Bush league border security from Obama

When it comes to border security, I don't know who is worse. George W Bush or Barack Obama. Both of them did and are doing an atrocious job at border defenses. I missed this awhile back, but to think this will help is a joke.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Friday signed into law a $600 million border security that will put more agents and equipment along the Mexican border.

Obama signed the bill in the Oval Office alongside Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The measure will fund the hiring of 1,000 new Border Patrol agents to be deployed at critical areas along the border, as well as more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. It also provides for new communications equipment and greater use of unmanned surveillance drones.

1000 agents. What a crock. Just the state of Texas alone is almost 1000 miles east-west. New Mexico, Arizona, and California aren't small states either. Let's not forget the Canadian border either. I don't want to just pick on Obama here either. This is the same type of crap we got from George W Bush on this issue.

It's not just Mexican workers crossing the borders. Besides illegal day laborers (depressing our own wages), we have MS-13 gangbangers from El Salvador and Zetas gangbangers (mostly ex Mexican army) from the Mexican border towns coming across. Worse, Hezbollah terrorists are crossing through the Nogales Arizona border. and coming up to Dearborn. They go to Mexico, then cross the Southern border, and arrive here. The unsecured border largely contributes to the gang violence on both sides of the border, especially on the Mexican side.

Worse, Arizona has had enough, passed their own law (parts I support, parts concern me, but I understand it) on this because the feds refuse to do their jobs, and the feds are suing them for it, and will probably win based on the Supremacy Clause.

If I was president (which will never happen), I'd start by closing and phasing out most of the bases abroad that aren't needed (Germany), and reassigning to border control. While we law abiding citizens have to go through all this TSA crap at airports, the misnamed Patriot Act, and other so called security measures, MS-13 waltzed across our border. That needs to stop ASAP. No immigration reform until border security. Those should be separate bills because those are separate issues.

As for immigration reform. No amnesty (Reagan's biggest mistake). No path to citizenship for illegals. Go home first. Revoke the incorporation papers of those who knowingly hire illegals. Those who follow the rules should get first crack at a path to citizenship and/or visas. I have no problem with LEGAL immigration and it should be encouraged. Illegal immigration is unacceptable and the tolerance for that by our government needs to end.

Tom Tancredo backs out, backs Romney

Interesting. Some thought he'd back Hunter, or even Ron Paul. This could be a big win for Romney here with the immigration issue, but did Tancredo run his mouth too much on it? We'll see.

From Des Moines Register

late last week, then backed former Massahusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, one of the Iowa frontrunners.

Dianne Bystrom, an Iowa State University political science professor, said Tancredo's exit and endorsement of Romney could shake up the volatile Republican field.

"Tancredo throwing his support behind Romney comes at a key time when Romney is trying to fight off the surge of Mike Huckabee," Bystrom told The Des Moines Register. "For Romney, it probably couldn't have come at a better time."

Tancredo claimed victory on immigration, the cause that drew him into the race in the first place, arguing that his stance in favor of strict enforcement forced the entire field to move toward his position.

In fact, bowing out was the only way to ensure that the momentum behind the anti-illegal immigration movement wouldn't flame out, he said.
(snip)

This could be interesting to see. The primary is coming up fast, so we'll see what happens. I do wonder if Tancredo's name will still be on the ballot. I think he will be in Michigan.

Immigration, Amnesty, guest workers, and fences

Sorry for the long delay on blog posts. I was taking a much needed vacation up along the Au Sable river.

The major thing in the news lately has been immigration reform and possible amnesty. Apparently, a deal has been made between Ted Kennedy, John McCain, and President Bush.

The agribusiness wing of the GOP and the democrats both want an amnesty plan to make illegals citizens. Illegals are mostly from Mexico and for the most part, areas with large Mexican populations lean democrat. California is solidly democrat. Southern Texas is democrat. Arizona is much less republican than it was in Goldwater's time. Colorado is competitive, but Pueblo is democrat. The agribusiness gets cheap labor with a guest worker program. Bush has banked on this for his legacy and is a long time friend of permissive immigration policies.

Now, I have not seen a bill up in final format yet for a vote. I'll wait and see before it's in congress before I say yea or nay to it, but to say that my guard is up right now is a major league understatement. I never trusted Bush or McCain on immigration, and anything with Ted Kennedy's name on it is usually bad news. I wasn't a fan of No Child Left Behind, an am worried for another leftist boondoggle.

My concerns are as possible:

1. Where's the border security? We're asked to give up our freedoms with the Patriot Act, but very little has been done to control our borders. It is not just Mexican's who cross our border. Hezbollah terrorists have crossed our border. One found his way to Dearborn. Anything without major border control is unacceptable, on national security concerns alone.

2. Illegals need to go home first. This seems to be a real sticking point in negotiations. One thing I liked about the Pence compromise was this requirement. If this doesn't happen, I oppose it. We can not reward people for breaking the law. Reagan's amnesty was supposed to be a one time thing, and illegal immigration skyrocketed. If this isn't solved the right way, we'll have much more illegal immigration.

3. Any businesses hiring illegals need to get nailed. There's no supply without demand.

4. What's the "pathways" to citizenship. Will legal immigrants be pushed to the back of the bus? It's not easy to be a legal immigrant. It's much easier to sneak across the border.

