"For these illegal immigrants to gain legal status, they would have to register, pay fines and all taxes they owe, pass a criminal background check and learn English."

What planet do you folks live on ?? I have a life-sized picture of these things happening.

I am sure the millions of folks who lost their jobs are going to be happy when they are made legal. The newly made alien citizens could then apply legally for the jobs they lost.. We may soon have to dial "1" for English.

My mother in law was a legal immigrant and she never learned English in her life. Her world was centered around others like her that had the same language deficiency.

I find it amazing that the legal alien citizens do not agree with their amnesty plans. Labor is a commodity like bread. When there are more bread makers available, the price of bread goes down. The legal alien citizen's labor will be in competition with the labor of the newly made alien citizen's labor ....

Most people in this area think Latino equals alien but the USA is filled with illegal aliens from all over the world with every race and creed represented, whether they be white, yellow, brown, black, .....

Many legal aliens are great assets to our country. At one time, an alien had to have something to offer the country to be a US citizen.... Today, you only need to be warm, it seems.

The Democrats want them here because they represent votes. Labor unions want them here because they represent members.
Business wants them here because they represent cheap labor

Enforce the existing laws and stop this nonsense.

I consider myself to be progressive on most issues and even voted for Obama, but he will lose my vote if he pushes amnesty for those in this country illegally. Americans don't get a free pass on what laws they follow. Illegals should not either. Illegals working in the US are criminals. In addition to breaking immigration laws, if they are working there is a very high probability that they are using a stolen or fraudulent social security number. If an American did that, he or she would go to jail. So should those in this country illegally. Granting them amnesty is unAmerican. I deeply resent the thought.

REDUCING immigration, ENFORCING our laws, and DEPORTING those here illegally. That is REAL Immigration Reform.


Everything you need to know about immigration and what to do about it humorously told.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBw1nUlf38I

(Roy Beck and NumbersUSA are the "gumball" heroes)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7WJeqxuOfQ

"Napolitano argued that security has improved, with more than 600 miles of border fence now in place and the Border Patrol having been increased to 20,000 officers."

Actually, I read an article a couple days ago that stated that she, "DECLARED THE BORDER NOW SECURE, and this effort has cleared the way for the next step, complete immigration reform".

How laughable and transparent. "OK, that little chore is done because I say it is. Now we can get on with the one I've wanted to do all along - declare amnesty and give citizenship to these poor, misunderstood people being unfairly called criminals". Napolitano is a joke as a Homeland Security Chief. She fought every step of the way as Governor of Arizona, to get the same things for illegals in her state - the main contributor to the problem of open borders.

This philosophy is why she got appointed by the Obama in the first place - to snow-job the people and have someone in the position that will best facilitate his own treachery to the American workers. Obama and Napolitano are as sneaky as the illegals when they crossed our border.

The comments above, especially the one from Moxee Kid, which is well thought out and stated, have said it all - and correctly. The one from JRhodes, proves that this is NOT a partisan issue - something that I have maintained here all along.

Looks to me like any administration has trouble getting things done...bipartisanship is a big problem in this country. And yes, BOTH parties make claims that are not even remotely correct.

Got a chuckle out of the comments. I found Moxeekid's post to be a rambling mess and wondered what his point was till I got to the end. Also, if the legal system is so LIBERAL as is so often stated by those who want to assign labels, how is it legal Americans are actually paying for their crimes?

Lastly, illegal immigration is a problem that no one can seem to solve. Perhaps, those screaming the loudest, should truly help to fix the problem instead of just running their mouths.

"Napolitano argued that security has improved, with more than 600 miles of border fence now in place and the Border Patrol having been increased to 20,000 officers."

Actually, I read an article a couple days ago that stated that she, "DECLARED THE BORDER NOW SECURE, and this effort has cleared the way for the next step, complete immigration reform".

Thanks for the quote Nick. It reminds me of a comment by another fine statesman referring to a victory at war.
Was it on an aircraft carrier or something like that?

(This comment has been removed by a Yakima Herald-Republic moderator)

Datruef,
Get off it already. I don't remember Nixon, Carter, Ford, Reagan , Clinton and whoever I missed ever publically producing a birth certificate. So unfortunately you are blowing a bit of smoke here.

