The Rick Amato Show

Mexico Vows Better Treatment Of It's Immigrants

The Mexican government vowed on Tuesday to improve the way it treats and handles illegal immigrants who typically enter Mexico by crossing it's southern border from Central America.

The government said it would end the policy of using jail cells as holding centers for illegal immigrants.

The government also acknowledged that many of it's officials are bribed by human smugglers,  immigrants face abuse from corrupt police and by violent gangs who assault and rob them.

Addressing concerns from the United states, Mexican President Felipe Calderon also has promised to strengthen security on Mexico's southern border to stop the flow of illegal immigrants — the majority of whom use Mexico as a way station to the United States — and crack down on criminals, especially drug traffickers.

Immigrants in Mexico without proper documentation are considered criminals.

Don't Forget: Collect Your Phone Tax Refund

Have you ever been annoyed by the amount of taxes and fees on your monthly phone bill? Now is your chance to claim a rebate and receive money back on something called the federal telephone excise tax.

After mounting pressure from Congress the Treasury Department announced it will no longer collect a 3% excise tax charged on all long distance phone calls. Furthermore it is offering what is being called The Telephone Excise Tax Refund- a refund available to you on your 2006 tax return.

This is regarded as the largest refund in history, affecting more than 160 million people.

What was the tax and where did it originate?

It was introduced 108 years ago- in 1898- to help finance the Spanish-American War.

You DO Make A Difference

Thousands  of people from all over the country  are donating money to  help Staff Sargent Ray Girouard in his legal defense against charges of murder while serving in combat in Iraq.

Staff Sgt, Girouard, age 24, is accused of murdering  Iraqi detainees while on a mission to raid a terrorist training camp. He has been recommended for a court martial and faces the possibility of a life sentence.  

Staff Sgt Girouard says that he gave orders to shoot the detainees, after the detainees attacked his men and attempted to escape.  He says he was following the rules of engagement which were, "kill all military age males".

Meanwhile Staff Sgt. Girouard 's family (he was raised by his grandparents) are unable to afford an attorney for his defense and he is represented only by a military-court appointed attorney...the civilian equivalent of a public defender.

WATE television in Knoxville, TN is reporting that people from all over America have begun to donate money.

To contribute to Staff Sgt. Raymond Girouard's legal expense write to:

American Legion Post 106, C/O Joe Tolson,
P.O. Box 256, Sweetwater, TN 37874.
The memo on your check should read: SSG Ray Girouard Legal Expense

 

Ramos And Compeon Inspire New Song

The sentencing and imprisonment of Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose' Compeon has inspired a new song written by southern California musician Michael Britton.

The song,titled 'Ramos And Compeon', features quotes from Lou Dobbs of CNN, activist California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and quotes from journalists. 'Ramos and Compeon'  honors the brave and dangerous work done by America's Border Agents and is critical of President Bush for his silence in issuing a pardon.

Click here to listen to the new song 'Ramos And Compeon'.

Senate Hearings On BPA's PostPoned

As I have said countless times on radio, TV and in print, the  extreme and unfair sentencing of Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compeon- and that of Deputy  Sheriff Gilmer Hernandez- is not a republican vs. democratic issue. It is not a white vs. Mexican issue- as too often the conversation deteriorates down to- nor is it a liberal vs. conservative issue.

It is an issue of common sense. An issue that should concern all law abiding Americans regardless of their ethnic background or political stripes.

However while republican lawmakers have led the way in demanding a pardon, democratic lawmakers have been deafeningly silent.

Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein of California has been a refreshing exception. Senator Feinstein has said, " I strongly believe that the sentences in this case are too extreme, given the criminal nature of the defendant and his possession of large quantities of drugs. These men were given sentences that some individuals who are convicted of murder wouldn't receive."

Senate Judiciary hearings scheduled by Senator Feinstein to investigate the prosecution of Ramos, Compeon and Hernandez had been scheduled to begin on February 27th. Unfortunately scheduling problems have forced their postponement and a new date should be announced soon.

You are encouraged to continue contacting your local representative and/or the numbers below:

White House Spokesperson Tony Snow: 202-456-2580
White House Comment Line: 202-456-1112
White House Switchboard: 202-456-1414
White House Email:  [email protected]
U.S. AttorneyJohnny Sutton: 210-384-7400

Attorney Calls For Mistrial In Border Patrol Agent Case

Congressman Duncan Hunter has said that " too many questions have been raised to allow this conviction stand without a close and unbiased review."

Now it appears even more questions are being raised. It is being reported by WorldNetDaily that the  attorney for Ignacios Ramos, Mary Stillinger, is calling for a mistrial because the government failed to provide the defense with a key document denying her client the right to a fair trial.

The article written by Jerome R. Corsi (a previous guest on my radio show) raises substantial and serious doubts about the case. In particular, the alleged mishandling of the shell casings and (non)filing of a report by Ramos and Compeon. Click here for full details.

 
 

Audience E-Mail Challenges Congressman Duncan Hunter

An audience e-mail from U. S. Navy Retired Walt F. in Silverdale, Washington challenges Congressman Duncan Hunter and others to get involved in investigating the alarming number of young American soldiers forced in to plea bargain deals by the military judicial system.  Too often the young men face questionable charges and do not have money for proper outside legal representation.

Presidential candidate Congressman Duncan Hunter has been instrumental in leading public awareness for a pardon of Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose' Compeon.

"It's the same concern regarding every single plea deal going down in the
military.

I've said this before. Tim Harrington has said this before.

So what's Duncan Hunter doin' for our Marines and Soldiers?"

