| Immigration: The New Third Rail |  |
FrontPageMagazine.com | November 9, 2004
Posted on 11/09/2004 3:44:38 AM PST by ovrtaxt
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It was the elephant in the living room and during the election nobody wanted to admit it was there, even though it represents one of the most serious threats to the future of America as we know it.
During the campaigns both parties shied away from even mentioning illegal immigration, despite the fact that it was uppermost in the minds of millions of Americans now paying the price for our government’s failure to get a grip on the scandal.
With an estimated 8 million illegal aliens now already here, thousands more are flocking across our southern borders and nobody in authority seems to have the vaguest notion of what to do about this onrushing flood inundating America’s border states.
This is an out-of-control problem which is bankrupting our infrastructure and our hospitals. In California, Nevada, Arizona and Texas, states are being bankrupted and we have to get tough on illegal immigration which is undermining the infrastructure that was erected to take care of the citizens of the United States.
Thanks to the flood of illegal aliens and the burden they are placing on this nation, American citizens are being increasingly denied the health care and the schooling they need because we are spending too much money on the illegals who, in a fit of political correctness, we are now expected to refer to with the less harsh description of "undocumented aliens."
According to a study issued in August, the Center for Immigration Studies - one of the first to estimate the impact of illegal immigration on the federal budget, based on Census Bureau data - households headed by illegal aliens used $10 billion more in government services than they paid in taxes in 2002. These figures are only for the federal government; costs at the state and local level are also likely to be significant.
The study also finds that if illegals were given amnesty, the fiscal burden at the federal level would grow to nearly $29 billion.
Among the findings:
• Illegal alien households are estimated to use $2,700 a year more in services than they pay in taxes, creating a total fiscal burden of nearly $10.4 billion on the federal budget in 2002.
• Among the largest federal costs: Medicaid ($2.5 billion); medical treatment for the uninsured ($2.2 billion); food assistance programs ($1.9 billion); the federal prison and court systems ($1.6 billion); and federal aid to schools ($1.4 billion).
• If illegal aliens were “legalized” and began to pay taxes and use services like legal immigrants with the same education levels, the estimated annual fiscal deficit at the federal level would increase from $2,700 per household to nearly $7,700, for a total federal deficit of $29 billion.
• With nearly two-thirds of illegals lacking a high school diploma, the primary reason they create a fiscal deficit is their low education levels and resulting low incomes and tax payments — not their legal status or their unwillingness to work.
• Because many of the costs are due to their U.S.-born children, who are awarded U.S. citizenship at birth, barring illegals themselves from federal programs will not significantly reduce costs.
The election is over and it’s now time to tackle the problem and get it under control before it controls us. We have emergency rooms closing every day in California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas where they are being forced to take care of people who have absolutely no right to be here, instead of taking care of American citizens.
Our school systems and our hospitals are being bankrupted because of the increasing presence of illegal aliens swarming across our border. Over the next four years the president is going to have to get this disaster under control or those Republicans who voted for him in droves while holding their nose on the illegal immigration issue will not hold their noses two and four years from now.
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Me too.
Well --- you know Vicente Fox has just condemned the American voters who voted for these kinds of initiatives and demands they be scrapped. For some reason he believes he has far greater say than the lowly American people he despises so much. In his eyes the average American is just as pathetic as the average Mexican he wishes to rid his country of.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1274760/posts?page=2#2
Background: Senate conferees presented their House counterparts with compromise legislation today (Nov. 8) which is said to include some immigration-related language. The details, however, have not yet been released - so there's no telling how watered down these provisions are in comparison to the House legislation. President Bush is pressing Congress to pass a bill during the lame-duck session of Congress beginning Nov. 16, which means there is still a significant threat that in an effort to reach quick compromise the immigration provisions could be dropped or severely watered down.
Thank the Republican conferees for holding out against Senate objections so far, but be sure to tell them to insist that the Senate conferees accept the House immigration-security reforms.
Act NOW! Call all of the Republican House conferees listed below and urge them to stand up for the immigration-security provisions and to accept nothing less from their Senate counterparts. (See sample message below.)
Check out the full list of conferees below to see if your legislators are listed. If so, send a FREE fax today reiterating the need for the immigration-security provisions. (Free fax at www.fairus.org) Follow your faxes up with phone calls. (Find your legislators phone number here on our web site.)
