I can't believe we destroyed the taxi and sent the occupants back to Cuba

[The Flaming Red Head]

It was the highest form of art and the most beautiful thought process that I have ever seen. We should be displaying it in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the people inside should be lauded and honored for their courage and their ingenuity.

[flordehinojos]

1. we have a democracy to defend here ... we don't want no pinko commies

crossing over to infest our complete and free democracy with remnants of any totalitarian thoughts...and we don't want no symbols of repression (the blue taxi) to be displayed in this here sacrosanct democracy!

:sarcasm:

[fooj]

2. I can't believe it, either. I was mad the first time they sent them back!

Anything that creative deserves recognition! It was a genius idea and they pulled it off twice...almost! Can you imagine what will happen to the guy who engineered this gig...TWICE?

[The Flaming Red Head]

6. self delete

[Mika]

15. Why didn't they get a legal immigration visa? US offers 20,000 to Cubans

Not all are applied for.

Could it be that ((gasp)) they had criminal records and didn't qualify (or some other legal disqualification)?

Never mind that though, the US's Cuban Adjustment Act allows any Cuban who makes it to US shores to stay EVEN IF THEY FAILED OR DO NOT QUALIFY FOR A US IMMIGRATION VISA DUE TO A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK DONE BY THE US INTERESTS SECTION IN CUBA.


The USA offers over 20,000 LEGAL immigration visas per year to Cubans (and Bush just announced that the number would increase despite the fact that not all 20,000 were applied for in the last few years). This number is more than any other single country in the world. Its the US interests section in Cuba that does the criminal background check on the applicants.

The US's 'wet foot/ dry foot' policy (that applies to Cubans only) permits Cuban criminals and felons who arrive on US shores by illegal means to remain in the US despite having failed to qualify for a legal US immigration application.

Cubans who leave for the US without a US visa are returned to Cuba (if caught at sea - mainly in smuggler's go-fast boats @ $5,000 per head) by a US/Cuban repatriation agreement. But IF they make it to US soil, no matter who they are or what their criminal backround might be, they get to stay in the US and enjoy perks offered ONLY TO CUBAN IMMIGRANTS (via the US's Cuban Adjustment Act and a variety of other 'Cubans only' perks). Perks like instant work visa, instant green card, instant access to sec 8 taxpayer assisted housing, instant social security, instant welfare, free health care, and more.

These perks are not offered to any other immigrant group, but yet, without the perks offered to Cubans, immigrants still pour into the US from all over the Caribbean and the Latin Americas - many taking greater risks than Cubans to get here.


Get it? There is no such thing as a Cuban illegal immigrant. Plus, they get perks that no other group is offered.

[katamaran]

3. 4 of the 14 can stay....

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/06/09/cuban.taxi.ap/index.html

Four of the 14 Cubans intercepted at sea aboard a vintage taxi converted into a boat will be allowed to stay in the United States because they have valid immigration documents, but the others will be sent back to Cuba, U.S. officials said Thursday.

Rafael Diaz Rey, the mechanic who built the blue, 1948 Mercury taxi-boat, and his wife and their two children appear to have legitimate documents that would permit them to stay in this country, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Miami.

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

I'm pissed that they sank that flippin' sweet water taxi. That would probably fetch a lot on eBay. You know Golden Palace would buy it.

[Spectral]

5. Oops. Posted at the same time

This answers my question. Thanks!

[The Flaming Red Head]

7. How did I miss that? Thank you.

Too bad they can't all stay.

[Mika]

18. No matter what their criminal history might be?

I don't want people who have failed to qualify for a legal immigration visa entering the US.

There are enough criminals here already.

[Piperay]

9. The taxi was way cool

such a waste that they destroyed it. :-(

[Spectral]

4. Uninformed but interested

What happened?

[RUMPLEMINTZ]

8. Remember

the floating truck from a while back?



Don't forget we sent that little kid Elian Gonzales back too. Didn't her mom die trying to get him to the United States?

[RebelOne]

10. His mom died.

[DarienComp]

11. does anyone have a pic of the taxi?

I really want to see it

[Gold Metal Flake]

12. Watch Olberman tonight. It’s sure to figure prominently

.

[stevedeshazer]

14. It's a '48 Mercury

Not a great pic, but you get the idea.

on edit: found a slightly better one...

[gulfcoastliberal]

16. Check it out...

Way cool:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-ccubacar08jun08,0,2826468.story?coll=sfla-news-sfla

[ArkDem]

13. Why would they want to leave a paradise like Cuba?

[gulfcoastliberal]

17. Good question... My brother spent 8 weeks there and loved it.

He said it's a paradise like no other, and we've also been to the USVIs, Hawaii, BVIs, etc.