And it’s a small one. You wrote:

AFTER we build an actual and/or virtual fence between us and failed nation of Mexico.

I am opposed to a repeat of the kind of “high tech virtual fence” we were promised under Bush 2.0; I saw it then and see it now as a rathole down which money can be poured to no good effect. (similar to owning a boat…)

I am in favor of a “boots on the ground” approach – in fact I think Perry has explained quite well why boots are the only real solution. (20′ fence = 24′ ladder…)

I also like that Perry has the Texas Rangers spinning up a brownwater navy unit to do enforcement and interdiction on the Rio Grande and Falcon Lake and other “wet” borders. I think it should be done by the Border Patrol, but I also think the Border Patrol should be under the Department of Defense, so ..

Other than that, I’ve said before that my preference is to table a discussion of the exact ratio of amnesty vs deportation until after the border is secured and the economy is running a bit better.

Mew

The Great Wall of China is one heck of a fence.
The Maginot Line was one heck of a fence.

“We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.” — Orwell (maybe… some claim he never said it)

Mew

We would of course have to man the fence

Why is this self-evident?

There’s a parable that I ran across somewhere that applies here.

A river town levies a tax to build a new bridge. The tax brings in enough money to pay the interest on the bonds, and the accountant to keep the books, and the guard to keep vandals away. The citizens are happy, they can cross the river easily.

Then the harvest fails, times are tough, and the tax brings in less money.

The bankers who wrote the bonds talk to the accountant, and they lay off the guard.

Tell me again why it’s so self-evident that walls must be manned.

The Great Wall of China was manned. For a time.
The Maginot Line was manned. For a time.

My point is, if we don’t have the will to man the wall for the long term, then .. we’re pocked as a nation anyway, and if we’re going to blow my kid’s birthright, I’d rather see us go back to the moon than build another failed wall.

Mew

I’ve never done payroll, but .. I recall hearing that there’s a “red flag” if someone who maxes out his or her deductions.

Not that anyone from the government will come looking, but .. it tends to mean someone who is going to take as much of the ca$h up front instead of having it withheld because they know they won’t be filing a 1040 or applying for social security…. i.e. “do not get too dependent on this employee…”

Mew

It’s like saying the lock on the front door worked when the crooks come in through the window.

Mew

A guest worker program that will allow employers and *current* illegals to self-declare. This covers folks like the caddy at the brother-in-law’s country club* who’s only in the U.S. for half the year, and the other half lives like a prince in Mexico… Legitimize.

Audits of Social Security, Medicare, and the IRS to force all three to cross-link data on eligibility for payouts. Disincentive.

An enhanced E-Verify program that feeds into the guest worker program i.e. if Alfonso reports that he’s working at Mick’s Diner, then Mick had better sign up …

Some form – once the border is sealed – of permanent non-voting resident status for those unlike the caddy who want to be here permanently, but did not cross the border legally. They can stay, but they must come out of the shadows, and – this is key – by not permitting them to vote in federal elections** we disincentivize the Dems from keeping the border open to try to construct their new bloc.

Mew

* I’m not sure if he was joking when he said his favorite caddy wasn’t back because the river was still running deep….

** I’m not sure we want the Fed dictating voting requirements for State and Local elections .. Motor Voter’s bad enough!

First, this is predicated on sealing off the border. Preferably, by the armed services. I would line to see responsibility for interdicting the Rio Grande given to the U.S. Navy, for instance. I’m sure we’ve got some crusty old chiefs who remember how a brown water (river) Navy operates.

Second, someone who hangs around Home Depot and finds plenty of work is what I’d call “self-employed”, and should be able to fill out both sets of paperwork. Being self-employed just about doubles the paperwork the IRS want anyway, what’s the problem?

Mew

Since the date that the illegal resident notifies the Fed of their presence would be known, I don’t see a problem with saying something like “All illegal residents may be eligible to apply for citizenship or permanent resident status in ten years; at that time, their applications will be examined after all other applicants from the same country of origin at that time”.

Translating that down a little, if this were to become law on, say, July 1 2019, then Raoul from Guatemala could apply on July 1, 2029, and he would be put “in line” after every other Guatemalan currently in processing by ICE.

That gives the Stupid Party, whose Christian branch has many more cultural commonalities with the average Hispanic (same God, same pro-Family pro-growth values… 2 out of 3 legs are a good start…) a decade plus to thwart the Evil Party’s bloc-building.

Mew

Cutting off a number of the “incentives” can only be done from D.C.

Mew

is for the Stupid Party (that’d be the GOP, by the way) to quit allowing the Dems from turning Hispanics into another client voting bloc.

A guest worker program should appeal to the GOP business types whose firms may have hired illegals *enough* that the reps can vote for the laws without fear of a primary or of losing the district to the Dems.

Audits are popular, auditing the Fed sure is, so an audit of Social Security and Medicare to make sure no illegals are receiving benefits should be popular enough.

Making illegals wait 10 years before applying should prevent the Dems from bloc-building long enough that the Stupid Party can make some inroads.

We already have been – Gov. Martinez and Sen. Rubio being two different examples – but we need to do more.

Mew

(yet)

Mew

Your “deport ‘em all” bumper-sticker argument badly misstates the complexity of the issue. Are you secretly Tom Tancredo?

No, amnesty is not key to the Hispanic vote. Pointing out to Hispanics that they have more shared values with the GOP than the Dems is one key. Look at the recent Canadian elections, their conservative party *finally* figured that out, and did pretty well with it.

As for the family of illegals, if they’re now recognized as guest workers, and are actually paying taxes, why is the school system still insolvent? Let me put that another way, you’re saying that school systems are generally well enough run that they wouldn’t be perineal sources of fiscal sob stories and cost overruns if it weren’t for the illegals? Seriously?

Finally, this is all predicated on sealing the border, preferably using the USMC to ensure the job gets done and stays done. That means there’s a finite number of people here, and .. assuming the will to keep the border enforced holds out, 20 years from now it won’t matter because everyone of legal age will have been born here or spent more than 2 decades of their lives here.

This will be my last reply to you, usadebateboard. You do not appear interested in debate, you appear to be here merely to provoke, your deliberate misstating of my positions make this quite clear to me.

Mew