Archive for July, 2010
Cost of Educating Illegal Aliens
Thursday, July 29th, 2010 at
10:29 am
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Rusmussen Poll of Florida Voters
Thursday, July 29th, 2010 at
10:22 am
A Rasmussen poll of likely Florida voters conducted July 6, 2010 found:
* 62% support a immigration law for Florida similar to the recent law passed in Arizona. Only 24% oppose such a law. 60% disagree with the Justice Department’s suit to block Arizona SB1070. Only 28% agree with the suit.
Florida Zogby Polling Results, March 2009:
A Zogby International poll of 801 likely voters across the state found that, by an overwhelming margin, Floridians believe that illegal immigration is harming their state.
* 71.3% of Florida voters say illegal immigration has a negative impact on the state. Only 14.4% believe it has a positive impact on Florida.
* 83.5% of Florida voters believe illegal aliens have a negative impact on the state budget, versus only 7.9% who believe their impact is positive.
* 57.5% believe illegal immigration should be reduced through better enforcement of immigration laws. Only 36% of Florida voters favor amnesty or legalization for current illegal aliens.
* 68.6% of Florida voters want worksite immigration enforcement to continue. Only 21.1% support the Obama administration’s decision to curtail worksite enforcement.
Read FAIR’s press release and illegal immigrant cost study for Florida released with this poll.
Supporting Illegal Immigration Is NOT Christian
Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at
12:25 pm
There is a huge difference between legal immigrants and illegal immigrants. LEGAL immigrants pay taxes, learn our language, and contribute to the United States as a whole.
I support legal immigration, and this article is not intended to speak against legal immigrants or legal immigration.
When Jesus was handed a coin with Ceasar’s head on it, he said to “Render unto Ceasar what is Ceasar’s, and render unto God what is God’s.”
Jesus was telling us that we had to respect the authority of government officials, as well as render unto the government what belongs to the government.
We are to pay our taxes and respect the laws of this country.
This is at the core of the debate over whether or not to allow illegal immigrants to stay and whether or not we should stop the flow of illegal immigrants over our border.
This should be a non issue since it is against the laws of the United States to cross the border illegally.
However, there are some people, and some Christians who may very well be well meaning, who have absolutely no idea how much damage they are causing by saying we should allow these people to stay.
First, there is the issue of the law.
If illegal immigrants will break the law to get into this country, what other laws will they break? What’s worse, aren’t we creating a double standard by saying that we will convict some people of certain crimes but not others?
Lawbreakers, regardless of the crime, must be punished. This is the only way that we can keep order in this country and preserve our sovereignty. By doing nothing, we are saying that it is ok to enter this country illegally, and ultimately, to break the laws of this country.
Not only are we setting a bad precedent legally, but we are teaching our children that it is ok to break the law if what you think you are doing is ok.
There is also the issue of security.
9/11 should have taught us that there are those who seek to harm us and will stop at nothing to destroy us. By not controlling our borders, it is only a matter of time before a crisis far more serious than 9/11 will happen.
All of the terrorists on 9/11 were illegal immigrants eventhough many immigrated here legally. When their visas expired, they should have been immediately escorted to the border. 9/11 would have never happened.
Second is the issue of disease and medical care.
Millions of Americans have no medical insurance. We aren’t even taking care of our own people, yet, illegals get billions of dollars in free medical care here because they don’t declare their income and draw welfare benefits, as well as Medicaid and Social Security Disability.
The amount of welfare benefits, as well as free education and healthcare these people receive far exceeds what the underground economy generates, which is about $9 billion.
In the spring issue of the “Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons”, Madeline Pelner Cosman wrote that 84 California hospitals are closing because of the burden of illegal immigrants on the healthcare system.
She also writes that a number of infectious diseases that had been previously irradicated in the United States are now on the rise. These diseases include: drug-resistant tuberculosis, malaria, leprosy, plague, polio, dengue, and Chagas disease.
http://www.jpands.org/vol10no1/cosman.pdf
Third is the issue of education.
Again, although the underground economy generates only about $9 billion, the states spend about $12 billion per year educating illegal immigrants. When you factor in anchor babies, these costs soar to over $28 billion.
Because of the drain posed by illegal immigrants in higher education institutions, this will also mean less money to educate American citizens and legal immigrants at the college level.
Fourth is the issue of “anchor babies”.
Anchor babies are babies that on born on US soil to illegal immigrants. They are given citizenship under the 14th Amendment.
The problem here is that this law was created to give equal rights and equal citizenship to former black slaves after the end of the Civil War. It was never intended to give citizenship to illegal immigrants.
