On the EDge: Time for conservatives to get a grip over immigration

OPINION – As Fox News entertainer Sean Hannity is so fond of saying, “What would Reagan do” in response to President Obama’s recent executive action on immigration?

He would be the first to rise and lead a standing ovation.

Reagan may have been a lot of things, may have garnered an undeserved reputation as the patron saint of the Republican Party, but he certainly was no racist, which is why he would have been the first in line to shake the president’s hand after he delivered his speech to the nation on Thursday night.

I don’t think he would have had kind words for Speaker of The House John Boehner or Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who have had major come-aparts in the aftermath of Obama’s speech, threatening lawsuits and promising to put a stranglehold on congressional action until the president sees the error of his ways on health care, immigration, and whatever else these malcontents can pull out of their dusty old hats to further gum up the wheels of government.

Reagan, you see, pushed through similar immigration legislation in 1986 that, for all intents and purposes, was a success. The bill’s only shortcoming was that in its original draft, it would have required stiff penalties in the way of heavy fines to employers who hired undocumented workers. That part was dropped as the bill made its way through Congress. Still, the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act granted amnesty to any immigrant who had entered the country illegally before 1982. It resulted in about 3 million new U.S. citizens.

“I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here, even though sometime back they may have entered illegally,” Reagan said at the time.

Obama’s action will prevent the deportation of undocumented parents whose children are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, as well as immigrants who came to America as children, and others with long-standing ties to the country. It will impact about 4 million people.

That is, if they decide to stay because, according to all of the latest research, undocumented immigrants are leaving the United States in record numbers.

The vast majority came to the U.S. seeking jobs with better wages. More than 95 percent found work, most of it hard labor at very low wages. Less than half (47 percent, according to a study funded by the group Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together, which conducted the study in collaboration with Southern Methodist University) found jobs that paid significantly more than what they earned in Mexico.

A number of them have given up and returned home because of a lack of work. But, that is not the overwhelming reason for the self-deportation. Most returned to Mexico because of personal reasons, primarily, because they miss the warmth of their families and their culture, which is vastly different than that of the U.S.

The numbers were supported by a study conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center, which found that the migration patterns have come to a virtual standstill. In the five-year period from 2005 to 2010, 1.4 million people migrated from Mexico to the United States, a significant drop from the 3 million who came to the U.S. during the five-year period from 1995 to 2000. About the same number – 1.4 million – moved back to Mexico from the United States from 2005 to 2010, a dramatic increase from the 670,000 that left the U.S. in the five-year period from 1995 to 2000.

The numbers are pretty clear, except for those still clinging to the far right by their tea party-stained fingernails: These workers will not commandeer all the good jobs and put U.S. workers out on the streets. Quite the contrary, actually. As they leave there will be an abundance of low-paying jobs that will go unfilled, which will mean that the cost of goods harvested by migrant workers will soar if and when U.S. laborers take to the fields to pick and sort our fruits and vegetables; the cost of service-related industries will skyrocket when the U.S. labor force finally takes on the jobs of maids and maintenance in our hotels and motels; and you’ll probably start mowing your own lawns, painting your own houses, pouring your own cement, and, in general, doing the work others performed for a pittance.

But, the histrionics don’t end there.

Boehner, McConnell, and their teammates are creating a firestorm around the president exercising his constitutional right to issue executive actions, a right, by the way, that he has used far less than most of his predecessors.

They are playing the Dumb Card, realizing that few will go beyond their angry, politically spun words to truly research and understand that a president has every legal right to issue executive actions, especially when faced with a do-nothing Congress. And, if there has ever been a do-nothing Congress, just wait and see what happens during these next two years as the Republicans stand ready to oppose every piece of legislation endorsed by the administration in an effort to win back the Oval Office.

I would hope somebody from the right would have the guts to stand up to this bullying tactic by the House and Senate leaders, that somebody would draw the proverbial line in the sand and realize that it is time to shove all this political nonsense to the side and get on with what is best for the nation.

