Bias aside, because, I’m Hispanic.

I think good look at the protests in France of the last few days compared to the “Marches� from equally numerous Hispanics protesting, is very telling. The Marches were peaceful, nothing was burned and no death threats were yelled*. Mexicans and Latinos in general have high family values and are obviously hard workers so I agree with Dafydd’s summary. However, for a plan like Dafydd’s to work we would really need a “Wall" ‘cause the cost of protecting this border and preventing the hundreds of thousands that will amass trying to get through will be astronomical.

*Michelle Malkin managed to drudge up some pictures of a few Hispanic marchers with what I consider to be un-American messages. These few people need to GO! By surveillance fotos, whatever, they need to be tracked down and If they are illegal aliens, spreading this kind of message, then they are persona non-grata and out they go. Rotten Apples!

Well, that's the shame of it all: each side's plan will only work if the other side's plan (streamlined legal immigration; a wall of some type) is implemented. And neither side will concede that any part of the other side's program is necessary, or even workable.

So it's a standoff.

Maybe, very small maybe a guest worker program akin to the Bracero program of the 50's might work (it was killed when Ike gave in to union aggitation).

HOWEVER, in the 50's there was little government freebies.

As much AG as you think you save by not paying $3 dollars/head of lettuce (I'll go hunt down the links, but IIRC the $10 figure is scaremongering) you are paying more in taxes and the huge strain in CA's infrastruction - insane waits at ER's, LESS ER's, crowded underperforming classrooms, almost erradicated childhood diseases making a comeback (whooping cough is being seen frequently at ER's now), higher incidents of TB and more scary, drug resistant TB, Hepatitus.

I don't blame many of the illegals who feel their only option is to come north. Mexico forces them here...a nasty, corrupt government that counts on remittances from the poor they drive over the border. And in a viscious cycle, so many of the labor intensive businesses find they can't operate legally against the businesses that hire illegals for cash under the table.

They do jobs no one else will? Well, they are something like 25-30% of the construction industry here in California. Skilled jobs like sheetrock, framing, rockwork etc at $15-25/hr.

If I had my druthers I'd immediately start busting contractors, confiscating their businesses and tossing them into jail. I'd make banks stop giving mort_gages to illegals.

Mexico has military troops that fire on US border patrol across the border in order to facilitate illegals, drug smugglers and others to get into the US.

This is a lot worse than a few strawberry pickers coming up for the season.

How would you feel about increasing the number of legal immirants, though?

(I didn't say $10 for a head of lettuce; I said $10 for a bag. Right now I pay $2.50, and I figure it could go up fourfold without cheap labor.)

And I don't begrudge illegals jobs in construction, as long as they have the appropriate skills. After all, they pay taxes on that money.

The most important thing is to get these people in the above-ground economy. Well, maybe not those people, but tsome number of people who would fill the jobs. The oldsters amongst us are cpounting on it.

For those who favor some sort opf guest wsorker program, check out Europe. I remember discussing with a German their "Turkish" problem. It seems that many turks living in Germany are third generation, can't speak much Turkic. WQhen the economy tanks, they are the first to lose jobs. There has been some move to deport them all back to Turkey. Unemployment and discrimination can cause lots of problems.

So any form of guest worker program, or any dealing with undocumented aliens noiw uin the US MUST have a pathway to citiaenship. this is especially true since, unlike Germany, the children born here will be citizens.

I say we treat 'em just like we did the Germans, the irish, the italians, and so on. You know, we make fun of them, abuse them, underpay them (but legally) and so forth, IN THE FIRST GENERATION, and they can survive the exploitation because they know that their dchildren will be assimulated into American society.

Those talking about the wall should ask the Chinese how well it works. Those who think that one can keep things from being sucked into the vacuum of demand should examine how well the stop it at the border strategy has worked in the drug war.

