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In another example of both political correctness and government bureaucracy trying to run amok, I only need point you to the latest effort winding its way through congress in the form of the immigration bill. You think “What the hell, I’m against immigration, and I’m a citizen who’s lived here all my life. It won’t affect me.” 

Well, think again my deluded friend! It most definitely will affect you, and not in a positive way, either. Let me state right up front that I think illegal immigration is an extremely serious problem facing our nation, possibly the most serious, and I’m on record, here and elsewhere, as stating such. I am all for “the fence”, cracking down hard on employers that flaunt immigration laws, and toughening the laws to preclude the current illegal alien practice of multiple illegals using the same SSN.

What I’m not in favor of is the implementation of the Employee Eligibility Verification System in its current form. I mean, come on! You’ve got to be kidding me! Every citizen of the United States, even if you’ve lived here for your entire life, will be subject to a requirement that you prove your eligibility to both live here and hold a job. To do so you will be required to submit biometric information that will be included on the new social security / national ID card.

With the new system the Department of Homeland Security will grow into an agency that wields immense power, possibly more than has been accorded any other agency in the history of our nation. As we know the government never makes mistakes, this shouldn’t concern us in the slightest. If you actually hold this view, maybe a head-from-the-sand removal procedure is in order, post haste. Maybe the following aspect of the new legislation will make your little ears perk up, my deluded friend. There is no provision for judicial review on the decisions the DHS makes when using the EEVS.

For those of you that haven’t had your morning Starbucks this morning, I’ll say that again; no provision for judicial review. Think about what that means for just the briefest period time, please. If the government screws up (What, they do that?????), you could be deemed unable to hold any gainful employment, or earn any money whatsoever, when in fact you are an eligible U.S. citizen or resident alien. So beyond the indignity and inconvenience of being forced to prove your right to work in your own country, you may be unable to do so, through no fault of your own, and have no recourse to rectify the situation.

The amendment to the legislation proposed by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) would do just that. It would impose impossible timetables and restrictions on such reviews, effectively rendering them unavailable when needed. He terms his amendment the Fairness in Immigration Litigation Act (FILA). I wonder of the athletic clothing manufacturer knows about the acronym? You’ll find my usual practice of inverting the names of most legislation to get the true meaning is definitely applicable here. One more thing; there will be an injunction against suing the federal government to recover lost wages or other legitimate damages incurred when the system makes a mistake (and it most definitely will).

You’ll be required to carry the new biometrically enabled social security card on your person at all times. Any time you change employment, you’ll have to prove your worth all over again. Not to the employer, to the feds. That’s right, to change jobs, you’ll actually need government approval.

I’m sure the government will only be only too happy to relieve you of any possessions they feel you might have obtained while illegally employed. That may not be a provision of the bill yet, but I’m sure it’s entered the peanut sized brain of a legislator somewhere.

Excuse me, I’m not a member of the Libertarian party or some civil rights extremist, and I’m completely against illegal immigration, but this stinks like a feedlot in July. For those you fortunate enough to never have experienced such a stench, believe me, the comparison’s valid. All your personal information collected for the EEVS will be stored in yet another huge, federal database controlled by the DHS to do with as they see fit. I hope that makes you feel like you have more security in your homeland.

In addition, the vast bureaucracy will be growing yet again, as countless federal employees will be added to support the requirements of the measure. So, not only could the proposal cost you money by prohibiting you from working (You’d be relegated to a “No Work” list, similar to the no fly list), it’s sure to vacuum countless tax dollars from your wallet in support of additional federal government expansion. Rest assured it will be a vast expansion indeed. Great, another reason to let those tax cuts expire, and keep more money out of your pocket and into theirs. Not only will the agency grow, it will likely grow far more than needed due to the inefficiencies sure to be present. I’ve been unable so far to find an estimate of the additional employees required to support such an operation, but that’s probably by design.

A far better system, and one that would probably be almost as effective, without the privacy and other negative implications of the EEVS as it is currently proposed, would be one proposed by Seattle radio talk show host Kirby Wilbur. Using something similar to the background check system required when someone attempts to purchase a firearm, SSNs would be checked to be sure they were valid and only issued to, and in use by, one person. That alone would crack down on the number of illegals getting jobs using current practice of multiple individuals using the same SSN. That could be added to the current firearm background check system to check for a criminal record or outstanding visa violations.

This could be implemented much more quickly and cost effectively, without incurring the privacy and other penalties that legitimate citizens would suffer under the currently proposed legislation. It might also be as effective when the inefficiencies sure to be present in the proposed system are factored in. Then again, no price can be too large to have homeland security. Papers please!