Obama 2.0: Time for immigration reform

11/09/2012 09:25:00 AM
Fred Wilkinson

Reid might be wise to tone down or avoid such thinly veiled threats if he’s really interested in swaying some Senate Republicans to his side on immigration reform. Reid’s more positive sentiments were echoed in the days after Election Day by New York Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer, chairman of the immigration subcommittee.

“I am optimistic,” Schumer said of the outlook for immigration reform in post-election media reports.

Signaling a glimmer of hope for compromise following the election, GOP House Speaker John Boehner said, “If there is a mandate in yesterday’s results, it is a mandate for us to find a way to work together on solutions to the challenges we face together as a nation.”

House and Senate leadership are talking a good game. Let’s hope they’re actually willing to play ball.

At the risk of straying from cautious optimism to outright pessimism, despite the compelling argument for action on the immigration front, political inertia (to be charitable, one could call it principle) is difficult to overcome.

And with the so-called “fiscal cliff” awaiting the lame duck session of Congress, there’s plenty of opportunity to burn up what little hope exists for Democrats and Republicans to work for compromise.

For the good of the country and the produce industry, let’s hope the sometimes stubborn Obama, the polarized House of Representatives and Senate, and the still deeply divided U.S. citizenry accept that immigration reform is in the nation’s best interest and needs to happen.

Email fwilkinson@thepacker.com.

Comments (5) Leave a comment 

Amnesty for illegal immigrants is a terrible idea. Instead of hiring low paid criminal to pick our produce, why not make good middle class jobs of this work instead? We need jobs and not more illegal immigrants into this country and immigration reform that allows the criminals to stay in the United States rewards their bad behavior. Its time for the Federal Government to do their job and enforce our laws. Deport all illegal aliens, secure the border and fine anyone who hires and illegal alien. That is the law of the land

Obama is eager to deliver on immigration reform after having put it on the backburner in his first term and after Romney's demise, the Republicans see the writing on the wall and want to mend fences with Latinos (and Asians) and realize that supporting comprehensive immigration reform is the way to go.

make the reform a system thats back fines the 10,000 per head at 20,0000 mil this will back stop the problem and help fund S.S. system / health system just like a car loan

When the 20 million illegals suddenly become citizens with the passage of immigration
reform, they will no longer be the employment "bargain" that agriculture,
construction, and landscaping businesses treasure. So, a) many of the twenty million
will be unemployed, which is okay, since our country has the wherewithal to expand
its entitlement programs like welfare without consequence, and b) the next wave of
illegal "bargain" workers will commence crossing our southern borders, welcomed
with open arms by the produce industry. Yeah, that should fix things.

Those who cannot remember history are doomed to repeat it.