Illigal immigration.

[mdl]

Presedent Bush hit the nail right on the head in my opinion.

We should be

1) Quick to hold people out. When caught send them right back where they came from.
2) For people here, give them an opertunity to gain citizenship.

I believe the outline he offered was if you where here for 5 years you could gain you're green card, 10 years for citizenship.

How do you feel on the matter?

 

[Fergie]

Easy...look to the upper left.

 

[Dirt]

I feel that I have broken the law several times in the last ten years and not been caught.

So from now on if I do get caught.... It's no big deal.


Time served baby!

 

[gigage]

Nothing like breaking the the law and being rewarded! I know people that have come here through the system and become good citizens and that would be a slap in the face to every single one of them. They are telling us now that no matter what we do now it won't stop them from coming here. I don't know about anybody else but I don't like being threatened, it kinda rubs me the wrong way. I'm actually thinking about taking me and my little XJ and adding some support to the minutemen. Texas is my home state and I'm not sure I want give it to Mexico.

 

[5-90]

Illegal immigration is a threat to the security and sovereignty of this nation.

Years ago, I took an oath to protect this nation from "all enemies, foreign and domestic." I spend a great deal of time in activism to maintain that, even though the contract I signed when I took that oath has expired.

If you follow the rules, come here properly, and become "good citizens" (not just "citizens" - but "good citizens." The difference is that you give your heart to America, and keep touch with your country of origin - not the other way 'round. "There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americans." Theodore Roosevelt.) This means that you learn the language - at least a working knowledge, 400 words or so is quite enough for most purposes - and that you adapt to and respect our culture - as variegated as it is. Perhaps you even contribute to it in some small way that hasn't been done before. (And, frankly, I think the "politically correct" lunatic fringe should just go take a running jump - prefereably off the North Rim...)

I don't think that's so much to ask - and it's certainly the least you'd ask of me if I went the other way.

Frankly, if they're going to offer up any sort of "amnesty" for people who are here illegally, I'd like to also get a "Get out of jail, free" card for anything up to and including treason. Granted, I'd not use it to forgive an act of treason - but it's essentially what we're forgiving others of (OK - sedition. Maybe not treason) and I think it's the least we can offer citizens in return. Elsewise, how to make it fair and have equity for the people who actually DID follow the rules?

For the people here - if they have a Resident Alien card or a passport visa, allow them to stay (provided neither has expired.) For those who have neither, perhaps send them to McMurdo Sound - sending them to Tijuana doesn't seem to be working, and maybe they just need to go a little farther. McMurdo isn't so bad - as arctic conditions go.

Either that, or we come up with our own version of Australia (which originally began as a British penal colony) and start sending illegals there - that way, they won't keep coming back.

Maybe I'm just cranky, but I'm all out of forgiveness for these people. If you hate being home so bad, grow some stones and work to change it! Don't come up here and drain our economy (and do you think the people we "forgive" will stop sending money to Points South? The only difference is that it will be taxed when they make it now - but still not taxed when it is spent...)

Sorry, but it just isn't in me anymore. I can't say, honestly, that I miss it - it's amazing that we can forgive millions of people at a time for what should be a felony, but we continue to stigmatise felons up here (kinda makes you wonder, no?) If we're going to give illegals a "second chance," why not allow our own citizens - people who followed the rules, or were actually born here - the same opportunity?

5-90

 

[djwright4341]

I couldn't agree with you more 5-90.

I really support the idea of nailing companies that hire illegals with fines so heavy that they won't dare hire them for "work that Americans won't do." And if we cut out some of these bull**** disability and welfare checks people get, there will suddenly be Americans forced to get off the stinkin' couch and go do that work. My in-laws are from Florida and they told me that they tried to hire people to help work tobacco, but were told by prospective laborers that they were getting more money on welfare than the in-laws were paying.

I liked Bush's speech and agree with sending the Nat'l Guard there (but think there should be more troops and that we should militarize the border until Mexico quits helping it's people avoid our border patrol), but I think partisan politics and everyone trying to keep the Hispanic vote will never allow any of his plans to come to life.

 

[5-90]

While we're on that subject, I have got to admit that WPA is one of the few things that the Great Socialist (FDR) came up with that I agree with. If you're going to collect some sort of living subsidy (which is what welfare amounts to,) you'll do something for it - even if it's just pushing an idiot stick. Don't work? Don't get anything.

Welfare needs an overhaul as well - it's a socialist programme that doesn't belong here, and should not be something you can live on forever - just a temporary thing that allows one to get back on one's feet (say, allow it for two years or so) and reinstate the "pauper's oath" - if you're on welfare, you don't get to vote. You want to vote? Get off welfare.

Be careful - you could really get me started here...

5-90

 

[gigage]

I really support the idea of nailing companies that hire illegals with fines so heavy that they won't dare hire them for "work that Americans won't do."

I think fining the companies is an excellent idea, but would also add this: Offer a reward for Americans who have the guts to come forward and report the companies as well. And have even stiffer penalties for companies that relaliate against the good Americans who do. I wonder how much of the money being sent to Mexico by illegals is going into their so-called governments private pockets? It sure isn't going to improve the living standards. I think another true statement is that if all these Mexicans should use the (juevos) they use to march in this country and threaten us, and go back home and fight for their own country, or is it that they don't have what it takes and they that know that this country is becoming a patsy for every charity case in the world?

