One of the most important topics in this election is illegal immigration. The impact this crisis is having on our national security and economy isn't up for debate. What is up for debate are the "solutions" the politicians are throwing at it. Ever since it's become a hot button issue, I haven't heard anything but a whole lot of hot air. The most absurd plan I've seen is from Republican Presidential candidate Tom Tancredo, who wants to deport all illegal aliens – that's something like 11 million people! Be practical, Tom. And then there's everybody's favorite fallback: the wall.
I don't know whose bright idea this was in the first place, but as far as I'm concerned, it goes against everything this country stands for. America doesn't build walls. We tear them down. Didn't we learn anything from Ronald Reagan?
Walls are built when countries lack the creativity to solve problems head on. I believe the problem of immigration demands a multi-faceted solution. Tightening and beefing up security for one thing. Maybe a national ID program. Maybe working with employers to ensure they hire documented workers. I’m not going to sit here and tell you I have all the answers on this one, but I will tell one thing: the America I know doesn't build walls.
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4 comments:
Clearly we need a solution which addresses businesses needs for workers as well as one that ensures americans are not displaced by those workers.
Recognizing the laws of supply and demand one can choose to address securing the border by controlling demand(the jobs) or supply (Border defense) or some combination of the two. This proposal focuses on demand with the hopes of long term supply reductions.
Step 1 is implement a worker verification system for employers/homeowners to use online for free. (Use of the system for all employee's would prevent liability under citizen suit provisions of the statute)
Step 2 institute citizen suit lawsuits ability against employers hiring illegal aliens with the penalties for each employee so hired being 3 times the annual wage for a legal employee of tyhat job function in an equivaslent SIC code industry based on IRS records.) 1/3 to the headhunter, 1/3 to any illegal(s) that came forward turning in the employer, and 1/3 to the government in a Job training and education fund to be used to create trained employees or provide relocation assistance to employees in that classification.)
Most illegals are leaving family behind if there is a system they can use to collect their pay and go home to their kids they will take it and doing so with the penalty funds should help start entrepreneurial business activity in their home nations generating jobs.
Now before instituting such harsh penalties on employers one must also create a way to get employees to fill the needed jobs. To accomplish that you create a Federal Worker Location Assistance Board that employers for a nominal fee or perhaps funded by the penalties from citizens suits can list a Job with the Board after failing to identify qualified applicants in their own region. That Board would put the Jobs out to all Employment Development agencies in the United States in a call for qualified workers. If after 60-90 days a qualified US worker(s) willing to accept the job could not be located and provided relocation assistance to take the Job the employer would be granted temporary work visa's to recruit outside the US after paying for the appropriate security background checks on those they select for employment.
If the position being filled was union then the incoming employee would need to come from an international union partner of the union or join the union on arrival for the assignment.
In essence you create such negative penalties for employer/homeowner violation of hiring as well as through citizen suits and incenti9ves for illegals to take the money and run employers take the steps to ensure they are getting either US workers or Illeglas through the legal process.
You do provide amnesty for those already here provided they have jobs and create an employer/illegal amnesty program with deadline for employers to claim the employee and protect themselves from violations.
With no jobs available illegally due to the risk illeglas crossing the border dry up in favor of worker visa's. By making them temporary you ensure those who are the most motivated employee's from these nations return home hopefully to spur economic growth such as we have seen in India from Indian's returning home further reducing labor supply that would be tempted to illegally enter.
Then anyone crossing the border without visa's would likely be a drug smuggler or other hostile and not camoflaged by the hundreds of thousands simply seeking work.
Dry up the jobs dry up the illegals.
While it is very true that America helps remove walls the current leaders have chosen to put one up and attempt to hide the real issue at hand. We have several people who are extremely creative in their methods of crossing into the United States.
The only way that this will ever stop is to not provide all the benefits that have been granted to illegal/undocumented aliens. Oklahoma found the best solution. Those who are knowingly providing jobs for such people can and should be punished. Additionally those who choose to provide several benefits must face reality and be held responsable within the courts for their actions.
This may seem harsh to some but it is the most peaceful solution to a massive problem. If their is no money to entice people to break the law then they will remain in compliance with it.
Thousands of people come through the legal way every year in hopes of beginning a new life and achieving their dreams. My great Grand parents from my mothers side were just two, and they came through the legal way. They learned the culture and did everything they could to adapt to their new country while passing on their heritage to my mother. For that I am thankful and I believe that since we need to lead by example then we need to stop building this wall and tear it down. The money then may be used to help fund higher education and provide more jobs for those within INS, as the program is severely underfunded and understaffed. In turn this would create more jobs for our people which will boost the economy. However, it is due to this administrations lack of caring and creativity that has caused them to turn a blind eye to such solutions and send our jobs to other nations while stating it is good for the economy. How can that be good if their is no employment base for our population to purchase goods, and the remaining jobs are rapidly being taken by those who send the money to other nations.
One last idea is to also put limitations on the importing of goods from Mexico. Many companies have moved their factories their but do not pay nearly the same wages for their workers in Mexico. I.E. Ford, General Motors... It's sad to think that the foreign cars are more American then the American made cars. However, if these companies were to pay matching wages to their employment base in other nations, then the people would be less likely to leave illegally and use the financial boost to help increase educational opportunities and strengthen their political system.
1/3 of the 7 million people in the (extremely expensive) American prison system aren't even Americans! Tell me that paying between $18,000 and $31,000(costs vary) per prisoner, per year to house them is more efficient than shipping their asses back home. $41,580,000,000 and $71,610,000,000 (yes, that's 41-to-70 BILLION) per YEAR!
Send their butts home and tell their home countries that if they want our foreign aid to continue, they WILL ensure and document that their sentences are served IN FULL.
While an argument can(and should) be made for some humanitarian/ ethical obligation to care for ethical(yes, I note the irony in that descriptor), hard-working illegal immigrants, I don't believe ANY can be made for having to spend taxpayer dollars to house illegal immigrant criminals - they came here illegally and they preyed upon law-abiding Americans. We owe them nothing but a swift kick in the ass and a boat ride back home to serve out their time at THEIR nation's expense.
What could we do with an extra $70B per year? A lot!
Just one of the many holes in the bucket, but it's a pretty big one.
-Christian Fauchald
It's more simple than you think; all this solution here all valid but lack of intelligence, It's easy to stop this political circus, There's one possible even cheaper way to stop,no honest hardworking people crossing the border, but put an end to this hell, stop drugs traffic and leave the border protected. My solution will help those people who die everyday in the border trying to suceed in life just the same way your own long time ancestor did when they came out from africa and start the nature of life that is inmigration because the very first human in life the only thing they did was that suceed in life. I only need the help from a congressman to explain my theory of how you can improved inmigrants lifes without make then suffer! I hope you can get to your state congressman, write letters and let him now about this inspiration I have in my life! and with all my faith on it I think this will work only with the help of this great nation Goverment.
Truly yours;
Andres Romero
October 07, 2009 2:38am
ps. excuse my english!
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