Saturday, September 15, 2007

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS - PART ONE


For the past few years there have been rumblings regarding illegal immigrants, the number currently in this country, those still flowing into this country, and how they are taking jobs from hard working Americans.

Illegal immigrants are the kissing cousins of gay marriage – a diversionary issue used to get the public to focus on something other than the Bush administration’s failure in Iraq. No government agency has a genuine interest in finding a solution to the current illegal immigration problem. King George just does not want the public thinking about the billions in tax payer monies that his friends are stealing (or the thousands of innocent lives lost) in this war.

To fuel the bait and switch agenda, this week, Julie Myers, the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, testified before a Senate committee, that it would cost $94 billion dollars to detain and remove the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. 94 BILLION! That figure does not include the expenses associated with finding them and having their cases adjudicated. The $94 million dollar figure is to house them and return them to their countries of origin.

I think we can find a better way of spending $94 billion!

The problem existed seven years ago when King George was running for president the first time, but we never heard him mention it. Seven years ago he and his father’s friends only mentioned Bill Clinton’s Monica indiscretion (every five minutes), keeping the people on their toes – outraged! He never mentioned the millions of people streaming across our border, and he was the governor of the largest border state - Texas

In 2004 the republicans won elections by instilling fear in the American public. Instead of running on issues that truly effect the electorate like health care, education and the economy, they claimed that the terrorists were at our door, queers were trying to steal the religious sacrament of marriage, and Mexicans were the enemy too because they were taking away jobs from honest, God fearing Americans.

Today, again, they are still trying to keep the public’s attention diverted from the blood running down the streets of Baghdad by talking about the Mexicans swimming across the Rio Grande , and also, but less so, the queers trying to infiltrate the institution of marriage.

Adding to the fear are ill-conceived reports stating that the majority of those crossing from Mexico are dangerous felons and drug traffickers.

There are even websites like http://www.immigrationshumancost.org that try to manipulate the truth regarding the illegal immigrant problem, and further scare the American public by showing innocent Americans who are victims of crimes committed by Mexicans.
According to “On Immigration and Crime,” a U.S. Department of Justice study published in 2001, illegal immigration does not lead to more crime; but shows that the majority of immigrants commit fewer crimes than the rest of the population. While there are bad eggs in every walk of life, those that live quiet, law abiding lives and whose only crime is wanting a better life for themselves and their family are far greater than those committing crimes.
My take on the situation is this: If I was born poor in Mexico and lived a few hundred miles from the United States border, and I was supporting my family on $5 a day, and I knew that just a few hours north my cousin was making $5 or more an hour, I too would be crawling through the desert under the cover of darkness to give my family a better standard of living. Who doesn’t want more for their family?

In America we appreciate a success story and we applaud those that come from meager beginnings and triumph over their situation. I think the same should be true of all people.

These hardworking people want the American dream so they risk their lives to get here and then they take the menial jobs that no American will do.

In the early 1900s, Irish and Italian immigrants came to this country (many illegally) and performed low level manual jobs that others were not willing to do. Eventually they worked their way up the socio-economic scale. Today they would not take a job landscaping in the 115 degree heat for $5 an hour.

In the middle of the 20th century the same is true of black Americas. In the shadow of slavery, and continued oppression, blacks started out doing the jobs no one else wanted to do, making no money in return. They too through the generations have worked their way into the American middle class and would not clean house for $7 an hour.

As a rule, illegal immigrants do not take jobs away from Americans. We would not do the type of work, for the low pay, that they are willing to do. Of course, there are a few exceptions, but I don’t know anyone willing to spend eight or more hours, hunched over picking strawberries for less than minimum wage.
In an April 16, 2006 article in the Winston-Salem Journal, Jim Johnson, the director of the Kenan Institute's Urban Investment Strategies Center - part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said that what some people tend to forget is the indirect effect that the Hispanic worker has had on consumer prices.
“If everyone without proper immigration visas were deported, U.S. consumers would have to prepare to pay more for such ordinary goods as food and housing. For example, the construction industry in North Carolina would pay about $1 billion more in labor costs without the Hispanic worker, according to the study.”
"The next time you go to a restaurant and see a Hispanic busing the tables, just put an extra $20 on the table, because that's how much more your meal will cost," Johnson said. "If you play it to its logical conclusion, then it ought to be illegal to buy it (goods produced with illegal labor). It's a hot good."
With all of this said, I agree that we do need to stop, or slow, the flow of individuals crossing our borders illegally - not because of some irrational fear of Mexicans and their desire to take our jobs, but because of national security concerns.

We need to be aware of who is getting into our country and who is trying to harm us. If the uneducated, entering the country for economic purposes, get through the border with ease, you can be assured that those with more sinister purposes are also sneaking in undetected.

The biggest issue that needs to be addressed is border security - not illegal immigrants. Border security is now “Homeland Security” and therefore needs to be taken seriously.

This is how we should be approaching the problem, not by scaring the American public into believing that a multi-cultural society is bad and not by instilling fear and targeting a particular group.

Do we need to work on a solution for the 12 million hardworking individuals who came to this country to better their lives? YES.

