Republicans & Conservatives: Archives

Chi Chi, you’re obviously correct. Unfortunately, President Bush doesn’t believe there’s a border problem, “We’re doing everything we can to protect our borders and ports,” he said during the presidential debates. If you believe that, I’ve got a bridge for sale.

Like Kerry said, “The measurement is not: Are we safer? The measurement is: Are we as safe as we ought to be?”

Obviously not, but instead of making border security a priority, Republican leaders are focusing on tax cuts for the rich, tax breaks for multi-national corporations, an unnecessary war in Iraq, and a multi-trillion dollar Social Security privatization plan that doesn’t even address that program’s financial problems.

Homeland security is not a priority for this administration or for the Republican Congress.

Oh yeah, solutions: Remote drones, sensors, and satellite observation will probably work well in conjunction with more patrols. I’m not sure a contiguous wall would be practical or effective.

But all those cost money and political capitol, neither of which Republicans in the government are willing to spend on border security.

AP:

“But all those cost money and political capitol, neither of which Republicans in the government are willing to spend on border security.”

Thanks for the reply.

I think Bush made a tactical and political error by not prioritizing homeland above invasion. I agree with your comment that this still is not enough of a priority. Unfortunately, the leadership on both sides have gotten themselves caught up in a circular arguement. Iraq, judges, filabuster, Iraq, judges, filabuster….the circle continues and no one can get in the discussion.

Higher priorities have been dropped in favor of political expediency. I think all conservatives should be upset and motivated to move back to our roots (at least fiscally) and help protect home base.

Unfortunately, the leadership on both sides have gotten themselves…

Totally untrue. Homeland security has been a major issue for the Democratic Party since 9/11, it was a big issue in Kerry’s election campaign, it’s a fundamental part of the key legislation Democrats introduced at the beginning of the year, and it’s still a top priority for Democratic law makers despite obstructions and distractions by Republicans in Congress.

You are dangerously correct on many points here. If we don’t take care of ourselves first we won’t be able to help anyone else. President Eisenhower realized the threat of illegal immigrants and deported 1 million illegal immigrants in his first six months of office. TIME magazine did an article titled “Who Left the Door Open” and a new book is comming out “Death by a Thousand Cuts” by Frosty Wooldridge. If a person studies this subject as a concerned American, be prepaired to have your socks scared off because the do-nothing stance we are currently taking can lead us into the worst crises our country has faced in about 129 years. If we don’t take this threat seriously, our country could change from a super-power to a super-slum. There would then be no country in the world who could and would help others as we used to.

AP:

“Totally untrue. Homeland security has been a major issue for the Democratic Party since 9/11, it was a big issue in Kerry’s election campaign, it’s a fundamental part of the key legislation Democrats introduced at the beginning of the year, and it’s still a top priority for Democratic law makers despite obstructions and distractions by Republicans in Congress.”

Ah, AP….always the partisan. Take a step back, take a breath, look objectively at what has been done since the beginning of the year on Homeland Security. Sure, they introduced a bill. Where is it? Where is the indignation that their bill has not progressed? This is objectively no more a priority for Dems than Reps. It is time we all called our favorites…either side of the aisle…and told them to move this thing along. I’m getting impatient and you should be too.

Which party sponsored the I.D. bill to keep terriorists and illegals from getting drivers licences?

Which party was trying to block that bill?

I forget, someone help me out here?

THe original mission of the INS on our southern border had been seriously compromised and eroded for decades before 9/11. Agribusiness needed cheap labor and the laborers needed jobs that paid a living for their families. No matter how much the politicians droned on about securing our borders nothing effective was done because the will was not really there. Everybody wants affordable fresh fruit and vegetables and most Americans do not want to harvest the crops.

Now that we really do need border enforcement for our own security it is time to reconfigure the mission of the INS and make our borders safe. To do this it will be absolutely necessary to differenciate legally among the various catagories of people coming into the country. We can’t afford to ignore terrorists and criminals as we have ignored fruit pickers. The price is too high. We can’t afford not to ask hard questions: where are you from? why are you here? How do you support yourself?

