Your Papers Please!
Posted: Friday, March 12, 2010
by Richard Vail
Chisel & Plane
Under Charles Schumer's, D-NY and Linsey Graham, R-SC, idiotic plan you will required to obtain a national ID card. Schumer claims that this card would, "It's the nub of solving the immigration dilemma politically speaking," Mr. Schumer said in an interview. The card, he said, would directly answer concerns that after legislation is signed, another wave of illegal immigrants would arrive. "If you say they can't get a job when they come here, you'll stop it."
"It is fundamentally a massive invasion of people's privacy," said Chris Calabrese, legislative counsel for the ACLU. "We're not only talking about fingerprinting every American, treating ordinary Americans like criminals in order to work. We're also talking about a card that would quickly spread from work to voting to travel to pretty much every aspect of American life that requires identification."
U.S. employers now are supposed to use an online system, E-Verify where employers may verify whether potential hirees are legal US residents. Republicans have pushed legislation that would make this system mandatory mandatory one, but the Democratic Party has resisted those efforts, perferring to institute an internal passport system.
It appears that after the Democrats ram through health care, they plan an immigration overhaul. This is a serious problem that has long proven to be a political ditch. The liberal wing of the Hispanic community hass long pressed for a new amnesty on all those pressently residing in the US and will be very angry if this measure is put off again. But a solid majority of Americans firmly oppose any legislation that includes amnesty for those who entered the country illegally. That majority includes many conservative Hispanics, such as Al Garza who formed the Patriots Coalition. But,
Under the legislation envisioned by Messrs. Graham and Schumer, the estimated 10.8 million people living illegally in the U.S. would be offered a path to citizenship, though they would have to register, pay taxes, pay a fine and wait in line. A guest-worker program would let a set number of new foreigners come to the U.S. legally to work.
Keep in mind with an official unemployment rate that is near 10% and has been for many months, and an U6 rate that is well above 20%, these are people who are holding jobs that many now desperate citizens and legal residents could and would be doing. Yet this bill would grant them near instant citizenship, well ahead of hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people who have followed the laws of the United States and are still waiting to get visas, much less residency.
Even better is the requirement that employers will be forced to purchase a scanner to use the card. Mr. Schumer has said that employers would be able to purchase scanners to verify the IDs for $800. "Small employers," he said, "could take their applicants to a government office to like the Department of Motor Vehicles and have their hands scanned there." Now there's an example of efficiency for you to follow...the DMV!
Now the question is...follow the money. What company will produce this $800.00 scanner and WHERE is this company located? That is, I think, an important question that must be answered.
Another worrysome question is, how soon will it be before, "It's the natural evolution of the policy called 'internal enforcement' of immigration law," as Jim Harper recently wrote in a paper, " Franz Kafka's Solution to Illegal Immigration ." "Once in place, watch for this national ID to regulate access to financial services, housing, medical care and prescriptions-and, of course, serve as an internal passport." So, how long after this is implemented will the Police and any other "security" official demand:
"Your papers, please!"
Most people already have a state issued ID card. It's called a driver's license. If they don't have that, there are state issued identification cards. But because many states have become "sanctuaries" for illigals, they permit just about anyone to obtain a driver's license or ID card. If the Federal government was really serious about cracking down on illegal immigration, the Fed's could require that states begin to actually enforce those immigration laws that are presently on the books. If the Federal government was really serious about enforcement, they could require that states hand down severe punishments to those who hire illegal workers.
Those punishments could easily include a large fine for each illegal worker an employer hires on the first offense. Second offenses could include loss of busines licenses. Third offenses could include prison time. These are solutions that have successfully been implemented on smaller scales. Knoxville, TN implemented laws along these lines have have seen a huge reduction in the numbers of illegal aliens.
Its a given that if employers will be fined or lose the ability to conduct business, they won't hire illegal workers. Therefore, it follows that if they won't hire them....those people will literally be forced to go home through the lack of work. No jobs? No more illegal workers. Now the key is to hinge ANY Federal money to states upon actually enforcing immigration laws. No enforcement, no federal funding for all those projects that "sanctuary" cites, counties and states want. Not a terribly complicated solution to the problem.
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More commentsYour solution is an intriguing one. As a California resident I would add these two cents (if that). Undocumented workers are here and they are hard to root out. Standard employment rules are enforced and deportation regularly undertaken. Undocumented workers have false documents. State documents are easily forged, and social security checks are a sham. a national program that would identify and document alien workers in the US would be a more efficient way of controlling who is in the Country. When they are admitted, they are provided the necessary documents, and to hire someone they should have a card. Amnesty is no new idea, and at least it collects the taxes they owe each year.As for documenting all US citizens, forget it. I am with you.my problem with giving amnesty is that in 1986...we gave amnesty on a "one time" deal...but we are telling all those people who are doing things in accordance to the law that what they are doing is wasting their time...all they have to do is get here and hang on long enough and gee wiz, well we'll forgive you...and give you instant citizenship to boot.If we go after those who are giving them employment...and right now the only people working in construction ARE illegals (I belong to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners), because most of the people I know are out of work...and there's none in sight. Why should a construction company pay be, in effect, $30.00+ an hour (when you include benefits) when they can get an illegal who wil work 50-60 hours a week for $10.00 hour?
