DiversityInc - October 2008

would help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Money for the fund will come from fines assessed to mortgage professionals who are found to have committed fraud.

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risk. Any policy of financial assistance should be accompanied by reforms that promote greater transparency and accountability to ensure we never face this problem again.”

ON IMMIGRATION

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Both McCain and Obama have not discussed immigration issues at length at public events. But both speak frankly about the issue on their campaign web sites.

Obama

At the Democratic National Convention, Obama briefly discussed immigration; he differs clearly from McCain on the issue.

“Passions fly on immigration, but I don’t know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers,” he said during his DNC speech. “This, too, is part of America’s promise—the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort.”

According to Obama’s Blueprint for Change, “The time to fix our broken immigration system is now. We need stronger enforcement on the border and at the workplace. But for reform to work, we also must respond to what pulls people to America. Where we can reunite families, we should. Where we can bring in more foreign-born workers with the skills our economy needs, we should.”

Additionally, according to his Blueprint, Obama would work to:

“Create secure borders. Obama wants to preserve the integrity of our borders. He supports additional personnel, infrastructure and technology on the border and at our ports of entry.

“Improve our immigration system. Obama believes we must fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill.

“Remove incentives to enter illegally. Obama will remove incentives to enter the country illegally by cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants.

“Bring people out of the shadows. Obama sup-

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McCain

In the Senate, McCain has worked on several immigration initiatives. Although he never specifically addressed the issue in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, he’s made his position well known.

“As you know, I and many other colleagues twice attempted to pass comprehensive immigration legislation to fix our broken borders; ensure respect for the laws of this country; recognize the important economic contribution of immigrant laborers; apprehend those who came here illegally to commit crimes; and deal practically and humanely with those who came here, as my distant ancestors did, to build a better, safer life for their families, without excusing the fact they came here illegally or granting them privileges before those who have been waiting their turn outside the country,” McCain says on his campaign web site.

“Many Americans did not believe us when we said we would secure our borders, and so we failed in our efforts. I don’t want to fail again to achieve comprehensive immigration reform. We must prove we have the resources to secure our borders and use them, while respecting the dignity and rights of citizens and legal residents of the United States.

“When we have achieved our border security goal, we must enact and implement the other parts of practical, fair and necessary immigration policy. We have economic and humanitarian responsibilities as well, and they require no less dedication from us in meeting them.”