The daily news and our blogs illustrate illegal immigration continues to be an issue politicized by politicians and the old media and the topic of endless discussion across the country. Yet, there is a total disconnect between 80% of Americans and these politicians, belt way pundits and old media. These folks have managed to “pigeon-hole” the debate on this topic to encompass invalid issues of the need for workers, the need for new laws and deportation of 12 million illegal aliens. Politicians, pundits and most everyone completely ignore real causes and real solutions.
There have always been illegal aliens sneaking across our border. However, illegal aliens of old were small in number and did not immediately join the entitlement culture. History has proven that twisting policy and laws like a pretzel to accommodate “guest workers” or illegal aliens has failed miserably and created more problems.
Let’s review a little history. The Bracero Program was created in August 1942 to provide a temporary labor program for the agriculture and railroad industries. Designed to let a few hundred experienced Mexican agricultural laborers harvest sugar beets in Stockton, CA and supply the railroads with unskilled workers for track maintenance, it quickly spread across the country. By 1945, the bracero quota for agricultural had increased to more than 50,000 and 75,000 for the railroad, but the railroad program ended and the agriculture program continued until it was terminated in 1964 in total failure amid allegations of human rights abuses.
In 1969 the growing illegal alien problem and was compounded by the War on Poverty welfare program. With a decrease in incentives to work the parasite culture grew while the labor pool dwindled. By the 1980s illegal aliens swelled to over 3 million. In an effort to solve the growing problem President Reagan signed the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act which granted amnesty to 3 million illegal aliens and introduced penalties for employers who hired illegal aliens. This remedy only made things worse. Twenty years later amnesty has proven to be a total failure and now we are trying to cope with a bloated illegal alien population in excess of 12 million. All we get from politicians today is rhetoric, more amnesty and unenforceable laws.
Politicians and proponents of illegal immigration continue to pigeon hole the debate to a magician’s slight-of-hand ruse of the need for laborers to do the work Americans won’t. What they bury in their endless prattle is the strain it causes on welfare programs, health care and education systems. Economist compute (using pre 2000 data) that unskilled illegal aliens the politicians are courting for future votes will consume $56 billion more in cash welfare than they contribute. This net loss does not include non-cash entitlement benefits.
This brings us to one root cause of excessive illegal immigration, the creation of the socialistic welfare state. If one has the courage to admit it, then the answer to the problem is simplified. However, in reality the current entitlement pimps and parasitic culture will never allow this source to end. But for sake of debate, let’s indulge in futility and explore some simple remedies.
- Implement a 10% cut in all entitlement programs each year until the entire welfare budget comprises of 25% of the federal budget. This will increase the pool of uneducated and unskilled laborers.
- Pass one new law; children born to parents who are in United State illegally shall not be granted naturalized citizenship. That privilege is limited to citizens or legal immigrants who have already applied for citizenship.
- Illegal aliens shall not receive any entitlement benefits, their children will not be allowed to attend public schools and they will be required to pay for all medical services at the time of service.
- If illegal aliens happen to get caught by authorities all property and money acquired during their illegal status will be confiscated in the same manner the government seizes the assets in any criminal enterprise.
- Any employer who knowingly employs illegal aliens will be assessed substantial and progressive fines.
These remedies do not offer a quick fix. But then it took decades to create the problem and will take a decade or so to resolve it. There is no need to pass new laws as there are sufficient laws on the books. No need round up illegal aliens and deport them. Just make it extremely difficult for illegal aliens to live here and they will return to their country of origin or France.
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