WAKE UP AMERICA! – An Interview With Mark Edwards
By Steve Farrell (02/04/05)
The inaugural celebration is past and gone, and so is the honeymoon between the President and conservative Republicans who wanted ‘Anyone but Kerry for President,’ and who now have to settle back down to the harsh reality that THEIR winning candidate isn’t as conservative as they had hoped.
One bone of contention has to do with immigration policy, something the administration needs to pay better attention to, unless the desire is to split the party.
It’s just a bit odd, for starters, that the tough on terrorism, tough on homeland security, ‘America First’ Bush administration is simultaneously pro illegal immigration, pro-amnesty, pro-open borders under such sovereignty destroying international agencies as NAFTA, and the soon to be pushed Free Trade Area of the America’s (FTAA).
It all equals more crime, more welfare, more prisons, more taxes, more terrorists, more danger, more disrespect for America and her laws – and one heck of a lot of unhappy Americans who voted for George W. Bush, who already feel betrayed by a President who has quickly cut and run from some of his conservative campaign rhetoric.
Popular talk show host, Mark Edwards, the Founder of Wake Up America Foundation is one of them. As we spoke on the phone last evening, he summed up his passion for the issue in these words: “It’s a sad day in American when the law makers side with law breakers, AGAINST the law abiding citizens.”
He’s got a point. And he tells a tale of border patrol agents, who regularly inform him about being ordered to look the other way on too many occasions, and of skilled construction workers, and other workers, who are out of work thanks to illegals working off the books (tax free). His blood has reached the boiling point.
And who can blame him? Many of you, who live in cities and towns where the illegal immigration population is high, are just as angry and alarmed.
The good news is, Mark’s Foundation (please visit WakeUpAmericaFoundation.com) has a working plan, that I think rising passions on this issue in this country will soon insure, has a hearing in Congress, at least in principle, if not in specifics.
After outlining the heavy costs of illegal immigration in – jobs lost, taxes imposed, crimes committed, communities rendered unsafe, housing rendered unhealthy, social traditions undermined, politics and politicians pushed further to the left – the foundation hits upon a thought provoking plan of action.
In summary, here it is:
- Direct the IRS to stop all underground businesses that are thriving tax-free by hiring illegal aliens.
- Slap a $10,000 fine on employers who are caught hiring illegal aliens (per illegal alien), and a prison sentence for repeat offenses (fines included).
- Set a six month deadline for all illegals to leave the country voluntarily or be deported.
- Give these same deported individuals the opportunity to return legally, as documented workers, for a maximum of three years to fill bona fide vacant jobs, where there is no available, willing, qualified American citizen available to accept the said job at a prevailing wage.
- Make it so that if the employers want these foreign documented workers, let them, not the taxpayers, assume the costs, such as health insurance (to 100 percent), and forget about workers compensation.
- To further to insure that these workers have no claim upon the public largesse, these documented workers ought to pay no taxes, no social security, no payroll taxes of any kind.
- If the worker brings along his family, first, children born in the US will not be citizens (a loophole that gets illegals into the public booty); and second, the employer must pay an impact fee for each child entered in American schools (much the same as the US government pays for all children of military or civil service employees).
- In the interest of national security, documented workers who drive must bring with them a valid drivers License issued in the worker's country of origin.
- In the interest of public safety, and the rule of law, failure to maintain auto insurance, possession of false ID’s, commission of crimes, will be cause for immediate deportation with all legal costs paid for by the deportee.
- In the interest of national security, ID laws across the country must be tightened up.
- Illegal aliens arrested and, or serving jail time will only be released to ‘proper authorities’ for immediate deportation, and banned from reentry.
- Employer ought to be required to confirm perspective employee's identity, citizenship, or valid immigration status, in an ‘immediate real time basis’ – a system much like one in effect by law enforcement in many states whereby driving records and outstanding warrants are quickly checked during traffic stops.
- Our border with Mexico ought to be immediately secured, using the military, if necessary, to supplement existing Border Enforcement officers. Arrest powers will remain with civil authorities.
- State, county, city, and local law enforcement agencies must be given the authority to ascertain the immigration status of any individual, and detain and incarcerate suspected illegal aliens for immediate deportation.
- English needs to be the national language, and immigration ought to be curtailed for five years.
There are some good, practical ideas in this declaration. It’s all about upholding the rule of law, private property, and facing squarely social, political, economic, and national security, realities.
“Wake up America!” That’s what Mark Edwards shouts several times per night. For those who feel similarly aroused about the illegal immigration invasion, I hope they’ll join their voice with his.
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