On a visit to San Francisco yesterday, Gov. Schwarzenegger made some strong remarks on the hot topic of immigration that his opponents are seizing upon to stir controversy. We can only imagine that they will increase their volume of criticism, inflaming a certain demographic which they generally pander to, while distorting the governor’s real message.

With this week’s earlier news about the MinuteMan Project demonstrating great success at stemming illegal immigration along the Arizona/Mexico border, the governor’s remarks are entirely contemporary.

As the S.F. Chronicle reports: “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged federal officials to beef up enforcement and secure the state’s borders against illegal immigrants, saying Tuesday they must clean up a “lax situation” instead of “trying to run the other way.”

“Close the borders. Close the borders in California, and all across Mexico and the United States,” Schwarzenegger told hundreds of newspaper publishers at Newspaper Association of American convention the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.

“Because I think it is just unfair to have all of those people coming across, and to have the borders open the way it is,” the California governor said. “We in California have to still finish the border. That is the key thing — to have borders and to keep the law, enforce the law.”

In context, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with those remarks. “Close” the borders can surely be said about our existing borders which our virtually “open,” because they are so porous, unguarded and uncontrolled, thus allowing a steady traffic of illegal immigrants entering our state.

Democrats were quick to react to the governor’s statement with outrage. Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez issued a statement saying Schwarzenegger should “ratchet down this rhetoric and retreat from this narrow-minded approach to immigration.”

Of course, Mr. Núñez is not one without his own bias. As AmericanPatrol.com points out: In 1998, “Fabian Nunez [was] an activist with ONE STOP IMMIGRATION, headed by Juan Jose Gutierrez. ONE STOP is one of the most vocal pro illegal alien advocacy groups in California and is under investigation by the FBI for misappropriation of federal and state grants. They coordinated the massive Los Angeles “Grande Marcha” against Prop 187 in October 1994, where thousands waving Mexican flags outraged Americans throughout the country. Nunez was on stage much of the time, directing speakers.”

While the governor’s political foes exaggerate reactions and eagerly cry out allegations of “extremism,” it is they who perpetuate a cultural divisiveness by manipulating his messages and antagonizing special interests against him.

Chris Kelly has more details.

RELATED:
Can We Stop Illegals?

The unions are at it again…

“The nation’s largest teachers union and school districts in three states Wednesday launched a legal fight over No Child Left Behind, aiming to free schools from complying with any part of the education law not paid for by the federal government, ” the AP reports.

Surprise, surprise. It’s all about the money. On the surface, it may appear to be an issue of fairness. But beneath, it’s all about a bloated union bureaucracy demanding more money without being pegged to performance.

Maybe that’s why Gov. Schwarzenegger is pushing an initiative to establish merit pay for teachers in California. At least that way, the best teachers get rewarded while the worst get flushed out. Makes good sense. Only a lousy instructor would object to that.

Some might argue it’s unfortunate that we even need the NCLB program. At an earlier time in America’s history, we didn’t. What happened?

The unions will have different answers than the parents, for sure.

Reuters reports: “NBC could create Internet blogs for its top news anchors and celebrity interviewers as it seeks to maintain the appeal of U.S. network news, its top executive said Tuesday.”

There goes the neighborhood.

NBC Universal Television Group President Jeff Zucker said entering the generally opinionated world of blogs might be one way TV networks could keep their grip on viewers who increasingly use the Internet for news.

Given the existing media bias, maybe NBC DailyKos isn’t too far-fetched.

“Over the next two years, network news is going to go through a lot more changes,” Zucker said at a Yahoo conference on high-speed Internet use. “This is one of the biggest issues facing traditional network news divisions.”

Sounds like they’re worried. Don’t it?

“State NAACP doesn’t speak for all blacks, pastors say at Capitol event,” reports the Sacramento Bee.

“A group of African American pastors and church members Monday denounced the California chapter of the NAACP for endorsing legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage in the state.

About two dozen opponents of AB 19 held a news conference outside the Capitol to respond to chapter President Alice Huffman’s contention that the issue is not “clearly understood” by many black Americans.”

“We understand marriage very well - she’s the one that’s confused if she thinks homosexual marriage is OK,” said Brenda Bennett, president of the Sacramento Alliance for Civil Rights.

The full story here.

CNET reports: “If David Patterson had his way, the president of the United States would congratulate top code jockeys just like the commander-in-chief applauds the Super Bowl champs.”

“That would send a message about the importance of technology smarts and skills, argues Patterson, a computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and president of the Association for Computing Machinery, a group that runs a major student coding contest.”

After U.S. students earlier this month made their worst showing in the 29-year history of the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest, Patterson and others are wondering whether the United States does enough to encourage programming talent. The top U.S. school finished in a tie for 17th place. Students from China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University took the top honors, continuing a gradual ascendance of Asian and Eastern European schools during the past decade or so. The last time a U.S. institution won the world championship was in 1997.

This is a painful indictment of our education system, and our sinking status in world rankings. American can, and should, do much better.

President Bush, please take note of this story.

“If California truly is the bellwether for the rest of the country, get ready for more government intrusiveness in your life. The legislative Sages of Sacramento are emulating European-style over-regulation: They plan to ban the traditional production of foie gras, and now a state senator and an assemblyman, both Democrats, have crafted two Europe-inspired bills to protect us from the trumped-up dangers of cosmetics.”

Another story to shake your head over. But we know it’ll take more than lipstick to fix this state, anyway.

Tech Central Station has the story.

RELATED: Wonder if this kid has been alerted to the danger?

“Where can you make $2,000 a day, with no real effort? In San Mateo County, California.

Before you start packing your bags to head there, you should know that the average homeowner in San Mateo County saw the value of his property increase by $2,000 a day over the past month. The median price of a single-family home in the county reached $896,000. But, if you don’t already own a home in San Mateo County, you don’t get the two grand a day.”

Thomas Sowell provides a unique analysis on what’s driving the San Francisco/Bay Area housing market. Don’t be suprised by his conclusion: It’s politics. (continue reading post »)

Reuters reports: “Computer-security flaws at the U.S. tax-collection agency expose millions of taxpayers to potential identity theft or illegal police snooping, according to a congressional report released on Monday.”

Incredible. Outrageous.

A major public and private effort is in the works in California to fight the rise in obesity and its economic costs.

The Sacramento Bee reports: “Dangerously, unhealthily, threateningly flabby, not just hold-the-mayo, walk-another-mile and buy-a-larger-pants-size chunky.

State residents have gained 180,000 tons during the past decade, nearly 11 pounds apiece, increasing the risk of health problems from diabetes to strokes, state records show.

(continue reading post »)

Arthur Chrenkoff reports on the latest poll from Iraq. In a survey of 778 Baghdadis, a new opinion poll from Iraq reveals:

81.80% do not want an immediate pull out of foreign troops.
55% believe that security is better since establishing a new Iraqi government.

Reporting on the April 9th demonstrations in Baghdad, “Most of the U.S. media portrayed it as a massive anti American demonstration in the streets of Iraq. I noticed, however, from Iraqi Arabic newspapers that most the demonstrations were against terrorism & calling for SaddamÂ’s trial & hanging (all these signs were in Arabic).”