Friday, September 21, 2012

Mitt Romney promises no mass roundups of undocumented

by Jorge Cancino, Univision.com | Date: 09/19/2012

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Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, with journalists Maria Elena Salinas and Jorge Ramos, Univision news presenters at the first meeting held at the University of Miami on Wednesday.

- Getty Images

McCain spoke about immigration and said that to reach the White House, there will be no mass roundups

The Republican candidate for the U.S. presidency, Mitt Romney, on Wednesday responded to questions from members of the Univision Network on topics of interest to the Hispanic community. Romney participated in the first of two meetings with the candidates organized by the main chain of U.S. Hispanic television, event is moderated by journalist Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas, Univision news presenters. Encounter with Mitt Romney was developed at the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami and was broadcast live via Digital page Univision.com and Univision page on Facebook. The Wednesday night will be broadcast on the Univision Network from 10PM (ET). both meetings can be viewed in Spanish and English on our web via streaming digital ( http://www.univision.com ) and our Facebook page ( www.facebook.com / univisionnoticias ). Election fierce Republican candidate to the White House disputes the charge current president, Democratic candidate for re-election, Barack Obama. Both sides will meet at the polls next Tuesday November 6, in an election seen as the closest in the country's history. Former Massachusetts governor came to the meeting with Univision preceded by a controversy after the disclosure on Monday , of a secretly recorded video showing the candidate during a fundraising meeting held in mid-May and where comments on the profile of voters supporting Democratic rival. Asked about the video in question and in particular about giving up as lost the support of the 47 percent who favored Obama, Romney promised that, if elected, would be the president 100 percent of Americans, not just those who choose it. 's response drew applause from the assembly who attended the meeting, who included supporters invited to request Romney Republican campaign when the terms were agreed to participate in the debate. issue of migration to another question on immigration, Romney reiterated his support immigration stance legal and find a permanent solution to repair a system that, again, is broken. Without going into details, Romney said a project to promote permanent residence granted to illegal immigrants who serve in the Armed Forces or students earning a degree at an American university , but did not specifically mention what to do with the 11 million and undocumented, most of them from Latin America. response to a question by Jorge Ramos on his position to promote autodeportaciones plan (announced in January at the start of the Republican primary ), Romney said that if elected there will be no mass deportations of undocumented and insisted that immigration issues must be solved in a bipartisan way between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats also asked not to follow "politicizing" the issue. 's promise Obama Romney also criticized the promise made by President Barack Obama in 2008, when he promised immigration reform in the first year of his term. Romney insisted that he will seek a permanent solution. President "Obama get much support from the Hispanic community because he was going to reform the immigration system, but never did," Romney said. He added: "It's time we stop politicking." Then mentioned that would change the system temporary work visas and insisted that undocumented youth who serve the United States Armed Fuezas "must be permanent residents." Campaign Obama's re-election-and the president-rejected Republican criticism and blame their opponents for not having supported any immigration reform bill in Congress in the last three years. In 2008 Obama gave immigration reform with a path to legalization for undocumented in the first year of his term. But the financial crisis, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and health care reform, among other issues of national importance portergaron commitment, although in the first two years in office the Democrats had a majority in the House of Representatives and 59 seats in the Senate, of the 60 that were needed to pass legislation. Several Democratic congressmen elected in areas and districts where voters oppose legalizing undocumented, did not support the president's initiative. Arizona law Romney also addressed SB1070 in Arizona and said he backed the mandatory inclusion of the federal E-Verify, which allows employers to verify the immigration status of their workers. Republican candidate again mentioned that the controversial Arizona law, whose most controversial Section 2B-empowering the police to ask for immigration papers, entered into force Yesterday, it was adopted by the Assembly because of government inaction on immigration, an argument that Republicans wield since 2009 to defend similar laws passed in other states, including Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia and Texas. Romney also spoke of economy , job creation (12 million over four years), said education and health reform repeal of President Obama, the Republicans call "Obamacare" and said that instead adopt a different model like the one enacted in Massachusetts when he served as governor of that state.Meetings Why encounters with candidates Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama were organized after the complaint filed in August by the Univision before the Commission on Presidential Debates, then that entity announced the three national debates scheduled for the weeks before the Nov. 6 election. Ramos, one of the most visible Hispanic figures of journalism in the United States, criticized that had not been included in any journalist or media Hispanic or African American, reported the Spanish Agency News. The questions posed by Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas Republican presidential candidate were sent by Internet users through Univision News page on Facebook, as well as students at the University of Miami who participated in the meeting. Prior to the event, Univision President Cesar Conde said in a statement that "Hispanics will play a key role in choosing the next president of the United States and these events will address key issues for more than 20 million Hispanics are expected to vote in these elections could make an informed decision " . Election Coverage Univision News is covering the lead-up to the presidential elections of 2012 on all platforms, in Spanish and English. This includes UnivisionNoticias.com and application Univision . Coverage is available in English UnivisionNews.Tumblr.com .Award-winning Univision News division is committed to informing the segment fastest growing population in the United States through all media platforms, including television, radio and interactive media. The Hispanics have the most current and relevant content that impacts the community through 'Univision News', versions evening, night and weekend, the Sunday public affairs program and policy, 'Al Punto'; the news magazines 'Here and Now' and 'Primer Impacto', and news segments "Despierta America." Over the past year, Univision News team strengthened and expanded its operations with the creation of the Research Unit and Documentaries unit. If you want to get your questions to President Barack Obama, who will participate in the meeting this Thursday from 2:10 PM, make them come through Facebook: www.facebook.com / univisionnoticias

