"How to pass Laws for Guns and Voting" for Dummies and Congress.

The rights to vote and to bear arms are two of our most precious and fundamental rights, and they must be protected.  Many people have concerns that laws put into place to ensure that the mentally ill and felons (whose civil rights have not been restored) are imposing unreasonable burdens on law-abiding citizens who want to exercise their rights to vote and/or buy a firearm.

Republicans are concerned that the Democrats want to take away our guns, and fight every effort to impose any restrictions. But they are very concerned with preventing voter fraud.

Democrats, on the other hand, are afraid that the Republicans’ requirements for voter registration are really designed to disenfranchise minority voters. The Democrats also want to do something about the gun violence in our country.

Nether side is willing to work with the other.

HERE’S AN IDEA:

Let’s make the requirements to vote and the requirements to purchase a firearm EXACTLY THE SAME.  

Let Congress setup whatever waiting periods, registration procedures, background checks, and/or identity verification requirements that they feel is necessary.  But whatever requirements they pass apply equally to the right to vote and the right to buy a gun.   If they cannot pass a law within 90 days, all current restrictions on both go away.

Maybe then the members of Congress can start to work together and DO THEIR JOB and pass a reasonable law.

Hint:  THIS IS NOT HARD.   Start with a simple background check, 15 day waiting period, a valid birth certificate, and an annual renewal.  

Doing the right thing: Brett Kavanaugh

“Do what is right, not what is easy nor what is popular.”
                                          - Roy T. Bennett

Our Sunday school teacher put this quote up on the board yesterday.   It’s sad that so many people fail to follow this simple principle.   That includes many of my fellow Republicans that are still backing Kavanaugh’s nomination.   It’s time they stepped back and DID THE RIGHT THING, even if it’s not the popular thing.

KAVANAUGH’S OWN TESTIMONY AND BEHAVIOR ON THE STAND ILLUSTRATES THAT HE IS NOT QUALIFIED TO BE ON THE SUPREME COURT.  Christine Ford’s testimony was not needed at all in order to reach this conclusion.

Let me start be saying how disgusted I am that certain Democrats sat on these allegations and released them at the last moment.  They knew about them from the start.  If they were not willing to release them back in July, they should have never released them now.

But, regardless of how they were released, once out in the open, they needed to be investigated. 

I watched, but mostly listened, to almost all of Christine Ford’s testimony.  She came across as sincere and believable.  She was obviously not a professional activist nor witness, and it was apparent she was very nervous throughout the hearing.  Yet, her story was consistent, despite the attempts to nit-pick it apart.  I have no doubt that she was sexually assaulted as she described, and believe her attacker probably was Kavanaugh.  An incident such as this would be a life-altering one, and it would be one of those times that is indelibly pressed into your memory.  It would be one of those events where you always remember where you were and what you were doing when it happened.

I believe Brett Kavanaugh was in a drunken stupor, and probably does not remember the incident.  Ford herself said that this particular party was not anything special, and she stated that Kavanaugh was falling-down drunk and was bouncing off the walls in the hallway and staircase.  Ford did not report the incident to the police or even tell a single person about it.  That would mean that nobody else at the party except for the three people in the room would have any reason to remember that party as out of the ordinary.  It is likely that Kavanagh was not even aware that she was resisting. He was a varsity football player, and was so drunk he was unable to remove or even rip any of her clothes.  That does not excuse his behavior.  He chose to drink alcohol, and is responsible for his actions. 

As horrible as his actions were, and, while he should have been punished at that time, almost forty years have passed.  He grew up, and, by all accounts, has been an pillar of the community for all of his adult life.  That must be taken into consideration.

After hearing Ford’s testimony, my heart went out to her for all of the suffering she has gone through, including the last few weeks.  But, when compared against almost forty years of exemplary behavior, I could not punish the man now.  As a Christian, I believe in Forgiveness and redemption.   (This is the same reason I am so adamantly opposed to deporting illegal aliens who have lived here in the U.S. for many years and have led upstanding lives.)

I do support a delay, however long is reasonably needed, for the FBI to re-open its background investigation to ensure that this incident was indeed a one-time, out-of-character, drunken act of stupidity by a 17 year-old kid.  If the investigation were to reveal other similar incidents or a pattern of behavior, that would, of course, be immediately disqualifying.

