IT runs downhill, so they say. Don’t
know who “they” are, but they are
spot on. Comes now to the voters
this E-Verify ballot proposal. The
local political gadflies and policy
wonks have argued this nut or that
bolt of the proposal ad nauseum
without approaching what the Edge
sees as the central issue.
Last week, in one of those late-in-the-day document dumps that take
place in Washington, it was revealed
that approximately 1,600 undocumented
foreign nationals were set free
because they hadn’t committed any felonies.
The Obama administration’s stated policy is to
enforce immigration detention and penalties
only on those illegals who, notwithstanding
their overt disregard for immigration laws,
have committed other serious transgressions
and pose a threat.
Simply believing that a law needs to be modified
has never been just cause to ignore its
presence. The Edge constantly tries to figure
out the corrupt educational-sector intellect
that celebrates setting and enforcing limits
with our children and then sets an example of
whining about and ignoring any rule, regulation
or policy it finds inconvenient.
To the Edge, it is absolutely beyond logic
that the penalty for a citizen of these United
States who decides not to buckle the seatbelt
would be more severe than the penalty for one
who surreptitiously enters and stays within
the sovereign borders of our nation.
The argument that the undocumented perform
work that Americans refuse to do has the
same, rationalize-at-any-price logic to it as the
guy who explains he is erratically driving
home because he is far too drunk to walk. The
Service Employees International (SEIU) represents
custodians and the like. It is one of, if not
the leading advocate for amnesty and open
borders. Is there anyone who truly believes
this organization wants to enroll all those
potential members so that pushing a
broom continues to be a minimum
wage job? Not likely!
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But don’t for a moment believe that all the dysfunctional government and hidden interest group agendas add up to an Edgewise endorsement of the proposed municipal ordinance. For once, the Edge was undecided and only recently resolved the manner in which his vote will be cast.
In a thinly disguised, corrupt and sleazy hope at winning the votes of the friends and families of the undocumented, our politicians have pontificated greatly and performed not at all. These people have been entrusted with the representative power and responsibility to reverse, modify, confirm or enhance our immigration laws.
We cannot e-Vilify small business. As a municipality Springfield should not load the burden of immigration enforcement onto the shoulders of our private commercial sector. The federal enforcement agency for which that business pays taxes is practicing catch-and-release. It seems unjust that we in Springfield should demand that the builder, baker or fishing-stick maker be subjected to financial sanction unless he or she underwrites an effort to make sure employment is not given and that proper identification is made of those persons the federal government interdicts and then sends our way.
The Edge fully supports rigidly enforced borders and streamlining the deportation of those who entered here illegally. But, the Edge doesn’t believe this to be the responsibility of the Springfield businessperson.
If this whole America thing is going to work, we’re going to need to insist that Congress makes laws and that the administrative alphabet soup of agencies, appointed Czars and the like carry out those laws. Every time a law is not enforced, the will of the people has been ignored.
The Edge is voting a reluctant “NO!”
E-mail Bob Mace: bmace@cfpmidweek.com.
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