I couldn't be happier when I read this. It is about damned time we tightened our borders and ended the open door policy to illegal aliens. While I know a lot of great things have come from our open arms to immigrants in the past two hundred and thirty years that time has ended. Well, I can't really say that because immigrants and aliens are two completely different things. I'm sure we will still allow any and all immigrants who want to go through the proper channels to come to our country, but simply walking across the nearest border should NOT be an option. Billions of dollars each year are spent on housing, feeding, educating and medicating illegals... all money that could go to those truly in need. Not to mention the loss of tax revenue from "under the table" labor and the dangers of drug trafficing, and let's not even get started on the easiest terror threat (getting WMD across the Mexican border wouldn't be tough). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.washtimes.com/national/20051103-115741-1048r.htm
Horrible. I can't imagine a more ridiculous plan. I don't vote consistently but I have to say if any such plan ever came to fruition I will vote in every election and against every single Republican candidate.
So you're okay with there being over 10 million illegal aliens in the US using billions of tax dollars that could go to legitimate citizens? If you aren't okay with that many illegal aliens then feel free to give us some ideas of the fixes you think should be put into place. Here are our problems, feel free to list some solutions: 1. The US/Mexican border is completely exposed, anyone and everyone can get across. For every 10 we catch 500 get through. This includes your average hard-working hispanic, crooks, drug smugglers and could easily include terrorists and terrorist weapons. 2. We spend billions of dollars earmarked for under priviledged Americans on illegal immigrants. 3. Illegal smuggling. As mentioned in 1 anything and everything can get smuggled into the US via the Mexican border. This includes drugs, stolen good, slaves and countless of other "bad things." 4. We spend billions on border patrol all while not even making a dent in the number of aliens that cross, what would be more economical and safe then a barrier?
I do not know I would go as far as to say that I would vote against every GOP candidate, but I do agree that it is a dumb plan. By the way, I am not surprised at all that Tom Tancredo is one of the people pushing for this. Tom Tancredo is the biggest joke of a politician in this country today. I have lost a lot of respect for the people of Colorado for electing this fool.
I love how the both of you have called this a foolish plan but haven't elaborated on your views of the situation and/or any plans that would work better.
Do you have any idea how much financial strain the borders states are under do to illegal immigration? We currently have a border with Mexico but it is anything but secure. All the money being wasted in Iraq on supposedly keeping America safe would be much better served securing our own borders. If the current border is going to be a farce, we might as well go ahead and annex Mexico.
Feel free to elaborate on why that is? Republicans have been calling for a border barrier for years, and have also been calling for the "cutting off" of financial support for illegals. Feel free to fill us in on the facts. Once again I find it amazing that NONE of you have commented on what you like/dislike about the idea OR COME UP WITH AN ALTERNATIVE. If you have a better idea, please share it... because when it comes to this issue I am ALL EARS, I believe it is one of our biggest problems today. If I had my way I'd take the "Michael Savage" approach and pull all of our troops back from foreign soil and set them up on our borders.
I am for both, but would be open to the "birth right" option being open if the mother is here LEGALLY.
I don't mind the barrier necessarily, but I most definitely mind the birthright stipulation. I do not care if the mother is legal, illegal, or something else.
Haven't you been watching Bill Riley at all? He's been blaming Bush for not putting a stop to the illegal immigration problem for a while now. Anyone who watches him and FNC knows this. It's the GOP's dirty little secret. They're afraid of angering business owners who exploit illegal immgrants for their low wages.
I would be very sad to see the birthright go. It is something I've always been proud of the country for. I understand the argument that it incentivizes illegal immigration, but I'd prefer keeping it anway for the sake of national identity.
Bush has ignored this situation, the entire US government has for over 20 years... No US politician over the past three decades have done their duties when it comes to the US/Mexican border. That STILL doesn't deny the fact that you say it is a dumb idea and offer no better ideas or feedback.
So many problems with this I don't know where to start. First off I haven't seen anything that weighs out the costs vs the benefits. Merely looking out outflow of resources without consideration of the inflow presents a hugely skewed equation that I would NEVER base policy on. Second, no - I'm not ok with 10 million illegal immigrants in the country. We should give them amnesty so they would be legal. In fact, I'm for opening the borders to any who want to come to the US as long as they're screened (no insane, murderers etc). Open borders (by that I mean letting those who want to come do so, not no security at the borders). Amnesty for those already here. Stop spending resources keeping out the average hard working people (more than hispanics come in illegally fyi). Dismantle the War on Drugs. Concentrate resources on stopping terrorists. They contribute much back to the country. But anyway letting them become citizens solves this problem. Then the money would go to those it was intended, citizens. Open borders solves this as there is no longer a market for smuggling people. Instead we can concentrate on those actually committing crimes we need to stop. The whole idea of a barrier is stupid. It didn't keep Mongols out of China, didn't keep Germans in East Germany. It'd be a huge waste of money. Concentrate the resources on stopping those who need to be stopped, not people who want to come to the US precisely for the reasons all the waves of immigrants have come before.
To be honest, if our border was secure would there really be any need for a birth right? All I want is my borders to be secure... with or without the birth right stipulation.
Correct on this one. The border states have been under siege for more then three decades. Both Republican and Democratic administrations have ignored this problem. Bush isn't helping the matter, but this is one problem he didn't create.
Birthright citizenship should be eliminated. I believe in work visas. However, non-citizens and non-resident aliens should not receive equal compensation and should not be afforded all the same rights as citizens and legal resident aliens. Foreign workers should only be allowed 1/2 the minimum wage as those legally living in this country (can be higher if the ER's want to pay their salaries) and should pay a tax to work here. They would still make more than at home and that would also give them some basic human rights protection.
I think this is a policy that truly strikes at the heart of our conception of ourselves as Americans. Give me your tired, poor, etc. We are almost unique in the world with this policy. I can't imagine reversing it for some populist fervor raising political gain. And who then, gets to decide if WE are citizens? Anyone think about that?
