Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Has Hell finally frozen over or did I see Porky flying outside?

I agreed with Bush! As I listened to his address about the immigration issue,s I found mjyself agreeing with a majority of his points.

1. National Id cards with biometric information: we already have cards on the way tot hat final ID card. My Green Card has an inch thick magnetic strip on the back that has my fingerprints, personal information, alien number and who knows what else. They can track me through that, and I'm an almost Citizen. So, why shouldn't temporary visitors - be it a tourist or temporary worker - get one too? If they don't like it, it's their choice but it might be necessary.

2. Knowledge of the english knowledge: Duh! How can anybody who does not even know the basics of the English language, expect to be a fully participating citizen in this country? If you want to move to a country, at least know the language enough to get by. We are required to show a certain degree of English knowledge to come study here, why isn't the same required of people coming to live here?

3. Employers will be fined for hiring illegal immigrants: This should have been in process way before this. Why should they be allowed to go scot-free for hiring these people because they can pay them below minimum wage. They are not completely guilt free in this situation. If there weren't employers willing to hire them, they wouldn't be crossing over so eager to work for 3 bucks an hour.

Now, here are some things that just made me throw my hands up in the air and say "WHAT???"

1. He proposed to have temporary worker visas for people to come nin and do jobs "the American people won't dp." WTF? Why won't the American people do these jobs? Is cleaning toilets, waiting on people, harvesting crops and so on too below the American citizen now? Oh wait, I forgot, they can sit at home, have babies and get welfare from the government. It's easier to get handouts than to work for a living.

2. It is difficult for employers to check work papers. Again, WHAT? I gave about a gazillion different documents to my current employer and the checking they are doing into everything I gave them will take them 3 weeks. I agree that's a little extreme because it's a government job BUT it is possible to check everything a person hands in. It might take money and time on the employers' part but it's needed, so they should hunker down and do it!!!

A co-worker and I came up with the perfect solution for this: send all the illegal immigrants back. Take all the able bodied people on welfare and put them in those jobs. Problem solved!!!

6 comments:

apete said...

Whoa! I know that I don't have as close to first hand knowledge but here are my comments that I don't want to be left unsaid.

1) A biometric card for tourists? Do you think that we have enough money for this? I just don't see that as financially feasable and if I visit other countries, I can't imagine the collection that I would have accumulated.

2) Dude, I could go work in another country without knowing the language. People from other countries are smart enough to do the same. There is no reason that we should discriminate based on the ability to speak a language.

3) Agreed. I think there are rules for this but it just isn't enforced. Not sure though.

1. The economy in the US is going to go through some growing pains with this one including super high prices and increasing our exports/reducing our imports.

2. Your company is a very large company that has HR and legal staffs to do the paperwork. It is the restaurant owner/farmer/small business owner who doesn't have time to fill out a gazillion documents. Not everyone is employed by a monolith of a company.

Oh and as for welfare, as it is used in the US it is almost always given to parents of children. It is meant to give the parents an opportunity to raise their children as opposed to working and needing to pay for child-care which is normally more expensive than the jobs that people can get.

I'm curious about what you think about the fence. Is it worth the money? I am up in the air about this. I really like the idea if it reduces the drug traffic but I don't know if it is worth the money.

Syl said...

1. I really didn't have visitors in mind. We do have a large problem of tourists coming over and not leaving though, so something needs to be implemented to stop that.

2. I am sorry but I disagree on this. Do you really think you could go work in Germany or France without knowing even the slightest bit of their language? And yes, before you argue, there are groups of immigrants who do not know a single word of English. As long as they stay in their community, they never have to learn it. And, I think that it's impossible to be, as I have said before, a good citizen, if you cannot even communicate in that nation's language.

The fence, you ask? I think that they can put a fence up, create a wall around America, put a net over the whole country, there will always be people trying to get in illegally as long as there are accomodating employers and available jobs inside the country.

Anonymous said...

Part 1.2: Sure I think it's possible to go somewhere where you don't know the language but still be able to survive. The job, living arrangements, and social contacts may not be ideal, but that's that.

Part 2.1: Well, I think one of the strongest reasons why American citizens won't clean toilets for a living is that those jobs *don't* pay enough. (Not like $10/hour; not even minimum wage!) $6.50 is not enough for anyone to live on in this country.

Plus, I don't think it's fair to just ship people off. It sounds like we're discussing an over-population of lemmings or poodles, not people. Nice to see that you're up on your current events! :)

Syl said...

I stick to my guns about language :-P

Why can illegal immigrants survive on those low paying jobs and Americans can't? Because they need at least a 19" tv, one car at a minimum, name brand clothes (it's been researched and proven over and over again that it is not the rich and wealthy who wear flashy clothes and drive flashy cars, it's the lower and middle class) etc.? Why is it suddenly more shameful to clean toilets than to take handouts from the government?

Amy said...

Already been said, but the average person on welfare is a divorced white woman with two kids below school age, and she usually stays on the program for less than two years.

We're not above those jobs, but its hard to live on under 10 bucks an hour (and dont all we graduate students know it). The wages dont seem as bad when you are coming from someplace worse (like some of the poor areas of Mexico).

Overheard in India:
"This is such a nice part of town. They should sell the land and develop it. Why should those (impoverished) people live there? They can go somewhere else."

What the f"#¤?

Syl said...

And as somebody working at the SSA building, and sitting 8 hours a day right now being trained in how all these benefits are handed out and after talking to a Criminal Investigator from the SSA for a majority of the 8 hours today, let me tell you that you are mistaken.

Not going to argue statistics. As anybody in research knows, the numbers change easily based on who does the research. My argument is still the same. Why cannot Americans live on $10 an hour when these illegals can? Why can't Americans live 10 to a house and wear generic shoes and buy walmart brand (or any other store brand you prefer)? Why can't Americans ride public transit, however shitty it might be, instead of having to have a car per household person?

Too tired to type any more but also tired of repetition, so my two cents and I'm done.