Now to the point however. You said,"Obama is going to this and he is going to do that. " Point is taken. He seems to be very long on promises and very short on results. We all understand that getting things done takes some time, but he doesn't seem to be inclined to stick with any problem until a fix is in the works before the moves on to another "promise to keep".

That in and of itself is not all bad for a chief executive type but it is also the job of said chief executive to give the middle type mamagers a very clear picture of where he want to go with a fix. This he does not seem to want to do. Instead he delegates the problem to Pres Polosi and Reed and moves on saying they aren't perfect but good enough. Don't we deserve better than good enough:?

Huh- what tickles me the most is when watching Pelosi and Reid talking about health insurance they put on a good show. When in all actuality, they hate each other! No wonder they get along so well with hollywood. But per the birth certificates, all the presidents you named were born U.S. citizens and Obama was born in Indonesia ! There is quite a difference !

As far as Obama being a good CEO and trusting his Mao,Communist and Marxist commrades. Yeah he trusts that they will ruin America as he hopes they can ! Cannot say much more. Pretty well covers it all!

It should be understood the Madam Speaker and Mr Leader (and if that isn't a stretch) have no idea what it is like to be a middle class American. We have mortgages, car payments, kids to put through college, uncertain jobs and grocery costs are going through the roof. But the government will take its 50 percent of a person's income to pay for their little experiments.

And the Pres, who has never held a real job or even has been in a place where he has to live within his means goes merrily on his way, saying "trust me with change, all is good! I have spoken."

I hope he fails.

sjan2. If he fails, unfortunately we all fail in that we, the folks, will pay the price and bear the burden of his failure. Better he succeed and we find enough thinking people out there without ACORN's help to vote him and his cronies gone.

I think Obama has already failed. His rating keep going down and down and down. And this illegal immigration thing will doom him if he gives them all citizenship. He feels that by doing it that they will vote democrat. I think he is going to be in quicksand on this one. The biggest problem for him is that if he does not get himself in truoble, that Pelosi and Reid will ! Obama has so many ignorant liberal top dogs he has to contend with besides the republican party ! He will be squeezed from all sides the next election !

YHR Editorial Board wrote:

From our vantage point, any immigration reform is dependent on making sure the border between the U.S. and Mexico is secure. It also requires tougher enforcement laws against illegal immigrants and employers who knowingly hire them.

How blatantly racist can the YHR Editorial Board get. Why is it that only the border between Mexico and the US needs to be secure? If we are truly talking about closing the boarders to terrorist and illegal immigrants then, not only the boarder between Mexico and the US needs to be secured but also the boarder between Canada and the US also needs to be secured. Also, our coasts and ports need to be secured. Any intelligent person intent on doing harm or coming into the US illegally would probably come through Canada or a deserted coast and not through Mexico where the majority of our assets are located.


I know, the YHR Editorial Board, has no intention of prejudice, it just happens. What crock!

Throw up the race card! They are calling us out on our selfserving, illegal behavior. Your behavior Hector is pathetic. Fact is the Canadian border isn't broken, the Mexican border is. You and your "peoples" are not the victims of anything, only the American worker. Respect our borders and laws and maybe you and your "PEEPS" won't feel like they are discriminated against. Tough to do when the poor me race card gig works so well?

This is crazy. When US citizens break the law we have to pay the price. Well illegals need to be shipped back, if they want to be legal then follow the laws and do it the right way. I don't understand how if the mother and father are illegal and they have a child in the US, why does that child automatically become legal? that is wrong, that child needs to be of the same country as the parents are. I'm not against having other races her from other countries, but I'm against them coming here illegally, and granting them citizenship when they broke the laws.

Guppy,
Our laws regarding citizenship were writted in colonial times when travel, even short distances, was considered dangerous. People just did not travel distances. So the idea that if you were born here, you automatically became a citizen.

Well that was long ago and maybe the idea of how one becomes a citizen should be revisited to reflect the times we live in.

Per scriptures this illegal problem is set forth by God. Scriptures state that when any nation DOES NOT live by Moses' laws that other nations will be sent forward to take over that nation and take away their valuables.


Now whereas Obama and other liberals are taking the bible out of government and schools. I am seeing this happen right now. Lets not blame the illegals. Seems the problem may be America not living God's WISDOM !

