First off, congratulations to our Federal Legislature for finally getting an immigration compromise bill that the President can and will sign ... just goes to show you that our Government can work (slowly ... but it can).
Under this agreement, the 12+ million immigrants in this country illegally can stay (after undergoing criminal checks, paying back taxes and fines up to $5000.00 per family and touching back and re-entering our country legally).
Right away we are hearing complaining from the far right that this is amnesty and un-fair to those that are lawfully waiting to immigrate by letting these illegals "jump the line". Well ... actually I agree with their argument. I felt that all 12 million should be deported and for each one deported, we should allow one of the ones on the waiting list to come in. But this is a compromise and since they are paying their taxes and fines and then re-entering legally ... I can live with it.
The far left is moaning about the fines ... These are poor people ... how are they going to come up with all that money? For a second, I sympathized ... but then I thought, don't they pay coyotes (immigrant smugglers) $800.00 to $2500.00 a person to be smuggled into the United States? This is a maximum fine of $5000.00 per family. After getting their Z Visa, they can then travel freely back and forth to visit without worrying about being caught. Seems our deal is better than the other one ... so I'm fine with it too.
Immigration activists such as The National Council Of La Raza think the plan is unfair because it awards a point system for future immigrants that doesn't give as many points to extended family members than the current system. On this one I don't even have to think ... it's more important to allow an aero-space engineer that is going to help NASA with a solid-fuel rocket solution than for someones' Uncle Bob to immigrate to our country, so sorry Bob, you will have to wait longer.
This deal is far from perfect, but that is what compromise is all about. Working in a car dealership has taught me that compromise is what the world is all about ... It's about time for our Government learns this too.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Imigration Reform ... And The Crying Begins
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10 comments:
The devil is in the details. As I understand the bill was written by staff members [when was the last time we ELECTED staff members to the House or the Senate?]. This is a bill that I will read. I want to congratulate "The Do-Nothing DEM Congress" and "The Incompetent GOP Minority" for at least trying to come up with a workable solution to the illegal immigration problem. Now let's start working on fixing Social Security and Health Care [is this too much to ask?].
cfs
Healthcare is un-fixable without tort reform ... do you think we can get a tort reform bill passed when the legal lobby donates big bucks to all the Congressmen and Senators? As long as Malpractice Insurance is what it is, we will never have affordable health care.
Social Security will never be fixed as long as politicians want to be re-elected. The AARP lobby has a more powerful tool than money at their disposal, they have votes. Older Americans VOTE. Till all Americans show up at the polls in numbers approaching 80% like the elderly and the French, we are not going to get Social Security fixed.
Aha! So you're interested in politics, huh? (you posted a comment on my blog about Stephen Colbert). I'm terribly uninformed about politics...do you enjoy political satirists (like Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and the Capital Steps)? Or do you think they take about from the true merit of the news?
Hamptons ... I love political satire, and I don't think it takes away from the news at all ... in fact it may even encourage people into researching subjects so that they can "get" what is being said
Compromise is great. The bill seems fair but I highly doubt the immigrants have faith enough in our government to actuallt leave the country and re-enter. It doesn't seem likely.
In my profession, we often say that the signal of a good compromise is that all parties are equally dissatisfied with it. The immigration deal seems to have achieved that distinction magnificently.
I actually like the ideas of the compromise, if only they would actually work. The fines are going to be tough for people who live hand-to-mouth. Some kind of payment plan needs to get worked out with each of them. The "touchback" is also a logistical problem and I don't see it happening.
But your overall point -- this is a compromise -- is well-taken. It's better this than continuing to do nothing.
My wife is an immigrant from China so I am feeling the system first hand. I can tell you that the current system is convoluted and outdated and it needs reform badly. As simple as our case is, it is still taking forever. I can see why many immigrants choose to NOT go through this.
rice ... from what I understand, only the head of household needs to touch-back and he can apply for re-entry for the family. Weather they do this is up to them, but if they don't, they run the risk of being deported as enforcement is stepped up.
lawyer ... they have 8 years to pay the fines ... a saavy employer will offer to deduct a prorated amount from each paycheck and pay it at the end of the 8 years (using that money as capital till that time). A good employer will offer to pay the fine as part of a compensation package (there-by locking that employee into their company for 8-years).
mikem ... I have seen the inside of immigration offices when I was an Army recruiter trying to get an immigrant qualified to enlist. Seems that everyone who works there is themselves an immigrant. It also seems that they are trying their best to stymie their fellow immigrants from achieving what they already have. I never could understand the "I got mine" mentality.
I like compromise...it sounds good if both sides can haldle themselves...
princess ... I think compromise is what the founding fathers had in mind when they set up our form of Government. I believe they would be downright angry if they saw all the political in-fighting going on now.
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