[k2blader]

Conservatives deserve to read for themselves the official Republican stance on illegal immigration.

Even while supporting President Bush’s proposal to reward illegal aliens with “temporary” amnesty and "equal opportunity" to apply for citizenship, the committee has the audacity to say it opposes amnesty because that would encourage illegal immigration and be unfair to those applying legally.

The GOP has lost all credibility on at least this one issue.

[risk]

They're still a big improvement over our internationalist friends at the DNC. The reforms must continue or else a disaster is going to take place of massive proportions.

[NewRomeTacitus]

compare the above plank with this one:

---

We affirm the integrity of the international borders of the United States and the Constitutional authority and duty of the federal government to guard and to protect those borders, including the regulation of the numbers and of the qualifications of immigrants into the country.

Each year approximately one million legal immigrants and almost as many illegal aliens enter the United States. These immigrants - including illegal aliens - have been made eligible for various kinds of public assistance, including housing, education, Social Security, and legal services. This unconstitutional drain on the federal Treasury is having a severe and adverse impact on our economy, increasing the cost of government at federal, state, and local levels, adding to the tax burden, and stressing the fabric of society. The mass importation of people with low standards of living threatens the wage structure of the American worker and the labor balance in our country.

We oppose the abuse of the H-1B and L-1 visa provisions of the immigration act which are displacing American workers with foreign.

We favor a moratorium on immigration to the United States, except in extreme hardship cases or in other individual special circumstances, until the availability of all federal subsidies and assistance be discontinued, and proper security procedures have been instituted to protect against terrorist infiltration.

We also insist that every individual group and/or private agency which requests the admission of an immigrant to the U.S., on whatever basis, be required to commit legally to provide housing and sustenance for such immigrants, bear full responsibility for the economic independence of the immigrants, and post appropriate bonds to seal such covenants.

We demand that the federal government restore immigration policies based on the practice that potential immigrants will be disqualified from admission to the U.S. if, on the grounds of health, criminality, morals, or financial dependence, they would impose an improper burden on the United States, any state, or any citizen of the United States.

We oppose the provision of welfare subsidies and other taxpayer-supported benefits to illegal aliens, and reject the practice of bestowing U.S. citizenship on children born to illegal alien parents while in this country.

We oppose any extension of amnesty to illegal aliens. We call for the use of U.S. troops to protect the states against invasion.

We oppose bilingual ballots. We insist that those who wish to take part in the electoral process and governance of this nation be required to read and comprehend basic English as a precondition of citizenship. We support English as the official language for all governmental business by the United States.

---

from the Constitution Party platform

[k2blader]

Hope you folks don't mind the ping, but I think you may be interested.

Unfortunately, I don't have the full ping list, but if any of you would be so kind...

[ThePythonicCow]

There is a popular bumper sticker that reads:

When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns

There is a parallel to this, that I haven't seen anyone else notice:

When low wages are outlawed, only outlaws will have low wages

The essence of the Minimum Wage is that it outlaws lower wages. The outlaws who work for less are better known as illegal Mexican immigrants. As we raise the Minimum Wage, our need for illegal immigrants grows. It's not that there are jobs we Americans are too lazy to do. It's that there are jobs which don't justify the Minimum Wage, so legal citizens are not elligible for them. Only illegals are elligible.

Thus does the Minimum Wage contribute to flooding our society with immigrants in greater number than we can assimilate, who are discouraged from assimilation by their illegal status. That such a flood of illegal immigrants is forthcoming is a testament to the free, capitalist health of our nation.

To reduce illegal immigration, don't try to fight the natural, profit seeking response of a free capitalist economy with central immigration planning and enforcement. Instead just lower the Minimum Wage !!

It will have to be reduced substantially. The true cost of an illegal immigrant's labor is doubly reduced, first by not having to pay Minimum Wage, second by not have to pay benefits and withholding.

