Bad Legislation Series: Immigration

Posted @ Dec. 14 2011 06:49AM by Michael A. Sand - city-beat

Let us begin by accepting the mantra of Republicans that we do not want government interference in our lives. We should then strongly opposing legislation proposed by Republicans to impose government interference in our lives. One blatant example of such horrendous proposals is Pennsylvania Representative Daryl Metcalf’s series of eight bills relating to illegal immigration. These are truly easy to oppose for several reasons. We support the Constitution.  A similar law in Arizona was found unconstitutional. We support economic development. Passage of this bill would have a disasterous effect on jobs and economic development.

Take a look at what happened in Alabama. That state had an aggressive policy for encouraging foreign manufacturers to establish plants in that state. But they also passed an anti-immigrant bill. Now plants are leaving the state after a visiting Mercedes manager was stopped by the police for driving without a license. Under the law, since he did not look like an American, the police followed the law and he was asked to prove he was in the United States legally. Of course, visitors to the United States are not required to carry papers proving they are here legally, so he was thrown in jail.

It gets worse and worse.  

Landlords are not offering to rent their properties to legal immigrants or Hispanics because of the fear of repercussions. Businesses are firing legal immigrants and Hispanics because they read about the law and do not want to take any risks or perform any additional paperwork. Foreign businesses are deciding not to establish branches in Alabama.

The police are opposed to this type of legislation. They do not want to be required to decide “who looks like an illegal immigrant” every time they stop someone for a traffic violation.

The travel industry is opposed to this legislation. When this type of legislation was proposed in Arizona, thousands of conferences were moved from that state and millions of tourists decided not to vacation in a state that did not welcome them.

The business community is opposed to this legislation. In Alabama, thousands of excellent workers, most of whom were citizens, left their jobs to move to other states because they did not want to risk being thrown in jail if they could not prove they were citizens or legal immigrants when stopped by the police.

Fiscal conservatives are opposed to this legislation.  Estimates are that it would cost nineteen million taxpayer dollars to implement these laws in Pennsylvania.

Please, Representative Metcalf, withdraw your mean-spirited, anti-business and unconstitutional legislation.  If you wish to reduce illegal immigration, encourage your federal Congressmen and Senators to recommend comprehensive national legislation to deal with this problem. Millions of us are descendants of immigrants and we want all Pennsylvanians to feel welcome here.

What are your thoughts?