Sunday, June 24, 2007

Immigration Spin Doctors

My Dad, his Dad and Mother, my Mothers Grandparents, were legal immigrants. They fled religious persecution and poverty to come legally to America thru Ellis Island. They didn’t come with illegal documents nor were they illegally transported by vehicles nor did they sneak thru the desert. Their migrating helped make this country what it was 20 or so years ago. The “immigration spinners” are talking about how great this country was made by immigrants, which I certainly agree, while they try to confuse us by mixing illegal with legal immigration. The politicians are making some efforts to pass some legislation, but with most everyone covering their behinds and maneuvering to get reelected, it may be impossible to make much change.

Why can’t the politicians agree to at least close the border? Politicians who want to stay in office forever fear for their reelection and don’t have the heart to take action that would benefit the majority of people who did not enter this country illegally. They claim toughing up our stance on illegals would upset the economy, the chickens wouldn’t get plucked, the strawberries picked, we would have no janitorial services, dishwashers and the list is endless of what we wouldn’t have. In many cases the politicians are seeking the egalitarian and populist vote. Also, they do not want to lose the big business contributions to their campaigns. They worry about “slowing the growth of our economy”, claiming these illegals have had a major hand in fueling the growth of this country. Probably so, but I see all of these gains as short term gains and predict disaster in the long run. Big employers claim they can’t find enough citizens of this country willing to do the work Mexicans will do and for less money.

Part is true; we have created a culture of people born in this country that have found out they don’t need to work. In fact, they don’t even need to do anything they don’t want to do because someone will listen to their stories of bad luck, they’ll reach out in compassion for these poor souls and open up their pocketbooks and in so doing, open up our pocketbooks. More than 2,000,000,000 incarcerated high testosterone young people are not available for work but many of them could be if they were put to work instead of just imprisoned.

The system in Mexico doesn’t work in the compassionate way our system works. Mexicans must work to exist because the government and the better off people in Mexico are not as liberal as we are. They started immigrating to the U.S. years ago because we were then the land of opportunity, and most people still want in then want out, compared to any other country in the world. But the legal system was too slow, too selective and the borders so porous that they came across illegally by the millions. Today, we have an estimated 12-20 million illegals in the U.S. (no way to really know the actual figures). Most illegals work for cash so the major tax they pay is sales tax. They send billions of dollars back to Mexico where much of our money is used to prop up weak Mexican governments. Illegal mothers give birth to kids who on day one of their lives, gain U.S. citizenship. It is claimed that 2/3 of all births in Los Angeles County are to illegal Mexicans paid for by taxpayer dollars

Many of these illegal did not come to the U.S.just to work. They came because of our weakness for drugs, to become more involved in the drug trade, to join or form gangs and use the opportunities we offer to “exploit” the system. It is estimated that 25% of all inmates in California are illegal Mexicans. It is estimated that 30% are on some type of welfare. The L.A. County Detention Centers are nightmares; it is estimated that 4 million illegal in L.A. can speak only Spanish, so at least 21 radio stations broadcast in Spanish only. The most believable figures out there in cyberspace are ones that show we are losing control of this country to people who do not want to become responsible citizens supporting the Constitution of the United States of America.

What do most of us want? I’ll quote a couple of people who make their living studying the political and economic situations facing this nation. Daniel Henninger writes in the WSJ on 6/17/07, that we want secure borders. We want the laws obeyed, English spoken, taxes paid, costs raised on employers that employ illegal workers, welfare payments suppressed, enclave Spanish neighborhoods broken up and a very, very long path to citizenship.

We want the same universal system used by those who gain citizenship legally.

Being born in the U.S. means you don’t just live here, you get involved. It’s about being willing to put in time to deal with all things local, from zoning issues, school issues to sidewalks. One major problem with illegal (and many legal) is that they exist almost entirely outside the complications of civil life. Small businessmen feel the rank unfairness of the costs they incur for liability and workers comp which they feel the hirers of illegal evade.

Charles Krauthammer writes on 6/17/07 in an article in the Washington Post titled “Protect the Border Now” saying that the Immigration Bill is too complex a compromise with too many moving parts and too many conflicting interests. He suggests starting with the simplest part; do all it takes to close the borders. As I type this document at least 50 more illegal are crossing our borders. He states that border fences and patrols in Israel have reduced suicide bombarding by 90%. (Just build them more sensible than the one I saw played over and over again on Fox showing that our fence actually had rungs on which climbers could crawl right over the wall.) He says we don’t want a fence that announces to the world that we are closed to immigration. We are not. We just want migration done legally. We want those Iraqi people whose lives are threatened by the radical fundamentalists and the terrorist al Qaeda to be admitted to earn citizenship to the U. S. They helped us; now we must help them. We want more skilled workers rather than one with no skills. We want people who come here to respect, love and support this country as did my Swiss Dad and my German grandparents. My first cousin with the German name of Witzig, gave his life at the age of 21 fighting for the country he loved.


Krauthammer concludes that once our borders are secured everything else is doable over a period of time.