My grandmother immigrated to this country in 1936 with five children from Canada. She was asked, like all immigrants for proof that her assets would support her family, and she paid a “head tax” for each of her children. If anybody in the family had had a communicable disease or if it looked like she might be taking a job away from an American, she would have been denied entry to the US.

Nowadays all of our borders and airports are vulnerable to destructive forces that did not exist then. To regain control we will probably have to close off all immigration for a time, and then become as stringent as we were in 1936. It won’t be easy or cheap, but thre is no higher priority.

Monica:

“To regain control we will probably have to close off all immigration for a time, and then become as stringent as we were in 1936.”

While I agree with your post in general, I don’t know that this idea is practical. To shut down immigration completely, even for a short time, places a lot of people in jeopardy. It also effectively shuts down harvest time in the south or north, depending on the time of year.

I also agree that it is an expensive problem, no matter how it is attacked. Redirecting the INS is a start, but there is infrastrutcture to be built, a dramatic increase in the patrol force is needed, as AP wrote there is technology to be purchased, and, of course, Congress to wake up. And we all know the only way to wake them up is the smell of money.

I think at least part of the immigration problem can be lessened by striking down NAFTA and reintroducing the tariff’s that allowed Mexican labor and business to compete with American business to begin with. Admittedly, it is highly unlikely to happen, as there is really a binational system of production between the U.S. and Mexico. It really comes down to: do we want stringent border security, or do we want business to be as profitable as it is? Tough choice, especially as either way, you’re looking at a danger to people’ lives.

We are reaping the harvest of decades of poor border security.
I have for years been for sealing off our borders by whatever means nessary and keeping them that way.
One way to help keep us secure is for people to report ALL those they suspect of being here illeagaly to the INS.

Sure, they introduced a bill. Where is it? Where is the indignation that their bill has not progressed? This is objectively no more a priority for Dems than Reps.

Chi Chi, as you guys keep reminding us, Republicans are winning all the elections. That means they set the agenda, they decide which bills get a vote, they can pass pretty much any piece of legislation they want (like that crappy bankruptcy bill) without even asking Democrats.

I provided info on Democrat’s commitment to border control, you’re free to disregard it if you wish.

Ron Brown,

One way to help keep us secure is for people to report ALL those they suspect of being here illeagaly to the INS.

Ok, admittedly that’s the best idea I’ve heard yet for latin american illegals, but what about Canadians? They really aren’t all that different from Minnesotans and would be pretty damned hard to spot… Perhaps a Great wall of Canada?

Years ago I was listening to a debate on local
talk radio about the border problem. One of the
in-studio participants kept asking “What can we
do?”( his was the liberal voice on the show ).
There was all this talk of fences and the use
of modern technology solutions and the money
that would cost. I called in and simply asked,
“Has anyone heard of the Great Wall of China?”

Now I’m not suggesting we go to that great length
or cost, but if the ancient Chinese could do what
they did thousands of years ago, why can’t we do
more than a lousy barbed wire fence along some
stretches of our southern border? We have the
technology, we can build/rebuild a wall for a lot
less than it costs US taxpayers to pay in welfare
programs, deportation costs, INS & border patrol
salaries and other costs related to illegal
immigrants.

I don’t care if it’s our southern or northern
border. I don’t care if its hipanics or white,
French Canadians. We have to make our borders
secure from terrorists and costly and/or criminal illegals. Heres a thought. Have all of those millions of Central & South American immigrants help in the building and construction of a unscaleable,impenetrable wall that would keep future illegals out. Pay them a wage better than they’d earn on a migrant farm and guarantee them citizenship for their help building the wall. But with these conditions.

They must learn to write and speak English. How
much they choose to use english in their private
lives is solely up to them. If they are discovered
aiding illegal immigrants in any way, they get
deported. That includes if the section of the
wall they worked on is found to be faulty and is
being used by illegals, who are using that weak
point to sneak in. Construction technology has
advanced tremendously in just the past 30 years.
I for one would be willing to pay a little more
in taxes in order to achieve strong, viable
borders.

So who should teach “Borders 101”? Well the obvious choice would be the general contractors
of the Great Wall of China. But unless someone
out there has a time machine. I don’t think the
professor of Borders 101 even has to be a Mensa
member. Just someone with common sense for a
darn good fence. Maybe the federal government
could start a new reality show called “Extreme
Makeover - Border Barrier Edition.

