Tancredo calls illegal immigration threat to U.S.

gjsentinel ^ | 08.16.03 | GARY HARMON

[VU4G10]

Illegal immigration into the United States threatens the future of the nation, a Colorado congressman told Mesa County Republicans on Friday.

 U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Centennial, drew two standing ovations from about 100 Republicans, even though he acknowledged his stand on illegal immigration runs counter to that of the party's leader, President Bush.

 Forcing a national debate over illegal immigration transcends party loyalty though, he said. At issue, he said, isn't so much whether the United States will have a Balkanized future, but whether it will have a future as a nation at all.

 Illegal immigration combined with "the cult of multiculturalism" and the welfare state threaten to undermine and bankrupt American institutions, he said.

 Tancredo joked that he actually was on his way to California to get in on the governor's race. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Sentinel, however, he said the stakes actually are a bit higher than a governor's race.

 He has visited California on several occasions with the hope of forcing illegal immigration to a top-level issue in the 2004 presidential race.

 One vehicle, he said, might be a referendum in the nation's most populous state that would limit access to any government services to citizens or legal residents only.

 "Even if I'm 180 degrees wrong," he said, "the subject at least deserves a debate."

 Tancredo said he advocates securing the nation's southern border using a 20,000-strong Border Patrol combined with high-tech equipment to prevent illegal border crossings.

 A guest-worker program might be in order for industries that couldn't otherwise find employees, but no such program could work without a secure border, he said.

 It's particularly important to secure the border, he said, because it isn't used only by Mexicans seeking employment.

 "Huge numbers" of Middle-Easterners frequently cross the border, often helped by Mexican drug gangs who charge $30,000 for the use of their expertise, he said.

 "I don't blame them," he said of illegal immigrants looking north for opportunity, but he noted the Mexican government relies heavily on money sent by illegal immigrants to their relatives to bolster the economy.

 That amounts to about $10 billion a year, a third of the Mexican gross domestic product, he said.

 Tancredo urged the Mesa County Republicans to insist that all candidates be held to account on illegal-immigration issues.

 Even if offices such as city council or county commissioner seem to have little to do with illegal immigration, candidates still should be forced to take a position.

 "Get them on record," he said.

[dennisw]

What are you going to do about the illegals already here? Should we use the U.S. Army to man roadblocks and storm suspect businesses and communities and check the naturalization papers of 1/7 our American citizenry? ...........



YUP! It's amusing to read such defeatist rot.

[brianl703]

I wonder if perhaps the declining birth rate among the middle-class (which is the birthrate you are referencing, correct?) might have something to do with the increasing levels of taxation in this country.

[MatthewViti]

Bushbot alert!

[ArneFufkin]

Aren't you the genius who posted the Chuck Baldwin "Is Bush the Anti-Christ" prattle?

[Missouri]

declining birth rate among the middle-class might have something to do with the increasing levels of taxation in this country.

Exactly what I was thinking. Its hard to afford kids, pay high taxes, and have a reasonable standard of living today. And when those taxes go to welfare moochers both home-grown and immigrants who are popping out lots of kids on our dime, well that just burns me up.

The other night on Scarbourgh Country Rep. Loretta Sanchez D-Cal., was complaining about no "Living Wage" for janitors, nannies, etc. This is out-and-out communism shes preaching and yet she's re-elected. I'll bet a lot of immigrants live in her district.

[Barnacle]

In the past, immigration was seen as policy designed to serve the interests of the nation. As such, there was a general belief that it was the responsibility of the immigrants to go the extra mile to accommodate themselves to the social, cultural and linguistic norms of the country. As customers, that relationship is reversed. It is the nation that must bend over backwards to accommodate the “customers,” and provide whatever services and programs they need. Under the customer model, if immigration creates overcrowded schools, or exceeds the capacity of public health care system, you don’t reduce immigration. Instead you build as many schools and emergency rooms as the “customers” require.

This nails it.

