Editorials

Monday, May 6, 1996

Holding immigrants'
sponsors responsible

THE immigration bill passed by the Senate appropriately focuses on illegal immigration, without the reductions on legal immigration that were originally included. As we have previously noted, legal immigrants should not be punished for the problems created by illegal immigrants. Increasing the number of Border Patrol guards and increasng penalties for document fraud and smuggling of aliens are useful measures.

There are also provisions in both the House and Senate versions aimed at making it more difficult for legal immigrants to qualify for needs-based federal assistance programs. Although it would be unfair and unacceptable to simply bar legal immigrants from such benefits, the provisions as approved are justifiable attempts to close loopholes and prevent abuses.

There is a need to prevent an influx of immigrants who become dependent on welfare, and to ensure that adults who bring their elderly parents into the country assume primary responsibility for their support. An affidavit of support is required of immigrants' sponsors, but it is not legally enforceable.

The House bill would correct that problem. It also specifies that all of a sponsor's income and resources be taken into account when determining if the immigrant is eligible for assistance. Sponsors would have to show they could support themselves and the immigrant at twice the poverty level.

The Senate version denies federal assistance if an immigrant's sponsor is able to pay for the service. State and local agencies that assess an applicant's income would also have to assess the sponsor's income.

If immigrants are permitted to obtain federal benefits without regard to the sponsors' resources and despite their pledges of support, the credibility of the whole immigration program is damaged. These measures address that problem.

Other editorials in brief:

Auto insurance reform

NO sooner had they stopped batting their heads against the wall in the last session in a futile attempt to reach agreement on auto insurance reform than some legislators want to do it all over again, in a special session.

The Senate commendably stood firm in the last session in its position to strengthen no-fault, which offers a chance to reduce the cost of auto insurance by eliminating most lawsuits over personal injuries. It should not yield now. If an agreement is to be reached, it should be on the Senate's terms, not the House's. A special session on any other basis would be a waste of money.

Racial selections

POLITICAL correctness came full circle at the White House, resulting in a reprimand of a presidential aide and an apology for racial insensitivity . The White House rejection of black teen-ager and choice of a white speaker to introduce President Clinton at an anti-drug event backfired because it amounted to choosing a private school student over a public school student. The episode is less about manipulating schools than it is about wearing political blinders and homing in on race as the determining factor in a selection process. Many Americans are beyond that, whether it means hiring a person for a job or choosing a person to make a presidential introduction.

'Peace bell'

A "peace bell" has been installed in a Tennessee city to remind people of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. What makes it special is that this is no ordinary city. It's Oak Ridge, a community of scientists and engineers established by the federal government in World War II to produce material for nuclear weapons. Oak Ridge made the uranium used in the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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Rupert E. Phillips,CEO

John M. Flanagan,Editor & Publisher

David Shapiro,Managing Editor

Diane Yukihiro Chang,Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor

Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner,Assistant Managing Editors

A.A. Smyser,Contributing Editor