I watched most of Kavanaugh’s testimony live, and I watched it all again over the weekend.

BUT IT WAS KAVANAUGH’S OWN TESTIMONY AND BEHAVIOR ON THE STAND HAS CAUSED TO CHANGE MY MIND.  I would have reached this same conclusion had I not seen or heard ANY of the testimony from Christine Ford.  I stated above that my support for Kavanaugh was not changed by her testimony; my opinion was changed by his.

I completely understand his anger and frustration at these charges, especially since I believe that he really does not remember it and that he believes he really is innocent.  I would be angry as well.   But his statement clearly showed political bias, and judges are supposed to be above that.

As a judge, he should be able to control his anger and emotions, and let reason prevail.  I am not referring to his emotions when he was describing the effect it had on his family; I am talking about the anger he was directing at the Democrats by invoking conspiracy theories and claims that it was all made up as revenge for the Clintons.   As I said earlier, I am disgusted that the Democrats waited so long to present the allegations, but their failure to act timely does not diminish the veracity of the claim.

I am especially disturbed that, during cross-examination, he seemed to be less than truthful when answering questions about his past drinking, behavior, and language used. I graduated the same year as he, and my memories of my own high-school during that time echoes his own school.  While I cannot say he outright lied, he was less than truthful with at least three statements: 

When asked if he passed out, He claimed he just “went to sleep”.  Since passing out IS going to sleep, that statement would have been correct.  But “going to sleep” has a connotation that it was an conscious action take because one was tired, as opposed to an involuntary action over which he had no control.

Second, he stated that he had no connections to Yale, when he was a legacy student.  Again, while it’s possible he did not use his grandfather’s connection to Yale to get in, it does not change the fact that he did indeed have connections to Yale.  I find it highly unlikely that he would have been unaware that his grandfather had attended that school.

Third, he made it a point to state that drinking was legal at age 18 when he was in high school, implying that he was legally drinking, when, in fact, he was only 17.  While not technically a lie, it was misleading, and a failure to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”. 

His demeanor in court was not appropriate.  He repeatedly evaded direct questions, and questioned his questioners.  “I don’t know.  Did you?”   That kind of behavior would not fly in any courtroom, and, as a sitting judge, he knows that.

But the turning point for me came when he refused to support a proper FBI investigation.  He intentionally attempted to deflect the question several times when asked, and finally simply refused to answer.  Now, the Democrats will claim that is because he knows he is guilty and has something to hide.  I won’t go that far.  To me, it means that he worries, and rightfully so, that any delay can only harm his chances for confirmation.  An FBI investigation cannot clear him since there were only three people in the room and all physical evidence is long since gone.  The best he could hope for is for the FBI to state that they could find no corroborating evidence and no evidence of similar behavior and incidents. 

What he was doing was putting his ambitions and desire to be on the Supreme Court over the good of the country, and over the need to seek the truth.  In my mind, that alone is a disqualifying act for a candidate for Supreme Court Justice.

I believe that Brett Kavanaugh is a good person who has led an exemplary life throughout his adulthood.  He appears today to be a man of high morals and good character  a great citizen.   

But we require more than that for our top Justices.  We already hold law enforcement officers, lawyers and judges to a higher standard than the average citizen.   We must always hold our highest leaders to the highest of standards. 

Sadly, Brett Kavanaugh is not one of those leaders.  It was not his alleged behavior from forty years ago, but, rather, his own testimony and behavior on the stand this week that demonstrates to me why he does not reach those highest of standards.

George W. Bush withdraw Harriet Myers from consideration for reasons far less serious than Kavanaugh is facing today.  Kavanaugh still has a life-time appointment to the D.C. Federal Court, arguably the second-highest court in the land.   President Trump should withdraw his nomination and choose another candidate.   There is no shame in that; it would be the right thing to do.  We are not in a race against time; we waited almost a year before replacing Scalia. 

Surely, we can take some more time and find the next truly great Supreme Court Justice.