But, I don’t see anybody with that sort of courage or statesmanship.

And, before you go off on that tangent of “both sides are the same … they’re both to blame,” you need to review some history and understand that, no, both sides are not the same, that the Democrats have been more willing to reach across the aisle and negotiate than their counterparts, or did you forget the tremendous struggle Obama had from within his own party over the Affordable Care Act, the funding battles with the Blue Dogs from the Democratic Party, or the numerous other fisticuffs that have broken out on the blue side of the aisle as they try to play nicely with Republicans?

Is Obama the end-all, be-all? The Muhammad Ali of U.S. presidents?

Nope, not even close, at least in my book because I am not a fan of moderate politicians.

But, he certainly deserves better than he is getting from either party or the public these days.

I mean gosh, the way they’re treating him you’d think his last name was Bush.

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Ed Kociela is an opinion columnist. The opinions stated in this article are his and not representative of St. George News.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews, @EdKociela

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.

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40 Comments

  • old dimer November 25, 2014 at 12:01 pm

    Why does your article have a picture of someone holding a sign with racist comments, and promoting racial divisions?? Viva La Raza…give me a break!

    • Zonkerb November 25, 2014 at 5:10 pm

      Duhhh you have to ask why.? Really.?

    • Visiting Anthropologist November 26, 2014 at 10:26 am

      Great picture. Reminds me of Cesar Chavez and his fight for the farm workers. Viva La Raza!

  • Doug November 25, 2014 at 12:36 pm

    Gee Ed, from what you write it sounds like we should just open the border now, invite everyone to come and give them amnesty immediately. Since we do have history to look back at which you wrote about, we know the pitfalls of giving into our invaders. As long as we do not secure the border, we will be doing this over and over. Here we are again with a president offering a hand out to illegals without closing the border, which will bring more in hopes of the same.

    My questions are, how do we determine who has been here at least 5 years when these folks are mostly undocumented? How do we determine that they haven’t been criminals since they have been here, since not all criminals are caught and have a record? How do we determine how much they owe in back taxes since they are undocumented? Who is going to pay for more bureaucracy to check on all of this? Since the President cannot allocate new monies to pay for this without Congress, I believe this eligibility program won’t be worth very much.

    Most executive actions taken in the past do not subvert the laws Congress has passed. The fact that this was done without Congress and it does stop law enforcement from exercising the standing law for these 4-5 million individuals takes this executive action far beyond most.

  • TBeau November 25, 2014 at 12:50 pm

    Sorry Ed, but you are leaving “the People” out of your equation! Have you forgotten so soon why the democrats lost so bad?? It isn’t just the Democrat or the Republican law makers it is also the people they represent and I think pretty much both sides said no on obama’s agenda. Don’t compare what Reagan did to what this unamerican president is doing now! Just wishing it so does not make it right!

  • Utahn November 25, 2014 at 12:52 pm

    Using Reagan and Bush granted amnesty as a valid argument is a very, very weak argument. For more information: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/11/the-weak-argument-defending-executive-amnesty/382906/

    The drain on the welfare state and the change in demographics will forever change this country. Not in a positive direction.

  • Other acts of Amnesty November 25, 2014 at 1:02 pm

    Other questions. What would Bush do? Sign an Amnesty bill without consent of Congress. What would Hatch do? Write the DREAM Act. What would Governor Herbert do? Sign an amnesty bill for Utah. Hear the Republicans applauding all those?

  • St. George News needs November 25, 2014 at 1:34 pm

    St. George news needs another ‘opinion’ report to balance out Ed’s faggy, limp-wristed, liberal viewpoints that get presented as reputable articles.
    Where is the counter-arguement about the dark side of the amnesty bill?
    5 MILLION illegals (not the huggy-feely term ‘undocumented immigrants’) will now LEGALLY be allowed to take jobs. These are for the most part the unskilled or labor intensive jobs.
    As a result, 5 MILLION teenagers and unskilled workers that were born and raised here as LEGAL Americans will now find it harder to get a job. And let’s not even pretend that the economy has rebounded to support this.
    It is also a slap in the face to all immigrants that LEGALLY went through the ARDUOUS process to become a legal United States citizen.
    Ed can run his mouth all he wants, but St. George News should have a writer that will tell the other side of the topics and agendas.

