Our Nations Borders & The Illegal Immigration Issue...

SARASOTA, FL. (NS/AP) -

A Friend of mine runs a Construction Company that specializes in conversion of Apartments to Condos, which currently is one of the hottest housing markets across America...

The way he went about and got 14 Brazilian Guest Workers into the United States and as Employee's for his small Company should be an example for ALL others to follow...

By using the system and doing things LEGALLY, his 14 employee's from Brazil are all registered with Immigration, have their Guest Worker Visa's and are provided with decent housing, health insurance and a good job by their Employer...

While they've been here working for my Friend, they have bought cars to drive, buy groceries, clothing and other essentials that help contribute to our Local economy...

My Friend has told me he doesn't understand why anyone would want to 'sneak in' and be here illegally, when by using and going thru the system we have, one could have all the benefits that his employee's enjoy...

Maybe he's an 'exception' but he and his Company should be the EXAMPLE for ALL others to follow...

My point is that if you want to come to the United States LEGALLY, sign up and register properly with Immigration, you should be welcomed into our society...

Becoming an American Citizen and learning to speak ENGLISH, 'our' National language, should be the priority if you want to stay...

Last night, the U.S. Senate took another step in attempting to change our current Immigration laws and addressing the illegal Immigration issue which is rapidly becoming THE campaign issue of the 2006 Mid-Term Elections...

The two political parties have two rival plans to deal with the nation's burgeoning illegal immigrant population...

And barring a breakthrough, there's no guarantee that either of them can pass a Senate driven by election-year partisanship.

"This is a vote that for millions of Americans is a question about whose side you're on," Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said Wednesday in advance of a test vote on legislation offering legal status and eventual citizenship to many of the 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States.

Democrats, led by Sen. Harry Reid (D- NV), needed 60 votes to advance the measure. They seemed unlikely to prevail, especially since one-time Republican allies melted away to support a GOP alternative instead.

If so, that would clear the way for a similar 60-vote showdown on the competing Republican measure that Majority Leader Bill Frist (D-TN) unveiled late Wednesday.

The White House offered no reaction to the GOP plan, although President Bush has called for comprehensive legislation that includes steps to offer legalized status to those in the country unlawfully.

In general, both bills would increase border security, regulate the flow of future immigrants and offer legal status to many of the men, women and children who came to the United States unlawfully or overstayed their visas.

The rival plans differ on the details, though, and so far, at least, attempts at a bipartisan compromise have failed.

"The course we're on is to leave here in a few days having accomplished nothing for the American people," Frist said Wednesday several hours before announcing an alternative patterned after an approach that Democrats had rejected.

In general, the measure backed by Democrats would grant most of the 11 million immigrants legalized status and the opportunity to apply for citizenship after meeting several conditions. They include payment of a fine and any back taxes, passing a background check and learning English.

By contrast, the Republican approach requires illegal immigrants who have been in the United States between two years and five years to return to their home country briefly, then re-enter as temporary workers. They could then begin a process of seeking citizenship.

Illegal immigrants here longer than five years would not be required to return home; those in the country less than two years would be required to leave without assurances of returning, and take their place in line with others seeking entry papers.

Whatever the outcome, the issue has generated huge public rallies, exposed divisions within both political parties and already left an imprint on the midterm election campaigns for control of Congress.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who has been involved in seeking bipartisan legislation, said in remarks on the Senate floor on Tuesday that the immigration issue had generated an unusual amount of emotion.

Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles provided evidence of that from 3,000 miles away when he urged Catholics to pray for passage of legislation allowing illegal immigrants to gain citizenship. The debate marks "one of the most critical weeks in the history of our country," he said.

Senate debate was marked by an unusually personal speech by Reid after Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) had referred to a position the Nevadan had once taken.

In near-confessional tones, Reid said he had once supported legislation to close the borders between Mexico and the United States, "in effect, stop people from coming across our borders into the United States."

His wife, whose father was a Russian immigrant, confronted him, Reid recalled, and he later held a town hall meeting at which friends told him he had made a mistake.

The bill was a "travesty," he said, the worst mistake of a 40-year career in politics, and "I have done everything since that meeting in Las Vegas and the conversation with my wife to undo my embarrassment."

With all the bickering and finger pointing, which will probably lead to more name calling, I doubt anything 'meaningful' can come out of either branch of Congress, leaving the Voters to decide on the Immigration issue this November...

For Now, That's Just 'OUR' Opinion...

Matt Bruce News Sarasota.com Listen Wednesday's To "The Captain's AMERICA" Radio Program Heard On 1490 WWPR Am Radio Serving Bradenton, Sarasota & ALL Of Tampa Bay, FL...

PET PEEVE My newest pet peeve......emails from our friends at the anti-illegal organizations....everyone I have gotten has asked for money to contact my legislator so I can protest the cause.

