20070610 The Dreaded Immigration Debate

The Dreaded Immigration Debate

June 10^th, 2007

A colleague whose opinion I’ve come to place a great deal of value recently e-mailed with a heads-up on few topics he would like to tackle in the near future.

One of the topics is the current “third rail” of political/public policy discussion these days, “immigration reform.”

In Washington, various and assorted feckless "leaders" from both sides of the aisle, and the blogosphere are consumed with the immigration matter," and yet the challenges persist.

Is has all become some bizarre Kabuki theater on acid as everyone pursues a political advantage and “Bush Derangement” syndrome instead of attempting to do what is best for the country. A point I covered in my May 9, 2007 Tentacle column, “Déjà Vu, All Over Again.”

To paraphrase a comment by George Will some time ago about another maddening existential moment: “The numbing repetition of uncorrected falsehoods creates a phony atmosphere of uncertainty around key questions … Eventually voters throw up their hands and accept the fact that they’ll never know for sure what the truth is, and confusion ensues.”

I, for one, will look forward to his “post mortem” of the immigration bill. It was going to be the focus of my next Tentacle column, although I have started to find the debate essentially existential, impenetrably technical and Teutonic.

Not to mention the massive headache I get at the very mention of the topic. Something must be done and I have problems with the debate from both sides of the aisle.

Currently my thinking is to write about General Peter Pace stepping down as chair of the Joint Chief’s of Staff – and how this politicalization of the military is ultimately bad for the country…

Especially at this time as Gen. Pace is a veteran of the Battle of Hue in 1968 and has a great deal of insight as to the challenges we currently face in Iraq.

But getting back to the “I” word; much of my interest in immigration reform is from the agriculture point of view - and continuing to attract high-powered science, math, and technology minds to our country.

Word on the street is that if there is not some relief soon on allowing highly skilled mathematicians, scientists and technologists, some of our values research and development sector will also have to leave the country.

Not to mention the challenges that persists for agriculture, restaurants, and segments of the service industry…

Certainly not to be ignored is the continued overall expense for the country as a whole incurred as a result of undocumented aliens – especially as the number of instances increase where they further break the law once they are here.

I’m not hung-up on the “English first” dynamic. Immigrants have traditionally learned English and the current wave will also learn the language of the land. For the first 100 to 150 years of Carroll County a huge percentage of folks living in what we have come to know as present-day Carroll County spoke German. We survived – and prospered.

The best way to solve the “socialization” aspects of the matter is to be as inclusive a society as possible. Marginalizing a specific population only paradoxically exacerbates the problems.

I participated in trying to bring a student from France to our country several months ago and the experience was profoundly disillusioning. It was my view that the student is a poster child for exactly what we want coming to our country – for all the correct reasons.

The experience was as if the existing laws were written by Joseph Heller (of “Catch 22” fame.) It was absolutely maddening.

Although the effort to bring the student to our country looks like it will be successful, the experience was extraordinarily and prohibitively expensive.

It gave me insight into what many employers must do to bring in needed employees to get the work done that needs to get done on our country. The immigration laws, at present bring to mind, some of our country’s approaches to the second amendment in that all it will accomplish is making sure that only criminals can possess a firearm. No wonder there is so much illegal immigration.

At this point I’m not sure what the answer is. All I can do is roll my eyes and reach for another aspirin as I mutter epitaphs about everyone involved – both Democrats and Republicans.

####

For more information on Immigration reform

June 10^th, 2007

For more information on Immigration reform on “Soundtrack” click here: Immigration Reform

To view past Tentacle columns on Immigration reform go here:

May 9, 2007, Déjà Vu, All Over Again, by Kevin E. Dayhoff

and here:

May 31, 2006, The Great Mexican Maginot Line, by Kevin E. Dayhoff

_____

On May 9, 2007, in “Déjà Vu, All Over Again,” I wrote in part:

Our Congress is embarking on yet another curious and quixotic adventure, almost like the movie "Ground Hog Day." This time it is again delving into a perilous journey to develop a cogent approach to immigration reform.

Yes, it was just about a year ago that we were all debating and then wrestling to the ground S.2611, the "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006," and the House version of immigration reform, "The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005"

For years Congress has grappled with the first major overhaul of our country's immigration laws since a 97-3 majority passed Senate Bill 1664 in 1996.

That 1996 legislation was huge on several fronts. Scores of measures were enacted to limit the opportunity for illegal immigration. The border patrol was increased in both funding and staffing. Provisions barred an apprehended illegal alien for re-entry into the country for 10 years.

The most noteworthy legacy of the 1996 legislation was that it was a huge failure.

With the exception of that 1996 legislation, all immigration reform since 1990 has been ad hoc and piecemeal, all with the same results - failure to regulate and manage demands on immigration labor and maintaining a secure border with Mexico.

Alright - all immigration approaches by Congress have failed since the ill-fated 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act was passed by Congress.

[…]

Nevertheless, it appears that this year the divisions in both the Democrat and Republican parties have deepened to the point that any discussion resembles a circular firing squad.

The Washington Times quoted "a senior Republican aide," who nailed it: the Democrats "want the issue, not an accomplishment." The immigration issue divides the Democrats as much as the Republicans. The aide went on to add "that Mr. Reid's move appears designed to force Republicans to filibuster the bill, thus allowing both sides to point fingers at each other.

"He wants us to save Democrats from themselves - 'Stop me before I take bad votes again.' That's where (Senator Reid) is. He wants us to be (the) grown-ups."

Read the entire column here: Déjà Vu, All Over Again

On May 31, 2006, The Great Mexican Maginot Line, I wrote in part:

Last Thursday, the United States Senate passed the "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006" by a vote of 62 to 36. The legislation has sparked rigorous and rancorous debate as it supports a bi-partisan, multi-disciplinary approach to the challenges of immigration reform embraced by President George W. Bush.

The Senate legislation connects the necessary security of the border with Mexico with a "guest-worker" program, which will enable immigrant laborers to work in our country. It also creates a procedure for current undocumented workers to pay back taxes, pay a fine, learn English and apply for citizenship.

[…]

There is no doubt that the border with Mexico must be secured. One of the basic definitions of a nation-state is definable and defensible borders and right now the border with Mexico looks more like the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan.

Nevertheless, overlooked in the great immigration debate is the critical need for immigration reforms that will secure a legal and stable workforce - especially in agriculture. The House "enforcement only" legislation ignores agriculture's labor needs and will have a huge negative effect on our food supplies, on American farms and the economy.

[…]

Read the rest of the column here: The Great Mexican Maginot Line

####