One last thing. There is no illegal immigration
involved when someone loses their job to an
underpayed person in India through outsourcing.
Lets put pressure on our politicians to offer
incentives to businesses to keep those jobs here.
Let’s refuse to buy products or use the services
of companies that heavily outsource. And let’s
“outsource” the politicians who don’t do enough
to curtail outsourcing.

One last illegal immigrant point. It may be
“humane” to provide watering stations to those
making the potentially deadly trip through the
desert. But what’s next…convenience stores,
taxis and fast food outlets? We shouldn’t be
doing ANYTHING to make it easier for illegal
immigrants to make it here. Those who settled
the west including the team of Lewis & Clark,
who helped map the west, didn’t have watering
stations set up for them by the native Americans
who eventually lost their lands to the invaders.

Unfortunately, border control is an intensely political subject.

The states on our southern border have tried repeatedly to institute more stringent border controls, only to see their laws struck down by activist judges in the name of “fairness”. Certainly the PTB in Mexico will fight with every diplomatic resource they have and with every technique they can come up with, legal or il-, to prevent America from developing effective border controls; with a porous border they can send their excess workers up here, and those workers’ wages will in large part flow back to their families in Mexico.

Combine that with our Hispanic citizenry, who sympathize with their fellow Hispanics’ needs but are impatient with their law-breaking and the perceived need for it – well, what you’ve got there is an emotionally charged mess easily subject to the propaganda efforts of anyone who thinks he or she can find a way to gain from it. Think about the last election, for instance; Kerry had no credible program to offer, but that didn’t stop him from trying to make Bush’s apparent inattention to our porous border a major issue.

And yes, I do think Bush has dropped the ball here in a big way.

FWIW, I don’t think that the Minutemen *are* vigilantes, any more than a neighborhood watch program is a vigilante group. The Minutemen just observe, and call in the pros when they observe illegal entry; they don’t try to arrest or confront the illegals themselves.

You asked for suggestions as to what we should do. I think what needs to be done is three-fold.

First, we need to work on enforcement. Adding more border patrollers is a good first step; it’ll take time, but it’s something we’ve needed to do for a long time, and we are going to be playing catch-up for a while, alas. We need to insist on verification of citizenship or legal residence at places of employment and other key points, such as the DOT offices that issue drivers’ licenses. We need to insist that colleges attended by foreign nationals whose visas are specifically for attending school, notify some designated authority when the foreign student leaves the school or graduates. We need better (and less conspicuous) control over business visas. We need to work out what we need in terms of technology to assist the border patrol in tightening up entry, and get it and use it. All this is expensive, but it will be worth it in saving lives if and when foreign terrorists try again.

Won’t do anything for us against domestic terrorists, but that’s another subject.

Second, we need to figure out some way to make sure that populist judges and short-sighted bleeding hearts and such sorts don’t sabotage the enforcement program. I suspect that will be harder than ramping up the enforcement program.

Third, we need to gather up the entire body of current immigration law and look it over and replace it with a simpler, more rational system that acknowledges our labor needs and allows for compassionate exceptions, but is designed to make legal entry a lot more attractive and available than illegal entry – for the sort of people who want to become productive members of our society.

Anyhow, I’m pretty sure that program would have a major positive impact on our homeland security problems. :)

