Redstate

Where would the American left be without that all important illegal immigrant vote?

Illegals cannot vote.  So therefore, how can they help "the American left?"  Besides, legal Hispanic citezins have been voting more towards the conservative side of things lately.

Kaine is taking a similar approach to President Bush.  He recognizes that alot of our economy and the cheaper prices for alot of goods and services depends on migrant labor, legal and illegal.  Should they both take more of a stand on improving the balance towards the legal side?  Definitely.  Kaine has shown this by supporting measures to deny state contracts to companies that use illegal labor.  That could be a first big step into improving the balance.

Should they immediately clamp down and do a witch hunt for illegals, do sweeping raids and arrests that cost taxpayers billions of dollars and disrupt the economy?  Heck no!  If you think that, then don't complain when the new housing market goes beyond your reach, your vegetables cost a few dollars more, etc.

Simply put, Kilgore's all-or-nothing approach, as seen in the Herndon labor center debate, discriminates against legal workers just because there might be a few illegals in the bunch.  It also keeps laborers loitering in 7-11 and Wal-Mart parking lots, putting themselves and customers in danger with the unorganized mess.  The people of Herndon, who have to deal with that, decided to rectify their problem, and now we have people like Kilgore trying to stick their nose in it for political points.

Meanwhile, the workers, legal and illegal, just want to do that...WORK.  They're not looking for handouts, they're doing the dirty work from which you and I have removed ourselves.  We have centers all across the state where legal citizens can go get welfare handouts, but Kilgore wants to attack people who are looking to actually work their way up?  I find that to be rather hypocritical, and downright xenophobic in nature.

Illegals cannot vote.  So therefore, how can they help "the American left?"

They do count toward congressional representation.  Secondly, some of them probably do vote, illegally, the same way they get driver's licenses and social security cards.  

Besides, legal Hispanic citezins have been voting more towards the conservative side of things lately.

Evidence?  And even if it's true, so what?

Kaine is taking a similar approach to President Bush.  He recognizes that alot of our economy and the cheaper prices for alot of goods and services depends on migrant labor, legal and illegal.  Should they both take more of a stand on improving the balance towards the legal side?  Definitely.  Kaine has shown this by supporting measures to deny state contracts to companies that use illegal labor.  That could be a first big step into improving the balance.

I don't like Bush's plan, either.  All the more reason to oppose Kaine.

Should they immediately clamp down and do a witch hunt for illegals, do sweeping raids and arrests that cost taxpayers billions of dollars and disrupt the economy?  Heck no!

Actually, yes please!  And now!

If you think that, then don't complain when the new housing market goes beyond your reach, your vegetables cost a few dollars more, etc.

Housing is going beyond reach due to population growth, rising taxes for social services and education, and middle-class flight, all of which are fueled by, yes, you guessed it...immigration.

Simply put, Kilgore's all-or-nothing approach, as seen in the Herndon labor center debate, discriminates against legal workers just because there might be a few illegals in the bunch.

More likely there might be a few legals in the bunch.  The majority of the "day laborers" are likely to be illegal, a fact that no one during that acrimonious Herndon debate seemed to dispute.  

It also keeps laborers loitering in 7-11 and Wal-Mart parking lots, putting themselves and customers in danger with the unorganized mess.  The people of Herndon, who have to deal with that, decided to rectify their problem, and now we have people like Kilgore trying to stick their nose in it for political points.

The "people" of Herndon did no such thing.  The legislators of Herndon and Fairfax county did, high-handedly and over the objections of the people, whose enthusiasm for the program was decidely muted.  

Meanwhile, the workers, legal and illegal, just want to do that...WORK.  They're not looking for handouts, they're doing the dirty work from which you and I have removed ourselves.  We have centers all across the state where legal citizens can go get welfare handouts, but Kilgore wants to attack people who are looking to actually work their way up?  I find that to be rather hypocritical, and downright xenophobic in nature.

Lots of immigrants collect welfare, too, in fact they do so at a higher rate than natives.

Call me crazy, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the folks involved with increasing gang activity aren't exactly the same bunch looking to attend college.

Kilgore is advocating enforcing our laws. Period. It's not hypocritical. It's not xenophoboic. It's not [fill in your favorite]-phobic.

But if we offer incentives to other illegal immigrants, it helps create illegal immigrant enclaves.

Kinda like encouraging Yankees to come down South. Sounds like a good idea on paper, until you realize they actually intend to stay.

to the extent that they are illegals.

The whole "our prices are low because of abundant cheap labor" is a canard.

Markets are flexible. The reason we build our roads with steamrollers and other modern technology is because we don't have the same "abundant cheap labor" that, say, Nepal has.

Similarly, a lot of these fruit-picking jobs could be automated.

I don't believe we should close our borders, but illegals are an impediment to development.