Okay people let's get some things straight. 2 women from a gevernment office in Salt Lake County released a list of 1300 or so names of supposed illegal immigrants. Releasing the list is a felony. They should not only be fired but they should be put in jail. The reason that list exists is because the state of Utah keeps track of the illegals because they issue driving priviledge cards to them. Think about that for a second. Utah knows about the illegals living here in this state. It's not really a secret to the people who need to know. By releasing this list there are a few privacy issues that were ignored. How about addresses? Do we really need crazy immigration people finding these people and harrassing them? How about their children who may or may not be legal citizens of this country? So all you people who are saying these women are patriots and heros and should be protected whistle blowers, you're wrong. They are criminals. The crime they commited was worse than someone who is living here illegaly. Let me repeat that so that it sinks in all nice and warm in your mind. The crime they commited was worse than someone who is living here illegaly. That's right. They commited a felony. Living here illegaly is the same as having a speeding ticket. It's not a big deal. It becomes a big deal when a crime is commited that is serious enough for them to be deported. Yes it must be serious enough. Our prisons are not filled to bursting with illegals. In fact they're filled with people who have been caught with marijuana or other drugs. That's whose filling up our prisons. And before you say it's the illegals that are bringing the drugs over the border think again. Most drugs are made and distributed right here in the good ol' USA.
If you want to stop people from coming here illegaly there are a couple things that must be done. First you need to enforce the laws in place that punish the companies that are hiring the illegals. It is way to easy for companies to hire illegals and pay them whatever pitence they want. They don't have to give them benefits or time off. If they call in sick they can just fire them. The companies can treat them like dirt and they have no recourse to get fair employment. Second you need to make it easier to come here and become a citizen. Not that everyone that comes here wants to be a citizen. Some just want to come here and work and then go home. That needs to be easier also. Last I heard there was a 17 year waiting list to become a citizen legally. It takes less time if they are here already. Makes sense doesn't it? No, of course it doesn't. Let's stream line it. Make it easier for them to come here and live, become a citizen, or work and go home. What does that hurt. You worried about terrorits? The 9/11 highjackers were legal citizens of the US. You think they would risk getting caught crossing the border? They're smarter than that. Drugs? Made and distributed here. Crime? Most illegals keep a low profile for fear of getting caught and sent home. There are very few crimes commited by illegals. We don't need to build a fence to keep them out. It won't work anyway. We need to punish the companies hiring illegals and we need to make it easier to come here.
And one last thing. What is up with all the hate? I have heard way too many tales lately of people insulting hispanics whether they are legal or not just because they speak spanish or have dark skin. Come on! You're racist and that's all there is too it.
Utah Welfare list? I thought the majority in AZ, NM, TX, NV, UT, CO, OK, on Welfare, are old school Mormons (FLDS) who still practice polygamy with underage girls and send these girls in to claim they are single parents and get their checks. You should see some of the palace homes that are paid with welfare checks.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all it wasn't a welfare list. It was a list of people that the state keeps track of because they give them right to drive cards. This issue has nothing to do with the FLDS and what they do. It has everything to do with the current debate on immigration reform. If you want my opinion on polygamy I think as long as it is practiced within the laws of marriage such as the woman must be of legal age and agree to the marriage then I see no reason why they can't practice their beliefs. And I don't know if you've ever gotten a welfare check but I'll tell you right now they aren't going to be buying palacial estates. Even if there is more then one wife collecting.
ReplyDeleteI'm irritated that the list was released because it created a breach of trust which will be hard to repair. Whenever we need to collect information on people, such as for the census, we promise the immigrants that their information won't be used to get them in trouble. It's already difficult to get them to give us their information, because it takes faith and trust on their part that we won't abuse it. This incident is going to make it even harder to track them in the future, which is bad for everybody. Without accurate data and analytics on the population, we can't make good program and policy decisions.
ReplyDeleteOne argument I am sick of hearing is that "illegal is illegal" and that, implicitly, immigration is wrong because it is illegal. The argument is just as sound as its converse, "Hey, what I did wasn't wrong. I mean, it's not illegal or anything." (e.g., see Bill Clinton.) The reality is that we have the power to make whatever laws we want to. If we want immigrants to come here without documentation, we can make the law so, and then it's not illegal anymore. Poof! Problem solved, right?
Well, it's not that simple. Immigration--whether legal or not--can cause problems if it's not managed properly. A sudden influx of poor outsiders can overwhelm our welfare state. (And I don't just mean welfare programs like TANF or food stamps--I mean other collective projects for the public good, such as education, infrastructure, roads, water, etc.) If we want to keep up those programs for the common good, we need to make sure we can afford them by excluding outsiders. On the other hand, if we want to welcome and include outsiders, we're going to have to reduce our communal programs to balance it out. Either way, though, something's got to give.