Immigration Reform and the Republican Party

Sometimes I do not like the realities of the times we live in, but accepting facts is far better than living in denial or the Land of Should.

Offering legal status to most of the estimated 11 million people in U.S.  on U.S. soil in violation of our laws will happen. It may happen now or a year from now, but it will happen.  It will also happen without stopping the tide of illegal immigrants.

Most Democrat and Republican voters recognize the inevitability of immigration reform. 

Corporations packed the bill with plenty of goodies so that they can continue and expand the current law that allows corporations to bring in relatively cheap worker under the guise of ‘we cannot find Americans to do the job’ because they lack the math, science, engineering, and programming skills. Corporations know that Americans could fill most of those jobs. That is why they insist that they should not be required to offer those jobs to Americans. Under current (and future) law there is no requirement to even advertise for those job openings before importing workers. So the big money wants the bill to pass because they will continue to be able to shaft the American workers and the number of American workers shafted will increase as they get their little nugget (more Hxxx visas).

Many Americans want a legal status and a path to citizenship for the 11 million. I am one of them. This shadow community of exploited workers is a disgrace. While there is a lot of talk about the immigrant law-breaker there is almost no discussion of the U.S. policies that enabled and encouraged illegal workers. Some people made the decisions that led to this situation. Somebody understaffed and manipulated the Border Patrol so that this situation could exist. Yet there is not even a squeak of an outcry for the heads of those politicians, bureaucrats, and campaign contributors. There is barely an outcry against employers.

Most voters do not realize that there is little in the proposed law that will make any significant changes to discourage illegal immigration. In fact, the current bill includes a requirement that only certain known areas of illegal entry into the United States will even be prosecuted! Even a child in a snowball fight knows that if one area is heavily defended, to move to another area. I can almost hear a Mexican saying, “You must be kidding! The United States will not prosecute all of us unless we cross at these places? Their own law only commits resources there? Follow me to Del Rio!”

Employers of small groups of illegal aliens (think almost every small construction company in America) will continue to enjoy the current policy of not being prosecuted. The Obama Administration has a written policy of not going after small companies that employ illegal aliens and there is nothing in the proposed bill to change that policy.

Sometimes a well intended strength of our Constitution, the separation of powers, causes huge problems. Congress enacts laws and it is up to the President, through executive powers, to enforce the laws. A partial solution is for Congress to create a law so exacting that failure to enforce the law would result in Impeachment. The current bill is so lax that it is a disgrace.

More plans for a fence and more plans for increased Border Patrol are required months after the bill becomes law. The term, secure border, is used without specific definition and there is not one word in the bill about actually reducing illegal immigration or the hiring of illegal immigrants.

Yet, the law will pass. Most people want immigration reform and I doubt that 1% of America will read the bill that is proposed. If the Republicans fight the bill they can forget the presidency for at least another two or three elections. In fact, the Party might become so irrelevant that it will be replaced. This is simple mathematics. People are weary of this issue and want some form of resolution. The Hispanic voters will continue to increase with or without this bill. A firm anti-Republican Hispanic voter block will crush the Party. It already may be too late.

I don’t like the facts, but they are the facts. Those that want to stand in the middle of a tornado and shout that it is just a little wind will be blown away. Accept the facts, adapt and move on. Of course there is the small possibility that the Republicans could propose a bill that makes sense to everyone, but that is not going to happen.

Drone On and On

Here is an interesting opportunity. The manufacturers of drones continue to press congress for appropriations to purchase thousands of drones to spy on Americans. There is even a ‘drone caucus’ and they accepted millions in donations to their political campaigns.

The opportunity is to see how many media reports are generated about illegal aliens and the need for drones. I have no problems with drones patrolling our borders and think it is a great investment. However, the real agenda is to generate public support for drones, without realizing that the overwhelming majority of these drones will be used far from the border. Drones will ‘patrol’ our city streets. It seems creepy to think about cameras that are virtual spy satellites.

My issue is not necessarily about the widespread use of drones. My issue is Congress enacting laws to specifically enrich certain companies. Our opportunity is to watch for the media reports about the sudden need for thousands and thousands of drones that will be purchased with our taxes.

