May 28, 2005

The McKennedy Clan: Bipartisan Betrayers

So I just read 60-odd pages of treasonous twaddle known formally as S.1033 or The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act.

Not to spoil the ending but…

This is the single worst piece of legislation I have ever read. And I am including everything the gay/lesbian caucus spewed out during the 90’s.

If I were asked to specify the flaws I would say they begin with "Mr. McCain introduced the following bill…" and end with "the end."

Senators McCain (R-AZ) and Kennedy (D-MA) have put together a plan that, with a bit of luck, should complete Mexico’s conquest of the United States by the end of the decade.

A merger made in heaven, I imagine San Diego will look exactly like Tijuana but with workman’s comp, subsidized housing, and penicillin.

Oh wait, that is what San Diego looks like now.

This transfer of title does require a few concessions, of course.

Instead of the Bald Eagle our national bird will now be the cara cara [Vdare.com note: A vulture-like creature, the national bird of Mexico, "the consummate opportunist and will happily sit among buzzards dining on rotten carrion (particularly road kill) and will also attack and kill mammals, birds and reptiles-whatever it takes to satiate its indiscriminate appetite."] and we would have to extend Cesar Chavez Day to Cesar Chavez Awareness Month.

Not a bad trade, I guess. But what do we get?

I delved into the details of the McKennedy Plan. The Congressional Findings preamble for S.1033 include these interesting assertions:

(3) Federal immigration policies must adhere to the United States tradition as a nation of immigrants and reaffirm this Nation's commitment to family unity, economic opportunity, and humane treatment.

My translation: We want to reward illegal aliens with citizenship—and, as a bonus, grant it to all their relatives!

(7) Illegal immigration fosters other illegal activity, including human smuggling, trafficking, and document fraud, all of which undermine the national security interests of the United States.

(8) Illegal immigration burdens States and local communities with hundreds of millions of dollars in uncompensated expenses for law enforcement, health care, and other essential services.

In no way do I resemble an economist, but I think increasing the number of eligible recipients—as the McCain-Kennedy amnesty must do—just might also increase the expense to local government.

(9) Illegal immigration creates an underclass of workers who are vulnerable to fraud and exploitation.

Hmm. Illegal immigration does create an underclass of workers—they’re called Americans.

And this is what the Wonder Twins want to do about the 11-15 (20?) million illegal aliens living here today:

SEC.124. "Combating Human Smuggling would provide

(b)(4)(A) visas for victims of trafficking and other crimes

(b)(5) to enhance intelligence sharing and cooperation with foreign governments whose citizens are preyed on by human smugglers

A man hires another man to sneak him across the U.S. border and he is a "victim" who is being "preyed on."

Right…

With this legislation in place, it is better for the "victim" if he and his smuggler are caught—he would receive a visa.

SEC. 201-203 includes an appropriation for reimbursement to states for incarceration costs associated with illegal aliens.

The cost of housing criminal aliens is so high we have to write new laws to cover it—and McKennedy is cool with that…this is madness.

SEC.302. deals with the "Admission of Essential Workers."

We went from illegal aliens to undocumented immigrants to essential workers?

Remember when Black Panthers became social activists?

Under McKennedy, illegal aliens currently residing in the U.S. can apply for an adjustment of status without the fear of being "captured."

Then there’s SEC. 308—called (no kidding!) the "Willing Worker-Willing Employer Electronic Job Registry." (Note: not the Willing Worker-Willing Employer [Wage Unspecified] Electronic Job Registry.] A sample:

(b) Recruitment of United States Workers—Before the completion of evidence of employment for a potential nonimmigrant worker [under the] the Immigration and Nationality Act, an employer shall attest that the employer has posted in the Job Registry for not less than 30 days in order to recruit United States workers. An employer shall maintain records for not less than 1 year demonstrating why United States workers who applied were not hired.

This is a fig-leaf appeasement provision. But at least McKennedy acknowledge the need to employ Americans first. Hypocrisy—the homage that vice pays to virtue!

One column isn’t long enough to address this bill fully, so I have limited my objections to the top two.

The only reason Congress is interested in clamping down on coyotes and rogue employers seems to be—because they haven’t been sharing the booty with Washington!

S.1033 assesses a fine of up to $2000 along with various filing fees to each illegal alien who applies for the program.

Multiply that by 10-15 million and well, just do the math. [VDARE.com note: $20-30 Billion Dollars]

Side note: This is a lot like our drug policy, which basically says "all drugs are illegal…except for the ones we make."

More to the point, what concerns me is our government’s desire to profit off the desperation of others.

I don’t like illegal immigration. I think we need to limit our legal immigration as well.

However, I am in no way indifferent to the plight of those who reside in bleak, Third World countries. Those who would do anything to escape oppression are worthy of pity and deserve a helping hand.

But there is a big difference between what we could do and what we can do.

And there are a finite number of American hands.

But our government is not looking upon the illegal immigration as either a problem to be solved or a people to save—it sees a money tree.

For my second objection, I will have to reference one of my favorite movies, Blazing Saddles.

There’s this scene where criminals are being recruited to run a new sheriff out of town. The applicants step forward, recite their rap sheet as a resume and, if hired, are deputized with law enforcement badges.

A gang of Mexican bandits are hired. But when offered the silver-star badges they cackle and say "Badges…we don’t need no steenking badges."

S.1033 has no language pertaining to consequences should any illegal aliens choose not to participate in the new program.

Were S.1033 to pass, it would give illegal aliens the option of stepping forward, paying fines, receiving a temporary visa and maybe getting on the list for full-fledged citizenship.

But why should they? Heck, I wouldn’t. The status-quo is far more appealing—and less expensive. What are they paying for?

An illegal alien has lived here, worked here and benefited from myriad federally-funded programs for most of his life without consequence—why should he change? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

Badges? We don’t need no stinking badges!

Good job, McKennedy Clan. You just wrote an Orderly Immigration Act that has nothing to do with order or immigration.

Just Reconquista.

Bryanna Bevens [email her] is a political consultant and former chief of staff for a member of the California State Assembly.