Employer of illegal aliens must be legally forced to contribute a monetary dollar decided by arbitration. This excess over the company’s normal wages would be collected by each county and distributed to local health providers, schools and public works and public security on an equitable basis. Employers that don’t comply would pay a stiff fine and forced to terminate the illegals. If that doesn’t; work close these businesses down. Let an overindulged and over weight United States get along with less. The law of supply and demand almost always equals itself out.

Peoria County would have far less illegals than say Cook County so each county would act as their own collector and disburser using the same percentage arbitrary formula as the State of Illinois.

Senator John Kyl of Arizona says give “Z” cards to all (including their immediate families who came with them) that entered this country illegally since 1/1/07 and who are working, contributing and are crime free. Guest workers could come across legally and be given temporary two or three year stints.


All must be in the process of becoming citizens. Ship those illegals now incarcerated or with a criminal record back across the border. Let donor supported social agencies and compassionate private hospitals provide health care for those with the need but no money. Let the taxpayer be the last resort of those in dire health or dire financial need.

All, including those illegals who are gainfully employed and paying payroll taxes must return in a reasonable time frame and re-enter legally and apply for citizenship. Studies show that most illegals return to their place of origin at some time in their lives. For their kids who are now citizens, some relative will temporarily take them in. If not set up orphanages just like the successful one we had in the community of Normal, Il.; Victory Hall back in the 1940’s.They must reclaim their kids and pay a maintenance fee when and if they return.


Who would enforce these actions? It should be mandatory by statute that the employers who are violating the law by hiring illegal aliens, would police themselves and enforce the law. Taxpayer money spent would be returned by fines, fees and payroll penalties.

The illegals wanted in. I don’t fault them for that. Our greed and our broken systems failed to keep them out while failing to admit more skilled people in legally and swiftly as in the case of the Iraqis fleeing their country to escape being beheaded by terrorists because they assisted us. I’d rather have them than the “citizens” we have here now that don’t want to be pegged as “snitches”.

Jim Mangan of Pekin writes “It has taken more than two centuries of honest legal immigration to build America. Stop tearing it down and one way is to enforce the Constitution that clearly states that the federal government has the responsibility to protect our borders and our citizens from invasion.” Jim also says that tax free entities giving aid and protection to illegal aliens should have their tax free exemption revoked.

Illegal entry into our country must stop and we must stop coddling them. All must come into this country legally or by visa or passport using a similar system used by almost all other countries of the world.

I visited the renowned environmentalist Bill Rutherford shortly before his death and Bill was greatly concerned about the future of our country. He gave me a book titled “America Extinguished” subtitled Mass Immigration and the Disintegration of American Culture written by Samuel T. Francis. This book is an absolute must read by those of you who are concerned about our immigration policies even if you don’t agree with all the statistics and statements made in the book.

Politicians; agree on closing the borders. THEN work out the details of what to do with those already illegally here. Do it over a short period of time. We must not reelect the politicians that put a reelection bid or partisan twist to our universal MAJOR problems. Otherwise; it may take grass roots drive to get things that most people believe we should get done, like closing the borders. But then, we may have become too soft to mount a sustained drive and continue to rob Peter to pay Paul.

If the Republicans and Democrats can’t work this out, then it IS TIME FOR A THIRD PARTY but this party would have to have leader similar to Teddy Roosevelt. (Don’t tell me his faults as he had them but not as many as Perot had or possibly Bloomberg.)

I haven’t yet seen any third party candidate on the horizon I could support but then I don’t believe I have seen any presidential candidate I could wholeheartedly stand behind. John McCain has impressed me the most. I heard him speak when I was in D.C. this year and my respect for him increased but he probably can’t get the nomination. Too many people mistakenly believe we should leave the mess created by politicians of both parties behind and let the MidEast boil into a third World War.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Merle, on what basis do you suggest that illegals immigrants are worse for the country than legal immigrants? I'm not saying there are no reason, I just want to know yours. Is it because illegals don't have any kind of ID number that can be tracked, or because they will evade taxes to a greater degree, or because we need to be able to enforce quotas, or... ?

Anonymous said...

Ben,

My writings on immigration are no big revelation. I have dozens of articles written by educated people far wiser than I. However, most all are saying what I try to break down into one inadequate column and blog and say.

Legal immigration needs some more adjusting but we badly need skilled and hard working legal immigrants. Employers, especially in the tech, medical, engineering and chemistry fields, ect., feel we must raise the quotas for people with needed skills and lower the quotas for people with no skills. We have enough people being turned out of our public education systems that do not even have a work ethic let alone any skills. Help them to recognize and develop their talents (no, the NCLB will not do it, it has way too many flaws) and they will realize they must work as talent alone does not guarantee a person a living wage. Take away some of the welfare benefits and able citizens will have to learn to work to hold any type of a job.

It is highly documented that immigrants bring innovation and a desire to improve their lives. We need them as much today as we did 200 years ago.

