Next Up for the Obama Administration: Immigration Reform
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says that security has been beefed up on our borders as well as an increase in workplace immigration enforcement reports The Los Angles Times. In her speech at the Center for American Progress, Napolitano hinted that immigration reform could be on its way in 2010. Some haters believe that the Obama Administration will be asking for blanket amnesty. Napolitano says that they are currently looking at a “tough pathway” which would “require illegal immigrants to register, pay a fine, pass a criminal background check, pay all taxes and learn English.”
Tags: Immigration
Well heres a No-Winner if ever there was one. The problem with a “Tough Road” to citizenship is that no one, even it’s backers, believe any fines will be paid or that the illegals will actually leave the country and go to the back of the immigration line. After all, they “cut in front” once, why change now? The only answer is to aggresively prosecute those who hire illegals, to fine them, to jail them if necessary. Remove the jobs and you remove the illegals. Nothing else will work, and yes. you know it too.
It sounds like the immigration bill the democrats will proposes is similar to the one the Bush Administration proposed before the right wing “Christians” crushed it in a flurry of hate, racism and bigotry. The dems will pass a similar bill and drive another wedge into the republicans possible electoral map with Hispanics. If the dems are smart, they’ll unveil the bill four months before the 2010 midterms and the let the GOP party of hate do their thing.
Comment for Wikwox –
I agree, the jobs are the main driver for illegal immigration.
I do wonder, however, what will become of the market for ‘undesirable’ jobs in the near and mid term.(stuff we legals, even if we fall into that job category will not do).
I think that ultimately, the wages and ultimate costs for this kind of work will increase. Which means we all will pay more for basic service items – not a bad thing, perhaps a step towards a living wage for all.
Sorry – last comment would be assuming that those who employ illegals are cracked down upon …
Happily, insane people like Lou “all brown people bring sickness and bombs” Dobbs are losing their platform. It isnt so much build up the borders, making flaming moats with fire proof laser mounted crocs. It is the people who hire illegals. But why aren’t they being taken to task? It isnt the suburban d-bag who picks up a few guys from Home Depot to pick up some leaves.. it is big business…. De-regulated and allowed to free market the whole world right into the shitter. If we REALLY go after the people who hire, it will put the Repukes at odds with their dogma… corporations will have to do business in a way that doesn’t harm the greater good… i.e Nazi Socialism.
The government has been implementing its E-Verify program for employers to verify the citizenship status of employees working on government contracts, but like every government program it has major loopholes. For E-Verify, it exempts employers who provide certain off-the-shelf items — specifically fruits and vegetables. Exempt this industry and you exempt much of Ground Zero of the jobs that immigrants come here to do. Turning a blind eye to the places where illegal immigrants concentrate to work is a part of the long-term fiction about desires to increase enforcement of immigration rules.
All of this gets me wondering … like the ‘war on drugs’, is the ‘immigration issue’ simply a matter of moralizing, then turning that moralizing outward?
It seems that there are solutions readily at hand to address this issue, but no one wants to implement them. Instead, we as a government, and as a people, continue to want it all … low prices for labor that we do not want to perform ourselves, *and* an “enemy” that we can rail at. What a strange and twisted anti-morality play.
For E-Verify, it exempts employers who provide certain off-the-shelf items
That is like saying you are going to tighten enforcement of child support laws, but exempt the NBA.
ergonomic for the win.
you found the repuk-lickin play book. create an issue, make 2 sides…. see which side more people gravitate towards, turn it into a “moral” issue and divide the country in on itself to keep power. they are shameless evil bastards who have never done anything to make america better.
a.price …
I wondered if perhaps I had found the political playbook.
divide and conquer is the only tactic i have ever seen the rethugs use. they dont even seem to care if they make a positive difference. as long as they have an enemy and the moral high ground to keep power.
Not to get too philosophical, but I can see how the Republicans as a party might tend to locate culpability outside of themselves … ie the Righteous US vs the Evil THEM. I suppose I am not sure that Democrats do any better of a job of recognizing that we are all in fact one … one people, with one responsibility, and one country to share.
I dont think they have either. At best, the democrats have calculated that it is a good “platform” for them to use to gain power. I think very few politicians actually have a soul. The ones who use the policies i agree with get my vote, but they are only doing it to get votes.
The republicans on the other hand are sickening. They claim to be the Ameircan christian party, yet their whole philosophy is “screw you, i have mine work harder” a very UN christian belief (unhuman for that matter) They have made it “wrong to be liberal” they try and convince us that America is ripping apart, because a united America would be bad for them.
a.price – Agreed.
As a rule, I have evaded politics, but a friend’s recent involvement, and the opening of deeper paths before me recently, has made me take another look.