 

[Slonopotam]

I know people that have come here through the system and become good citizens and that would be a slap in the face to every single one of them.

It did feel like a slap on the face when we heard about it.
I am here for the fifth year on H1-B, which has a bit more than one year left till its limit. I am trying to negotiate with the company which brought me here to make a green card for me - something they have been promising for 5 years.

Recently the immigration department started to process green card cases very fast. It used to take a few years, but now it takes about 2 monthes to the point when you know whether it'll fly or not. The amnesty will bring the department down again and processing time will get back to a few years.

It will feel wrong to have to go back while people who are here illegally will stay.

Andrey

 

[RichP]

I've always felt there should be a bounty on illegal activites, turn in a drug dealer who has 10-20 grand in cash, get half. Turn in an employer who hires illegals, makes money off them, you should get half the fine as part of the bounty.

 

[XJEEPER]

Now there's a twist that would work!
Bounties paid on turning in illegals and law breakers, it will save our country billions per year, and the gov can use the money that illegals have paid into the SSI funds under false identities to fund the bounty payout.

Giddyup!

 

[bjoehandley]

I support jailtime and fines for companies that hire illegals. Maybe $10k per illegal to be given to Border Patrol only, $20k for the HR person that hired them, and $100K for the head of the company to be put toward the nation's finances, with jail time of 1 year first offence, 5 years second offence, and if that doesn't fix the problem take away their US citizenship and throw them out of the country as an example no matter the exec's/HR person's bloodline or status of citizenship (ok I know the last is pretty extreme, but it should get the point across atleast..........)

 

[87manche]

I think we should have landmines at the border. Simple, effective and maintenance free, not to mention cheap.
unfortunately the liberals would have a heart attack about it, and the first thing the news would show is a family of 5 that's missing legs.
It would stop the problem though, I know I wouldn't navigate a minefield.

 

[Bent]

..."pauper's oath" - if you're on welfare, you don't get to vote. You want to vote? Get off welfare.
5-90

Careful there with your radical Ideas! If you were to get rid of illegal immigrants as well, who'd be left to vote democrat?

 

[Fergie]

Careful there with your radical Ideas! If you were to get rid of illegal immigrants as well, who'd be left to vote democrat?

TRNDRVR?

 

[XJ Jeepin Girl]

How is it that every other post here is about illegal immigration? Seems to pop up rather often. Anyway, I think Bush's plan sounds good, but I doubt it will be effective. It sounds a lot easier said than done, IMO. I agree with letting the current illegals gain citizenship/green cards since they are already here, anyway. But, I do not know the details of the governments plan to keep more illegals from getting in? Are they really going to crack down? Have we ever?

 

[gigage]

What gets me is that fact that most of the people that are for the illigal imigrants staying or coming here don't have to worry about their jobs, or their neighborhoods being given away to illegals. They don't have to worry about their retirement, healthcare, social services, etc. being depleted. They also don't have to worry about their children being overcrowded in public schools. At some point in everyones life you have to do something you might not totally like, but you do it because in the long run it's the right thing to do. Does anybody really think that people in the rest of the world want to come here because they like Americans? They really don't give a crap about the people here, just the money that they send back to their country. And they are just as bigoted as anybody else. I actually knew a guy from another country that was buying equipment for a nail salon. He told me that he bought all his supplies from people from his own ethnic background, because he got a better price. He said they had 2 price lists: one for them and the other for everybody else. He said: " You have to take care of your own". He is absolutely right. ( as Elvis said, " CLEAN UP YOUR OWN BACK YARD")

 

[Spudboy]

I don't approve of any breaks for those here illegally. I have family that have been waiting 10 years to come here the right way. They are still 1-2 years away from getting a visa in a relatively high priority category. To grant illegals a free pass is an insult.

I do like the idea of a guest worker program with one caveat - to apply for the program, one must do it from one's home country in person.

I also like the idea of fining the shorts off of any company that hires illegals. If the penalty is large enough, the risk is not worth it.

 

[djwright4341]

I do like the idea of a guest worker program with one caveat - to apply for the program, one must do it from one's home country in person.

I guess I could support the program if it was set up that way. if a worker could go to the American embassy in that country and apply to work here, that would be fine. Sort of a foreign temp agency. If they're already here and want to apply, they have to pay whatever taxes/SSI/FICA/all-the-other-crap-we-pay-so-people-can-sit-on-their-butts-and-draw-welfare they haven't paid in the past.

And I still say fine the companies here hiring illegals into oblivion so we can dry up the pool of jobs available for people who will still try to circumvent the president's plan.

 

[5-90]

I do like the idea of a guest worker program with one caveat - to apply for the program, one must do it from one's home country in person.

I gotta admit - I like that idea! I'm mildly surprised I didn't think of it myself before now, but I'm glad as Hell someone did!

Kudos to you - what a way to get things under control! Don't apply to your domestic government tho, apply to the American Embassy, or have the IRS set up "remote" offices, and maybe put them in a higher tax bracket? Just a thought...

5-90