Another Republican Senate Candidate Is A Plagiarist

Copy+Paste

A Republican senate candidate in Nebraska appears to have heavily plagiarized his position on immigration from a Michele Bachmann press release, Arizona Sen. John McCain's immigration reform plan, and a report from the Federation for Immigration Reform. In many instances, Omaha banker Sid Dinsdale's text is exactly the same as another text.

Dinsdale is vying with tea party favorite Ben Sasse and establishment favorite Shane Osborn for Nebraska's open U.S. Senate seat that is being vacated by the retiring Sen. Mike Johanns.

Here Dinsdale copies a Michele Bachmann press release from 2011 that was used during her presidential campaign.

Here's Bachmann:

The last time our immigration laws were overhauled was in 1986, with amnesty granted to three million illegal immigrants. At the time, Americans voters were led to believe this would solve our immigration problem. However, since then the number of illegal immigrants has quadrupled (by conservative estimates). Rather than repeating the mistakes of the past, we must do everything we can to secure our nation's borders. We need to push for more Border Patrol officers, and stand by them. We need to complete the border fence across the entire US-Mexico frontier, make E-Verify mandatory, and eliminate funding for states and cities that knowingly harbor illegal immigrants.

Additionally, states like Arizona must not be ostracized for trying to protect their borders, simply codifying state enforcement of federal law, nor should they face reprisal from a federal government that has failed in its responsibility to enforce immigration laws.

And here's Dinsdale:

The last time our immigration laws were overhauled was in 1986, when amnesty was granted to three million illegal immigrants. At the time, we were made to believe that this would solve our immigrant problem but since then, the number of illegal immigrants has, by conservative estimates, quadrupled. We know now that amnesty is not an option. Rather than repeating the mistakes of the past, we must do everything we can to secure our nation's borders. However, it is foolish to believe that a one-size-fits-all approach is what will work. We need more border patrol agents, to complete the fence, to increase surveillance and border enforcement technology along our southern border, to make E-Verify mandatory, to empower states and localities to enforce immigration laws, and to eliminate funding for states and cities that knowingly house illegal immigrants.

Additionally, states must not be ostracized for trying to protect their borders nor should they face reprisal from a federal government that has failed in its responsibility to enforce immigration laws.

Another section of Dinsdales plan comes nearly identical from the Federation for American Immigration Reform:

Here's the FAIR:

Illegal immigration costs U.S. taxpayers about $113 billion a year at the federal, state and local level. The bulk of the costs — some $84 billion — are absorbed by state and local governments.

The annual outlay that illegal aliens cost U.S. taxpayers is an average amount per native-headed household of $1,117. The fiscal impact per household varies considerably because the greatest share of the burden falls on state and local taxpayers whose burden depends on the size of the illegal alien population in that locality.

Education for the children of illegal aliens constitutes the single largest cost to taxpayers, at an annual price tag of nearly $52 billion. Nearly all of those costs are absorbed by state and local governments.

At the federal level, about one-third of outlays are matched by tax collections from illegal aliens. At the state and local level, an average of less than 5 percent of the public costs associated with illegal immigration is recouped through taxes collected from illegal aliens.

Most illegal aliens do not pay income taxes. Among those who do, much of the revenues collected are refunded to the illegal aliens when they file tax returns. Many are also claiming tax credits resulting in payments from the U.S. Treasury.

And here's Dinsdale:

Illegal immigration costs United States taxpayers about $113 billion a year at the federal, state and local level. State and local governments absorb the bulk of the costs — some $84 billion —.

The annual outlay that an illegal alien cost United States taxpayers is an annual amount per native-headed household of nearly $1,000 after accounting for estimated tax collections.

Education for the children of illegal aliens constitutes the single largest cost to taxpayers, at an annual price tag of nearly $52 billion. State and local governments absorb nearly all of those costs.

At the federal level, about one-third of outlays are matched by tax collections from illegal aliens. At the state and local level, an average of less than 5 percent of the public costs associated with illegal immigration is recouped through taxes collected from illegal aliens.

Most illegal aliens do not pay income taxes. Among those who do, much of the revenues collected are refunded to the illegal aliens when they file tax returns. Many are also claiming tax credits resulting in payments from the U.S. Treasury.

At times, Dinsdale's own 10-point immigration plan seems to be copied directly from Arizona Sen. John McCain's:

Here's McCain on immigration reform:

Provide funding for additional Border Patrol stations along the southwest border and explore the possibility of creating an additional Border Patrol sector in Arizona. Create six additional permanent Border Patrol Forward Operating Bases, and provide funding to upgrade the existing bases to include modular buildings, electricity and potable water. In a fall 2010 Government Accountability Office study, the Border Patrol reported that distances between Forward Operating Bases is too great and hinders timely response to reports of illegal aliens and their apprehension.

And here's Dinsdale:

Provide funding for additionalupgraded Border Patrol stations and forward operating bases on the Mexican border, and explore the possibility of additional Border Patrol sectors. Identify a mechanism to better facilitate cooperative operations involving sectors in different Border States.

Here's McCain:

Fully fund and support Operation Streamline in Arizona's two Border Patrol Sectors to, at a minimum, ensure that repeat illegal border crossers go to jail for 15 to 60 days.

And here's Dinsdale:

Fully fund and support Operation Streamline in Arizona's two Border Patrol Sectors to, at a minimum, ensure that repeat illegal border crossers go to jail for 15 to 60 days and use that program as a model for other border states.

Dinsdale did not return a request for comment.

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