Seems like a weeding out list. I wish they could add one more thing to it.
You need to keep a job for 2 years. If you quit you go home.
Also, to bad we just can't keep the Hispanic women and get rid of the men. Since they are the ones causing 99% of the problems.

Thank you, Hector, for at least giving the lie to all the "border security" talk. Most people who want to secure our borders (and don't give a hoot about Canada) are only really interested in securing our domestic work force. As opposed to, say, the work force of domestics.

It puzzles me no end how many people who will scream themselves purple about the need to "secure" the US/Mexico border also simultaneously show nothing but contempt for labor unions. What gives?

Martha, Without the illegal workforce wages and employee treatment wouldn't be an issue. Those that treat thier employees well would be in business. It's called supply & demand. No workers, no business. The problem with Unions is given to much power they can be as corrupt as business and we must compete in the world markets some what.
Thetruth, Only the cute women get to stay,................................................................................................................ now thats shallow!

Starman,

My statements only pointouts the bad logic that the Editorial Board uses for their atricle. If we are going to secure the borders, let us secure them all not just the US/Mexican border. And if you think the US/Canadian border is not an easy way into the US (the Canadian border isn't brokern) then you have your head in the sand because, I can assure you, it is also being breached everyday by drug trafficers, illegal aliens and who knows who else.

Datruef,

You know, there is a lot of wisdom in what you wrote. (not living God's wisdom). The open border policy came about not because the US loved the Mexicans. The borders were open to allow the Mexicans to come into the US to be expolited for their labor. That is not living God's wisdom.

Thetruth,

Sure why not, (Keep only the Mexican women). Mexican women are some of the most beautiful women in the world but that is also not living God's wisdom.

Guppymoon,

Back in the late 40's, after the end of WWII Mexican Nationals and US Citizens that looked like Mexican Nationals were rounded up and put into railroad cars and shipped back to Mexico. Look up "Operation Wetback"

Too bad for you but the United States of America is a wiser nation and much better than that so that would not happen today.

Why don't you look up some old videos of "Operation Wetback" and dream about it, that it could happen again.

Hector, your ignorance, or perhaps your state of denial mystifies and amazes me. You ask,

"How blatantly racist can the YHR Editorial Board get. Why is it that only the border between Mexico and the US needs to be secure?"

One broad answer might be, If all you can do is claim racism in our desire for border security, tell me this: How many Canadians come here and stay illegally? (By the way most Canadians are white, so where is the racism?). There certainly aren't anywhere near as many illegal Canadians as there are illegal Hispanics in the total of 35 million overall. Of those, most are Mexicans, who have insisted on staying here, but want nothing to do with assimilating into our society. If I am wrong about this, why do they refuse to learn and use English? Why do they demand citizen rights when they aren't citizens? Why do they ignore our laws and then complain bitterly when they are prosecuted for their abhorrent and criminal behavior?

What would you think of us if the tables were reversed and we invaded your country to the extent that your brethren have done ours, (You claim to be an American, born in Texas, but you certainly don't act like an American). How would your people like it if we came to Mexico and shot up your neighborhoods? How would you like it if we came to Mexico and demanded American Holidays? How far would we get in Mexico demanding free health care and schools? How many food stamps would we get in Mexico if we couldn't make enough money to buy our own groceries? Would we get free child care, subsidized housing? Would we get special interest rates to buy a house down there? Could we get welfare in Mexico after sending the majority of our pay home to relatives in America?

What cheek your entitlement attitude shows. What a total lack of appreciation and respect.

Incidentally, the Canadian border is even less secure than our border with Mexico. There are many problems there, mostly dealing with contraband and human trafficking of Asians, Russians, and middle easterners. Even at that, most Canadians have the decency and respect to come here legally, and most mind our laws while they are here. However, it too, is being secured.

Your claims are contrived and false and have no basis in fact or justice. They are nothing but a bunch of La Raza, (The Race) rhetoric, embellished with a healthy tot from the Socialist Workers Party dogma, which you once told me with pride, that you were a member.

Martha, if you like living the Mexican lifestyle so well, move into my neighborhood - it is a close facsimile. Remember to bring your gun. Better yet, make a deal with Hector and you can both sneak into Mexico and see what happens there when you are caught. It won't be pretty.