P.S. - Obviously, we must reduce Payroll Taxes as well, to further reduce the advantage that illegals have now for lower paying jobs. If we replaced the Income Tax and its withholding with a National Sales Tax, then this would more fairly apply to all, legal and illegal. If we replaced Social Security with a combination of encouragements for private accounts (accepting that the lower paid jobs would not afford this) and paying the remainder of the existing commitments for benefits from the General Fund, then this would remove another unfair burden only on legals.

[unspun]

It looks good to me. Temporary workers should have the same chances as others of becoming citizens. I like the plank.

[Indie]

EMPTY WORDS MEAN NOTHING.

The number of Christian Conservatives I know that will be voting R for the last time in 2004 would scare you. The R Party may, or may not, wake up in the next 2-4 years.

[WhiteGuy]

Unacceptable

[NewRomeTacitus]

Don't wish to reward yet reward...bring out of the shadows...crack down on employers yet "match willing workers"...

Sorry, I'm alergic to snakeoil.

[Nea Wood]

This new program would allow workers who currently hold jobs to come out of the shadows and to participate legally in America’s economy.

Translation: People who snuck across the border, got fake documents, and took a job away from an American, and are "in the shadows" because they did all of this illegally, will have no reason to fear that they'll ever be punished for their crimes. On the contrary, they'll be rewarded. Oh, but don't call it amnesty!

[Hostage]

Well you have a point. Many conservatives would like to stick their head in the sand on this issue and concentrate on defeating democrats, especially those left of center.

Many are getting sick of hearing repeated variations of "immigrants (99% Mexicans) are needed because they fill jobs Americans don't want to do".

This is false.

The truth is the illegal jobs are not needed because the production level is excessive. The true cost is framed within a myriad of shell games that cover the spectrum between subsidized goods and services and higher taxes.

There is no free lunch.

If the GOP wants to set out a plan to resolve this illegal issue, the answer is found in the laws of nature. Drastically cut taxes (minimally 50%), overturn Roe vs. Wade and encourage childbearing to initiate a trend towards stabilization of demographics between old and young, and promote a renaissance of the family farm.

It will take between one and two generations to see the result.

[varon]

This new program would allow workers who currently hold jobs to come out of the shadows and to participate legally in America’s economy

We would get immediate tax dollar influx if this philosophy was applied to the prostitution industry ;-)

[chainsaw]

I don't see a post of the democrat plank on immigration, and a google search came up "zero".

[DoughtyOne]

Turning the United States into a third world quagmire has worked well in California. I note that the president doesn't consider California worth spit when it come to elections though.

Yeah, thanks for nothin' spit-head.

Thanks for the post.

[Penner]

This new program would allow workers who currently hold jobs to come out of the shadows and to participate legally in America’s economy.

Sounds like amnesty to me.

[sixmil]

A growing economy requires a growing number of workers

When was this ever established as fact?

[fish hawk]

This is a waste of time. You either vote Republican, Democrat, or Nader. The platform means very little at this point. I'm sure there are lots of Democrats that are not happy with everything in their platform, hell, they probably don't even like their candidate but what choice do they have now. IMHO

[azhenfud]

I will cast my vote against any "Republican" endorsing this plank of the campaign. Period.

[Richard-SIA]

I expect to vote for Bush DESPITE this stupid plank, certainly NOT in support of it!

This reminds me, time to fax my congressman and senator in opposition to this, the L.O.S.T. treaty, and any chance of the AW Ban being renewed.

[lonewacko_dot_com]

"President Bush has proposed a new temporary worker program that applies when no Americans can be found to fill the jobs."

According to his assistant, "this is a concept that can apply broadly." In other words, it would not just be open to serf laborers. See "Bush immigration plan could affect techies" http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103_2-5143807.html?tag=tu.cssblog.7804


"It would allow men and women who enter the program to apply for citizenship in the same manner as those who apply from outside the United States."

Those people would, for the most part, be illegal aliens...

"There must be strong workplace enforcement with tough penalties against employees and employers who violate immigration laws."

In the first five months of this year, just *one* company in the whole U.S. was fined for immigration violations.

"We oppose amnesty because it would have the effect of encouraging illegal immigration and would give an unfair advantage to those who have broken our laws."

Insert definition of 'doublespeak' [here].

[Chani]

bttt