ET

re Borders 101,
The tone of much that I have read here is too
mild in the extreme. We’re an invaded country. There are more like 20 million criminal aliens resident in this country - an army of invasion, occupation and colonization. That’s what we’re dealing with here, not something else or other. Latino activists are at work to gain political or any other kind of power in order to ‘reconquer’ the southwest and form a northern state of Mexico therewith.
That means we seal the border, deport all illegals, stop all immigration til we get it sorted out. Rescind EOIR & BIA (litigation route enforcement process which is subverted, compromised and offers built in amnesty), stop ‘anchor baby’ citizenship. Stop all perks, services, jobs, entitlements for illegals, for which the citizen taxpayers are made the payors. Seek out and fine and jail all illegal hirers.
WE use troops , national guard, and all police in coordinated enforcement. We citizens turn in all the illegals we suspect. Anyone without papers (verifiable & genuine) proving legal entry is deportable immediately, no litigation whatever. If they are here illegally, they are deported, period, end of story,
Now I know what you’re thinking: we can’t, we mustn’t, it’s callous, too much, inhumane. What we’re doing then is repulsing and stopping the invasion and takeover of our country which is going on now and has been going on for many years. I have seen this down here in Texas & the Southwest for over 35 years. My hometown, now 45% latino, had maybe half dozen latinos in the late ’50s.
It is said, we haven’t the will; our pols apparently are of that persuasion. They can be changed. Whoever really believes we can’t anything are already lost in the struggle. We most assuredly can do anything and all that is required, and we damn well better or there’s not going to be a U.S. for long - we’ll be mired up to our armpits in third world grime, corruption, civil strife, without a middle class, a brand new replica of what Mexico is now.
It is said we won’t do the jobs done by illegals. We did them for 250 plus years
without any illegals. We can do them again. I did them - dug ditches w/ pick and shovel, pipelined, roustabouted, roughnecked, pulled boles, chopped cotton(hoed), headed maize, delivery boy, store clerk, stock boy, ‘go fer’. On some jobs I got so dirty I took off my clothes and threw them in the trash(oil base mud); it was senseless to try to launder those clothes.
So, that tired line is just that, ‘we won’t do those jobs’ is pure BS. If this country means much to anyone, it is worth fighting for( with whatever weapons necessary) and working for ( at whatever jobs need to be done).
The minute you start with ‘we can’t’ well, you
are simply defeated for lack of will. I didn’t write this to argue anything. I know what this mess is. It is what it is and I don’t argue about it.
Yours truly,
blmorris@swbell.net

01,

The states on our southern border have tried repeatedly to institute more stringent border controls, only to see their laws struck down by activist judges in the name of “fairness”.

Can you give me some examples? I’d never heard of “activist judges” until the GOP made it part of their re-election rhetoric. Thanks.

Try prop. 187, son.

Your style of judge trashcanned it.

Is that the one from a decade ago that would have violated both Article VI of the US Constitution and the 14th Amendment?

Illegal immigration (more accurately, illegal trespassing) is Fox’s undeclared war on the U.S., and we’re losing the war.

The rights of illegal trespassers do not trump the rights of the people of a sovereign nation that chooses to regulate when and who may cross its’ borders.

I agree with the Minute Men. They’re simply enforcing the law (for the most part), because the Federal government won’t. Mostly, the Minute Men only call the Border Patrol and leave the arresting of illegal trespassers up to them.

Bush calls the Minute Men vigilantes and won’t enforce the laws to punish companies (e.g. Walmart) who employ them.

Illegal aliens bring crime and disease with them, burden our schools and hospitals, and drive around without auto insurance or drivers licenses, and flee from auto accidents (i.e. hit and run). I have land in New Mexico in which illegal aliens cut down about an 1/2 acre of trees, and broke into the cabin and stole some things and vandalized some other things. I’ve also seen them cutting down trees in National Forests. They have no respect for our laws (clearly, otherwise, they wouldn’t be here). Violent crimes and murders by illegal aliens are crimes that should have never happened.

The Federal government is totally incompetent, and has no intentions of securing the borders, because the want Walmart and other corporations to continue to get cheap labor, national security be damned.

SOLUTION:

(1) Close our borders. The military must do this. Build a line of small forts along our land borders; these forts would use the considerable electronic resources now available to monitor our borders. Each fort would have a few helicopters to use for interdiction and patrol. Expand the Coast Guard and/or Navy to set up an outer and inner boundary along our coasts to monitor all inbound shipping and small aircraft traffic.

(2) Use biometrics to record all identities of citizens and visitors to the U.S. This would require the linking and replication of data bases nationwide. An added benefit, besides enabling the easy identification of illegals, would be the flushing out of many criminals who have false identiies using invalid or someone else’s Social Security number.

(3) Impose the maximum sentences and penalties on any employers found to be employing illegal aliens. Provide rewards for those reporting illegal employment of illegal aliens.