Univision makes history with 'Meet the Candidates'

Univision.com | Date: 09/20/2012

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Students at the University of Miami say about Mitt Romney involvement

VIDEO: UM students say about Mitt Romney - Univision

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VIDEO: Meet the candidates Mitt Romney - Univision

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Meet the candidates Mitt Romney - 'A nation in the wrong direction'

VIDEO: Romney: A nation with equivocad course ... - Univision

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Meet the candidates Mitt Romney - 5-point Plan to create jobs

VIDEO: 5-point plan to create jobs Romney - Univision

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The 'Meet Barack Obama'

The Univision made history this week staged encounters with the American presidential candidates: Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. Journalists moderated by Maria Elena Salinas and Jorge Ramos, presenters Univision News , both political answered questions about the economy, employment and migration, to name a few topics.

On Thursday September 20 Democratic candidate opened fire and current U.S. President, Barack Obama.

You can find the videos:

Meeting with Barack Obama - Spanish
candidate Barack Obama Meet - Inglés

During this meeting, l to journalist Maria Elena Salinas President Obama spoke about the protests that are taking place in Pakistan, where protesters tried to take over the facilities on Thursday, the U.S. embassy in Islamabad. Salinas asked the president if his government warned these security issues and if anticipated unrest in the Islamic world.

Obama said that, above all, his administration and the country were mourning the death of the Libyan capital in four U.S. officials, including Ambassador in Benghazi, Christopher Stevens, who died following an attack on the embassy.

Ramos asked the president if he recognized that there was fulfilled the commitment to the Hispanic community, to which Obama responded that when the promise was made in May 2008, was before the economy went into meltdown, and that when he took command of the nation, the January 20, 2009, the picture was in a completely different country.

"Our first priority was to avoid falling into a deep depression," said Obama. "We lost 800,000 jobs in the first month of my mandate" and said his administration had to take "a series of emergency measures to address the crisis," including helping people who were losing their jobs, their mortgages and save the automotive industry, among other measures.

When asked about the high number of deportations recorded during his tenure, (over 1 million in four years and with successive records since 2009) and delivery to foster homes over 5000 American children whose parents expelled, and if during his ad ministration extend the benefit of deferred action to help stop these family separations, Obama said his administration will continue to focus on those who pose a threat to national security.

The 'Meet Mitt Romney'

Meanwhile, Mitt Romney, the Republican, had its meeting on Wednesday 19 September.

