Of Immigration & Government Incompetence

By George Scaggs Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas For all the debate & rhetoric surrounding the hot-button issue of illegal immigration one aspect of the matter seems conspicuously overlooked our central governments lack of competence as well as their misplaced priorities. In interest of the American people is it not time to clean house?   While it may be fashionable to ignore such inconvenient truths important lessons about todays government and its relationship with the people lie within. If ever the country could use a primer in the proper role of government and what its focus should be now looks to be a pretty good time. This is not to diminish or make light of the myriad of tragedies sky-rocketing costs or stress on our infrastructure generally associated with immigration but to merely look at the issue from an angle that is largely obscured. Before we assert that big government" should provide this or that or the other service before Washington assumes another ounce of responsibility examining its track record on securing our borders and effectively handling immigration issues stands to reason. Heres a novel idea why not ask - If government fails to perform basic tasks which are clearly mandated by the Constitution why give them more to do? Giving an entity that proves unable to fulfill basic responsibilities additional task to take on defies common sense. We wouldnt do so with an unproductive employee a recalcitrant teenager or a business that provides us poor service. Why view government any differently? While there is no disputing the U.S. Governments responsibilities in providing for the common defense" their ability to successfully carry those duties out at least to an extent satisfactory to the nations taxpayers is in serious question. To be sure our illegal immigration woes are nothing new. They have been with us for decades and Americans attitudes have long been at odds with Washington on the issue. But now the stakes are much higher. First there was 9-11. Nine years later Americans are increasingly threatened by Mexican drug cartels Islamic terrorists violent Central American gangs and illegal aliens who are crossing our porous southern border. All this while a variety of nefarious characters openly march in our streets demanding no borders. Americans pay taxes for the express purpose of government providing certain services in return. Per the noble document which empowers our federal government security and defense are among the most fundamental of these services. Citizens pay for it. It is our governments job to provide it enough said! Putting aside the potential motives for our governments lack of action as well as the details surrounding the immigration debate both pro and con we are left with the stark reality that the federal government refuses to do the job we pay them to do. The people have spoken. Americans rightfully expect the border to be secured and they are against all-out amnesty for the estimated 12-20 million illegals currently residing here. Support for the state of Arizonas SB 1070 in poll after poll even after the feds and the press savaged Arizona over it bears this out. As has too often become the case it is easy to conclude that Washington is determined to govern against the will of the people who it is intended to serve. Beyond the peoples will what of their needs?

1. Big government aficionados love to pretend that government is intended to solve all problems addressing an ever expanding list of citizens needs".
2. Washington has built a behemoth of bloated corrupt ineffective policies and agencies to do just that distributing a laundry list of benefits" intended to address these needs.

What the American people really need what they desire is opportunity. They want jobs. They want an accessible path to success based on their own labor and creativity. This rather than handouts is the idea embodied in the Constitutions dictate to promote the general welfare." As for legal immigration with an unemployment rate hovering near 10 (well as reported by the Labor Dept. anyway) and economists predicting that these high rates will be with us for years to come maintaining our current  immigration quotas cannot be justified. If existing quotas were necessary to expand our economy when the unemployment rate was 5 they become absurd once our unemployment levels have doubled. Throw in the impact of all those who cross our borders illegally plus those who are merely wandering around on over-stayed visas and the folly of current policies is further magnified. In interest of the American peoples need for opportunity is it not time to clean house? For the economic well-being of our citizens not only is it appropriate for us to remove most illegals but current annual legal immigration rates of approximately one million should be dramatically reduced then indexed to our unemployment rate going forward. To top it off once again I must remind America that we are flat broke! The federal government is out of money and then some. We are in excess of $13 trillion in debt while the debt clock is currently adding $7 billion each and every day. Unfortunately these figures only represent what is on the books." Add in unfunded entitlement programs and our predicament is multiplied several times. The dirty little secret is America cannot afford all the government we have. In the long-term it is literally impossible for government to continue to provide all the services they have guaranteed the citizenry. Yet in these most desperate of circumstances our so-called leaders are content to provide services for non-citizens as well. Obviously a competent constitutionally minded government would stop dangling the carrot for foreigners to come here by illegal means and stay. Obviously we no longer have that kind of government. To sum up a proper perspective of the powers that be:

Washington governs against the will of the people while ignoring their true needs yet taxes us to provide services for persons in the country illegally though government cannot afford to pay for services already promised to citizens.

And who said tyranny is dead? George Scaggs is a sales professional voice actor writer commentator musician & liberty-loving patriot from a suburb of Austin Texas.