The Ends do not Justify the Means

The Trump Administration has had significant accomplishments over the past year. I am very happy that our economy is booming right now.  Just this week, the report came out that unemployment reached the lowest level in decades.  We have a new Supreme Court Justice who will serve us well for many years.  We are in talks with North Korea for the first time in decades.  A lot of excessive regulations have been rolled back, removing unnecessary burdens on our businesses.  Congress passed a long-needed reform on Business taxes, bringing our business tax code in line with every other nation. 

But, the ENDS DO NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS.

EVER.

It is NEVER OKAY to dismiss unethical, corrupt, and immoral behavior in order to achieve a goal.   We all should have learned that in Kindergarten.

I am not talking about the petty issues that the Democrats keep bringing up. I am not talking about his being “politically incorrect”.  I am not talking about his making everything all about himself.  All that just goes to his personality, and we have had plenty of presidents with eccentric personalities.

But don’t confuse character and morality with personality. That’s something totally different, and it’s one’s character and morality that counts.

When Trump repeatedly lies on an almost daily basis, that is a moral failure of character, and we must stand up and speak out against that. I am not referring to his statements of opinion or statements that can be construed in different ways.  I mean the flat-out lies that have been disproved beyond doubt, but that he keeps repeating over and over again.  We are brought up to respect our leaders, and it we inherently want and need to believe and trust our leaders.  When one repeats the same lie over and over again, people actually start to believe it; especially those who don’t have the time to research and find out the truth.

When Trump falsely attacks every media outlet that publishes something he does not like, labeling it “Fake News”, that is a moral failing.  Some of these media may be editorially liberal, but very little of what they have reported has been proven wrong.  Reputable conservative-leaning media, such as the Wall Street Journal, National Review, and The Economist, are reporting essentially the same facts as the liberal media.  Even Fox News reports these same facts during their regular news programs, such as Shepard Smith’s segments in the afternoons. 

When Trump claims that our Justice Department and FBI are corrupt and are out to get him, that is not only a moral failure, it’s an attack on our very Democracy, and one I WILL NOT STAND FOR.  Our law enforcement agencies are made up of dedicated, hard-working Americans who put their lives on the line every day for far too little pay, and that includes those at the very top.  Both James Comey and Robert Mueller are Republicans, and both have a decades-old reputation for honesty and integrity. Neither one of them has ever been caught telling a lie, and it is beyond belief how anybody could believe the ridiculous accusations made against them by someone who tells lies big and small almost daily.

When we have a President that spreads conspiracy theories that are so outrageous that until now only the radical far-right or -left nut cases actually believed them, that’s another attack on our democracy.  There is no “deep-state” conspiracy. It is virtually impossible for two or three people to keep a secret.  Can anybody really believe that hundreds of people on both sides of the political spectrum are part of some wide conspiracy that controls every part of our government? 

Our party was founded 150 years ago on a set of core values, and followed by our greatest leaders, including Lincoln, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Reagan.  These values are based on honesty, integrity, and morality. 

I AM A REPUBLICAN, and I believe in the core values our party was founded on 150 years ago.  Our own Virginia Republican Creed pretty much sums up exactly what I believe: That the free enterprise system is the most productive supplier of human needs and economic justice, that all individuals are entitled to equal rights, justice, and opportunities and should assume their responsibilities as citizens in a free society, that fiscal responsibility and budgetary restraints must be exercised at all levels of government, that the Federal Government must preserve individual liberty by observing Constitutional limitations, that peace is best preserved through a strong national defense, and that faith in God, as recognized by our Founding Fathers is essential to the moral fiber of the Nation.

BUT MY INTEGRITY IS NOT FOR SALE, and I will not compromise my own values by staying silent while a corrupt leader mocks these very values on which our party is based. 

There is nothing wrong with supporting the policies of our President, especially when they follow our party’s positions.  But we also must call out and condemn immoral and unethical behavior with just as loud and united of a voice.  We can never allow our ethics and integrity to be compromised by any individual.

OUR LOYALTY should ALWAYS be to our COUNTRY and to TRUTH and HONESTY, and then to our PARTY, and NEVER to any individual.

Right now, too many people in our party are allowing these core values to be sacrificed, and this is wrong. When we have a leader that lacks moral character, it becomes a CANCER that spreads throughout the administration and throughout the party, and that has been clearly evident ever since Trump took office.  This corruption has flowed all the way down to the local districts.