You can find the videos:

Meeting with Mitt Romney - Spanish
candidate Mitt Romney Meet - Inglés
The former Massachusetts governor arrived at the meeting with Univision preceded by a controversy after the release on Monday of a secretly recorded video showing the candidate at a meeting of revenue of funds held in mid-May and where comments on the profile of voters supporting Democratic rival.

Asked about the video in question and in particular for giving up as lost the support of the 47 percent who favored Obama, Romney promised that, if elected, would be the president 100 percent of Americans and not just those you choose.
Without going into details, Romney mentioned a project that grants encourage permanent residency to undocumented serve in the Armed Forces or students earning a degree at an American university, but did not specifically mention what to do with the 11 million and undocumented, most of them from Latin America.

Both meetings were transmitted from the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami and were transmitted from the digital platforms of the U.S. network as well as from his Facebook page.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Obama's Policies: Redistribution Over Capitalism, Dependency Over Prosperity

By Susan Duclos
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Via RNC Research:

Obama’s Policies Have Echoed His Support For The Redistribution Of Wealth

Obama: “I Actually Believe In Redistribution.” “Let me just close by saying as we think about the policy research surrounding the issues that I just named, the policy research for the working poor, broadly defined. I think that what we are going to have to do is somehow resuscitate the notion that government action can be effective at all. There has been a systematic – I don’t think it’s too strong to call it a propaganda campaign against the possibility of government action and its efficacy. And I think some of it has been deserved. Chicago Housing Authority has not been a model of good policymaking. And neither necessarily have been the Chicago Public Schools. What that means that as we try to resuscitate this notion that we’re all in this together, leave nobody behind. We do have to be innovative in thinking how – what are the delivery systems that are actually effective and meet people where they live? And my suggestion I guess would be that the trick – and this is one of the few areas where I think there are technical issues that have to be dealt with as opposed to just political issues. I think the trick is figuring out how do we structure government systems that pool resources and hence, facilitate some redistribution because I actually believe in redistribution, at least at a certain level to make sure everybody’s got a shot.” (State Senator Barack Obama, Remarks At Loyola University Panel, Chicago, IL, 10/19/98)

OBAMA’S OWN CHIEF ADVISERS AND ALLIES EQUATE DEPENDENCE WITH ECONOMIC STIMULUS

White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett Said Unemployment Checks Help Stimulate The Economy. VALERIE JARRETT: “Even though we had a terrible economic crisis three years ago, throughout our country many people were suffering before the last three years, particularly in the black community. And so we need to make sure that we continue to support that important safety net. It not only is good for the family, but it’s good for the economy. People who receive that unemployment check go out and spend it and help stimulate the economy, so that’s healthy as well.”

(Valerie Jarrett, Remarks At A Student Summit At North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 2/21/12)
VIDEO: WH Senior Adviser: Unemployment Stimulates the Economy

Obama Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Says More People On Food Stamps Means More Jobs . WES MOORE: “Mr. Secretary, good morning. Many people don’t know that actually food stamps fall under the Department of Agriculture. And a report was just released that nearly 1 in 7 Americans now are currently on food stamps. What strategies — what’s being done right now and being done going forward that is really addressing poverty and the poor within the country and bringing some alleviation to those kinds of numbers?” SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE TOM VILSACK: “Well, obviously, it’s putting people to work, which is why we’re going to propose some interesting things during the course of the forum this morning. Later this morning, we’re going to have a press conference with myself and Secretary Mavis and Secretary Chu to announce something that’s never happened in this country which we think is exciting in terms of job growth. But I should point out that when you talk about the snap program or the food stamp program, you have to recognize that it’s also an economic stimulus. Every dollar of snap benefits generates $1.84 in the economy in terms of economic activity. If people are able to buy a little more in the grocery store, then someone has to stock it, shelve it, process it, package it, ship it. All of those are jobs. It’s the most direct stimulus you can get in the economy during these tough times. The reason why these numbers have gone up is we’ve done a pretty good job of working with states that have done a poor job in the past about the getting word out about this program. States like California and Texas and Florida underperformed and we’re now working with them to make sure that people who are eligible get the benefits and therefore help stimulate their local economy.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe ,” 8/16/11)

