Former DC Mayor: Let’s Grow Our Own Nurses ‘So That We Don’t Have to Be Scrounging Around’ & Hiring Foreigners
- Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:00pm by
Becket Adams
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Just weeks after saying all those “dirty” Asian shops in Washington, DC, “ought to go,” Ward 8 Councilman and former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry has stepped in it again.
While addressing board members of the University of the District of Columbia, Barry said the school “should be supplying D.C. residents to serve in the ‘lucrative’ posts of nurses and teachers,” the Washington Examiner’s Lisa Gartner writes.
However, according to Barry, UDC has failed to do that, especially when it comes to nurses.
“In fact, it’s so bad, that if you go to the hospital now, you find a number of immigrants who are nurses, particularly from the Philippines,” Barry said.
“And no offense, but let’s grow our own teachers, let’s grow our own nurses — and so that we don’t have to be scrounging around in our community clinics and other kinds of places — having to hire people from somewhere else,” he added.
Watch the Fox DC update:
Here’s a tip (free of charge!): if you precede a thought with “no offense,” it doesn‘t necessarily mean that whatever you follow up with won’t be construed as offensive. We’re not entirely surprised to see that some people were offended by his saying that unless we “grow our own nurses,” we’ll be forced to “scrounge” for foreigners (particularly Filipinos).
“I said, UDC ought to be the premier nursing program, training program, because there is a shortage of nurses, and the shortage is so severe that this country has to invite nurses from other countries to fill those slots,” Barry told Fox.
“That’s all I said. Don’t try to make anything out of that.”
Still, Barry hasn’t done himself — or his PR staff — any favors. But unlike when he said something needed to be done about all the “Asians coming in and opening up businesses and dirty shops” in the nation’s capital, the Ward 8 Councilman hasn’t taken to Twitter to defend his comments.
(H/T: Twitchy)
This article has ben updated.
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Comments (102)
takearight
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:04amMarion, some day you‘ll end up in a hospital or nursing home and I can almost guarantee you’ll wish you had a Filipino nurse rather than one of your “home grown” variety. Let’s hope you live to regret your words.
Report Post »fidel1234
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 10:18amNothing scarier than a affirmative action hired nurse that teachers looked the other way due to skin color.
Report Post »G-WHIZ
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 10:56amYeh…You don’t want the “home-growed” because they had to actually train for the job and actually speak American-English, and actually know what to do in all cituations. You want one sho got his/her job only because of political-correctness with almost no actual nursing knowledge at all. I’ll take the first one I mentioned.
Report Post »Jorge
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 7:02amIt is amazing how stupid one can be and be a respected leader of the black community.
Report Post »Wise up people you’re following morons into a deeper hole.
We want all Americans to have jobs and be able to pursue happiness, but if you are following these clowns you are just going backwards.
Bill Rowland
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 7:47amBarry needs to look at the DC school system for potential nursing students. To DC school system is a holding area for kids until they are old enough to drop out. The ones who stay in school don’t have the background to pass the exams.
Children graduating from DC schools don’t know how to read and write proper english, don’t have basic skills in math and science.
School board members draw high salaries and police (body guards) driven limos while teachers are under paid and have to work with outdated material and discipline problems.
Marion Barry has been riding the DC gravy train for years and has done nothing to improve the situation. Instead he has used tax payer money and free labor by city employees to make improve his personal property.
OMG 2012
Report Post »Bama_Conservative
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:24amMake medical jobs desirable! No one wants to be a surgeon or nurse when they are being taxed out the butt!
Report Post »yougottabekidding
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:51amIt is amazing how stupid one can be and be a respected leader of the black community.
It’s amazing what is considered a respected leader. A drug addict, and now a pronounced racist.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 11:32amA Green Economy… “Grows” Jobs :)
Report Post »yankeeatheart
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 6:43amFirst, our home growns have to pass the state boards, maybe they can’t, thats why we have foreigns in the positions. Did anyone ever think of that? Hmmmmmmmm…………………Hello, Hello, Is anyone there?
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:32amWe are a lot better at growing welfare mothers than qualified nurses.
Report Post »PJ3
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 10:51amOur own americans can pass the tests. It takes a harder time for people who can barely speak/understand english. But these filipinos just try again after failing & barely pass and get in. I know since I know some that have done this. It also helps them because other flipinos in the field help them along.
Report Post »EP46
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 6:27amA year or so ago I read an article about all the doctors from foreign countries that are being allowed into the U.S……they work as nurses since they are not qualified as doctors in the U.S…..but the article stated that they are being given free educations to meet the requirements for U.S. doctors while working as nurses. How about we let U.S. citizens have first shot at these medical jobs ????