What complicates the issue are conflicting interests, much more intense than health care. I don’t see anything changing anytime soon. If you think congress is deadlocked now - just wait! States rights verses government control, individual freedoms Verses rule of law, business verses workers, not enough law enforcement to handle the situation, and not enough money or resolve to enact any meaningful regulations or solutions. Here are some of the diverse interests involved in just legal immigration, let alone illegal immigration:
PROS: 1. Some of the most intelligent and ambitious individuals, who are unsatisfied with their own countries, bring their skills to America.
2. It increases the diversity and expands the culture of the country.
3. Immigrants often taken the low-paying jobs (like food service & hotel cleaning) that most Americans don't want to do at such low wages.
4. Decreasing or eliminating legal immigration will inevitably create more incentive to come to the country illegally, which leads to less assimilation and fewer taxpaying, law-abiding citizens.
5. It improves the overall image of America internationally, as it is seen as an open, welcoming country; and immigrants who return home or maintain contact with family back home have a true image of America, not the one propagandized in much of the international media.
6. Adding an additional group of cheap labor adds to the flexibility of business, leading to cheaper prices, better quality products, and higher profits.
7. It gives struggling people all over the world an opportunity for a better life. This country was built on immigrants who sought opportunity, political & religious freedom, etc.
CONS: 1. More immigrants means more opportunity for terrorists, drug dealers, and other criminals to enter the country.
2. Immigrants, especially the poorer ones, consume a high amount of government resources (health care, education, welfare, etc.) without paying a corresponding high rate of taxes.
3. The national identity and language is disappearing. The great "melting pot" is being replaced by divisive multi-culturism.
4. The emigration to the United States hurts the home country, as much of the male population, workers, and top intellectuals often leave their country.
5. Less-skilled American citizens earn less money and have fewer job opportunities because they must compete with immigrants in the job market.
(From an article by Joe Messerli )You mistake my point. I am most certainly NOT against immigration at all. What I oppose is those who refuse to follow the laws that Congress in their infinite wisdom, has instituted...I don't care where you or your family comes from, as long as you have followed the rules that have been set up. Immigrants have contributed in very significant ways to our wonderful country and are the single biggest strenghts we have in the world. But those who are here illegally must go...now.I understand Richard, but getting angry and wishing it so doesn't make it happen. That happens in congress, where there will unending debate and compromise, if any laws get passed at all which is doubtful. So we will just have to live with it. As I suggested, many varied interests, some of which split conservative workers and conservative business people let alone liberals and conservatives, will make this issue contentious. Money is always the main consideration and congress is run by money, not workers. Agreed?
You'd probably have to have the national ID to be able to see your doctor or buy groceries...Glad you are back! MarijoI'd not be at all surprised if that were to come to pass.Unless you're an illegal - they you get it all for free and without papers - I worked in health care in CA for many, many years...
Not being in America then the article doesn't have great specific relevance for me. However some of the themes are multilateral.thanks for responding. I usually write about American economic and political issues.
Hey- I'll bet the ones who are behind this whole national ID thing are the ones who own the company or companies who want to manufacture the scanners, and make billions of dollars. Everything that happens you can just follow the money to find the culprit. Good article Richard- Always-EllaI asked that same question myself! Follow the money...see where it leads...
I appreciate your articles. I agree with most of what you say, but I'd like to see a selection of topics and styles. Your's are almost always one sided politics and news. I realize that's your "thing". I'm sorry if I am negative.Not at all Jack. That's what I write about.
Hi Richard,I can see views on both sides, yet I can't help to wonder..."Isn't Big Brother enough already?"Blessings,MichelleIt's well past time to turn off the government's intereference in our lives. Thanks Michelle. I appreciate your stopping by and commenting.
"The REAL ID Act of 2005 is a U.S. federal law that imposes certain security, authentication, and issuance procedures standards for the state driver's licenses and state ID cards, for them to be accepted by the federal government for "official purposes", as defined by the Secretary of Homeland Security. The Secretary of Homeland Security has defined "official purposes" as presenting state driver's licenses and identification cards for boarding commercially operated airline flights and entering federal buildings and nuclear power plants. The Act is a rider, formally Division B of H.R. 1268, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005." - Wiki.Sounds like Bush beat him to it.
Now that solution is too simple Richard.Simple solutions work the best and are the easiest to implement...ofcourse, if you're a politcian, then the more complicated you have to make solutions to simple problems...
You are absolutely right, Richard. Punish those who hire the illegals, not those who are law abiding.It's incredible how so many so-called "enlightened" people are so happy to lay down their rights and want me to do so as well.Great stuff here.Thanks Ken, I appreciate your comments here.
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