Posted on 10/29/2009 12:38:26 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SAN YSIDRO — With the San Ysidro border fence as her backdrop, Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman spoke out on immigration policy issues yesterday, saying it is “simply not practical” to deport the estimated 12.5 million illegal immigrants living and working in the United States.
The candidate, 53, said the solution is to find a mechanism that allows them to live here legally. “Can we get a fair program where people stand at the back of the line, they pay a fine, they do some things that would ultimately allow a path to legalization?” she asked.
Whitman also urged tougher measures against those who hire undocumented workers, and said that as governor “I would be an advocate . . . for the people of California to make sure we really do secure this border.”
The former chief executive of online auction company eBay made her remarks after a two-hour ride-along with two U.S. Border Patrol agents.
Though immigration is a federal issue, the governor “has to weigh in much more heavily on getting the federal government to fulfill its responsibility of paying for border control, of helping to pay for illegal immigrants that are in our prisons,” Whitman said.
Since declaring her candidacy in February, Whitman has spoken on immigration issues several times. She has said that had she lived in California in 1994, she would have voted against Proposition 187, a measure intended to deny education, health care and other services to illegal immigrants. Voters passed it, but its major provisions were overturned in court.
Others seeking the Republican nomination are Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former Rep. Tom Campbell.
The Democratic candidates are Attorney General Jerry Brown and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.
Yesterday, Whitman reiterated her opposition to “sanctuary cities,” which pass local resolutions to protect illegal immigrants in their jurisdictions.
During her tour of the border, Whitman said agents told her they had enough people in the sector but wanted more technology, such as infrared cameras, to do their job.
The border tour “increased my sense of urgency, and wanting to make sure that the federal government takes responsibility for the resources to get the job done,” Whitman said.
not soon enough
Just another reason I won’t vote for Meg —— I will NOT EVER support a RINO.
Uh, Meg, I think that is called Amnesty.
I had thought MW had some promise, but she is dead to me now.
Anther pro amnesty liberal.
Screw you, Meg!
How about a “path to legalization” for energy production?
ping
Just another RINO looking to help destroy this country like she did to HP.
Same ol’ worn out Chit!
There is room for a real conservative to run and crush these democrat and republican marxists.
In other words, "the government hasn't done the job it was supposed to do for twenty years and it would be just too much hard work to reverse the results of our dereliction of duty."
Isn't that what she's really saying?
What if a governor took the same approach on the state's criminals? I.e., we can't catch them all...so let's just legalize them.
Is pig-headed shiftlessness a necessary credential for public office?
Whitman's from eBay. You are thinking of that other RINO, Fiorina. But both are beyond worthless.
Who is running against her in the primary?
Music to the RNC’s ears. I’m sure they’re preparing a BIG, FAT check for her election fund.
duh
Others seeking the Republican nomination are Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former Rep. Tom Campbell.
“The former chief executive of online auction company eBay made her remarks after a two-hour ride-along with two U.S. Border Patrol agents.”
That was certainly a cunning stunt.
We need to have a bigger quota for Latin Americans (and a smaller one for Muslims, although just the reverse is happening) so that more can come in legally. That said, if we’re going to do legalization of people already here (”amnesty”), we have to have some standards.
I was very sorry that people here opposed the Bush plan so much, because it would have been possible to work with his plan and we could have demanded things from it. The plan favored and in fact mandated the learning of English and US civics, background checks to make sure we weren’t getting druggies or criminals, verifiable ID for immigrants, etc.
I knew this was the best we were going to get. I knew that when the Dems got in, they were going to put in a plan that required nothing and was just aimed at legalizing people they thought would vote for them. In fact, I bet when the final plan comes out, Latin Americans (many of whom are very entrepreneurial and quite conservative) will be at the bottom of the list and it will be mostly people from Muslim countries in Africa and the ME who will be allowed in legally.
deport the 12.5 million.
JUST DO IT!
Every time I pick up the newspaper and read about a local criminal arrest, more than half the time it's someone just breaking the laws that Americans can't be bothered to break. And they're breaking a lot of them at once.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.