Report Post »Watchingtheweasels
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 7:46amNobody gets a free ride through medical school (unless you‘re an ’underrepresented minority’ which, in English, basically means you’re black).
Report Post »rlimike
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 6:06ambarry is just a burnt out shell …. the crack / heroin has fried any brain cells that he may have been born with.
Report Post »NOTAMUSHROOM
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 6:23amYes but like a child, he speaks the uncensored truth.
Dear Mr. Adams,
Report Post »I don’t think he stepped in it. I think that you’ve just bought into the PC crap that plaques our nation.
Bob6285
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 5:22amAll nurses who enter the United States need to pass the NCLEX exam. This is a standard test that all nurses need to pass in order to work in the United States. From what I hear, it is quite challenging.
Since 2007, there are no VISAs have been issued for nurses to work in the USA. I know this to be true as my sister-inlaw is a foreign nurse (from the Phillippines) with all the credentials necessary including passing the NCLEX exam. For many years now, she has been told this my a number of recruiting agencies.
Congress has failed to reauthorize the Immigration Department to allow more nurses into the USA. If there are foreign nurses coming into the United States it is through marriage or by direct relatives. Either way they have just as much right to get a job as anyone else.
My experience with nurses foreign or domestic is they are all very professional.
I know that any foreign nurses who have made it to this country, had to go through an incredible gauntlet just to get the opportunity to work here.
We should commend their effort. It is the kind of effort that made this country great.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 2:40pmThe NCLEX is a standardized test similar to the BAR for nurses that assures basic competency. It is not easy but most nursing graduates pass it each year. After that the biggest learning curve in a nurses life is that first year on the job.
Report Post »Churchill
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 5:09amI agree, however if a conservative had said the same thing the race baiters would be up in arms.
Report Post »jnobfan
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 7:23amNever thought barry and I would agree on much but IMO all immigration should be halted until unemplyment reaches 5%. Lets drop the sex ed class and the social engineering classes and introduce the kids to nursing and trade skills. Public schools have lost site of their mission which was supposed to prepare them to enter the work place. If they and their parents (not me the taxpayer) want to continue their education further they need to pay for it themselves. DC schools could partner up with local DC hospitals to identify candidates in HS and create or “grow” these nurses as MB says. Barry rocks LOL
Report Post »roadhog
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 3:45amThe Washington DC school system produces students will grade 6 education Big Unions Liberalism. They are producing Tolet cleaner Not Nurses.
Report Post »Watchingtheweasels
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 7:45amToilet cleaning is a job. You actually have to show up, work, and get paid for your work.
I suspect that the vast majority of the DC school system’s graduates go on to study welfare, food stamps, and baby mommadom (motherhood)? That’s assuming they graduate at all.
Report Post »Diane TX
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 3:43amThis might be strange, but I don’t EVER listen to any crack addicts opinions. Crack addicts brains are fried. BTW, he’s a crack addict.
Report Post »marine249
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 2:35amIf I had to pick a nurse from the
Report Post »Philippines or one of dem dar D.C. residents,
I would pick one from the Philip——- wait the
nurse who works for the dr. i see, is from the
Philippines and I can till the head dip sh++
bro barry she is a hel! of a lot cleaner than them
d.c. rats
ronin_6
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 1:49amI think Detroit is experiencing a brain drain like England did in the 50‘s and 60’s.
Report Post »sacwoodpusher
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 1:15amI bet there are unemployed nurses out there….Americans, simply necause the government allows nurses to be imported to save the insurance companies and hospital money.
Maybe occupy is right. American first, it seems to me.
Report Post »asybot12
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 2:59amSorry sac , most nurses (because most work in large hospitals not in private practices) are represented by the SEIU so if on the other hand you are a small business owner (like your local MD most likely is) and you have to be able to be cost effective so that you can be the best Dr. on the block if you were in his place what would you do ? Hire a SEIU member (with all the added costs) or an equally capable legal immigrant from Canada?
Report Post »lucyloo
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 1:07amthe Phillipino nurses I know are great……
Report Post »Watchyer6
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 7:40amTotally agree. I was on kidney dialysis for 5 years. Almost all the nurses and techs at the clinic I went to were Filipino. They were fantastic.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 2:41pmCorrect, they are heros.
