The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Not in the Mood

6.1.06 @ 12:01AM

NOT AN INCH
Re: Brandon Crocker's Room for Compromise?:

Brandon Crocker is full of it, a crock. There is no job Americans won't do. But there are plenty of jobs Americans won't do for slave wages and no benefits.

Since the founding of the United States there has always been a faction in this country that has tried to make America more like Europe. But the simple fact is that the U.S. is the anti-Europe. Always has been, always will be.

All we need to do is look at Europe's colossal failure with guest worker programs, and do the opposite. That's the American way.

This whole guest worker charade is simply a way for companies to avoid paying a fair wage for labor, so that management can pocket more profits. In a true free market economy, an employer facing a labor shortage has two options: 1) he can raise wages to attract workers, or 2) he can innovate. Importing low wage foreigners depresses wages and stifles innovation. And that is profoundly un-American.

The American people won't stand for anything short of enforcing the law and sealing the border. It's that simple.
-- Scott Collier
Edinburg, Texas

"Despite the extremism displayed by Tancredo, however, there are signs of hope."

Excuse me? "Extremism" because someone has the guts to stand up and state the truth? Every illegal in this country is violating federal law and should be treated as such. I for one prefer the House idea of making them all felons and handled accordingly. I understand the House has just caved on this idea and trashed it. I knew they would. "...signs of hope"? For whom? Those like Crocker that don't understand the concept of the word "illegal"? Today's Democrat Party has been taken over by the "Hate-America-First Left." It appears their ideology is creeping into conservative thought also. If his is a conservative viewpoint, God help us all!
-- Karl Weber
Hixson, Tennessee

Let me simplify the entire immigration problem for all, including Mr. Crocker. The answer is simply enforcement of current laws regarding immigration in this country. After all, all of the brouhaha is over "illegal" immigration and immigrants. So, simply enforce the law.

Historically, every time this country has attempted to address the problem of illegal immigration, it has included some way for illegal immigrants residing in the U.S. to stay. In every case, the result has been increased illegal immigration. The same thing will happen this time if historical trends are followed. And let me point out one glaring fact concerning the present number of illegal aliens living in this country; the estimate is between 11 and 20 million, with 11-12 million being the lower end of the spectrum.

Immigration control must take three phases. First, increased enforcement concerning illegal border crossing. Second, increased interior enforcement of immigration laws primarily aimed at employers. Third, revamping and streamlining the issuance of visas, and other entry permits, and increasing the convenience for applicants for citizenship within the U.S.

Simple, isn't it? The other arguments in favor of a convoluted reform scheme are rather far fetched. First, 10 to 20 million unskilled workers are not going to disappear across the border overnight. They will leave over the space of several years as interior enforcement of current laws will proceed slowly. After all, there are only some 200 ICE agents currently assigned to interior enforcement. This will allow time for U.S. citizens and documented immigrants to fill the vacancies. Second, If there is a cabal of people who are hindering the enforcement of existing laws, then they are themselves, along with those enforcement agents being influenced to ignore violations of the law, in criminal violation of existing laws and should be charged.

For my part, I have absolutely no doubt that the Congress will do what it does so well, namely screw every thing up royally. There is nothing to be gained by radically changing existing immigration laws and policy and everything to lose.
-- Michael Tobias
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

So Mr. Crocker thinks that crossing the border ILLEGALLY is okay? How about we extend the same "amnesty" to all Americans for such other laws the illegals have broken -- tax evasion, identity theft, falsifying documents, and, often, welfare fraud. And how about we all get to pay income tax 3 out 5 years? And we get to set our income level on good faith like the illegal aliens! Hell, I'll kick in two grand for that!

Nothing can ever work without tough border enforcement FIRST.
-- unsigned

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Education, Trade, Harry Reid, Business, Social Security, Law, Immigration