WARNING: You may not agree with this Dispatch. That’s OK! I have people I love, with whom I disagree. So do you! Remember, it’s ok to disagree with Downsize DC, and remain a member. This Dispatch launches a new DownsizeDC.org HERESY campaign. Initiatives like this are not the primary work of DownsizeDC.org, but they do serve an important purpose. They’re designed to provoke reflective thought and discussion among fair minded people who value critical thinking.
Quote of the Day: “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” – The Book of Revelation 13:17
The House is considering H.R.2885, the “Legal Workforce Act.” This bill MANDATES that ALL employers use the “E-Verify” employment verification system. We strongly oppose this bill. It is REAL ID on steroids.
Many reading this have spent years fighting successfully against REAL ID. It seems a shame to lose the battle now simply because the politicians have finally found something — immigration — that scares enough people to make us submit.
We understand that some people who say they want to shrink the federal state just as much as we do, still support E-Verify. They claim this new dictate is needed to combat illegal immigration. We seem to be “heretics” in this case because we believe…
- E-Verify is a disease far worse than that which it seeks to cure; in fact…
- Illegal immigration is NOT the “problem” many politicians and pundits claim it to be.
That second bullet point may stun you. You may reject it immediately, or find it hard to believe. But we do NOT make this claim lightly. We base it on what we think is good evidence and reasoning. If you’re tempted to reject our position please take a moment to consider our evidence and arguments. You can always decide against us if you find our case unconvincing. James Wilson presents our analysis in an essay at the Downsize DC Foundation website.
But, even if you support strong immigration restrictions, E-Verify is still a terrible proposal. It infringes on YOUR right to work, injures small business, and encourages identity theft.
The hard-wired letter to Congress begins,
Please oppose H.R. 2885, the “Legal Workforce Act.” Fight any bill that mandates E-Verify or any other national ID system.
You may borrow from or copy these additional comments…
E-Verify is supposedly intended to crack down on illegal immigration. What it will REALLY do is crack down on law-abiding American workers and employers.
1. This Act would require each American to ask permission from the Federal Government when hiring or being hired.
2. The Social Security Administration estimates 3.6 million Americans would have to visit an SSA field office each year in order to KEEP their jobs (http://bit.ly/d0cEj6).
3. It creates a de facto National Identification System that could grow to include biometrics such as fingerprints, DNA and/or an iris scan. This is tantamount to an unconstitutional, warrantless search.
4. It won’t be long before employers will be required to verify whether employees are delinquent in the payment of federal, state, or local taxes, in compliance with child support or alimony decrees, on a terrorist watch list, or accused of a crime.
5. Errors in the verification process will be practically immune from timely legal redress.
6. This bill doesn’t protect employers from criminal prosecution should they employ an individual later proven to be in the U.S. illegally, or who has successfully assumed a fake or stolen identity.
7. The loss of jobs will be staggering as employers substitute machinery for employees or outsource employment to avoid the vexations and costs of compliance.
8. The loss of tax revenues will likewise be huge, as jobs go underground.
9. It will create a massive black market for fake identities, especially for short-term jobs where illegal workers will be long-gone before there is any chance of detection.
10. Finally, it will make it very difficult for law-abiding victims of identity theft to find work.In summation, E-Verify will lead to both more bureaucracy and a bigger black market, greater surveillance and less freedom, plus higher unemployment and identity theft. Sometimes, the cure is worse than the alleged disease. Oppose E-Verify!
END LETTER
You can send your letter using DownsizeDC.org’s Educate the Powerful System.
We encourage you to tell us what you think about E-verify and our handling of this issue. You can do this by clicking “Reply.” We won’t be able to respond to everyone, but your comments will be read, and carefully considered.
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org