Let’s Get Serious About Solving the Immigration Problem

This column presents a non-partisan, conservative viewpoint about items of interest in our community and our lives. Focus is on items impacting your pocket book, your personal freedoms, and your rights. I hope you will read the column regularly and it occasionally influences your opinions and actions.


Be Honest, Playing Politics is keeping our Politicians from doing the right things to resolve the problem…
Solving the Immigration Problem:
I applaud the Governor of Arizona for taking a dramatic stand against the deplorable conditions which the ineptness of the Federal government has created in that state and other border states with Mexico. The enactment of this law has, of course, ignited a reaction from those who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. This group consists of the illegal aliens who broke our laws by sneaking across our border and are now living here and reaping the rewards of our generous and easy to get welfare entitlements, the liberal loonies who will take up any cause which has a social implication, and the drug dealers who are enjoying the easy systems of running drugs into our nation and into the hands of our youth.
While these millions of Mexicans were allowed to pour across our border, the Hispanic voting population has become a major player in the political scene of America. This has compounded the solution of the problem, since successive administrations have been too politically sensitive to stand up and do what is needed and correct. As a result, we have a situation where we have millions of illegal immigrants working in our country, while we pay millions of others who are unwilling to work, billions of tax dollars in welfare and unemployment benefits. Talk about a stupid, politically generated situation!
The reason I applaud Arizona’s action is that it has finally focused a bright, undeniable spotlight on the severity of the problem. This problem has been created by the inability and unwillingness of the Federal government to enforce existing immigration laws. This inaction has been caused by the political implications related to the growing impact of the Hispanic voting block within our system.
The growing threat and costs related to our “open” border with Mexico has been ignored by the Clinton, Bush, and now Obama administrations. Meanwhile, each week thousands more sneak into our country and worsen the problems. The resulting costs on social programs is bankrupting border states, the drug problems result in a lawlessness which endangers their law abiding citizens by creating within those states a living condition which is unsafe for their families. Finally the State Government decided to take action in the absence of any support from Federal law enforcement.
I hope that this new focus of attention will finally force our “Federal fools” into action. It is a classic States Rights vs. Federal Control situation.

I would propose the following course of action:
Phase 1 – Immediately get serious about sealing the border. Use National Guard troops, build the fence, use electronic surveillance, and increase the border patrol staffing….get serious. Simultaneously establish a “Special Resident Visa” system which would give every illegal person living here one year in which to sign up and obtain the easy to get five year visa. This would get everyone registered. Use county government as the registration points at local court houses in the Court Clerk or Supervisor of Election offices.
Phase II – Establish a five year “Road to Citizenship” program for every registered “Special Resident”. This would be administered by special instruction courses provided by evening programs in the Adult Education systems across the nation. At the end of successfully completing one of these courses, testing would be administered by an Immigration official, and citizenship would be granted.
If five years passed and an illegal had refused to participate in this program, they would be considered fugitives from justice, and would be apprehended and prosecuted. In the interim, any person involved in this process who is convicted of a felony for any other violation would also be prosecuted for illegal entry.
Through this process, at the end of six years we would have control of the situation. To wait another six years will enable millions more to enter our country and thus further strain our welfare systems, our school systems, our medical systems, and our society. If we can finally stop all of the political bull crap in Washington over solving this problem, maybe they can “Get It Right”.

Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning-
● The Marianna sign ordinance continues to create discord between the business community and the City Officials. It is time to write a degree of common sense and flexibility into this group of codes, and thus stop the appearance of being “anti business” in Marianna. The action taken at Tuesday’s meeting which involved causing a local Church to waste $6,000 because their new sign was too large is a great example of autocratic, inconsiderate, and ill directed action by some of the City Commissioners.
● It was a blessing to interview 10 year old Noah McArthur and his family for the story on the front page of this issue. To see a boy his age already sensitive to the needs of other children is wonderful. Maybe there is hope for our society after all.
● Politicians and dirty diapers should both be changed regularly….and for the same reason.

Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.