VIDEO: Obama Ag Secretary: More People On Food Stamps Means More Jobs

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney Says That Unemployment Benefits Create Jobs . REPORTER: “I understand why extending unemployment insurance provides relief to people who need it, but how does it create jobs?” WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY: “Oh, it is by — I would expect a reporter from the Wall Street Journal would know this as part of the entrance exam just to get on the paper — (laughter.) But the — no, seriously. It is one of the most direct ways to infuse money into the economy because people who are unemployed and obviously aren’t earning a paycheck are going to spend the money that they get. They’re not going to save it; they’re going to spend it. And unemployment insurance, that money goes directly back into the economy dollar for dollar virtually. So it is — and when it goes back in the economy, it means that everywhere that those people — everyplace that that money is spent has added business. And that creates growth and income for businesses that then lead them to making decisions about job — more hiring. So there are few other ways that can more directly put money into the economy than providing unemployment insurance.” (White House Press Briefing, 8/10/11)

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Said Unemployment Benefits “Creates Jobs To Help Reduce The Deficit.” “‘Unemployment insurance, the economists tell us, return $2 for every $1 that is put out there for unemployment insurance,’ Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on the House floor. ‘It injects demand into the economy, it creates jobs to help reduce the deficit,’ Pelosi said.” (“Nancy Pelosi: Unemployment Benefits ‘Creates Jobs’,” Real Clear Politics, 12/2/10)

VIDEO: Pelosi Thinks Unemployment Benefits Create Jobs

Pelosi Claimed Unemployment Checks Creates Jobs Faster Than “Almost Any Other Initiative You Can Name.” “‘It injects demand into the economy,’ Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said of unemployment checks. ‘It creates jobs faster than almost any other initiative you can name.’” (“Pelosi: Unemployment Checks Serve As A “Job Creator,” Real Clear Politics, 7/1/10)
VIDEO: Pelosi: Unemployment Checks Create Jobs Faster Than Almost Any Other Initiative

OBAMA’S POLICIES PRIORITIZE DEPENDENCY OVER PROSPERITY

The Stimulus Centered More On Short-Term Handouts Than Long-Term Employment

When The Obama Transition Team Was Debating How To Spend The Stimulus, Food Stamps And Unemployment Benefits Were “No-Brainers.” “The big question was how to spend it. Unemployment benefits, food stamps, and other aid to vulnerable families would be no-brainers, acing the three-T test while providing $505 billion to people in need. Furman’s PowerPoint also included $80 billion worth of aid to states, to prevent fifty gubernatorial mini-Hoovers from undermining Obama’s stimulus with drastic layoffs and other anti-stimulus.” (Michael Grunwald, The New New Deal, 2012, p. 95)

Obama’s Campaign Viewed Unemployment Benefits And Food Stamps As “Excellent Stimulus.” “The team’s Clinton-era combat veterans did not assume that passing jobs bills would be easy. They remembered Republicans blocking their relatively tiny $19 billion stimulus in 1993, even after Democrats whittled it down and offered offsets. They tended to be skeptical of Obama’s post-partisan dreams. So even though unemployment benefits and food stamps were excellent stimulus, Lew warned that Republicans would criticize them as big-government welfare.” (Michael Grunwald, The New New Deal, 2012, p. 82)

When Shaping Their Stimulus Plan, The Obama Campaign Prioritized An Increase In Food Stamps, Followed By Extensions In Unemployment Insurance. “A new Brookings stimulus analysis titled ‘If, When, How’ rated both strategies ‘ineffective or counterproductive,’ while a Moody’s Economy.com analysis of how much growth various policies would produce per dollar – the Keynesian multiplier – scored both below 50 cents. The Brookings report was written by two Clinton administration economists – Jason Furman, a Summers protégé who was running the Hamilton Project, and Doug Elmendorf, another former Summers student – but the Moody’s author, Mark Zandi, was a McCain campaign adviser. By contrast, policies benefiting lower-income families provided much more bang for the buck, because the poor can’t afford to hoard. Increases in food stamps earned the highest multiplier from moody’s adding $1.73 in output for each dollar cost. Extending unemployment benefits, which normally expire after six months, came in second. Those strategies batted for 3-for-3. The benefits would go out instantly, target families likely to spend, and fade once the economy improved.” (Michael Grunwald, The New New Deal, 2012, p. 62)

