By Lawrence Henry on 6.2.06 @ 12:08AM
They're not called illegals for nothing.
The Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday voted out a bill on the
hot-button issue of illegitimate transfer agents, with two
Democrats joining the Republican majority in endorsement of the
legislation. The bill requires transfer agents to pay a fine,
register for rehabilitation classes in property rights, and pledge
not to wear Halloween or ski masks in financial institutions and
not to write threatening notes to cashiers.
"These are hard-working Americans who pay their taxes and are
only trying to support their families," said Sen. Ted Kennedy,
(D-Mass.). "Calls for their imprisonment are mean-spirited and
impractical. We cannot arrest and jail twelve million transfer
agents. It would be a form of cultural genocide."
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), responding to a chorus of
criticism from the House Republican caucus, said, "This bill is
absolutely not an amnesty. The average amount of an illegitimate
transfer, according to FBI statistics, is less than $600. In most
cases, the transfer agents would pay a fine larger than that."
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES scheduled a vote on the high-profile
issue of alternate drivers for later this week. The final version
of the bill would require alternate drivers to take a course in
motor vehicle credit and savings techniques, and to sign up for
"how-to" instruction in reading and using classified
advertisements. Signees would also be offered classes in evaluating
used cars and bargaining for their purchase.
An amendment supported by insurance companies, which would have
provided for education in buying motor vehicle insurance, was
defeated in committee.
Insurance industry groups were split on the most contentious of
the bill's elements, which dealt with the post-alternate-driver
possession of the motor vehicle. Alternate driver hawks sought to
compel A.D.'s to return the vehicle to its original owner. Many
insurance representatives thought the industry would be better
served by letting the A.D. keep the car, thus "totaling" it and
identifying both the current and former possessors of the vehicle
as customers for new insurance policies.
THE ADMINISTRATION THIS WEEK UNVEILED its proposal for dealing with
shortcut shopping, which has become an election year wedge issue.
Hardliners on shortcut shopping have sought to claim the legal high
ground by insisting on strict enforcement of existing laws.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D.-N.Y.) said the hardliners are
"promoting an agenda that is arguably racist and classist. Shortcut
shopping serves to redress obscene corporate profits. And in a
desperate America where there is one set of rights for the poor and
a different set of rights for the rich, shortcut shopping provides
the poor with sometimes their only choice when they must balance
the need for food against the need for expensive prescription
drugs."
A draft of the President's speech proposing the legislation was
circulated yesterday. Retail trade associations pounced on the
proposal's lack of any disposition for shortcutted merchandise.
"So far as we can tell," said one industry spokesman, "the
shortcut shoppers get to keep it."
THESE FICTIONAL PIECES OF LEGISLATION illustrate the ridiculousness
of one part of the debate over illegal immigration. We have lost
sight -- as we have lost sight of so much else -- of the essential
"goodie" in the immigration question: the presence of a person in
the United States. Like the money from the bank, the stolen car, or
the shoplifted merchandise, such a possession cannot be left to
someone who has stolen it.
You cannot take back presence in the United States from someone
here and still leave that someone here. Any legal measure that does
leave that someone here is an amnesty, as clearly an amnesty as
allowing a bank robber to keep the loot, a car thief to keep the
car, or a shoplifter to take home the merchandise.
Just a reminder.
topics:
Taxes, Education, Trade, Law, Immigration
