George Will: Citizenship for Illegal Immigrants Necessary to 'Sustain the Welfare State'

Newsbusters ^ | April 14, 2013 | Noel Sheppard

[Bratch]

On ABC's This Week Sunday, George Will made a comment about the need for a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants that is likely to raise eyebrows on both sides of the aisle.

"As the baby boomers retire, and as the birthrate declines, we need something to replenish the workforce to sustain the welfare state" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

*NOTE: Video at link*

JONATHAN KARL, SUBSTITUTE HOST: George, right to you. You heard a debate among Republicans on immigration. Which side should the Republican Party come down on?

GEORGE WILL: Every conservative sympathizes with what Jeff Sessions was saying about not rewarding law breaking. However, conservatism begins with facing facts. The facts are that of the 11 million people who are here illegally, two-thirds have been here a decade or more, 30 percent, 15 years or more. They're woven into our society. They're not leaving. And the American people would not tolerate the police measures necessary to extract them from our community. Therefore, the great consensus has to be on the details of a path to citizenship.

The most important thing Rubio said in your interview was, even if the system weren't broken, if you had no illegal immigrants, we'd still need to do something about this because we need the workers. As the baby boomers retire, and as the birthrate declines, we need something to replenish the workforce to sustain the welfare state.

KARL: The framing from Rubio was interesting, saying we really already have amnesty. Nobody's prosecuting the undocumented immigrants here now.

RUTH MARCUS, WASHINGTON POST: Absolutely, I want to say I'm going to really enjoy saying this next sentence. I completely agree with every syllable that George Will just said. And I think that the stars are in alignment for many of the reasons that he said.

"As the baby boomers retire, and as the birthrate declines, we need something to replenish the workforce to sustain the welfare state."

Is this an inconvenient truth or a stretch?

We know that this is a problem that countries such as Japan are already facing. Most of Europe is projected to see a peak in population in the next few decades. When this happens, entitlement programs become impossible to fund if they aren't already.

The velocity of our population growth has been slowing for decades.

As such, does Will have a point or should our future budget woes be irrelevant to this debate?

[ballplayer]

In other words the lying,conniving,lowlife,traitor politicians have robbed the American taxpayers for decades,so now they have to cover their worthless asses by flooding the country with people who care nothing of this countries traditions or culture to keep the fraud going

[rbg81]

Funny, I thought illegals were a net drain on the Treasury. At the end of the day, its about minting more Democrats, period. Anyone who says otherwise is either lying or naive.

[deoetdoctrinae]

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[DH]

The illegals are just like parasites invading their host and the final result is death.

They have absolutely no intention in integrating into our society. In fact, they expect us to integrate into their society...a society that has failed miserably.

In time, the America we knew will soon disappear and the rotten carcass of our heritage will be laying on the side of the road while they walk past it.

Here in south Texas, you would not recognize the fact that it was once American for we now live in Texaco, not Texas. 80% of the language spoken here is Spanish and they make no effort to speak or write English. This, in turn, is passed on from generation to generation. The other “gift” handed down from generation to generation is their rights to welfare and the methods to fraud the system.

We have gone far beyond the Rubicon and there is no turning back. The disease of South Texas will soon kill the American society we once knew.

[Flintlock]

Good logic, but based on a false assumption.

They are NOT importing “Americans” that pay taxes-—instead, they are importing “foreigners” who not only do NOT pay them, but CONSUME taxes through our welfare system.

These ILLEGALS are net COSTS to the system rather than benefits.

The system is also WRONG, but who cares about that anymore?

[Graybeard58]

That minor roof work that your neighbor wanted done...will be eventually done by Juan, who walked over the border last year, and is doing first-rate work for thirty-percent less than the professional roofer quoted.

A few years back, I had ceramic floor tile put in my kitchen, two hall ways and a bath room, expensive material and labor but I've gotten too old to do the "stoop labor" myself. I got a few estimates and picked the one I wanted, then told the contractor what I would pay him in cash and not even ask for a receipt. I saved about 25% and the contractor was happy too. Yes, it was illegal but he was an American and bypassing the government's take saved us both a lot of money.

[cp124]

Earth to mental midgets.
You have shipped our manufacturing base to China and Mexico.
Where exactly are these low skilled workers going to work to pay taxes?
Ding! Ding! They are not going to work, they are going to collect benefits.
This BS that Rubio is spewing about they can’t collect for 10 years will be shot down by some weeny liberal judge and we are duped again.
Wake the hell up America!

[SecondAmendment]

Isn’t the real conservative approach to eliminate the welfare state all together ?

[liberalh8ter]

What makes Rubio think the illegal border invaders are contributing to the funding of welfare rather than adding to its burdens? Is Rubio ignorant or is he trying to be slick? Doctors, lawyers, engineers and scientists didn't cross the border illegally; low skill migrants did (along with terrorists, rapists, murderers drunk drivers and drug smugglers). If he's naive enough to believe that granting them amnesty will bring them out of the shadows to obtain proper employment that will make a significant difference to the entitlement funds, perhaps he can tell real Americans where these jobs are now so suffering Americans can get them.

[greenhornet68]

Apparently we need to import uneducated immigrants to fill the labor void created by killing almost 55 million American babies since 1973 while our government is paying people to sit at home and collect welfare. All of this hastened by the talking heads of the liberal media. What a great plan for our own destruction or reduction to third-world status. Is this the end run around national sovereignty Richard Gardner called for in 1974?

