[Wolverine]

 

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[Washi]

... and over the past five years, we have apprehended and sent home about six million people entering America illegally

... it is neither wise nor realistic to round up millions of people, many with deep roots in the United States, and send them across the border.

O.K. So on the one hand, President Bush touts the fact that under his administration, it was possible to round up and deport 6 million illegal aliens. Then he says that it's not realistic to do what he just bragged had been done.

If you can round up and deport six million in five years, you can process eleven million in ten years with the same level of effort.

Build a wall first, and stiffen penalties for repeat offenders. These measures will reduce the incentive to cross the border.

Then get to work with the deportations. I'll understand if it takes a decade.

[newguy357]

Thanks for posting the speech.

I was one of the people who thought Bush was doing a terrible job on this issue. This speech was right on.

You who are still shouting tha the pres. is failing on this issue should at least read the speech instead of knee-jerking.

[passeryby]

Much of this sounds good...not perfect, but good. We need to keep the heat on G.W. and the Republican congress-critters but give them their due when its appropriate. Regardless what the hardcore border people feel, it is certain that the Republicans are *much* better on this issue than the Democrats as the Dems activist base really believes the U.S. should open the borders and shoulder the burden of the world's poor as penance for the evil we (i.e. white capitalists) have visited upon the world.

[trisham]

We are a Nation of laws, and we must enforce our laws.

***************

Did you read this speech before you gave it, Mr. Bush?

[philman_36]

As Prepared for Delivery
From http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/immigration/ (it varies slightly)
This is a basic responsibility of a sovereign Nation.
And then it's a country...
...To Enter Our Country...
...who is in our country ...
...The Success Of Our Country...
We cannot build a unified country...
Sorry, a pet peeve of mine.

The House And Senate Must Pass A Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill
And so we wait some more...
Tonight, I will make it clear where I stand, and where I want to lead our country on this vital issue.
Thanks for the comments Mr. President.

Mexico is our neighbor and friend.
Political niceties in action. I understand the need.
A man shows up in your front yard one day. You recognize him as one of your neighbor's relatives, who is standing at the fence between your yards watching you. The man promptly starts setting up camp in your front yard. You tell him to leave and he stares at you, while your neighbor roars with laughter, and continues with what he was doing. You call the police and they say they'll pass by when they get the chance.
Days pass and you hear nothing from the police. The man has started robbing your house and is even giving his relative the power tools out of your garage. He mowed the lawn down the street, the one your son had been told he could cut, and then gave the mower to his relative as well.
Need I go on?
I don't know how your friends and neighbors treat you, but I wouldn't want that type of person as a friend or neighbor until they changed their ways.
And with the temporary worker program...the horse don't want the water. He's been standing in the middle of the river and won't bend his neck to drink. You can lead a horse to water...

An aside...A key part of that system should be a new identification card for every legal foreign worker. This card should use biometric technology, such as digital fingerprints, to make it tamper-proof. A tamper-proof card would help us enforce the law – and leave employers with no excuse for violating it.
Wouldn't somebody just have to lie about whether or not they were a legal foreign worker to begin with and show forged identification thus eliminating the need for such a card? Isn't that basically what is happening now? Almost all have seen the "Are you a US Citizen" box before.
I can also envision employers demanding the cards from Citizens in order to be "fair" or in compliance to some law.
Lots of potential for unintended consequences in that.

[unixfox]

And the colored girls sing, doop, deedoop, da dooptee do doop...

[pgkdan]

Well, we may as well give the keys to the front door of the Capitol to Nancy Pelosi because they're going to be hers in November. I am so disappointed I can't see straight. Bush completely failed to move the ball and gave NOTHING to his base. I won't abandon the party in November, but many will. This is the sorriest day of his presidency.

[longtermmemmory]

At the same time, we are launching the most technologically advanced border security initiative in American history. We will construct high-tech fences in urban corridors, and build new patrol roads and barriers in rural areas. We will employ motion sensors … infrared cameras … and unmanned aerial vehicles to prevent illegal crossings. America has the best technology in the world – and we will ensure that the Border Patrol has the technology they need to do their job and secure our border.


I am optomistic, but cautious. does this mean there will be a REAL "barrier" allong the entire border? (or just more of the vehicle barriers.

And temporary workers must return to their home country at the conclusion of their stay.


This I like. HOWEVER it is tempered with what is below. If the guest worker is a NON CONVERTABLE visa and is NOT connected to dealing with the 11 million (soon to be 100 million family included) it is a positive. The guest worker program should not be linked in any way to the illegals in this country unless they leave and apply to join it.

That middle ground recognizes that there are differences between an illegal immigrant who crossed the border recently – and someone who has worked here for many years, and has a home, a family, and an otherwise clean record. I believe that illegal immigrants who have roots in our country and want to stay should have to pay a meaningful penalty for breaking the law … to pay their taxes … to learn English … and to work in a job for a number of years. People who meet these conditions should be able to apply for citizenship – but approval would not be automatic, and they will have to wait in line behind those who played by the rules and followed the law. What I have just described is not amnesty – it is a way for those who have broken the law to pay their debt to society, and demonstrate the character that makes a good citizen.


This I don't like. If this is the REAL goal then THERE IS NO REASON TO CHANGE CURRENT LAW WHICH DOES PROVIDE FOR THIS EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED. This is the law RIGHT NOW. No new law, no need to change. Illegals in the USA for ten years who have done exactly as described have the path for a hardship visa and a then after five years can apply for citizenship.