Hector, my head is not in the sand. No border is 100% but the Mexico border is wide open compared to the Canadian border. Trust me the Canadians make sure of this. Thats first hand real life knowledge.

OddThomasFan:

"
Lastly, illegal immigration is a problem that no one can seem to solve. Perhaps, those screaming the loudest, should truly help to fix the problem instead of just running their mouths.
"
Aren't you aware the people posting here opposing amnesty are among others making demands to their representatives in Congress that something must be done to stop this insanity ??
They are the people at the rallies on the corner, in the streets, writing and sending money to organizations such as FAIR and NumbersUSA in an effort to stop this madness.

MarthaRicky:

"Most people who want to secure our borders (and don't give a hoot about Canada) are only really interested in securing our domestic work force. As opposed to, say, the work force of domestics"

The above statement is about as clueless as I have read.

Yes, we are concerned about Canada and we are also concerned about every other method of gaining access to our country illegally.

Of course, we are concerned about our domestic work force as opposed to being concerned about the "work force of domestics".
We, as legal residents of this great nation are "our domestic work force"

Spoken as a true immigration lawyer; one who makes a living as a representative of the "work force of domestics".

HectorFranco:


"How blatantly racist can the YHR Editorial Board get"

I don't defend YHR in any way. I don't agree with their editorial policies in most cases.

For you to call anyone's editorial 'racist' is uncalled for.

How about "Hispanic Chamber of Commerce" "Black Congressional Caucus" "NAACP" "La Raza (The Race)"
Try substituting "Hispanic Chamber of Commerce" with "White Chamber of Commerce"...... racist??? or "Black Congressional Caucus" with "White Congressional Caucus" ... racist ??

The accusation of 'Racism' to any statement you disagree with shows what you are.

How ironic that Native Americans still enjoy the benefits of free speech while the rest of you are too timid or cowardly to simply say what you mean.

We don't see a lot of Canadians running around the reservation stealing cars and selling drugs to our people. But we do see Mexicans doing that....everyday.

Several of us would like to have a fence around the reservation to keep these undesirables out.

We will not be granting tribal status to any non-natives any time soon.

Non-Indians will not be running for tribal council here. This idea is an abomination to us.

Nick wrote,

(You claim to be an American, born in Texas, but you certainly don't act like an American).

I am a Texan and I do have a birth certificate to prove it but, since Bush, I do not make bones about it. But just how is an "American" supposed to act? Is there a general mode of behavior that I am supposed to adhear to?

I tell you, Nick, those people speaking in generalities about any one group is a person that one would lable as a "simple person."

Nick wrote:

Your claims are contrived and false and have no basis in fact or justice. They are nothing but a bunch of La Raza, (The Race) rhetoric, embellished with a healthy tot from the Socialist Workers Party dogma, which you once told me with pride, that you were a member.

Your writing leaves a lot to be desired. Are you accusing me of once being a member of La Raza or the Socialist Workers Party? It is not at all clear. Maybe you should slow down and not get too excited.

Yes, I once was a member of The Washington State Council of La Raza back in the 90's. It was to be an associate member of the National Council of La Raza, one of the largest advocay groups for Latinos in the nation but Tony Sandoval, as president, ran it into the ground.

You claim to have talked to talked to me before. The only Nick that I know in Yakima is, indeed, a simple person and so I will no longer waste my time responding to your generalities.

hawkeye:

You bring up an interesting point...

Can your tribe, as an independant nation within the USA, formally ban these undesirables by action of the tribal council ?

Just an idea..

hawkeye:

"How ironic that Native Americans still enjoy the benefits of free speech while the rest of you are too timid or cowardly to simply say what you mean"

I believe most whites avoid speaking out for fear of being a racist.


Can you imagine a (perceived "white") poster making the following statement without being called a "racist"?

hawkeye: "We don't see a lot of Canadians running around the reservation stealing cars and selling drugs to our people. But we do see Mexicans doing that....everyday.
Several of us would like to have a fence around the reservation to keep these undesirables out"

It would be pretty hard to hang a racist charge on a tribal member.

