Immigrant Plan Makes Sense But Work Ahead (L.A. Daily News)

Los Angeles Daily News ^ | Jan 11, 2004 | Chris Weinkopf

[DoughtyOne]

In 1990, the United States of America was the premier nation on the planet. It's trade and other policies that saw it become, in fact facilitated it's assencion to where it's GNP was two to four times it's nearest competitor, evidently had something going in their favor.

Why then trash those policies and adopt brand new ones at the expense of our own heritage?

I'm not buying it.

[MattAMiller]

I don't really disagree with a word of this. But he's trying to triangulate to prove himself reasonable by introducing a "die-hard nativist" straw man, I think the "nativists" here just haven't fully digested the proposal. And their suspicion is certainly understandable.

[DoughtyOne]

I do believe there is some justification for the idea that stopping recidivists would impact illegal immigration.  However the reaction to a plan to fingerprint would render it ineffective.  Evasions at border crossings and fewer criss-cross trips would neutralize any positive effect.

In the year 2000, various reports pegged illegal immigrants within our borders at eight to eleven million.  Today the government still clings to a figure close to 8 million.  I consider that a fantasy used to perpetuate the idea that granting legal status for such a small number would have negligable impact.

Southern California's schools can't build new classrooms fast enough to keep up with the exploding numbers of children born to illegal immigrants.  It's my perception that even if there were only 8 million illegal immigrants in 2000, there have already been millions of births to the female segment of that population.

In the year 2000, I believe there were at least 10 million illegal immigrants in our nation.  This would mean that since 1999, there had been about 1 million per year entering illegaly.  I address 1989, since that is the last time we addressed this issue.  In 1986 it was proposed that we legalize the 1 million illegals within our borders.  The funny thing is, that 1 million became 3.5 million as people stepped forward to take advantage of the amnesty offer.

Once it became evident that the US would grant citizenship to those here illegaly, the flood gates burst open and illegal alien entry blossomed from a few hundred thousand per year to millions.  Imagine what will happen if we grant citizenship to the 15 to 17 million illegals we have in this nation today.  Instantly there will be 2.5 million illegal immigrants flooding across our souther border per year.

The theory being lofted is that the borders will be closed after the amnesty is granted.  That's laughable.  With ten million plus illegal immigrants within our borders and the resultant calamitous effects on our communities, Bush wants to grant rights of passage to millions more legally.  They won't be any better educated or able to pay their own way than the current batch. And the sad truth is, once inside this nation, the new 'guest workers' will never leave. Let's be honest, this isn't a guest worker program, it's a massive shift in the population base of the southwestern region of the United States.

Let's also remember that in the amensty plan in the late 1980s, government officials promised a ceasation to all illegal entry, in order to get the public to buy into the amnesty plan.  Well, they're at it again today.

If we sign on to this repeat amnesty plan, you can bet your a-- we'll be trying to assimilate around 30 million more illegals by 2015.

I am convinced that due to illegal entry and massive births to the illegal immigrant female segment, there are between 15 and 20 million illegals in our nation today.  This really does need to stop.  Passing the buck on to our children and their children is unacceptable to me.

[Mark]

In my #11, it seems the author points out problems. But again Bush is stating that something needs to be done, rather than ignoring the problem. It will be up to Congress.

[applemac_g4]

Someone contact Congress and make sure they take that nasty "land of the free/home of the brave stuff" out of the Star Spangled Banner and substitutes our new national motto "honors the law and welcomes the newcomer" for it.

[DoughtyOne]

I agree with you, and will state again... (and again!), we have ten million unemployed workers in this nation. In what alternate universe does it make more sense to give their potential jobs to ten million illegals?

I hear that the jobs illegals take are not wanted by US Citizens. Please then, pray tell, who fulfilled those slots before 1990? We didn't have ten to twenty million illegals in the US then? How did the work get done if US Citizens didn't do it?

Today we pay illegals. We pay displaced US Citizens out of work. Then we pay for illegals children's education and all their healthcare.

Put US Citizens to work. Let them pay for their own healthcare and send the illegals home.

One of the most impacted areas of our economy is the area of entry level, both youth and adult sector jobs. The entry level jobs were the way most of us entered the work force initially. We then became acclimated to the work ethic and moved around until we settled on something we wanted to do.

In today's environment, many jobs that would help the youth purchase his first car, or provide an income for the neighborhood kid, are now taken by illegal immigrants.

These interlopers are disruptive to our system. They need to be dealt with today.

[JustPiper]

BuumPing!!!

Depending on whom you listen to, President George W. Bush's stab at immigration reform amounts to either a get-in-free card for millions of law-breaking "invaders," or further exploitation of the nation's poor and oppressed undocumented workers.

That's a good sign. If Bush can offend both the die-hard nativists and the open-borders fanatics at the same time, he must be doing something right.

GrrrrrrrrrrrrrRoar!!!

[Zipporah]

I have NO clue where the author gets the idea that angering both sides of the issue means somehow this plan is 'right'.. seems to me, that would indicate it is very WRONG!

[FITZ]

The President's plan deals with today's reality,

Actually the President's plan is far to vague to deal with any reality.

He left out who pays for the health care of the guest workers and their families? Who pays for the high costs of educating their children? What happens to the new illegals or their employers who bypass the blue card system just like they bypassed the green card system and the many guest worker programs we already have in place? Is the blue card for only the otherwise lawabiding illegals? Or will it be given to those who broke other kinds of laws like driving without insurance and DWI?

And what is the Mexican government doing back home to change it's laws and culture so that such a wealthy country wouldn't have such extreme poverty for the majority of it's citizens?