Posted on 04/06/2006 6:28:58 PM PDT by NECAWA
Please excuse this vanity post. I respect the cumulative expertise on this forum and would value your thoughts on the following.
The need to improve security on our borders seems obvious. Less obvious is how best to deal with our existing illegal immigrant population. We don’t really even know how many people are involved, how old they are, how many are in our schools, what other services they are using, how many of them are currently employed, etc. It’s little wonder that Congress is at loggerheads.
Shouldn’t Congress first accurately scope the problem and prevent it from growing still larger, while at the same time laying the foundation for implementing and enforcing whatever program is ultimately decided upon, be it guest worker status, deportation, amnesty or some combination thereof.
Perhaps these objectives could be accomplished by legislation that provides for: * sequentially-numbered, fraud and tamper proof, biometric, photo-registration cards. * a strictly enforced limited time registration period during which cards would be offered. * publicly announcing after the registration period, how many cards had be issued. Thereafter any higher numbered card would be patently fraudulent * immediate deportation of any illegal immigrant who had failed to secure a card within the allotted time. * a secure central computer to control issuance of the cards, store all data and subsequently verify a person’s identity when requested. * field stations to process card applications and issue cards. * inexpensive biometric verification stations to compare a card holder’s biometric scan to the data stored for that card number.
All of this sounds formidable but very doable. I believe the pieces of technology required already exist in such places as New Jersey’s new drivers’ licenses, “Pay by Touch” retail payment equipment and SecureTouch® finger image authentication products, to name a few.
When I think of the possible social upheaval, potential economic impact, political ramifications and ineffectiveness of a hastily formulated, poorly conceived program, I wonder if this step by step approach wouldn’t be well worth the cost. What do you think?
Assuming that people are never born, never die, never get married (or divorced), never get convicted of a felony, and never move; such a static one time thing might work. The USSC might have a few little concerns regarding the fourth amendment though. Nice try.
The hassle factor alone in dealing with responding to these lawsuits, if it reached sufficient critical mass, would move them away from using illegal labor.
The most disturbing thing about Republicans is their willingness to do (almost) anything a Democrat would as long as it's proposed by a Republican.
The City of New York is getting tough on immigration. Their crackdown consists of letting illegal immigrants vote. (So I guess al Quada's next attack on New York will consist of getting their people elected there.) The Senate is getting tougher, making all illegals register with the federal government (if they decide to show up.)
Meanwhile illegals all across the United States are protesting for their "rights". And when they say "rights" they mean things like welfare, social security, use of the schools and several other things they don't pay for. True - they pay sales taxes, but they're exempt from the hardcore income taxes, FICA and all the other heavy prices that the Political Elite punish the rest of us with. It's nice that these invaders feel entitled to the fruits of American labor - not that they want to have anything to do with us. So they do have something in common with the people in our government.
Neither of these groups even deems us worthy of communicating with. One wants to speak Spanish only. The other wants to tell us that English words don't really mean what we think they mean (depends on how you define the word "is".)
If the United States really wants to crack down on illegals the solution is easy. You don't have to build a wall. You don't have to have scores of people patrolling the border. All you have to do is CUT THESE PEOPLE OFF. Deny them welfare. Deny them Social Security. Don't let them sue in our courts. Bust companies that hire illegals. DON'T GIVE THESE PEOPLE A REASON TO COME HERE.
They complain that they were poor in the Mexico. That's fine. But for some reason it's a crime that they're poor here. It keeps getting tossed in my face like I'm guilty of some horrible theft. They want to do the job that no one else wants do for a wage that no one else will take. You're saying that to a guy that works for two dollars an hour (plus tips.)
My heart bleeds....
There is a very real civil right being violated by illegals and their employers.
There is legal precedent for "the right of expatriation"; meaning we have the right, as a sovereign nation, to decide who, and who may not live and/or work here.
If you know of a non-profit or lawyers who may want to work on this, please let me know.
I am all for getting rid of the minimum wage for foreign (non-citizen) workers.
This is asking the wrong question. The whole amnesty thing is a diversion. The most important issue by far is SEALING the BORDERS. Once we do that, all the other problems become tractable. Until we do that, no other solution will have any effect.
As stated in the original post, the need to secure the border is obvious. I'm try to address the question of how to deal with the illegals already here. It seems to me a little glib to simply say, "deport 'em all now." Our failure to enforce laws in the past has allowed the problem to grow to major proportions. I shudder to think of the endless news clips around the world as weeping mothers and children are shoved into railroad cars by gun wielding soldiers. Think about it. This idea could give us a fresh start. An illegal can either get a card in the alloted time or be truly subject to immediate deportation. Once they have a card, they're in the system and we can deal with them in an orderly, considered fashion. Further illegal immigrants would be locked out, not only by border security (questionable), but by laws requiring use of the card.
(The answer lies in stealing a page from the Lefties by using the civil courts and monetary damages.)
Yes, I think it might work----I would break it down thusly: Using high-profile tactics as a PR strategy to call attention to employers hiring illegals sub rosa. Also, if illegals come forward with proof of payment (as per the Amnesty Bill) that was not properly accounted for by employers, this would be a violation of The Sarbanes Oxley Act and might also involve IRS infractions.
You have been in New Jersey way to long.
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Thanks, Liz.
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