Posted on 12/05/2005 8:27:02 PM PST by neverdem
Employment enforcement must occur before reform efforts
The late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan called it “boob bait for bubba” — tough-sounding rhetoric designed to placate conservative voters.
Moynihan applied the phrase to Bill Clinton’s 1992 pledge to “end welfare as we know it,” which it later became clear that he had no intention of following through on when he became president, although eventually, Republicans pressured him into it.
President Bush is offering his own “boob bait” in the form of speechifying at the border about a crackdown on illegal immigration.
It’s not that Bush doesn’t intend to hire more border guards and end the “catch-and-release” policy that waves undocumented immigrants into the country, as he is now saying. But these steps are primarily meant to diminish opposition to a new guest-worker program and what would effectively be an amnesty for undocumented immigrants.
It’s a crackdown as prelude to a letup; in other words, Rove bait for red-staters.
A Republican close to the White House tells Time magazine how Bush wants to lull his conservative supporters into swallowing amnesty and a guest-worker program, i.e., a “comprehensive” approach: “Bush decided to give these guys their rhetorical pound of flesh.
In return, he wants a comprehensive bill, which is what he has always wanted. He’s just going to lead with a lot of noise about border security.”
The idea is that the House, where conservatives have the most sway, will pass a bill with new enforcement measures, only to see the Senate pass a different bill with an amnesty and guest-worker program, which will be shoved down the throats of the House on a take-it-or-leave-it basis.
Supporters of tougher enforcement will have gotten their “noise,” and Bush and the business lobby will have gotten their policy. Unfortunately for this strategy, conservatives aren’t nearly as stupid as the White House political shop apparently thinks they are.
If the policy debate plays out the way the White House wants, we will have another iteration of a bizarre dynamic of American politics. Every time there is agitation about out-of-control levels of immigration, Washington acts — to preserve or increase current levels of immigration.
As Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies notes, this is what happened in 1986, 1990 and 1996. The White House and the Senate want 2006 to be Act IV in the farce. Sen. Arlen Specter’s version of “reform” doubles legal immigration.
The enforcement measures Bush is advocating are welcome, but late and not even close to the heart of the matter. We can put as many agents as the Minutemen could possibly want on the border and still have an illegal-immigration problem.
Forty percent of undocumented immigrants overstay their visas, meaning the border isn’t an issue for them. And Bush and fellow supporters of a guest-worker program are right about one thing: As long as there are jobs here for undocumented immigrants, they will come.
The only way to address that is through interior enforcement. The natural place to start is enforcing laws already on the books.
Rosemary Jenks of the group NumbersUSA has compiled a list of currently unenforced laws that runs to four pages. The Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service have it within their power to inform employers when they have hired undocumented workers, but are kept from doing so.
In 2002, the Social Security Administration sent out roughly a million “no match” letters to employers telling them workers had bogus or duplicate Social Security numbers, but business groups complained and the practice stopped.
Supporters of amnesty always ask the rhetorical question: “What are you going to do with the 11 million undocumented immigrants already here — deport them all?”
That is obviously impractical, but requiring employers to verify that their workers are legal would prompt many undocumented immigrants to leave voluntarily and staunch the flow of new arrivals.
Only after our immigration system is under better control should we discuss a guest-worker program and amnesty for those undocumented immigrants who are entrenched in our society. Until then, don’t take Bush’s bait.
©2005 King Features Syndicate
To reach Rich Lowry, send e-mail to lowry@nationalreview.com .
Can't argue with it. Spot on.
Bush hit the exact point he wanted to. He didn't miss at all.
Now, was he right? I don't think so.
This is the meat. I'm even willing to put the cream of the crop of illegal immigrants on track for permanent residency-- those who've worked hard, paid their taxes, not suckled off the government teat, learned English and otherwise demonstrated respect for our country.
Yes, they need a few points knocked off for coming and staying illegally. But they are superior to many of the diversity lottery immigrants who may enter this country legally, but proceed to demonstrate themselves to be unworthy citizens.
It takes about $2000 for a coyote to smuggle someone in illegally. It takes about $400 for a airline ticket from Mexico City to Chicago. I can't understand the great hardship to ask amnesty seekers to go home and apply in the legal manner-- or at least giving preference to those who do.
It's the employers,stupid !
(I'm paraphrasing here,not directing this comment to anyone)
That was a pretty good article. The author is right. Bush is offering us a lot of empty rhetoric on the borders as a cover for an amnesty plan that will reward criminal behavior.
I'll go along with a fast track for imported labor for certain markets AFTER our borders are secured and illegals removed.
Spot on, Bullseye!
It's been the law for decades. The form is an I-9 (INS Form 9) which every employer has to have on every employee indicating which documents were used to verify US citizenship. I trained employers on its use in the 90's. Note: every employer ... every employee. It just isn't enforced.
He'd never lie to us, why, he's a Republican!
Now, where's my koolaid..?
Screw the koolaid...
...I need a beer.
I'll go along with a fast track for imported labor for certain markets AFTER our borders are secured and illegals removed.
Thats like saying you will learn about Islamic culture After it removes terror . Long way of just saying never don't you think ?
...was just that: talk. Nothing more. Meanwhile, his actions show that he doesn't give a good rip about the demands of the GOP base.
Muy cervezas
And why should he care? It's not like he'll ever run for another election.
Bush is not now and never was conservative - he was just marginally better than the two putzes the Rats ran against him.
No new laws. Enforce the ones we have.
Tell that to the various legislatures. Start repealing the obvious mistakes.
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