Posted on 08/22/2005 1:10:58 PM PDT by bayourod
Illegal immigration is a complex national problem.
It won’t be solved by piecemeal attacks such as that of GOP gubernatorial hopeful Jerry Kilgore in opposing a day laborer site in Herndon.
Such tactics fuel anti-immigrant prejudices while skipping the hard part, acknowledging the broad tradeoffs and difficult compromises necessary for a permanent solution.
If exploitation of nativist emotion isn’t Kilgore’s intention, then he should pull the plug on this line of campaigning.
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At issue is the proposal of a coalition of community organizations to open a day laborer site in a soon-to-be abandoned police station straddling the Herndon-Loudoun County line. Currently, scores of men gather daily at a nearby convenience store to await the arrival of private employers who hire them for day labor in construction, yard work, and the like.
Kilgore joined critics calling the proposed site a haven for illegal immigrants and a breeding ground for illegal activity.
But others argue convincingly that an official site, including a police or security presence, would more likely contain bad behavior while serving both small-time employers and legal workers. The Herndon council validated that view with a 5-2 vote Wednesday to open the center.
No doubt, some illegals will turn up there. But frustration with U.S. failure to stem the flow of illegal immigration ought to be directed toward Congress, the immigration service or others with an opportunity to make a real difference.
Virginians who grouse about illegal immigrants should open their eyes and see who’s really tending their lawns, putting new shingles on their roofs, cleaning toilets in their office building and hotels. Illegal immigrants are doing the dirty jobs that Virginians don’t want.
Kilgore characterized the problem in Herndon as one of illegals taking “hard-earned dollars from law-abiding citizens.”
In fact, the issue there and elsewhere wouldn’t exist except for America’s addiction to cheap labor. Undocumented workers sustain many of the services and prices Americans have come to expect.
Politicians as diverse as President George Bush, GOP Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy acknowledge that a much-expanded temporary worker program, combined with some form of enforceable amnesty for illegals with long tenure here, is the only hope for getting a handle on the problem.
Name-calling about undocumented workers who supposedly leach the system dry might win votes. But it won’t make the problem go away.
They really DO think our America ought to be like a cheap puta for the night with our legs spread wide open, don't they? Disgusting. Those kinds of billboards will be coming down once the Backlash is in full swing, though, across the USA.
I beg to differ in you analogy "labor demand vs workforce supply".
The illegals have absolute nothing to offer, no skills what's so ever. They don't even have a driver's license because in the ol' country all they rode were mules or asses!
Therefore the most illegals can do is mundane labor work, to the likes of mowing lawns, blowing leafs, peel roof stuff and haul trash.
What we need and I do understand your point of view, is "skilled" labor, people who know how to built a house(within our specs), lay plumbing the right way, invent things, operate computers(becoming part of our lives on daily basis)and so on!
The Mexicans Vinny Fox is exporting to us, are peasants and poverty stricken folks looking for better days.
THIS is NOT what we need, as you indicated in your statement!
BTW when was the last time you saw a white Mexico City Mexican hopping the border?!
Not a complex problem, just DEPORT THEM. There done.
Yes, illegal aliens would be rewarded if their immigration status is legalized. Their desire, when they came to the United States illegally, was to someday be allowed to live and work here without fear of being deported. Congress is now proposing to change our immigration laws to give illegal aliens exactly what they wanted all along, to be legalized so that they can live and work here without fear of being deported.
I see more and more Spanish language billboards when I go up to LA.
But it isn't just LA. I've been noticing how advertisers like LaQuinta Inn and Target Stores have been using Spanish language copy for their TV advertising on English language stations. Like Orwell's "Big Brother," our elites don't want ordinary American citizens to be able to escape the planned "Hispanicization" of our country.
My strong gut feeling is that he doesn't have a principled belief in what he spews here anyway: he's just a hack who for whatever reason (compensation? party loyalty?) is pushing the open borders line on FR. And FR, despite the occasional suspension, is letting him do it.
Bronx River Road - Woodlawn area.
Billboards like that have the exact opposite of the desired effect. It may get the message out to a few of the target audience but it also sends another more powerful, unintended message to everyone else.
I have always believed something to that effect in regards to the poster in question as well as his soggy sidekick.
LOL, your posts always look great!
There're still some decent, real Republicans left here in California, but for the most part, the State Party is content to take gerrymandered, safe seats in Orange, San Diego, and Riverside Counties. I can remember when there were decent conservative pockets up there in the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys, but to tell the truth, I don't get up there much any more---might as well drive to Mexico instead....
Another good point. Thanks for keeping your eye on the ball.
Projects? Go to Google and type in "colonias". Hit the photo's. There are lots of them. These are not in some 3rd world country, they are in this country. Then there are the encampments where armed Mexican Drug cartels live and are growing drugs all over our national forests.
There are enough people that live off the government dole right now that would/may think about taking a job if the wages were better, so you can't say that the 4-5% unemployed would be the only employee pool. Having some homeowners cut their own grass for a change wouldn't be bad either -- probably improve the overall health status of the country.
Secondly, have you ever been to a social security office lately? Well, I have - several times - and while you see probably 50% of the people there are young women with children,and other younger adults applying for disability payments, there ARE a SIGNIFICANT number of OLD foreign people. They are the relatives of the younger immigrants you speak of. Go take a look for yourself and don't say something 'makes no sense' because you think so.
I'll take bets on that never happening. White and black native born Americans are moving out and legal/illegal 3rd world immigrants are moving in. Another sure bet is that Mexico will never improve economically. Not enough to reduce illegal immigration, Same is true for all of Latin America
I'm a little surprised at you guys - regardless of someone's skin tone or place of origin, two of the key voting determinants are whether or not someone is married and/or they own a house.
My point is that all the current Calif growth is taking placing east of existing coastal communities. Huge swaths of homes are being erected daily (just ask JimRob about Fresno). That being said, we are minting married home owners on a regular basis.
As anyone who is married/and or pays a mortgage knows (outside of the Bay Area - LA is Dem due to aspiring thespians ie renters), it's a pretty sure bet that they will vote R.
Would it surprise you to know some of us also believe nearly 90% of american blacks vote democratic, as outpolls repeatedly show?
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