Pretty good speech:

[Mr. Hall]

Excerpts from President Obama's speech about illegal aliens:  Pragmatic and realistic.  Stern yet compassionate. 

Third, we’ll take steps to deal responsibly with the millions of undocumented immigrants who already live in our country.

I want to say more about this third issue, because it generates the most passion and controversy. Even as we are a nation of immigrants, we’re also a nation of laws. Undocumented workers broke our immigration laws, and I believe that they must be held accountable, especially those who may be dangerous.

That’s why over the past six years deportations of criminals are up 80 percent, and that’s why we’re going to keep focusing enforcement resources on actual threats to our security. Felons, not families. Criminals, not children. Gang members, not a mom who’s working hard to provide for her kids. We’ll prioritize, just like law e enforcement does every day.

But even as we focus on deporting criminals, the fact is millions of immigrants in every state, of every race and nationality still live here illegally.

And let’s be honest, tracking down, rounding up and deporting millions of people isn’t realistic. Anyone who suggests otherwise isn’t being straight with you.

Now here is the thing. We expect people who live in this country to play by the rules. We expect those who cut the line will not be unfairly rewarded. So we’re going to offer the following deal: If you’ve with been in America more than five years. If you have children who are American citizens or illegal residents. If you register, pass a criminal background check and you’re willing to pay your fair share of taxes, you’ll be able to apply to stay in this country temporarily without fear of deportation. You can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. That’s what this deal is.

Now let’s be clear about what it isn’t. This deal does not apply to anyone who has come to this country recently. It does not apply to anyone who might come to America illegally in the future. It does not grant citizenship or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive. Only Congress can do that. All we’re saying is we’re not going to deport you.

I know some of the critics of the action call it amnesty. Well, it’s not. Amnesty is the immigration system we have today. Millions of people who live here without paying their taxes or playing by the rules, while politicians use the issue to scare people and whip up votes at election time. That’s the real amnesty, leaving this broken system the way it is. Mass amnesty would be unfair. Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary it to our character.

What I’m describing is accountability. A common sense middle- ground approach. If you meet the criteria, you can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. If you’re a criminal, you’ll be deported. If you plan to enter the U.S. illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up.

$

 

[kaba]

Compassion for law breakers?

 

[rsc2a]

Compassion for law breakers?

Hopefully.  But compassion and abandonment of law are not always siblings.

 

[subllibrm]

Let's do a little imagining for a minute. What if the Feds could (huge if but that is why we are using our imaginations) round up every single illegal alien and deport them? Let's say that the program was particularly efficient and the task was complete in under a year. Not only completely eliminating all of them but sealing the border to prevent and new arrivals. Okay, now our imaginary scenario is complete. 11 million+ foreigners are gone and no new ones coming in.

How would your life change? For good or for ill?

Would you notice? If so, in what way?

 

[kaba]

Let's do a little imagining for a minute. What if the Feds could (huge if but that is why we are using our imaginations) round up every single illegal alien and deport them? Let's say that the program was particularly efficient and the task was complete in under a year. Not only completely eliminating all of them but sealing the border to prevent and new arrivals. Okay, now our imaginary scenario is complete. 11 million+ foreigners are gone and no new ones coming in.

How would your life change? For good or for ill?

Would you notice? If so, in what way?

Maybe certain living expenses will go down because companies dont have to make up for those that dont pay their way, and pass on the expense to me.

 

[The Rogue Tomato]

Let's do a little imagining for a minute. What if the Feds could (huge if but that is why we are using our imaginations) round up every single illegal alien and deport them? Let's say that the program was particularly efficient and the task was complete in under a year. Not only completely eliminating all of them but sealing the border to prevent and new arrivals. Okay, now our imaginary scenario is complete. 11 million+ foreigners are gone and no new ones coming in.

How would your life change? For good or for ill?

Would you notice? If so, in what way?

It would be bad.  Everyone's lawn would be overgrown.  And the deficit might be reduced because we're not paying as much welfare/food stamps/etc.

Seriously, I can see how one could stretch the law practically to its breaking point to say that prosecutorial discretion gives Obama the ability to NOT deport 5 million illegals.  It's outrageous, but it is the sort of thing that might win in a court. 

Giving the illegals green cards is a whole 'nother matter.  That's making them legal workers. 

That's not prosecutorial discretion.  Prosecutorial discretion is when you decide NOT to prosecute someone who has broken the law. 

Making them legal workers is when you change the law itself by omitting or changing the requirements to qualify for the green cards.  The president cannot do that unilaterally.

 

[Smellin Coffee]

Let's do a little imagining for a minute. What if the Feds could (huge if but that is why we are using our imaginations) round up every single illegal alien and deport them? Let's say that the program was particularly efficient and the task was complete in under a year. Not only completely eliminating all of them but sealing the border to prevent and new arrivals. Okay, now our imaginary scenario is complete. 11 million+ foreigners are gone and no new ones coming in.

How would your life change? For good or for ill?

Would you notice? If so, in what way?

I don't mean this to be sarcastic or funny but there would probably be a lot of landscaping and farming jobs open in our area. But then the owners of these establishments wouldn't be able to pay the American workers.

 

[The Rogue Tomato]

Let's do a little imagining for a minute. What if the Feds could (huge if but that is why we are using our imaginations) round up every single illegal alien and deport them? Let's say that the program was particularly efficient and the task was complete in under a year. Not only completely eliminating all of them but sealing the border to prevent and new arrivals. Okay, now our imaginary scenario is complete. 11 million+ foreigners are gone and no new ones coming in.

