I have heard arguments to the effect that if we legalize and regulate all drugs we have a source to fund UHC. Applying the same logic to the illegal immigrants, maybe we can tap a new source of Social Security funds.
That thought would of course require that people with no residency status, register. Background checks to remove undesirables need to be conducted. And we still need to build the border fence, use updated monitoring technology, and increase the number of border agents. Employers that broke the law should still pay fines and they have to start paying at least the minimum wage and start withholding and paying taxes for employees that get amnesty.
I would confiscate today the illegals $600 billion they paid/pay in and sitting right in the Social Security Earned Suspense Fund that they will never claim as they earned that and paid in in an illegal status. To fund the Employee verification database, ramp up tremendosuly border enforcement (fence would be a real boondoggle that would not solve anything), and do all the rest you say. There may even be enough left over from that Soc Sec kitty to pay back into the so'called Social Security "Trust Fund" the Demos and Repubs love to raid every Budget season to cook the books and paper over their fiscal profligacy.
That would be part of the deal for making the 12 to 20 million illegals here now legal. And for the long-term getting the present illegals above board (after ferreting out the good from the bad) and their children/grandchildren WILL hepl through there now legal FICA contributions to the long-term health of Entitlements. It definitely will NOT save Social Security/Medicare but every little bit helps. 40 or 50 million new hard-working/tax-paying family, business-building immigrants by mid-century will make the actuarial challenge in solving Entitlements a tad bit better but it will not absolve us in making the REAl big Entitlement Reforms needed in the next 10 years to shore up those programs for our grandkids with the present and growing pain and payout unfunded Entitlements mandate we aa Americans have created ourselves.
DC - 3rd ward - milligansstew08@yahoo.com
http://milligansstew.blogspot.com
The 1993 fence built in San Diego was effective. While illegals may be resourceful, what needs to happen to make the fence effective is to ramp up the various other security measures (electronic monitoring and additional border guards).
By the way, I didn't mean to say this idea would rescue Social Security. But, like you said, every little bit helps.
And How long was the SanDiego fence?? It's a big looonngg border there and for evey 50 foot fence there is a 51 foot ladder. The contractors would make billions though in building it you can guarantee that! I'm all for markedly ramped up border enforcement with the latest tech and all Phil but any long-range plan must address somehow/someway the pressures on the border and the reasons people risk their lives to cross. The pressure valve fire hose spigot on the border must be addressed.
DC - 3rd ward - milligansstew08@yahoo.com
http://milligansstew.blogspot.com
How About These For New
US Immigration Laws?
8-21-7
* THERE WILL BE NO SPECIAL BILINGUAL PROGRAMS IN THE SCHOOLS.
* THERE WILL BE NO SPECIAL BALLOTS FOR ELECTIONS.
* ALL GOVERNMENT BUSINESS WILL BE CONDUCTED IN OUR LANGUAGE.
* FOREIGNERS WILL NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE NO MATTER HOW LONG THEY ARE HERE.
* FOREIGNERS WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO HOLD POLITICAL OFFICE.
* FOREIGNERS WILL NOT BE A BURDEN TO THE TAXPAYERS.
* NO WELFARE, NO FOOD STAMPS, NO HEALTH CARE OR OTHER GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
* FOREIGNERS CAN INVEST IN THIS COUNTRY BUT IT MUST BE AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO 40,000 TIMES THE DAILY MINIMUM WAGE.
* IF FOREIGNERS DO COME AND WANT TO BUY LAND, THAT WILL BE OKAY. BUT OPTIONS WILL BE RESTRICTED...
YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED WATERFRONT PROPERTY. THAT IS RESERVED FOR CITIZENS NATURALLY BORN INTO THIS COUNTRY.
* FOREIGNERS MAY NOT PROTEST; NO DEMONSTRATIONS; NO WAVING A FOREIGN FLAG; NO POLITICAL ORGANIZING; NO BAD-MOUTHING OUR PRESIDENT OR HIS POLICIES. IF YOU DO, YOU WILL BE SENT HOME.
* IF YOU DO COME TO THIS COUNTRY ILLEGALLY, YOU WILL BE HUNTED DOWN AND SENT STRAIGHT TO JAIL.
TOO HARSH, YOU SAY?
The above laws happen to be the Immigration Laws of...
MEXICO.
HC you left out a couple.
The Mexican Army guards the southern border. When captured, you are then sent to a military prison, held and immediately deported after serving a minimum of one year in jail. No hearings, no lawyers, no court.
A naturallized citizen is always considered a second class citizen. If you commit any infraction your citizenship and visa can be revoked at any time. It could even be a traffic ticket. All property you own will be confiscated by the government. Your bank accounts and assets seized. Then you are deported back to original country of origin.
No wonder Mexicans come here.