Saturday, December 16, 2006
Governor Bill Richardson on Immigration
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson addressed the issue of immigration reform in a speech hosted by the Institute for International Law and Politics at Georgetown University on Dec. 7. Richardson, a Hispanic who served in the Clinton Administration, suggested four steps toward tackling the immigration issue: securing the border with more Border Patrol officers (and border fences will not work), increased legal immigration, preventing employers from hiring illegal employees, and providing a path to legalization for the millions of illegal immigrants already in the United States. For a report on the talk, click here. For the Richardson press release on his views, click here.
Earlier this year, the Washington Post radio show had an interview with Gov. Richardson on immigration. Richardson’s views were clear: 1. Democrats must focus on both border security and a guest worker program. Either one alone is not enough. There is a real “human” side to border security–he talks about the devastating effects New Mexico’s border problems have had for the people in his state. 2. We can’t just turn 11 million undocumented workers into felons and then deport them all. That solution is not realistic. Check out the audio of interview by clicking here.
Governor Richardson sounds like he is in line with the "comprehensive" immigration reform endorsed by the U.S. Senate earlier this year. However, he also sounds much like President Clinton on immigration (and crime) with one emphasis of his position being on increased enforcement. And recall what President Clinton ultimately did on immigration in response to the political winds -- increased border operations such as Operation Gatekeeper (resulting in thorusands of deaths) and signing into law the tough-on-immigrants 1996 immigration reform and welfare reform legislation.
KJ
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2006/12/governor_bill_r.html
Comments
" Maybe someone should remind him of who put him in office and from whence his pay check comes."
What a compassionate position! We should also stop making any policies that benefit or even acknowledge the existence of babies, older children, lawful permanent residents, and large groups of felons or passing tourists. They aren't the ones who vote, so screw 'em! Also, let's stop making environmental policy. Trees and bears don't vote!
Posted by: Andrea | Dec 17, 2006 7:34:22 AM
That's right Andrea, ultimately, the power to govern comes from the electorate, the voting citizen. Even the Constitution is subject to change at their will, as it should be. Every living thing within the boundaries of the U.S., including babies, older children, lawful permanent residents, felons and passing tourist are within the jurisdiction of our laws. Ultimately, the only thing that checks abuse of that power is our self-control and humanity.
Compassion is an expression of our humanity, but even that has boundaries. For example, the jurisdiction of the Constitution gives primacy to those living within the confines our our country's borders. Arguably, this even includes limited primacy to legal residents, foreign visitors and even illegal aliens. The power to vote, reserved for the citizen, gives the highest degree of primacy to the citizen, the voting citizen having stewardship over the Constitution, our sovereignty as a nation, the laws of the land and the welfare of all that lay within.
While we may have compassion for others abroad, including Mexicans and and Latin Americans, our compassion must not result in the subordination of U.S. primacy to other nations or their citizens. As citizen stewards of our nation, we must assure that those within our jurisdiction are treated equally according to our laws and with respect for the interests of our citizens first. By doing otherwise we risk our own destruction.
Posted by: Horace | Dec 21, 2006 12:46:28 PM
AMNESTY CONSIDERATIONS
It is very economically advantageous to use cheap Mexican seasonal agricultural guest workers; it is very socially and economically disadvantageous to let them stay after the crop is harvested. When seasonal guest workers do return to Mexico at end of the growing season, they return with money and experience, to contribute to the development of Mexico; and each year, when a new group of seasonal guest workers comes, they are eager to work for the same low non-citizen wages.
When the seasonal guest workers come from all of the countries of Latin America, on a strict quota system, then every country benefits, not Mexico exclusively; and when they are well treated guest workers, the experience is mutually positive.
When season guest workers return to Mexico at end of the growing season, they do not drive down the wages of American workers, by competing for low paying jobs in landscaping, construction, sanitation, and housekeeping; and they do not use American governmental social services. Mexico is land very rich in natural resources; what makes it so socially and economically retarded are its Mexican People; and wherever they immigrate they bring their deplorable civilization with them - it is so deplorable than none of them want to return to it. The Mexican dream of regaining political control over Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California is America’s worst nightmare. Starting at all of the border towns, and spreading northward throughout America, like cancers, are thousands of deplorable Mexican neighborhoods. With each deportation America looks, smells, and sounds less like socially and economically deplorable Mexico. America is presently occupied by over 12 million aliens, mostly Mexicans.
With the deportation of all the illegal immigrants, students will again be able to get good paying summer jobs, to learn responsibility and earn their way through college; blue-collar wages will rise; border towns will not be slums; Spanish will not be a second language;crime will go down; hospitals and prisons will not be overcrowded.
