Immigration is a hot topic right now and will continue to be in this election. That said, I think this issue is even more important to voters than the politicians or pundits realize. So far Congress has accomplished little with regard to any real immigration reform. This issue does tend to bring out the extremists. The "open borders" people on the left and the "shoot them as they cross" on the right. Like some others. I think there is a middle ground or compromise solution to the immigration issue but the extremists do not seem to want to come out of their foxholes. So as a beginning, there are some things on which most people of reason should be able to agree:

1) Any country has the right to protect it's borders and sovereignty. America is obligated to provide for the common defense.

2) In the post 911 era, knowing who is coming and going just makes good sense. While the person seeking a job does not scare most people, the person who is seeking trouble should.

3) We have technology that makes it simple to issue identification that will allow us to monitor entries and departures from our borders. (As long as people can only cross at controlled ports.)

4) OK, so there are jobs Americans won't do. We have all heard this immigration argument. So why not do this: if we need an estimated 120,000 workers for the summer crop season, then issue 120,000 temporary work visa's to supply the demand for labor.

5) Excusing illegal immigration is a huge slap in the face for all those who immigrated legally and who are currently engaged in the process.

6) We really do not want persons first experience as a new citizen to be a reward for breaking the law. That reward being citizenship itself.

7) Round up 12 - 20+ million people and deport them; good luck with that idea.

America is a nation of immigrants. My Great-Great Grandparents were from Europe. They went to Ellis Island recorded their names and had physical exams etc... Do you think something like that would work in 2008? I do.

9) Each year many illegal immigrants die in the attempt to enter the U.S. This is not good for anyone and can be avoided.

10) When you are in a foreign land illegally and conducting a public protest, it is probably not a good idea to make demands and wave the flag of your home country. More Americans would be sympathetic to your cause if you simply expressed your love for prospective homeland.

11) Erecting a wall, fence, or barrier along the border does not necessarily send the message that we are an isolationist nation. I lock my door at night, however I consider myself a trusting person.


What Say You?


I am Silent No Longer

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http://common-sensetng.blogspot.com/

Shoot them as they cross!!

Any list that fails to mention the new tough on illegals laws passed in Arizona, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Mississippi is uninformed or BOGUS. These laws crack down on employers who hire illegals and repeat offenders can lose their business license. These laws have resulted in a MASS EXODUS of illegals from those states. Attrition through self deportation. It works with little cost to American taxpayers.

Your point is taken Clay I did not mention each and every aspect of this issue. In doing that I would have turned this article into a novel. You have however addressed only one part of the argument. I also made the point that we need this supplemental labor (how many workers we can debate) .
I also stated that we can employ this temporary labor effectively, efficiently, and have them return home when the work is finished if the border is secured. Below is a link to news that illustrates my point that attrition has had unintended consequences. Please check it out.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/busin...ers_08-20.html

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http://common-sensetng.blogspot.com/

It's rather ironic, isn't it, that there are 20 million illegals in this country, but the farmers can't find anyone to work their fields? I guess it obvious that these illegals have gone from taking the jobs American don't want to taking the jobs that Americans DO want. What the farmers apparently want is a steady stream of poor, impoverished, dumb as dirt, desperate illegals that will work for what these farmers want to pay. As soon as these illegals wise up and walk off into the shadows, these farmers will be needing more desperate illegals to replace them. This cheap labor, while the farmer gets to line his pockets, is really not so cheap overall, because it has to be subsidized by the American taxpayer, in the form of social services for the illegal family, ER medical for the illegal family, overcrowded classrooms, even incarceration for the criminal illegal, etc., etc. These farmers have had the cheap labor for so long and been able to pay them whatever they want, that they really don't know how to operate a business without cheap labor any more and all the time they have been doing this they have driven off maybe forever American farm workers into other fields. I'm of the opinion that if the farmer won't raise his wages and draw American workers back or change to crops that lend to mechanization, or can't stay afloat without illegal labor, then he shouldn't be in business in the first place.

Again, you latest post has many good points. This exchange has made me consider what you said about 20 million people who will eventually want better jobs and then we will need 20 million more unskilled laborers to replace them. Thank you for that. However, in a way your latest post argues against your first that I quoted above. You argue first that the tough laws "have resulted in a mass exodus of illegals". Then in your second post you state "It's rather ironic, isn't it, that there are 20 million illegals in this country, but the farmers can't find anyone to work their fields? I guess it obvious that these illegals have gone from taking the jobs American don't want to taking the jobs that Americans DO want."
So have they taken jobs Americans want or have they returned home? Both?
At any rate the result is the same Colorado farmers that need help. The lack of which could hurt Americans in the form of price inflation of those farm goods. As I have stated a few times we need temporary workers. If the system is in place to control our borders, we could satisfy the labor demand and not have 20 million extra people on a permanent basis.

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http://common-sensetng.blogspot.com/

The new tough on illegals laws that remove the business licenses from repeat offender employers of illegals, so far, have resulted in documented mass exoduses from the two states Arizona and Oklahoma. Some of the illegals went back to Mexico but the majority of them moved to neighboring states. More states will have to pass these laws before they become a major deterrent to illegal immigration. But, this is clearly the way to go in combating illegal immigration.

20 million illegals throughout the US and the farmers can't find anyone to work their crops is a startling statistic. It would suggest that a large proportion of these migrant workers come in, work the fields for awhile and them disappear into the shadows on to a better job. So the farmers have to bring in MORE migrant workers, and the cycle repeats itself. So this "cheap" labor is actually not cheap at all. The price of this labor is way too high because of all the baggage these migrant workers bring in. These farmers have had this cheap labor for so long that they think that they have a "right" to it. It's time for them figure out some other way of getting by without cheap foreign migrant labor OR GO OUT OF BUSINESS.

As stated before, Colorado passed the same type of laws last year. Here is a link to a news story

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/busin...ers_08-20.html

Again I am not suggesting foriegn workers stay and become "baggage" as you have stated. Also again, US farmers shortage of affordable labor or even "going out of business" as you suggest, will result in higher grocery prices for the US consumer. How do we handle that reality?
I respect your opinion, hopefully this issue will make it back to the nightly news soon as it has cooled off a little.

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http://common-sensetng.blogspot.com/

You want a solution to immigration that is
in the middle ground?

OK, well, here it is, build that dam fence
in the middle ground between Mexico and
America.

Problem solved.
.

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The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson

It's interesting that the Democratic Gov Ritter of Colorado refuses to enforce the immigration bill HB 1023. He needs to be recalled. Apparently Colo has a similar problem as the rest of America. There's almost a million illegals in Colo and they can't find anyone to pick the crops? I guess these illegals are to good to pick crops now? They're doing the jobs that Americans DO want? Maybe even these illegals after being here for awhile refuse to pick crops for the wages these farmers want to pay? So these farmers want a new crop of poor, ignorant, desperate illegals that they can exploit until these latest illegals wise up? There's something rotten here.