“I absolutely and entirely renounce ... all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen....”

Naturalization Oath of Allegiance

to the United States of America

A band of Highline students displayed their national allegiance during a march last week protesting U.S. immigration reform -- with Mexican flags unfurled.

Two days earlier, the Highline School Board indicated students who skip classes to join demonstrations -- sponsored by organizations like Socialist Alternative and the radical A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) -- would not be penalized.

One student, marching along SeaTac’s International Boulevard with a sign reading “There are no illegal people,” declared, “We believe that everyone should be allowed to live here.”

Wrong!

No sovereign nation that fails to controls its borders will long remain secure or sovereign, losing its identity in the meantime.

Let there be no misunderstanding -- opposing illegal immigration is not anti-immigrant.

But immigrants who want to become Americans must come here legally; those who violate the law in coming to America should be penalized.

Does the process for legal aliens need to be improved? Yes, dramatically so. This I learned firsthand before my daughter-in-law became a U.S. citizen.

And illegal immigrants should not receive a range of social services, including in-state college tuition, which only encourages others to come here illegally while we subsidize them.

With immigration reform stalled in Congress, there is time to tell Sen. Patty Murray, Sen. Maria Cantwell and Rep. Jim McDermott and Rep. Adam Smith, all Democrats representing the Highline area, know:

We want America’s borders secured -- now! No immigration reform will work unless the rising tide of illegal immigrants is stopped first.

Programs that encourage legal immigrants to assimilate into American society-- and require them to speak and read English (no more Chinese- or Spanish-language ballots).

And reserve the right to vote to American citizens.

Only then can Congress and the rest of us deal effectively with those already here illegally -- including the swift deportation of illegal aliens who have committed violent crimes.

West Seattle recently learned it is losing a major business -- Services Group of America -- when Tom Stewart announced he will move the headquarters to Arizona.

The final straw was Washington’s “death tax,” which penalizes successful family businesses by taking a final bite for the state from assets already taxed during the owner’s lifetime.

This is another sign that a shake-up is needed in Olympia, that Washington’s anti-business, tax-and-spend (to death) legislators have gone too far.

And, according to JobMakers.com, an Association of Washington Business-sponsored Web site that tracks legislation impacting businesses, one of Highline’s own is the leading “JobKiller” in the state.

Rep. Eileen Cody, D-West Seattle, whose 34th District includes part of the Highline area, received the lowest 2006 rating -- minus 60. Not far behind were Rep. Bob Hasegawa, D-Tukwila (District 11), with a minus 50 JobKiller rating, and Rep. Shay Schual-Berke, D-Normandy Park (33), with a minus 45.

Rep. Zack Hudgins, D-Tukwila (11), received a minus 35; Rep. Dave Upthegrove, D-Des Moines (33), a minus 20; and Rep. Joe McDermott, D-West Seattle (34), a minus 10.

Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines (33), squeaked by with a plus 5 “JobMaker” rating. Sen. Erik Poulsen, D-West Seattle (34) received a plus 10. Surprisingly, Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Seattle (11), earned a plus 20 JobMaker rating.

The ratings reflect an abysmal lack of support for our business community among Democrats representing this area.

Yet it is businesses that pays the wages and produces goods and services that generate the taxes to keep this Washington’s version of big government afloat.

Local voters would do well to remember this in November.

Ralph Nichols’ views are his own, and do not necessarily reflect those of Robinson Newspapers. He can be reached at newsdesk@robinsonnews.com or 206- 388- 1857.