5th District Race: Ratowitz Responds to Immigration Question
November 17, 2009 | Filed Under Chicago, Congress, Cook County, Elections, GOP, Immigration/Immigrants, Republicans, Society/Culture, State Government, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment
-By Warner Todd Huston
On Nov. 14, Cao’s blog featured some pointed questions for 5th Congressional District candidate David Ratowitz on his stance on illegal immigration. That blog took the position that Mr. Ratowitz is an apologist for illegal immigration and is an amnesty supporter. We discussed that post here.
At that time, I asked for the Ratowitz campaign to clarify and shortly a short comment from the campaign was sent to me. The campaign also promised a longer treatment of the subject.
Today I received that longer treatment. Here it is in its entirety:
Effective Immigration Policy in Three Common Sense Steps
CHICAGO – November 16, 2009 – Following is an editorial prepared by District 5 Congressional Candidate David Ratowitz on U.S. immigration policy:
Effective Immigration Policy in Three Common Sense Steps
By 5th District Congressional Candidate David Ratowitz
“In recent days, my firm’s work on behalf of individuals seeking U.S. citizenship through legal channels has come under scrutiny by two bloggers. Fifth Congressional District voters and my supporters deserve truth, not blind supposition, regarding my views on immigration, and I welcome the opportunity to clarify them here.
“First, I emphatically oppose illegal immigration. Further, I support a series of immigration reforms that would serve as proactive versus reactive solutions to an ever-present economic challenge. These reforms address minimum entry requirements, migrant workers and illegal immigrants.
“Illegal immigration strains our systems and imposes significant costs. Most recognize the direct burden on our economy in the form of greater entitlement expenses and reduced employment opportunities for low-abiding Americans. Hidden costs, however, can be just as taxing. Because illegal immigrants do not have recourse to law, for example, they rely on criminal enterprises for Don Corleone-style protection. Some may be indifferent to the fate of those who choose to live outside our system, but doing so ignores the fact that we pay the consequences of this underworld economy.
“Still, by focusing exclusively on illegal immigration, we often miss the underlying issue: The United States lacks a coherent federal immigration policy. Our immigration policy was designed to give the United States an advantage in fighting the Cold War. Its last revamp was in the 1980s. Instead of reflecting our values as a society and our economic needs, current U.S. immigration policy consists of a Byzantine web of laws spread over many unrelated statutes. As a result, federal, state and local bureaucracies and law enforcement agencies are forced to work together in ways that often lack proper definition and accountability. It comes as no surprise, then, that nobody favors our current immigration policy.
“I differ from my opponents in this race in that I consistently advocate for limited government, personal responsibility and adherence to the U. S. Constitution. Whereas at least one of my opponents supports an expansion of Big Brother government and oppressive regulation on small businesses least able to meet the attendant administrative costs, I firmly believe that the answer to bad government policy is less government, not more. I propose a policy that reflects both our values as a society – hard work, personal responsibility and freedom from bureaucratic interference – as well as our economic needs. America currently requires temporary and seasonal unskilled labor in various industries that exceeds the available supply. America always has a need for more of the world’s best and brightest.
“To these ends, I propose an immigration policy that requires prospective immigrants to meet three criteria:
- They must be free of communicable disease;
- They may not be felons (By this, I refer to crimes that are considered felonies here in America. Someone with a “criminal record” of criticizing his or her government or practicing religion should not be barred from American citizenship.);
- They may not collect any entitlement or public assistance in their lifetimes.
“These requirements would encourage prospective immigrants to self select and would reduce the need for a mammoth and largely ineffective immigration bureaucracy. They would encourage legal immigration by people who share our values and discourage those who seek to live off the system.
“I also advocate short-term work visas. We know that our economy has a demand for short-term and seasonal unskilled labor that is not met by the American workforce. We also know that illegal immigrants currently pay thousands of dollars to organized crime to circumvent the law and gain entry here. The American taxpayer is left to absorb the cost of an expensive government apparatus that cannot hope to stem the tide.
“A fee-based visa system for migrant workers would enrich American coffers, reduce the need for expensive enforcement measures and deprive organized crime of a significant revenue source. Moreover, these now-legal migrant workers could report criminals or unscrupulous employers. This would eliminate the incentive for unscrupulous employers to exploit illegal immigrants, and level the playing field between American and foreign workers more effectively than any of the overbearing regulatory schemes currently proposed.
“Immigration reform must also address persons currently in this country illegally. I oppose amnesty as it would only encourage disrespect for American law. However, a core American value is our belief in redemption. I propose that illegal immigrants be permitted to pay a fine, after which they may apply for legal residence through established, lawful channels. This policy would reinforce that flouting U.S. laws is unacceptable, while incentivizing those who have been in this country for some time to make proper amends for their crimes and live according to our laws.
“America’s current immigration policy is rife with inconsistency and is wholly inadequate. Worse, we pay for a bloated and expensive system that does not accomplish its intended goals. The answer lies in reforming our immigration policy to reflect our values and acknowledge our economic needs. Doing so will encourage immigration by those who share our values, discourage entry by those who do not, free immigration officials to prevent criminal access and reduce the costs to us all.”
—-
Entrepreneur, veteran and conservative activist David Ratowitz is running for U.S. Congress to represent Illinois’ 5th Congressional District. He is seeking the Republican nomination in the February 2, 2010, primary election. The Ratowitz for Congress campaign platform supports limited government, fiscal discipline and accountability, free markets and individual liberty.
Learn more about David Ratowitz’s campaign at www.ratowitzforcongress.com. Phone 773.897.5800.
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