Note that treating the present surge of immigrants as we did the others will fill the vacuum (that's how we should decide how many to let in) so that illegal immigration will stand outy more, and be easier to detect. There will also be less ways for illegals to make money, so there will be less incentive. it would also hel0p if we exported moe jobs to mexico, but one gets one's head torn off to suggest such a thing. You know, if the jobs are there, and uyou don't want Mexicans here, send the jobs to mexico.

Finally, i feel i always must point thyis out: anyone proposing anything as a solution to the illegal immigrant problem who doesn't start with polifcing businesses is ignoring the problem.

AG

IIRC the "amnesty" that Reagan granted to illegals in the 1980's was supposed to be a "one time thing".

And the problem is that so much of the illegal employment is underground. They are not paying taxes. They take much more in public benefits then they give back in return.

I have no problem with trying to work out some sort of legal modern bracero program. But the people really suffering right now in CA are the working middle class that are squeezed out of skilled jobs, have their children trapped in overwhelmed schools, watch their taxes being and can't afford to buy a shack.

I'd dry up the incentive to hire illegals by targeting all the businesses that use them the most. Make public examples of arresting and prosecuting the employers and business owners.

By law they have to have on file proof of the citizenship of their employees. Papers not in order? Sorry sir, you're under arrest. Your business is now hereby padlocked and ALL employees legal and illegal are out of work..

The wink wink nod nod has got to stop now or So Cal will soon become TJ, with only the very rich and the very poor in residence.

So it's a standoff.

I believe that would be a Mexican standoff.

I'll be here all week, please tip your waitress.

And I don't begrudge illegals jobs in construction, as long as they have the appropriate skills. After all, they pay taxes on that money.

Really, where? keep in mind that they're here illegally, they're probably getting paid cash under the table, and there's most likely no record of them ever working on any given job site. The odds of them actually paying something like income tax is vanishingly small. I suspect that getting busted by the IRS is not high on their list of things to worry about.

Remember, that's what makes hiring illegals so tempting: no FICA tax, no benefits, no unemployment insurance and all the other little taxes that the employer is encumbered when they hire a citizen. Even if they pay 'em the going union-approved wage, they're still ahead of the curve.

My Significant Other went through several years of pure hell dealing with the IRS on her way to citizenship, so I can sympathize with those who feel that the process of naturalization and citizenship ought to be more efficient and less degrading. That being said, I still feel the necessary precondition for reforming citizenship is regaining control of our borders. Granting an amnesty in advance of tighter border security seems as dumb as announcing a “timetable for withdrawal� in warfare before you’ve achieved your military goals, and for similar reasons.

And, obviously, I meant "INS," not "IRS." Although they're both pretty obnoxious.

There is some employment that's under-the-table: baby-sitting, day-laborers, some cleaning jobs. But all restaurants, and all contractors, have to fill out paperwork that shows where their expenses (payments to workers) went, and needs to include a social security number or similar I.D. And taxes are due on that money.

But all restaurants, and all contractors, have to fill out paperwork that shows where their expenses (payments to workers) went, and needs to include a social security number or similar I.D. And taxes are due on that money.

I have little doubt that everything you wrote there is true. Of course the government wants their money (and now, if you'd be so kind).

Where does an illegal alien obtain a taxpayer ID number that doesn't raise a little red flag saying, oh, maybe illegal alien?

Why, from the IRS, of course.

well I think this is not something new the problem has grown like fire because.. it is so easy to get in ... I want you to think about what is happening, Hospitals are going bankrupt, the jobs that the school kids used to get at buger places is now taken by undocumented workers,hey I am hispanic but I speak english. And what is going on is that they are not coming hear and becoming part of the US they are coming hear and bringing the crime the murder the rape the theft all part of there culture. now I guess its true they do pick fruit and I guess no one wants to do it ,,, Hell I would do it if it paid ok.. but hey dont we got machines to do that... and they let them vote.. Yes America its true ,they are used as voting blocks.so I think what I am tring to say is... Its kinda late to build a fence around the hen house ... All the hens are gone

Oooh. Dark. I don't buy it.