(4) Only children born in the U.S. by parents who are here legally are automatically eligible for U.S. citizenship. This may require a Constitutional Amendment.

(5) Finally, if Congress and/or the Executive Branch refuses to do this (and voters should probably do this anyway), then voters should simply do this one simple thing to peacefully force government to be responsible, transparent, and accountable. After, we should be getting a lot more for $2 trillion per year and an $8 trillion National Debt. Securing the borders is just one of the many pressing problems facing this nation, and time is running out.

These steps will increase security, remove the magnet that attracts illegal trespassers, make our borders very difficult to breech, and the military would finally be providing us with what they are supposed to (safety from foreign threats).

Illegal aliens bring crime and disease with them, burden our schools and hospitals, and drive around without auto insurance or drivers licenses, and flee from auto accidents (i.e. hit and run). I have land in New Mexico in which illegal aliens cut down about an 1/2 acre of trees, and broke into the cabin and stole some things and vandalized some other things. I’ve also seen them cutting down trees in National Forests. They have no respect for our laws (clearly, otherwise, they wouldn’t be here). Violent crimes and murders by illegal aliens are crimes that should have never happened.

The Federal government is totally incompetent, and has no intentions of securing the borders, because the want Walmart and other corporations to continue to get cheap labor, national security be damned.

Posted by: d.a.n at May 31, 2005 12:14 AM

d.a.n.:
Who determines if someone is a citizen? Do you carry around your passport? I see a National Identity Card as the only answer, otherwise you open yourself(police, law enforcement, etc) up to lawsuits from all sides? If you target only latinos in the American Southwest you are guilty of racial predjudices. Do you have proof that the people who broke into your cabin were in fact illegals? You state that “illegals cut down about an 1/2 acre of trees”. Do you have proof said trees, were in fact cut down by illegals if you do, I say run the Bastards out of this country Headed back to the country of origin. With a “DO NOT RETURN” sticker permanently afixed to their forhead.
I also have a problem with your statement “I’ve also seen them cutting down trees in National Forests”. You make no mention whatsoever of what your actions were. Inaction, doesn’t excuse guilt, so if you took no action, you are just as guilty as they were.

There are so many holes in your statement that this boat just won’t hold water. Repeating rhetoric doesn’t make false-hoods and half-truth’s
any more true. I am sorry, but think about it.
as always,
Wayne

Wayne wrote, Who determines if someone is a citizen? Do you carry around your passport? I see a National Identity Card as the only answer,

Wayne,
A citizen is determined by citizenship.
I carry a passport when I travel, but not inside the U.S.
The idea is that no identity card is needed. Biometrics (e.g. 2 or 3 metrics: iris-scan, fingerprints, and height) are recorded, and nobody needs an identity card. Those metrics can be determined and verified within a matter of seconds. Cards are easy to falsify and duplicate. 2 or 3 metrics would be nearly impossible to falsify.

Regarding the trees on my property in NW New Mexico, there were three guys. We knew one of them, that is a legal immigrant. The other two are illegal aliens that are related to the legal immigrant, who also has family in that county. I did not see them break into the cabin, but they were cutting trees and they stole a chainsaw from the cabin. When they heard us coming, they fled in a 4x4 pickup truck with a partial load of trees. The truck belonged to the legal immigrant. We gave the police the license plate number and his name. Some other residents in the area know all of their names, but they won’t tell the police where they are. The police didn’t do anything. They say they don’t know where they are, and they’re not looking for them. The land is at 8000 feet and it is right on the boundary of the Pecos Wilderness/Sante Fe National Forest. They were also cutting trees just on the south-side of the National Forest fence line too. They had already made off with several truck loads before we got there. We were armed, but we’re not going to shoot people over trees. Besides, they’re often also armed. This sort of thing happens a lot in New Mexico. It’s a common practice for them to cut down trees to sell at Christmas time and sell for fence posts. We also reported it to National Forest Ranger’s office, because we don’t want to get blamed for cutting down trees in the National Forest adjacent to our property. There’s a hefty fine for doing that. The damage done is sad. It will take decades for the aspens and pines to grow back.

