Scroll Down to see Brian Murphy's Take on Maryland Illegal-Immigration - - Bob Ehrlich "has not studied the bill" - - Virginian Virgil Goode's "The Real Immigration Solution" and Casa de Maryland's 2006-2007 "Donors and Supporters"- - The House of Representatives RSC's brief "Arizona Immigration Law: Picking up the Slack?"
As nearly everyone knows in Maryland, there are two Republican candidates contending for that party's nomination for governor: former governor Bob Ehrlich and Montgomery County business executive Brian Murphy. A glance at their platforms here and here gives one at least a scent of where they promise to go in terms of governing. We didn't see, however, the word "immigration" on either of their "issue" lists.
In these politically tumultuous times, concerned conservatives seek more than the usual Republican bromides. We are hopeful that candidates Ehrlich and Murphy will want to give us their specifics on all the key issues.
This article considers how the candidates might come to grips with the estimated 250,000 illegal immigrants in Maryland.
Maryland As a Magnet State for Illegals
The state of Arizona has just enacted SB 1070 ("Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act") which "declares that the intent of this act is to make attrition through enforcement the public policy of all state and local government agencies in Arizona. The provisions of this act are intended to work together to discourage and deter the unlawful entry and presence of aliens and economic activity by persons unlawfully present in the United States."
"Attrition Through Enforcement" - Arizona's 560,000 Illegals
Here and here are analyses of the new law itself by former Federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy. Author Mark Krikorian expands on the policy behind the Arizona law and its possible effects.
Here is the Center for Immigration Studies "Fact Sheet" on the Arizona law.
Arizona, moreover, has had the E-Verify program in place since January 1, 2008. According to scholar Krikorian, " . . .an earlier Arizona law requir[ed] all employers to use E-Verify for new hires. Even the state's chamber of commerce acknowledged that the E-Verify bill wasn't as bad as their jeremiads during the debate would have suggested . . . ."
State Costs Arising from the Maryland Illegals
The Federation for American Immigration Reform declares "that Maryland's illegal immigrant population costs the state's taxpayers more than $1.4 billion per year for education, medical care and incarceration. The annual fiscal burden amounts to about $790 per Maryland household headed by a native-born resident."
A Menu of State and Local Actions
Visiting Heritage Fellow Matt Mayer listed possible state and local government steps to cope with illegal immigration.
Lawyer Mayer advised that "state and local government action should be aimed at 'remov[ing] or reduc[ing] the economic incentives for unlawful presence.'"
A Few Questions for the Candidates
With the foregoing expert commentaries under our belts, all of us will be better prepared to ask some probing questions.
What is important - - in these quite perilous times - - is that conservatives not shrink from asking hard questions at whatever gatherings they encounter these Republican aspirants to the governorship of Maryland.
Stay tuned for more possible Maryland gubernatorial candidate questions - - as well as questions about policies Virginia Republican governor Bob McDonnell should now be recommending to his Commonwealth.
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Gubernatorial candidate Brian Murphy replies:
"Thanks for the questions.
1) Enforcing our laws and protecting our citizens will be a top priority of my administration. I am not opposed to steps as drastic as those taken in Arizona, but I am not sure they are warranted, yet, in Maryland. I look forward to working with Governor Brewer to understand what Arizona is facing, how they got there, and what policies we should enact in Maryland to avoid the same fate.
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2) I want to be careful that I fully understand the cost implications to employers (and therefore employees) of any system like e-Verify, but I fully support appropriate verification of all new hires in Maryland. Maryland's sanctuary status is immoral and unsustainable."
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Bob Ehrlich: "Ehrlich spokesman Andy Barth said the former governor has not studied the Arizona bill, but opposes illegal immigration."
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Marylander Ann Corcoran at Refugee Resettlement Watch draws our attention to Virgil Goode's "The Real Immigration Solution" posted here on FrontPage.com, and in her Potomac Tea Party Report the Washington County blogger points us to Casa de Maryland's list of 2006-2007 "Donors & Supporters."
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Readers can also take in the House of Representatives Republican Study Committee's Policy Brief - - "Arizona Immigration Law: Picking up the Slack?" here.
