patrick.net

I have known quite a few immigrants (legal and otherwise) over the nearly 4 decades I've lived here, most of them very hard-working and decent people. I understand how Byzantine and difficult the current system is, and how it all but encourages fraud to get around the myriad roadblocks to citizenship.

I sympathize with the plight if those who want to immigrate legally and simply want better opportunities to become productive Americans. I am not against constructive immigration reform, but I am very skeptical of any kind of blanket amnesty that more-or-less rewards chronic lawbreaking, while giving law-abiding immigrants and citizens the shaft.

The STRIVE Act *appears* to address many of these concerns and contains a number of enforcement provisions. However, so have previous attempts at immigration "reform", which later turned out to be paper tigers. The question is, will any of these strict provisions actually be enforced/funded, or will they be conveniently discard once the bill passes? The government's historical track record on this is not good.

Not trying to pick a fight but I believe you have got to keep the government in check.

I know. I am a libertarian too. :)

Guess worker: “Today, I guess I’ll work….tomorrow, maybe not….”

:lol:

The question is, will any of these strict provisions actually be enforced/funded, or will they be conveniently discard once the bill passes?

The enforcement portion is the most important part. I suggest an informant network. Offending employers will be isolated and penalized. The penalty proceed will be shared by the People and the informants.

-discard
+discarded

Spellcheck doesn't always catch everything

I am not against constructive immigration reform, but I am very skeptical of any kind of blanket amnesty that more-or-less rewards chronic lawbreaking, while giving law-abiding immigrants and citizens the shaft.

I agree.

The huge illegals population also illustrates that the market is somehow distorted by over-regulation.

Hey, I thought we would be talking about the impact on the housing market. :)

Doesn't "more illegal" immigrants mean lower housing prices in that the cost of housing production is lower?

On the other hand, I guess they need a place to live too... but then again the ones building houses probably aren't competing with us to buy a place in Mountain View.

What IF google starts hiring previously undocumented workers and give them stocks?

Besides, the bill also proposes a sharp increase in the quota for skilled workers.

What IF google starts hiring previously undocumented workers and give them stocks?

Besides, the bill also proposes a sharp increase in the quota for skilled workers.

I guess I should've read the bill first.

Oh crud. Just what we need, more housing/school district obsessed, sacrifice everything, frugal living, first gen immigrants.

Why can't we have second gen immigrants only? :)

Why can’t we have second gen immigrants only?

No, we should have renting homeowners instead. :)

Oh crud. Just what we need, more housing/school district obsessed, sacrifice everything, frugal living, first gen immigrants.

Perhaps instead of a wage requirements for skilled workers there should be quality-of-life requirements instead.

For example, it can be required that all immigrants have at least one SUV, one house with pergraniteels, and two plasma TVs. :)

Seriously, the best way to protect American workers is to ensure that incoming immigrants have similar quality of life compared to their local counterparts. Isn't that the idea of the melting pot anyway?

Seriously, the best way to protect American workers is to ensure that incoming immigrants have similar quality of life compared to their local counterparts. Isn’t that the idea of the melting pot anyway?

When I lived in the East Coast, it was clearly a melting pot.

Here, it's more like a TV dinner. Ethnic Group A lives in Zone 1, Ethnic Group B lives in Zone 2, etc. They rarely interact because all they do is drive from home to work and back - oh, and sometimes at Valley Fair.

For example, it can be required that all immigrants have at least one SUV, one house with pergraniteels, and two plasma TVs.

Well, that's stretching it. But maybe we should mandate vacations. They have to go somewhere on vacation for a week - and it can't be Mumbai, Taipei, Shenzen, Beijing, Shanghai, Islamabad, Moscow, Tahoe, or Monterey. It has to be Disney World (FL), Washington DC, New York, Boston, or Coastal Virginia. Maybe Las Vegas...

HARM Says:

> The question is, will any of these strict provisions actually
> be enforced/funded, or will they be conveniently discard
> once the bill passes?

We will not see any change any time soon since:

1. Most liberals feel sorry for the illegals and don’t want to send them home.
2. Most liberal politicians know that they pick up votes from illegals so they do nothing to stop them.
3. Most conservative small business owners like illegals since the work hard.
4. Most conservative politicians get most of their money from business owners and may talk tough on illegal immigration to keep the rank and file happy but do nothing to stop it.