Hey I give when I can, but when other conservative causes (ie. 2nd amendment rights organizations) send out emails asking for support, they usually include various prepared emails to be sent to legislators, and they will send them for free and then they ask for money. Which is fine, if I feel their cause is worth it I will send the money. I think someone needs to FLOOD both houses and the POTUS with emails (and snail mail) expressing how we feel, and I have yet to find an organization doing this. (and I have no time to do any speerheading of this myself)

My concern about inviting foreigners in to work is the "anchor baby" issue. If we invite women in temporarily and they have a baby then what? They will never leave because their child will be considered a U.S. citizen.

"Last night, the U.S. Senate took another step in attempting to change our current Immigration laws and addressing the illegal Immigration issue which is rapidly becoming THE campaign issue of the 2006 Mid-Term Elections..."

I guess it's just me gettin all hysterical again, but this is not about "immigration," that's just a smoke screen. What the Senate needs to do is to take a hard look at these "demonstrations." What we have is the slow and steady formation of a full blown communist style "revolution." Give it about 5 more years then all hell will break loose.

What we have is the slow and steady formation of a full blown communist style "revolution." Give it about 5 more years then all hell will break loose.

I agree. In the next 5 years, there is a good probability that the Democrats will increase power. Their singular purpose is to destroy this Republic into a dying Socialist hell. Nothing would please the left more than to have this Republic be destroyed. Sad to say that 99% of the Republicans in Congress are truly ignorant and are gladly setting us up for a future of hell. Damn them all.

This guy Appears to have Studied Journalism at The university of Random capitalization.

It was a good country while it lasted. Who would have thought that Democracy would ultimately be destroyed by people calling themselves "Democrats?"

Teddy had it so right!? Not Kennedy, but Roosevelt!?

Theodore Roosevelt's?ideas?on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.?

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

The 14th amendment does not recognized anchor babies as citizens. If their parents are subject to another nation's jurisdiction..(ie citizens)...when they are born here...they will still be whatever nationality their parents are.

http://federalistblog.us/2005/12/birthright_citizenship_fable.html

http://idexer.com/citizenship.htm

http://federalistblog.us/mt/articles/14th_dummy_guide.htm

The 14th amendment does not recognized anchor babies as citizens.

You and I may agree on this but millions upon millions of other American are under the belief that it does. Politicians, lawyers, immigration rights acivists and people I talk to all think it does. Only a very small percentage of people will accept the truth.

Common sense from one of our greatest Presidents. You can bet, though, if Bush said those words today he would be villified as a racist and a Xenophobe.

"Sad to say that 99% of the Republicans in Congress are truly ignorant and are gladly setting us up for a future of hell. Damn them all."

EVERY elected official from the top down that lied when they swore to uphold the Constitution and protect us from foreign invasion should be immediately impeached.

You can bet, though, if Bush said those words today he would be villified as a racist and a Xenophobe.

There is no fear of Bush ever saying anything like that. Inf fact, he has said quite the opposite.

We are now one of the largest Spanish-speaking nations in the world. We're a major source of Latin music, journalism and culture.

Just go to Miami, or San Antonio, Los Angeles, Chicago or West New York, New Jersey ... and close your eyes and listen. You could just as easily be in Santo Domingo or Santiago, or San Miguel de Allende.

For years our nation has debated this change -- some have praised it and others have resented it. By nominating me, my party has made a choice to welcome the new America.

As I speak, we are celebrating the success of democracy in Mexico.

George Bush from a campaign speech in Miami, August 2000.

You can read the speech here.

Here is an excerpt of a good critique of that speech:

In equating our intimate historic bonds to our mother country and to Canada with our ties to Mexico, W. shows a staggering ignorance of the civilizational facts of life. The reason we are so close to Britain and Canada is that we share with them a common historical culture, language, literature, and legal system, as well as similar standards of behavior, expectations of public officials, and so on. My Bush Epiphany By Lawrence Auster

I keep hearing the argument that the criminal immigrants (criminal = illegal ?) do the jobs nobody else wants. The truth is that employers need jobs done but do not want to pay the government mandated wage to a bunch of numbskull kids that happen to be American citizens. That's why employers hire crimmigrants.

The answer is to abolish the minimum wage. Then it won't be worthwhile for crimmigrants to make the trip.

Anyone who knows anything about economics can tell you that if government establishes a price cap on a good or service, demand will increase while supply will decrease. Opposite of that, a price floor will cause demand to decrease, supply to increase. Minimum wage is a price floor. Lots of people are looking for jobs (high supply of American workers), but few jobs are available (low demand for Americans.)

Sadly you are right. It was just wishful thinking on my part that a Republican president (heck, ANY president) would think in those terms today. We used to be proud of our culture--now we seem to be proud of everyone else's.

The answer is to abolish the minimum wage. Then it won't be worthwhile for crimmigrants to make the trip.

Most illegals don't make the minimum wage, nor do they pay taxes other than sales tax.