Biden Economic Adviser Jared Bernstein: “‘Everyone Was Carrying Around This List Of Multipliers,’ … ‘And Food Stamps Was Always At The Top.’” “Jared Bernstein, who was Joe Biden’s main economic adviser during the financial crisis, told me that Zandi’s chart was taken very seriously by the economic team. ‘Everyone was carrying around this list of multipliers,’ Bernstein said. ‘And food stamps was always at the top. That had the largest multiplier.’ (Almost four years later, Bernstein still had the food-stamp multiplier committed to memory.)” (Paul Tough, “Obama Vs. Poverty,”The New York Times, 8/15/12)

When Devising The Stimulus, Obama Advisers Jason Furman And Jared Bernstein Sought To “Modernize And Expand The System” Of Unemployment Insurance. “So Furman and Bernstein worked with House Democrats like New York’s Charlie Rangel and Jim McDermott of Washington to modernize and expand the system, providing $7 billion in incentives for states to eliminate the time lags and loosen their eligibility rules. Governors would be reward for extending benefits to part-time workers, as well as workers who quit jobs to care for a family member, follow a spouse who had to relocate, or escape domestic violence. These reforms wouldn’t attract much attention, but they would extend the New Deal safety net to new cohorts of deserving workers while providing an automatic Keynesian stabilizer in terms of high unemployment.” (Michael Grunwald, The New New Deal, 2012, pp. 169-170)

The Stimulus Suspended The Time Limits For Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents Who Do Not Work At Least 20 Hours Per Week In A Job From April 2009 To September 2010. “Section 1019(e) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA,P.L. 111-5) suspended the ABAWD time limits for those who do not work at least 20 hours per week in a job. This suspension covered the period April 2009 through September 30, 2010; it will be discussed further in a subsequent section.” (“FY 2007-FY2012: Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) Requirements, Statistics, And Waivers,” Congressional Research Service, 9/14/12)

From 2008 To 2010, The Number Of ABAWD Participants On Food Stamps Increased From 1.9 Million To 3.9 Million. (“FY 2007-FY2012: Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) Requirements, Statistics, And Waivers,” Congressional Research Service, 9/14/12)

A Vision Of “The Life Of Julia” For Every American

“As A Story, ‘The Life Of Julia’ Is A Mess; It’s Got The Verisimilitude Of A String Of Paper Dolls. As An Argument, It’s Worse.” “But ‘The Life of Julia’ borrows its aesthetic from USA Today and its narrative logic from Chutes and Ladders. It is a very bad place to begin a campaign. As a story, ‘The Life of Julia’ is a mess; it’s got the verisimilitude of a string of paper dolls. As an argument, it’s worse. Better public education and affordable health care are worth fighting for, urgently, and they matter to everyone, but the heart of the fight is not over whether Julia, a fictitious college-educated Web entrepreneur, can one day plant Brussels sprouts.” (Jill Lepore, “Oh Julia: From Birth To Death: Left And Right,” The New Yorker, 5/8/12)

Politico ‘s Mike Allen: “‘The Life Of Julia’ Takes Her From Age 3 To Age 67, And At Every Single Point Along The Way, The Government Is Giving Her A Hand.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 5/4/12)

MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski: “At Some Point We Do Have To Be Able To Inspire Innovation And Hope And Get People On Their Way.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 5/4/12)

MSNBC’s Willie Geist: “And No One Wants To Think That From The Age Of 3 They Are Going To Need The Government To Take Care Of Them.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 5/4/12)

OBAMA’S POLICIES OF REDISTRIBUTION HAVE ONLY EXACERBATED THE PROBLEM AND LEFT MORE PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON THE GOVERNMENT

