 |
|
May 24, 2013
May 22, 2013
John Thorne:
They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman
May 20, 2013
Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?
Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star
The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting
May 13, 2013
Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Why the giving of the document that would permanently change the world could only be done in desolation
David G. Savage: Church-state, literally? Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church
May 10, 2013
Rabbi Berel Wein: Be all that you should be
May 8, 2013
Peter Ford: Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas
Warren Richey: Obama administration quietly backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate
Fred Weir: At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw --- a tad
The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Almost too pretty to eat, this colorful salad with Sicilian inspiration will tickle the taste buds and delight your visual sensibility
May 6, 2013
May 3, 2013
Kids, kittens the Same? With employee perks at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! it's hard to tell
Sandy Kleffman: Artificial kidney offers hope to patients tethered to a dialysis machine
April 29, 2013
Roy Gutman: Poland's new Jewish museum celebrates life, doesn't revisit Holocaust
Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?
Kim Murphy: Boston Bomber's 'Svengali' Revealed
Pete Spotts: Tiny satellites + cellphones = cheaper 'eyes in the sky' for NASA
April 26, 2013
Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism
Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty
April 24, 2013
|
| |
Jewish World Review
Sept. 11, 2007
/ 29 Elul, 5767
NYTimes, no fan of Bush, aligns with prez; reveals naivete
By
Ed Koch
| 
|
|
|
|
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
A New York Times editorial of September 9th commenting on the recent battle on immigration legislation exhibited a naiveté that was, for me, beyond belief. The Times has led the battle for the McCain-Kennedy bill to provide a path to U.S. citizenship for 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants. While attacking President Bush on nearly every front nearly every day, on this issue it allied itself with the President, a supporter of the legislation.
In a dramatic ending to the legislative struggle, the American people rose up in their wrath in opposition to offering an amnesty to the millions of illegal aliens who had entered the country unlawfully or overstayed their visas by permitting them to take certain measures, including paying a fine, to become eligible for U.S. citizenship. People recalled the failure of legislation in 1986 — Simpson-Mazzoli — that was similar in nature and was supposed to end the need for a future amnesty for illegal immigrants. The number of illegal aliens entering the country thereafter increased. They knew there would sometime down the road be an effort to provide them with a similar opportunity and amnesty.
The Times editorial first tries to muddy the record, pontificating, "The supporters of comprehensive reform did not have the votes for their exotic blend of tough compassion of punishing then rewarding illegal immigrants with a non-amnesty that everybody called amnesty."
Everybody called it amnesty because that's what it was. Why is The Times afraid to call it by its rightful name?
Then, The Times reverts to form when the editorial turns to President Bush, stating, "Soon enough, President Bush disowned his commitment to comprehensive reform and offered an executive-branch crackdown." The President couldn't deliver Republicans who were abandoning the legislation in droves because their constituents were bombarding their representatives with demands that the porous borders of the U.S. be better protected so as to prevent the illegal immigrants — 80 percent from Latin America, with 60 percent from Mexico — from continuing to sneak into the U.S. hoping that they too would ultimately qualify for amnesty and U.S. citizenship. The President has been weakened by his continued support of the war in Iraq and the constant attacks by The Times and other media on almost every front, international and domestic, respecting his policies. Republican members of Congress feared their irate constituents more than they did a lame-duck president.
The Times specifically denounced the town of Herndon, Virginia, for "plan[ning]to shut down a successful day labor hiring site rather than allow it to accept everybody, illegal immigrants too." The Times apparently believes the current laws forbidding the employment of illegal aliens are to be disregarded and those aiding and abetting those hires should be immune from legal penalties or efforts to shut down the sites.
The Social Security Administration, according to The Times, is engaged in a "purge to get illegal immigrants off the books." In fact, it has sent a letter to employers warning them if they continue to employ those who have been identified as illegal and not eligible to work, they are subject to severe penalties "and risk civil and even criminal charges for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants." A court has enjoined the Social Security Administration from continuing to send that letter. I would be shocked if on appeal the lower court were not overruled. Time will tell.
But, it is clear that The Times applauds the lower court decision. So what do we have? An effort by those who lost the battle on McCain-Kennedy seeking to prevent the only sensible way to get illegals to go back to their own countries — close all opportunities for employment by punishing employers who knowingly violate the law. During the debate on McCain-Kennedy, its supporters denounced opponents, saying it is not possible to put the illegal aliens on buses and trains to send them home, raising the specter of a Nazi-like U.S. sending immigrants to the Umschlag Platz to board boxcars. No one ever suggested anything like that. What has been urged is to end employment opportunities by enforcing the law, which would cause the illegals to go home on their own.
