uhh where were you...the death of the GOP was a few days ago
Estimates on the number of illegals vary, but we know they are in the millions. Is that a good thing? No, but we simply don't have the means to get rid of millions of people. Its not practical. Argue for tougher penalties for hiring, argue for sending home the one's we catch, but the reality is our resources could best be used elsewhere rather than tracking down millions of people who, whether pro-business Republicans like to admit it or not, support American industry. I'm not saying we should ignore the problem, but why oppose brainstorming more practical solutions?
Ryan Mc, Did the Democratic Party die in 1994? No. This is bigger than that in some respects in terms of internal GOP politics.
Mike, it doesn't take much for them to leave. If we tighten and enforce the laws we have, they'll go home.
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Ope...eration_Wetback
And "The illegals doing the jobs Americans won't do" argument is crap. Low-skill, low-income jobs are filled by native-born Americans 68% of the time. That's without factoring in legal immigrants.
That 68% is the reported jobs, not some of these migrant jobs that are under the table operations. To crack down on these, however, Republicans would have to crack down on wealthy farmers and businessmen who support their party. Truthfully, I don't see that happening.
Also, I'm not sure we should base what we do today on the racist, police-state tactics of the mid 1950's. I know what you are getting at, however, so I do not wish to draw too many connections.
Still, I think the massive deportation of Mexicans would hurt the American economy severely. We just need to make sure we do not sacrafice economic prosperity simply because conservatives want to make an appeal to low wage workers to try to win more over to their ideology, which, in the end, is against their own interest.
"We just need to make sure we do not sacrifice economic prosperity simply because conservatives want to make an appeal to low wage workers..."
Exactly, which is why adding the new prescription drug entitlement to Medicare was such a bad idea. Besides, everybody knows the easiest way to appeal to low wage workers is to make noise about raising the Federal minimum wage.
I think we should do what both sides want to solve our immigration problem.
First, stem the tide of new illegals. Build walls where needed, use technology at the border, hire more border patrol, boot ALL who have committed crimes, enforce penalties on businesses etc.
Then, as a second step, create some kind of system where otherwise law-abiding illegals (havent committed a crime beside illegal entry) already in the country can EARN their way to citizenship (back taxes, english classes, plus usual citizenship stuff, more difficult then what the people waiting in line to be a citizen has to do), or EARN their way to some kind of normalized immigrant status (they'ed have to leave at some point with this option)
Lastly, and I stress lastly, form some kind of migrant worker process that builds on the green card type idea, and make the ID system as secure as possible
Steve, you're speaking common sense. Haven't you noticed common sense never prevails. There are too many backs to pat and pockets to line for it to be that easy for the guys and gals in DC.
Steve - well done. Always good to know there are a few moderate, reasonable voices left on the other side of the aisle.
A Zogby poll just said we Republicans lost the Hispanic vote bigtime in 2006 (full story and link at www.mainstreamlibertarian.com).
Mel Martinez helps us in that regard. Image is everything in politics.
Eric - Libertarian Republican
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