Is Trump too sleazy to be guilty?

The $130,000 payment made to Stormy Daniels as hush money has been a hot topic over the last few weeks.  Was this an illegal campaign contribution or not?   Did Trump know about the payment or not?   Did Trump reimburse his attorney or not?

If the payment was made in order to influence the election, or prevent negative influence over the election, then it was a campaign contribution unless Trump made it himself.   But Trump had stated that he did not know about the payment at the time.  He has stated that Cohen represented him. 

Much has been made over the fact that an attorney cannot settle a case without his client’s approval.  If Trump did not know about it, how could he have approved it? 

There is one scenario that has not been explored:

If covering up bad behavior was something that happened regularly going back way before the campaign, then it is entirely reasonable that Trump could have instructed his attorney to handle all such issues and could have authorized Cohen to confidentially settle them up to a certain dollar amount without further authorization.  His ongoing $35,000 monthly retainer payments to Cohen actually bolster this argument.   He essentially budgeted $35,000 per month to cover any consequences from his sleazy behavior.  $35,000 per month to a billionaire is about the same as $25 to people like you and me.

Personally, I can easily believe that Trump had just such an arrangement with Cohen.   After all, Cohen was his “fixer”.   Remember, Trump was caught on tape bragging that since he was a celebrity, he could randomly grab women by their private parts.  I think it’s safe to assume he actually did do that to women on occasion.  He also bragged about walking into women’s dressing rooms whenever he wanted as well.

While there is NO EXCUSE for that kind of behavior, we all know that there are some women that would have willingly accepted his assaults and returned the “affection”.   Others would have silently acquiesced out of fear or intimidation.  Others might have slapped him or slugged him.   Finally, it stands to reason that at least some of them would have taken some sort of legal action.  Given that the Billy Bush conversation happened almost 15 years ago, this does show a pattern of bad behavior going back decades.  Does anyone really believe that Stormy Daniels and the Playmate were the only two who complained?   And isn’t also likely that even Trump has occasionally been falsely accused by someone just looking to make money?   

I do NOT know for sure if this was what really happened or not.  But it DOES explain the actions of both Cohen and Trump, and explains how Trump really might not have known about the specific payments. 

If this WAS the case, and these types of settlements were so routine that his attorney was authorized to settle up to a certain amount without even contacting Trump, that pretty much negates the campaign contribution issue.

It kind of comes down to this:  If this was an isolated incident that required a payment right before the election, a crime probably was committed.  But, if Trump was so sleazy and immoral that these settlements were routine, then he probably did NOT violate election finance laws.

Hijacked!

I am a life-long Republican,

I believe in the values under which our party was founded almost two hundred years ago.  It distresses me that in the past 50 years or so, factions with agendas of their own have managed to hijack the Republican Party for their own corrupt purposes.  They have twisted our core values so much, that in many ways, current GOP leaders are taking positions that are completely in opposition to these very core values.  This is a CANCER in our party that must be eliminated before it destroys our party completely.

For example, our founding fathers specified in the Constitution that Federal Judges would be appointed for life.  This was to ensure that these judges would remain above and outside of party politics, and follow the rule of law when rendering their decisions.  As a check on this power, our founding fathers provided that BOTH of the other branches would have to individually approve EVERY Federal judge before he could take office.  As a further check, all decisions at the highest levels of our courts must be made by a majority from a panel of judges. 

But, right now, we have a candidate seeking the party’s nomination to the House of Representatives, who has stated that, if elected, she plans to try to usurp the checks and balances put into place, and use to improperly the impeachment power of Congress to remove Federal Judges who make decisions that she does not agree with.  Congress was granted the power of impeachment to remove corruption, not enable it!  This is a blaring example of the CANCER that has infiltrated our party and that needs to be excised as quickly as possible. 

WHAT DO I BELIEVE?

Our founding fathers put into place a brilliant system of government, with power divided between three separate branches, complete with checks and balances that ensure that democracy will always prevail and tyranny can never again rear its ugly head. 

But for our governmental to work, we must insist on integrity, unimpeachable ethical standards, and irreproachable personal conduct from all people in government. We need  to demand that honesty be an indispensable requirement of public service. We need to vigilantly root out corruption whenever and wherever it appears.