For now, I'm waiting and seeing what the bill will be, and what's it voting form will be in the senate. Until there, it's not worth sounding the alarm except for us to all call our reps and make sure that there is not an amnesty plan.

Border Security Resolution approved at GOP Convention

I received a copy of the immigration/border security resolution from one of the advocates. Some format changes came from the copy/paste.

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RESOLUTION DEMANDING SECURE BORDERS & ENFORCEMENT OF LAW

WHEREAS, Border security and immigration enforcement are critical elements in America’s national security, and

WHEREAS, The Republican Party supports legal immigration to our country and acknowledges the tremendous contributions made by legal immigrants throughout our history to our economy and society, and

WHEREAS, Strengthening the capacity of law enforcement to apprehend foreign terrorists, illegal aliens and other criminals entering our country illegally is essential to protecting America and reducing crime in our cities, and

WHEREAS, Immigration enforcement training needs to be provided to state and local law enforcement to strengthen interior enforcement of immigration laws, and

WHEREAS, automatic U.S. citizenship should not be given to children born in the United States by illegal alien parents as it provides inducement to sneak into our country, and

WHEREAS, Worker eligibility verification should be mandatory for all employers in the state of Michigan and employers held responsible for hiring illegal aliens as employees and be subject to substantial fines, and

WHEREAS, Working or residing illegally in Michigan must not establish rights or financial benefits of any kind for illegal aliens, and

WHEREAS, Any guest worker plan that allows illegal aliens to remain and work in our country will only result in more illegal immigration and increased crime in our country, and

WHEREAS, Respect for the rule of law is a bedrock principle of our country, our culture and our posterity, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, The Michigan Republican Party calls for the immediate securing of our border with all available means and the enforcement of existing immigration laws in the workplace, and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, The Michigan Republican Party calls for all state and federal funds to be withheld from any city or local jurisdiction that acts as a sanctuary for illegal aliens by advocating policies, written or understood, that prohibit or otherwise thwart cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, and be it

FINALLY RESOLVED, The Michigan Republican Party calls upon the Congress to pass and the President to sign a bill enacting laws to secure our borders and end employment of illegal aliens in the workplace at the earliest possible opportunity and to immediately commence enforcement.

Respectfully submitted,

____________________________________ ____________
Christian Chojnowski, Kalamazoo County Republican Party Executive Committee Member

The Honorable David Agema, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable Fran Amos, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable Jack Brandenburg, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable Kevin Green, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable Jack Hoogendyk, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable Marty Knollenberg, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable Jim Marleau, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable Arlan Meekhof, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable Kim Meltzer, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable Chuck Moss, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable Paul Opsommer, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable Brian Palmer, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable John Pastor, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable David Robertson, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable Rick Shaffer, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable Fulton Sheen, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable John Stahl, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable John Stakoe, Michigan State Representative

The Honorable Glenn Steil Jr, Michigan State Representative

Mr. Gerry Hildenbrand, Allegan County Chairman

Mr. Glenn Clark, 9th Congressional District Chairman

Ms. Deborah DeBacker, 9th District State Committeewoman

Mr. Robert McCoy, 9th District State Committeeman

Mrs. Barbara Harrell, 9th District Committeewoman

Mr. Earle Vandyke, 9th District Committeeman

Mr. Bruce Henderson, MD 9th District Committeeman

Mr. Al Lucas, 9th District Committeeman

Mr. Larry Ward, 8th District Chairman

Mr. Jeff Wiggins, Chairman, MSU College Republicans

Mr. John Knowles, Ingham County Republican Party Executive Committee Member

Mr. Jason C. Miller, President, Secure Michigan PAC




Pros: Arguments “For” Illegal Immigration Resolution
America has the most generous legal immigration policy of any nation on earth. There are millions of people all over the world who wait patiently for years to come here legally. Illegal immigrants make a mockery of that process.

We all understand and empathize with the reasons why people come here illegally. However, in a world in which billions of people could improve their lives by illegally immigrating, we have no choice but to enforce our laws.

Some employers and consumers do benefit from the presence of illegal aliens in the work force. However, these savings are more than offset by social costs. And even if we strictly barred illegal aliens from receiving any social benefits, exploiting their labor still could not be justified on moral grounds.

The best remedy to illegal immigration is to deter prospective illegal immigrants from coming in the first place and to convince those already here to go home. A combination of better border security, effective employer sanctions, and elimination of non-emergency benefits will send a message that illegal immigration will not be tolerated.

The American people granted amnesty to some three million illegal aliens in 1986 in what was promised to be a one-time-only program. The government has not fulfilled its commitment to the American public to enforce laws against further illegal immigration. A new amnesty program would be a betrayal of a deal and would only encourage a new wave of illegal immigration, as people around the world would correctly perceive that coming to the United States illegally is ultimately rewarded.

The largest population of illegal immigrants in the US comes from Mexico. Mexico last year was ranked fifteen (15) in the world for gross domestic product. Governments such as Mexico should take care of their own citizens instead of actively encouraging them to enter illegally into the United States.

Cons: Arguments “Against” Illegal Immigration Resolution
Our police officers are already overworked and do not need the extra burden of reporting illegal aliens.

Lower wages paid to illegal aliens reduce the cost of living for Americans.

The United States needs illegal aliens to do the jobs that Americans don’t want to do.

It is cruel to send these poor people back to their country where they will have to live in poverty.

Our country was founded by immigrants. We shouldn’t change that.