Chicago Daily Observer

Inspiration has struck. I have come upon a solution to the problem of illegal immigration that will almost entirely eliminate it, vastly expand our economy, dramatically improve the economy of Mexico and inspire millions of Mexicans now here illegally to return to their native territory. It will enhance our own national security by making our southern border much easier to patrol. To wit, invite Mexico to petition for statehood. If she refuses, declare war and forcibly annex her. But if she forces us to go the latter route, she will have to spend 10–20 years as a mere territory or protectorate.

In an instant all the Mexican illegals here would become just as legal as a family who, say, emigrated from Nevada to Illinois. Landscaping companies would no longer have to do burdensome and expensive background checks. Employers would not have to worry about being caught between the twin pincers ... Read More...

I have come to the conclusion that the three great engines of the modern American economy are corporate executives, hedge funds and new immigrants. The commonality in these three groups is an aggressive aversion to paying taxes. By unloading the tax burden onto the rest of society, each of these groups has experienced greater economic growth than peer groups. Each has its own methods. Corporate executives shift ordinary income over to capital gains, hedge funds operate in offshore tax havens, and many new immigrants are paid in cash.

All of this is good in a strict economic sense. The Government would just use their tax revenues to purchase more shiny trinkets and buy votes, so tax avoidance makes the economy hum, as we can definitely observe. But there is a question of equity in all this tax avoidance.

After a long conversation with a contractor I know who actually pays ... Read More...

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the how the immigration issue was splitting the Republican
party, perhaps permanently. Basically, the intransigence of the
anti-illegal immigration wing has split the party, making even a good
compromise impossible. This has alienated the fastest growing voting block
while accomplishing nothing of POSITIVE value (I agree that stopping the
last immigration bill was a good thing, but USA will NEVER do a “Full
Tancredo”.) The anti-immigration block refuses to use its newly gained
clout for a good compromise, and holds out for the impossible. The result?
Bush’s Republican successor (nominee) will NOT be able to look forward to
the 44% of the Hispanic vote that Bush rec’d. Good work, folks. Keep it up.

If polling is accurate, the Iraq war is having the same effect. While I
support ... Read More...

When does a dream become a nightmare? Possibly when the Congress repeatedly attempts to defy the wishes of the majority of the American people to pass a massive amnesty program that benefits millions of illegal aliens residing in the country.

Once again, large numbers of Americans jammed the Senate telephone switchboard and unloaded a blizzard of letters and faxes to remind their elected representatives that they oppose any legislation that offers amnesty to illegal aliens. Their efforts succeeded at derailing the Dream Act for the time being. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has vowed to try to revisit the issue in six weeks.

The Dream Act has been sponsored by our own Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL). It was defeated prior to this week, but Durbin reintroduced the measure. He was confident that the bill would pass on this turn at bat. It was hoped that the Senate could pass ... Read More...

The Department of Homeland Security sued the state of Illinois on Monday to block a recently enacted state law that prevents Illinois employers from participating in a new federal citizenship verification program.

Illinois was one of five states with high illegal immigrant populations chosen to launch the federal government’s new “E-Verify” program, a free Web site that allows employers to check whether a job applicant’s Social Security number is valid