Posted on 03/29/2006 1:59:58 AM PST by Bob Haran
By Bob Haran; The recent marches in opposition to Rep. James Sensenbrener’s bill, H.R. 4437, that would make it a felony to be in the country illegally, has raised a question in my mind.
Why don't we make the people responsible for causing people to enter our country illegally, felons? Congress should amend H.R. 4437 and instead of making it a felony to be in the country illegally, make it a felony to illegally hire someone in the country illegally. To make people who are for the most part, law abiding, into felons, is ludicrous. Why does our government refuse to go after the real law breakers, the employers that illegally hire and profit from using undocumented workers?
Let's enforce all our immigration laws.
Bob Haran, Phoenix www.Bob-Haran.info
I've been giving this some thought, I may be being unfair. These Americans of healthy body and mind on welfare may want to work. They just need $15 an hour, and they need not to have to relocate or go through any other hardship or discomfit in order to do so.
The solution is NEVER mentioned!
That's why I suggest that he (she?) change the screen name.
You are right, of course. The FairTax would solve a lot of problems in this country and do more to restore liberty to this country than even the repeal of all of the gun laws now on the books.
Yes there are. Like I said, the market would look different, but it would be fine.
The overall population would be lower, but so would the overhead in government assistance and health care. All this illegal workforce does, in the end, is ensure the present level for government assistance. More working Americans, less big brother.
THAT'S the true agenda at work here.
Agreed. Taxing income is the economic equivalent of gun control. It limits the private sector's ability to exercise power.
mmmmm, I have an idea. maybe if we quit feeding and providing for Americans who do not want to work they may magically become willing to do the "jobs Americans will not do". This would drastically lessen the influx of illegals, just a thought.
Bye all, I must go to work now.
The IRS use business owners all the time for tax collectors, why not make them law enforcement on illegal
immigrants also?
Always Right - your way only works if we NEVER enforce the law. A dose of Common Sense is needed.
If we pass any kind of law (or better yet enforce what we already have), the illegal worker will now be documented.
So here it goes. Construction Co. A now is hiring documented Workers. Co. A now has to abide by tax and Workers Comp laws. Co. B starts up and says in order for me to get new business I need to be even more competitive. So the hay with the new Immigration Law, I'll hire ILLEGAL workers because everything is off the books and I can avoid pesky Fed Govt/State/Local law/taxes/workers codes, etc.
How about from the Illegal's point of view. Why should he follow the law and now be required to pay even a small income tax or at least FICA? Heck, I'll stay undocumentated and pocket the extra $50 or 100 a month.
Well that would be bad advice Mr Alien, we now have new laws on the books that will make you illegal and you will be fined and/or deported. Si, he says, HA HA HA. Because you and your Govt have been so vigilant in the past enforcing laws.
I'll pass, he says, and take my chances the way it's always been done. And God forbid you and your govt ever do get tough, we'll get the Local/National Spanish DJs and News to spread the word that our American Dream is being negated and we'll march in the millions and scream racism.
Finis.
A far greater problem may arise when the 12 million illegals are forced out of work and are no longer provided the Socialist welfare system they have grow use to receiving. Anyone who thinks they'll just pack up and go home, better look at what's been going on in Europe. The war we have all feared would come to our soil, will commence.
Riiiiight. There are millions of workers just dying to pick fruit and do gardening and do roofing. The only guy I can get to do yard work is a guy who just got out of jail for DUI, can't drive, doesn't own a cell phone, but can get hired for $50K per year because no one else works as hard as he does. I hire people, I know how hard it is to find people, and i pay quite a bit more than most people. There are not people out willing to do hard labor, period.
Not true. If there was a way to legally hire these workers, the vast majority would. This isn't so about saving money and avoiding regulations, it is about getting the job done. Certainly there will always be those out there to scam the system and make a few extra bucks, but that is a small minority. Businesses need willing and able bodies willing to do hard labor. That labor is not available using only American citizens despite what anti-immigration folks may say.
Quite frankly, that is our greatest argument against the illegals. In Texas, the illegals have dominated the school systems so that our massive property taxes are used to buy the school districts professional-styled sports arenas and provide gold plated taj mahal environments to people who choose to live 12 people per apartment.
Watching hospital after hospital close, along with watching food banks empty, along with more of this crap where the Mexicans demand more services and entitlements than even a Katrina "Where's Mine" scam-artist, we will get tired of paying the tax and will say "No" to the next bond election. Otherwise those within the gated communities will only experience the effects of The Invasion when their lawns are mowed, the pools maintained, and the furniture dusted.
For years I’ve been saying we should use the RICO law on criminal employers
The Legal Community will kiss your feet at this proposal since it means that if the options are "lose everything" in RICO forfeiture, or huge tax-deductable legal fees, these "corporate big wigs" will choose the latter and will keep the courts (that you pay for) tied up settling these claims. I don't see great motivation in prosecutors to win these cases either. Probably plenty of out-of-court settlements so there won't be this psychological impact that you are planning on.
Enforcement on the employers, I believe is the correct way to handle this. Quite frankly the argument against enforcement is silly. We are talking "government" here. A corrupt, lazy, incompetent government made up mostly of college trained Marxist liberals who are in government to "make a change". What this translates into is that you will have token prosecutions in token industries. These industries will be targetted purely on politics so that high profile companies like Walmart will get papered while the Avacado growers will be ignored. If the illegals being dragged out are Korean woman from nail salons and others that will solicite great sorrow and compasion when played in the media before the naive public, then those industries will get hit.
The beauty of the "enforce the current laws" deal is that it is completely impossible to do an overnight "bust" so union politics can come into play here. For instance the construction workers unions can hit non-union shops that hire illegals - that has political possibilities. But who in the world is going to sic the hounds of justice on the tomato growers? Answer, no one, so they will experience a de facto amnesty without the political fallout.
Always Right
I guess we'll just disagree then. I do not trust business owners that much anymore. Just personal observation. I hate to use such a broad brush but in the name of the Free Market today, a business owner can justify most anything and sleep well. If he can get away with it.
Shomer, that last post was very well written. Great thoughts.
You would be shocked to know just how much illegals are earning. It certainly is not a crappy wage.
Oh don't I know it! The ones who are working construction, for the road crews, working as welders etc are certainly not making low wages. The only ones are the ones who are in the AC places - restaurants etc. But then again, those jobs never paid much anyway.
Ecellent analogy.
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