Posted on 06/21/2007 5:45:30 PM PDT by winner3000
Immigration from a pro-business pro-American point of view – A response to Michael Medved
The Immigration bill has come down to a question of trust: The government has acted like North Korea in its negotiation with the American people: Over the years the American people have allowed amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. In return the government was supposed to put steps in place to stop illegal immigration, and punish employers who continue to hire them. Laws are now on the books with penalties and prison terms for employers, and for a fence to be built. Those laws have not been enforced, and the American people got nothing in return for amnesty. Now the government says: we promise to give you what we already have lied to you about, which is the same thing you already have negotiated for previously, but give us an extra 12 to 20 million amnesties. They are surprised that the American people stops and asks them, hey, why are we negotiating for something that we already should have had? And what gives us faith that the same people who lied to us before, are now serious about stopping illegal immigration? Some of the Senators who lied about the prior amnesty bill are the same ones who are pushing for this one. Not only have they not apologized for lying about the first amnesty bill, they have the gall to act uppity and accuse the American voter of being racists and unpatriotic!
The American people ask: Why not just increase the number of LEGAL immigrants? At least, we’d know who they are, and would have some comfort that they are not terrorists. Business would have their workers, and the immigrants would join the melting pot in their pursuit of the American Dream.
However, Big Business needs them to be illegal, so they would be willing to do the work Americans wouldn’t do, i.e. jobs that pay BELOW THE MINIMUM WAGE! Thanks to illegal immigration, business has not needed to fight strongly against the gradual increase in the minimum wage laws, which are sure job killers, and which, without illegal immigration, would surely have forced many of them to relocate to more asian pastures. But two wrongs don’t make a right.
Some on the Republican side like Michael Medved say that the bill currently under consideration is better than the Status Quo, which just keeps the border wide open. Why should it be so Michael? Didn’t the government pass a law about building a fence? Why not build it? Also, because the 12 to 20 million do not currently have legal status, they are not eligible yet for many of the welfare benefits and social security. Under the bill under consideration, they would be. How is the quicker bankruptcy of social security better than the status quo?
Michael also says that in the current Congress, there is no way that an enforcement only provision would pass. It already has Michael: last time I checked the fence has been authorized to be built. Also, with a vast majority of the American people for an enforcement only provision, even the leftist Democrats in Congress do not feel suicidal.
Let’s first enforce the current law, which by itself would dry up the pull for illegal immigrants (no jobs, no need to come illegally), increase the number of legal immigrants (especially the ones we need to compete against the rest of the world), and at least freeze the minimum wage for a while if not reduce it.
It all starts with the president who is mandated by the Constitution to "...take care that the laws are faithfully executed... (Article II Section 3).
IMHO we are in the midst of a true Constitutional crisis and no one is holding the president's feet to the fire.
Immigration policy should always serve the interests of the citizens.
I have yet to hear a reasoned discussion on the part of any of our political class or any of our paid chatterers concerning what level of immigration is beneficial to the citizens of the country. How many is the right number, and on what would they base that number.
We allow a million legal immigrants per year, every year, and I have yet to hear anyone explain how they arrived at that number, and much less has anyone tried to explain why that number is too small. The citizenry have never been consulted on the matter, and at the rate we’re going they aren’t likely to be consulted.
I want the border secured. I would like to see about a 10-year moratorium, during which time immigration is limited to spouses and children of residents and citizens, and a few technical experts. Give the ones here time to assimilate, and give time for wages and prices find their new equilibrium. Will wages for field workers go up? Yes. Will the price of produce go up? Not much, but it does what it does. Explain how that is bad for working people.
The greatest beneficiaries of reduced immigration will be the most recent immigrants, the folks still working in the fields and meatpacking houses who suddenly have more leverage in wage discussions.
Increasing the level of legal immigration will only speed up the GOP’s rendezvous with demographic destruction.
If its all about labor needs, then why not reshuffle the mix instead of increasing it? Why must the direction always be towards increased legal immigration? Why not craft a system of legal immigration genuinely weighted towards labor needs, not the fantasy one that will allegedly take place eight years down the road in the Kennedy-McCain-Bush bill?
The fact that extended family chain migration is bad for the GOP is pretty much undeniable, so I can’t understand why you or any other conservative would call for greater amounts of legal immigration instead of reshuffling the current mix away from this heavily pro-Democrat system.
And if the highest priority is to bring in the world’s brainiacs, then there is no reason why that could not be accomplished even in a system of much reduced legal immigration.
. . .because the 12 to 20 million do not currently have legal status, they are not eligible yet for many of the welfare benefits . . .
Hello! Many of them are getting welfare benefits now. And we have to speak Spanish, because they can’t speak English. It’s plain disgusting!
Gee, common sense. That’ll never get through the Senate. But we still have a chance with the House.
Thanks! This is excellent!
I have quoted some of your writings in emails to Senators.
Yes, many of them are getting benefits, but if the bill passes they’ll ALL be getting it. It would be like ringing a dinner bell.
But, but, it’s the federal government that’s fostering illegal immigration by feeding, housing, and providing care for the illegals by court orders ... many towns have passed an anti-illegal immigrant access law and it was turned down by some federal judge as unconstitutional ......
Medved probably has interest in a factory full of illegals making loafer tassles on Mercer Island.
I’m not saying Medved has a hidden agenda. He’s one of my favorite talk show hosts, and he showed a lot of integrity by sticking to what he thinks is right, regardless that most of his own audience disagrees with him. He is one of the best reasons why Talk Radio is so popular, using logic instead of inflaming the emotions to bring his points across, and not being afraid of debating people from an opposing view point. However, on immigration, I respectfully disagree with him.
That’s what I enjoy about being a conservative. We can disagree with each other without trying to destroy each other or becoming personal. After all, we all will need each other to defeat the 5th column in this country.
I turn the dial to get Dennis Miller when Medved comes on.
Wonder when the little closet liberal is going to come out of the closet?
Guess the answer is now!
What Michael Medved doesn't get is that after this bill, the border will be wide open too. Only now, we will have added a whole new bureaucratic disaster and 20 million people to the social programs, to affirmative action, to paid legal advice, to making it impossible to deport them and they DON'T want to assimilate and become Americans.
Here’s a thought,we impeach George Bush for neglecting his Constitutional duty to protect our Constitution and our nations borders !!!
“Here’s a thought,we impeach George Bush for neglecting his Constitutional duty to protect our Constitution and our nations borders !!!”
I’m ready. I am so sick of Bush, Chertoff, Gonzales, and Rove I want to puke!!
Just say NO to Illegal Alien Amnesty!! Keep calling!! It’s NOT OVER!!
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