Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Getting Tough on Exploitation

by Amy Traub, The Nation
November 17, 2009

Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that the Obama administration would seek legal status for 12 million undocumented immigrants in early 2010. Hard-right tea party organizers reportedly switched gears immediately to denounce the move. Congressman Lamar Smith found it "ironic" that Napolitano framed the push for comprehensive immigration reform as a way to improve the economy. But Napolitano is absolutely right: reforming the nation's immigration laws to bring millions of people already participating in our economy out of the shadows would boost tax revenue, lift the economy and protect working Americans from the unfair labor market competition they now face. The biggest problem is that Congress may be dangerously slow to act: even the much-needed extension of unemployment benefits took the Senate months to approve.

While legislators drag their feet, the Obama administration can act quickly on its own to stop the erosion of middle-class jobs. Directing his agencies to enforce the nation's existing labor and employment laws more vigorously, while halting the enforcement of broken, economically harmful immigration laws is one powerful way to do it. [...]

Read the full article:
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091130/traub

2 comments:

Brittanicus said...

President Abraham Lincoln stated, "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

This is the path that these United States is inevitably taking, because we keep electing the same old bunch of politicians who are selling us out to the highest bidder. Tea Party members like me are about the rights of the American Constitution and the power of THE PEOPLE. Not legislators passing laws behind closed doors to benefit corporate welfare or the corruption of open border zealots? WE MUST REALLY ENFORCE OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS AT BORDERS, AIRPORTS AND DOCKS AND STOP THIS MADNESS? WE NEED TO AMEND THE 1986 SIMPSON/ MAZZOLI BILL, SO GUEST WORKERS CAN ENTER AMERICA, BUT MUST LEAVE AFTER THEIR CONTRACT EXPIRES, WITH NO FAMILY UNIFICATION? WE CAN AND SHOULD OFFER SPECIAL VISAS, TO THE HIGHEST OF SKILLED ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS AND PROFESSIONAL ECHELON OF WORKERS? THESE LEGAL IMMIGRANTS WILL NEVER BE A PUBLIC CHARGE OR A BURDEN ON TAXPAYERS. FINALLY SHOULD DEMAND THE NATIONAL GUARD, TO COMPLIMENT THE US BORDER PATROL AND US AGENTS AT AIRPORTS AND THE DOCKS. AN ULTIMATE DETERRENT AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS PERMANENTLY INSTALLING THE FEDERAL MANDATED E-VERIFY IN EVERY BUSINESS ACROSS AMERICA.

Two paramount issues that must be taken into consideration, in passing any another BLANKET AMNESTY. Millions of more desperately poor families are waiting to rush the border, just before President Obama signs into law this so-called Comprehensive Immigration Reform. All these people know of our welfare entitlements and our government will give free education, free health care, housing, and undisclosed supplementary support. The other is that 15 to 20 million Americans are wandering the streets, looking for work? Find the true facts and not propaganda at NUMBERSUSA, JUDICIAL WATCH. Read what the US Census bureau says about unsustainable OVERPOPULATION. [United States Population Projections: 2000 to 2050 by Jennifer M. Ortman and Christine E. Guarneri of the Census Bureau]“… a greater number of migrants arriving in the United States will correspond to a larger increase in the size of the total population. Under the assumption of a high level of net international migration, the population is expected to grow to 458 million by 2050. The late U.S. Senator Teddy Kennedy, the United States added 100 million to its population via immigration. Before that time, we enjoyed 194 million in 1963.

The Politics of Immigration: Questions & Answers said...

Poor "Brittanicus" just can't get his facts straight. No, undocumented immigrants don't get welfare--they're barred from it, and we pretty much eliminated welfare anyway, back in 1996. No, undocumented immigrants don't get free healthcare--unlike other industrialized countries, we don't have free healthcare. And above all, no, legalization for the current undocumented immigrants won't inspire millions of new immigrants to cross the border. The claim that the 1986 amnesty increased undocumented immigration is a hoax, just like the "death panels" and the "weapons of mass destruction" in Iraq. See
The Truth about Amnesty for Immigrants.

No wonder "Brittanicus" doesn't use his real name.

David L. Wilson, co-author, The Politics of Immigration: Questions and Answers