Here we go again. Illegal immigration is a hot button topic right now, and if existing laws were enforced, we wouldn't be in the mess we're in now. Now, Ted Kennedy has come up with a plan that he expects President Bush to ok. Here's a few problems that this plan has.
ILLEGALS:
• Those who arrived before January 1, 2007, will be given immediate work authorization, granted a "Z" visa and put on path to permanent residence.• Head of household must return to home country within 8 years. They will be guaranteed back in.Excuse me?!?! 8 YEARS?!?! They have 8 fucking years to get out!?!? Then they get a measly $5000 penalty if they don't? If they have a child in the US without paying their hospital bill (which is quite common in southern states), they easily eat that $5,000 up within hours of their hospital stay.
• Penalty: $5000, staggered ENFORCEMENT:• Double border patrol, new security perimeter, border fence. This I can get behind. More border patrols, getting the fence up and operational. However, I don't want a fence on the Mexican border. I want one on the Canadian border as well. Let's not forget that the "millennium bomber" came into Washington state via Canada and was caught by a border guard who was keeping her eyes peeled.
GUEST/TEMP WORKERS:
• Guest worker program cannot begin until enforcement provision is in place.
Fair enough.
• 400,000 temp workers per year enter on two-year visas, must return home for a year then re-enter for additional two years. They may come three times.
Who's going to keep track of this?
• Earn points toward merit-based green card.• May bring families on 30-day visitor visas each year.
Only if their families are not on the "no fly" list and pass security.
What it doesn't say is what they are going to do about the immigrants who came here legally. The ones who sat in line, learned English, and played by the rules. It's not fair to them to just let illegals go right past them. Let's not forget that Ted Kennedy is a slimy little weasel, so anything coming from him is always suspect in my mind.
What I do agree with heavily though is this:
In perhaps the most hotly debated change, the proposed plan would shift from an immigration system primarily weighted toward family ties toward one with preferences for people with advanced degrees and sophisticated skills. Republicans have long sought such revisions, which they say are needed to end "chain migration" that harms the economy, while some Democrats and liberal groups say it's an unfair system that rips families apart.
Sure, if you're a smart person, you should definitely get a bump over someone who doesn't. It means that that person with a degree is much more likely to contribute more towards society and pay taxes on higher wages. Democrats say that'll rip families apart? Democrats fail to remember that these families don't HAVE to come to America. They can stay in their home country or go to another one if they'd like.
I'm not anti-immigrant by any means. That's what makes our country the way it is now. Many cultures and subcultures living in a land where if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything you'd like. However, you must play by the rules. I don't expect England or China or France to give me the same rights as their citizens if I came there illegally, so why should we give illegals the same rights as our citizens?
Travis
travis@rightwinglunatic.com
