Arizona politician caught in lies about illegal immigrant crime

[High Plains]

Group, law enforcement challenge immigrant crime numbers

Carrie Watters
The Arizona Republic
May. 22, 2006 07:02 PM

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0522illegalscrime-ON.html


Rep. Russell Pearce is among the state's hard-liners on immigration, but one group is accusing him of fear-mongering with crime statistics that don't add up. The Arizona Interfaith Network held a news conference at the state Capitol Monday to challenge Pearce's comments that link illegal immigrants with crimes ranging from homicide to child molestation. Some in law enforcement agree that stats to back up the rhetoric just are not available.

Pearce has cited estimates that 80 percent of violent crimes involve illegal aliens. He told The Republic that ballpark figure came from former Phoenix Police Chief Harold Hurtt, now in Houston, and that he'd challenge the ex-chief to a polygraph test if needed. Hurtt could not be reached for comment, but Phoenix Police Sgt. Lauri Williams called the figure "ridiculous" and said Hurtt denies giving it.

<snip>

Richard White, president of the organization, called Pearce's rhetoric a smear campaign against "a whole people that tends to create division and fear." The purpose is to advance a political agenda of hard-line immigration reforms by instilling fear in the public and pressure among lawmakers to act, White said. "I hope the public will recognize the song and dance for what it is," he said.

<snip>

Pearce also was called on a statistic that 95 percent of all outstanding warrants for homicide in Los Angeles target illegal aliens. But, officers at the LA police department and sheriff's office say they aren't sure how that fact was deduced. "I don't know where those come from," said Lt. Paul Vernon, who handles public information with the LAPD. Much like in Phoenix, officers do not check immigration status. Neither LA nor Phoenix police departments track the number of illegal immigrants involved in crimes, officials said.

The statistic appears to have originated with Heather MacDonald, who is listed as a scholar with the Manhattan Institute in New York. MacDonald could not be reached for comment on Monday.

[High Plains]

1. Pearce also claimed illegal immigrants make up one-third of

all prisoners. Again, not true. Non-US citizens account for 12% of state prisoners and 27% of federal prisoners. This group includes many who are not illegal immigrants.

I've heard some of the same bullshit spouted on DU. Now it's been called out.

[987654321]

2. People who lie to the public...

have no respect for the public.
We'll never have an open, honest dialog about issues in this country until our leaders start telling the truth.

[demosincebirth]

3. This was circulated thru email as fact attributed to

the LATs.

These people just put shit that they dream of on the internet and claim as fact and people just pass it on without checking its validity.

[987654321]

4. The ends justifies the means

So many people believe that now-a-days and it pisses me off.

[Disturbed]

5. Please explain why many in the RW are against...

the Guest Worker concept and any sort of amnesty for Illegal Immigrants. Why do some in the RW still propose that Illegal Immigrants and anyone aiding &/or abetting them should be charged with a felony?

[987654321]

7. Aside from the fact that some of them are racists...

I think it's just because their leaders want people to focus on this issue, get all riled up and emotional about it, so they can't see what's going on in the big picture.

You know how if a person wants to hit someone without them realizing that the punch is coming, they can tell them that their shoe lace is untied or their zipper is down. Then when they get distracted by looking to see, out of nowhere, whack, they get belted. Well I think it is kind of the same thing they are trying to do to America. It's like, look, them damn Messicans(gays, liberals, tree-huggers, etc. are used as well) are destroying America, look!!! Then when we are distracted by looking, before we know it, BAM!, we get F-ed up the Ass.

For America's sake it's just a good thing that not all of us are falling for it.

[suffragette]

6. Whoa, just googled Heather MacDonald and found

a whole string of nasty articles, most published in RW pubs, but some in more mainstream places. Definitely a name to watch out for now.

Here are just a few:

Information Please
Only a paranoid solipsist could feel threatened by the calling analysis program.
by Heather MacDonald
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/206zbpvd.asp?pg=2

Someone needs to tell her that attaching an innocuous label to an illegal program does not make it ok.

Total Misrepresentation
From the January 27, 2003 issue: There's a compelling case to be made for the Pentagon's Total Information Awareness program.
by Heather Mac Donald
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/002/137dvufs.asp

She likes TIA - nuff said.


Patriot Act: Let Investigators Do Their Job

by Heather MacDonald
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4763326

She hearts the Patriot Act. And this was on NPR?


Looks like she did a whole series of anti-immigrant screeds for Horowitz's FrontPage. I can't get myself to click through to see those.

Maybe that's where the crap Pearce is using and falsely attributing to others, came from.

Excuse me now, I need to go :puke:

[987654321]

8. I don't know how you did that!

I would either be barfing up my lung or destroying my monitor if I would have read through some of the stuff you did. It's truly hard to stay informed of the bullshit that's out there, but we need to in order to know what stuff we're dealing with.

[suffragette]

9. My monitor is turning a sickly shade green

It's pouting and clearly unhappy with me because of having those up on its screen.

But yeah, It's important to know where this B.S. is coming from so you can counter it more effectively.