Sandy and the President

It remains in the media’s interest to continue reporting on the Sandy storm in the most alarming way possible.  This keeps us reading, watching and listening.

Many people enjoy the sensationalism because it makes their personal ‘survival’ stories more dramatic. Drama queens (and kings) absolutely want these news stories to be as sensational as possible. In fact, if a story read that the tropical storm caused the predictable flooding in subways, tunnels, and construction sites because of the new discovery of gravity, people would be offended. Of course low areas, tunnels, subways and the gigantic hole in the ground near Ground Zero flooded. When the water runs uphill; that is news. Trees fell down and boats were lifted out of the water. This is also routine during a hurricane. However, we want our sensational stories.

The deaths are terrible tragedies and we all mourn the loss of life. However, more people died on our highways the weekend before the storm. More will die on our highways in a single day. Yet, there is no hue and cry for people to stop driving. In fact, people demand that speeders and those running red lights should not be punished if caught on camera.

Comparing the news stories with the warning issued by the National Weather Service clearly shows how hard the media tried to sensationalize every NWS warning and prediction.

Watching the news last night was laughable. A newswoman stood across the street from a single parked car. The water level was not even high enough to reach the bottom of the car doors. She breathlessly reported that when they first arrived the water was higher. She went on to say, "It is like that other shot. When we arrived, things were much worse. That car was completely under water. The water was up to the trunk."  What kind of vehicle can have water 'up to the trunk' and also be completely submerged?

Another newswoman breathlessly reported that the hurricane Sandy had ripped off these awnings. Still another newsman was standing on the street to tell us that when he first arrived, the street was covered with water and now it had subsided. Although he street was muddy, there was no water. If this is the best that the media could find they should have reported that the damage was light and that the storm water quickly subsided or they should have ran an episode of M.A.S.H.

The print media can run the same few photos of the storm and continue to simply provide the doom and gloom stories But here is the thing.

An unintended consequence is that these stories can be the tie breaker at election time. The president and his staff had a lot of time to focus on the national response. Governors and power companies across the nation worked out plans before the storm made landfall. Both candidates were forced to shut down campaigning during the storm. Mr. Romney was left with nothing to do. Mr. Obama was presented with an opportunity to be presidential. Barring any missteps be President Obama, this could be the tie-breaker for the election. His actions will be compared with Republican President George Bush’s actions during Hurricane Katrina. In a sense, Mr. Bush’s actions will be tagged with Mr. Romney since they are both Republicans. (“This is how Republicans help people in a national emergency and this is how Democrats help people in a national emergency").

This election will be one that is analyzed in political science classes for decades to come, regardless of the outcome. Sandy presented the President with an opportunity.

Gas Prices on East Coast

Just as gasoline prices jumped in California due to refinery shut-downs, the fuel prices on the East Coast will jump in the after-math of Sandy.

We all understand short supply. Refineries shut down and no trucks have been able to deliver gas. However, why the increased prices? How does paying more at the pump enable refineries and delivery trucks to deliver? When the storm is gone there should be no increase, but we don't live in 'the land of should'. We live in the land of giving the consumers the shaft.

Recently, many articles (and there will be more to come) have been printed to inform us that oil independence has nothing to do with what we will pay at the pump. The response to those articles should be: we have the solution. A federal law prohibiting the export of any fuel products until gasoline prices (including taxes) is at $2 per gallon. Such a law would cause a glut of gasoline in the USA and prices would tumble.

Our number one export is fuel. Let the oil barons take care of their country.

In the meantime, get out your wallets. Your gasoline will be more expensive because of Sandy.

Hurricane Sandy

Tomorrow we will know the truth about Hurricane Sandy. We already know the truth about the media and storms predictions.

The  national weather service is our best source for storm information, not the overblown and deliberately exaggerated news media predictions. The media cherry picks from the National Weather Service, throws in some adjectives and adverbs to frighten us and creates new phrases to further panic the population. The media twists and uses facts to create an immediate sense of danger.

