Jim Stillman
Randy InmanWanted: Suggestions to Solve the Immigration Crisis.
December 2nd 2007 20:19
During the presidential debates, primarily on the GOP side, there has been much rhetoric about the treatment of undocumented (a polite term for “illegal”) aliens who are living in our communities. Rudy Giuliani is accused of being mayor of a “sanctuary city”; Mitt Romney, of being the former governor of a state too liberal to enforce immigration laws. Both characterizations are, sort of, true but both fail to address the real issues. Meanwhile Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his comprehensive health care proposals would cover illegal aliens; Senator Hillary Clinton states that her proposal would not, at least right away, include such coverage.
I would like to offer this space for a realistic approach to the results (and possible solution) of a lack of immigration policy, direction and enforcement caused by both Democrats and Republicans over the years.
The “sanctuary city” concept adopted in many places, including New York City under Mayor Giuliani encouraged all persons, legal or illegal, to feel free to seek medical attention and to call upon law enforcement in the event of criminal activity against them. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, under Governor Romney, adopted a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy to further the same ends. Governor Schwarzenegger’s concept is based on the same essential truths that other Republicans ignore.
Let’s start with several essential truths, to which there cannot be too much dispute.
According to a report from the Federation for American Immigration Reform [FAIR] this past fall, the number of illegal aliens in this country is estimated at 13 million! The FAIR report states,
The huge, almost unimaginable, number of individuals involved makes it economically or logistically impossible to incarcerate or deport all of them, without consideration of the economic burden that would fall upon American businesses that rely on these workers.
The uproar that resulted from Senator Clinton’s transient approval of the New York Governor Spitzer’s proposal to issue drivers’ licenses to such undocumented individuals, since withdrawn, was a response to a practical problem. The proposed licenses would be distinguishable from those issued to citizens and legal residents; they would be worthless as ordinary identification but only certify that the individual was able to safely operate a motor vehicle, including reading and understanding traffic signs. Is it not in the best interests of everyone that any operator of a motor vehicle be proficient? Yet the proposal was abandoned because of a reluctance to give the illegal alien any standing.
The reference to New York City as a “sanctuary city” oversimplifies. New York’s policy was, first, to allow and encourage all children to attend school, second, to allow and encourage any illegal alien to report being a victim of violent crime to the police without fear of immediate and expeditious expulsion from this country, and, third, to allow access to medical treatment without consideration of immigrant status. New York, unlike other cities, such as San Francisco, regularly reported undocumented persons to the Federal authorities; rarely was any action taken by the latter, due to many reasons, staffing and budget among them.
Do these exceptions, if that is what they are, make sense? I believe so. Children being educated or at least exposed to education are in society’s best interest. These children are here; that’s a fact. Would one prefer to isolate them further, not being given a chance to learn our language and culture? Are uneducated gangs better for anyone?
As to the reporting of crimes, do we wish to shield violent criminals from arrest and incarceration because of their choice of victim? Is it better to allow muggers and rapists to escape the notice of police because the victim fears reporting the crime?
Should undocumented aliens be afforded health care, even at public expense? A child, of whatever nationality or citizenship or status with a communicable disease is as much a public health menace as a native-born person.
We are not dealing with Food Stamps or Federal supported monetary welfare programs. These are already unavailable to illegal aliens. There may be individual state or local general public assistance programs that provide money or other aid to illegal aliens, but these are, if they exist, local and insignificant.
OK, here’s where I invite your comments, insights and suggestions. I accept the proposition that the present situation is not acceptable, that “something” needs to be done. What would you suggest?
I would like to offer this space for a realistic approach to the results (and possible solution) of a lack of immigration policy, direction and enforcement caused by both Democrats and Republicans over the years.
The “sanctuary city” concept adopted in many places, including New York City under Mayor Giuliani encouraged all persons, legal or illegal, to feel free to seek medical attention and to call upon law enforcement in the event of criminal activity against them. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, under Governor Romney, adopted a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy to further the same ends. Governor Schwarzenegger’s concept is based on the same essential truths that other Republicans ignore.
Let’s start with several essential truths, to which there cannot be too much dispute.
According to a report from the Federation for American Immigration Reform [FAIR] this past fall, the number of illegal aliens in this country is estimated at 13 million! The FAIR report states,
“About 60 percent of all illegal immigrants -- nearly 8.4 million people -- are settled in just six states, California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois and New Jersey. Other recent reports by FAIR indicate that the combined costs of K-12 education, health care and incarceration of criminals to those six states exceeds $27 billion annually.
