Hanging our flag upside down, underneath the Mexican flag

The hysteria and rage over the proposed federal immigration policies is getting more and more out of control. Michelle Malkin and Confederate Yankee both have posts up about this today that you should check out.

Is this about loving America as a country and wanting to be successful in their own right as an American citizen? Or is it about coming to this country, not becoming a legal citizen, working under the table without paying taxes, and sponging off public resources people who live here legally have funded with their taxes? I think it’s the latter, unfortunately.

This is absolutely outrageous, and we can thank, in part, our government’s lack of any meaningful strategy to combat illegal immigration (sorry, I refuse to call it “undocumented” immigration, which seems to be the new media buzzword) for contributing to what we see today. When you don’t treat illegal immigration as a problem and, in effect, cater to illegal immigrants by letting them know that they don’t have to learn our language, that they can get access to all the ‘free’ healthcare and other public services they want – which, by the way, drains the money away to the point that people who live here legally cannot get access to those public services, give a wink and a nod to businesses who hire illegal immigrants under the table, then yes – the problem is eventually going to reach a boiling point.

I’d like to stress that I have no problem with anyone who wants to come to this country to work and live here legally. It becomes an issue with me and others when people come to this country who do not want to play by the rules.

A friend of mine, a retired border patrol supervisor, sent along this email with his suggestions for what to do about this problem:

We have to resolve the 11+ million illegals that are here in the US now. It is correct that you can’t just round them up and throw them out. Even if the will was there the logistics aren’t. The only way that they can be sent home is for them to do it voluntarily.

A guest worker program is needed but what they are proposing won’t work for several reasons.

The claim is they are taking jobs no American wants. Why is that? The work is hard and the pay is low but they are forced to take them because they are illegal. What will happen when they are given a permit to work in the US for 3 years + an extension. They will move up to better jobs. Who will fill the jobs they vacated? Illegal aliens because no legal alien wants them either.

Here is the only way to make the guest worker program work.

The 1st order of business is to get Congress serious about stopping this flow. To actually do it will require several things to happen at once. There has to be a Guest Worker program. It should be run by the Homeland
Security and would have several steps.

• The employer would place an order for the number of workers he would need for the year. He would guarantee to provide Housing, Medical and a legal wage. He would also withhold FICA and income taxes. 50% of the worker’s net wages would be held in an escrow account and paid to the worker upon his return to Mexico at the end of his contract.
• All contracts would be issued in Mexico. The Homeland Security team would have their offices in Mexico (U.S. Consulates could be used) and would screen all applicants for contract for health problems or a criminal record. No family members would be allowed to enter the United States as dependents of the worker. A spouse could have her own contract but could not bring any children.
• Illegals presently working in the United States could have their employer request that they be given a contract under the new program, but they would have to return to Mexico to make application for the contract. (Self-deportation.)
• All contracts would be for one year or less and would have to be renewed in Mexico.
• Enact laws requiring severe mandatory fines ($5000 per alien) for hiring an illegal alien outside of the Guest Worker Program and aggressively enforce them.

If all of these things happened:

• The job market for illegals would be dried up and they would return to Mexico.
• The employers would have the labor they need.
• The worker’s would have decent wages, housing and medical benefits.
• City, County and State governments would be relieved of huge unfunded demands on their infrastructure.
• The workers would return home at the end of their contract to get paid the 50% of their wages in the escrow account.

Whadda ya think?

Read more via John Hawkins, Captain Ed, Robin Koerner guest posting at Moderate Voice