How would your life change? For good or for ill?

Would you notice? If so, in what way?

I don't mean this to be sarcastic or funny but there would probably be a lot of landscaping and farming jobs open in our area. But then the owners of these establishments wouldn't be able to pay the American workers.

Great minds think alike. Either that, or we both saw the same South Park episode.

 

[HeDied4U]

Let's do a little imagining for a minute. What if the Feds could (huge if but that is why we are using our imaginations) round up every single illegal alien and deport them? Let's say that the program was particularly efficient and the task was complete in under a year. Not only completely eliminating all of them but sealing the border to prevent and new arrivals. Okay, now our imaginary scenario is complete. 11 million+ foreigners are gone and no new ones coming in.

How would your life change? For good or for ill?

Would you notice? If so, in what way?

Well, according to the Grand PooBah himself, our fruit wouldn't get picked, [hotel] beds wouldn't get made and landscaping jobs would go unfinished.

 

[Smellin Coffee]

Let's do a little imagining for a minute. What if the Feds could (huge if but that is why we are using our imaginations) round up every single illegal alien and deport them? Let's say that the program was particularly efficient and the task was complete in under a year. Not only completely eliminating all of them but sealing the border to prevent and new arrivals. Okay, now our imaginary scenario is complete. 11 million+ foreigners are gone and no new ones coming in.

How would your life change? For good or for ill?

Would you notice? If so, in what way?

I don't mean this to be sarcastic or funny but there would probably be a lot of landscaping and farming jobs open in our area. But then the owners of these establishments wouldn't be able to pay the American workers.

Great minds think alike. Either that, or we both saw the same South Park episode.

I've never seen a South Park episode in my life so I'm guessing we both have great minds.

 

[The Rogue Tomato]

Let's do a little imagining for a minute. What if the Feds could (huge if but that is why we are using our imaginations) round up every single illegal alien and deport them? Let's say that the program was particularly efficient and the task was complete in under a year. Not only completely eliminating all of them but sealing the border to prevent and new arrivals. Okay, now our imaginary scenario is complete. 11 million+ foreigners are gone and no new ones coming in.

How would your life change? For good or for ill?

Would you notice? If so, in what way?

Well, according to the Grand PooBah himself, our fruit wouldn't get picked, [hotel] beds wouldn't get made and landscaping jobs would go unfinished.

Illegals do the job real Americans don't want to do.  Like vote Democrat. 

 

[Smellin Coffee]

Let's do a little imagining for a minute. What if the Feds could (huge if but that is why we are using our imaginations) round up every single illegal alien and deport them? Let's say that the program was particularly efficient and the task was complete in under a year. Not only completely eliminating all of them but sealing the border to prevent and new arrivals. Okay, now our imaginary scenario is complete. 11 million+ foreigners are gone and no new ones coming in.

How would your life change? For good or for ill?

Would you notice? If so, in what way?

Well, according to the Grand PooBah himself, our fruit wouldn't get picked, [hotel] beds wouldn't get made and landscaping jobs would go unfinished.

Illegals do the job real Americans don't want to do.  Like vote Democrat.

But what does that have to do with hanging chads?

 

[kaba]

There are plenty of other people that would step into their positions.

 

[Smellin Coffee]

There are plenty of other people that would step into their positions.

That is correct; people would be willing to do so. However, the employers who hire illegals GENERALLY do so because they presently don't make enough profit to be able to pay minimum wage American workers. In addition, they would then have to pay wage taxes. Many if not most of the positions would disappear.

 

[The Rogue Tomato]

Obama:

Corporations giving jobs to foreigners:  GREEDY, BAD!
Me giving jobs to foreigners: GENEROUS, GOOD!

 

[kaba]

There are plenty of other people that would step into their positions.

That is correct; people would be willing to do so. However, the employers who hire illegals GENERALLY do so because they presently don't make enough profit to be able to pay minimum wage American workers. In addition, they would then have to pay wage taxes. Many if not most of the positions would disappear.

Illegals get paid very well for the work they do.  If a company can afford to pay minimum wage and have to close up, there are other companies that would take their space.

 

[rsc2a]

Or the costs of your tomatoes,  hotel room,  French fries,  etc... would go up to pay the higher wage.

 

[kaba]

Technically they should not be hired as hotel workers, fast food etc without a social security number.  Often times your insurance requires you to hire workers that are licensed and insured.


So because my hamburger might go up a few cents I should turn my head about illegals breaking the law and crossing the border?

 

[The Rogue Tomato]

Or the costs of your tomatoes,  hotel room,  French fries,  etc... would go up to pay the higher wage.

What Obama is doing will lead to higher prices without helping reduce unemployment.  Giving illegals green cards means they must be paid wages according to the law.  Sending them back to Mexico (or wherever) means the remaining Americans must get paid wages according to the law, but that also means Americans get the jobs. 

 

[HeDied4U]

Let's do a little imagining for a minute. What if the Feds could (huge if but that is why we are using our imaginations) round up every single illegal alien and deport them? Let's say that the program was particularly efficient and the task was complete in under a year. Not only completely eliminating all of them but sealing the border to prevent and new arrivals. Okay, now our imaginary scenario is complete. 11 million+ foreigners are gone and no new ones coming in.

How would your life change? For good or for ill?

Would you notice? If so, in what way?

Well, according to the Grand PooBah himself, our fruit wouldn't get picked, [hotel] beds wouldn't get made and landscaping jobs would go unfinished.

Illegals do the job real Americans don't want to do.  Like vote Democrat.

LOL!!