Thoughts on Immigration
I lived through the Mariel Boat Lift. I remember the dislocations it caused in the Magic City with tent cities under expressways, overcrowded schools, hospitals and some issues related to crime and drugs in the process and this happened with a generally supportive Cuban community.
Last year it was Arizona, last week it was Alabama that passed an even stricter law related to immigration.
This country needs real immigration reform. I'm skeptical of the state by state approach. In too many ways immigration and illegal criminal aliens are being confused and the public policies of this country are subject to hysterical rants of politicians. A good immigration policy can help us attract good hard working people and help us grow and prosper as a country.
Stepping up efforts to identify and deport everyone here without proper immigration paperwork won't work. In fact many people came to this country legally and just not followed up with an increasingly complicated system because of cost as much as any other reason. Too many employers benefit from this system as well.
Discouraging even legal immigration or illegal border crossing has slowed the number of people entering the country but mostly because it has gotten difficult to find jobs in many places.
I'm in favor of deporting aliens or immigrants if they are involved in serious illegal behavior. Too many people confuse just being here with serious illegal behavior. I think you can discriminate between this kind of a situation. Dealing drugs, shootings, robberies and in Miami even medicare fraud by even legal residents needs to be dealt with.
But the situation has gotten to the point that blaming ten million undocumented aliens with the high cost of food stamps, out of control medical costs, a troubled public education system and other political problems is scapegoating of the worst kind. At the largest this is only about 4% of our population.
I understand that times have changed. Too many people rationalize that my parents followed the rules in the day and they are now good citizens and so should everybody else. Please, this hark ens back to a much simpler time. As an aside many people never received social security benefits in the 30's and 40's because they were dead before the age of 65.
There is too much posturing on this issue. Those pounding away at enforcing the rules "now" should realize that 9/11 happened, that the economy economy has tanked, and that the immigration service cannot provide its services required by current law with an agency basically funded by fees.
But on a personal basis there are many kids here that were born here of undocumented parents and are citizens, unfortunately they are to young able to vote and their interests are not being considered properly.
This is a serious issue and needs serious discussion, not hysteria.
Last year it was Arizona, last week it was Alabama that passed an even stricter law related to immigration.
This country needs real immigration reform. I'm skeptical of the state by state approach. In too many ways immigration and illegal criminal aliens are being confused and the public policies of this country are subject to hysterical rants of politicians. A good immigration policy can help us attract good hard working people and help us grow and prosper as a country.
Stepping up efforts to identify and deport everyone here without proper immigration paperwork won't work. In fact many people came to this country legally and just not followed up with an increasingly complicated system because of cost as much as any other reason. Too many employers benefit from this system as well.
Discouraging even legal immigration or illegal border crossing has slowed the number of people entering the country but mostly because it has gotten difficult to find jobs in many places.
I'm in favor of deporting aliens or immigrants if they are involved in serious illegal behavior. Too many people confuse just being here with serious illegal behavior. I think you can discriminate between this kind of a situation. Dealing drugs, shootings, robberies and in Miami even medicare fraud by even legal residents needs to be dealt with.
But the situation has gotten to the point that blaming ten million undocumented aliens with the high cost of food stamps, out of control medical costs, a troubled public education system and other political problems is scapegoating of the worst kind. At the largest this is only about 4% of our population.
I understand that times have changed. Too many people rationalize that my parents followed the rules in the day and they are now good citizens and so should everybody else. Please, this hark ens back to a much simpler time. As an aside many people never received social security benefits in the 30's and 40's because they were dead before the age of 65.
There is too much posturing on this issue. Those pounding away at enforcing the rules "now" should realize that 9/11 happened, that the economy economy has tanked, and that the immigration service cannot provide its services required by current law with an agency basically funded by fees.
But on a personal basis there are many kids here that were born here of undocumented parents and are citizens, unfortunately they are to young able to vote and their interests are not being considered properly.
This is a serious issue and needs serious discussion, not hysteria.
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