I would be more optomistic if this were clearly not linked to the guest worker visa. This is just being deliverd as an easing of the current law. I think the public would be more accepting if the current process was simply brought forward to the public.

The bottom line is this was a good day for the illegals.

[Lancey Howard]

Here, in my opinion, is one critical paragraph:

"I believe that illegal immigrants who have roots in our country and want to stay should have to pay a meaningful penalty for breaking the law … to pay their taxes … to learn English … and to work in a job for a number of years. People who meet these conditions should be able to apply for citizenship – but approval would not be automatic, and they will have to wait in line behind those who played by the rules and followed the law. What I have just described is not amnesty – it is a way for those who have broken the law to pay their debt to society, and demonstrate the character that makes a good citizen."

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any retroactivity to any of it - - no penalty.
That makes it amnesty.

[wilyrascal]

Like I said, talking through both sides of his mouth.
Who does this clown think he's fooling?
An amnesty is an amnesty, no matter how you spin it. And what this will do is increase pressure on the border, no matter what we throw in their way.

What he should have said:
I am the President of the United States, a sovereign nation of laws, and even though we are a nation of immigrants they must abide by our laws to enter this country. It is an affront to everyone who entered legally and those waiting patiently to enter legally to legitimize those who cut in line before them.
Therefore, I am giving all illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States 90 days to leave the country without penalty. Those who remain and are caught and detained by Homeland Security will not be allowed to apply legally to immigrate to this country.
After this 90 day period, we will be conducting sweeps of all day laborers in conjunction with local law enforcement and all will be immediately deported and fingerprinted. Businesses will be randomly searched for employment of illegal aliens and if any are found there will be a $100,000 fine per illegal and the president of the business will be jailed for a period of no less than a year.
All illegals currently in our prison system (25% of all federal Prisoners are illegal aliens), will be immediately deported to their home countries.
Our legal immigration number will be reduced to 350,000 per year to reduce population overgrowth and stabilize our population at around 300 million people. Chain immigration will no longer be allowed. There will be a percentage of legal immigration geared towards those with needed skills in the sciences, medical profession, etc.
The border will be secured with a double wall and an increase in border agents by 5,000 agents.
I will also introduce legislation declaring English to be the official language of the United States. We are a nation made up of hundreds of different nationalities and ethnicities. A common language is one of the most important things that binds us together as one nation. As Teddy Roosevelt once said:

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant
who comes here in good faith, becomes an American and assimilates himself
to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else for it
is an outrage to discriminate against any such man be cause of creed, or
birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming
in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...

There can be no
divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something
else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the
American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the
English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a
loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

It is with this sense of a common goal to live free and succeed in a fair and honorable society that I bring these proposals to the American people. No longer can we tolerate the legitimization of rampant illegality that is undermining our storied immigration system. The war against terror also demands that our borders be secure. Although I can understand what has driven these illegal immigrants to endure hardship and danger in order to enter this country for work to provide for their children, it is more important to remember that there are Americans who also need to provide for their children, and legal immigrants who entered this country through the proper legal channels and their needs must come first.
To those illegal immigrants who must now go home and I say to them to show the same passion they showed during street protests here in the US and take to the streets in Mexico and Central America to show the Governments in their own countries that they want to be given the chance to work for a decent wage and to be able to educate their children so that they may have a better life and the chance to increase their countries economic and living conditions.
The United States remains committed to immigration as the greatest asset we have in ensuring the economic vitality of this country far into the future, and that which sustains us, enhances our culture, and brings bright minds and fertile imaginations into our society to keep it fresh and innovative.
All we ask, and now demand, is that those who choose to immigrate to this great country do so the right way, legally.
Good night.

[bjcintennessee]

PING

[RodgerD]

"There is a rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to citizenship for every illegal immigrant, and a program of mass deportation. That middle ground recognizes that there are differences between an illegal immigrant who crossed the border recently – and someone who has worked here for many years, and has a home, a family, and an otherwise clean record. I believe that illegal immigrants who have roots in our country and want to stay should have to pay a meaningful penalty for breaking the law … to pay their taxes … to learn English … and to work in a job for a number of years. People who meet these conditions should be able to apply for citizenship – but approval would not be automatic, and they will have to wait in line behind those who played by the rules and followed the law. What I have just described is not amnesty..."

The dictionary might disagree.

A class of people is being absolved of crime, illegal presence in the USA, the main penalty for which is having to leave the country.

[truemiester]

not a single word on enforcing this new plan!

[nopardons]

bttt

[A. Pole]

to secure our border, we must create a temporary worker program.

How temporary is this program going to be? And how permanently the border is going to be secured?

[A. Pole]

A temporary worker program would meet the needs of our economy

See my tagline

[DoctorMichael]

A 'Wall' ASAP.

[DoctorMichael]

Presidente Jorge Boosh: "......So in coordination with governors, up to 6,000 Guard members will be deployed to our southern border........"

Does "up to" mean 6,000?

Does "up to" mean 60?

Does "up to" mean 6?

[steve-b]

I believe that illegal immigrants who have roots in our country and want to stay should have to pay a meaningful penalty for breaking the law... to pay their taxes... to learn English... and to work in a job for a number of years.

I'm waiting for the suggestion that illegal EMPLOYERS should have to pay a meaningful penalty for breaking the law... to pay their Social Security and Workers' Comp... to learn to hire out of the legitimate market... to keep themselves in compliance for a number of years.

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