Not even American citizens born on foreign soil are given this privilege. As the mother of a daughter born overseas, I had to prove my identity, the father’s identity, and surrender my passport to the US consulate before the American government would even issue a birth certificate for my daughter. Both my exhusband and I are native born American citizens, and not even our daughter was automatically entitled to American citizenship.
Fifth is the issue of wages and jobs.
We’ve been told for years that illegal immigrants do menial jobs that no one wants. If this is true, then why are thousands of American construction workers out of work?
20 years ago, workers in the chicken plants here in Georgia were all American. Now they have been replaced by illegal immigrants.
Because employers don’t have to pay unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation, and don’t observe laws that are written to protect American workers, wages in these industries, and others,l have been driven down. Thousands of Americans who might otherwise have had an opportunity at these jobs no longer have that opportunity.
According to the Pew Hispanic Center, illegal immigrants aren’t risking their lives to come to the United States to find jobs. They are coming here to find better jobs, jobs in the same industries they worked in before but pay more money. This explodes the myth that they are risking their lives to come here to find work.
“Greed, not need”.
In Matthew 15, Jesus criticized the Pharisees for tithing and not caring for their parents first. They weren’t taking care of of their own families.
It’s time for us to care for our own family, our own citizens. When we spend money on these illegal immigrants, we are neglecting our own people.
The bottom line is that illegal immigrants are not immigrants but invaders. They are not here to assimilate themselves into our society, learn our language, or become American citizens under our flag. They are here to rape our country of its resources and they are stealing billions of dollars each year in benefits that rightfully belong to American citizens and legal immigrants who pay taxes and observe the law. When we support illegal immigrants, we are aiding and abetting criminals, which is a crime.
As Christians, we are obligated to stand up for what is right. Call Congress and the Senate and tell them to vote no against any bills that would legalize illegal immigrants, as well as vote in favor of strong legislation that would secure our borders. You should also contact your state legislature about bills that would deny benefits to illegal immigrants. Insist on stiff penalties for employers who employ illegal immigrants.
Finally, call, or write, the White House. The only way to protect our way of life, our health, and our faith is to scream long enough and loud enough until these people hear us.
As we celebrate Memorial Day, let us not forget the hundreds of thousands of military service members who have given their lives to preserve our right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Their deaths should not be in vain.
Jinger Jarrett is the owner of the website 101Christian.com where you can subscribe to her ezine on abundant Christian living. You can also get free ebooks and bible study tools. http://www.101christian.com
Illegal Immigration In The United States
Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at
12:24 pm
There are currently between ten and twenty million illegal immigrants in the United States. Illegal immigration has become greater than legal immigration over the last several years (700,000 per year vs. 600,000 per year). Seventy-five percent of illegal immigrants arrive across the U.S. southern border with Mexico. The following factors contribute to illegal immigration in the United States:
1. Poverty in Mexico:
Fifty-three percent of Mexico’s population of one hundred four million residents live in poverty (defined as less than two dollars a day). Twenty-four percent live in extreme poverty (defined as less than one dollar a day). There is an abundant amount of people looking for jobs to be able to eat and raise their families. The unemployment rate in Mexico is approaching forty percent and there is little healthcare.
2. U.S. Companies Looking for Increasing Profit:
U.S. companies are looking for cheap, exploitable labor to increase their profit margin. Illegal workers hired by these companies generally receive poor working conditions, very low pay and no benefits. U.S. companies only need to accept identification that appears authentic from these workers. Fake identification cards are readily available in every major city for about one hundred and fifty dollars.
3. Hispanic Vote is Crucial in Future Elections:
The Hispanic population is dramatically increasing and is now the largest ethnic group in the United States. Politicians are aware of the changing demographics and are not adequately enforcing laws that they perceive will not be popular with Hispanics.
4. Lack of Law Enforcement by the U.S. Government of Existing Immigration Laws and Border Security:
The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 provided for penalties against companies that hire undocumented workers. In 1999, under the Clinton Administration, the U.S. government collected a meager 3.69 million from 890 companies in fines. In 2004, under George Bush, the amount collected in fines from companies hiring undocumented workers was zero. It is estimated that, in 2004, three million illegal immigrants entered the United States. In January 2005, a bill overhauling the U.S. Intelligence Agency was passed into law. This bill recognized that an eight thousand mile border patrolled by 9,500 border agents was badly inadequate. The bill required the hiring of 10,000 more agents at an immediate rate of 2,000 per year. The Bush Administration ignored the law and submitted a budget to hire 200.
In summary, Mexican people living across the border in poverty see opportunity in the United States to put food on the table for their families. There are willing employers in the United States ready to offer them work, with low wages, poor working conditions and without benefits. For illegal immigrants, these conditions are still far better than the poverty of Mexico. Illegal immigrants enter the country through porous borders. They acquire fake identification on the streets of our cities and work for companies which exploit them. The career politicians in charge of government fail to enforce the immigration laws in place and adequately patrol the southern borders for fear of offending Hispanic voters.
