Project Belbin

nthuz · May 8, 2005

You can help Tanith with her citizenship.
At Governing Council, we were asked to write to Senators/Representatives (particularly: Durbin, Obama, Kennedy, Levin, Stabenow, and Senate Majority Leader, Bill Frist) in support of granting TB her citizenship.

The presentation about this matter was so rushed, I barely had time to take notes!

I have an email address for more info, if you would like to PM me.

SkateFan4Life · May 8, 2005

Perhaps Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice, who is a former competitive figure skater, could put in a word or two to move along Tanith's US citizenship process. It just seems unbelieveable to me that some sort of exception can't be made for Tanith so that she and Ben can compete at the 2006 Olympics.
I would feel the same way if this dance team competed for Canada and Ben needed to obtain duel Canadian/US citizenship. To me, it's a no-brainer.
Grant the dual citizenship!

nthuz · May 8, 2005

Some sort of exception can be made, but it may take some effort on our part.

brad640 · May 9, 2005

I don't think think Tanith should be granted an exception to the citizenship process. The exception should be granted by the ISU to allow teams to compete. With the current scarcity of partners, it is necessary to allow pair and dance teams to draw from an international pool. Tanith and Ben are not the only talented team that will be sitting at home next year. Wakamatsu/Fecteau and Savchenko/Szolkowy are also facing citizenship restrictions.

It would set a bad precedent if the US were to lessen its citizenship requirements in hopes of winning an Olympic medal, but the ISU has an interest in advancing the sport by allowing diverse teams to compete. As more teams of international composition rise to prominence, the citizenship rule is likely to lessen the prestige of Olympic medals in pairs and dance because more of the best teams in the world will be prohibited from competing based on an obsolete rule.

Mathman · May 9, 2005

That is well stated, Brad.

But can the ISU make these rules changes, or is it up to the IOC? The ISU already allows mixed teams to complete at its world championships, etc.

Mathman

Ptichka · May 9, 2005

1. ISU has nothing to do with this, it's IOC.

2. I actually would have no problem with Tanith getting expedited citizenship. Why? Because if INS (Immigration and Naturalization Services) did its job correctly, she would have gotten her permanent residency status (aka Green Card) sooner, and would now be eligible for the citizenship. So, giving it to her would not in fact constitute loosening the rules.

rjw · May 9, 2005

If it's the IOC, why were there so many americans of greek ancestry competing for Greece - automatic citizenship?

Also, there are already exceptions in regulations the allow for express lane applications, and sports are a big reason for it.

thisthingcalledlove · May 9, 2005

the IOC can make exceptions- all Tanith has to do is write to the IOC. In 1992, Rita Drobiazko, who had Russian citizenship competed for Lithuania. Lithuania was not part of the CIS team that competed in Albertville, but competed on its own.

Ptichka · May 9, 2005

thisthingcalledlove, are you sure Rita got the exception, and it wasn't Lithuania that just gave her the citizenship? The truth is that most country's citizenships systems are far more flexible that ours; normally, this flexibility allows the governments to deny citizenship to many of its residents, but it does sometimes work the other way.

heyang · May 9, 2005

I agree with Brad640. The Olympics is sport. In the current world, it is not a matter of life or death even in a communist country let alone between US and Canada.

I actually would have no problem with Tanith getting expedited citizenship. Why? Because if INS (Immigration and Naturalization Services) did its job correctly, she would have gotten her permanent residency status (aka Green Card) sooner, and would now be eligible for the citizenship. So, giving it to her would not in fact constitute loosening the rules.

What did the INS do wrong? I don't recall hearing anything indicating a bureaucratic error that prevented her from being a citizen in time for the games. If I recall correctly, you need to have a green card for at least 2 years before applying for citizenship. Was the delay in her green card?

Lucy25 · May 10, 2005

Well, according to this article, her citizenship seems likely:

http://www.boston.com/sports/articles/2005/05/10/in_2012_anything_goes/

Quote:
Looks as if Tanith Belbin could get her US citizenship in time for next year's Olympics after all. Though the Canadian-born ice dancer and partner Benjamin Agosto have conceded publicly that it wouldn't happen, Congress may well accelerate the process, which could mean the first American medal in the event since 1976. The legislators didn't do it for Russian-born Gorsha Sur in 1994, probably because rivals Elizabeth Punsalan and Jerod Swallow raised a fuss. But since Belbin and Agosto guaranteed an extra US entry for Turin by winning a silver medal at this year's World Championships, none of their domestic competitors has a gripe . . .

Ptichka · May 10, 2005

heyang said:
What did the INS do wrong? I don't recall hearing anything indicating a bureaucratic error that prevented her from being a citizen in time for the games. If I recall correctly, you need to have a green card for at least 2 years before applying for citizenship. Was the delay in her green card?

Actually, you have to wait 5 years; she got her green card in 2002, so she won't be eligible for (normal) citizenship until 2007.