“49.1%: Percent Of The Population That Lives In A Household Where At Least One Member Received Some Type Of Government Benefit In The First Quarter Of 2011.” (Phil Izzo, “Number Of The Week: Half Of U.S. Lives In Household Getting Benefits,” The Wall Street Journal’s “Real Time Economics,” 5/26/12)

A Record 46.7 Million Americans Were On Food Stamps In June 2012. (“Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program: Number Of Persons Participating,” USDA Food And Nutrition Service, Accessed 9/6/12)

Since President Obama Took Office, The Number Of Americans Receiving Food Stamps Has Increased From 31.9 Million To 46.7 Million, A Record 46 Percent Increase. (“Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program: Number Of Persons Participating ,” Food Research And Action Center, Accessed 8/10/12; “Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program: Number Of Persons Participating,” USDA Food And Nutrition Service , Accessed 9/6/12)

Bloomberg Headline : “Food-Stamp Use Climbs To Record, Reviving Campaign Issue” (Alan Bjerga, “Food-Stamp Use Climbs To Record, Reviving Campaign Issue,”Bloomberg, 9/4/12)

“The Number Of Americans On Food Stamps Hit A Record High In June…” “The number of Americans on food stamps hit a record high in June, and economists don’t expect much improvement as long as unemployment remains high. Those receiving benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program numbered 46.37 million, the government said in a report that hit just days ahead of the monthly nonfarm payrolls report, which the Labor Department releases Friday. The two numbers are inextricably linked as the economy battles its way back from the crippling recession that the National Bureau of Economic Research says ended in 2009.” (Jeff Cox, “Record 46 Million Americans Are On Food Stamps,” CNBC, 9/4/12)

Nearly 17 Million Americans Suffered From “Very Low Food Security” In 2011. (Alisha Coleman, Mark Nord, Margaret Andrews, and Steven Carlson, “Household Food Security In The United States In 2011,” USDA, 9/5/12)

At 16.4 Percent, The Overall Food-Insecurity Rate For Individuals In 2011 Remains Almost Unchanged From “When It Surged To The Highest Levels Since The Agriculture Department Began Monitoring Food Security In 1995.” “The overall food-insecurity rate for individuals was 16.4 percent, almost unchanged since 2008, when it surged to the highest levels since the Agriculture Department began monitoring food security in 1995.” (Charles Abbott, “Nearly 17 Million Americans Repeatedly Short Of Food: Report,” Reuters, 9/5/12)

In 2011, 46.2 Million Americans Lived In Poverty, As The Official Poverty Rate Was 15 Percent. “In 2011, the official poverty rate was 15.0 percent. There were 46.2 million people in poverty (Figure 4 and Table 3).” (Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Jessica C. Smith, “Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2011,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/12/12)

Under Obama, Poverty Has Either Increased Or Been Stagnant. “After 3 consecutive years of increases, neither the official poverty rate nor the number of people in poverty were statistically different from the 2010 estimates (Figure 4 and Table 3).” (Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Jessica C. Smith, “Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2011,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/12/12)

Anthony Ortolani, Man Who Left His Dog 'Missy' To Die On Colorado Mountain, Says He Got Death Threats

09/17/12 01:27 PM ET EDT

DENVER — A man who left his dog to die on a Colorado mountain said he received death threats, even though he has paid vet bills and agreed to turn over the dog to one of the rescuers.

Anthony Ortolani said Sunday he is giving the German shepherd mix to one of the people who climbed Mount Bierstadt to rescue Missy after the animal spent eight days on her own last month.

Another hiker spotted the injured dog, volunteers coordinated a rescue effort through a climbing website. Rescuers found the dog bloodied and close to death on a ridge.

Ortolani is charged with animal cruelty for leaving the dog behind on a mountain climbing trip. His lawyer, Jennifer Edwards, said her client hopes to make a plea deal.

