California Gubernatorial Candidates All Agree: "Illegal Immigrants" Must Go

California’s gubernatorial campaign is underway amid the worst economic woes in decades and -- surprise … surprise -- politicians are blaming a familiar scapegoat: the "illegal immigrant."

Of course, politicians do more than point fingers. Contending Republicans, Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner, are each proposing “new” immigration reform policies meant to rid our burdened economy of the illegal leeches abusing the system and stealing our jobs.

Their ads aim to make you believe differently, but their websites offer almost identical ideas for immigration reform: no means for undocumented immigrants to become legal; denial of admission into state funded institutions of higher education; more manpower and federal resources to secure the border; and stricter punishments for those employing undocumented immigrants. Sounds good yelled from the campaign trail pulpit, but in reality, many of these ideas have already failed and proven to be unenforceable because federal laws and regulations preempt state law. They are costly to taxpayers and in some cases unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, Democrats, generally criticized as too-immigrant-friendly, are ready to stand behind Jerry Brown. On his website he has does not even list immigration as one of the key issues on his agenda. But not one candidate is considering the potential economic surplus immigrants can offer if the federal government enacts fair and inclusive reform.

According to a report released by the California Immigrant Policy Center this year, immigrant households make up 27% of the total household income in California. Annually they contribute more than $30 billion to federal taxes, $539 more than the average U.S.-born household to Social Security, and about 32% of California’s GDP –- without equal representation.

And to add insult to injury, the state with the largest immigrant population in the nation is months away from electing a governor with no real plan to provide legal, humane, fair, and plausible solutions. But it does not have to be so.

Californians deserve and should demand these gubernatorial candidates stop playing to the fears of a few and speak candidly about immigration reform. It is the most expensive non-presidential election in U.S. history -- attend their speaking engagements, their rallies and forums and ask the questions they are spending millions to avoid.

Photo credit: chadmagira