This is why the guest worker program is essential in making immigration enforcement politically acceptable.

Immigrants are not the enemy. The enemy is "big gub'ment."

If we didn't insist on maintaining a welfare state, publicly financed healthcare, compulstory education, etc., then the tax burden of immigration would be negligible. In spite of what some people think, immigrants do not come to the US for our healthcare system or our educational system. They come for work. There should be a way for them to work legally in the US by agreeing to opt out of publicly financed benefits. If they commit a crime, then they would lose this privilege.

Most immigrants would take the deal.

There should be a way for them to work legally in the US by agreeing to opt out of publicly financed benefits. If they commit a crime, then they would lose this privilege.

I agree. Welfare must be scrapped.

There also needs to be a way to prosecute small business (cash business) owners for tax evasion.

How about a limited amnesty for illegals who rat out their employers for underpaying tax?

If we have to go back to doing our own yardwork we wouldn’t have to excercise in airconditioned gyms while reading people magazine.

Why? I have better things to do than yardwork and housework.

The immigration law is not very lax. However, the enforcement is not very strict. There must be ways for the good people to assist in enforcement. Perhaps a border watch program for neighborhoods?

Peter, how much do you pay your help to do those things?

I do not have a house or a yard. :-P

moderate infidel, (OT)

I've said that many times over the last several months. The bubble allowed everyone feeding at the REIC trough to move up at least one rung. Guys that did handyman/remodeling became contractors and flippers. Guys that did fixer-uppers became developers and sales assistants became mortgage brokers and so on. And at such a dizzying pace they barely understood their last job before getting further out of their depth.

I don't have anything against advancement (it's a good thing) but it's as if they all knew this wouldn't last forever and were trying to bang on it for all it was worth. How many stories have we heard about 20 year old MB's that were fluffing loans AND condo flipping or whatever?

Someone please create a new thread! I am boring the living daylight out of everyone.

FAB says:

We will not see any change any time soon since:
1. [...]
2. [...]
3. [...]
4. [...]

5. Most everyone in the top quartile of earners, liberal, conservative, moderate, libertarian, anarchi$t, sociali$t, or sushi$t, enjoys access to affordable high quality domestic labor. Many people reading this have not cleaned a toilet themselves in a long long time.

Did you say sushist?

Peter, I found your typo to be very entertaining.

I am glad that you put my name and "entertaining" in the same sentence.

Many people reading this have not cleaned a toilet themselves in a long long time.

Hey, now... I cleaned mine this weekend. Also, does cleaning cat boxes count?

Also, does cleaning cat boxes count?

I cleaned one yesterday. Yuck!

@Peter P,

Given your love of fine food and cats, I thought you might appreciate this:

http://www.thecattbox.com/catts%20kitchen%202.htm

Hey, now… I cleaned mine this weekend.

I don't doubt you at all. But bear in mind that in a forum like this the inevitable response to my comment will be an uncannily high number of people who have recently scrubbed their johns. We won't hear from all those who didn't. (I'll be most impressed if anyone posts and declares, without shame, that they paid someone else to scrub their toilet for them. It's sorta like ma$turbating. Amazingly, no one does it when asked.)

FAB says:

1. Most liberals feel sorry for the illegals and don’t want to send them home.

I would have to say this is a misconception, if you look at Chronicles (sfgate.com) online polls, most issues are voted overwhelmingly liberal (capital punishment, anti-war sentiments), support for allowing the illegal immigration stauts quo never is very high even among the sfgate voters. Polls across the country reflects even less support for illegal immigrants. The politicians are more to blame on this one.

@Randy H,

So... are you saying rich people pay others to ma$turbate for them?? Egads, outsourcing must stop!

Ok, I am willing to do the ma$turbation that lazy, rich Americans aren't willing to do for themselves. For a reasonable salary + benefits, of course.

Henceforth, my johnson will proudly sport a "stroked in America" decal. Gotta love the Red, White & Blue (balls), baby!

Given your love of fine food and cats, I thought you might appreciate this:

No, thank you.

Ok, I know that last quip was pretty crude (apologies all), but halting the entire thread??

It /has/ been a rather quiet thread...

It /has/ been a rather quiet thread…

Very. If a thread does not reach 100 comments in 24 hours it should be halted.

The threads have a case of the 'Mondays' or something.