Saturday, February 14, 2009

Immigration Reform Advocates Ready to Try Again

This time around the circumstances are more favorable for passing reform legislation
By Justin Ewers

Posted February 13, 2009 U.S. News and World Report

When immigration reform last made an appearance on Capitol Hill, in the summer of 2007, the flood of phone calls from opponents of the legislation was so great, it temporarily shut down the congressional switchboard.

The bill's supporters, an unlikely alliance of Republicans and Democrats from President Bush and John McCain to Ted Kennedy and Harry Reid, had spent months searching for consensus. But the furious, well-organized response from conservatives opposed to "amnesty" for illegal immigrants left them short of the 60 votes needed to bring the bill to a final vote in the Senate.

In the end, a small majority of senators—mostly Republicans but including some Democrats—voted against the measure to toughen border enforcement, crack down on employers of undocumented workers, and create a pathway to citizenship for the country's 12 million illegal immigrants. "I had hoped for a bipartisan accomplishment," Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate minority leader, said after the bill was tabled. "What we got was a bipartisan defeat."

Undeterred, only 18 months later, would-be immigration reformers are gearing up to try again. Shrugging off concerns about how the issue will fare politically during an economic downturn, they are pressing President Obama to keep a campaign pledge to tackle the issue in his first year. "It's never a perfect time to do this," says Tamar Jacoby, president of ImmigrationWorks USA, a national federation working to change immigration law. "But at some point, you have to bite the bullet and say, 'This is the time.' "

On the face of it, what was politically impossible then does not seem quite so unattainable anymore. If a bill is introduced in the next year, it will be the first time since 1965 that major immigration legislation is considered without Republicans in control of any branch of government. Reformers not only have a popular president on their side and a Senate Democratic majority hovering just below 60 votes, they also have some highly motivated allies. Harry Reid, the Senate's Democratic majority leader, is up for re-election next year in Nevada, a state that is 25 percent Latino. Former presidential candidate John McCain, meanwhile, has reportedly returned to the Senate determined to revisit one of his signature issues.

"Even though there was so much bloodshed on the Senate floor last time, there do seem to be some willing warriors ready to take it back on," says Angela Kelley, director of the Immigration Policy Center in Washington. Polls show that nearly 70 percent of voters favor some path to citizenship for illegal immigrants if they pay a penalty, pay taxes, and learn English.

Questions still linger, of course, around how much support a renewed reform effort can expect from conservatives in both parties with unemployment rising. Michael Steele, the newly elected chairman of the Republican National Committee, has insisted that his party will not be softening its opposition to "amnesty." Reformers, though, are pressing on with their outreach efforts. If history is any guide, Congress may want to get ready for a few phone calls.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Bail out of America and the acceptance of Immigrants’

In today’s world all we ever hear about is the way in which America has hit a standstill when it comes to the economy and how the taxpayers are so tired of there taxes been put forward to help those companies from small businesses to wall street to gm motors but they all fail to realize and accept the fact that this is the only way to bring America back on track or is it?


So what is the alternative plan? well lets just stop and think for a minute !
Who keeps the cost of deliveries from sandwiches to pizza to furniture moving costs down and in doing so work for below minimum wage, and at the same time pay equal rents to those landlords in which rent properties to over 12 million illegal’s in this country.


Now is where the immigrants come into play in helping America get back on track, first off how America give each immigrant in which is living illegal in this country a chance to become legal and have travel status, But why you ask well if each illegal immigrant had status you are now thinking they would take American jobs. Not the story because for years they have worked the jobs in which the hold not because the like what they do but because at the end of the month they don’t receive unemployment unlike the American people who choose not to work and these immigrants still have to make the rent as they cant turn to the government for assistance


Part 1
Now this is where they can help America with the bail out each immigrant pays $1,500 for a two year status visa which entitles them to pay taxes and when claiming taxes at the end of each of the first 2 years they are only entitled to get 25% of there overall taxes due back and the other 75% goes into federal funds which in return can be put towards decreasing medical costs to Americans and building social security Total money in government reserve 18 million



Part 2
After the 2 years are up those who have abided by the rules they can then apply for an additional 2 years of status in which they now pay $2000,00 and can claim 50% back of there annual taxes and like before the other 50% goes towards social security and healthcare Total in government reserve 24 million





Part 3
At this stage each participant who has stayed within the lay can now choose to extend there visa for 1 or 3 years the 1 year plan costs $2000 in which they can claim back 30% of annual taxes paid and once again the 70% goes into federal reserve. On the other hand those who choose to go with the 3 year plan pay $3000 and after the first year of paying taxes can Claim Back 50% and also have a choice to pay an additional $1000 in which they will be given the choice to apply for citizenship at a filing cost of $500 and then are initialed to claim back the previous 5 years of taxes towards there retirement fund.
How does this help America?


1 At least 5 million will buy cars and finance them which helps both General Motors and the banks with money coming in can now lower mortgage rates too helping everyone all round


2 They are going to travel more spreading the wealth throughout America


3 they are going to take out mortgages as the can now call America there real Home and don’t have to live in fear anymore.

Total taxes per term collected estimated at $705.13 average tax returns per person

1st term Equals $528.75 x $12,000,000,000 equals $6,345,000,000,000
Fines equal $18,000,000,000,000

2nd term equals $325.50 x 12,000,000,000 equals $3,906,000,000,000
Fines equal $24,000,000,000,000
3rd term equals $211.50 x 12,000,000,000 equals $2,538,000,000,000
Fines equal $ 24,000,000,000,000

Total collections into federal reserve $78,789,000,000,
smc

Anonymous said...

I work for nine years in San francisco, as a illegal immigrant,
i pay my tax, and my rent, and i would be happy to pay a fine of
10000 USD, i know a lot of people
in san francisco, would do the same
keep up the good work,
hope they will pass some thing this year