President Obama has listed Immigration Reform right up there with Economic Recovery and Reform, Health Care Reform, Education Reform, Support for Afghanistan and Pakistan…..Halting Unemployment and finding average Americans new jobs…..while the Auto, Manufacturing and even the Service Sector is static. The Foreclosure news is filled with conjecture and questions regarding whether an economic Recovery is presently under way or we will have to wait to 2011.
The President however, continues to cheer lead and pursue unabated his very emphatic energy to keep doing things….no matter what. His tough intrepid character has also shown through by seeking out bi-partisan support for his Supreme Court nominee Judge Sotomayor…which now appears like a virtual “Slam dunk” if the momentum continues! The President also has no qualms about pushing his many appointees out into the the public eye. Starting with the Vice President and his 2nd Lady…..the energy seems impressive. Even his own 1st Lady never seems at rest. This is an Administration that is demostrating unbelieveable motivation and energy. Like the Energizer Bunny the Obama Administration keeps “going and going and going”!
Immigration Reform? This one is a hard act to make anyone happy about. If the President promotes Amnesty….it will not only cost him votes but long term harm. If he promotes a hard line…….it will cost him votes now and in the next election. So, how can this thorny issue come to some equitable resolution that can please enough people to come out positive, even with a demurrer?
There is little doubt that two issues are at hand: (1) This is a Census Year coming up! …and (2) We have no exact knowledge of how many Illegal’s are in our country. That number ranges from 11 to 26 Million! That sadly will not be helped with a Census Report unless these people are willing to step up and be counted. Our first question should be: How can we get these people to send in their information? One thing is certain: If we are going to charge these people upwards of $5,000 bucks or more to become legal..that system is not going to work! If we charge them nothing……there is little doubt, that kind of system may not work either. How about this one? All illegal immigrants have until January 1st, 2010 to send in their vitals and residence information. They will not be charged by the government or deported unless they fail to notify the Department of Homeland Security by that date! After that date they will be charged $5,000 for each year of illegal entry and are eligible for immediate deportation.
Is deportation really an option? Yes, of course deportation works for known felons, “gang bangers” or anyone else illegally here that exhibits anti-social behavior. As long as they remain well behaved guests in our country…there should be no penalty. However, processing legal entry into the United States for 11 to 26 Million people will take a while. There should be no hurry. One thing is certain…now that going across the Canadian or Mexican border requires a Passport……this will severely restricted easy legal access to those with family and friends across those borders without papers. Once these people have signed up……while in the immigration process…..they can get two one month Visa’s to go to Canada or Mexico every year. Serious penalties should be incurred if illegals fail to get into the process!
What should happen when someone is found crossing our borders illegally? Anything? What if they have family in the United States? What if they are not allowed a Temporary Work Visa in the United States? What if an illegal comes to this country and commits a felony? What if “Anchor Babies” are required to only live here with Legal US Resident Grandparents or other blood relatives? The parents need to go home, file papers and wait for legal methods to come back into this country. When their child is an American Citizen they obviously must have other blood relatives here or that child must go back to the parents country of origin until they turn 21 years of age.
The details will need to be agreed upon in a “fully agreed to” bi-partisan effort. This issue well could decide how any preposed re-election campaign may turn out. It could well determine the fate of the mid-term elections of 2010. How the Immigration issue turns out in 2009….may well be the most important issue of all. How both parties deal with it – may be the critical pivot point for some time to come!
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