Thread: Rebuttal to "Los Angeles Times: California without a Me

August 27, 2007

"Los Angeles Times: California without a Mexican"-- Bogus plea for corporate welfare and the legalization of illegal aliens.

In an op-ed piece titled "California without a Mexican," Tamar Jacoby, senior fellow of the Manhattan Institute, an organization primarily sponsored by pro-business concerns, makes the case for "immigration reform."

Of course, it plays directly into the talking points of the special interests who have bought many of our legislators and unduly influenced the current Administration. Many believe that the Administration's "get tough" enforcement policy is no more than another attempt to use the media to condition public sentiment to backing their previous SHAMnesty plans in the next congressional meeting so that Bush can be hailed as a human rights champion in the Jimmy Carter model.

First, the dreaded "the sky will be falling" pronouncement...

"Workplace enforcement without immigration reform will cripple the economy -- and it will be Joe Public's fault."

Second, attack the Administration's current solution for curtailing out-of-control immigration...

"Federal immigration authorities are readying a new enforcement tool that could indeed, if applied effectively, all but cripple the California economy."

"The new weapon is a simple two-page letter that will go out next month to companies whose employees' names and Social Security numbers do not match those on record at the Social Security Administration."

"What makes these letters so potent? The SSA has been sending similar notices for years, but in the past, as long as a company had asked to see a worker's papers and filled out the proper forms, it was off the hook. Now the government is demanding that unauthorized employees be fired and threatening legal action if they aren't."

Wow! Legal action against those who have already broken our laws and who have forged or used bogus papers to bring chaos to our tax and social security programs -- what a concept!

Reiterate the dire consequences...

This is expected to trigger widespread layoffs -- self-policing by millions of small and medium-sized businesses in California and other states.

Play up the devastation to mom-and-pop businesses and conveniently forget to mention the more significant impact on the major corporations... such as those that predominate the billion-dollar agribusiness operations and multi-million dollar hospitality industry -- including the big Vegas casinos and hotels which gush money for their owners.

Ignore the public benefits... such as the reduced pressure on our current infrastructure: healthcare, education, social services, retirement benefits, crime ... which transfers the cost of publicly subsidized labor back to the corporations who must become more responsible for paying a so-called "living wage" and include healthcare in their benefit packages.

Blame the public...

"The new measure is popular with the public -- a recent Rasmussen poll found eight in 10 Americans support it -- and understandably so. Voters want to get control of immigration. They're particularly keen to punish employers who hire illegal immigrants. And after years of lax enforcement, they're pleasantly surprised to see the authorities getting tough."

Restating the problem...

"The only problem: Much as we need better enforcement, on the border and in the workplace, that's only half the answer. And without the other half -- better, more realistic immigration laws -- it will wreak havoc."

But a damaged economy might make our point...

"This economic crunch could have a silver lining -- it might grab the public's attention and generate an outcry for better laws. Millions of Americans who think we don't need immigrant workers might wise up. Politicians who opposed immigration reform this year or last might have a change of heart."

And we get what we want...

"And Congress might overhaul the system in 2009, if not before, combining enhanced enforcement with legal ways for U.S. employers to hire foreign workers. That's the other half of the combination we need. And if a no-match crackdown goads us in that direction, the short-term economic pain might be worth it."

More Dire Consequences...

"But what if, instead of choking the economy, the no-match blitz only drives more of it underground? Some companies will fire their illegal workers and downsize or move. Others will fire and then rehire them -- more deviously or completely off the books. Shady labor contractors will proliferate. Identity theft will skyrocket. Employers who have tried to play by the rules -- asking to see workers' papers, filling out the required forms -- will suffer, while those who deliberately flout the law will thrive and multiply."

Forget the study that demonstrated that illegal aliens cost the public up to $22,000 each over and above any taxes they may have paid or benefit to the overall economy. This is a dead net loss to the taxpayer.

"The unintended consequences: more underground hiring, more sub-market wages, more mistreatment of immigrants, less tax revenue (most immigrants with fake papers pay taxes -- $5 billion to $10 billion a year in Social Security taxes) and a less regulated, more dangerous workplace for everyone."