Report Post »asybot12
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 12:26amAs usual , divide and conquer. The movement behind all the racist BS that is happening today everywhere is a well thought out long term project by the left and frankly they are just as elitists as capitalists but WAY more brutal and short sighted (I know that sounds like a contradiction but is not the momentary people are just apart of their long term project). At least capitalists share some of their wealth because they realize they need the the middle class. Sadly as history has proven the leftists methods does not work where and whenever they tried it on this planet. They have tried it and failed time and again with the sad history of death and destruction. (Russia, China, Cambodia, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Kosovo, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, North Korea, do I need to go on? The list is almost endless ! To the JZS’s, Ecinom’s, Rose Ellen’s Archons#3 ( DWS Debbie) on this site give me ONE example of communistic success just ONE. Just look at the girl that was asked if she would share her school grades with someone else, her answer I WORKED HARD FOR THAT NO WAY>!!!!!
Report Post »But what is really bad is the fact that our children are so misled it is criminal all of you teach them at home listen to your elders from Europe or elsewhere they know!
jacques.daspy
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 12:11amHe won’t be “growing many nurses at home.
Students from historically disadvantaged minority groups (American Indian, Hispanic, Black) have little more than a fifty-fifty chance of finishing high school with a diploma.
Graduation rates for students who attend school in high poverty, racially segregated, and urban school districts lag from 15 to 18 percent behind their peers.
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 2:00amlooks like the democrat kkk plan of keeping the minorities down is working ……………….and they thank them for it to boot
Report Post »USA-Ron
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 12:09amNurses and all other jobs are for Americans – not those NOT from America !!!
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 2:42pmRon
Report Post »We do not produce enough nurses.
Apple Bite
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:50pmGrow our own nurses? Nurses aren’t like weed you can grow in those pots in your basement, or your back yard, you dope head.
Personally, I don’t mind foreigners as nurses. As long as they’ve been properly trained, who cares about their race? I’m just tired of seeing chubby nurses with tatoos that say stuff like “Juicy” or “Hot Mamma” on their arms. I’ll take the little Asian female with a good disposition over chunky momma with a bad attitude.
Report Post »Valuable
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 12:36pmLOL!!! I work in healthcare and I posted about the look on the poor families‘ faces when they see who the RN is going to be for the shift and it’s those RNs who you are referring to!!
Report Post »Quagaar Warrior
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:34pm~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Report Post »No offence, Marion, but you just can‘t break that crack smokin’ habit, eh?
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GeorgieJo
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:54pmThe crack has whacked his feeble brain. What a racist!!!
OMG 2012
Report Post »coldnorth
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:31pmMy wife worked as an ER nurse in the DC area a while back. She had to put up with alot of crap. She was called racist (more than once) by blacks because they could not understand the concept of triage. She’s been punched, kicked, spit on, and yelled at all the while trying to save lives and help people. I was glad to move to smaller city where people are more respectful and appreciative.
Report Post »gotoneon
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 12:07amDoesn‘t matter where you go they’re all the same.Thank you Lyndon Johnson.
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 12:10amthats awful, God bless your wife for serving those people.
Report Post »hi
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:28pm“You amerwacans so wase-ful using different needles on eash payshant!”
Report Post »keaton
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:24pmMy wife works with a lot of Philipino nurses, they are way behind standard as a group. Nice people, poor nurses.
Report Post »roostercogburn
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:46pmI think your wife should get a wider view of nurses, my wife had 2 nurses from the Philippines take care of her in the hospital after the last baby was born, they were much better than the home grown ones we had.
Report Post »GeorgieJo
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:52pmPhilipino nurses are flown into USA for 12 weeks,given good housing work then return home with boxes of STUFF. They are horrible nurses and are here for the money. A family member of mine was taken care of one of these “nurses”. Total incompetence. When I reported this–was told she is protected by SEIU. Under ObummerCare—this will only get worse. Feel lucky IF you get a “nurse” that speaks COMPLETE ENGLISH.
Report Post »Great Job Andy Sterno!!!!
OMG 2012
HorseCrazy
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 12:14amkeaton I agree with you. nice well intentioned folks but not as equiped with the training as our nurses here. I currently have 6 friends who are in nursing school. they all had to wait YEARS to get into the programs and are all excellent students. maybe if the colleges would knock off the useless liberal philosophy degrees etc and serve actual career oriented individuals we wouln’t be in this mess.
Report Post »whatthecrazy
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 12:18amMy favorite nurse was from Tobago , its been over a year but it’s Tobago something or something Tobago anyway her and a big ole harry white guy who looked like he might need a little make over but otherwise ………………………..
