02 October 2007
Other Agenda Items for Congress
Back in May 2006, I wrote a couple of commentaries about the flurry of concern that there were undocumented people living in America. The Right Wingers refer to these men, women and children as "illegal" immigrants. What a slick way to objectify human beings in the press and on the rostrum. Both sides of my family entered the country without papers and all they became were wealthy farmers. One side came in 1751 and the other in 1786 via Canada. So, whenever you see or hear someone talk about "illegal" immigrants, you know that they are not talking about people or a person, but about fear and their inability to control their society's makeup.
Back in May 2006, I laid out what I think is an achievable policy towards prospective tourists, future residents and temporary workers. The sellable part is that the burden of administration and enforcement would move from the federal administration agencies to the local, county administrative level. I'd bet that by taking half of the budget now used by Federal Agencies for immigration policy adherence and for policing those persons without proper papers or with expired papers, the federal government could fund immigration policy at the county level of administration. Everybody wins! At the local level, there would be variations in implementation and process, but that's okay because personal working, living or traveling is a local matter in a local context.
Instead of tackling this complex issue, in January 2007, Congress passed a law raising the minimum wage paid to employees. Of course, at less than $8/hour, no one escapes being the working poor person, spending hours per day yet still having to rely on someone else or some level of government's agency to have enough food, a safe place to live with potable water and heat during cold spells. All the minimum wage laws do is assuage the employers' and the not-poors' feelings of guilt by believing that a federal law will take away their responsibilities for their fellow men, women and children.
Go back and read my proposal. If you can't find it, let me know and I'll repost it.
Sherfdog
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Back in May 2006, I laid out what I think is an achievable policy towards prospective tourists, future residents and temporary workers. The sellable part is that the burden of administration and enforcement would move from the federal administration agencies to the local, county administrative level. I'd bet that by taking half of the budget now used by Federal Agencies for immigration policy adherence and for policing those persons without proper papers or with expired papers, the federal government could fund immigration policy at the county level of administration. Everybody wins! At the local level, there would be variations in implementation and process, but that's okay because personal working, living or traveling is a local matter in a local context.
Instead of tackling this complex issue, in January 2007, Congress passed a law raising the minimum wage paid to employees. Of course, at less than $8/hour, no one escapes being the working poor person, spending hours per day yet still having to rely on someone else or some level of government's agency to have enough food, a safe place to live with potable water and heat during cold spells. All the minimum wage laws do is assuage the employers' and the not-poors' feelings of guilt by believing that a federal law will take away their responsibilities for their fellow men, women and children.
Go back and read my proposal. If you can't find it, let me know and I'll repost it.
Sherfdog
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