I believe THAT THE FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM IS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE SUPPLIER OF HUMAN NEEDS AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE.   This is the essence of Capitalism, and is the philosophy upon with our entire economic system is built.  As Republicans, we must protect the FREE MARKET. Government regulation of business is not inherently bad.  Indeed, while we must protect the free market from UNNECESSARY government interference, we must also use the government’s power to prevent immoral businesses from using their size and wealth to inhibit that same free market.

I believe THAT ALL INDIVIDUALS ARE ENTITLED TO EQUAL RIGHTS, JUSTICE, AND OPPORTUNITIES AND SHOULD ASSUME THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AS CITIZENS IN A FREE SOCIETY. I believe that ALL citizens should be encouraged to vote, and we should do everything we can to make the voting process easily accessible to every citizen. I believe that Gerrymandering of any type that puts any race at a disadvantage is illegal and immoral.  I believe that discrimination of any type is immoral, including discrimination by age, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or familial status.

I believe THAT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND BUDGETARY RESTRAINTS MUST BE EXERCISED AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.  We must operate under an overall balanced budget. The government should be extremely frugal when spending the people’s money, and must be able to justify every dollar that it spends.  At the same time, failing to impose taxes at a rate that will ensure a balanced budget during times of economic growth is fiscally irresponsible. The ONLY time a deficit is acceptable is during a national emergency or during times of economic recession. During times of economic growth, such as now, our budget must generate a SURPLUS that can be used to cover any deficits that are necessary during times of economic recession. Taxing power is a necessary evil that must be used fairly and responsibly to ensure that our government can meet its fiscal responsibilities.

I believe THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MUST PRESERVE INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY BY OBSERVING CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITATIONS.  Our country was founded on the belief that we all have the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It’s our individual liberties that allows us to exercise these rights. Our Constitution must always be interpreted to ensure that these rights are preserved, not impeded. We shall not tolerate those who attempt to twist the Constitution in order LIMIT the individual liberties of others.

I believe THAT PEACE IS BEST PRESERVED THROUGH A STRONG NATIONAL DEFENSE. This not only includes properly maintaining our military to the highest standards, but ensuring that our State Department should work hand-in-hand with our military to implement a comprehensive, consistent, and clear foreign policy using diplomacy to avoid war, but being ready, willing, and able to back up our policies with force with diplomacy fails.

I believe THAT FAITH IN GOD, AS RECOGNIZED BY OUR FOUNDING FATHERS, IS ESSENTIAL TO THE MORAL FIBER OF THE NATION. Just as our government is of the people, it is the collective moral fiber of our citizens that gives our nation its moral fiber – not the other way around. We do NOT use the government to force our personal religious beliefs on others. It means that we lead our own lives, guided by our own faith in God, to set an example for others. This is why the First Amendment guarantees each of us freedom of Religion. A government that mandates religion in any way cannot guarantee religious freedom. That is why our Founding Fathers made sure that adhering to any specific religion shall never be a requirement to hold public office.

Mental Health Problem OR Gun Problem? Really?

I have listened to various politicians and activists push arguments such as “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people”, “We don’t need new gun laws; we just need to enforce the existing ones” and “It’s not a gun problem; it’s a mental health problem”.   But these are not really arguments at all; they are just rhetoric used to deflect the focus off guns.  They are nice sound bites, but do not address the problem and offer no solutions.

“It’s not a gun problem; it’s a mental health problem”   OF COURSE it’s a mental health problem. Sane people don’t walk into schools and start shooting kids.  But that does not mean that we don’t also have a gun control problem.  The two issues are not mutually exclusive.

“Guns don’t kill people; people kill people”.   What a stupid thing to say!   When we say we have a Gun Problem, most people with more than two working brain cells realize we mean that we have a Gun CONTROL Problem. 

“We don’t need new gun laws; we just need to enforce the existing ones”.    For the most part, I agree.  We already have laws prohibiting felons and the mentally ill from possessing guns.  But these laws are not properly enforced.   Universal Background Checks are simply a tool to enforce the existing laws.  They will not prohibit anyone from possessing a gun who is not already prohibited from owning one.