The storm is barely at hurricane strength and is very wide. It could make landfall at one of a hundred places, so the media reports that New York City may be a target. They also write that cities in the Carolinas, Virginia and all across New England may be the target. They include stories about past storms (or they would only have a one paragraph story) to further create panic.

Many people live for these kinds of stories. They love playing the victim and they love telling everyone how worried they are about the certain disaster that might be heading directly for them. Many people are genuinely panicked and rush out to buy everything imaginable.

The media is gleeful! They've created panic and now have a new story about the people running around in panic.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service downgrades the hurricane to a tropical storm.

The media reports this information with emphasis on a lot of what-ifs. The storm could merge with another storm and result in snow. The snow could cause school cancellations. Heck, if the storms merge it is possible that damages will be over 1-billion dollars.

When the National Weather Service reported that the wind increase to barely reach hurricane strength, the media was elated.

We should always be prepared for extreme weather. People that need to rush out and buy batteries, canned food and bottled water should have those items in their homes for an emergency. It is not complicated. I buy bottled water, batteries,and canned goods just prior to hurricane season every year. These items could even be used in a blizzard or flood. I know of several routes out of town and if I feel imminently threatened I will drive away.

In the meantime, tomorrow is coming. I have a few appointments and some Christmas wrapping to do. I will check with the National Weather Service to track the storm. I hope the daughter I have that lives in Pennsylvania (a 'target area') is at a festival or baking cupcakes. I hope my niece and her family, that live very close to the ocean, are following the news on the National Weather Service. My sister in Baltimore does not panic.

People cannot simply flee and skip work because a storm might hit their city. There are more possible locations for this storm to make landfall then there are numbers on a crap table. Yet the media, like Las Vegas, convince millions that they have a reason to be sure.

Election

People will vote against a candidate. Few people will actually want either of these candidates to lead our nation.

Each candidate will talk in broad terms without a plan and each will spend most of their time crying about the other guy.

Come Together - not now!

The division in political views is extreme and George Washington's fear that loyalty to political parties will become more important than loyalty to the Republic has become a reality.

Although little difference exists between the health care law created by former Governor Romney and President Obama, the language, exaggerations and rhetoric sounds like war. Neither politician is smart enough or has the courage to change the discussion to the real issue: the cost of American health care.

How many Americans realize that during the past decade we have changed how we pay for prescription drugs with our tax dollars through Medicare and Medicaid? Our representatives changed the way we pay for prescription drugs and the result of that change is that Big Pharm (pharmaceutical and drug companies) are making millions more every single month.

Every independent study of American health costs conclude that we pay almost twice the amount per person than other industrialized countries and the citizens of those other countries are out-living us.

While we argue about paying for the uninsured and our love of private insurance, we've lost sight of our real concern. Is it not true that we want the best health care at the lowest cost? I don't care if my health care comes from an insurance company, Medicaid, or uga-uga-boo-boo. I care about the quality of care, what is covered and the final cost.

Today, I have private health insurance. I also pay, through my taxes, for Medicaid and Medicare. I also pay, through my taxes, for health care at emergency rooms for those without health care coverage. I think we can do better.

The real issue is the cost of health care. Many procedures (hip replacements for people over 80) was unheard of a few decades ago. Today it happens a lot. Not only are there more people living longer, the actual charges for procedures, like hip replacements, has jumped. The insurance companies and medical providers follow the market and continue to raise prices.

For example, insurance companies and the public accepted a move from hospitals to out-patient surgery. As the demand for out patient surgery rose the prices rose accordingly.

Many doctors and medical professionals say that they will leave medicine if they are limited by what they can charge. Let them go.

Look at any hospital bill and note the money paid to each person. Some of the names will baffle you. These are doctors that walked beside your surgeon when he or she visited your room. They are consultants.

What was the price tag for that delicious meal? How does the meal and the price compare to room service at a luxury hotel?

The real issue is cost? A smart politician would change the discussion from Obamacare to the cost of our health care.

No such discussion will occur. Instead, we will return to our political corners and come out screaming.