Post CNN Debate: The Trouble With Gingrich/Romney And Conservative Reality

Republican presidential candidates from left, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, Texas Congress man Ron Paul, Texas Governor Rick Perry, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, businessman Herman Cain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and former Utah Governor/former U.S. Diplomat under two presidents Jon Huntsman before the CNN AEI, Heritage Foundation debate on foreign policy. Image Credit: The Heritage Foundation

Post CNN Debate: The Trouble With Gingrich/Romney And Conservative Reality

Just as in the process of panning for Gold, debates help to have the heavy metal collect at the bottom of the pan. The 11th debate between GOP candidates for president of the United States sponsored by CNN and two of the most recognized conservative policy institutions, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and The Heritage Foundation, helped to have the heavy Conservative metal show itself at the bottom of the pan and, on immigration, Newt's (and by comparison - Mitt's) metal began to pour out of the pan.

Newt Gingrich is pithy and well tested in the public arena. He generally gives great answers to many of the problems a (as polls show time and again) politically Center-Right citizen populous confronts in a Big Government world. However, when one begins to peel away the layers of a Gingrich onion, one finds a person who has made his career on governing from a "Ruling Class" and liberal position that government can and should effect people's lives over the Rule-Of-Law, the Bill Of Rights, and the Constitution.

Let us take a simple comparison between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney on the issue of a health care system based on a government mandate. Mitt Romney has trouble with Conservatives as being "Ruling Class" and liberal because he implemented "Romney Care" in Massachusetts that many say the Democrats based the national "Obama Care" mandated health care law on. It was only a few months ago that Newt Gingrich was comfortable with a national mandate for health care but Mitt Romney has always come down on the side of a States solution to health care and that a government mandate for a health care system had no place in this country. On this point, Newt was for a large federal government solution, Mitt felt that any health care solution applied to a populous, should come exclusively at the state government level - this is a more Conservative position, not great ... but more Conservative.

Last night, Newt Gingrich articulated a position on immigration that may completely knock him out of the top tier of candidates for a Republican President of the United States, and rightfully so.

This excerpted and edited from Fox News -

Gingrich on Top of GOP Polls, Takes Big Risk Articulating Illegal Immigration Policy
Published November 23, 2011 | FoxNews.com

The Republican presidential hopeful, who has sprung to the top of the polling charts in the past two weeks, warned against a policy that proposes deporting illegals who have been in the country for 25 years. Gingrich said he would not "expel" those who have come to the United States illegally if it happened decades ago.

And in an appeal to family values, he said long-residing illegal aliens shouldn't become citizens, but neither should they be torn apart from their families.

"I don't see how the party that says it's the party of family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families which have been here a quarter century and I'm prepared to take the heat for saying let's be humane in enforcing the law," he said.
[Reference Here]

Okay, so let's say anyone of us legal citizens did not pay their taxes for 25 years, but we were good citizens and good neighbors ... would the IRS just ignore the tax laws and not prosecute us and throw us in jail?

We were guilty of breaking the law for 25 years and now we have to pay the penalty ... would our family be able to join us in jail?

No, but those people who have been breaking the immigration law for 25 years, with nice families, been good neighbors, and good citizens can have their families join them when they leave the country if the current immigration laws were enforced.

In a 2007 Meet the Press interview, Mitt Romney outlined his views on illegal immigration and states the 12 million, or so, illegal immigrants should be granted citizenship (which allows for voting). During last night's debate, Newt Gingrich, on the other hand, only advocated for legality through amnesty, not citizenship ... a more Conservative position.

Without parsing, the "Gold Standard" for Center-Right voters has been, and will always be, the Rule-Of-Law, the Bill Of Rights, and the Constitution of the United States. Sadly, both Mitt Romney (with his lead in the polls, experience in business, and government leadership) and Newt Gingrich (with all of his smarts, historical Speaker of the House accomplishment/perspective, and articulatory gifts) are not members ... on immigration ... of the Gold Standard and should be slipping from the pan.


Up next: The CNN Debate from Arizona, sponsored by the Republican Party of Arizona - November 30, 2011.



<First published as Post CNN Debate: The Trouble With Gingrich/Romney And Conservative Reality at Technorati>

Alien Labor Gains Net Hollywood Math

"Sour Grapes" - Grape fields, full of ripe grapes, ready to be picked in the South of the Big Valley (Arvin, CA). Image Credit: Edmund Jenks, Copyright-2005

Alien Labor Gains Net Hollywood Math

We often hear how producers of a successful Hollywood movie, you know, one that had very strong attendance figures (box office) is never is able to turn a profit.

Many joke that what is actually happening is “Hollywood Math” (while others call it creative accounting) where profits are sucked up and losses are recorded so that the production company does not have to pay out on contract deals that were based upon a percentage of profits.

Many argue that the influx of low-skilled alien labor helps our country in that it keeps us competitive in the world economy.

A real study of the gains netted through low-skilled labor contributions develops a different picture, so states a report from The Heritage Foundation.

When one begins to look at the actual cost to the social infrastructure - taking into account the outflow of money from the tax monies collected to these same low-skilled alien workers, one finds that alien labor is a losing proposition.

The joking reality of Hollywood Math has found a home (in reverse) with the logic and policies used by our elected officials. Our country pays out three times as much in Government supports and welfare programs than it collects in taxes derived from the gainful employment of low-skilled alien labor.

Alien labor is not a good deal for America. It just doesn’t add up to good “Box Office”.

Excerpts from The Washington Times -

Low-skilled aliens exact a burden
By S.A. Miller, with contributions from Stephen Dinan - THE WASHINGTON TIMES - April 5, 2007

Immigration reforms that increase the number of low-skilled workers entering the United States threaten to impose a high cost on taxpayers, says a study being released today.

The Heritage Foundation report calculates that for every $1 unskilled workers pay in taxes they receive about $3 in government benefits, including Medicaid, food stamps, public housing and other welfare programs.

It should serve as a warning to President Bush and lawmakers proposing to give illegal aliens a so-called path to citizenship or what critics call amnesty, said Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, which handles immigration bills.
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The report on low-skilled workers, who are defined as those without a high school diploma, did not focus on immigrants, but its authors say 25 percent of legal immigrants and 50 percent of illegal aliens fall into the category. About 9 percent of native-born Americans lack a high school diploma.

Using data from 2004, the report shows the average household headed by a low-skilled worker paid $9,689 in taxes but received $32,138 in benefits a year. The more than $22,000 difference is the "tax burden" which rises to $1.1 million over the worker's lifetime.

Mr. Bush has called for legalizing the estimated 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens in the United States, and for a new program to allow more foreign workers in the future.
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"The Heritage Foundation report proves what we already know, that illegal immigration is a drain to the American people," the California Republican [Rep. Brian P. Bilbray, chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus] said. "At more than $22,000 a year, it's like having the American taxpayers buy everyone who doesn't have a high school diploma a brand new Ford Mustang convertible."
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In 2004, according to the Heritage Foundation report, the country had 17.7 million low-skilled households that together cost taxpayers $397 billion that year. Those households, without an influx of new unskilled workers, will cost at least $3.9 trillion over the next 10 years.

The Heritage Foundation plans to release a separate analysis focused solely on low-skilled immigrant households in the next few weeks.
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