"These new estimates, showing explosive growth in illegal immigration in recent years, indicate why Americans all across the country are demanding that the government control our borders and block illegal immigrants from working or receiving benefits in this country," said Dan Stein, president of FAIR. "Almost from the day the Bush Administration took office, they made it clear that their aim was to reward illegal immigration with amnesty and assorted other benefits. As a result, we have seen record increases in illegal immigration, mounting burdens on taxpayers, and unprecedented public concern about this issue."
At 13,175,000 people, the illegal population of the United States is now larger than the entire population of Illinois, the nation's fifth most populous state. The phenomenon has also become a national one in the past decade, finds How Many Illegal Aliens? More than three-fifths of the states have seen their illegal alien population more than double since 2000. In all, 24 states now have illegal populations that exceed 100,000.”
"These new estimates, showing explosive growth in illegal immigration in recent years, indicate why Americans all across the country are demanding that the government control our borders and block illegal immigrants from working or receiving benefits in this country," said Dan Stein, president of FAIR. "Almost from the day the Bush Administration took office, they made it clear that their aim was to reward illegal immigration with amnesty and assorted other benefits. As a result, we have seen record increases in illegal immigration, mounting burdens on taxpayers, and unprecedented public concern about this issue."
At 13,175,000 people, the illegal population of the United States is now larger than the entire population of Illinois, the nation's fifth most populous state. The phenomenon has also become a national one in the past decade, finds How Many Illegal Aliens? More than three-fifths of the states have seen their illegal alien population more than double since 2000. In all, 24 states now have illegal populations that exceed 100,000.”
The huge, almost unimaginable, number of individuals involved makes it economically or logistically impossible to incarcerate or deport all of them, without consideration of the economic burden that would fall upon American businesses that rely on these workers.
The uproar that resulted from Senator Clinton’s transient approval of the New York Governor Spitzer’s proposal to issue drivers’ licenses to such undocumented individuals, since withdrawn, was a response to a practical problem. The proposed licenses would be distinguishable from those issued to citizens and legal residents; they would be worthless as ordinary identification but only certify that the individual was able to safely operate a motor vehicle, including reading and understanding traffic signs. Is it not in the best interests of everyone that any operator of a motor vehicle be proficient? Yet the proposal was abandoned because of a reluctance to give the illegal alien any standing.
The reference to New York City as a “sanctuary city” oversimplifies. New York’s policy was, first, to allow and encourage all children to attend school, second, to allow and encourage any illegal alien to report being a victim of violent crime to the police without fear of immediate and expeditious expulsion from this country, and, third, to allow access to medical treatment without consideration of immigrant status. New York, unlike other cities, such as San Francisco, regularly reported undocumented persons to the Federal authorities; rarely was any action taken by the latter, due to many reasons, staffing and budget among them.
Do these exceptions, if that is what they are, make sense? I believe so. Children being educated or at least exposed to education are in society’s best interest. These children are here; that’s a fact. Would one prefer to isolate them further, not being given a chance to learn our language and culture? Are uneducated gangs better for anyone?
As to the reporting of crimes, do we wish to shield violent criminals from arrest and incarceration because of their choice of victim? Is it better to allow muggers and rapists to escape the notice of police because the victim fears reporting the crime?
Should undocumented aliens be afforded health care, even at public expense? A child, of whatever nationality or citizenship or status with a communicable disease is as much a public health menace as a native-born person.
We are not dealing with Food Stamps or Federal supported monetary welfare programs. These are already unavailable to illegal aliens. There may be individual state or local general public assistance programs that provide money or other aid to illegal aliens, but these are, if they exist, local and insignificant.
OK, here’s where I invite your comments, insights and suggestions. I accept the proposition that the present situation is not acceptable, that “something” needs to be done. What would you suggest?
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Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
Health Focus
Poetry Lighthouse
MS Paint Art
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
The question is what is driving people to come into the US?
Is it desperation or greed?
Is it that The US is advetizing itself as the place to be wealthy through media, television and films?
Is there a huge disparity of living conditions in the surrounding nations?
Obeying immigration laws may sound good on television debate but how does it sound to people living in poverty?
No debate is ever as simple as it looks on the surface.
Comment by tlcorbin
Coffee Quip
A Global Citizen
Paranormal Paranormal
Is Why
Alaska Chronicle
Sleezer's World
When they (some unknown Hispanically populated South American country) sends 5, 10, 15 or whatever percentage of their work force to the USA; we will annex that percentage amount of the country of origin, that way those undocumented tourist will be working here legally and we'll have an infrastructure and governing body in place to send our aid money for disbursement.
