Immigration--Will Obama Seize This Key Small Business Issue?

God, yes. Comprehensive Voter Fraud is on its way to establish one party rule. With both a Democratic president and congress in power, we'll probably have something like Martinez-Hagel to bring in 200-300 million mostly Democrat-voting chamberpot and illegal immigrants, which in combination with the Jackpot Baby Democratic Voter Breeding Program (JBDVBP) will ensure Democratic rule for eternity. I'm sure Obama has acquired know-how from Chicago, which has had Democrats in power since 1932.

Luther of IL @ Nov 12, 2008 19:27:58 PM

Enforce the laws, help American workers

While there are millions of illegal aliens in the labor force (subsidized heavily by strapped taxpayers), the concentration is in a few sectors. And the tired argument that they are "doing jobs Americans will not do" is downright silly. Americans will do any job -- for decent wages and benefits. Just ask the municipal sanitation worker.

And don't fall for the false choice that we either have to "deport them all" or grant amnesty (or "earned legalization" or whatever euphemism is used for amnesty). We don't have to deport them all or grant another amnesty. There is a middle ground way that is both cost-effective and humane.

If we enforce our existing laws, cut off benefits, many if not most illegals will self-deport over time. This is called "attrition through enforcement" and we can see how on a limited scale it is working now. And if enough returned to their home countries, they will hopefully pressure their own corrupt governments (e.g., Mexico) to finally reform and provide opportunities for their own citizens. Most importantly, more jobs would open up for American workers, especially for African-Americans and legal Latinos in urban areas.

E-Verify must be expanded, birthright citizenship ended, our laws enforced, and NO further amnesties enacted ("pathway" or otherwise). The costs to propery administer any new amnesty program would be staggering, probably in the tens of billions of dollars. And the long term multi-trillion dollars costs of any amnesty would be crippling (outweighing exponentially any meager fines paid to 'earn' citizenship).

And anyone who supports amnesty should send their children to Los Angeles public schools and sit in L.A. County emergency rooms.

Fed Up of CO @ Nov 12, 2008 18:59:17 PM

immigration reforms will turn around economy.

Good work Mike and Paul!

America loses money because there are a bunch of people not paying taxes, but take huge service benefits. This is a huge drain in the country's finances.

You do not have the financial resources to send all the illegal immigrants . You can not do most of the jobs they are doing. Why not at least initiate a process by which you can identify them, make them pay taxes; Give them a cooling period of a few years to make sure they are not criminals before helping them to be legal citizens.

The best way would be to give them driving licenses. You know who is behind the wheel, who lives where. Provide them with access to insurance, medical help. Nobody should live a marginal life, hiding in the shadows. Once they have legal authorization to work, they will compete for the same salaries and jobs as everybody else. I am sure then nobody will take your jobs, unless you don't want them.

Just imagine the flow of taxes, and investments from within and more new employments.

The key however is to revive the housing market. If investing in real estate or business will score a point for immigration, imagine how much money it will generate.

However any sort of clemency should come only after the legal immigrants have been panned for permanent residency.

Mo of NC @ Nov 12, 2008 18:22:54 PM

Change is here right, Immigration needs help to help all people

I agree with Mike, that is a perfect plan if the sennate would look into it it would help our failing economy.

Linda, California

Linda Ilog of CA @ Nov 12, 2008 17:51:29 PM

Illegal immigrants are integrated in the US workforce

No matter what your ideological stance on immigration, the fact remains the same, that there is the presence of more than 15 million illegal immigrants in the US. The situation itself cannot be ignored, and it's imperative for the new administration to revamp or overhaul the status quo.

Firstly, if we chose to deport all these llegal immigrants it will cost the government so much money that with the present financial crisis will only deepen the hole we are in ; not to mention the fact that we will be subjected to ire & ridicule from the international community for not practicing what we preach; that America is a land of opportunity where anybody, black, white, latino, asian, gay or straight, young and old can achieve the American dream.

Secondly; contrary to most perception; these illegal immigrants are already working and are part of the US workforce. Do you know why ? Because these people goes for the job that most americans finds less appealing. Ask yourself if you are willing to take care of the elderly and clean their pereneal areas most of the time because they are incontinent, be able to take the smell of their bowel while you're washing them ? I don't think so !! However, a lot of illegal immigrants are woking these kinds of jobs, because nobody wants it anyway. And they are good at it that it became acceptable for the families even if they know that they are hiring illegal immigrants; because the family member are given the best care and love that no one in here would like to do.