Hooray for you.

hawkeye wrote:

Several of us would like to have a fence around the reservation to keep these undesirables out.

That is right SEVERAL OF US. Several of YAKAMAS last year also sponsored the anti immigrant initiative but it got nowhere.

I would urge hawkeye to read the list of the Yakama Nation tribal members and see how many have Latino names are on it. A great many.

Now the questions arises; Why is that? What is happening in the Yakama Nation? Most importantly, why is this integration happening?

I can see why hawkeye would be worried and anxious to put a fence around the nation. But that is not the answer.

Hawkey,

I think the tribe has bigger issues to tackle first. How about corruption, kick backs, poor business managment, rampent alcoholism.

Would the fence be meant to keep the undesirbales out or in? Guess it depends on who you ask.

HectorFranco:

RE: hawkeye's post

"We don't see a lot of Canadians running around the reservation stealing cars and selling drugs to our people. But we do see Mexicans doing that....everyday.

Several of us would like to have a fence around the reservation to keep these undesirables out. "


Has it occurred to you the effort was to rid the reservation of "undesirales". I am sure there are "undesirables" from all races. There probably were Latino and other ethnic names on the list.
The end result of the petition was to try to rid their reservation of the problem as best they could. They have their own children as "undesirables" and should deal with them, of course. As members of the tribe, they can't be expelled.

"Integration", as you call it, is a normal thing to happen, whenever people live within the same community. Children of ALL familys must grow up to be productive citizens in our society and, if they don't, many problems lie ahead for them.
It is the responsibility of the parents and also the community to guide the way.

Some must suspect that editorials are written from press releases while disengaging the brain.
The present government justification for what is misleadingly called "immigration reform" (that actually will continue the flood of immigrants into this country and is no change in policy)includes the number 12 million but ignores the fact that the estimates of illegals here runs from 12 to 20 million.
And then the editorial dutifully lists the loops that illegals supposedly will have to overcome in order to become citizens (register, pay fines and all taxes they owe, pass a criminal background check and learn English) but ignores fact that these are just appearance measures more intended to hide reality that this "reform" bill is just rewarding illegal entry to this country, and continues the a policy of attracting ever-increasing numbers of them.And then ignores the unsustainability factors of doing so for millions every year.
And then there is the humorous references to "enforcing"the border. The transparency of this is best indicated by Napolitano's refusing to apply E-Verify to all employers, the one measure that would significantly discourage those ever-increasing numbers of illegals to come here.
Finally, after being forced to do so, the congress and president have now buttressed their attempt to make it appear that illegals will not be provided tax-payer supplied health care. But passage of this law following passage of the health care bill would mean that a probable 20 million plus illegals would then get tax-payer supported health care. Then think of the additional millions in Mexico and south of there then motivated into coming here. Who wouldn't. Abundant welfare, free education, medical care, and preferential hiring.
But intelligent Americans must understand that allowing this to occur means abandoning any sense of responsibility to our children. Unsolveable growth problems will bring all the consequences of unsustainable resource depletion, alienation, and industrial collapse.

Moxee Kid - All your comments and responses are extremely well thought and stated. My compliments on very concise and accurate postings.

Also, Thank you, Sustainability, for your clarification of the misconception, (or should say "Misrepresentation") of the so-called "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" that the Administration and Congress is so proud of pushing.

Hector, I was only quoting YOU on what you told me, so how could I be wrong? La Raza is a racist hate group by definition, by the way, and should be attracting the attention of the ACLU for those crimes against human rights. Of course, by YOUR definition, those liabilities/crimes don't exist if they benefit anyone who might be Caucasian.

As to your demonstration of patriotism, the only patriotism I have seen/heard from you is to other countries than your own.

Hawkeye - You are correct and also somewhat lucky, since you can "legally" say whatever you want. As for some of the rest of us, (whites, I mean) The word-and-thought police are constantly dogging our trail looking for infractions of their own definition of "Free Speech", to be better defined as "Politically Correct Speech". We are the ONLY ones susceptible to Hate Crime and Hate Speech charges, and can be sued or worse, go to prison, for speaking factual information out loud.

Example: Just look at all the illegal Hispanics crying foul and racism over immigration issues when those issues are nothing but a statements of fact on law and order - in other words, defined by our government as "criminal".