Or, they can declare war on the USA, send over a few banditos with guns, we'll shoot 'em and the country will surrender. Then we'll rebuild their state and later, when they become a new world power, we'll borrow back the money we spent to rebuild them and pay them interest on it.
Something so historical familiar should be an easy sell. Raven
Comment by Lester Caudill
Conservative Christian Views
Politically Incorrect
But the do nothing attitude is not working, and our country is suffering.
Comment by Jim Stillman
Opinions of a curmudgeon
Political Certainty
Comment by Jeff Musall
Secular Humanity
Comment by rickb_georgia
I have no problem with folks coming here to work but I don't understand why we have so many jobs for the illegal alien (I am not too big on political correctness anyway, calling them "undocumented aliens" is the same as calling a drug pusher a "unlicensed pharmacist". Sorry, just had to get in the quip.) and still have so many people on unemployment and welfare. I have to sumise that many of the jobs they take are available because some of the folks here feel that it is beneath them to do the work.
I do feel the first thing we need to do is secure the border. I have no problem with using whatever physical force is necessary to accomplish this mission.
I do feel that employers who knowingly hire workers that are here illegally should be punished up to and including closing their businesses and the assets confiscated.
Proof of legal presence in this country should be required to rent or buy housing.
Individual Cities or States cannot be allowed to declare themselves "sanctuaries" ... though part of the intent may be "good".
Everyone should have to meet the same requirements for drivers' licenses, bank accounts, kids in school, etc. including being legal.
Work permits need to be available for those who want to come here for all those jobs we apparently have available ... if they are going to come lets make it a simple process that will encourage folks to be honest and able to walk the streets openly without fear. I think these permits should be available for extended periods of time (like as long as the person remains employed) and should be easily renewable without having to return to their original country to do so. All permits would involve a background check or some sort. Having a work permit does not grant one diplomatic immunity ... the laws of the land must be obeyed and our laws prevail, even for Mexican truck drivers.
Taxes need to be paid.
Persons wanting to remain here permanently should have an avenue to citizenship after some period of employment and that avenue should be economically feasible and include the requirement that conversational English be learned along with a basic understanding of the written language.
Persons caught in this country illegally ... 10 years manditory prison, at hard labor ... then deportation. I am not sure what the penalty for the second offense should be.
I think coming to this country illegally should be so difficult, dangerous and fearful that only a fool would try. But, legal immigration, temporary or permanent, should be simple, inexpensive and accessible.
What to do about those folks already here? ... That is a topic for another day. Let's shut the water off then we can work on draining the pond.
Comment by Patricia Graff
Inside my Mind
Free Speech
Hit corporations that hire them with huge penalties. Hard.
Use said proceeds from banks and corporations to deport them back to their homeland.
Illegal aliens are just that - illegal; therefore, so are the actions of the corporations who employ them and the banks that serve them - they are complicit in a federal crime and should be subject to paying for their crimes.
Let the President of the United States make a foreign policy statment that we will not tolerate people entering our country illegally, and that anyone who does so will be dealt with strictly; read, deported immediately.
We just need to take a hard line stance and stick to it, but no politicians want to offend corporations or banks, becuse it always comes down to money. It's not that we don't have the money to do it - it's that we don't have the money to lose from banking and big corporations backing of our politicians.
Comment by D. Armenta
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
Document and tax the earnings of non-residents working here, while they work here. Place the onus of reporting wages paid upon those who hire them, with severe penalties upon those who don't.
Everyone wins in that scenario. Non-resident workers get the medical, schooling, police protection, etc. that we get because they are helping to support those programs with their taxes, yet not renouncing their native citizenship. Employers get a tax break. Citizens will stop bitching about "handouts to aliens."
Make English the official language of the U.S. I can't understand why this is such a bone of contention. Other countries do it, officially or unofficially. If you want to live and work in a particular country, you have to learn the language of that country.
Simple enough to offer gratis English classes; when I was in the Navy I taught English classes to non-residents for free. Anyone can teach English, using the standardized system established by the ESL program.
Criminals get deported. Immediately. No jail time, no rehab.
Comment by Patricia Graff
Inside my Mind
Free Speech
Good idea, but we already do this...
Comment by D. Armenta
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
Penalties must be stronger for employers; that with an added tax break should be better incentive than what's in place now.
Comment by Patricia Graff
Inside my Mind
Free Speech
I don't think they deserve a tax break for two reasons: one, there shouldn't be a reward for simply following the law. Two, it may encourage employers to actively seek out hiring illegal immigrants to get the tax break.
But I do agree they could make penalties more severe...