I've had it.

[BeerSwillr]

I've had it with illegal aliens, illegal immigration, and the complicit attitude of US immigration policy!

My 16 year old has been looking for a summer job for the last 3 months, what he's found has been surprising. Not only are there no summer jobs available, there are no jobs available, period, for someone with no experience.

So you say he's not looking hard enough? That the jobs are there, you just have to find them. HA!

All the entry level, low skill jobs that would normally be taken by teenagers and young adults during the summer are being taken by illegal immigrants, at least here in Texas. The few places that don't hire illegals have to contend with 10 or more applicants for each open position.

So who is this hurting you ask? Just a few teenagers who will be back in school in a couple of months? Just a few teenagers that will contribute little to the overall economic picture? WRONG!

You know the answer. It's hurting everyone. Teenagers would spend almost every penny they earned, contributing immensely to the overall economic health of the US. They would be in the malls, movie theaters, and restaurants spending their hard earned pay, leaving their parents free to spend their money on something else.

The illegal aliens? They used to maintain a low profile. Now, they don't bother. They can be seen everywhere; mowing lawns, planting trees, roofing & framing houses, working at the lube shack, pouring concrete, gathering at several official and unofficial day worker hang-outs in the mornings (when it would be extremely easy for immigration to swoop in and arrest them.)

Where you don't and won't see them is out spending their money (except for at Wal-Mart.) You don't see them at Bennigans, Chilis, Tony Romas, Cinemark, the mall, car dealerships, etc.

Know why?

They don't have any money to spend on the US economy because they're sending everything except a small subsistence back to Mexico.

The illegals are not here to help us or the US economy. Anyone that says they are here to take jobs that US citizens don't want is being disingenuous.

They're siphoning off millions of dollars a year from the economy. Not only by taking jobs, but a host of other ways; education benefits, medical assistance, government assistance, thievery, robbery, drug dealing, you name it, they're involved in it.

And what is the Department of Homeland Security™ doing about this? They're putting on a dog and pony show.

They're outlining major new methods of monitoring ports of entry, airports, etc. with biometrics, fingerprinting, radar, facial recognition technology, and who knows what else, while at the same time doing nothing to monitor thousands of miles of open space where, apparently, it is relatively easy to cross into the US.

It seems to me that simple reconnaissance flights over that vast unmonitored territory would be able to identify these border violations and put a stop to, or at least slow, this illegal invasion of our country.

The Department of Homeland Security™ is largely ignoring the issue. Illegal entry into the US continues unabated across our borders.

It makes me sick.

What can we do about it? Other than mew weakly and post articles like this on the large wasteland that is the internet?

Contact your elected officials and let them know what you're thinking. Let them know you will hold them accountable. It's all in our hands.

http://www.senate.gov/

http://www.house.gov/

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

[Abe Froman]

Look, I'm not defending their work ethic----this is the result of post-industrial society's epmphasis on completing high school and college before getting a "meaningful" job (or "career"). Suburban teens know that the jobs they take during high school are largely for spending money. They will still have a roof over their heads, food on the table, and clothes on their backs if they don't work. We have moved the transition from childhood to productive member of society back about 10 years from where it was during the industrial revolution. Kids are expected to go to the national day-care for teens called high school, because in a skilled, post-industrial workforce, there is less demand for unskilled work, and more of a stigma attached to it, requiring more training and schooling to get the skilled jobs. Unskilled teens aren't much good in such a specialized workforce, but we don't want them running around wild either. Therefore we stick them in high school until they're legal adults and can begin their *real* preparation for the work they will live off of the rest of their lives.

If you really want your teens to develop good work ethics, pull them out of school at age 14 and let them become apprentices to blacksmiths or carpenters like kids used to 150 years ago. I doubt this will happen, however.

[TankerKC]

Here in Alabama there are many one bedroom apartments that have a dozen or more illegals living in them sending all their money home.

How do you know this?

[paulklenk]

Keep ranting -- we all need to hear it.

[SerpentDove]

How bout securing the borders? Is that to much to ask?

[tame]

I know for a fact tiffany was being sarcastic--reductio ad absurdum. It was so sarcastic that it must have been plain. Guess it wasn't too plain.

[kevao]

Seal our borders, not our windows.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Not a lot of openings for blacksmiths in a lot of places these days. My kids grew up mowing grass, painting, washing dishes, and helping dad change the oil rotate tires or replace a transmission in the driveway. My daughter changed her first light switch at 10 because she knew where the spares were and I was at work so she tripped the circuit breaker and replaced it. Having some security is a good thing.

[tame]

I know for a fact tiffany was being sarcastic--reductio ad absurdum. It was so sarcastic that it must have been plain. Guess it wasn't too plain.

[TxBec]

Chick-Fil-A is big on hiring homeschoolers.

[kevao]

She won the argument, though, when she called us racists.

[Houmatt]

You are following the tradition during bad economic times. Just blame someone else for your problems. It has been going on since the beginning of time.

Dude, you had better wake up because you have no idea what you are talking about.

We have people illegally crossing the border because we are the only "civilized" nation without secure borders. And look at what has happened as a result: September 11, 2001.

Furthermore, do you have any idea how much illegal immigration costs? Ten years ago, in California alone, it was costing taxpayers $4 billion a year. That's BILLION, with a B. That's why Proposition 187 got on to the ballot. That's why it passed. And within 24 hours, the Rats challenged it in court and had it thrown out.

Now, remember, that was ten years ago. Do you have any idea how much money they are losing now?

And you tell me or anyone else this is just projecting blame?

[tame]

She won the argument, though, when she called us racists.

That's part of the sarcasm! Anyone who doesn't agree with lefty is called a racist. Tiff was parotting the left. She almost never comes on FR and when she does she gets booted after being misunderstood, ROTFLMAO!!!

[kevao]

Tiffany would not agree.

[superloser]

Please go ask an American Indian (yes, they prefer that to 'Native American') if they were "here first" before talking to folks from south of the border. Anyone saying Latinos were "here first" needs to talk to the Apache, the Cherokee, the Nez Perce.....I just have one question: Where do you get your misinformation from?

[new cruelty]

The Abe Froman? The Sausage King of Chicago?

[Conspiracy Guy]

Wouldn't it be nice if we were older and we wouldn't have to wait so long. I took it as sarcasm but she got vaporized. I'm 25% Cherokee so my roots go back a bit.

[Chi-Town Lady]

I understand your anger completely. Go to NUMBERSUSA.COM and fax/e-mail your representatives. They have a convenient pre-selected text e-mail that you can use or your can voice your opinion yourself. They e-mail you when an issue is being raised regarding immigration. If we all band together, maybe, just maybe, someone beside Tom Tancredo will take action. Silence is shear death.

[kevao]

Where do you get your misinformation from?

I think Tiffany went to a public school. And quite recently, from the looks of it.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Projecting blame? Good one huh?

I guess we should all just blame ourselves because the Federal Government won't, or will not do it's job. And to think I am paying the Federal Govenment to perpetuate this travisty on America...What lunacy.....

[HIDEK6]

I can understand your frustration, but ask yourself this question.

If you owned a lawn maintenance service, would you want to hire a spoiled teenager who wants the job so that he can blow the money at the mall, necessitating that he get off during the times that his friends are at the mall, or would you rather hire someone who will work all the hours he can get and doesn't know enough English to mouth off to you.