Now Hearing This
From the deep recesses —
Could we construe Congress’ no call on immigration as a dither? Part of me is doing that as I write. Come on boys and girls, make a decision.
After a deep breath, consider this: Hearings across the country will reveal what seems to be taken for granted — that 90 percent of Americans are ready to send all 11 million illegal aliens back. I’m not buying that. Aside from a gauge on what we’re thinking, House and Senate members in hearings need also to consider what is the right thing to do. If we want to enforce the law down to the last immigrant, then let’s apply the law with the same vigor to tax cheats, deadbeat parents and those knuckleheads on the freeways who drive as if it’s their own private highway.
I’m not making light of our laws, but a combination of fines, deportments, better border control, and reformed paths to citizenship is more realistic. If the naturalization process takes six years or longer and is so riddled with bureaucratic nonsense, no wonder so many skip it. A better system would also ferret out bad players. A bigger fence will change only ways of beating the border, not immigration.
I’ve talked myself into thinking hearings are good thing. Let’s see who shows up and let’s hope they have a hearing here. Letting this thing fester helps no one.
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Does it seem to anyone else that the city of Grand Island simply showed up one night and claimed poverty? Three words come to mind: long range planning. I say that as a supporter of the Heartland Events Center, the primary suspect in the shortfall. It’s not that simple, I suspect.
I only wonder because by any number of other measures (receipts, construction, enthusiasm) the city seems to be bustling along. Now we’re told our middle name will be austerity for the near and far future, the place where long-range planning lives.
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Maybe I’m reading this all wrong, but the initial reception to Vice President Cheney’s visit has been a little tepid. Here in redder than red Nebraska? Go figure.