Posted on 08/15/2004 7:02:29 AM PDT by SandRat
SIERRA VISTA - There is one major issue that separates the candidacy of U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe from state Rep. Randy Graf. It is encapsulated in two words - illegal immigration.
Both have different ideas about how to solve the problem. Both see flaws in the other's solutions.
Kolbe, the 10-term incumbent, wants new immigration laws that are enforceable and include a new guest-worker program. He calls it a two-prong policy that would be beneficial to the United States and Mexico.
The congressman said the nation directly south of Arizona's border is making progress, albeit slowly.
Graf, who hopes to win the Sept. 7 Republican Party primary and end Kolbe's tenure in office, said the United States must first completely shut the border down to illegal activities using existing laws before any new guest-worker proposal is passed by Congress.
He sees Mexico not as an ally or friend. Rather, he sees it as a Third World country that "disdains and is jealous" of America's superpower status.
The two politicians talked about their views during separate Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Daily Review editorial board meetings Thursday.
As for closing the border completely down, Kolbe said, "I think it has been demonstrated that's an impossibility."
The congressman said Graf's call for action against employers who hire illegal immigrants has flaws. In an example, Kolbe said a business owner is presented documents, which can be easily forged, stating the worker is either a citizen or in the country legally. Employers are not experts in the authenticity of documents and they are complying with the law by putting the required pieces of documentation in an employee file when they hire a person. The current system puts the onus on the employer to enforce illegal immigration, which is not the right way to do it, Kolbe said.
Graf counters that laws are in place to stop the hiring of illegal immigrants beyond the three pieces of documents. But, he said, the laws are not being enforced.
Graf referenced pilot programs in five states where employers can check on an applicant's documents by checking with the Social Security Administration over the Internet.
"That program needs to be expanded," he said.
Kolbe said a better solution is a proposal he and others - including President George W. Bush - have made to develop a new guest-worker program.
"If we change the laws so we have visas issued, people could be examined in their country of origin and then come to the United States for a job," he said.
Here's Kolbe's idea of a way to certify a person's legal status. The visa would have biometric information on it. When a person applies for a job, an employer inputs the name of the person, visa number and the individual's fingerprint on a computer screen to be processed by the Department of Homeland Security. The department would validate that the person seeking the job is legally in the country and is not using forged documents.
All the technology to do that is available, Kolbe said.
"Then it's an open-and-shut case from Homeland Security that says the person is here in a legal status," he said.
Graf is emphatic that no new guest-worker program is approved until the flow of illegal immigrants is stopped.
There now are more than 10,000 U.S. Border Patrol agents. Graf said that is only two agents for every mile of border the United States shares with Mexico and Canada. When all the hours and days of a year are taken into account to monitor the international boundaries, he said there are two agents for every five miles of border.
Graf wants to see a greater use of America's armed forces to secure the borders.
"The military patrols borders of other countries, they can do the same here," he said.
He said he is not calling for tanks, land mines or M-16s to be used. He wants the military to use its technology to monitor the border. They would then notify the Border Patrol agents and civilian law enforcement when an alarm is tripped or if illegal immigrants are seen crossing the international boundary. The Border Patrol or other law enforcement agents would apprehend the illegal immigrants.
Kolbe said it is unrealistic to use more of America's armed forces because the nation's military "is stretched too thin" in places around the world.
The congressman believes the new guest-worker program will help decrease the number of people crossing illegally into the United States, which would free up the Border Patrol and other federal agencies to patrol the international boundaries for criminals and more importantly, terrorists, who would not apply for legal credentials.
While most of the talk in the Southwestern part of the United States is about the Mexican border, Kolbe also said the 4,000 miles of Canadian border cannot be overlooked. Many crossing points in the north are simple gates with a sign asking people to close them.
Canada is a member of the British Commonwealth. As such, it is easy for citizens of commonwealth nations - such as Pakistan and India - to enter Canada. As an example, the nonprofit Federation for Immigration Reform reports that 103 Pakistanis and 201 Indians were apprehended after crossing into the United States illegally from Canada from Oct. 1 through June 30. In the same time period, 19 Pakistanis and 36 Indians were taken into custody coming into the country from Mexico, the group's report stated.
Regardless of what border illegal immigrants are using, Graf said the number of other than Mexicans being apprehended is frightening. Based on the FAIR report, he estimated that 3,500 people who entered the United States illegally and were apprehended during the first nine months of the current federal fiscal year are from countries on America's terrorist nations list.
Graf said Kolbe has tied the Border Patrol's hands by ending permanent internal checkpoints in Arizona, although they are used in other border states.
Kolbe has asked for a study of permanent checkpoints. But Graf said Kolbe has already made an error when he had language added to a bill prohibiting such checkpoints in Arizona.
