Letter To Kennedy


Thank you for your response regarding immigration reform!

I am pleased that you are addressing this issue, but more must be done than is on the table. Immigrants have little incentive to become citizens if they are able to work without becoming a citizen for more than they are paid in their home countries. Current economic conditions indicate that this figure will continue to be the case.

We can do 2 things. We could change the economic disparity in some ways. We could also provide greater incentives to become a citizen.

Changing the economic disparity between America and its regional nations could be an effective way to reduce illegal immigration by making would-be illegal immigrants choose to stay where they are. This can be done through increased trade and fair trade, increased education, and particularly by changing root problems of the 3rd world condition such as the American farming subsudy.

If we reduced the American agriculture subsudy we would increase the value of agriculture worldwide by a slight margin. This would increase the ability of 3rd world farmers to make a living, providing agribusiness in their regions and contributing to their economies and local foodstocks. For example, a Colombian farmer can barely remain alive by farming land, but if he grows coca plants to process into cocaine he can make 10-100X his annual salary in one crop. This is a very attractive figure and contributes to 3rd world poverty and disruption.

American farming subsudy contributes to 3rd world poverty.

3rd world poverty contributes to illegal immigration.

Reducing the American farming subsudy will reduce 3rd world poverty and illegal immigration.

We can also provide 'party favors' to immigrants to attract them to the process alongside what many come to America to get: greater prosperity. A party favor of a 6 week non-live-in training course at the border would be a tough obstacle to pass, tougher than a fence or a dude with a shotgun.

Make the right choice. Untangle the mess of wires.

I also demand that you reform election finance. Relying on private fundraising puts emphasis on money instead of democracy. Providing equal public funding for anyone who can gather enough signatures/votes to possibly contend for public office is a much fairer way of electing representatives. It will circumvent private interest groups and
place focus on public forums of politicians and campaign issues instead of bombardment. This will make things get done in a much faster, cleaner, and fairer way, and will increase citizen participation, improving citizen awareness and social quality, empowering people and immigrants to want to work with the government and to make things better. The positive effects of this are hair raising.

Democracy is a cookoff, not a buffet.

On Wed, 24 May 2006 18:28:42 -0400, Kennedy_Response@kennedy.senate.gov
said:
>
>
> Dear Mr. Bunker:
>
> Thank you for contacting me concerning the ongoing debate over
> immigration reform. This is a complex issue, with many concerns, and it
> requires a comprehensive solution. 12 million undocumented workers are
> currently living in the United States, working, paying taxes, and raising
> children who are U.S. citizens. These undocumented immigrants contribute
> to our economy, and it is long past time to provide legal avenues to
> bring
> them out from the shadows.
>
> Border enforcement has increased dramatically from 1990 to 2004.
> The
> budget for the Border Patrol has increased from $263 million in 1990 to
> $1.6 billion today - a six-fold increase. During this period, between
> 480,000 and 660,000 undocumented immigrants entered the U.S. each year.
> In
> all, nearly 9 million have arrived since 1990. Our immigration system is
> broken, and enforcement alone will not fix it.
>
> We need realistic and comprehensive solutions that will protect our
> borders, enable temporary workers to enter the country legally, and allow
> workers already here to earn legal status. I’m proud to be a sponsor,
> with
> Senator McCain, of the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act, a
> comprehensive reform of our nation’s immigration system. Under our
> proposal
> undocumented immigrants who wish to become citizens must show they are
> currently working, pay a $2000 fine, work for an additional six years,
> pass
> security checks, pay taxes, learn to speak English, learn about American
> civics, and get in line behind all other legal immigrants before being
> eligible for a green card.
>
> Border Security is addressed in the bill. It establishes a
> National
> Border Security Strategy, based on "smart" border technology, information
> sharing, and cooperation with our neighbors. A new temporary visa will be
> created to allow foreign workers to enter the U.S. The visa will be valid
> for 3 years, and can be renewed one time for a total of 6 years.
> Enforcement of current laws will be strengthened, improving fraud
> detection
> and allowing random audits of employers to ensure compliance with
> existing
> labor laws. Unnecessary obstacles preventing families from being together
> when immigrating to the U.S. are also removed. The bill will enable
> undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows, submit to background
> checks, and register for legal status. During this time, they would have
> to
> continue working, play by the rules, and pay substantial fines and back
> taxes. The bill is not an amnesty, which implies that all is forgiven.
> It
> is not. Undocumented workers must pay fines and go to the back of the
> line
> before earning a chance for citizenship.
>
> By heritage and history, America is a nation of immigrants. Our
> bill
> proposes necessary changes in the law while preserving this tradition.
> These necessary changes will ensure that immigrant families today, as in
> the past, continue to live the American dream and contribute to our
> prosperity, our security, and our values.
>
> Again, thank you for writing to me about this important issue.
>
> Sincerely,
> Edward M. Kennedy