<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt"><div>A recent trip to southern Arizona got me thinking about immigration issues. The roads were swarming with Border Patrol vehicles just about everywhere I went, and helicopters were in regular overflights. I even ran into a heavily-armed officer on a hike into the Miller Canyon Wilderness in the Huachuca Mountains. But, those who chant "close the border" are blowing hot air. Most of the border in Arizona is 320 miles of trackless, unpopulated Sonoran desert. To really close that border, you'd have to have thousands of people patrolling on foot. Add similar terrain in Texas & California, and you have 1,920 miles to cover. Build a 20 foot fence? Ever hear of 21 foot ladders?<br><br>The things that would be needed for a real immigration control policy aren't likely to happen. Here's what I think
would be necessary:<br><br>1. A secure, verifiable, national identity card. The forms of personal identification we have now--Social Security Cards, Driver's Licenses are too easy to counterfeit. For a price, anyone can obtain "good enough" papers. A try at a national policy for secure driver's licenses--Real ID--was shot down by the Right Wing and Left-Wing Civil Libertarians as government intrusion into personal privacy and States' Rights. The Idaho Legislature was in the forefront of the fight against it.<br><br></div><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">2. Real penalties on employers of undocumented immigrants. Let's face it, the real driver for illegal immigration is the disparity in standards of living and pay between Mexico (and Latin America) and the US. We don't have a real problem with Canadians coming south to pick apples. If the jobs weren't available, immigration would stop. But, whole
industries have based their business models on cheap, contingent immigrant labor such as agriculture, (particularly truck crops and mega-dairies), food processing, the hospitality industry, and construction. When I was growing up, many of my friend's parents were employed in the meat-packing industry, which then paid living family wages. In the 1980's the industry was taken over by companies that instituted assembly-line methods, imported immigrant labor to break the unions, and cut wages in half.<br><br>Many of Idaho's and the country's movers & shakers benefit from this system. I believe the draconian anti-immigrant laws aren't intended to actually remove the illegal immigrant populations but to keep them disenfranchised, politically powerless, and compliant, working for starvation wages, always under the threat of deportation.<br><br>3. A system of temporary work permits. This is extremely controversial for both political
parties. Business is happy with the situation described in #2 as long as employers aren't sanctioned. Temporary work permits might give too many rights to the immigrant workers. High-tech industry would like more H1-b visa for foreign tech workers, as these tie employment to a single company and keeps workers from changing employers or demanding higher pay, but there aren't enough available to really pressure wages significantly downward. Unions can veto immigration policy within the Democratic Party. The Teamsters had everything do with keeping Mexican truck drivers and trucks out of the US, even though it contravened treaties and lead to sanctions against US exports.<br><br>These reasons are why "When all is said and done, more will be said than done."<br><br>Ron Force<br>Moscow ID USA<br><br><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><hr size="1"><b><span style="font-weight:
bold;">From:</span></b> John Pool <jpool@moscow.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> Tom Hansen <thansen@moscow.com>; Moscow Vision 2020 <vision2020@moscow.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Mon, May 24, 2010 10:51:15 AM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [Vision2020] The 2008 Legislature and SB1427 - When Idaho Gave a Damn<br></font><br>I wonder how many of us posting to The Viz walk around with papers that<br>prove that we have a right to be here, and that our parents also had/have a<br>right to be here? Does State Senator Mike Jorgenson? Will these<br>right-wingnuts bring about an ever-stronger movement towards a national<br>identity card? Points to ponder.<br><br>John Pool <br><br>-----Original Message-----<br>From: <a ymailto="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com" href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com">vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</a> [mailto:<a
ymailto="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com" href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com">vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</a>]<br>On Behalf Of Tom Hansen<br>Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 9:16 AM<br>To: Moscow Vision 2020<br>Subject: [Vision2020] The 2008 Legislature and SB1427 - When Idaho Gave a<br>Damn<br><br>Greetings Visionaires -<br><br>As Idaho State Senator Mike Jorgenson (R-Hayden) vows to introduce<br>legislation (if he is elected), identical to Arizona's "papers please"<br>immigration bill, a major unwelcomed step in returning Idaho to the days<br>of white sheets and burning crosses . . .<br><br><a href="http://tinyurl.com/2dkm8bs" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/2dkm8bs</a><br><br>It is comforting to reflect back to the 2008 Idaho legislature and Senate<br>Bill 1427.<br><br><a href="http://legislature.idaho.gov/legislation/2008/S1427.html#billtext"
target="_blank">http://legislature.idaho.gov/legislation/2008/S1427.html#billtext</a><br><br>HIGHER EDUCATION - Amends existing law relating to higher education to<br>revise residency requirements; and to provide for confidentiality of<br>student information.<br><br> . . .<br><br>"Notwithstanding subsection (2) of this section, any student who meets all<br> of the following requirements shall be exempt from paying the nonresident<br>portion of total tuition:<br><br> (a) Graduation from a public or private high school in this state<br> or attainment of the equivalent of a high school diploma in this<br>state;<br><br> (b) Continuous residence in this state for:<br><br> (i) The three (3) years preceding the date of graduation or<br>receipt of the diploma equivalent, as applicable; and<br><br> (ii) The
year preceding the census date of the academic<br>term in which the person is enrolled in an institution of <br>higher education; and<br><br> (c) Registration as an entering student, or current enrollment<br>at an accredited institution of higher education in Idaho not earlier <br>than the fall semester or quarter of the 2008-2009 academic year; and<br><br> (d) In the case of a person without lawful immigrant status in the<br>United States, the filing of an affidavit with the institution of<br>higher education stating that the student has filed an application <br>to legalize the student's immigration status, or will file an<br>application as soon as the student is eligible to do so."<br><br>-----------------------------------<br><br>Although this bill died in the House . . .<br><br>Idaho Senate BIll 1427 of
the 2008 Idaho state legislature, back when<br>Idaho cared, was strongly supported by our own local representatives . . .<br>Shirley RIngo and Tom Trail.<br><br>Seeya round town, Moscow.<br><br>Tom Hansen<br>Moscow, Idaho<br><br>"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change<br>and the Realist adjusts his sails."<br><br>- Unknown<br><br><br>=======================================================<br> List services made available by First Step Internet, <br> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <br> <a href="http://www.fsr.net" target="_blank">http://www.fsr.net</a> <br> mailto:<a ymailto="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com"
href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>=======================================================<br><br>=======================================================<br> List services made available by First Step Internet, <br> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <br> <a href="http://www.fsr.net" target="_blank">http://www.fsr.net</a> <br> mailto:<a ymailto="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com" href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>=======================================================<br></div></div>
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