Should we spend hundred of billions of dollars to locate them and return them to their homelands? NO

Should we find a way to lessen the influx of illegal immigrants? YES.

Do we need to secure our borders – ABSOLUTELY.

7 comments:

Bobby Crow said...

“In America we appreciate a success story and we applaud those that come from meager beginnings and triumph over their situation. I think the same should be true of all people.”

Amazingly, I applaud anyone coming into the county by any means; attempting to live what a number of spoiled, lazy, and disrespectful American’s have forgotten. LIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM through hard work and perseverance! Yes; illegal immigrants are stealing jobs. Job’s that most; American’s would not “LOWER” themselves to work. So why all the bithcing? I highly doubt you will see a high percentage of these so called patriotic citizens that are complaining; working anything close to what an illegal or legal immigrant would work. The working environments are harsh, and the workers get little pay for their progress.

Oh, that is right! As an American you are entitled to vacation days, little work, and lots of pay, and hold on; do not forget the idea of promotions every week! That is the true mindset!!!! God forbid if anyone would have to work for something, but do not allow someone who has a work ethic, and trying to better themselves prevail! Welcome to the mindset of the American culture when it pertains to employment!

94 billion to fix the illegal immigration problem? Are you kidding me? I love how these government officials apply a price tag to everything! It is all about money!

Lets not hold the opposing country like MEXICO responsible for their border. America needs to stop assuming that everything is the United States problem. It is amazing that our government assumes they can cure many problems, but lacks the essential building block of world politics. Asking for help; that would just make the U.S. look weak.

There was a time when it was a privilege, and many welcomed the multicultural idea into our country. Since 9/11 prejudice, and insecurity has attached itself to many entities of our society causing further conflict. In my opinion, if we continue along this path of thought; our country will self destruct culturally from within rather than those attempting to enter to better themselves.

Overall, I agree 100% with your statements!

Gpawilli said...

Thanks Bobby -

and I agree with you 100%.....

You will notice I called it part one.... Im sure I will be tackling the different aspects of this important issue in the coming months.

Chris

MrTapman said...

My goodness!
Doing jobs Americans won't do?
Are you kidding, if we were paid enough we would do those jobs.
I've done all those type of jobs in my early days when the pay scale was more equitable. The illegals have lowered the pay scale, not Americans.
In regards to crimes committed by illegals are you kidding?
One third of those in our prisons are illegal aliens.
Come to my town Framingham, Mass and read the paper and tell me the Illegals don't commit crimes.
They murder, stab, sell drugs and commit fraud like the best of them out there.
Your stastics don't account for them not having proper ID's to identify them, so when they are caught noone knows who these people are.

They drive without licenses and pose a great danger and risk o you and your family. When they do kill someone while driving they dissappear into the wind like a ghost and the poor person is left holding the bag, and that is on the good side of it, if the person is killed then the family suffers for years to come.
You obviously don't live around illegal aliens, and expeience all the so called "values" that they bring to a town.
My town is suffering horribly from the influx of from 10-35,000 of them.
To compare their plight with blacks, my grandparents etc is just dragging the red herring across the trail.
My grandparents stayed here and assimilated, blacks stayed here and assimilated.
Illegals don't want to assimilate.
Illegal immigration is a moral issue and they don't want to behave morally to solve it.
Am I missing something here? Morals include obeying the law.
Why do they have the option on which laws they have to obey?
If you want to live like Americans then live by the laws that we Americans have to live by.

Most illegals in my town, which are mostly made up of Brazilians have no interest in staying here.
They want to make a lot of money, spend very little of it here and bring the rest back home to live happily ever after when they leave in three yrs.
If they wanted to stay here I could understand but 80% don't.
Believe me when I say this, this is what they tell me.

The illegal aliens "DREAM" is OUR
NIGHTMARE!
We have to pay for their education, their medical cost and now to jail them.
They are economic terrorist who will eventually bankrupt our country and all institutions that they get their greedy hands into.
What else do you want from us our blood. They've broken our borders, they'e broken our system, now they want break our will to stop them.
I think your suffering from Counter Productive Compassion Syndrome and your thinking that it's a good thing to want to help them. That's fine, have you ever followed the thought through?
It's not unlike feeding the Bears in Yellowstone Park, It's a nice thing to do but in the end it comes back to haunt you.
The bears can die and the campers greatly harmed, but they are so cute you say!
Not when they rip your tent apart and maul you for your food.

On the good side of it all
you do see that we have to do something about it, which is good but you fail to acknowledge that some sort of deportation has to take place to at least send a message to those on the other side
to stay where they are.
If say 100k are deported each year I'm sure the message will sink in real fast.
They will deport themselves at NO COST to us.
So to all the illegal aliens out there, thank you for coming but we will be more excited if you pack up and leave.
We have enough problems here with our own people, we don't need any more.

Jim Rizoli
Framingham, Ma

Gpawilli said...

Jim -

Thank you for your response, but as you can imagine I think you are missing the mark.

First off let me say, I live in Phoenix, Arizona. I think we "MAY" have a few more “illegals” here than the city of Framingham (I've been there - I worked in Boxboro for nearly a year).