 SECOND AMENDMENT

Like all of our rights, our right to bear arms comes with responsibilities as well.  

The Second Amendment is not absolute.   We already prohibit felons and the mentally ill from possessing firearms, even though the Second Amendment does not state that “the rights of the people shall not be infringed, unless they are felons or mentally ill”.

When the founding fathers adopted the Second Amendment, the musket was the height of technology.  You fired once, then had to take 30 seconds to reload before you could fire again.  It was not possible to use one to rapidly kill multiple people.  

School shootings are not something new.  That has been at least one school shooting almost every year for the past 150 years.  But the carnage inflicted by these shootings has increased as weapons technology has improved.

UNDERLYING CAUSES OF GUN VIOLENCE

Before we can even attempt to solve the gun control problem, we need to look at the causes.  Most gun deaths can be classified in one of four ways:

Criminals using guns to commit crimes.   If we want to get serious about preventing criminals from getting access to guns, background checks have to be universal.  There can be no exceptions.  All it takes is one loophole.  If criminals can buy guns easily at gun shows, that’s just what they will do.  Why even try to buy at a store when they have a ready alternative?  It’s even easier to buy a gun from someone they know who does not have a criminal record.

Crimes of passion; domestic violence; suicide.   These account for the majority of all gun deaths, and most of these are committed by people with no criminal history.  Criminal Background checks alone would not be effective.  This is where waiting periods come in.  A 30-day waiting period would give a person time to calm down or would give those close to him or her time to recognize the crisis and to intervene before it’s too late. 

  

Mass Shootings.  While this is the one that gains the most attention, it is also the one that will be hardest to prevent.  Most of these mass shooters plan their crimes well in advance, often months or even years.  Most have no criminal backgrounds. Waiting periods and background checks may prevent a few, such as the church shooting in Texas, but that was an exception more than the rule.  The only way to prevent these types of incidents is for people to pay attention for warning signs and intervene and/or alert authorities.

Accidents.  These are easily the most preventable deaths.  If one wishes to own a firearm, they have the responsibility to learn how to properly use and store their firearms.  Yet there are no requirements for even the most basic training or education before one is allowed to buy such a deadly weapon. 

This illustrates that there will not be one simple solution.  The ultimate solutions will involve addressing each of the underlying causes, and there will not be one-size-fits-all solution that addresses all of the causes.

Ultimately, we will need to come up with a solution that provides:

1. A way to ensure that felons and the mentally ill do not have access to guns by any means.   This will include  mandatory reporting of all criminal convictions to a central registry.  This registry would also include those deemed mentally ill.  It would also include those who are under protective orders.

2. A process that allows one to appeal his or her placement on this list to ensure mistakes are not made.

3. A requirement that one who does purchase a gun understands their responsibilities to properly use and store their weapons.

4. A waiting period to ensure that violent reactive emotions do not factor into the equation.

Back in November, after the church shooting in Texas, I posted my own ideas on a comprehensive solution.   Read about them here:  http://scottmcmurrain.blogspot.com/2017/11/use-common-sense-people-demand.html

Demanding Real Immigration Reform

We all agree that the entire immigration situation in our country is a disgrace.

Unless your parent or adult child is already here, It can take over twenty years to get approved for legal immigration into the U.S., and that is if you already have other relatives here. This is what Trump has referred to as “Chain Immigration”.  The average time is more than 12 years. If you have no existing relatives or contacts in the U.S., your chances of ever being allowed in are slim to none.

While we do depart many criminals, they seem to just sneak right back in.  We have heard stories about gang members who have been deported numerous times, but continue to return and commit even more crimes.

What really complicates the issue is that politicians from both sides are using isolated incidents to instill fear and outrage among their constituents.  Much of what we hear about immigration is simply NOT TRUE.  With over 11 million illegal immigrants already here, there are bound to be some bad apples.  But that’s true of any population that size.

On the other hand, the vast majority of the immigrants in our both, both legal and illegal, are hard-working, honest people who just want to make a better life for themselves in the land of opportunity.  In fact, they are VITAL to our economy, and also to YOUR OWN FINANCIAL SECURITY!

