Michael Bloomberg, the independent mayor of New York City, is no one’s idea of a hardline Republican conservative. Media titan Rupert Murdoch, whose empire includes Fox News and The Wall Street Journal, is no one’s idea of a squishy Republican moderate. And Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, a lifelong Democrat, is no one’s idea of a Republican at all.
It isn’t every day that three men with such disparate ideological profiles find common cause, let alone on a high-profile issue that has been roiling American politics for years. But there they were at Boston’s Seaport Hotel one evening last week, jointly making a nonpartisan case that reforming the nation’s dysfunctional immigration system is essential for economic revival. Without the growth fueled by immigrants — especially foreign-born entrepreneurs — the United States is unlikely to retain its preeminent position in the world. In Bloomberg’s vivid phrase, America is “committing economic suicide” by making it too hard for ambitious foreigners to enter the United States and unleash their drive and ingenuity.
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Murdock and Bloomberg are actually birds of a feather. They are Wall Street opportunists. Why else would Bloomberg support Scott Brown. The NYC Mayor has said he does this because he likes the Massachusetts's Senator's view on gun control. It turns out to be the opposite of what he wants. Sen Brown is against a national assault weapons ban. So on to the subject at hand but had to clarify the background noise. In overview Jeff Jacoby is correct that immigration reform is necessary and will add to the country's strength. However he has just thrown the native born under the proverbial bus. The shiftless, lazy birth certificated Americans don't live up to the standards of those who come from off shore or across the border. In essence he is saying something that is at odds with his own beliefs, namely Americans house the most creative and productive people in the world. The latter of course is a bit hyperbolic but it has been the theme song of ultra conservatives for so many years. It is a bit unsettling to see they didn't mean it.
It doesn't matter if Murdoch and Bloomberg say it. That won't change many people's views on immigration, especially the need to overhaul our current, restrictive policies. There's an irrational fear of immigrants flooding our country, taking charge, displacing folks who were born in the US, and changing dramatically our language, mores, culture, etc. The current xenophobic sentiments against Latino immigrants -legal or undocumented- is a good example of the tune we are collectively dancing to. In sum, you can't deal address emotional stands intellectually. It goes nowhere.
I have two european friends who opened a store downtown, employ two people so far and sell a fine product. They need long term visas as a preliminary to citizenship, You would not believe the rigamarole and run around they have been put through. Every obstacle and reversal has been experianced. Even if they get approved on paper, an official at the airport can deny entry on his own say-so. All this in the face of people just sneaking in, I'm sure you know the rest.
I agree with all of this. And I am not anybody's republican, not anymore anyway. But you cannot argue these numbers. Nice article Jeff. Wow, that sounds weird from me :-)
I live in Silicon Valley. It and its companies are extraordinarily diverse. We have some good schools around here (Stanford and UC Berkeley) which supply scientific, business, and engineering talent to the companies. These schools are also diverse. I agree with whoever said that with every PhD handed to a foreigner we should also hand a green card. Jeff is completely correct on this one.
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This Globe article is a disgusting clever mis-representation of the truth about immigration. Foreign investors who are interested in becoming U.S. citizens can apply for it! Every illegal alien who wants to use the investor entreprenuer ruse to gain citizenship based on what is economically good for the U.S. economy needs to take hike! Dishonest pie-in-the-sky claims by so called well-known people mean nothing. If you dig into this deeper you'll discover the real motive here is to reap a profit and defraud the American taxpayer...
A lot of those leaf blowers have business degrees and own their businesses. You are a bad person.