Here’s the property and an aerial. Unfortunately, you can’t see the short stumps for the snow cover…

Wayne wrote:

There are so many holes in your statement that this boat just won’t hold water. Repeating rhetoric doesn’t make false-hoods and half-truth’s any more true. I am sorry, but think about it.

Wayne, It’s a free country. Believe whatever you want. Maybe you’ll feel different when it’s your property or safety that is threatened.

d.a.n.
I shouldn’t have called you of all people on your integrity. For that I hope you accept my humble apology. I am very sorry.
I live on the edge of LA/Kern Counties,here in California. We are also innundated with more than our fair share of immigration related problems. More and more often, I am watching the news, when a story breaks, then the immigration status of the suspect comes up. It doesn’t come up when I am talking with someone on the telephone. I can speak as a white male, that no one has ever asked me for a green card, why does it almost always come up if the suspect is of hispanic descendants? No offense was meant by this entire diatribe.

No offense taken.
BTW, I do not advocate mistreatment of illegal aliens. The race, nationality, or which border they cross is not an issue to me. They’re people. It’s understandable that they want to come here for jobs, since our governments won’t enforce the law and crack down on greedy companies that lure them here. And I’m not against legal immigration or people visiting the U.S. We already allow one person per second to legally immigrate into this country.

However, the rights of illegal trespassers do not trump the rights of citizens of a sovereign nation. Or, worded a bit differently: How does our right as citizens of the U.S. to secure our borders, violate the rights of any person that wants to illegally enter our country without our permission?

What makes things worse is that Vicente Fox (President of Mexico) is not helping resolve the problem whatsoever. In fact, he criticizes the U.S. for enforcing border security. And, did you hear what Fox said 17-May-2005 ?

As for the Border 101 topic…
it is a difficult problem. I offer the following solution. There are others that have offered the identical or similar solution. I’m willing to debate it to find a better way. Doing nothing just doesn’t seem like an acceptable option.

SOLUTION:
(1) Close our borders. The military must do this. Build a line of small forts along land borders; use electronic surviellance and helicopters at each fort interdiction and patrol. Deploy the Coast Guard and/or Navy to set up a boundary along our coasts to monitor all inbound shipping and small aircraft traffic.

(2) Use biometrics to record all identities of citizens and visitors to the U.S. This would require the linking and replication of databases nationwide (no more difficult than it currently is to pay by credit card). An added benefit is the easy identification of illegals and criminals.

(3) Impose the maximum sentences and penalties on any employers found to be employing illegal aliens. Provide rewards for those reporting illegal employment of illegal aliens.

(4) Only children born in the U.S. by parents who are here legally are automatically U.S. citizens. Current citizens already have proof of citizenship. This may require a Constitutional Amendment.

(5) Finally, peacefully force Congress and/or the Executive Branch to do this, and also become responsible, transparent, and accountable.

These steps will increase security, remove the magnet that attracts illegal trespassers, make our borders very difficult to breech, and the military would finally be providing us with what they are supposed to (safety from foreign threats).

d.a.n.:

I must admit your plan not only holds water, it is do able. But I must ask these questions of you before I can support it…..

(1) Close our borders. The military must do this. Build a line of small forts along land borders; use electronic surviellance and helicopters at each fort interdiction and patrol. Deploy the Coast Guard and/or Navy to set up a boundary along our coasts to monitor all inbound shipping and small aircraft traffic.

Do you honestly think with our current spendthrift administration we can even feasably approach this? Hell, Rumsfeld is on the circuit telling us how much we need to trim our budgets … yeah, so he and the rest of his cronies can make some more money.

(2)Use biometrics to record all identities of citizens and visitors to the U.S. This would require the linking and replication of databases nationwide (no more difficult than it currently is to pay by credit card). An added benefit is the easy identification of illegals and criminals.

I actually support this idea, but again where is the money going to come from?

(3) Impose the maximum sentences and penalties on any employers found to be employing illegal aliens. Provide rewards for those reporting illegal employment of illegal aliens.

I only ask if you would be in favor of similar laws that provide for confiscation of property?
Like they have in Drug busts. Can you imagine the seizure of some company the size of Wal-mart having their buildings taken away? And would you support legislation similar to the RICO act (corrupt enteprises) for repeat offenders?