Our labor pool is shrinking, and immigrants are needed to take the jobs that Americans do not want.  Unemployment is already at its lowest point in many years, and employers are finding it difficult to hire needed workers. Working immigrants also increase the number of people paying into Social Security, which is desperately needed.  Unless Social Security revenues are raised, Social Security benefits will have to been cut very soon.

Another area of concern is that our fertility rate is less than 2.0, which means that our population will DECREASE without immigrants.  A decreasing population is BAD for our nation and for our economy. 

And let’s not forget that ALL of our ancestors were immigrants at one time or another.  It is this DIVERSITY that gives us our strength. 

We need to make sure that we find a solution that solves the REAL problems, and is not the result of  showboating politicians following an agenda of their own.  Congress needs to work TOGETHER to solve this issue.  Any solution that does not have bi-partisan support will surely fail.

There are many people shouting out what they think is wrong with the system, but very few are offering any REAL solutions that address the issues in a logical and reasonable manner.

I have some ideas for a system that should meet the basic demands of BOTH political parties, and provides a clear set of rules that immigrants can follow.  It does not solve every problem, but it could be a great starting point for anybody who is SERIOUS about solving the problems, and can look at the issues with an open mind, and is willing to compromise to reach a fair solution we all can live with.

My ideas will meet the Republicans’ Demands:

• Allow for removal of all immigrants upon conviction of a felony, violent misdemeanor, or gang affiliation
• Bans sanctuary cities
• Provides additional funding for border security without impacting the general budget
• Eliminates “chain migration” and other discrimination among immigrants
• Ensures immigrants do not receive welfare, free healthcare, and other benefits

And they will meet the Democrats’ Demands as well:

• Protects nuclear families
• Protects Dreamers and other law-abiding immigrants
• Provides a path to citizenship for all immigrants who have not committed felonies or violent misdemeanors

If you have logical and constructive comments, I would love to hear your input.  If you like what I have envisioned, PLEASE SHARE these ideas and send them to your lawmakers and urge them to work in a bipartisan manner and pass some REAL IMMIGRATION REFORM.

LOGICAL IMMIGRATION REFORM PLAN

AVENUES TO IMMIGRATION

If you want to immigrate to this country, you have to meet these requirements:

OPTION 1 – Nuclear Families

• Have a parent or an adult child who already is a U.S. citizen or legal resident, or is immigrating under Option 2 
• Have no felony convictions or violent misdemeanors in the past 5 years
• Your parent or adult child who is already here must take financial responsibility for you
• No waiting list to get in
• This option keeps families together, which is one of the Republican Party’s core values.

OPTION 2 – General Permanent Residency

• Speak English
• Express a desire to come to America and contribute TO our economy and eventually become a U.S. citizen
• Have no felony convictions or violent misdemeanors in the past 15 years
• Have a sponsor who is already a legal resident or citizen who will be financially responsible for you.  Should you lose your sponsor, you have 30 days to find a new one or leave the country.
• Congress will set a maximum number of immigrants allowed into the U.S. per year under this option.  If the number of people applying for entry exceeds this number, a lottery will be used to randomly select the maximum number allowed without any other criteria.  Those not chosen may reapply each year.  Nuclear families will not be split up; if one is selected, their spouse may join them
• This option does not discriminate between race, sex, religion, country of origin, or sexual orientation, and treats all persons the same.  This also supports the Republican Party’s core goal to be the “Party of Inclusion”

OPTION 3 – Asylum / Refugee

• Have a bonafide need for asylum
• Go through the same extreme vetting process through the U.N. that has been in place for the past 5 years, and takes two years to complete
• Have no felony convictions or violent misdemeanors in the past 15 years
• Must have sponsoring organization in U.S. that will guarantee financial support

GENERAL RESTRICTIONS APPLIED TO ALL IMMIGRANTS:

