Gov Bill Richardson Supports Path to Legal Status for Illegal Immigrants
Richardson, whose mother was born in Mexico, told 400 members of the Palm Beach Forum Club:
• Strengthen border security "because we can't allow illegal people or drugs";
• Enforce the law. People who "knowingly hire illegals" should answer for it;
• Create a path toward legal status for the 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country. "Not amnesty," he said, and not citizenship that would place them ahead of those applying for it legally.
• "Lastly, we need a relationship with Mexico and Haiti" to deal with smugglers.
In 2005, Governor Richardson announced his support for the McCain-Kennedy immigration reform bill that allows for illegal immigrants who clear criminal background checks to apply for temporary work permits. After 6 years, they could apply for permanent residence status, and after 11 years, for full US citizenship after meeting certain other requirements.
Richardson, of course, is a gifted and respected longtime diplomat who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2001. He has personal charm, grace, wit and a "knack for finding a warm spot in even the surliest of despots," per Time magazine in 1996.
Governor Richardson was a Congressman for 7 terms, from 1983-97. He served as UN Ambassador from 1997-98 and as US Secretary of Energy under Bill Clinton from 1998-01. Richardson is the nation's only Hispanic governor.
Bill Richardson is a centrist-leaning Democrat who describes himself as "an optimist and a patriot." He told the Florida group on Monday, "I like to define myself as a new progressive who believes in free enterprise, social justice accountability and responsibility."
Per the Palm Beach Daily News, "Asked what unifying theme he recommends for the Democrats, he said, 'Don't just be critical. The country needs unity. It's tired of gridlock. We need to have answers. We're capable of doing better.' "
Governor Richardson concluded on the subject of immigration, "People who have jobs or go to school, who do not have criminal records and are not a drain on public resources could become legal. What's the alternative? Are you going to deport them? You can't find them."
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Related Articles
-- Profile of Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico and 2008 Presidential Possible
-- Pros & Cons of Immigration Reform Proposals
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I have to agree with Mr Richardson. Please don’t confuse my business name, or Web address with affiliation with the Governor of New Mexico, I had only heard of him just recently, a few weeks ago, as he is on My friends list of MySpace. I had never personally met the Governor. My father’s last name is also Richardson, of where my business name derives from.
However, I must agree that if we allow illegal immigrants to become US citizens, it could make matters better. I personally know many illegal immigrants, and they have asked me many things concerning citizenship, history, and would like to learn our language. Many of them are afraid to attend schools to learn our language, thus suffering to get by, not understanding the majority of what we say, due to thoughts of deportation. They only have anger because they want to make a future here in this country, but we won’t let them. Whats wrong with these people? Is it their skin color? Could it be that the respect these people have for families, show us that we have little, or no concern for our own? What is the reason that we accept a white man’s illegal status, such as Mr. Schwartzennegar, but not that of Mexicans? Are we prejudice? Is it that their work ethics show our laziness, as they are stuck in the industrial age, and we have moved to the computer age, forcing us to sit down all day, while they sweat in the heat of the day? Another thing, many say that they take jobs away from the citizens, and taxpayers here in America, but how many of you want to work out in the fields until you sweat, and become dizzy because of the heat? I sure don’t like the idea of working in the fields. I hope they would get computers soon to do all of that, because I don’t see anyone wanting to work in those nasty fields! “Well, they work at McDonalds,” some might say. Yeah, but would you want to be flipping burgers all day, for the rest of your life? One job I don’t see these illegal immigrants getting is an IT job, or career. Why can’t Americans get a degree, and progress their educations to a height where they are making way more than $12,000 per year, but more like $89,000 per year. Oh, but you better hurry up, because I plan on teaching some of these Mexicans the IT industry. (Some sarcasm has been entered here). Alot of these people don’t understand that anyone, of any culture, with any sense, could progress to a higher degree than where they are currently at.
The problem in our country is that of seperation. I’m not speaking of the good seperation, such as those who try to stay as godly as can be, by not attending movies, drinking, attending clubs, all of which I would do, except for drinking of course, but seperation such as skin color, religion, political preferences, wealth, and much more. Our political officials, the President, some Governors, and other leaders, have placed in our minds the act of war. When two men sit at a table, speaking as if they are friends, and enjoying the conversation that is going between them, and then speaks of politics, where one is a Republican, and the other a Democrat, they wage war one against the other. Or, if you are rich, you are considered, by the poor, involved with organized crime. And, if you are poor, you are considered by the rich, a nobody, whose voices will not be heard, nor tolerated. If you are a Baptist, nobody likes you, if you are a Christian, you were slaughtered years ago by those who were not. So, a war is waged by everybody who is against you. But, in America, we had tried years ago to bring unity. The freedom we live today, was nobody’s act, but those of our ancestors, so none of us could take credit. We escaped the British Empire, came to America, and settled down to create a country where freedom could be established. Or, excuse me, our ancestors did, and we only live to carry out their dreams, that are almost a glimpse in the past.
As I have said many times, but most of America has not heard me speak, so I say again, “United we stand, and seperated we fall.” If we stand together in unity, we shall surely stand together, but if we seperate, and wage war against ourselves, then we shall be conquered. So, I say America, let us not wage war on ourselves, but stand united, and allow others, from cultures all around the world, to stand with us. The more that stand together, the bigger and stronger we become. So, eglize those illegal immigrants who have created homes in this country, brought their families, go to school, and continue to work, as our ancestors before us had done.