It is well documented that many illegals do file income tax returns. Many more are paid in cash for work like mowing lawns, trimming and landscaping and doing odd jobs.

I contracted to have my fence repaired and the contractor sent a man who could not speak English, was driving a vehicle with a name other than the company I contracted with and the worker had no identification; not even a drivers liscense.

The work still remains undone 2 years later.

A majority of the people in this country do not oppose migration. They oppose illegal entry into this country.

Thanks and add whatever you wish that you have researched.

Anonymous said...

Let's say we have 12 million illegal immigrants here now. If we put them on the bottom of the list to be citizens as the new immigration bill suggests. This will take years. If you consider that of this 12 million there is one man and one woman for the count and they have 4,5, or 6 children with in the next five to ten years before they get their citizenship what kind of a total is that going to be? Now give each one of those 6 million couples additional social services, medical, schooling, transportation, food stamps, housing, etc. as their families grow and what is that going to do to the rest of us working class people who are paying the taxes to support these people? We still have to pay the full cost of everything while the immigrant waiting for citizenship lives here and works but at a lower wage and gets all the freebies that we are paying for. Even if they get citizenship and the businesses hire them they will pay them basic minimum wage that is required and that still puts the people born here out of the running for the jobs, because they have to pay the full price for all the services I mentioned above. By the time you start paying social security, and other benefits to the immigrant we are going to be so many billions and trillions of dollars in debt we will never climb out of it and the working middle class and lower income class will be demolished. Senator Durbin tells me that we can't feasibily send 12 million people back across the border. Why the hell not? Two previous presidents did it. Also, the money we now spend on social services we would only spend once sending them back and then we wouldn't have to do it again. We can't send them all back in on lump sum, but secure the borders, and over a period of time deport groups, especially those that are getting all the freebies.
I lived on the Yuma, AZ border for 17 years and I know of what I speak and 50 immigrants an hour coming across the border is nothing. Also they steal anything that isn't nailed down so that they can sell it later for money to get across the country. And when they ask for services here they can't even say thank you in English. If we can send 375,000 troops overseas we can surely deport that amount in bunches back across the border.

Anonymous said...

Merle, I don't know why but your stance as-explained-in-the-comment sounds a lot better to me than it was as-explained-in-the-actual-post. :-P

I don't have any strong opinions on this subject because there is no model good enough to show what path is most beneficial. One part of me says, like you, that legal status should depend on marketable skills. The other part says the low-skill illegals are coming whether we like it or not, so we might as well deploy a legal mechanism that mutually beneficial to the immigrants and the US.

I actually have a similar dilemma in my job. I control a certain work standard, and my group is forever debating whether to purge some of our guidelines for borderline-acceptable behavior. Some say we shouldn't have the borderline stuff in at all, since we don't want to give it any sense of legitimacy. Others say that people are going to do the borderline things anyway, so we might as well show them how to do it as well as is possible. It's not a clear decision, though I generally side with the former camp.

Anonymous said...

Merle, you say, "More than 2,000,000,000 incarcerated high testosterone young people are not available for work but many of them could be if they were put to work instead of just imprisoned."

That's 2 billion. I do not know the correct answer, but I do know it is not 2 billion.

Anonymous said...

Mike,

I got carried away by numbers and added three 000's. But I know you have been reading my blogs and I've mentioned the 2 million number several times.

Sorry.

Anonymous said...

Merle,
I have no experience writing in this blog like forum. Most of what I write goes to my senators and representative. Being retired, I watch a lot of news commentary material (of course, since illigal immigration concerns me greatly-I watch Lou Dobbs). I also have time to read the editorials. I always feel a bit strange when I read something that agrees with my thinking because I always wonder if I might be reading into the subject things I want to believe are there and not what is really there. You mentioned something that I have not seen brought up in the light you presented it in. Everybody keeps writing and saying that it is impossible to get 12 to 20 million illegals out of the country. However, those same people say that when we pass a bill like the one that just failed in the Senate these folks will have no problems leaving the country to return legally or whatever. That aside, whether I'm correct or not in that matter of leaving and reentering, the basic thing is that those people found a way to get into this country, in 1's an 2's and dozens and fifties and whatever and they can leave this country like that. Of course, 12 million or more folks can't leave all at once-they certainly did not come in that way. So, why do folks keep pounding "you can't get 12 million people to go back across the border"?. They can leave over a period of time, just like they came in and we can adjust our economy over a period of time, also. Our constitution might well be changed also to take care of the problem of citizenship of children born to illegals here in U.S. That amendment was specifically written to amend a wrong brought on by slavery. This country is not doing wrong by the illegal immigrants for the greater part, so it does not need to award citizenship to the children of people who come here illegally and with free will. Yes, there will be economic problems associated with the loss of a large labor force, but, just like the economic problems that occurred with the abolition of slavery, the short term good we think we are receiving now with "cheap" labor will be repaid many fold over with an America that will be able to endure longer and stronger as a sovereign nation. Ray

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Ray,

I believe you will like my blog tomorrow covering more points on the illegal immigration subject.