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February
4, 2005
Wake Up
America! -- An Interview with Mark
Edwards
by Steve
Farrell
The
inaugural celebration is past and gone, and so is
the honeymoon between the President and
conservative Republicans who wanted 'Anyone but
Kerry for President,' and who now have to settle
back down to the harsh reality that THEIR winning
candidate isn't as conservative as they had
hoped.
One bone of contention has to do with
immigration policy, something the administration
needs to pay better attention to, unless the desire
is to split the party.
It's just a bit odd, for starters, that the
tough on terrorism, tough on homeland security,
'America First' Bush administration is
simultaneously pro illegal immigration,
pro-amnesty, pro-open borders under such
sovereignty destroying international agencies as
NAFTA, and the soon to be pushed Free Trade Area of
the America's (FTAA).
It all equals more crime, more welfare, more
prisons, more taxes, more terrorists, more danger,
more disrespect for America and her laws -- and one
heck of a lot of unhappy Americans who voted for
George W. Bush, who already feel betrayed by a
President who has quickly cut and run from some of
his conservative campaign rhetoric.
Popular talk show host, Mark Edwards, the
Founder of Wake Up America Foundation is one of
them. As we spoke on the phone last evening, he
summed up his passion for the issue in these words:
"It's a sad day in American when the law makers
side with law breakers, AGAINST the law abiding
citizens."
He's got a point. And he tells a tale of border
patrol agents, who regularly inform him about being
ordered to look the other way on too many
occasions, and of skilled construction workers, and
other workers, who are out of work thanks to
illegals working off the books (tax free). His
blood has reached the boiling point.
And who can blame him? Many of you, who live in
cities and towns where the illegal immigration
population is high, are just as angry and
alarmed.
The good news is, Mark's Foundation (please
visit WakeUpAmericaFoundation.com) has a working
plan, that I think rising passions on this issue in
this country will soon insure, has a hearing in
Congress, at least in principle, if not in
specifics.
After outlining the heavy costs of illegal
immigration in -- jobs lost, taxes imposed, crimes
committed, communities rendered unsafe, housing
rendered unhealthy, social traditions undermined,
politics and politicians pushed further to the left
-- the foundation hits upon a thought provoking
plan of action.
In summary, here it is:
- Direct the IRS to stop all underground
businesses that are thriving tax-free by hiring
illegal aliens.
-
- Slap a $10,000 fine on employers who are
caught hiring illegal aliens (per illegal
alien), and a prison sentence for repeat
offenses (fines included).
-
- Set a six month deadline for all illegals to
leave the country voluntarily or be
deported.
-
- Give these same deported individuals the
opportunity to return legally, as documented
workers, for a maximum of three years to fill
bona fide vacant jobs, where there is no
available, willing, qualified American citizen
available to accept the said job at a prevailing
wage.
-
- Make it so that if the employers want these
foreign documented workers, let them, not the
taxpayers, assume the costs, such as health
insurance (to 100 percent), and forget about
workers compensation.
-
- To further to insure that these workers have
no claim upon the public largesse, these
documented workers ought to pay no taxes, no
social security, no payroll taxes of any
kind.
-
- If the worker brings along his family,
first, children born in the US will not be
citizens (a loophole that gets illegals into the
public booty); and second, the employer must pay
an impact fee for each child entered in American
schools (much the same as the US government pays
for all children of military or civil service
employees).
-
- In the interest of national security,
documented workers who drive must bring with
them a valid drivers License issued in the
worker's country of origin.
-
- In the interest of public safety, and the
rule of law, failure to maintain auto insurance,
possession of false ID's, commission of crimes,
will be cause for immediate deportation with all
legal costs paid for by the deportee.
-
- In the interest of national security, ID
laws across the country must be tightened
up.
-
- Illegal aliens arrested and, or serving jail
time will only be released to 'proper
authorities' for immediate deportation, and
banned from reentry.
-
- Employer ought to be required to confirm
perspective employee's identity, citizenship, or
valid immigration status, in an 'immediate real
time basis' -- a system much like one in effect
by law enforcement in many states whereby
driving records and outstanding warrants are
quickly checked during traffic stops.
-
- Our border with Mexico ought to be
immediately secured, using the military, if
necessary, to supplement existing Border
Enforcement officers. Arrest powers will remain
with civil authorities.
-
- State, county, city, and local law
enforcement agencies must be given the authority
to ascertain the immigration status of any
individual, and detain and incarcerate suspected
illegal aliens for immediate deportation.
-
- English needs to be the national language,
and immigration ought to be curtailed for five
years.
There are some good, practical ideas in this
declaration. It's all about upholding the rule of
law, private property, and facing squarely social,
political, economic, and national security,
realities.
"Wake up America!" That's what Mark Edwards
shouts several times per night. For those who feel
similarly aroused about the illegal immigration
invasion, I hope they'll join their voice with
his.
Farrell
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