Pat Nash: A columnist who remains clueless about immigration
Republicans alone are responsible for our continuing illegal immigration crisis, just ask Wisconsinite Pat Nash.
In her Dec. 8 column, Nash writes:
"Republicans have full control of all three branches of government, but have not done the one thing that would end most illegal immigration, such as passing a law requiring a high fine or imprisonment of every employer who hires an illegal. They won’t do that because it would hurt some of their biggest donors who want cheap labor and workers who can’t complain about working conditions. And here in Wisconsin, anti-immigration Gov. Scott Walker is spending taxpayer money to recruit people from other states because he says we don’t have enough workers. It’d be funny if it weren’t so ridiculous."
Despite several close readings of this column, I was unable to discover any references to Democratic efforts to end the decades-long tidal wave of cheap, illegal foreign workers.
I also was left puzzled by Nash's use of the terms "ridiculous" and "anti-immigration" to describe Gov. Scott Walkers marketing campaign to bring Americans to work in our state when millions of them remain jobless.
As usual, Nash ignores the facts, e.g. years-long Democratic opposition to the GOP's legislation requiring all employers to use E-Verify, the free federal database system that determines whether a new hire is authorized to work here. Senate Minority Leader “Chuck” Schumer said in June 2013 that "illegal immigration will end" if employers use E-Verify. Now he's saying no DACA deal if E-Verify is included.
Like all Democrats, Nash isn’t serious about ending illegal immigration because the more Democratic voters there are the merrier. Has she ever written a column backing E-Verify? Her solution to the problem is amnesty (there have been seven amnesties since 1986), i.e., legalization of the 11 million here. If these people are no longer illegal, then the problem is solved. Get it?
If, as Nash is demanding, Republicans begin pushing legislation calling for heavy fines and jail time for outlaw employers who hire illegal aliens, can we expect to see a column from her urging support from Democrats?
Don't hold your breath.