DWI: Driving While Illegal
" A coalition of groups (Wisconsin Coalition for Safe Roads) has stepped up its effort to convince Gov. Jim Doyle to allow illegal immigrants to....drive.... (They are ) working people who need to drive to New Berlin and Mequon...."
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Feb. 14, 2009
The coalition is seeking to have the State of Wisconsin issue certificates in lieu of driver's licenses to people who have no Social Security card since they are in this country illegally. If someone has no social security card, how can he or she get a job anyway? Legitimate employers nowadays demand to examine them, if only to comply with requirements that payroll taxes be withheld. I suspect that many of the illegals who are working are paid in cash, and that nothing is withheld for income or Social Security tax. If so, these people and their employers are violating our tax laws and well as our immigration laws.
We have been told that illegal immigrants are doing jobs that no American would do, at least not for the same meager pay. This claim was never very creditable, but in view of current unemployment statistics, it is even more ludicrous now. I contend that for every job held by an illegal immigrant, there are several equally qualified American citizens who would gladly accept it for the same pay. Employers could not so easily evade their responsibilities to pay at least minimum wages and their share of the Social Security tax if they were employing Americans, but they should be made to comply with these laws.
Whether more immigration at this time is, on balance, beneficial for America is arguable. But even if some immigration is beneficial, the nation must be able to choose those immigrants with the skills and resources that would best serve American interests. We must be able to exclude criminals, subversives, and those infected with communicable diseases, especially AIDS. Illegal immigration makes a mockery of all these efforts. Yet prominent American politicians of both parties have advocated a "reform bill" that would allow illegals to stay here why they applied for citizenship. Since the recent economic downturn, support for this plan appears to have declined.
So, how should we respond to the demand those who have sneaked across our borders and taken jobs for which they pay no taxes be authorized to drive on our streets and roads?
"No way, Jose!"
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Feb. 14, 2009
The coalition is seeking to have the State of Wisconsin issue certificates in lieu of driver's licenses to people who have no Social Security card since they are in this country illegally. If someone has no social security card, how can he or she get a job anyway? Legitimate employers nowadays demand to examine them, if only to comply with requirements that payroll taxes be withheld. I suspect that many of the illegals who are working are paid in cash, and that nothing is withheld for income or Social Security tax. If so, these people and their employers are violating our tax laws and well as our immigration laws.
We have been told that illegal immigrants are doing jobs that no American would do, at least not for the same meager pay. This claim was never very creditable, but in view of current unemployment statistics, it is even more ludicrous now. I contend that for every job held by an illegal immigrant, there are several equally qualified American citizens who would gladly accept it for the same pay. Employers could not so easily evade their responsibilities to pay at least minimum wages and their share of the Social Security tax if they were employing Americans, but they should be made to comply with these laws.
Whether more immigration at this time is, on balance, beneficial for America is arguable. But even if some immigration is beneficial, the nation must be able to choose those immigrants with the skills and resources that would best serve American interests. We must be able to exclude criminals, subversives, and those infected with communicable diseases, especially AIDS. Illegal immigration makes a mockery of all these efforts. Yet prominent American politicians of both parties have advocated a "reform bill" that would allow illegals to stay here why they applied for citizenship. Since the recent economic downturn, support for this plan appears to have declined.
So, how should we respond to the demand those who have sneaked across our borders and taken jobs for which they pay no taxes be authorized to drive on our streets and roads?
"No way, Jose!"
Labels: immigration, unemployment
posted by Gerald S Glazer at 10:49 AM
4 Comments:
Well stated and argued!
Illegal aliens are already taking jobs of Milwaukeeans. My son is in college and in the summer he took a job as a construction worker making apartment buildings along Brown Deer Road. The entire work crew but himself were illegal aliens. Of course they were paid less than American workers and got no benefits. This crew worked at odd hours and times on the same project as American workers who were paid more and got benefits. Everyone on the job hid this fact, as it was probably illegal.
I'm trying to recall the precise wording of the inscription on the Statue of liberty. You remember, Gerry--the one that would have made your immigrant parents or grandparents weep with joy...had they been able to read English: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to be free...." What productive skills did they have except their willingness for hard work. They pulled themselves up, and you stand on their shoulders. All of which is good, and must not be forgotten. The only difference is that now we have stricter enforcement of "green card" laws, so that those who want to fence others out (perhaps another way of saying "protect" our own comfortable status) can say "BUT MY ANCESTORS ENTERED LEGALLY." If your ancestors and mine had to follow the laws and regulations we have today, and were to have be tracked as emmigrees are today, few of yours and my ancestors would have been here legally, and you and I would have had no shoulders to stand on. We have problems to work through on emmigration, but they are not simple and they won't be solved by placing more barriers in the way of those who want to work and provide opportunities for their children. Gerry, the great majority of illegals have the same hopes and dreams as your parents and mine. Let them drive--but make certain they carry insurance.
Joel
There are no "undocumented immigrants," just illegal aliens. The latter also includes "sleeper" Al-Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah agents.
If you come to this country legally, you then have a visa and may be considered among other things a refugee, permanent resident, or an immigrant. I am a first generation immigrant from the former Soviet Union and feel that the laws of the land must govern all people, liberals included. So if you are here illegally - adios!
George
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