Posted on 02/27/2007 4:51:59 PM PST by mdittmar
WASHINGTON -- Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat whose state is the No. 1 entry point for illegal immigration, implored Congress Tuesday to fix the nation's broken immigration system before the year's end.
"We've heard too much talk about border security and not enough action," Napolitano said in a speech at the National Press Club. She urged Congress to "end the rhetoric, stop the politics, provide sustained funding and turn away from extreme, unworkable solutions that solve nothing and only delay the benefits of real reform."
"All of America is waiting -- and time is running out," said Napolitano, who is in Washington for the National Governors Association winter meeting.
The solution, she said, is a combination of border enforcement, a temporary worker program to deal with the demand for workers to fill jobs in the U.S. and strong cooperation with Mexico and other trade partners, she said.
An estimated 11 million illegal immigrants live in the country now. Last year, nearly 4,000 attempted to cross into Arizona every day, and as many as 3,000 got past border checkpoints and survived harsh desert conditions to make it to jobs in the U.S., she said.
While Congress has spent months debating a solution, efforts to solve the problem have stalled as lawmakers bitterly debate the issue.
President Bush signed a bill last year supported by conservatives who want to tighten border enforcement. The bill calls for a 700-mile fence at the U.S./Mexico line.
Lawmakers this year hope to revive a measure, which failed last year, to create a temporary worker program and a path to citizenship for some of the illegal immigrants already in the country.
Meanwhile, states have borne too much of the responsibility, Napolitano said. That includes crowded jails, hospitals and morgues and overworked judicial system workers.
She estimates the federal government owes Arizona $350 million for the cost of holding illegal immigrants in jail.
For that amount "we could pay for all-day kindergarten for every 5-year-old in the state," she said.
Napolitano, a moderate who won re-election in a conservative state with 63 percent of the vote, said Congress must get realistic about its approach and reject those who say the best solution is enforcing the border and ordering all illegal immigrants in the country to leave.
"What a joke," she said of those plans.
"I ... refuse to concede that illegal immigration is a political winner for those who simplistically suggest we can just 'seal' the border," she said.
The evidence in Arizona, she said, is that in November, she and newly elected Democratic Reps. Gabrielle Giffords and Harry Mitchell all defeated Republican opponents who had made tough border restrictions a central campaign issue.
Fences alone won't solve the immigration problem, but Congress needs to do something, she said.
"The continued failure to act will be worse than almost any legislation that can be passed," she said.
"What a joke," she said of those plans.
"I ... refuse to concede that illegal immigration is a political winner for those who simplistically suggest we can just 'seal' the border," she said.
Isn't Mcain from Arizona?
We need a presidential candidate, like Hunter, with the balls to tackle illegal immigration.
The GOP will rue the day that they let the dems outflank them on border security.
Duncan Hunter 08.
"President Bush signed a bill last year supported by conservatives who want to tighten border enforcement. The bill calls for a 700-mile fence at the U.S./Mexico line."
A bill supported by many across the spectrum and who want the laws enforced.
"The solution, she said, is a combination of border enforcement,"
No workplace enforcement?
"a temporary worker program to deal with the demand for workers to fill jobs in the U.S."
More wage depression. The "demand" for workers at lesser pay will always be a pressure as long as wages remain different across the border. And we already have enough worker plans.
""and strong cooperation with Mexico and other trade partners, she said.""
Meaningless.
""We need a presidential candidate, like Hunter, with the balls to tackle illegal immigration.""
Actually, a moderate Democrat who favors enforcing the law would be hard to beat. Fortunately for the Republicans white Democrats have an overarching fear of being called "racist," something Karl Rove understands well and tried to use to his advantage in the past.
Considering the fact that we're inviting "spanish speaking people" to michigan despite our 7% unemployment rate, I think Hunter could bring a big win for the GOP in Michigan.
This fruit is ripe fer pickin.
sw
Is this a fact? Or did these Dem reps benefit from pinning the so-called "culture of corruption" on Republicans?
Protect our nation from foreign invasion or face impeachment. This includes Bush and co.
A), NO ONE is going to evict anyone once they're done working, and
B), the guest worker permits will be issued to any illegal living here, WHETHER THEY'RE FREAKING WORKING OR NOT. The old illegals, the underage illegals, the idle illegals, the welfare illegals, the in-prison illegals - they'll ALL get guest worker permits simply because they're already here.
In other words, it's amnesty.
She could just as easily said these things about herself. I do not believe a thing she says. She also worked VERY hard to get rid of JD Hayworth so her buddy Mitchell would get elected.
I always wonder what people think will happen to these workers that become legalized, when their legal status will make their cost to employers higher than those that remain illegal.
Won't they then just become an unemployed drain on the system when employers choose the still-cheaper new illegals ?
Kind of makes it clear that the only way to make a difference is on the workplace enforcement angle.
BINGO,exactly what the "moderate charmer" wants !!!
Yet "Crappy Nappy" is silent on the gunfights on I-10 between the coyotes fighting over vans of illegs, or the one that stabbed a Marine, the high car theft rate..etc
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.