(4) Only children born in the U.S. by parents who are here legally are automatically U.S. citizens. Current citizens already have proof of citizenship. This may require a Constitutional Amendment.

I support this 100% provided that the children of said illegals, are not held rsponsible for the actions of their parents (ie…after being deported, said children can apply for reentry after reaching the age of majority.) without penalty or other adverse actions.

(5) Finally, peacefully force Congress and/or the Executive Branch to do this, and also become responsible, transparent, and accountable.

When have you ever known Congress/Executive Branch of this Government to do anything without a fight. I honestly believe that these guys and gals in power “Would gripe about FREE ice-cream”. It is hard enough to get this congress to agree to disagree, do you think that this suggestion is do able?

Having spent 20 Years on active duty in the Army I kind of hope that I spent my time making you feel secure in your home at night. Knowing that I, and others were out there somewhere guarding your freedom.

As always,
Wayne

d.a.n.:

I must admit your plan not only holds water, it is do able. But I must ask these questions of you before I can support it…..

(1) Close our borders. The military must do this. Build a line of small forts along land borders; use electronic surviellance and helicopters at each fort interdiction and patrol. Deploy the Coast Guard and/or Navy to set up a boundary along our coasts to monitor all inbound shipping and small aircraft traffic.

Do you honestly think with our current spendthrift administration we can even feasably approach this? Hell, Rumsfeld is on the circuit telling us how much we need to trim our budgets … yeah, so he and the rest of his cronies can make some more money.

Currently, many in the military are posted in almost every state. Just move 33% of them to the borders. They won’t require that much. The forts don’t have to be extravagant. The sophisticated electronics available today will allow the forts to be spaced far apart. Also, the number of troops required will decline as technology advances and would-be trespassers learn it’s futile to try to trespass illegally.

(2)Use biometrics to record all identities of citizens and visitors to the U.S. This would require the linking and replication of databases nationwide (no more difficult than it currently is to pay by credit card). An added benefit is the easy identification of illegals and criminals.

I actually support this idea, but again where is the money going to come from?

This would not cost that much really. Databases already exist to track SSN, names, addresses, taxes, property stats, etc. Just modify them to also store encrypted biometric information.

(3) Impose the maximum sentences and penalties on any employers found to be employing illegal aliens. Provide rewards for those reporting illegal employment of illegal aliens.

I only ask if you would be in favor of similar laws that provide for confiscation of property?
Like they have in Drug busts. Can you imagine the seizure of some company the size of Wal-mart having their buildings taken away? And would you support legislation similar to the RICO act (corrupt enteprises) for repeat offenders?

No, I’m not for seizing corporate property. Stiff fines and jail terms, that increase with each offense, for those guilty of breaking the law, should be sufficient. The many good people working for the corporation should not be punished for the acts of a few greedy or irresponsible criminals within the organization. Only punish the guilty.

(4) Only children born in the U.S. by parents who are here legally are automatically U.S. citizens. Current citizens already have proof of citizenship. This may require a Constitutional Amendment.

I support this 100% provided that the children of said illegals, are not held rsponsible for the actions of their parents (ie…after being deported, said children can apply for reentry after reaching the age of majority.) without penalty or other adverse actions.

Yes, anyone can apply for legal immigration, except for adults that illegally trespass. Children would not be responsible for their parents crimes. The U.S. allows 1 person per second to legally immigrate. I am not against regulated and legal immigration.

(5) Finally, peacefully force Congress and/or the Executive Branch to do this, and also become responsible, transparent, and accountable.

When have you ever known Congress/Executive Branch of this Government to do anything without a fight. I honestly believe that these guys and gals in power “Would gripe about FREE ice-cream”. It is hard enough to get this congress to agree to disagree, do you think that this suggestion is do able?

Having spent 20 Years on active duty in the Army I kind of hope that I spent my time making you feel secure in your home at night. Knowing that I, and others were out there somewhere guarding your freedom.

