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Show Jason Bellows, Public adviser HERALDPOLL | Immigration: — Time toact fter yearsoftalk, Congress is finally working on immigration reform. youthink? Something may actually happenthis How should immigration be reformed? Send time. Two competing plans, one from your comments to dhpolls@heraldextra.com the House and-one fromthe Senate arein play. If Congress can.compromise on commonground, real progress can be made. or call 344-2942. Please tics out of the equation and look should not exceed 100 leave your name, hometown | and phone number with your | comments. E-mail comments Both sides need to take the poli- fora holistic solution that enhances words; voice-mail comments bordersecurity, realistically ad- should be no longer than 30 seconds. Anonymous and un- dresses the situationofillegal immigrants who havebeenin the country for many years (even generations) and allows companies, to hire foreign workers when they cannot find Americans to do the job after a reasonable search. The debate is polarized, with oneside demandingthatall the illegal immigrants be rounded up and deported, and those whosay the country needs to continue to welcomeimmigrants, and any attemptto close the dooris racist. Both sides favorbetter controlof the border. Border security is es- sentialfor any country. If illegal immigrants seeking jobs can slip in, so can terrorist. Theproblemis both sides are right, and they're also wrong. Catching and deportingall 11 millionillegal immigrantsis a task even Hercules wouldn't touch. The verifiable responseswill not be published. | The Daily Herald will publish commentsonApril 9. taxes (some for generations), parmosteverything most Americans do without many ofthe benefits of Second,there are jobs that off to foreign-born migrant work- ing, low-paid foreigners. If we wereto eliminate immigrantlabor, ers for the better part of the past half-century. On the other endof the spectrum,high-tech companies say they find more qualified candidates overseas than here at home. allow suchindustries to get the likely result. The Houseof Kepresentativesis calling for better border security workers they need. But any to get food from the bishop's storehouse? Wehope not. The Senate proposal, on the other hand,takes that onerous provision off the table and seeks fo create a guest worker program, as President Bush has advocated. The guest worker program would allow immigrants who are already hereillegally to pay a $2,000 fine and apply for residency andcitizenshipin a process that would guest-worker program Should be open to immigrants from around ing from Mexicoor other nations south of our border. Along with the guest-worker program,the law should punish employers whoflout immigration laws to keep wageslow.It is these employers,fueled by the profit motive, who arecreating the demand forillegal immigrant labor. Once process for those Havingsaid that, we believe two things must be recoghized: First, America’s population has beenflat and declining since about 1970. This means thatthe labor fu- eling economic growth since then has been provided from the out- side. In effect, therefore, we have shift in the public's conscigusness that HBO show as an opportunity. fit to his country at the expenseof t ours. Tactics such as support from the Mexican army for those who. Legislators seem to pay attention to gift-givers » Ben C. Dieterle, Salt Lake City cente Fox, may notbe our friend. Heappearsto be encouragingillegal migration, whichis a net bene- Mysolution to the problem offinding out who your legislator is and what hie does in the legislative sessionis simple. First, get a good fishing rod and go up to the Capitol whenthe Legislature isin session. Attach free lunch coupons,ski passesor Jazz tickets to the line. Cast said bait into the Capitol and Mexico. The LDS Church's Perpetual Education Fundis a model for how to achievethis. The PEF pone lptats forimpov- | reelit back across the floor slowly and watch legislators push andfight to get to the freebies. pedis same procedureuntil you erished | catch yours. Remembertoreelslowly; It church members abroad, allowing themtoget better jobs there and break the cycle of poverty for their families and their comrhunities. Immigrationis a complex problem, ae it cannesbe solved anae simplistic, politically motivate is like cl ing. This way I guarantee you will get to know your legislator. » Earl Wallace, Orem rl leans dis:;aster lesson She sat on her hands forfive dayslike the mayor. After New Orleans and the surround- Instead of borrowing andraising taxes, Congress should show byits actions U.S. government. They could have had help there in a short timeif they had acted reasonably with the advance days warning they had. Thereis a lesson,albeit a costly one, to be learned here.Disaster planning begins in the home,in the city andin the state. D Leo J. Lee, Springville Private schools no more business than public schools George Danielson’sfirst argument against school vouchersis that private schools are a business and shouldn't be funded by tax dollars. Why? Becausethe principals and teachersget paid? Last I checked public schoolprincipals and teachersget paid. That means public schools are a business,too. Hethen goes onto say that webetter be careful about making public schools a business because we'll treat our children like commodities, denying their humanity, talents and individuality. My children’s humanity,talents and individuality have never been morefocused, nurtured andtutored than it has been while we've been attending private school. In my mind,if that’s what happens to your child because they go to a school that's a business,thenlet’s makeall schools businesses. If private schools are a business, and : that’s why we shouldn't help people who sacrifice so muchto take their students there by giving them a tax break, then why do wefund any organization that Congress failing to grasp fact nation involved in serious war : Senate Minority Leader Harry Reed said, “When it comes todeficits, this president woall the eo hee Congress raised t! it limit to negligentin their duties? who is responsible for the reckless should admit that he was advised, no, warned,five days in advance thatHurricane Katrina would track through his city with horrendous destruction. He sat onhis hands. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blancoreceived the same warning. She could sary.Since the fall of 1979 when Iranian students attacked our embassy,terrorists have made several effortsto strike our country, but the Democrats have not been willing to follow President Bush’s bold leadership. Instead they have gone out of their by default. Such immigrants are de facto Americans. They pay into America’s values and wave the Stars andStripes. come to America, you must buy DOONESBURY- Garry Trudeau New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin havealerted the Louisiana National Guardto be ready to assist in movement of people and/or be on rescue stand-by. hold, and they should never give away money that has to be borrowed. » John H. Adams, Provo Let students decide to take state education examination It seems like everyoneis saying that UBSCT is a total disgrace. I just hateit when the state governmentforcesus to takethis ridiculous test. It makes mefeel like I am being tortured. The governmentexpects us to be mature enoughto learn. Wetry our personal best to show improvement. We students know thatlife is hardforus. Wedon't wantto be forced to do whatadults wantsus to do with our own lives. High school students shouldn't take the UBSCT. It is Congress and not the president spending that made this action neces- way to make every problem fit into their hate-Bush agenda in an effort to win back power. Only being the strong » Alan Walker, American Fork Seven Peaks, Trafalga support public educationin valley This letteris to publicly thank Seven Peaks Water Park and Trafalga for the support they have given to the students and parents of Nebo School District. Forthree years they have been a sponsor and supporter of the Nebo SchoolDistrict Science Fair. Seven Peaks and Trafalga aredefinitely assets to our community morethan entertainment venues. special thanks goes to Tiffany and Cammie for their work as well. » Anna-Marie Bass, le at all? immigration in Los Angeles wav- Orleans stand up and admit they were the space program,that must be put on Nebo SchoolDistrict, Let's get rid ofall organizations that help peopleif anybody gets paid. » Melonie Mullen, Orem nearly.$9trillion, when it should have told us that Congress was cutting spend_ing andplacing our country on a wartime footing. _half-million supportersofillegal still continuethe fight. that our-country is at war. There are many governmentprograms, including and both started pointing fingersat the Hees 0 I recpenall personal ity Whydon’t those who wereprimarily responsible for the catastrophe in New _ing Mexican flagsis intolerable. capablepresident that he is could Bush have withstood the many attacks and ing area was trashed, the mayor yelled for help, the governoryelled for help way. It requires thought andpoliti- z cal courage to create a system that ' is fair to all parties. Meanwhile, the spectacle of a It reveals the trueloyalties of the demonstrators. The American tra_dition is to welcomeall to the melting pot. We should never accept a slow invasion thatwill ultimately alter core values and transform us into Mexico Norte. If you want to REBEAT, THERE 15 NO CONNECAD TIONBETWEEN SUI! THE PRESIDENT GAYS: THATSA NEGATORY— JUST mainstream entertainmentcreate a * show based in Utah, with Mormons, polygamists, warts and all? Instead of boo-hooing this paradigm that the president of Mexico, Vi- invited illegal immigration. And we havefurther endorsed it for decadesbyfailing todo anything aboutit. It is not right to deprive immigrants whohavelived and worked here honestly for decades of their homes andlivelihoods. The U.S.has sanctioned them stream. Is there any greater testament to that accomplishment than having -, maybe interested in MormoncharacbY LDS people should embrace the economies of feedernations,like who want eo here. Welive in a different world than we did five or 10 years ago. Wealso need to be fair to immigrants who play by the rules and go throughthe established re lek this show could be a good thing for Utah and the LDS Church? Neighbors whowereneverinterested in talking about religion may watch the show anduse that tdopen up a dialogue. The show makes the distinction that polygamyis illegal and frowned upon in Utah, soit’s obvious that most people here do not approveof it nor do they gal immigration should taperoff. It is also important to recognize have deridedit as “amnesty” for orderly entry has any devout Mormonconsidered that emergefrom the fringe of American society and becomepart of the main- counter-incentivesarein place, ille- calls for improving bordersecurity as well. But it has a low threshold for acceptance ofan alien.Critics criminals — the crime beingillegal entry. It is true that the U.S. must secureits borders and oe series,leading to the recently reported e-mail campaign, there was a shocking revelation in one newsarticle. TwoUtahns propagatingtheantishow e-mail list admiited that they had neverseen the show,but were wholeheartedly against it anyway. Thall the indignation over the show, practiceit. The LDS Church has struggled to the world, notjust to those com- intend to sneak across the border must end immediately. If they don't,serious sanctions should be imposed against Mexico. But in the long run,the real solutionto illegal immigration from the south is improvementof the take 11 years to complete.It-also | A guest-worker program would Wholesale bankruptcies would underconsideration goestoo far in calling for felony charges against those whooffer any assistance In the uproar over HBO's “Big Love” citizenship. Surely thereis a way. to recognizetheir moral claim. no small measure, on hard-work- to illegal immigrants — including churches. Do wereally want to send LDS bishops to prison for givingan illegal immigrant family a voucher ‘Big Love’ gives LDS people chanceto promote church ticipate in the Community and do that a healthy economydepends,in andstricter enforcementof immigration laws.But the bill currently LETTERS besolvedin a simplistic, politically motivated way. and harvesting crops, for example,is a job that has been handed produce other goods andservices would skyrocket, and insufficient labor would becomean urgent problem for manyindustries. “We need immigration reform. Don’t let anyone behind mein.” problem,andit cannot Americans truly will not take at thecurrentlevelof pay. Tending the costs of construction, farm | Immigration is a complex country does not have the resources to do the job, and it wouldn’t be a good ideaif we did. It is a fact | Spanish Fork = How to comment Email ettersto dhletters@heraldext 7aCont Fax to 344-2985 Mailto P.O. Box 717, Provo, UT 84603. » Letters must include the author’s full name, address and daytime phone auinises: yt i » Weprefer shorter letters, _, 100 and 200 words. Letters may be edited for length. » Writers are encouraged to includetheir occupation and other personal information. » Because of the volume ofletters, wecannot acknowledge i unpubli letters. i » Letters become the property of the Daily Herald. MALLARDFILLMORE: Bruce Tinsley | |