  • dancing infidel November 25, 2014 at 1:59 pm

    Hey Ed, you forgot to mention that Reagan DID NOT use executive fiat. He did go through congress (pushed it through congress). He did not bypass congress. And by the way, to use Obama’s infamous words, ” we won”….get over it Ed. No amount of whining is going to change the results of the mid-term elections. So you may as well get used to it. AND….you mention that this new congress of republican majority will be a “do nothing” congress for two the two years left of Obama. Did you forget about the approximately 350 bills sitting on Harry Reids desk that were passed by a BI-PARTISAN vote? How convenient of you Eddy. You’re intentionally leaving that bit of info out of your article. Harry Reid’s the “do nothing” Democratic Senate Majority Leader…..fortunately till January 2015. Get over it Eddy.

    • The Independent November 27, 2014 at 4:35 pm

      I guess you forgot or do not know the facts about executive orders:
      Ronald Reagan 381
      George Bush 166
      George W. Bush 291
      Barack Obama 193
      So, who is bypassing Congress? Who is whining?

  • dancing infidel November 25, 2014 at 2:24 pm

    If I were to write an “opinion” article, I would title it : “Time for Ed Kociela to get a grip over Dems. loss of power in Congress”.
    Remember folks, this is merely Ed’s opinion….publicized to stir up the citizenry.
    You really can’t take him serious.

  • activist November 25, 2014 at 3:47 pm

    Y’all are all simple minded ignorant bigot fools. Clearly as Obama stated this is more than the “law” or “amnesty” this is about keeping families together and sticking to American roots. Most immigrants come to better their life’s for not only them but their families, they’re looking for the “American Dream” and contribute to this once beautiful country. Just as history has shown time after time that this isn’t the first time people look to better their lives weather that be moving countries or switching their jobs. Now given not all people come for those reasons, and thats why Obama clearly stated he wants to get rid of criminals not break up families who do nothing but work hard to provided just as everyone else. This is more than a law more the immigration, it’s a step forward to the right thing.

    • JustBen November 25, 2014 at 7:27 pm

      It’s still the wrong way to go about it. Amnesty has never worked before and it won’t work now.

  • PROTECT THE SHEEP November 25, 2014 at 7:51 pm

    Obama hates white people.

    • Zonkerb November 25, 2014 at 10:38 pm

      I’m not a bigot I hate all Mormons

      • Herd November 26, 2014 at 8:57 am

        I hate wearing thongs.

        • Dana November 27, 2014 at 4:52 am

          I hate when you wear thongs in public.

    • Dana November 26, 2014 at 6:44 am

      Barry does not hate white people. He just has no love for anyone other than himself.

    • Koolaid November 26, 2014 at 8:13 am

      White people hate Obama.

      • Visiting Anthropologist November 26, 2014 at 10:25 am

        A lot of white people hated the Civil Rights Act, too.

        • Koolaid November 26, 2014 at 11:16 am

          Especially the religious folk in Utah

  • dancing infidel November 25, 2014 at 9:39 pm

    Maybe Ed should read the Obama’s immigration bill. I’ll bet he was not aware that it includes a $3000.00 incentive to employers for hiring illegals. Yet, where is the incentive for Americans who are unemployed?
    If any of you think this is made up…..it’s simple to research, or actually read the bill….it’s in there. Using taxpayer funds to hire illegals…..imagine that.