Wayne, Congress will never do it themselves. That’s why voters must make them do it.
The voters can only force government to anything by continuously voting them out until they start resolving problems that they should easily be able to solve. Until then:
VOTE only for NON-incumbents and NON-main-party-candidates.
NO exceptions. Repeatedly , EVERY election.
UNTIL things drastically improve (UNTIL the 9 Point Plan is implemented), and then,
SPREAD the idea to: voters, internet, political parties, politicians, news papers, blogs, friends, family, senators, representatives, etc.

Having spent 20 Years on active duty in the Army I kind of hope that I spent my time making you feel secure in your home at night. Knowing that I, and others were out there somewhere guarding your freedom.

Yes. I have a great deal of admiration and respect for those the serve in the military, and I would like to see them all treated much better also. Thank you.

Oh…I forgot.
A lot of the money needed for this could be obtained from the tremendous amount of annual pork-barrel and waste.
There’s really plenty of money (revenues of about $2 trillion per year). It’s just not spent on the right things. Currently, about $1 billion per day is spent on just the interest on the $8 trillion National Debt. If they curb the borrowing, reduce the debt, stop the waste, pork-barrel, and give-aways all over the planet, there would be more than enough with some left over.

There are over 2 million employees in the Executive Branch, unseen and unheard, with more power and influence than Congress and it’s 200 thousand employees. Are we getting our money’s worth? Compare that to the number of people in the military. I think we have way too many people riding in the wagon, and not enough pushing the wagon.

d.a.n.:

You are a just the fountain of information for me today. I have just one question regarding bio-metrics, How are the samples taken? I am assuming that the only problem would b getting the iris print. Thanks.
As Always,
Wayne

The iris-scanner and finger-print-scanner technologies already exist and only take a few seconds. Some airports are already using them. The prices, as with all electronics, will fall drastically as they become more popular.

The iris is the most unique part of the body.
More so than DNA. Even twins have different irises.

Also, I’d recommend another piece of biometric information (i.e. 2 or 3+ things: such as iris-print, finger-print, body-geometry, height, hand-geometry-print, voice-print, and perhaps a password too). That will make it extremely difficult to fake another’s identity.

I’ve seen many of these in use and they are fast and accurate. It would be nice to not to have to carry around identification anymore, and worry about Identify theft. Someone recently charged about $1200 on my wife’s credit card. Fortunately, it didn’t cost us, but Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the U.S.

d.a.n.

Thanks for the info today/yesterday. BTW, When I asked who determines if you are a citizen or not?
I was asking is what criteria do you use to take these bio-metrics or do you take them from everyone you stop(Police checkpoints)? Could they put the scanners in the end of a flashlight?

As always,
Wayne

I don’t recommend random police checkpoints. Checkpoints would only exist at the nation’s borders, and other places where biometrics is needed to confirm identity. For example:

Federal Buildings
State Court Buildings
Top Secret Areas
Homes
Apartments
Office Buildings
Store rooms
Supply / Inventory rooms
Computer rooms
Computer systems
Schools
Laboratories
Banks
ATMs
Check cashing facilities
Post Office Boxes
Safes
Voting Stations
Point-of-Sale (e.g. with or instead of credit card)
weapons and weapon systems
airlines
buses
subways
mass transit systems
hospitals/medical records
passports/visas
driver licenses
time-card records (e.g. time-in/out)
etc.

Yes, wireless/portable scanner units could be developed (if they haven’t already). I know some finger-print and iris-scanners are already portable (e.g. finger-print scanners) connected to wireless tablets, notebooks, and palm/hand-held devices.

Yes, everyone would submit biometric information. We already know who most citizens are. They should have a birth certificate, and/or a social security number, and/or parent(s) with a birth certificate, and/or a social security number.

This would help to end The United States most rapid crime: Identity Theft.

One added advantage of such a system is that it makes it difficult for criminals and illegal trespassers to move about the country without detection.

I know a lot of people don’t trust all of this stuff, and the “Big Brother Fanatics” will come out of the wood-work, but much of it is for their own protection. For instance….how are we going to stop Identity Theft? Identity cards are too easy to falsify, and there’s too many cards needed for everything (e.g. passport, drivers license, credit card(s), social security card, insurance card, dental card, Tom Thumb card, Walmart Gasoline Discount card, Voter registration card, blood type card, donor card, etc.