Ortolani told KMGH-TV () he was forced to leave the dog on the mountain after the animal got injured. He said he and a friend tried to carry the 112-pound animal for more than two hours over rocky terrain, but he worried for his safety and had to abandon her. http://tinyurl.com/8oapmtf

"I don't want to give her up. I love her, but those people risked life and limb to get her out of there, and that has got to be worth something," said Ortalani, adding that he has already paid close to $5,000 in vet and boarding bills.

Ortolani was climbing with the 19-year-old son of a friend when bad weather moved in. He said the canine's feet were blistered and she was unable to walk. He said he and his climbing companion were also struggling in the bad weather and decided it was time to come down for their own safety.

"Carrying her down, unfortunately caused her more injury," Ortolani said. "She fought with me and squirmed off my shoulders, and I dropped her on some rocks and she got hurt worse. Everybody says `Why didn't you go back?' My physical condition was significantly deteriorated, my emotional condition was no good. I thought she was dead."

The dog owner called a friend who contacted the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office but was told the region was too dangerous and crews don't rescue animals.

Ortolani acknowledged that he didn't put up a sign on the trailhead bulletin board asking to be contacted if anyone saw his dog. He said he takes full responsibility for taking the dog with him on a hike that proved to be too difficult for her.

"I've always wanted nothing but the best for her, and that's why I take her everywhere with me," he said.

After Ortolani learned of the rescue, he asked for his dog back. but Clear Creek County authorities conducted an investigation and charged him with animal cruelty.

The decision to give up custody of Missy was part of a possible plea bargain.

Meanwhile, the group that rescued Missy will appear on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday.

Jackson Ripley, 12-Year-Old Coloradan Boy, Writes Letter To Romney Saying His 'Plan For America Isn't What We Need' (PHOTOS)

The Huffington Post | By Andrea Rael Posted: 09/18/2012 9:20 am EDT Updated: 09/20/2012 1:26 pm EDT

Jackson Ripley, 12, is pictured here with his younger sister Kennedy, 7, in a photo provided by his mother Lindsay. Kennedy was diagnosed with hemangioma when she was just 4 weeks old. She's had pre-existing conditions ever since.

Although Gov. Mitt Romney has largelyconfounded the media while trying to sway voters over to his increasingly difficult to pinpoint health care plan, his comments are not evading one 12-year-old Coloradan.

Last week Jackson Ripley was watching political news coverage with his mom about pre-existing health care when he suddenly got up and decided it was time to write a letter to Romney.

The letter begins (Editor note: all text from letter remains unedited):

Dear Governor Romney, I’d like to say congratulations on winning the republican nomination. But, I wish you stayed in Massachusetts. You’re plan for America isn’t what we need, and would hurt us more than it would help.

Jackson goes on to call out Romney on his health care stance and whether he actually will or won't repeal Obamacare, especially with regard to patients with pre-existing conditions, citing contradicting statements from Romney on "Meet the Press" and the "Tonight Show." Jackson also has strong words for Romney and his stance on gay and women's rights:

You’re domestic plans (birth control, gay rights etc.) are horrible! Women should get to manage their own health, and if you wonder why you’re not appealing to many women voters, rethink your birth control and women’s’ rights plans. And people should be able to marry whom they want.

Read Jackson's full letter in its entirety below.

Jackson's strong political beliefs appear to have, in part, grown naturally from his family's life experiences beginning with his little sister Kennedy who has had pre-existing conditions since she was just 4 weeks old.

Shortly after Kennedy was born, she developed a hemangioma -- an abnormal, raised tumor of blood vessels -- on her face. According to her mother, Lindsay Ripley, only 10 percent of children are born with a hemangioma and less than one percent of the cases are life-threatening, like Kennedy's.

The tumor grew so large that at just nine months old, Kennedy was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.

"She was very ill and in and out of the hospital for the first two years of her life. During which she had several procedures, surgeries, MRI's, CT's and hospitalized many, many times, making her our million dollar baby when she was around a year old," Lindsay Ripley told The Huffington Post.

In 2009, the flailing economy left Lindsay's husband John Ripley briefly without a job, and the family no longer had health insurance. John Ripley was employed again just three months later, but the smaller size of the company translated into a burgeoning reality that the family would have to shop for insurance elsewhere.