• Immigrants must pay taxes 
• Immigrants are NOT eligible for welfare or social security benefits
• Immigrants are NOT eligible for health care subsidies or Medicaid, except for the same emergency medical care available to anyone else
• Have no ties to terrorists or terrorist organizations
• Children must attend public schools and may receive free lunches
• College-aged immigrants are not eligible for grants or student loans, but may pay in-state tuition rates if they meet that state’s residency requirements
• Upon conviction of a felony or violent misdemeanor, immigrants must serve their sentence in full, then will be immediately deported.  They may reapply for admission after five years.  Congress may designate certain felonies to render the immigrant ineligible for readmission for longer periods or for life.
• Must inform ICE of their place of residency with 15 days of arriving in U.S. and after any changes of residency. 
• Must physically check in with ICE once per year
• Willful violation of immigration laws other than felonies and violent misdemeanors may result in fines and deportation for subsequent violations
• Except for deportations at the end of a sentence, no immigrant shall be deported without a hearing

DREAMERS ALREADY HERE

• Children who were brought here when they were under 16 years old and have been here at least 5 years may remain unless they have been convicted as an adult of a felony or violent misdemeanor
• If they want to become citizens, they must apply within 90 days of new law or within 90 days after their 18th birthday, whichever comes last
• If both parents or guardians with whom they have resided are deported, then they will be too if they are under 18 or have no sponsor.

CURRENT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS GRANDFATHER CLAUSE

• If they have been convicted of any felonies since coming here (other than crossing the border), they must be deported
• If they have been convicted of any violent misdemeanors within the past 5 years, they must be deported
• If they are a current gang member, they must be deported
• If they were previously a gang member, they must show evidence that they have been completely out of the gang for at least two years
• If they have been here less than 2 years and do not qualify under Option 1, they will be deported but may reapply immediately
• They may remain if:
• They would qualify under Option 1 or Option 2
• They have a job and have been employed for at least 2 years, OR
• They have an adult sponsor who is an American citizen or legal resident and who will accept financial responsibility for them
• Must register within 90 days or lose the grandfather rights
• Must pay all back-taxes including penalties and interest
• Must pay a $5,000 fine
• Back taxes and fine may be paid under a payment plan lasting up to 10 years based on ability to pay.  
• 5  year clock to citizenship test starts AFTER fines and back taxes are paid

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AFTER NEW LAW

• Immigrants caught here illegally more than 90 days after the new law is passed will be deported immediately 
• Immigrants caught here illegally who have ever been previously deported will serve 5 years in prison, then be deported again.   
• The 5 year sentence will double each time for report offenders.

HIRING IMMIGRANTS 

• All Immigrants must be paid a wage equal to the going rate for local workers
• Employers will pay an additional tax of 25% of their wages to the Federal Government.   
• This tax shall be used to fund immigration enforcement and border security. 
• This will ensure immigrants will not be taking American jobs.

TEMPORARY WORK VISAS

• Temporary Work Visas allow specific individuals immediate entry into the country outside of the permanent resident program. 
• Immigrants who possess certain skills not available from U.S. labor shall be issued 6 month Work Visas.  
• They must already have a firm job offer from a specific employer, and must leave within 30 days if they lose that job and fail to find another one.
• These Visas may be renewed every six months indefinitely
• Immigrants with temporary work Visas must be paid a wage at least 25% higher than the prevailing local rate for the same job, if applicable. 
• Employers will pay an additional tax of 25% of their wages to the Federal Government.   
• This tax shall be used to fund immigration enforcement and border security. 
• This will ensure immigrants will not be taking American jobs.

PATH TO CITIZENSHIP

• Immigrants, including those on temporary work visas, who have been here legally and continually for at least 5 years and are 18 or over may become a U.S. citizen.  Temporary absences of up 90 days per year, or for educational, occupational, or humanitarian purposes shall not be counted against the 5 year continuous residency requirement.
• Must pass same citizenship knowledge test used today

BORDER SECURITY

• Border security is essential and should be enforced rigidly
• Ensure that we employ an adequate number of enforcement agents
• Use high-tech cameras and drones to enforce border security
• Use fences where necessary
• A wall is not needed.  Use the money for other, more productive, measures

SANCTUARY CITIES

• If an immigrant on ICE’s wanted list is arrested, local cities MUST notify ICE before releasing the prisoner.
• ICE has 12 hours to respond to the city if it intends to deport the individual, or the city may release him or her.  
• ICE must physically take custody of the prisoner within 72 hours of initial notification, or the city may release him or her.
• Cities have no obligations to hold individuals that are NOT on ICE’s wanted list
• Cities that violate these requirements will pay a $100,000 fine per violation