Posted on 03/28/2006 11:08:53 AM PST by boryeulb
It reads like a page directly out of the Democrat's playbook on midterm elections. Let Republicans self-destruct by splitting from their base on a core issue. Senate Republicans this week will decide if the federal government will respond to 89 percent of Americans who believe illegal immigration is a serious problem.
Any bill that does not refuse amnesty, and require true border and internal enforcement will collapse public confidence in the GOP Congress, and therefore be the breaking point of the Republican Party. The bill passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee rewards lawbreakers with amnesty, plain and clear.
The temporary worker/amnesty bill from the Senate Judiciary Committee will cause every Democrat in Congress will jump onto it, because they know that this single issue is the opportunity to divide and conquer. If anything costs Republicans the majority this November, it will be this amnesty bill in the Senate that they are trying to force-feed to Congress and the American people.
In the face of bitter opposition from the majority of American citizens, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill to reward millions of illegal aliens with legal worker status -- despite the fact these aliens have already proven their disregard for the laws of this nation. Beyond sending a message to potential residents and legal immigrants that we don't take our own laws seriously, this is a misguided and dangerous path for our nation, particularly in a post 9/11 world.
Any policy that reduces or eliminates the penalty for violating our immigration laws is amnesty. It is disingenuous for any lawmaker to claim they are against amnesty, but support these temporary worker amnesty programs.
Economically, these programs don't help our country, but hinder its growth. Americans are conditioned to believe that illegal aliens support our workforce, because they supposedly take jobs Americans will not do. The reality is, employers hire illegal workers who will work for much less than legal workers, driving wages down and making it impossible for legal workers to compete. There is no job Americans will not do. The hottest, most difficult, dirtiest and dangerous job in the world is rooting terrorists out of Fallujah. Marines are doing that job for $8.09 an hour.
The core of the strength of America has always been an ever-broadening middle class. The flood of immigration, both legal and illegal threatens an eventual destruction of the middle class and is resulting in the creation of a servant class. We cannot stand by while our middle class is eroded so that the ruling class in America can create a servant class for themselves.
We can stop illegal workers from taking jobs in the U.S. My New Illegal Deduction Elimination Act, or New IDEA, H.R. 3095, would eliminate the tax deduction employers can take on wages and benefits paid to illegal workers so it becomes a taxable event. The result would be to raise the cost of a $10 per hour illegal to a $16 per hour worker, creating the opportunity for American workers, shutting down the jobs magnet and broadening our middle class.
In addition, it would be ludicrous to base our national and economic security policy on the promise that temporary workers will return home once their worker permit expires. There has never been a successful temporary worker program in history.
History has proven time and again that legalizing the illegals won't solve the problem, it only serves to exacerbate it. Since 1986, Congress has passed seven amnesties for illegal aliens. The mass amnesty bill passed in 1986 that legalized 3 million aliens backfired, and the illegal alien population quickly doubled in a decade and tripled in less than 15 years. Further, dangling the prospect of citizenship in front of potential lawbreakers will only spur a mad stampede for the U.S. border to get in line for the next amnesty.
As a sovereign nation, we must control our borders and enforce our own laws. Ignoring our laws is not the path to maintaining a free, safe and prosperous society.
The House passed a comprehensive immigration reform policy in December that provides tools to secure America's future. H.R. 4437 does not reward any amnesty program and includes heavier border enforcement and construction of a border fence. The bill also provides for real enforcement in our interior, reduces the jobs magnet by requiring worker verification, and invokes penalties for local governments that provide sanctuary for illegal aliens.
The Senate must use these provisions as a baseline for their debate. This issue has pushed fed-up Americans to the abyss, and if we don't take the right turn, we deserve to be pushed into it.
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That's one thing that a lot of folks don't get. Our political system was designed to encourage all manner of horsetrading--said horsetrading usually resulting in compromise laws that no faction loves, but that all factions can tolerate.
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That is true, so those who want illegal immigration cut must decide on their bottom line (that which they must get and that which can be negotiated around).
For me the bottom line is a wall on the southern border. I am willing to accept the current 12 million illegal aliens as a "sunk cost", that does not mean amnesty, it just means no mass deportations, just the current half-hearted enforcement.
