Where you stand on a issue isn’t as important. . .
September 22, 2009
…as how you would go about solving the issue. My friends on the Right and Left have no problem articulating their positions on the various issues of the day, but they rarely have the same level fluency when it comes to outlining their own plan. Most people take the time to decide which side of an issue they will take, but few actually take the time to really think through how they would propose to solve the issue. I think the process of really dissecting the issue and coming up with a plan to resolve it from your own point of view and based on your own value system is VERY important. At the end of the day you really start to understand where you fit in the political spectrum when you actually start to outline solutions. For example, I have outlined my position and plans for the various issues facing our nation and many of my friends on the Left agree with my solutions. I think this is the way forward for America – for rational people to sit down and come up with reasonable solutions. Why not sit down and outline your ideas and then share them? I spent some time outlining my various plans and thoughts, tell me what you think.
- My plan for health care reform
- My plan for immigration reform
- My plan for tax reform
- My plan for the environment and energy
- My thoughts on the right to keep and bear arms
- My thoughts on capital punishment
- My thoughts on church and state
When did Amnesty become a four letter word?
September 18, 2009
In 403 BC Athens was at the end of a VERY long civil war and to end the bloodshed a wise person suggested a ‘general political amnesty’. All acts of both sides would be officially forgotten. Republican President Abraham Lincoln offered amnesty for Union deserters and certain members of the Confederacy at the conclusion of the Civil War. Today, any solution to the immigration problem is immediately rejected if someone applies the ‘amnesty’ tag to the plan. Even plans that have nothing to do with immigration can be tainted by the tag. For example, conservatives who oppose Obama’s health care plan are now suggesting that the plan would be a ‘backdoor move toward amnesty‘ for illegal immigrants. (FYI I too oppose Obama’s plan, but not for that reason)
My plan (some of you have tried to call it amnesty) is a rational attempt to solve the problem we have today. Conservatives need to start applying their principles to the problem, not simply ignoring it or suggesting that a new fence will resolve it (FYI – I don’t oppose a fence, it won’t help with the 20-30 million people already here). What are the conservative plans for the immigration problem that have a chance of working? I bet anything that is workable would incorporate some form of amnesty. For those who care, here is my plan for immigration:
First, I think there we need a special program for anyone who is well educated, has connections or has significant resources. Immigration doesn’t need to be fair. If you have a lot to offer we shouldn’t wait for you to request permission to come to the US, instead we should ask you to come. We need more smart people in the US. Our country was built by immigrants. We shouldn’t assume all of the smartest people are already here. Why are there more cab drivers from Africa here than engineers from India or China?
Second, there needs to be a plan for those immigrants who aren’t well educated, who don’t have strong connections or resources.
The concept behind my solution is to recognize that workers from Latin America are here to stay. My plan allows anyone from Latin America to work and live freely in the United States under the following conditions:
- They register as a non-citizen worker before entry.
- They must pass a criminal background check before entry.
- They receive a non-citizen passport issued by the U.S. before entry.
- They must obtain a U.S. based bank account.
- They must obtain a U.S. drivers license in order to drive in the U.S.
- They must not vote in Federal, State or local elections.
- They must not apply for or receive welfare.
- Their children may attend public schools.
- They may use public healthcare facilities as long as they pay the medical bills within one year.
- They must not commit any crime.
- They do not have to pay taxes on the first $35,000 of income per family per year (no SS or Unemployment).
- They must return to their home country if they are unemployed for more than six months (stay at home mothers/fathers exempt if spouse is working).
Workers are only half of the solution. The other half will be employers:
- Employers must conduct instant checks on each newly hired non-citizen and recheck those non-citizens each quarter.
- Employers must report non-citizen employment, and income.
- Employers do not need to withhold any taxes.
- Employers do not need to provide health insurance.
- Employers must not pay more than $35,000 per year to non-citizen employees.
The penalties:
- Make it a felony (mandatory jail time) for employing a non-registered worker.
- Make it a felony for working in the US without registering.
- Expel workers who commit crimes, do not pay medical bills, or remain unemployed.
The carrot:
- Allow non-citizen workers who have lived and worked in the US for more than five years, have a clean record and have paid their bills to move to the head of the line for citizenship (they will, of course, lose their tax free status).
Let me know if I missed anything. We can make this work.