The problem is that they aren't paying customers - the Taxpayers are.

[Missouri]

Clinton has brought vote-buying to a new level. He and his ilk did an end run around the American people. I would have thought that the republican establishment would want to lower immigration rates just for self-survival.

[Barnacle]

Here you go. Gloves off.

I think you have a vested interests and/or ulterior motives for your postings on this topic. I don’t think they are based on principle, but rather on a personal advantage and/or impact on your bottom line. Go ahead and tell me I’m wrong.

I don’t think you are a genuine Conservative but rather a shill promoting a hidden agenda. You promote many of the Liberal objectives and deal with your adversaries with the same tactics as a Liberal.

As far as I’m concerned you, ArneFufkin, are nothing but a well-entrenched disrupter.

[Missouri]

I just re-read post #27 by ArneFukin. I didn't realize that Minnesota had so many Mexicans ( Mexican-Americans or Mexican Nationals ?). Sounds like nobody else works up there.

Well, since the state of Missouri has so few Mexicans, I better show up for work tommorrow.

It would seem that some of the pro-open border avocates are well entrenched.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"I wonder if perhaps the declining birth rate among the middle-class"

There were no class distinctions.

[The Coopster]

It seems that Arnie is simply asking all of you to put up or shut up when it comes to caterwauling over illegal immigration. I don't believe he's posted anything really, other than asking what your plan would be, and how so many lay all this blame at Bush's feet, when clearly it's the responsibility of the legislators, and thusly your responsibility to enact the change through your reps.

In return he's called a disruptor, liberal, Bushbot, etc. How is this intelligent discourse?

And yes, I feel that illegal immigration is huge - so don't start the name-calling with me. I'd also be curious to see how many of the loudest screamers here have even thought it through enough to offer anything besides the same tired blustering.

[ArneFufkin]

I have no vested interest other than seeing ignorant, phony Bush bashers come clean.

[CWOJackson]

You're having entirely too much fun.

[dagnabbit]

- and supporting welfare for aliens, because they've "paid for it", a limitless U.S. population, and the notion that Islamic immigration is good for us.

You have interesting views. They're not conservative, or particularly well thought out, but they're kind of interesting.

[Imagine]

Good question. Frankly, GWB missed his window of opportunity on September 12th, 2001. He should have declared martial law and shut down the borders. Instead, he went on TV to proclaim that iSLAM is a religion of peace. Good grief George -- what on earth were you thinking. If I were prez, I'd declare martial law and impose the 18 points forthwith.

[ought-six]

"So ... why wasn't that finding appealed? Who is responsible for representing the voters of California? Bill Lockyear? Why hasn't he appealed the case?"

Bill Lockyear? He opposed 187! He's against the private ownership of firearms, he's pro-abortion, etc. Lockyear is a liberal Dim; why in hell would he appeal the federal court's decision?

[ought-six]

"Tancredo wants 20,000 Border Guards on the Mexican border. At $50,000 per, that's $1 billion in salaries and benefits. Add $10,000 more for training, that's another $200 million, they're going to need vehicles, comunications infrastructure, processing stations and holding cells to be build all along the border."

Sounds like a bargain to me. We're already paying more than ten times that already for services and benefits to illegal aliens.

[ought-six]

Yeah, they're illegal Mexicans doin gjobs that American citizens would like to have. And don't give me that crap about illegal aliens only doing jobs that Americans won't do. That argument has been disproved countless times. Besides, once the unions grab onto the illegals, their wages will increase (but, of ocurse, the unions will take the wage differential as "dues" and other union fees and charges), so that there will be no difference between the wages of a legal American and an illegal alien. Get the illegals out!

[ought-six]

"In 40 years, America will be so balkanized and socialistic as to be unrecognizable. Currently, it's barely the Constitutional Republic it was designed to be."

40 years? More like 20.

[jonalvy44]

Agree! Look at its impact on California! We've seen how population growth and limited resources can effect our country. See "Blackout of 2003"