Walt Francis Fitzpatrick III.
Silverdale, WA
U.S. Navy Retired

Walt's point is well taken. Young American soldiers serving in Iraq do not have an organized union (like the National Border Patrol Council) to step up for them nor are politicians apparently willing to take the risk.

American military men and women who are accused of wrong doing while in the line of duty deserve fair hearings with expert legal representation free from outside politics and agendas. Too often it appears that is not happening. Young lives are being destroyed and wasted.

Twenty-Four year old Elite Army Ranger Staff Sargent Ray Girouard faces life in prison with out the possibility of parole- for shooting three detainees while on a mission to raid a terrorist training camp.

His family is in touch with me almost daily, please see the recent email below from his grandfather Ron Bentley:

" RICK,  I WISH TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COVERAGE ON OUR SON RAY.

            WE HAVE RAISED   $17,000.00   ALL WE NEED IS $8,000.00  WE ARE   ONLY LOOKING FOR THAT AMOUNT. IF WE GET MORE WE WILL USE IT ON OUR MOTELS AND EATS FOR RAYS TRIAL  WHICH SHOULD LAST 8 DAYS THEY TELL US, AND ALL RECIEPTS WILL BE SAVED. BUT I HAVE COME DOWN WITH LYNFORMA CANCER  AND HAVENT WORKED SINCE JAN.10TH  SO MONEY WILL BE SHORT FOR OUR TRIP.     THANKS FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE FOR US.    RON & PAT BENTLEY GOD BLESS"

Those interested in contributing to Girouard's legal expenses can write to:

American Legion Post 106, C/O Joe Tolson,
P.O. Box 256, Sweetwater, TN 37874.
The memo on your check should read SSG Ray Girouard Legal Expense

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A little background information on the audience member Walt Francis Fitzpatrick III, he also writes:

Our name is a proud name. Navy Captain Walter Francis Fitzpatricik, Jr. is buried at Fort Rosecrans. My father was one of the many brave men part of a "suicide" mission into Safi, French Morocco on 8 Nov. 1942--OPERATION TORCH. I had to read about my Dad and his shipmates in the history books.  He died when I was 11 years  old.

Assigned to the USS COLE (DD-155), my Dad, a medical doctor, and about 244 Army infantrymen assaulted the harbor to secure the port for the off-loading of General Patton's tanks. Dad treated the wounded under fire and was awarded the Bronze Star, w/Combat "V." The COLE's skipper was awarded the Navy Cross. The ship and crew were also awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.

My name carries with it a proud nautical heritage.

V/r,
/s/
Walter Francis Fitzpatrick, III
United States Navy, Retired--Surface Warfare
USNA '75

Mexican Gov't Behind Prosecution Of Border Patrol Agents

The website WorldNet Daily has obtained a copy of a letter written April 18, 2005, by Mexican Consul Jorge Ernesto Espejel Montes in Eagle Pass, Texas, demanding Deputy Sheriff Hernandez and Border Partol Agents Ramos and Compeon be prosecuted. Click here to read the article and document.

Republican Congresssman and presidential candidate Duncan Hunter of California, has issued a statement saying that revelations about Mexican involvement "raise more questions about the validity of the conviction and reaffirm why a review of the case is necessary immediately."

"Too many questions have been raised to allow this conviction to stand without a close and unbiased review."  Hunter's bill to pardon Ramos & Compeon now has 82 co-sponsors.

How Can I Hear The Rick Amato Radio Show In My Home Town?

How can I listen to The Rick Amato Radio Show in my home town? 

That is the e-mail question we have been receiving- daily-  from concerned people everywhere, after having heard Rick speak as a guest on other shows about Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose' Compeon during the past two weeks.

Whether you live in Austin TX, Washington D.C., or Nashville, TN the best way to hear Rick daily on the airwaves in your city is to:

Contact the Program Director of your favorite local talk radio station and request that they broadcast The Rick Amato Show on their station.

If you send an e-mail be sure to include our link www.amatotalk.com.

When Program Directors at radio stations hear from their audience, consistently, it does make a difference.

The Rick Amato Show is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of people during times of injustice.  Whether it is a young American soldier unable to afford adequate legal representation while facing questionable legal charges, or a youth center for under privileged kids facing the threat of closure due to eminent domain so that condominiums can be built in it's place...The Rick Amato Show looks to make a difference by exposing an issue, raising public awareness and moving people to action.

Thank you to all our current listeners for helping us create a show that is truly making a difference in the lives of people.

Federal Report Shows Homeland Security Investigator Lied

A federal report released Wednesday on the shooting of a drug smuggler by Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose' Compeon contained a written statement by Compean, which stated he "clearly believed the drug smuggler had a weapon and feared for his life."

Compeon's written statement is in direct contradiction to what The Dpt. of Homeland Security has led Congress and the media to believe when it contended it posessed investigative reports proving Ramos and Compeon confessed guilt and declared they "wanted to shoot some Mexicans".

This case raises many questions: Why did DHS investigators lie to congress? Will U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton be held accountable? Why has the White House been so aloof and indifferant regarding the case?

There is no reason for Ramos and Compeon to be serving prison time- especially while their case is under appeal- as they are not a threat to anyone and certainly not a risk of flight. Think of the message this sends to our nations law enforcement professionals: shoot at a drug dealer, risk going to prison.

To help Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, call the numbers below and demand their immediate pardon:

White House Spokesperson Tony Snow: 202-456-2580
White House Comment Line: 202-456-1112
White House Switchboard: 202-456-1414
White House Email:  [email protected]
U.S. AttorneyJohnny Sutton: 210-384-7400