Report Post »Skrewedretiree
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 12:28amNothing is more unsettling than being an AMERICAN patient in an AMERICAN hospital in an AMERICAN city, and being in pain on a gurney in an emergency ward and only hearing SPANISH or TAGALOG!
Of course, this is a racist comment, yes? If so, TOUGH S**T!
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 2:44pmI call BS on that comment.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 2:47pmSkrewedretiree
Report Post »Better Tagalog then silence because you have no one to care for you. I have never met a substandard filipino nurse, but have met really lazy and burnt out nurses from a host of other backgrounds. For purposes of disclosure I am white and have been a nurse for 18 years and have worked in health care for 30.
roostercogburn
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:55pmHey, Idiots, they have to pass the SAME EXACT test as the home grown nurses do, they have the standards and could pass the test just fine, the problem is ENGLISH, they have to take all their tests in english, and by the way they don’t come here for a month and then go home with goodies, how stupid are you, what morons, I can introduce you to hundreds that I have met that a friend of mine taught english and most have been here for over 5 years, have some that have been here for 20 years, I after all the time I have spend around this and the Philippines have never EVER herd of one of them that went back after a month, you are starting to sound like the progressive liberals.
Report Post »Oh and they get the same pay as the native nurses do, if you didn’t notice there has been what they call a nursing shortage and those girls stepped up and passed the tests and got a job, does that scare you.
13th Imam
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:22pmQuotes by Marion
” Outside of the Killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country”
“I am a great mayor; I am an upstanding christian man ; I am an intelligent man; I am a deeply educated man; I AM A HUMBLE MAN.”
Report Post »Mark0331
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:37pmMarion Barry, “..and I am a crackhead”
Report Post »jacques.daspy
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 12:07amShootin‘ an killin’ is a cultural prerogative in the African cultural community. The need more “gun control” as the victims of the shootins’ out number the killins,’ four to one.
Report Post »TheBurningTruth
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:16pmHere’s a truth that the Crackhead should know (but doesn’t). Nursing is a difficult major in college. Few blx go into nursing, and fewer still graduate. I know someone that shared a dorm with a blx nursing student back in the 70s. This person got to know quite a bit about the blx “culture”. These blx skipped classes, declared teachers r8cist because they didn’t like the teachers, didn’t do assignments, and failed exams. Now, the Crackhead may want those blx students treating DC, but nobody else would want them.
Report Post »neidermeyer
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:30pmMarion Barry did not specify the skin color of “our nurses” that he wishes to replace foreigners with …I don’t know why you inferred that.
Report Post »whatthecrazy
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 12:25am@ Theburningtruth im with you on this , i think by now we are aware how most black people swing and i will not take certain risk just to prove I’m not racist,who ever can call it what they want,I’ll just call it the truth as i see it.
Report Post »Teabunny
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:12pmgrow…our own nurses???Pod people!!!!!!! (LOL)
Report Post »mr.goodvibe
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:44pmPlant in sunlight and well drained soil and fertilize with fresh BS.
Report Post »Apple Bite
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:53pmHe can borrow from Pelos’s swamp.
Report Post »RebelPatriot
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 1:14amI guess with Obama Care it will be necessary to bring in cheap labor in order to make sure we can afford it. Just imagine the doctors we will get from the Middle East.
Brought to you by your all powerful government and King Hussein, healthcare for everyone!
I didn’t say it was going to be good healthcare, I just said everyone would recieve health care.
King Hussein
Report Post »Exrepublisheep
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:11pmUhhh, I agree with him…
Report Post »neidermeyer
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:28pmI agree with him also ,, and my wife is Filipina and we know many medical professionals that are here from the Philippines… Funny how the “elites” can see when they have Americans pushed out of jobs by foreigners that will work for slightly less money here in the states but they can’t see that as a whole they have exported the jobs of Americans for damn near 40 years (professional and production/factory type jobs) and to this day every last one of them promotes H-1B visas to deny people that have gone into debt slavery attending school here the ability to compete. Nobody can attend 4 years of college and compete with someone that went through a similar program for less than the cost of one semesters worth of books when that alternative employee from India comes on a contract and has absolutely no pension or retirement costs associated with employment and where that contractors agent is assigned the responsibility to provide catastrophic health coverage.
Report Post »Quagaar Warrior
Posted on April 24, 2012 at 11:28pm~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Report Post »Figures!
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PJ3
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 10:48amI have NO respect for him and think he should have been fired/arrested long ago for his crack issues. But on this I agree. We dont need foreigners coming here taking our jobs.
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