What is happening in the Senate on the immigration issue is arrogance. Plain and simple, old-fashioned, “we know better than you do” arrogance. In the face of overwhelming public opposition to virtually every facet of the McCain/Kennedy Senate bill regarding immigration reform, the Judiciary Committee, by a vote of twelve to six, reported the bill to the full Senate.
The proponents of this bill, or variations of it, cry repeatedly that it is not an “amnesty” plan. But as the old saying goes, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck. This bill could have a picture of it next to the word “duck’ in the dictionary.
The most controversial element of this “reform” is a scheme that would allow illegal aliens to stay in the United States permanently. The long and short of it is that if people who broke the law and came here illegally will report in and pay a fine and some back taxes, they get to stay. Moreover, they get put on track to full citizenship.
And without any serious border enforcement, much less the proposed physical barrier that could be erected along the most difficult to patrol areas of our border, the Senate bill would lead us full circle to our present situation a decade from now. This is to say nothing of the fact that, once potential border-crossers see that we’re an easy touch once they actually get into the country, more of them are sure to follow.
Proponents of the Senate version of a “guest worker” plan say that it is not feasible to expect illegals to return to their home countries and apply for such status or even for American citizenship. Why not? They came here, didn’t they? They obviously know the way. What they are really saying is that they broke the law to get here, so we should just accept that they would break any law that asks them to come here through legal channels.
It is axiomatic that, if you want more of something, you subsidize it. If you want less of something, you tax it. The same principle applies here. If we want to see the number of illegals increase, then give the ones that are here now amnesty and a green light towards citizenship. If we want fewer, then secure the border and begin penalizing the businesses that knowingly hire them. Period.
And what about the fiscal realities associated with such a scheme? If all of the illegals in this country “reported in”, paid their fine and back taxes as required by the McCain/Kennedy bill, how much are they likely to cost taxpayers in government benefits once they’re legal? I’m sure the proponents of the Senate bill will fail to trumpet that piece of information.
Article comments
1 - G.C.
If you do not like the way the Senators vote, convince people in places like CA and NY to send their senators packing this fall.
2 - Dave Nalle
Drew, the bill currently on the floor is NOT the Kennedy-McCain bill. It's the First version of the Sensenbrenner bill from the House with amendments added to include the best elements of the Kennedy-McCain bill. So it has both the homeland security and strong enforcement provisions PLUS the guest worker and fines and go to the back of the line immigration option for illegals.
Dave
3 - Eric Berlin
Much that I have seen of this debate in many many quarters ignores reality. It's impossible to stop illegal immigration, plain and simple. Even a twenty foot wall with machine gun nests every quarter mile wouldn't completely erase it. Plus, that would take many billions of dollars ergo it's not going to happen.
So in my view the only obvious choice is to have a balanced plan to increase border security (knowing that many will still get through) while going some kind of "road to citizenship" route.
I hate many of President Bush's policies, but I applaud his stance on this one.
4 - Jet in Columbus
Uh Eric, it's a republican-run congress, of COURSE it ignores reality!
...but that's only my opinion
5 - Nancy
This is just election-year posturing; there will be much sound & fury signifying nothing, while the scum on The Hill make political hay but very carefully ignore whatever facts or polls they find inconvenient, or spin them if they won't go away ("when you criticize the war in Iraq, you criticize Our Troops"). None of them, Dem or GOP, will dare to do anything concrete, for fear that somehow in the future it will come back to bite them in the ass...and God forbid any of them should actually take a stand on something & stick to it. If they really, really wanted to do something, then penalizing employers & enablers of illegals, and making a flaming example of those caught, would bring a good deal of the demand to a screeching halt, and likewise substantially reduce the supply. If there are no jobs, no hope of anything except getting charged with a felony & treated very harshly, then there won't be such a scramble to sneak in here. However, Congress & business all look the other way, with no intentions whatsoever of preserving anything except the status quo. They'll make plenty of noise pretending they're doing something about it, but I'd be willing to bet that a year from now, nothing will have changed except for a few paper pronouncements with all the bite of a toothless dog: for all intents & purposes, null, void, & unenforcable.
6 - Bliffle
Nothing will change or improve until the Bush administration brings very strong and determined pressure on the Mexican government to change its ways, which would mean at least the following:
(1) allow US business to own property and be freed from the baleful oversight of the Mexican mafia families that rule Mexico,
(2) end the reign of the Mexican ruling families
(3) open Mexican markets to foreign business,
(4) end the religious domination of Mexico by the catholic church (one can see how little the vatican cares for mexican catholics by Benedicts recent actions),
(5) allow US and other foreign citizens to own property in Mexico,
(6) take privilege away from the hereditary rulers and allow hard-working Mexican citizens to prosper and own property and businesses just as many escapees do in the USA.
The solution to Mexicos woes lies not in Washington or California or The Senate, but in Mexico City. Until all parties recognize this essential truth all the rest is mere window dressing.