was looking for a word that communicated the combined senses of discriminatory, arbitrary and outdated.
Imdeng, thanks for doing this.
The final format looks appropriate, but my OCD part worries if it has become a tad too clunky, too big. And honestly I preferred the arrangement of paragraphs in manubhai's original. Just being a bit anal- this works great too.
imdeng - I don't agree fully with the final state of the petition letter because I think it is a little repetitive and not structured in flow to carry the reader from beginning to closing. However, that is just my personal opinion and I'll still sign it because this is about us collectively as a big enough group to bring some attention to the cause. Thanks for the initiative.
I urge others to sign it too.
I will definitely sign d petition. I have been reading here for last two days.
has anyone called chaffez s office?
I still think we will need support of main stream media if it doesn't move for next few weeks. specially immigration bill clearing with majority bi partisan support in d house.left wing media will be willing to cover d story. and right wing media won't oppose it since its proposed by a republican.. if not anything else that can bring enough pressure on few senators to file cloture too.. anyways guys good job with d petition.
Thank you for your contribution Manubhai. Folks - please consider sending the petition in printed letter form - it has much more of an impact than just an email. Please also note that you are not bound by either my or Manubhai's draft - you can edit the petition and put your own words if you prefer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by manubhai
Response from Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) to our petition. Very quick indeed. Kohl is a member of the Judiciary Committee and his overall tone seems positive.
Quote:
Dear Dr. XXX:
Thank you for contacting me. I value the correspondence I receive from fellow Wisconsinites, and welcome this opportunity to address your concerns.
On November 10, 2011, Senator Mike Lee [R-UT] introduced S. 1857, the "Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act." This legislation would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the per country limitation on employment-based immigrant visas. S. 1857 would also adjust the limitations on family visas without increasing the total number of available visas. This bill has been referred to the Judiciary Committee, of which I am a member. Please be assured that I will keep your thoughts in mind as the Senate considers this legislation.
I believe that a tough but fair immigration system is necessary. While we must curb illegal immigration, it is also important to respect those individuals who are willing to work, pay taxes, and abide by our laws to earn citizenship. In the past, I have supported bipartisan compromises that addressed these concerns, and I will continue to work towards immigration reform with my colleagues in the 112th Congress.
Again, thank you for contacting me. I appreciate hearing your views on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Herb Kohl
United States Senator
Grassley on immigrationQuote:
Originally Posted by kd2008
http://www.issues2000.org/Internatio...mmigration.htm
most of the time when immigration comes he is nay sayer, and interestingly for Agriculture worker program he said YES.(so Union works for him! Probably)
and for Skiller Workers too
Awesome-st!Quote:
Originally Posted by imdeng
Eventhough he said yes for skilled worker on year 1998, things were different at that time, but this time it seems he never understands what is the content of this bill H.R.3012. so possibly when he realises what exactly the bill is, things can turn around. Its not easy but very much possible(republican bill:-)), he may want to add his own version to amend this bill.Quote:
Originally Posted by vishnu
212 letters and emails so far. Please continue to spread the word and sign the petition. Please do consider sending a printed letter for a nominal fee. Link below in my signature.
Quote:
Originally Posted by imdeng
Any chance the bill will be taken up in the Senate before the recess ....i looked at the outcome of the Executive Business meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee and there was nothing related to S1857.....there is another meeting on 8th Dec but S1857 is not on the agenda....
NOTICE OF COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE BUSINESS MEETING
An Executive Business Meeting has been scheduled by the Committee on the Judiciary for Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 10:00 a.m., in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
By order of the Chairman.
AGENDA
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 226
December 8, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.
I. Nominations
Kathryn Keneally, to be Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division, Department of Justice
II. Bills
S.1886, Counterfeit Drug Penalty Enhancement Act of 2011 (Leahy, Grassley, Blumenthal, Whitehouse)
S.678, Economic Espionage Penalty Enhancement Act (Kohl, Kyl, Whitehouse, Graham, Coons, Coburn, Blumenthal)
S.1821, Temporary Bankruptcy Judgeships Extension Act of 2011 (Coons, Graham)
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