Thread: Immigration should top Obama's list of priorities -EDITORIAL

Immigration should top Obama's list of priorities

Monday, Jan. 05, 2009

In this new year, Congress and the next president, Barack Obama, must solve the nation's immigration problem in a way that's fair to all parties. When it comes to the fallout over a failed immigration policy, we're ground zero in the San Joaquin Valley.

We need immigrants to harvest and pack our crops, but illegal immigration also strains our public resources, especially taxpayer-funded medical services. Local agencies end up having to pay for the federal government's inability to craft an immigration solution.

Continuing to delay action because of an unwillingness to find a political compromise makes the issue that much more difficult to resolve. It's time for leadership on this issue from Obama and Congress.

A comprehensive immigration reform must have three main elements:

* Enhanced border security to limit the growth of the problem, and make our nation safer from terrorists intent on doing damage.

* A fair guest-worker program that provides industries needing foreign laborers a reliable pool of workers.

* An opportunity for those already here illegally to earn legal residency if they meet strict requirements, including paying fines and showing they have had a responsible work history.

There are those who say deport them all, but that simplistic solution does not take in the immensity of the problem. There are far too many illegal immigrants in this country to deport. They should not go to the head of the line, but they should have an opportunity to earn their status in a way that makes sense for the nation's security.

Obama must be a leader on immigration reform. President George W. Bush offered a solid immigration reform plan, but it was killed in the U.S. Senate in 2007 by Republicans and Democrats.

Obama has many issues on his agenda, but this is one that must be attacked early. A delay will only lead to immigration gridlock.

It's time for more moderate members of both parties to craft a compromise that can get through Congress and get the president's signature. We can't let the extremists win again on this issue.

The massive and costly illegal immigration problem won't go away by ignoring it.
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You can post a comment to this editorial at this link: (THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU)

http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/story/1106730.html

"* A fair guest-worker program that provides industries needing foreign laborers a reliable pool of workers.

* An opportunity for those already here illegally to earn legal residency if they meet strict requirements, including paying fines and showing they have had a responsible work history."

Why would anyone NEED foreign labor?? I understand why they would WANT foreign labor and I am, actually sympathetic to their business problem. I am in favor of a fair guest-worker program, but many of the "guests" never leave. Why not make the employers physically and financially reponsible for ensuring the temporary workers head back to their home countries? Where is the good old American fair play if the, (for example), farmers get to enrich their business with these laborers and the rest of us are left to support them for the next 50 years???

I will not try to be logical and reasonable about the second paragraph. I will simply say, "Over my dead body!" I will fight this in every way I can. It is unfair, not only to Americans bit to any person in the world who follows our rules to try to come to what is, (was?), and will not be the greatest country in the world.

Finally, this article is from a Fresno newspaper. Obviously, all of the nuts are not out in the field.

Originally Posted by misterbill

"* [i] . . . I am in favor of a fair guest-worker program, but many of the "guests" never leave. Why not make the employers physically and financially reponsible for ensuring the temporary workers head back to their home countries? . . .

The U.S. government can't make the millions of illegal aliens who are here go home. How is an employer going to be able to do what the government can't do?

There are far too many illegal immigrants in this country to deport.

"YES, WE CAN"

Does "strict requirements" include not having access to social services (including Medicaid) for the first five years they are legal? Will they all have health screening? Will they all have background checks? All within a few months?? I strongly suspect that just having a pulse will be the only requirement.

As misterbill said, this is so unfair to the hundred of thousands of people waiting to come here legally. Geography should not be a factor, everybody should have to follow the same rules.

Barack Obama, must solve the nation's immigration problem in a way that's fair to all parties.

Wrong. He represents American citizens and must solve the immigration problem in a way that's fair to Americans. That means removing the burden of supporting millions of illegals from our shoulders.

Americans are getting sick and tired of these silly arguments - fair to all parties, my foot!. Be fair to US Citizens first and sorry mr or ms foreigner unlawfully in my country, i don't have to be fair to you at all. The notion that we have to legalize illegal alliens is nonsense - we don't have to. We already have many many guest workers program. Enough with the straw man, red herring arguments. It is high time to enforce the law and if we apparently we can't depot 12 million people (we deported 10 million in the '70s by the way - strange we can't do that anymore) then we make sure that attrition through enforcement works. No work and no benefits and if you have been here for 10 years, have kids born here, you have been in good standing, you want to be an American, you have made a clear effort to learn English etc then maybe, maybe we give you an opportunity to go to the back of the line, pay back taxes etc to get legalized. Enough already. We do not need to compromise!

We can't let the extremists win again on this issue.

I hope that they are not referring to patriotic American citizens that raised hell to stop the amnesty, Because if they want to start comparing people like you and me to crazy extremists that's like calling us a bunch of terrorists and that really peeves me off!! Since when does giving a crap about our American way of life is extreme at all!

What is in there is--they can avoid hiring them in the first place--you missed that.
#2- even if I meant that, there is more than one way.
If Everify is implemennted, across the board and by law, no matter how few or many, employees, a very large percentage will be out of work.

" The U.S. government can't make the millions of illegal aliens who are here go home. "

You say the US government CAN'T--you mean hasn't . Efforts this year have shown what full scale enforcement will accomplish.
(On a personal note--I really get ticked off with that old tired and untrue statement. This is America, we can do anything we set our minds to do, even free the entire world in a 4 year world war. That's a sample of what real Americans can do.)

How much will it cost to give those who become unemployed,and own a vehicle, gas money to leave or buy tickets for those who do not own a vehicle COMPARED to what you are paying for them now????

I am seriously ineterested in your answer to that.

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