Now, I don't rememeber the details, but Tanith has been living in Detroit since 1998; she didn't get her green card until 2002. The only mention I found of the delay is here :

When Belbin applied for a green card upon moving to the United States, the process was delayed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, she said. Now that she has a green card, she must wait before being eligible for U.S. citizenship. That typically would not be until 2007.

boggartlaura · May 10, 2005

heyang said:
I agree with Brad640. The Olympics is sport. In the current world, it is not a matter of life or death even in a communist country let alone between US and Canada.

What did the INS do wrong? I don't recall hearing anything indicating a bureaucratic error that prevented her from being a citizen in time for the games. If I recall correctly, you need to have a green card for at least 2 years before applying for citizenship. Was the delay in her green card?

The INS lost some of her papers, requiring her to start the process from scratch.

And while the Olys are certainly not "life or death" neither is baseball, which Congress has devoted many more hours to than it would have to devotte to Tanith's case.

hockeyfan228 · May 10, 2005

As someone on FSU pointed out, to accelerate Belbin's citizenship would not affect anyone who is applying for a green card or deny anyone else citizenship, because she already has a green card and the resources dedicated to processing her citizenship application are different than those who determine whether a green card will be issued and process green cards and the people who manage requests for asylum. It would delay citizenship for someone who already has a green card and is able to live and work in the US already.

Doggygirl · May 10, 2005

The INS needs an overhaul....

As much as I would like to see Tanith and Ben compete for the US in the Olympics, I am not in favor of exceptions like this for citizenship.

We have such a problem in this country that I believe stems from the many mistakes and ineptitudes of the INS and the whole process. Believe me, if Tanith's original green card paperwork was indeed messed up (lost, whatever) she is far from the first, and won't be the last which is sad.

The US has a monumental problem with undocumented aliens especially in these days of terrorist activities. Part of the problem is the beaurocracy and difficulty people face when they TRY to follow the process, and the process fails. There are too many "exceptions" made under the radar for immigrants with either political connections, money to grease palms with, or both. And those folks are getting citizenship ahead of others who have met the requirements, and have been waiting a lot longer.

If I were going to "campaign" for an exception for anyone, it would be a local guy I know who has followed the process for years, and faced disappointment after disappointment. He is a hard worker to support his family (extended family included) and is also very active in his community to the point of being a volunteer fireman. He has risked his own life on many occassions to save the lives of others. So if I had only one "get out of INS jail for free card," I would use it for him.

To Tanith and Ben's credit, they have handled this situation in public with grace and dignity.

DG

purplecat · May 10, 2005

I hope she gets her citizenship because:

a) the papers mixup seems unfair
b) I love them and would love to see them in the Olympics
c) since they are current silver medalists, it would seem hollow to not have them there and I don't want those who win medals at the Olympics to have skating fans always speculate whether they would have won them if B&A were there. (You know that would happen!)

Ptichka · May 10, 2005

Doddygirl, I understand what you are saying, but I am sure that the local guy you are talking about has trouble getting a green card, not actual citizenship; once you have the former, getting the latter is not usually a problem.

mzheng · May 10, 2005

boggartlaura said:
The INS lost some of her papers, requiring her to start the process from scratch.

And while the Olys are certainly not "life or death" neither is baseball, which Congress has devoted many more hours to than it would have to devotte to Tanith's case.

If the goverment agency made the mistake they should correct them.

Actually I would be suppurised that she diddn't get her citizenship in time. ASFAIK there is exception to those who makes outstanding achivements in professional areres, their application can be accelarated. I know one of my aunts had be treated through this previlege, she did some outstanding research on AIDS testing and held a patant at the time. But, IMO, TB's achievement is more than my aunt, (no offence aunt).

aviva_dawn · May 10, 2005

I'm interested in writing letters to Congress and the Senators. PM me with the proper e-mail addresses if you have them nthuz.......

R.D. · May 10, 2005

I'm interested in writing letters to Congress and the Senators. PM me with the proper e-mail addresses if you have them nthuz......

Looks like they are already at it...check out this article:

http://www.boston.com/sports/articles/2005/05/10/in_2012_anything_goes/

"...Looks as if Tanith Belbin could get her US citizenship in time for next year's Olympics after all. Though the Canadian-born ice dancer and partner Benjamin Agosto have conceded publicly that it wouldn't happen, Congress may well accelerate the process, which could mean the first American medal in the event since 1976..."

Project Belbin

nthuz

Guest

SkateFan4Life

Guest

nthuz

Guest

brad640

Mathman

Ptichka

Forum translator

rjw

thisthingcalledlove

Ptichka

Forum translator

heyang

Lucy25

Ptichka

Forum translator

boggartlaura

hockeyfan228

Doggygirl

purplecat

Ptichka

Forum translator

mzheng

aviva_dawn

R.D.

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