IMMIGRATION: POLITICAL “PASS THE BUCK” MEASURED IN LIVES
Anyone in disagreement there are too many working poor American citizens right here in Rhode Island? Should their needs be addressed first when our taxpayer funded resources are limited? I’d argue emphatically, yes. That requires leadership from our elected officials, which has been largely absent and causes both citizens and the undocumented to live in a spiral of fear exacerbated by bad policy and politics.
We also must recognize our post 9/11 policies have kept out hundreds of thousands of highly educated, skilled workers in the unfilled positions in the maths and sciences who are providing their highly valued capabilities to our international competitors. These are the minds that bring us alternative energy and stem cell research solutions now as they did nuclear capability 60 years ago.
I would also argue that when economic pressure is on our middle-class families, we have a disappointing and long history of expressing “anti-newcomer” sentiments. What I ask folks to consider is looking towards the intention of our constitution. It was not crafted to exclude rights of the oppressed minority. Our American culture is a patchwork quilt of our individual histories. We have benefited from our differences, but what we share is the desire to be American.
We must address the issue of border security in a meaningful way; otherwise, we will revisit the last Reagan era amnesty every decade or so and also increase our odds of another attack. Post 9/11 domestic security requires that we do something that our government has been unwilling or unable to do; however, this does not mean building walls, but expanded active and effective enforcement.
I support McCain and Kennedy’s Immigration Bill, because as a pragmatist there is no fiscally sound or humane way to send back part or all of the ten million plus who now make America their home. The duration one has resided here is an arbitrary argument and fogs the issue of a path to citizenship. It is important to acknowledge laws have been broken with proper monetary penalties and back-of-the-line waiting period requirements that reflect a balance of firmness, but fairness to applicants and our citizens.
posted by Carl Sheeler For Senate @ 12:38 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Let's cut to the chase. The beef most Americans have with illegal immigrants is that they will do a job for less than an American would.
It's not that they're Mexican, or that they're here illegally. It's that they're driving down wages for jobs that high school educated Americans rely on.
There's a simple solution. Raise the minimum wage and enforce existing employment laws. There would be no 'crisis' if businesses, large and small, were as patriotic in practice as they are in their advertising.
Where do you stand on the minimum wage, Carl? Please be specific.
The federal minimum wage has no bearing on reality of value of work or costs of living. It has remained at $5.15 an hour for years and years.
The current minimum wage with considerations for the influence of the offshoring of higher paying manufacturing jobs should be between $7.50 and $8.50 an hour to just stay in place with inflation and should have an inflationary adjustment kick in evry 12 months.
Be aware that smaller busineses will then be most impacted and will be required to raise their prices, which will create a dog chasing its tail scenario.
Nothing will create better wages than more education and working in trades and professions that are less sensitive to job loss like plumbing, law enforcement, nursing and education.
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