When all of the illegal aliens are deported, the Leftist Democrats and Neo-Conservative Republicans will lose millions of political supporters and the large sums of money that they receive from the Mexican Lobby. American businesses that exploit cheap Mexican labor will their lose their illegal competitive advantages.
No advanced civilization in the World can coexist side by side with a retarded civilization, without a great wall or fence, strict guest labor laws, and armed border guards.
Posted by: Naughten | Nov 12, 2007 1:57:17 PM
AMNESTY CONSIDERATIONS
It is very economically advantageous to use cheap Mexican seasonal agricultural guest workers; it is very socially and economically disadvantageous to let them stay after the crop is harvested. When seasonal guest workers do return to Mexico at end of the growing season, they return with money and experience, to contribute to the development of Mexico; and each year, when a new group of seasonal guest workers comes, they are eager to work for the same low non-citizen wages.
When the seasonal guest workers come from all of the countries of Latin America, on a strict quota system, then every country benefits, not Mexico exclusively; and when they are well treated guest workers, the experience is mutually positive.
When season guest workers return to Mexico at end of the growing season, they do not drive down the wages of American workers, by competing for low paying jobs in landscaping, construction, sanitation, and housekeeping; and they do not use American governmental social services. Mexico is land very rich in natural resources; what makes it so socially and economically retarded are its Mexican People; and wherever they immigrate they bring their deplorable civilization with them - it is so deplorable than none of them want to return to it. The Mexican dream of regaining political control over Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California is America’s worst nightmare. Starting at all of the border towns, and spreading northward throughout America, like cancers, are thousands of deplorable Mexican neighborhoods. With each deportation America looks, smells, and sounds less like socially and economically deplorable Mexico. America is presently occupied by over 12 million aliens, mostly Mexicans.
With the deportation of all the illegal immigrants, students will again be able to get good paying summer jobs, to learn responsibility and earn their way through college; blue-collar wages will rise; border towns will not be slums; Spanish will not be a second language;crime will go down; hospitals and prisons will not be overcrowded.
When all of the illegal aliens are deported, the Leftist Democrats and Neo-Conservative Republicans will lose millions of political supporters and the large sums of money that they receive from the Mexican Lobby. American businesses that exploit cheap Mexican labor will their lose their illegal competitive advantages.
No advanced civilization in the World can coexist side by side with a retarded civilization, without a great wall or fence, strict guest labor laws, and armed border guards.
Posted by: Naughten | Nov 12, 2007 1:59:30 PM
11 million illegal aliens got here one way or another and when we finish with workplace enforcement they can all go back by the same means. It may take a couple of years, but that's ok. There's really no need to deport, as they will be unable to find employment, as employers divest themselves and they'll just take the bus to Mexico or fly out of the country with their new found wealth. The argument that we'd have to deport them is silly and disingenuous drivel meant to further the efforts to grant them amnesty. The people are not fooled by these lies anymore.
One wonders who Richardson means by "people in his state". His only legal constituency are the citizens. The illegal are Mexican nationals who owe allegiance to their own country are owed nothing in return from the people of this country. Maybe someone should remind him of who put him in office and from whence his pay check comes.
The Senate's proposal to grant amnesty is the real lie, as it was proven not to work after the 1986 effort. They say that the definition of insanity is repeating the same failed act over and over and expecting different results. What does that make the Senate but a convocation of fools and idiots. This failure was monumental, common knowledge, and Congress cannot fool the people into thinking otherwise.
Even with amnesty, and a guest worker program, Latin Americans would still cross our border illegally, if only to go to Canada. It's certain that amnestied workers would have to be paid more, mainly because farmers and industry would have to obey the employment laws and because of union demands. They'll eventually price themselves beyond what corporations wish to pay and we'll have the same illegal immigration as we had before, this time with amnestied workers competing with illegal. Jennifer Chacon would approve, because it would keep wages down and our country in competition with the rest of the world. We'll just keep on this downward spiral while importing poverty and illiteracy at the same time.
The same day laborer situation would exist, with its under the table wages and avoidance of state unemployment fund, Social Security and Medicare. They'll always be unscrupulous employers enticing illegal aliens into this country, regardless of amnesty.
To say that a border fence won't work is a lie, because we've never sincerely tried to make it work. The people know this. They've seen the old tin fence on TV and have come to realize that it was a farce and actually designed for failure.
When the people come to realize the total cost of implementing amnesty and a guest worker program, it will be soundly defeated and workplace enforcement and deportations, voluntary or otherwise will look very good, indeed.
Now that Richardson, a man whose position has vascilated from one side of the enforcement issue to the other from time to time, has come out closet, we now know the enemy and how to deal with him. His defeat will be a prime objective of the anti-illegal alien groups in this country.
Posted by: Horace | Dec 16, 2006 8:44:52 AM