I think a wall ("secure our border") can be sold to a large majority of the public. Some of the more "punitive" measures probably cannot be sold to any large portion of the public. The negotiating line should be, build a wall and then (and only then) investigate a guest worker program or other reform.
I also feel that some issue can be made that current policy unfairly favors Mexico and Southern America. There are lots of Chinese, Indians and people from new Europe who would love to come to the United States. They also would possibly have a higher skill set that our advanced economy needs.
Current policy is about importing poor people with low skills into an information age, welfare state. That does not sound like a good mix.
Some of the problem is where the benefits fall and where the costs fall.
Even assuming that massive unskilled immigration helps the United States in general, it is likely that the benefits and costs fall to different people.
Native unskilled and low skilled workers suffer lower wages (to believe otherwise is to disbelieve the laws of economics). They also suffer community upheaval as newcomers change their communities and compete for services. The small benefits in the form of lower prices are probably out weighed by the costs they bear.
The middle class gain some benefit from lower prices but lose out by paying higher taxes needed to support the low paid immigrants (schools, healthcare and other "social" services). They do not suffer quite the same community upheaval as working class people (because they do not live in the same neighborhoods as the newcomers), but suffer some competition for local services (e.g. schools redirecting resources to English as a second language, college subsidy for illegals).
The highly educated, highly skilled (of which the opinion writers, professors and "experts" are part), do not live with the newcomers, do not compete for the same services (children in private schools, can afford college, private healthcare), and do not compete for the same jobs. While they also suffer higher taxes, they are better able to absorb them and are much more insulated from the negative effects of massive unskilled immigration.
Bush has promoted this invasion of our nation since day 1. It does not matter what he likes or does not like, he has already proved he cares nothing about national sovereignty.
Black radio talk show hosts on (I think Lou Dobbs show) said that they want HR4437 to pass, Republicans finally got the Black vote and now they want to alienate the Black voter for the mexican flag wavers votes? They will never get the Hispanic votes because the majority are and always will be and have the liberal democrat mentality as is evident by the illegal disrespectful to all things American protestors. They are Reid democrats thru and thru.
The Republican base is indeed split - between the voters and the elected "representatives".
I find it so interesting that Bush is being accused of bringing "amnesty" with this guest worker program, but the beloved Reagan is the one who brought us the real amnesty. And look where we are as a result. Something must be done and it has to make sense rather than all the empty threats and rhetoric.
So what do we do now?
Peter King is a loose cannon. One never knows whether he will hit friend or enemy.
Thanks for posting that very informative and interesting article.
You are making up things if you believe "instant citizenship" is being given. But your concluding statement reveals that you are not thinking clearly about this issue.
That is a total LIE.
Empty threats and rhetoric is all that those who are trying to attack and weaken the GOP care about. They likely know there is no easier or quick answer to this but undermining the GOP is their chief goal.
Over one million a year crossing our borders, an increase since Bush took office, and Bush proposing amnesty for illegal aliens . . .
and you call that a total lie?
I debate with realists. I don't like the results either, and I hate the RATs, but at least I am honest. You must be emotionally driven. My drive comes from facts and analysis of those facts. I am a realist.
Yes it is a TOTAL lie. Bush has not "encouraged" any of this and has tightened border control. Your inability to understand the depth and complexity of this problem does not justify LYING about the President.
So, why has enforcement of the laws against employing illegals gone to almost zero under this administration?
It hasn't that is just another myth beloved by those wishing to weaken the GOP.
Not a myth. Fact.
"...why has enforcement of the laws against employing illegals gone to almost zero under this administration?"
I guess GW needs to put on his superman cape to stand guard at every inch of every border, conduct all of the hiring, personally check every ID, and basically oversee everything done at the various local levels.
Good grief. It's ALL Bush's fault!!
Puhleeeze...
Don't give me that crap. We've got a whole freakin' executive branch whose primary duty is to protect the lives and the liberty of the American people.
All that is lacking is the political will.
George W. Bush has not hidden the fact that his sympathies lie with the illegals and those who employ them.
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