Every thing you attribute to “illegals” can easily be attributed to the underclass. Crimes have always been, and will always be, committed by the powerless and those at the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum. I would be interested to read the statistic that states one third of the prison population is comprised of illegal aliens. I’ve never heard that, and even if it is true, I wonder how it plays out as a percentage of the population.

The same is true in Phoenix. The majority of crimes are committed by poor people, amazingly enough they happen to be Hispanic.

Everything you site comes from socio-economics, not legal or illegal status. I’ve known many “white” people who don’t, or can’t, pay their car insurance.

My grandparents to came from the old country and assimilated, but I can tell you my grandfather’s parents lived in this country for twenty-five years and never learned English. They are not dissimilar to most immigrants who come to this country, legally or illegally, they gravitate towards their own kind, continuing the traditions of their culture and language. Within a generation or two they completely embrace the “American way of life.”

As for you doing the lower paying jobs when you were starting out…. I don’t doubt you for a second, but have you seen the over-pampered and over-indulged teenagers and young adult today. They will not work for minimum wage, or even $8 an hour. You can't buy designer hand-bags and sport star endorsed gym shoes.

There was a time when a family could survive on a wage closer to minimum wage. We cannot blame “illegals” for the ridiculous cost of goods, housing, cars, and oil. Most of that should be is attributed to American GREED!

Thanks again for stopping by,

Chris

Bobby Crow said...

So I researched an expert on illegal immigration/reform. His name is Jeff Passel. I found his essays very informed, objective, and enlightening! I suggest you read his writings as well. I had a few misconceptions cleared up.

Gpawilli said...

Thanks Bobby -

Ill give him a look.

Anonymous said...

(YOUR NAME ? )
I agree with many of the things you say , but of course there are those points which I firmly dis-agree....First, as I go down your blog, There is no way in the blue sky above that it would cost 94 Billion, NO way !!!
The best way to rid the country is for them to SELF-DEPORT.....

The quickest and 6 point way to accomplish this:

1)We "change those members" of Congress who have sold themselves out to BIG BUSINESS,or we will never stand a chance to win back this country.

We have to use the power of 'VOTE',if it isnt already to late. ALL "incumbent' members of our DEMO majority congress
want the illegals here because of their VOTE, and of course BIGBUSINESS wants to keep up their
$ 2.3 TRILLION profit since 2001.Made from lower paid illegals than of American labor....
2)Next the biggest issue for Americans to fight is
to change the 14th Amend. Sect.1 away from JUS SOLI, to the updated version of citizenship, JUS SANGUINIS, which all of Europe has changed to to control their intake of immigrants.
The original JUS SOLI was for Slave babies born on the soil, that ended 139 years ago, are we behind ?

The new one to be adopted is that "all babies born in the USA of NON AMERICAN
CITIZENS" shall then be deemed to be the same nationality as their birth parents".
There is a bill coming to the House ( H-1940) to have it changed, but being in the minority,it will be a tough sell...but it would certainly take the steam out of those thinking they have an anchor here.

3) Immediately STOP all FREE Welfare checks, Food STAMPS, MEDICAL,Free HUD Housing, SOC.SECURITY benefits ( our Money) free school Breakfasts AND
lunches,etc etc. etc.and
3) Heavily fine employers for hiring illegals a fine of $15,000 for each
illegal for first offense..
4) Make it a FELONY to enter and /or remain here, punishable by a 5 year Federal Prison term...(it is only a misdemeanor to enter, but a felony to overstay your visa).
5) Build a concrete wall , 18' high ,30" thick with rounded corners to avoid grappling hooks, and make the wall for the entire length of rhe border.
6)Finally, nothing to do with illegals, but in order to have more control over our wayward congresspersons, WE need TERM-LIMITS" for Congress.
5(4-year terms)instead of 6 yrs.) and a total of 20 yrs.= YOUR GONE..!!!
20 years if you are re-elected after each 4 yr tetm.....

I think this should without a doubt, sit back and watch the self-deportation....!!!!

Check out this following stat: www.immigratationcounters.
com

to see the costs of illegals , add it up...

Your immigratation stats of crimes by illegals varies from survey to survey....Almost 1/3rd of the 12 million illegals are felons,but not all are caught yet...!!

Also, those Irish and Italians that came here ALL had to go threw Ellis Island...none were illegal,Those that went back home did so on their own...
And you state that we are all illegals to the Indians, fine, then should we not learn from history ?
How well do you speak spanish..?
A telegram came to the white house to Lydon Johnson which read : Be careful of your immigratation, we werent ...!!!

You also mention that same old story that has been going around for 8 years now, They do take American jobs away...In condtruction they work for $15 an hour whileAmerican scale is $ 26.50 an hour, So there is the reason Big Business made a net profit of $2.3 TRILLION dollars rom 2000 til May of 2007...

And in Mexico they make
9.00 a DAY,while here
crops pays 6.00 per "HOUR" they are thrilled to pick crops, unfortunately that is not enough to live on so they arecompensated
by Welfare food stamps and checks.....Check it out..

Bigjer
KCPD