I have suggested we offer to pay their transportation costs and pay each member of the family returning to their native country a bonus of $500 payable at the nearest U.S. consulate in their home countries. But the opponents like The Times seek to continue the fight and battle efforts of those opposing the employment of illegals here in the U.S. The Times further editorializes, "And a crackdown in Prince William County, Va., inspired a boycott and a fiery march last week led by a testy group called Mexicanos Sin Fronteras. You didn't think they were just going to roll over, did you? They're immigrants: smart, industrious self-starters, like your grandparents."
My reading of this is support for the demonstrators — Mexicans Without Borders — and two words interested me in the Times' description of the march — "fiery" and "testy" and in addition the reference to "your grandparents." It wasn't my grandparents alone who came here; my mom and dad did too. And they came as legal immigrants.
I have no objection to immigrants. We in the U.S. have an immigration policy that is one of the most generous in the world — one million immigrants come every year, 750,000 permanent residents and 250,000 refugees, and they ultimately can apply for citizenship. If we need more immigrants, as I believe we do, perhaps double the number, let's do that by making two million immigration visas available per year, legal visas, distributed to countries all over the world. Let's issue temporary work permits for agricultural workers available to illegal aliens now in the U.S., provided they know at the end of the work contract — two or three years — they must go home and we find an enforceable way to implement that departure — one way being monthly reporting requirements. During the work contract, they must be assured of adequate wages, living accommodations and health insurance. Let's also provide for compassionate responses for parents of children born in the U.S. and other reasonable exceptions to a mandatory return.
The New York Times editorial board members should consider that the collective wisdom shown by the Americans public in opposition to the McCain-Kennedy legislation may be a display of common sense that The Times lacks.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Edward I. Koch, the former mayor of New York, can be heard on Bloomberg Radio (WBBR 1130 AM) every Sunday from 9-10 am . Comment by clicking here.
Archives
© 2007, Ed Koch
|
|
Arnold Ahlert
Mitch Albom
Jay Ambrose
Michael Barone
Barrywood
Lori Borgman
Stratfor Briefing
Mona Charen
Linda Chavez
Richard Z. Chesnoff
Ann Coulter
Greg Crosby
Larry Elder
Suzanne Fields
Christine Flowers
Frank J. Gaffney
Bernie Goldberg
Jonah Goldberg
Julia Gorin
Jonathan Gurwitz
Paul Greenberg
Argus Hamilton
Victor Davis Hanson
Betsy Hart
Ron Hart
Nat Hentoff
A. Barton Hinkle
Jeff Jacoby
Paul Johnson
Jack Kelly
Ch. Krauthammer
David Limbaugh
Kathryn Lopez
Rich Lowry
Michelle Malkin
Jackie Mason
Ann McFeatters
Dale McFeatters
Dana Milbank
Jeanne Moos
Dick Morris
Jim Mullen
Deroy Murdock
Judge A. Napolitano
Bill O'Reilly
Clarence Page
Kathleen Parker
Star Parker
Dennis Prager
Wesley Pruden
Tom Purcell
Sharon Randall
Robert Robb
Cokie & Steve Roberts
Heather Robinson
Debra J. Saunders
Martin Schram
Greg Schwem
Culture Shlock
David Shribman
Roger Simon
Lenore Skenazy
Michael Smerconish
Thomas Sowell
Ben Stein
Mark Steyn
John Stossel
Cal Thomas
Dan Thomasson
Bob Tyrrell
Diana West
Dave Weinbaum
George Will
Walter Williams
Byron York
ZeitGeist
Mort Zuckerman
Robert Arial
Chuck Asay
Baloo
Lisa Benson
Chip Bok
Dry Bones
John Branch
John Cole
J. D. Crowe
Matt Davies
John Deering
Brian Duffy
Everything's Relative
Mallard Fillmore
Glenn Foden
Jake Fuller
Bob Gorrel
Walt Handelsman
Joe Heller
David Hitch
Jerry Holbert
David Horsey
Lee Judge
Steve Kelley
Jeff Koterba
Dick Locher
Chan Lowe
Jimmy Margulies
Jack Ohman
Michael Ramirez
Rob Rogers
Drew Sheneman
Kevin Siers
Jeff Stahler
Scott Stantis
Danna Summers
Gary Varvel
Kirk Walters
Dan Wasserman
Tech Q&A
Mr. Know-It-All
Ask Doctor K
Richard Lederer
Frugal Living
On Nutrition
Bookmark These
Bruce Williams
|