    • Visiting Anthropologist November 26, 2014 at 10:23 am

      The $3,000 has to do with insurance and is NOT a $3,000 payout to employers simply for hiring anybody at all as the right-wing media wants you to believe. Rather, it’s a $3,000 fine if employers don’t comply with the insurance issue. The right-wing media is skewing this for their own purposes. Did you read the text of Obama’s Executive Action, Dancer? I kinda doubt it.

    • Chris November 26, 2014 at 5:05 pm

      He is not aware of the $3000 incentive because it does not exist. You have misunderstood the entire issue. Cut your losses now and keep your mouth shut, lest you make an even greater fool of yourself.

      • Visiting Anthropologist November 26, 2014 at 7:10 pm

        By all means. Thanks so much for pointing out the error so politely. What a gentleman you are.

      • McMurphy November 26, 2014 at 10:20 pm

        You and Visiting are correct that the $3,000 is not a payout. However, it will be $3,000 a year less expensive to hire a person covered by the new Executive Order than it will be to hire a US citizen or legally resident alien. That is an incentive.

  • Brian November 26, 2014 at 10:52 am

    Time to change the name of this column from “On the EDge” to “Off the Rocker”, or maybe “On the EDge of Sanity”, because this is nuts.

    • PROTECT THE SHEEP November 26, 2014 at 12:45 pm

      will you be in charge of the theme song?

  • villager November 26, 2014 at 3:56 pm

    Just luke the big empires in Egypt, Greece, Rome (best example) Spain, France,and GB, our beloved USA will perish thanks to stupid politics and deceiving economic practices.
    China is getting most of the lost jobs, not the illegals. See what you are wearing. What did you have for lunch, today?
    Who made it? Who did prepare it?
    They are more likely to survive than me or you who are not producing jack.
    Manufacturing in the US is dissapearing.
    A nation that doesn’t make their own shoes has no chance of getting ahead. Only backwards, I can see it here with all the crazy comments.
    ED, you keep writing.

    • Yo! November 26, 2014 at 4:30 pm

      China has been getting the jobs for a long, long time thanks to business people like Romney. Don’t you remember when things were made in Hong Kong? Hong Kong is now China.

  • Dave Francis November 26, 2014 at 4:12 pm

    $3.000.00 DOLLARS FROM YOUR TAXES, FOR BUSINESSES TO HIRE ILLEGAL ALIENS?

    And So It Begins: Administration Orders Agents to Release Illegal aliens and halt deportations.

    This is an outrage. Obama did it. He said he would and he did go over head of Congress to grant amnesty to 5 million illegal aliens, and just the initial cost of dispensation is estimated at 2 trillion dollars. What do you expect? They say that these funds to process these people are going to come from fees? Well I doubt if that’s the case.

    During Obamas speech sympathizing with the Ferguson, Missouri incident he had the audacity saying, “First and foremost, we are a nation built on the rule of law. How can he mentioned that with a straight face and he and his Administration have violated the “Rule of Law’ countless times and unloaded on American millions of more of uneducated. We have our own, who struggles in life and we attracting more aliens?

    This Unilateral amnesty is an amnesty across the board, freedom, jobs, insurance, education, health care and later citizenship for all in the swipe of a pen.

    Just learned businesses will have a $3,000-per-employee incentive to hire illegal immigrants over native-born workers under President Obama’s sweeping Immigration travesty reports the Washington Past today.

    All this was done in pandering to illegal aliens, foreign criminals that broke the law after walking into our nation. And don’t say they don’t as hundreds of miles remain unsecured and a very dangerous border.

    But…here’s the thing. There is something Republicans in Congress can do to bring this to a screeching halt. Tea Party lawmakers (moderate conservatives) are in take-no-prisoners mode and we are ready to push this for all it’s worth.

    As it turns, out all Congress has to do when back into session in January and CHANGE THE STATUTE that executive amnesty was granted on and Then? But will they? Remember their campaign donors and ‘K’ Street lobbyists are always offering incentives to bring in millions of discount labor into the country.

    Goodbye amnesty!

