Matricula madness

The Mexican matricularos were in town yesterday and our local paper was on the scene. Reporter Daniel Connolly:

The crowd was huge, and Mexican officials visiting from Atlanta and Little Rock planned to issue only 500 of the cards and 100 passports at the special one-day event, known as a mobile consulate.

Apparently they were NOT handing out the cards like candy chicklets after all. Continuing:

Quijano said an international treaty allows the Mexican government to issue the cards, which are granted only if Mexican nationals can show legitimate documents including an original birth certificate.

Wonder how many other countries have similar arrangements in America? Saudi Arabia, for example? China? It gets better:

The Internal Revenue Service has even established a method that allows illegal immigrants to pay income taxes without fear of deportation. And federal authorities urge banks to reach out to immigrants and don't discourage them from working with those here illegally.

I don't recall hearing about a program allowing people here illegally to pay federal taxes, but maybe it was during the OJ trial or some other distraction. Might as well let them vote and run for office, then. Heck, just abolish the Border Patrol and INS altogether. Just think of the tax money we could save!

As to Ms. Blackburn, we can't leave her out of this. According to the story her bill ain't all it's cracked up to be:

..However, her bill, as written, would not stop illegal immigrants from Mexico from getting such services.

That's because the bill says banks could accept foreign passports as identification. And Mexico issues passports at its American consulates regardless of the person's immigration status, said Andres Chao, the Mexican consul in Little Rock.

Just guessing, but I would think that getting a passport might require a little more documentation than one these matricula cards or else they wouldn't have matricula cards. Surely Blackburn's office will respond and clarify come Monday.