Political Posturing 101

Nothing gets state or local officials hootin' more than when the federal government (or any higher level of government, for that matter) passes mandates with no means of partially or fully funding them, except, perhaps, when they get indicted. So when the government fails to do anything about illegal immigration, other than requiring certain services be provided and then asking the locals to pick up the tab, why do we hear nothing but the sound of silence?

That’s not totally fair. The politicians will often tell you that it’s a federal issue – nothing for cities or states to get involved with. That’s not fair either. If someone on a local level does try to do something, you’ll hear the voices of many officials and others rise up, loud and clear against it, while offering no solution of their own or providing no information for officials or the public to determine the most effective solutions.

How about this? If an elected official said they were going to propose health care for everyone, regardless of the cost, or they couldn’t tell you the cost, what would you think? Even if you liked the idea, wouldn’t you or anyone with more than half a brain in their head say, “Wait a minute. Who’s going to pay for this thing, and how much?”

Let me tell you right up front what this column is not about, in case it’s not clear. It’s not about debating the illegal immigration issue, in terms of figuring out what to do about it. It’s about elected officials at all levels doing their jobs – being responsible enough to understand that there is a problem that needs resolution and to do something about it, no matter where you stand on the particulars, what the feds do, or how tough the political problems are to deal with.

For years, in a massive show of negligence, the federal government has failed to deal with various aspects of the illegal alien issue. Hundreds of thousands, no make that millions, of illegal aliens are living here unaccounted for. Thousands more come into our country every day. No one knows how much it costs to provide services to them, many of which are mandated by the federal government. State and local governments have been left to pick up the tab and have dealt with the issues in different ways, from taking matters into their own hands to providing sanctuary cities where it’s pretty much hands off regarding attempts to identify illegal aliens or deny them services.

While you can certainly argue that illegals have provided benefits to this country and are simply looking for a better way of life, even the most liberal among us have to realize that the situation is out of control. Not just due to the costs, either, but because of the lack of accountability, security and other issues, in addition to that sticky “laws are being violated” issue.

In Rhode Island, a state with a fiscal crisis in the hundreds of millions and who knows how many thousands of illegals living here (some estimates say between 25,000 to 35,000), no one has any idea what this means in terms of cost to the state. Yet some, make that most, continue to spout the platitudes that the illegal alien issue is a federal problem and are content to leave it alone. When Governor Carcieri recently took matters into his own hands through his executive order to (among other things) strengthen efforts to identify illegal aliens and hasten deportation of those in violation of other laws, Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts, DCYF Director Patricia Martinez, and several community and religious leaders rose up in protest, calling it polarizing or creating a climate of hatred.

To me, local elected officials who are willing to leave the illegal alien issue up to the feds while they continue to neglect their responsibility, are in their own ways just as negligent. If they, or the people of Rhode Island, want to offer amnesty to illegals, or ignore the issue while providing them with needed services, fine. All I ask is that they should have to provide the necessary fiscal impact, security and other information to justify that decision, as with any other policy decision.

When people ask my position on the issue, I tell them I really don’t know, other than it can’t exist the way it exists now. I’m very liberal when it comes to legal immigration. I’d probably be open to some sort of amnesty program for those here illegally, assuming steps are taken to protect against more illegals entering the country or state. Of course, I’d need to see the fiscal impact, information about security and other issues, and the impact on people living here legally before making any final decisions regarding immigration, legal or otherwise. No different than any other issue.

The message to all elected and appointed officials, and community leaders involved with public policy development and problem solving, should be: If you don’t like someone’s recommendations for solving a problem, be prepared to come up with your own. And if there are tough political considerations involved, we’ll be sure to put a gold star next to your name. Of course, if you don’t feel the issue is a problem that needs addressing, feel free to offer that bit of wisdom. Maybe you’ll win points for honesty, no matter how stupid you sound.