    YES it is that simple. Obama’s unilateral amnesty is not based on anything Constitutional so this is all the Republican Congress has to do…but we are going to have to light that fire under them. It is up to us.

    Amnesty is one of our biggest challenges. The implications of Obama’s executive actions are equivocally horrendous. I flew into Los Angles today for Thanksgiving and the traffic was so dense, I just couldn’t believe it. It’s been many years since I moved my family to the outskirts of Indianapolis. I wanted my son to be brought-up in the farming areas, without the drug trade and the illegal alien invasion as in the cities. Remember the wealthy and politicians live in their gated ‘Ivory Towers’ so the overpopulated cities, the roads almost impassable and a infrastructure will get irretrievably worse as Obamas plan comes to fruition?

    Illegal aliens will be handed the jobs our own families and friends desperately need.

    They’ll be given health care, education and welfare. Systems will be overloaded and our own families, friends and loved ones will suffer immeasurably.

    Obama gives our veterans nothing, the governments are reluctant to offer major assistance and illegal aliens everything. In fact he is downsizing our military in a dangerous time. In truth after they come back from the wars, if it wasn’t for The People offering donations to different public organizations, they would not receive the present.

    This fight is massive.

    Obama is deliberately endangering the American people. His open borders policy has allowed millions of illegal aliens to flow through—including murderers, rapists, pedophiles and terrorists.

    These are the people he just said can stay on a free pass.

    Hit upon significant answers to Obama’s seditious executive order of rewarding criminal illegal aliens. A New Documentary that Highlight our insecure border and rampant lawlessness. Sheriffs around the country have had enough and are planning to make their voices heard “We are being Marginalized” with a march on Washington D.C. on December 10th. My personal opinion Americans who believe in the Rule of Law should support the Sheriffs and join in the demonstration. You can learn more about the border Sheriffs of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, who are under funded, undermanned and a US Government that close the eyes to there dire plight. The illegal aliens, the drugs and the bodies, they must deal with daily at http://www.borderstatesofamerica.com/ Also investigate for yourself at http://www.numbersusa.com and Unipac.

    The moderate Tea Party and most House Republicans will still work to do a whole lot so to move the country forward; it is THE PEOPLES commitment and duty to fight this blatant power grab that doesn’t solve the real issues. Every American, no matter the color of the skin, their original nationality, black, white, brown, Asian will suffer terribly from national job loss. Once employers get the okay, it will be out the door with blue collar, manual or unskilled workers for the sudden surge in cheap labor. Don’t sit still on this one outlandish problem fight back and hit the politicians like verbal munitions telling them your hostility to Obama’s plot to overload our country more with poverty and welfare recipients. Here are the numbers to call and lambaste them to sue Obama or even impeach him. Check this site that includes phone Numbers and Mailing Addresses of Members of Congress contact them at: http://www.contactingthecongress or direct line to central switchboard at 1-866-220-0044 or 1-800-224-3121.

    • koolaid November 26, 2014 at 11:42 pm

      Don’t do drugs. they could make you a paranoid schizophrenic.

      • koolaid November 26, 2014 at 11:44 pm

        Dillusional,too, and make stuff up.

  • Dave Francis November 26, 2014 at 11:39 pm

    While Millions of Americans search desperately for a job, Emperor Obama has become an Imperialist himself, urged on by the fanatical La Raza zealots, who are demanding open borders and we now have a far worse situation–a divided nation. Americans should neither Trust the Liberal-Democrats or even the Republican career politicians, as both parties have an agenda that is governed by the corporate special interests that buy their loyalty. Doesn’t the US public understand that we are brought and sold by sordid lobbyists and even unions? The money that passes hands into either party is phenomenal and hidden through sly manipulations of our rule of law. Not all, but most the powerful lawmakers are hypocrites as they swear an oath to the founding document, the US constitution and then lie.