"But there are others in Congress that know what has to be done on our border," Graf said. "I think it (this election) will send a big message to the White House. In January, I will knock on President Bush's door and say, 'Mr. President, our former congressman is no longer here primarily because of border issues.'"
With the support of other congressmen who want something done about the illegal immigration problems, Graf said he will push for the federal government to do its constitutionally mandated duty and look at the borders as a national security issue.
Graf admitted he would be one of 435 people in the House of Representatives. He said he couldn't create solutions on his own, which is why he would work with others with similar views.
Kolbe counters that Graf has a good speech about the border and how he wants to protect rural Arizona. But, he said, Graf, as a state representative, has voted 90 percent of the time with legislators from the Phoenix area to the detriment of the state's rural regions.
Kolbe said he has worked for rural Arizona bringing in money to support Fort Huachuca, the Upper San Pedro Partnership and hospitals impacted by illegal immigrants.
He admitted many people in his district are frustrated by the illegal immigration problem and even they do not have a solution to offer.
A KAN KOLBE ring a ding
I'll be donating $50 to Graf later today. Gotta run to work.
Fire the Fag!
Alot of what Graf says must be done.
I have a problem with a highly technical system of an alledgely tamperproof Visa with lots of info on it, which then must be "placed against a computer screen" for electronic processing by the Gov'mt. Alot of illegals are hired by very small business operations. This kind of technology is beyond their business expenses budget, and will also be beyond their expertise of processing.
If they don't understand how to work it, they just won't buy it. This is a boondoggle for the computer companies. As all of us know, even the computers aren't flawless. What happens when the system gets hacked, etc??? Down for "repairs"???
Shut the borders and be done with it. Scour out the illegals here. If a sweep was made of all the agricultural operations in Los Angeles County, one would be surprised how many illegals are working in nurseries, boarding stables, landscape and pool companies. Paving and construction companies. H#ll, just drive down the street and get acosted at every stoplight by at least 5-8 males trying to find day work and yard work. Not a pleasant drive for females, young or old, single or married. With the high cost of lumber, I cannot ever imagine living in a house hammered together by illegals. No Thanks.
Vicente Fox is not our friend. No way.
Graf sounds like a profile in courage. What are his chances?
Getting better by the day and the RINO is getting real nervous.
Good one SR, thanks for posting.
> Kolbe, the 10-term incumbent, wants new immigration laws > that are enforceable and include a new guest-worker > program.
> As for closing the border completely down, (RAT) > Kolbe said, "I think it has been demonstrated that's an > impossibility."
> "The congressman said Graf's call for action against > employers who hire illegal immigrants has flaws. In an example, Kolbe said a business owner is presented documents, which can be easily forged, ... and they are complying with the law by putting the required pieces of documentation in an employee file when they hire a person."
OK, that's enough. Bravo Sierra!
It sounds to me like this huge loophole in the law was put there (DemocRATS) expressly to allow these employers a way around the law thereby making it in effect, optional and allowing easy access to jobs for illegals. Hire all you want, then IF the INS ever comes around and finds you have hundreds of illegal aliens employed, the crooked owners can say, “Gee, we didn’t know, we were the victim ...”. "Now we have to start over and hire all these new people (with more phony documents like the phony ones handed out by the Mexican Consulate, the notorious “matricula consular”)".
Oh, lets give them all drivers’ licenses too.
That’s the (RAT) “solution”. **** NOT ! *****
If Graf can pull this off, God willing, this will send a shockwave all the way up Karl Rove's rather ample butt.
After reading the news article you posted, it seems all Kolbe is doing is rehashing the Bush/Rove amnesty-on-the-installment-plan they introduced last January.
This would be a miracle--and set the pace for us out here in Southern California. Lead the way, guys!!
Ah yes, Kerry's best friend in the Senate.
Hunting a Lying RINO ping.
Graf really has some intriguing ideas that are far better than Kolbe's policy of bending over for cheap labor interests.
bttt
They need to start arresting homeowners and small independant "contractors" that pick up illegals on street corners for work and throw both the illegals and the homeowners in jail. It wouldn't take too many if it was widely publicized in the papers and TV before there would be a mass exodus of illegls over the border going south!
Personally I won't work for anyone that hires the scum. If they even suggest it to save money I tell them flat out that if they hire one that they will have to get someone else to do their work. Haven't had one that didn't back down yet.
As far as i'm concerned, starve them totally until they have no choice but to flee to where they came from. If they are so stubron that they die in the street it will make work for citizens picking up the debris.
And to think I was laboring under the misimpression that a vocal element of the FR anti-immigration cabal were nothing but knuckledragging bigots.
Article sent to three AZ friends.
I like this guy. God speed Mr. Graf.
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