"In short, the "house of world order" will have to be built from the bottom up rather than from the top down. It will look like a great "booming, buzzing confusion," to use William James' famous description of reality, but an end run around national sovereignty, eroding it piece by piece, will accomplish much more than the old-fashioned frontal assault. Of course, for political as well as administrative reasons, some of these specialized arrangements should be brought into an appropriate relationship with the central institutions of the U.N. system, but the main thing is that the essential functions be performed." Richard N. Gardner "The Hard Road to World Order" Foreign Affairs 1974

[MinuteGal]

Yep, illegal aliens allowed to wait 10 years for legal status "with no welfare benefits" during that time is "an excellent and practical solution". I beg to differ.

Since there's gloomy prospects of living wages for millions upon millions of alien families who will be undergoing the wait while living in a Ponzi economy near collapse......and since the members of said extended illegal families will be aged, be sick, be injured, become handicapped, be malnourished, be giving birth, etc. the Supreme Court will OVERTURN the "no health and welfare benefits" law in a heartbeat (especially since we probably will have an unstoppable Obama court majority in the very near future).

Let's be realistic. I think everyone knows that illegals will continue to receive the benefits during the waiting period just as if they were documented citizens. The Supremes will mandate it. Any politician, including Rubio, knows this, also....and they are lying through their teeth with their reassuring, slick words, promises and explanations to the contrary.

We are being led into a total socialist/welfare by our rulers in both parties....a state where everyone will be equally broke except the rulers.

Leni

[freedomfiter2]

The birthrate would change, possibly, if our leaders secured the borders and thereby helped citizen employment in the process.

Bingo. People aren’t rushing to have babies when they can’t get a full time job.

[Caipirabob]

After all, it worked so well for the EU.

[GeronL]

adding 40 million to the dole is going to sustain the welfare state?

I don’t think the Snobs have a clue about the wagon being too heavy for the horses to pull

[relictele]

You heard a debate among Republicans on immigration.

But this has nothing to do with immigration. Immigration involves making oneself known to the destination country's government via an application, awaiting a decision and living with the result. In the event the application is approved, the process also involves gaining knowledge and appreciation of the new nation's laws and customs as well as swearing an oath of allegiance - however quaint that may seem.

If we're going to call illegally crossing the border, illegally staying in a foreign country and illegally gaining access to public funds 'immigration,' then we should start calling theft 'borrowing,' however permanent the borrowing may be.

Conservatism begins with facing facts

No, conservatism begins with the rule of constitutional law. Fiscal conservatism begins with living within our means. Indian and Pakistani engineers will contribute much more to our society financially, culturally and in terms of reduced criminality than Mexican leaf blowers.

The facts are that of the 11 million people who are here illegally, two-thirds have been here a decade or more, 30 percent, 15 years or more.

11 million is a laughably low estimate. And I'm not bothered how long they've been here. Perhaps by now they may have picked up a word or two of English and know full well they're breaking the law.

They're woven into our society.

Right. By speaking and writing only Spanish and refusing any and all attempts to learn English, as well as forcing schools and public institutions (who know that Jose Gonzales is illegally here but do nothing about it) to become bilingual. Many don't pay taxes, many send as much cash out of the country as often as possible (which is why Mexico does nothing), many facilitate additional lawbreaking by relatives and friends who enter illegally, and they contribute to and participate in political causes like La Raza who exploit and exacerbate the problem. They are not woven. They are a stain.

They're not leaving.

I'm not sure it's up them.

And the American people would not tolerate the police measures necessary to extract them from our community.

Just try us, George. I'll carry the baton and lead the marching band as the parade of buses drives south.

Meanwhile, police measures continue to constrict around the throat of proper Americans. East German style checkpoints, TSA/DHS nonsense, gun control, taxes, a million regulations and a million bureaucrats. The Mexicans in America ignore all of these by playing dumb, refusing any form of ID or registration (or forging it), and enjoying political favoritism.

Therefore, the great consensus has to be on the details of a path to citizenship.

Er, no it doesn't. Stop drinking the Potomac water directly from the tap, George. If they aren't leaving, then we must first keep those here to a finite number. Seal the border. The first and next Mexican who reaches America will be known, registered, tracked and removed if he overstays his visa. The 11 (or 20, or 30) million who are here are a special case and must NEVER become citizens, especially in the case of elections. Rewarding lawbreaking will only invite more of the same. That is more than a fair enough trade, no matter what desperate, grasping politicians want.

As for the welfare state, how will illegals who don't pay taxes contribute to supporting such a state? Moreover, how will illegals receiving a piece of pie they didn't help bake ensure the stability of the welfare state? It's like dousing a fire with gasoline.

[Travis McGee]

Here is the winning election strategy going forward.

Just up their EBT!

[deoetdoctrinae]

That would most certainly do it. (Hope they haven’t already got this in the works.)

[CommieCutter]

It is the main reason and the reason why both parties are pushing for it.

[ArcadeQuarters]

Maybe it’s the welfare state the needs to change.

[RFEngineer]

“Workers do not pay Social Security or government revenue.”

“documented status” is for collecting benefits. The taxpaying part will still remain “undocumented”.

If you’ve ever been to certain parts of Mexico or elsewhere in Latin America, you do not truly understand actual poverty.

This is the sort of poverty that we will be importing to America - there is no way the welfare state can keep up, it will break and then multi-tens of millions of illegals along with a much greater number of native born and otherwise legal citizens will be right back to the intense, grinding poverty that we used to only find next door.

Seeing an endless shanty-town is one of the most depressing things. We are importing that here.