And everywhere they shopped they were accepted, except for Kennedy.

"Next to my daughter's name in big black bold letters was the word DENIED. The reason: Dollar amount previously spent, number of hospitalizations within five years and the pre-existing condition, congestive heart failure. I knew they were going to deny Kennedy, but I wasn’t prepared for how angry and sick it would make me feel," Lindsay Ripley said. "Like the insurance companies were saying my daughter was trash, she didn’t matter, wasn’t worth the same the health care and coverage the rest of us enjoy. Our only option was to purchase Kennedy an expensive policy through an insurance company exclusively for people with pre-existing conditions. Although they accepted Kennedy and took our money each month, they refused to cover her pre-existing condition, or anything caused by it, which was almost everything."

Jackson Ripley explained some of his reasoning behind the letter:

My inspiration for the letter was basically my frustration. It was painful (and sometimes a little funny) to see all the people that blindly supporting [sic] Mitt Romney, and I felt like I should bring that to people's attention. I already knew that his plans for America would tear us apart, and would bring more harm than good to families like mine, so I had to make a stand. What he would do was unfair, and I wanted to say something about that.

Lindsay Ripley shared Jackson's letter among some friends and family before sharing it with The Huffington Post and mailing it to Romney. She said that in 2010, the same year the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, Kennedy was added back onto the family policy but that she's since been diagnosed with a vascular malformation and will very likely require treatment for the rest of her life.

I think partly due to his sister's illness, at an early age Jackson began to notice injustices in the world that many children never see. Writing has always been a great outlet for Jackson, so three years ago when he was upset about the war in Iraq, we said, "write a letter to the president." And Jackson did. A year later when Jackson saw a homeless man in Cherry Creek and became very upset, we said "write a letter." After buying the man a Cinnabon, Jackson wrote to then-Mayor John Hickenlooper and thanked him for his efforts to end homelessness in Denver. When Jackson came home from school last week, I had the news on and they were discussing the fate of health care and preexisting condition coverage if Governor Romney were to become president. Jackson watched the segment with me. When it was over, Jackson stood up and said, "Excuse me mom, I have to go write a very strongly-worded letter!" So John and I no longer say "write a letter" because he does it on his own.

Read Jackson's full letter to Gov. Romney below (spelling/grammar is unchanged from original letter):

Dear Governor Romney,

I’d like to say congratulations on winning the republican nomination. But, I wish you stayed in Massachusetts. You’re plan for America isn’t what we need, and would hurt us more than it would help.

First, repealing Obama care and other health plans he’s put in place have helped families across America, including mine. I live in a middle class family, and two years ago my little sister; Kennedy was denied insurance because of her pre-existing condition. This was a huge emotional stress and financial burden on my entire family. Under Obama Care, insurance companies can no longer deny Kennedy and kids like her, the coverage they need and deserve. Because of Obama care my little sister was able to have the several surgeries she needed that helped save her life. Once the President was elected he put Obama Care into action, just like he promised and made it so that you could get insurance with pre-existing conditions. This has made a direct impact on my family. My family is with out a doubt better off now, than we were four years ago!

It is to my understanding that you stated that you were going to repeal Obama Care, including the part I have mentioned, which will take away the insurance we have and need for my sister Kennedy. Why do you think she doesn’t deserve health care? Also, when you were interviewed on “Meet the Press”, you stated that you would NOT repeal this part of Obama Care, but then your campaign backpedalled and on the “Tonight show with Jay Leno”, you said that you WOULD repeal this.

Also, you’re domestic plans (birth control, gay rights etc.) are horrible! Women should get to manage their own health, and if you wonder why you’re not appealing to many women voters, rethink your birth control and women’s’ rights plans. And people should be able to marry whom they want. We built this country so people could have freedom, and not have religious beliefs control them to that length. This country was in no way built on any religion, so we should not create laws that repress the American people in a religious way and hurt our most vulnerable.

Sincerely,
Jackson Ripley, age 12