Once again blame the public for the failings of the politicians who tried to further subvert the sovereignty and infrastructure of the United States...

"Whose fault will this be? Not the feds -- it's their job to enforce immigration law, a job they've neglected for far too long. Some of the blame will lie with Congress, which could have changed the law, making it possible for employers to legally hire the workers they need. But in the end, the mess will be of our own making -- we the skeptical public who signaled to policymakers in May and June that we didn't trust them to rewrite the immigration code."

"We told them to enforce existing law without changes, and that's what we're about to get. The question is what we'll do when that doesn't work and whether we can learn from our mistake."

But never, never propose a realistic solution!

What can YOU do?

Do not confuse illegal aliens who have broken our laws with legal immigrants and workers who should be welcomed into the United States with open arms.

Recognize that the public is actually subsidizing the costs of illegal alien workers by paying for the healthcare denied by the corporations. By supplementing their food and lodging by housing chits. By providing additional benefits through social services. The consequences of paying a higher wage and benefits would raise the goods and services provided by the corporations -- but in the end, we would all benefit from a more vibrant economy instead of maximizing corporate profits on the backs of exploited workers.

Pardon me I sound like my conservative Republican background seems to have taken a turn toward that of a liberal democratic activist... I can assure you it hasn't.

What is needed here is a few simple legislative fixes.

One, deny illegal aliens the right to become citizens much in the same way that the employees who work for private corporations do not automatically have an ownership interest in the company that provides them employment. This includes the production of anchor babies which confers citizenship on the children of foreign nationals.

Two, demand that the government immediately completes its visa tracking tracking system for inbound and outbound visitors. Without tracking the ins-and-out, we can not determine who has actually overstayed their visa.

Three, shut down the border traffic to the maximum extent possible to avoid the spectacle of continually trying to bail out a leaky boat without first trying to stem the flow of water.

Four, issue special work visas to carefully screened applicants. Make those organizations that are using the labor responsible for their housing and medical care. Return to the "sponsorship" system.

Five, provide for a special class of "permanent" worker which can be obtained after five years and proof of legal behavior including the payment of taxes and minimal use of social services.

Six, immediately deport those who engage in criminal activity, drive while under the influence of alcohol and/or illegal drugs, or are openly disruptive of the peace and tranquility of the United States. Implement as "fast tack" court system so that all human rights are preserved in a legal and moral fashion.

Seven, eliminate "dual citizenship" and force all applicants for immigration to renounce their allegiance to a foreign sovereign country.

Do not let the illegal immigrant lobby and their super-vocal activists convince you that this is a matter of racism... as it is a matter of sovereignty, criminal behavior and and economic cost/benefit issue. The only racists appear to be those who should racism the loudest.

But most important, do not let any group of special interests try to stampede you into making an irrational decision that supports the transfer of wealth from your pocket to those of the "special people" based on faux humanitarian or economic arguments.

Do not support or vote for any politician that attempted to subvert the sovereignty and infrastructure of the United States with their SHAMnesty legislation.

I can assure you that there is a sane solution to this problem that does not include lining the pockets of those who shift costs from their pocket to your pocket in what amounts to corporate welfare. One that does not result in the demographic bombing of America into a third-world country to the delight of our enemies.

-- steve

A reminder from OneCitizenSpeaking.com: a large improvement can result from a small change...

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius

Reference:

Los Angeles Times: California without a Mexican

http://www.onecitizenspeaking.com/2007/ ... s-tim.html

Thank you for cross-posting my blog entry which appeared on my blog One Citizen Speaking (www.onecitizenspeaking.com). It is through cooperative blogging efforts that we inform each other of recent events which affect our lives and those of others in our community. By receiving timely notice, we are then able to write, call and e-mail our elected representatives who, all too often, are representing the special interests over those of their constituents.

In this case, justice prevailed and the illegal alien got what she deserved: a free ride back to her native Mexico.

There remains much to be done, with the coming election and all, and I, for one, am glad that ALIPAC is looking out for our interests.

-- steve