My Response to a Discussion on Illegal Immigration (to some Bush Fans)

[IdaBriggs]

NOTE: I am on a mailing list from a friend I made while doing Hurricane Katrina Relief work; the person who runs the list is a very nice man (despite being a donating Republican), who is aware that I am not a Bush Fan. What follows is my response to a spirited discussion about Illegal Immigration. I await the replies with interest. :)

My two cents --

Illegal immigration should be a non-issue. There are laws on the books to address this problem, and they should be enforced. Furthermore, if you go after the folks who are HIRING the illegals by

a) jailing a few CEOs (Wal-Mart comes to mind very quickly), and

b) fining their companies the minimum wages the workers should have been paid, plus a "punitive" fine that will cover the costs of prosecuting and enforcing the statutes

I am fairly confident the "biggest" contributors to the problem (companies that benefit from refusing to play by the same rules of common sense worker protection and minimum wages) will make a lot of the problems go away.

I find it hysterically funny that in a week that included

a) the President publicly admitting to treason (by publicly exposing "Brewster-Jennings" as an undercover CIA asset in use for the last thirty years to a bunch of reporters via the "outing" of Valeria Plame as political retribution against her HUSBAND???!);

b) Tom DeLay finally resigning his seat in Congress after the prosecution for his illegal money laundering operation finally looks like he will be sent to jail as the convicted felon that he is, AND

c) not one BUT TWO high level "Homeland Security" folks being revealed as Internet PEDOPHILES/Stalkers, AND

d) the same President who has repeatedly lied to the American people about "weapons of mass destruction in Iraq" telling us not to worry as he makes plans to begin a LIMITED NUCLEAR WAR on Iran

-- all of a sudden "Illegal Immigration" is "an issue."

Wag the dog, anyone?

But, be of good cheer -- it looks like putting a bunch of corrupt Republican oil men in charge of our country is going to pay off EVEN MORE than it already has: Gas is running $2.69 a gallon here in Michigan (from its $1.09 in January, 2001 before Bushy Boy and his Buds took over), which means I'm paying $30 "extra" to the oil companies every time I fill my tank. So, let's talk some more about "illegal immigration" --

Darn those brown people! They *is* DANGEROUS!!!! (eye roll)

NOTE: Any resemblance to Jews as Scapegoats in Germany mid-twentieth century is undoubtedly Purely Coincidental.

[trotsky]

1. Ooh, that's a good one.

They're gonna have to run & fill up the Kool-Aid before they start thinking about those things. :thumbsup:

[Hekate]

2. Well said, Ida. The only change I'd make is dropping the all-caps if...

...you want to keep being friends, because all-caps words are "shouted." Other than that, I would not change a single word. :hi:

Hekate

[question everything]

3. Do you know for a fact that Wal-Mart employs illegals?

I don't know. I just think that with so many flood lights on Wal-Mart - not offering health insurance, busting union - that it would be very careful on this issue.

I really think that most of the hiring are small business owners - farmers and construction and small restaurants who hire them.

And I don't think this is exactly wagging the dog. The issue has been in Congress and on Lou Dobbs for over a year now. I think that the Republicans and Bush were hopping to show that they do accomplish some things. And it was really all the demonstrations - not against the war, not against income gap, not against cutting of domestic programs - that got everyone's attention.

And I think that it is the Republicans with their chamber of commerce buddies who want a more moderate law like guest program.

[sharp_stick]

4. Walmart hires "contract companies"

to do things like cleaning. These "contract companies" have been found to hire lots and lots of illegals but Walmart is very careful to claim that they aren't Walmart employees so they don't know nothin. To me it stinks of money laundering and plausible deniability.

Walmart makes me sick.

[IdaBriggs]

5. Well, based on the lawsuit filed on their behalf in 2003, and

this "News" story from April 11, 2006 http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060411/NEWS01/604110322/1006

"Some company officials are paying attention locally. Work on a Wal-Mart in the Town of Norwich was shut down until a construction company proved that no illegal immigrants were working on the building. Other employees on the project had reported that some workers lacked proper documentation as resident workers."

or how about this one -- http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=4701379&nav=menu183_15_8

"TICONDEROGA, N.Y. Ten illegal aliens are taken into custody at a North Country Wal-Mart.

"Officials found them working for a subcontractor that was renovating the store.

(snip)

In 2003, four Wal-Mart employees from Lithuania were deported as part of a national roundup after being found at the store in Ticonderoga, 84 miles north of Albany."

or just google it yourself for over 114,000 "hits" on "Wal-Mart illegal workers" if you don't believe it. Just searching on News in Yahoo (which only goes back two weeks, I believe) gives 259 hits.

But if you wish to pretend the "subcontractor" thing offers "plausible deniability" -- which IMNSHO is simply a scam -- then go ahead and pretend; its no skin off of my nose.

:shrug:

[question everything]

6. Thanks. Did not know that

Yes, it will be nice to make Wal-Mart an example... and hear the roaring cry when forcing them to pay decent wages would increase the price of their merchandise.