    It seems there are several ways that Obamas executive order can be severed in the bud, but will the Republicans take that avenue, as they want cheap labor for there irredeemable dishonest businesses. If they don’t collapse Obamas plan, more criminal illegal aliens will pour across the Southern border or come as a supposedly tourist and will vote illegally.

    Their a few politicians who we should place our trust in, and that is Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama. Few have been at the forefront to fight the executive order of the illegal alien invasion his royal Highness in the Oval office. As I see it, people who enter a sovereign country without permission have broken the law, and should be branded as a criminal. Both e political parties have played with immigration policies to suit their campaign donors. Sworn to protect every American, they should be tarred and feathered.

    Washington, has taxpayer’s money to burn, but gives little help to veterans once they return from service. It’s left up to private organizations to retrieve the lives of soldiers who have given their all, but give everything to foreign national’s that will include the unaffordable health care, education and welfare. Systems will be overloaded and our own families, friends and loved ones will suffer inestimably.

    IT’S AN OUTRAGE THAT OBAMAS MINIONS ARE OFFERING BUSINESSES $3.000.00, IF THEY TURN ASIDE AMERICAN WORKERS TO GIVE THOSE JOBS TO CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS.

    Then we have Ferguson, Missouri where Black American is protesting the incident with the death of Michael Brown. The Leftist media are using this tragedy to escape the growing uproar over the invasion by illegal aliens. Instead of demonstrating over this terrible situation, they should join the millions of Americans already out of work will be substituted by criminal illegal aliens—as well as whites, browns and others who came to the US through the front gate.

    Not much more to say that Americans gripe a lot, but don’t stand up to be counted? We can only blame the state on America on our own unfocused self. The implications of Obama’s executive actions are equivocally horrendous. I flew into Los Angles today for Thanksgiving and the traffic was so dense, I just couldn’t believe it. It’s been many years since I moved my family to the outskirts of Indianapolis. I wanted my son to be brought-up in the farming areas, without the drug trade and the illegal alien invasion as in the cities. Remember the wealthy and politicians live in their gated ‘Ivory Towers’ so the overpopulated cities, the roads almost impassable and a infrastructure will get irretrievably worse as Obamas plan comes to fulfillment?

    Blame yourself when low income Americans are pushed out of jobs, especially now that Obama’s instigators and will be in the unemployment lines. Personally, I am okay my benefits are constant, because I saved my money and assets. But as Americans ignored the promise of this growing dictatorship; a government that administers to all the ‘Deadbeats’ and the Feds granting something for nothing. Unknown numbers of single Mothers who cannot meet their debts, but the WH can offer foreign pregnant mothers free delivery and cash payments afterwards.

    Research answers to Obama’s subversive executive order of rewarding criminal illegal aliens. A New Documentary that Highlight our insecure border and rampant lawlessness. Sheriffs around the country have had enough and are planning to make their voices heard “We are being Marginalized” with a march on Washington D.C. on December 10th. My personal opinion Americans who believe in the Rule of Law should support the Sheriffs and join in the demonstration.

    You can learn more about the border Sheriffs of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, who are under funded, undermanned and a US Government that close the eyes to there grim plight. The illegal aliens, the drugs and the bodies, they must deal with daily at http://www.borderstatesofamerica.com/ Speak your mind as a voter at http://www.numbersusa.com/ check this site that includes phone Numbers and Mailing Addresses of Members of Congress contact them at: http://www.contactingthecongress or direct line to central switchboard at 1-866-220-0044 or 1-800-224-3121.

  • Visiting Anthropologist November 27, 2014 at 8:54 am

    Happy Thanksgiving, everybody…

  • Koolaid November 27, 2014 at 9:09 am

    acción de gracias feliz

  • The Independent November 27, 2014 at 4:39 pm

    Ed, excellent article. Refreshing to hear a political point of view based on real facts.
    Thanks!

  • Zonkerb November 28, 2014 at 2:05 pm

    I got to go to. Wal Mart and get some socks

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