<p>Post 39 I would also go after anyone who is suppose to be the top attorney in the US, if they were breaking the law.</p>
<p>Would you do the go after anyone who is suppose to be the the head of Homeland Security if it could be shown that this person had his apartment completely refurbished by a mob connected firm and the mob connected firm paid all of the costs?</p>
<p>" It just gets complicated."</p>
<p>That’x exactly right Cartera. Immigration is the number one issue on which I plan to cast my vote. As you can imagine, I’m not a fan of illegal immigration and would very much support cracking down upon employers. HOWEVER, I’ve also bowed to the reality that they are here and it’s best for everyone if non-native speakers become literate. Therefore, I’ve devoted thousands of hours to literacy coaching for mostly illegals for over 20 years. It is a very, very complicated issue and I can understand why I would be viewed as a hypocrite and why I might view others in a negative light on this issue.</p>
<p>“It wasn’t Ferraro, it was suppose to be the AG (can’t remember the name)”</p>
<p>Lani Guarnier? Kimba Wood?</p>
<p>Many of the homes built, lawns done, repairs done are built by illegal immigrants. Around here, many of the contractors have illegals as their workers. I doubt if anyone checks out their documents. And even if you do, in this area, many of them have fake paperwork. It is not allowed here for the police to ask for papers–it creates a huge ruckus when it happens, so why would a homeowner? Really the only way to check for citizenship is to ask for a birth certificate, passport, green card or actual papers permitting work in the US and those can be easily forged. There are businesses here that do this. Few of us carry anything that can prove we are citizens, as drivers licenses can often be obtained even by illegals. </p>
<p>I needed some small time work done on our house, and had to forego the usual “check 'em out” advice given by magazines and talk shows, simply because just getting someone to show up and do the danged job was difficult enough. If you ask for references, insurance etc, the contractors disappear, never mind the citizenship status of their workers.</p>
<p>From post 42 …It is a very, very complicated issue and I can understand why I would be viewed as a hypocrite</p>
<p>I dont see how anyone could consider someone who is helping others become literate a hypocrite, I think you are doing a wonderful thing and should be thanked and congratulated for you work.</p>
<p>Zooser, I too am conflicted when it comes to beliefs and action. I do not blame any illegal immigrant for coming here. On the other hand, I do blame our country for big talking and doing a partial check on screening for illegals. This sends the message, that they are welcome to sneak in here. I don’t think we need new immigration rules; we need to enforce the ones we have and then we can see what the consequences of rules are. Then we can revise accordingly. Right now we so neglect our own policies that we have know idea what the ramifications are of it.</p>
<p>Kimba Wood was appointed a federal judge by President Reagan, when Bill Clinton nominated her to be the attorney general the Republican. The nomination was with drawn when it turned out she had hire an illegal immigrant as a nanny. </p>
<p>Seems as a Clinton nominee illegal immigrant nanny was an issue, but when she was a Reagan nominee it was not.</p>
<p>“My yard work was done this summer by a kid that lives in the next block who used the some of the money he earned to buy a new baseball glove.”</p>
<p>Did you pay into his Social Security? Was he licensed and bonded? Was he over 14? Did you have a parental consent form? Did you withhold taxes?</p>
<p>Mini,</p>
<p>Can you please give us your exact stance, I would not want to jump to conclusions about your position.</p>
<p>Did you pay into his Social Security? Was he licensed and bonded? Was he over 14? Did you have a parental consent form? Did you withhold taxes?</p>
<p>no to all of the questions…call the feds and have them come get me…</p>
<p>:) 
:)</p>
<p>Tommybill,</p>
<p>we typically don’t see eye to eye, but that response was classic</p>
<p>Prior to Kimba Wood, it was Zoe Baird, Clinton’s AG nominee that had an “hired help” problem. And just to be even handed, we should all remember that Linda Chavez was in line for a senior Bush administration job, but was found to have similarly employed an undocumented immigrant.</p>
<p>Zoozer - I don’t see that as hypocritical - it is realistic. People are here - we cannot round them up and ship them home in cattle cars - they have families here. The smartest thing to do is to help them as much as we can to be productive.</p>
<p>Regarding what to do with the illegals that are currently here - why does the only “comprehensive” solution that the politicians can think of involve a road to citizenship? Those who are against comprehensive reform view this as amnesty (for which they have a fairly good case); however, they do not have an alternative that is feasible. </p>
<p>Why not give those who are here illegally permanent guest worker status with no path to citizenship? They have broken our immigration laws, so they can’t claim a right to citizenship. Therefore, their penalty for breaking the law is that they will not be eligible for citizenship unless they return to their native countries and get in line with everyone else. However, in a nod to pragmatism, we will allow them to stay as guest workers AND secure the borders to control the number of guest workers that are allowed into the country.</p>
<p>“Why not give those who are here illegally permament guest worker status with no path to citizenship?”</p>
<p>That’s what I would support. I really don’t know why citizenship has to be part of the equation.</p>
<p>To me, the fact that most of us do not require documentation from workers employed by others isn’t particularly relevant.</p>
<p>I would think that, after Nannygate (Linda Chavez, 2001) Zoey Baird (1993), ALL politicians would be extra careful about the people they hire or who are hired on their behalf. To do otherwise is naive and/or tone deaf.</p>
<p>related URL: [Quest</a> for the Presidency: Nominees, problems with hired help 01/09/01](<a href=“USA TODAY - Breaking News and Latest News Today”>USA TODAY - Breaking News and Latest News Today)</p>