What would make anyone think that it wouldn't lead to it as well? I'm not saying 100% that it will happen. Keep in mind that citizens who don't suspect anything bad happening in government is either ignorant or not paying attention. Today we are too busy living our lives to watch events unfold right before our eyes. See Germany before Hitler... People will abuse power to no end, does everyone do this? No, but does this mean everyone won't? No. We should be cautious in our actions and suspicious of our government and new technology to keep from getting too "surprised" if something happens. In other words we should be alert. Once a countries Citizens aren't alert they could turn out like Nazi Germany, Stalin's Russia or Ming's China. History tends to repeat itself, this is why its so important for people to be educated and informed about their own countries. I found the article on the VeriChip, is the first FDA-approved human-implantable RFID microchip. My question is how could anybody not be suspicious of all things like this today? Btw, I got a good laugh, someone here thinks I'm a nut!
Let's see... Have a national ID card program to prove that we belong in this country. Burden about 280 million americans here legally with a new bureaucratic system that will spiral out of control, like every other gov't program. Create a new system for the crooks to counterfeit. OR Check everyone coming into the country at the borders. Hire more border control agents. Crack down on employers hiring illegals. Burden the immigrants coming into our country. Pretty simple choice for me...
They are not mutually exclusive issues. Your solution is a fine one, but it works only if we can identify everybody. An employer must have a way to verify status if we are to hold him accountable for hiring illegals. The NID itself would preclude illegals from working, getting benefits, and evading taxes. So they would quit coming except through legal channels so we can weed out the criminals, the diseased, and the enemy. An NID doesn't have to be a burden to citizens or a bloated bureacracy and it can be made counterfeit-proof, as I have pointed out previously. How does an authoritative ID hurt a citizen? It simply identifies him conclusively and legally, allowing fast-tracking in airports and borders and allowing those without verifiable ID to be scutinized more carefully by agents and guards. This is a great benefit to a legal citizen without criminal records. He gets credit for being an identifiable US citizen and all the perks that come with it.
That's what the I-9 form currently does. Employers are required to check proper documents before hiring someone. I'm sure some documents are forged, but I'd be willing to bet most employers simply don't check. I don't think another ID card will make a difference to those employers. It sounds good in theory, but so did many other gov't programs when initially proposed. The concept is good and one I like, but I have such little faith in the people who'll implement these programs.
I don't think there is any doubt that one of the biggest supporters of illegal immigration and/or proposed amnesty legislation is business concerns taking advantage of cheap labor. Interesting thing I heard on CNN/Lou Dobbs driving home from Houston yesterday: The AMC (movie theater) company has a policy whereby employee provided social security numbers are sent to the SSA for verification monthly. If there are discrepancies, the employee is required to produce sufficient documentation to explain the discrepancy. If they cannot, or refuse to do so, they are TERMINATED. AMC does this on a voluntary basis. Of course, most businesses don't. Seems like a law requiring such (or if one exists, enforcing it) would go a long way toward solving the problem. One more problem with the system....if the SSA discovers someone using your SSN fraudulently, they are PREVENTED from notifying you due to an obscure Tax Privacy Law. Ain't that a kick in the pants? We don't need a national ID, we need laws created and ENFORCED that will utilize what we have in place.
Employers complain that they have no effective way of identifying aliens if they present a counterfeit drivers license or social security card. However with a national ID they could buy a $100 device (card-reader and thumbprint scanner) to plug into their computer that would allow them to match the photo and thumbprint of an applicant to the master database over the internet and verify a person's status in minutes. It's just another tool to allow better enforcement of existing laws. Mexicans may swim the river for a 95% chance of finding a job in America. If that chance dropped to 5% without an ID, then they would have to go to the embassy and apply for a work permit and ID legally and be checked out properly by the authorities.
Exactly. Those employers who look the other way today will continue to do so no matter what documents are required. It'll continue as long as the employer can get away with it.
This is nothing but an excuse, Employers want to higher illegals because it keeps more money in their pockets. Like so many other situations, if we just enforce the laws of this country there would be no need for new ones including a national ID card. If we ever do get a national ID card this country will NEVER be like we once knew her. You can throw everything out the window at that point. They already can watch almost everything you do, this would make it 100 Percent, might as well give up yours rights to religion and to bear arms that is next. You could always make stiff penalties for employers hiring illegals like jail time. I bet they would be more careful of who they hire.
You have to start somewhere. Cash or no cash, an ilegal employer facing 3 to 5 for felony immigration violations wouldn't want to have employees without NID's on the premises. It's a vital tool for enforcement of the laws you want to see enforced.