These migrant workers are rooted already and are integrated in the US workforce that forcing them to give up their jobs or business will further cripple the economy since they represents a certain factor in it. It is like cutting a driving belt or taking out the distributor cap of a car....the car won't simply move despite the fact that you only have taken an insignificant part of it.

Since they are already here; give them the oppotunity to help their adoptive country and make them pay taxes by giving them Social Security numbers. They are already earning their living here, make them spend here too. If these people are given equal rights as all American citizens; they will be an asset to his country. The country needs all the cash it can accumulate right now; and one way of raising money is thru fines that these illegal immigrant are all too willing to pay just to be a legal resident.

Lastly, whomever will provide this pathway to citizenship (be it Republicans or Democrats)to illegal immigrants; will become the ruling party for this country in the future, because who do you think these people will vote for when these millions of immigrants becomes citizens ? The face of this country is changing; most might still be in denial but Joe The Plummer (being white)alone doesn't represent America anymore. This country has a million faces that represents it and anybody who loves and care this country is an American too !!!! even if we are not born here.

Paul R Castillon of IL @ Nov 12, 2008 17:47:55 PM

How to generate BILLIONS!! in 10 YEARS

It's simple math. illegal aliens are not going anywhere unless they're criminals. All criminals legal or not should be deported. We need a you pay, you stay policy. I don't know why we have a lot of ignorant people in congress and throughout the country opposing immigration reform. There's billions of dollars in the social security administration and Internal Revenue Service pockets that is unclaimed due to immigrants not being eligible to claim the money due to their illegal status. Solution, use all unclaimed money to fund the immigration reform and do the following. Fine $5000 to every illegal immigrant that wants to stay in the US or leave the country. Provide a 10 year work permit along with a $1000 fine for every year the work permit is renewed, this will avoid people who are waiting in line being effected by this. In 10 years all the people waiting in line should be taken care of. By the end of 10 years, this immigration reform would produce a guaranteed 180 BILLION dollars(based on 12 mil. immigrants), not to mention BILLIONS IF NOT TRILLIONS of dollars in income taxes and social security. The economy would grow by creating more jobs, people being able to buy homes and cars, built credit, buy car, heath and life insurance. People are crossing the border paying thousands(5K to 25k) to human smugglers, WAKE UP PEOPLE, let them pay the US government (who are trillions in debt), instead of human and drug smugglers (who make billions maybe even trillions in profits).

Mike of CA @ Nov 12, 2008 17:06:21 PM

Another more realistic view...

First of all, are we talking about immigration, or the massive influx of largely low skilled foreign nationals who illegally entered our country and/or those who overstayed their visas? These are separate things, although the biased MSM often write (like Bandyk) as if they are the same.

Regarding legal immigration, the U.S. is already extremely generous, admitting over a million immigrants a year. With about 10 million unemployed Americans, it is time for a sober public policy discussion about whether such high levels are good for American workers.

Regarding illegal immigration, there are an estimated 12-38 million illegal aliens in the U.S. As the 1986 "comprehensive immigration reform" (i.e, amnesty) bill proved, any further amnesty such as what President-elect Obama proposed during the campaign would only excerbate the problem. And as a 2007 Heritage Foundation report by Robert Rector outlined, any amnesty would cost taxpayers about $2.6 TRILLION -- negating any of the fiscal benefits of the supposed "entrepeneurial spirit" of illegal aliens.

Zogby polling just released shows that Americans overwhelmingly favor enforcement over amnesty. This is not "nativism" or "xenophboia" (some of the more "polite" terms used by the open border crowd to describe Americans who want their laws enforced and sanity restored to the immigration system) -- this is the reality of Americans who live the negative impacts of illegal immigration on a daily basis.

It is time for Obama and our other elected officials to stick up for Americans workers, oppose amnesty "pathways", and ignore the shrill voices of the cheap labor and ethnocentric special interests. If our laws are (finally) enforced the majority of illegal aliens will self-deport over time and our economy (and our public schools, emergency rooms etc.) will do just fine.

Fed up taxpayer of CO @ Nov 12, 2008 13:10:54 PM

The whole key to immigration is letting anybody come EXCEPT those from other countries who end up being exploited for cheap labor by corporations AT YOUR EXPENSE IN NEIGHBORHOOD DETERIORATION AND PUBLIC FUNDED SOCIAL SERVICES.

I still say we should have a special minimum wage of at least $15.00 per hour just for non-citizens. Fix it so you just cannot hire them cheaper than that and then open the doors.

of @ Nov 12, 2008 12:38:16 PM