Sample Message: (*If you're a constituent, be sure to say so when calling. If you're not a constituent and they ask why you're calling, say this is a national security issue that affects you as well as their constituents.) "My name is (insert name). I'm calling to urge the Representative to stand up for the immigration-security provisions in H.R.10 and to insist that he/she accept nothing less than legislation that includes all of these provisions. Tell Rep. (insert name) that getting the immigration provisions enacted is imperative to the safety of our nation, is in line with the 9/11 Commission recommendations, and is strongly supported by the American public."
Call These Republican House Conferees: (District Office; Washington D.C. Office)
Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) - 626-852-2626; 202-225-2305
Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) - 616 - 395-0030; 202-225-4401
Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL) - 630-832-5950; 202-225-4561
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) - 619-579-3001; 202-225-5672
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) - 262-784-1111; 202-225-5101
If Your Representative or Senator is listed below, send a FAX and make a follow up PHONE CALL: Senate Conferees:
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) - 207-784-6969; 202-224-2523
Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) - 614-469-6697; 202-224-3353
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) - 651-645-0323; 202-224-5641
Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) - 603-430-9560; 202-224-2841
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) - 913-451-9343; 202-224-4774
Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH) - 614-469-5186; 202-224-2315
Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) - 601-965-4644; 202-224-6253
Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) - 860-549-8463; 202-224-4041
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) - 586-573-9145; 202-224-6221
Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) - 312-353-4952; 202-224-2152
Sen. John Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) - 304-347-5372; 202-224-6472
Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL) - 850-907-1100; 202-224-3041
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) - 973-639-8700; 202-224-3224 House Conferees:
Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) - 626-852-2626; 202-225-2305
Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) - 616-395-0030; 202-225-4401
Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL) - 630-832-5950; 202-225-4561
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) - 619-579-3001; 619-579-3001
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) - 262-784-1111; 202-225-5101
Rep. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) - 201-222-2828; 202-225-7919
Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) - 202-225-8220; 310-643-3636
Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO) - 816-228-4242; 202-225-2876
* Please forward this message to friends and email lists.
http://www.fairus.org/ (202) 328-7004
Yeah --- well WHICH labor union??? The hispanic United Farm Workers Union and Cesar Chavez. You can't really blame them because they knew that unlimited immigration was just to keep their wages dirt low. Wages and benefits only go up when there is a demand and competition for labor --- or by labor unions and strikes.
How many of those illegals have private health insurance --- who pays for the costs of their maternity stays and free schools for their kids? Not many illegals come over with an ability to pay their own way here nor are they paid enough that they can pay their own hospital costs and education costs.
They don't need to find them all. They just need to prosecute the employers that give these people a reason to be here. Then, they need to change the law that makes every individual born here an automatic citizen.
Problem solved.
Do you agree with Secretary of State Colin Powell that millions of illegal aliens in the United States should be given legal status?
FReep this poll
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/
11% in agreement? WOW!
89% no.
Yes 10% 335 votes
No 90% 2868 votes
The demorats are clueless over the average Americans revulsion over gay marriage. The Republicans are equally clueless over the average Americans anger over rewarding Mexican lawbreakers with amnesty!
Now stop that Ain't Bea, He's jus importin the next plantation! (snort!)
Do you agree with Secretary of State Colin Powell that millions of illegal aliens in the United States should be given legal status?
FReep this poll
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/
That's one of the very few polls I'll participate in. Thanks. Others ought to vote as well.
Hot Dang!!! Doesn't our guvermint know that "good fences makes good neighbors?" Even Isreal figured that out!!!
Hey B, can we send them all on the path to residency around Bush's ranch? See how much our lone star friends like that.
It is really up to the people. The so called leadership class is bankrupt on this issue. Possibly another disaster will trigger what needs to be done.
Do you agree with Secretary of State Colin Powell that millions of illegal aliens in the United States should be given legal status?
Yes 11% 502 votes
No 89% 3951 votes
Total: 4453 votes
Joe, unless someone has seen what the results of this invasion is like up close and personal, I don't think they can imagine. It took taking Pres. Bush in Air Force One flying over Klamath Lake to see what was happening to 1400 farmers being run off their land to please some enviro lawyer and corrupt judge. The man lives in a bubble and I don't think he has a clue how this is impacting millions of us. He's an idealist, but as far as homeland security and the open border, I couldn't tell you what the hell he's thinking.
Anyone should see that problem. I still can't believe that border didn't slam shut on Sept. 12, 2001.
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