Tancredo Discusses Immigration Reform Bills

The Washington Post ^ | 03/30/2006 | Congressman Tom Tancredo

[NapkinUser]

Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) was online Thursday, March 30, to discuss his position on the immigration reform bills under consideration in Congress. Tancredo is chairman of the 92-member House Immigration Reform Caucus. He has advocated a major increase in border security spending, the hiring of more Border Patrol agents, and the building of a security barrier along the entire length of the border. Tancredo supported a bill passed by the House in December that would impose stiffer fines for employers who hire illegal aliens, add new mandatory minimum sentences for immigrant smugglers, and mandate automatic detention and deportation for immigrants caught crossing the border illegally. In addition the House bill would add mandatory sentences for illegal immigrants who re-renter the country after being deported. Tancredo opposes current Senate proposals that would implement a foreign guest worker program, broaden legal immigration, and provide amnesty to illegal aliens currently in the United States.

The transcript follows.

Congressman Tom Tancredo: Hi, this is Congressman Tom Tancredo. Thanks for joining me.

Rockville, Md.: Dear Congressman, I have been in this country for over 10 years - college education and work. Each step of the way, I have maintained my legal status. I am now in Year Three of (im)patiently waiting for my green card to be processed. It is discouraging to see that the proposed Senate bill rewards "illegals" but ignores the law-abiding immigrants (at least on their way to be through the correct channels). What are your thoughts on this?

Congressman Tom Tancredo: You've hit the nail on the head. This is one of the key problems with amnesty: it rewards people who have broken the law, and makes a mockery of our legal system and those immigrants, such as yourself, who came here legally. Worst of all, it encourages more illegal behavior.

[moehoward]

Tancredo has been right all along on this issue.

[varon]

Who wants more illegals? Not me. But, got to use a little common sense once in a while.The Tancredo approach, this all or nothing nonsense, will cause us to end up with nothing, which, of course is Tom`s plan.

I question your motives for attacking the messenger, Tancredo.

There is no compromise on the issue. Either we decide to stop the illegals and oust the ones already here or we just keep going through motions and compromise plans to appear that something is being done while in the meantime our nation is being flooded with illegals worse than New Orleans was with water...........and we all know what shape New Orleans is in now.........don't we?

[bybybill]

My motives for attacking the messmaker is that I know I want this solved, his all or nothing attitude will insure that this problem will be with us for a long time.
Take a little bit of time and research a book by Eric Hoffer called,THE TRUE BELIEVER. He describes Tom to a Tee. Interestedly, Hoffer wrote the book in the early fifties.

[p23185]

This guy should be the next president.

Wish he would take up the Perot role in '08 - HE'S GOT MY VOTE! A real Conservative.

[Flavius Josephus]

nah, I think everything else, such as the timing of the Andy Card resignation, is to try to distract us from THIS.

[Flavius Josephus]

I don't see much if any difference between the border anhels and the PLO, esp in the early days.

[Flavius Josephus]

So what would you settle for?

[samcgwire]

My vote is his for the asking and his to lose should he want it, right now.

[bybybill]

Got to stop the bleeding first so increase the border patrol, build the fence, and toss anybody that is using forged docs.Local law must be a part of this and should be always able to turn over illegals that are caught committing new crimes here.
Then a REAL guest worker program that would only allow entree into this country if they worker already had secured employment that included start/stop dates. Part of earned wages would be paid at time of exit.
As for the ones that are here illegally now, they must register with the Feds. Then, if they don`t commit any new crimes, pay their taxes, learn the language, and our history,, after so many years, they can pay a fee, and get their citizenship.

[bybybill]

The hard part of any plan will be in the follow through. May be that`s the job for Terrible Tom.

[SealSeven]

If he got everything he wanted in an immigration bill, would he stop asking you for money?

GMAFB.. Name ANY politician who doesn't ask for money (donations or otherwise).

[SealSeven]

History is full of Tancredo`s, politicians that exploit our fears and use that to gain power.

So which is better, exploiting our fears or ignoring them?

[bybybill]

Of course, politicians always want more money, the difference is guys like Tom, are single issue guys. If the issue goes away, their fund raising drys up. For example, how much did you send last year to fight polio? Or homelessness? Once the issue is mostly decided, one way or the other, who is going to continue throwing dough?
Another example, take same sex marriage. The pros on both side don`t want that one decided. As long as it`s an undecided issue, these money grabbers will keep their true believers stirred up, refusing any and all compromise, and the money will flow like water.

[bybybill]

Neither solves problems.
I don`t know if you have kids, but, would you try to raise them by exploiting their fears, or, ignoring their problems? Don`t think so.
Instead, you discover the problem and then work with your child, and maybe some others, to solve it.

[SealSeven]

I don`t know if you have kids, but, would you try to raise them by exploiting their fears, or, ignoring their problems?

Neither. Exploiting my childs fear would be cruel, to say the least. Ignoring a problem with a child will only make matters worse as time goes by. How is he exploiting our fears?

[bybybill]

If you need me to tell you, I`m afraid we got a problem. Just listen to Tancredo and tell me how he isn`t exploiting your fears, or at least trying.

[SealSeven]

Other than the fact that he is mostly right on this subject, are you saying he is lying and/or exaggerating?
If so, how?

[bybybill]

No, Tom is a genuine real American, and the only time he ever lied was how much it would hurt when you jumped off the cliff with him.
It isn`t that he doesn`t tell the truth, its the way he uses it to manipulate his TRUE BELIEVERS. It`s an old trick. Identify an issue that most people are concerned about, offer a simple set of solutions, become indigant when government officers aren`t as upset as you, declare no compromise, keep fanning the flames, and, pray to GOD that no quick fix is found. As I said, old trick, and for Tom, right now, it`s working.

[MaineVoter2002]

"Tancredo will be lucky to win re-election

The way things are going, the same can be said for many republicans these days.

[bybybill]

Well, isn`t that wonderful. I`m sure our troops will be real happy to hear that. Does that bother you maye just a bit?
Got to wonder what Reagan would have said about this?