Thread: Frist Sees Fence as Solution to Illegal Immigration

http://www.newschannel5.com/content/news/18098.asp

Frist Sees Fence as Solution to Illegal Immigration
Posted: 3/21/2006 6:10:00 PM
Updated: 3/21/2006 10:48:08 PM


A big battle is brewing over what to do about illegal immigration. Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is now at the center of the debate after proposing a new bill.

Frist’s proposal goes farther than President George W. Bush has gone.

It would hire 15,000 additional border patrol agents, establish a mandatory verification program for hiring workers and it would build a 2,000 mile virtual wall on the border between the United States and Mexico. It would combine walls and fences and high-tech sensors along every inch of the border.

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition thinks the bill is a terrible idea.

“This builds the most expensive wall this side of China. That's not immigration reform,” said Stephen Fotopulos, representing the group. “We can't gain control of our borders until we gain a legal avenue for the immigrant workers coming across every day.”

Right now, there is no legal way for low-skilled workers to come into the United States.

Some believe there is no way that could feasibly happen.

“It is a cost not just of taking jobs from Americans, it costs also to provide health care,” said talk radio host Steve Gill.

There are passionate arguments on both sides. Frist is getting support from outspoken conservatives who believe a wall is the answer.

The Immigrant Rights Coalition said it's wrong to say undocumented immigrants don't pay taxes.

They said immigrants pay sales taxes, and more than 60 percent pay federal income taxes and social security taxes because employers withhold money.

“We can't gain control of our borders until we gain a legal avenue for the immigrant workers coming across every day.”

Blah, blah, blah. We CAN gain control of our borders right now if our government wanted to. And this nonsese about how you have to establish legal avenues first.... We've already got more unskilled workers than we can use--see any day laborer street corner--and yet they keep coming! I mean, honestly, before we can even think about legally allowing unskilled immigrants in, we MUST get rid of the ones who are here illegally FIRST.

What these yahoos really mean is that we should all feel very sorry for being the wealthiest country that ever existed and for enjoying a standard of living that the majority of people in the world can only dream of. It's only fair (fair to be stated with a grating whine) that we let them get their piece of the "American Dream." I say nuts to them!