Finally, illegal immigrants and the American people are both victims here. The U.S. government needs to enforce the laws in place and the country needs a coherent immigration policy. Selective enforcement of laws is divisive and confusing. Perhaps, Pastor Robin Hoover of Humane Borders put it best when he said: “Our nation virtually puts two signs on its borders: “Help Wanted: Inquire Within” and “Do Not Trespass.”
James William Smith has worked in Senior management positions for some of the largest Financial Services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. He has always been interested in writing and listening to different viewpoints on interesting topics.
Visit his website at http://www.eworldvu.com
Illegal Immigrants Pros and Cons – What You Should Know
Thursday, July 15th, 2010 at
12:42 pm
In light of the recently enacted Arizona law on immigration, interest on the topic of illegal immigration has once again brought forth various sentiments from proponents of both sides of the issues.
61% of likely U.S. voters support a law similar to Arizona SB1070 for their own state (Rasmussen, July 2010).
The new law is by far the most stringent law ever passed requiring immigrants to carry with them their proper registration documents at all times. The law is heavily criticized because it is said to promote discrimination and harassment. Even President Obama is not too keen on the idea of putting immigrants behind bars just because they do not carry immigration documents.
To state the obvious, it is considered a crime if an immigrant fails to present documents to police if they are suspected of being illegal aliens. This new Arizona law poses a threat to the Hispanic communities, as they are known to have the largest number of illegal migrants in the country. With the very divisive nature of the law, it becomes necessary for people to be educated on the immigrants pros and cons. This way, racial discrimination is prevented and further laws should be focused on resolving the issue and not perpetrate hostilities towards the minorities, specifically those that illegally entered the US from Mexico.
In any debate, the positive and negative sides of the issues are laid out, each of them has its own merits, but with varying levels of importance vis-à-vis their immediate effects to the general public. It is important to have knowledge of immigrants pros and cons so that we are not easily swayed by racist overtures of staunch supporters of anti illegal immigration laws.
56% of likely U.S. voters disagree with the Justice Department’s lawsuit challenging Arizona SB1070. 28% agree with the lawsuit (Rasmussen, July 2010).
It is acknowledged that since illegal immigrants have committed a crime and should be sent back to their home country. However, the reality is that the American government cannot easily get rid of them. Although it is said that they use up taxpayers money when they use tax-based resources, it would be so shortsighted to think that there’s no benefit from illegal immigrants. Perhaps the often-overlooked benefit that these immigrants contribute is in the spending aspect.
In the states near the US-Mexico border alone, the number of Hispanic illegal immigrants is said to be about 60% of the estimated total number of immigrants. This translates to millions of immigrants buying goods and services that add up to the consumption, which in turn drives up the economic activities in these states. If this persists, then businesses will expand, which in turn would lead to more job opportunities. On the other side of the coin, these illegal immigrants are perceived as threats to the American working class because the former are willing to work with lower wages.
This could serve as a ‘wake-up call’ for all Americans. We cannot blame Mexicans, Asians or Europeans for entering U.S. illegally because everyone is entitled for a better life.
70% of likely Arizona voters approve of the state’s new law authorizing police officers to inquire about an individual’s immigration status; only 23% oppose it (Rasmussen, April 2010).
They risk their lives crossing the borders and God knows what they have to sacrifice, leaving their family, friends and children behind just to work long hours in exchange of a low income. Crossing the border is never their choice. It is something that they had to do to provide better lives for their families. Why not look at it in a positive perspective? Illegal immigrants are a great help in the progress of the U.S. economy. They are a big part of the working and business sector. A lot of American families depend on these ‘illegal immigrants’ to take care of their young children and manage their household.
Illegal immigration should not be viewed as negative in itself. We should look at the both sides of the issue. And although there are concerns regarding crimes, drugs and prostitution that are connected to illegal immigrants, let us not generalize. Immigrants, illegal or not, have human rights.
Weighing the Illegal Immigration Pros and Cons
Thursday, July 15th, 2010 at
12:40 pm
Illegal immigration has been a hotly debated issue among political pundits for the perceived impact it has on the overall growth of the nation. Politicians, on the other hand, tend to detach themselves from the issue, as it is a very complex topic that can affect political careers. The fact that illegality is involved, there is this notion that nothing good can stem from it. However, given the complexity of issues, there is a need to weigh the illegal immigration pros and cons so as to know how to deal with the issues, one state at a time.
Every state faces the problem of burgeoning number of immigrants, with a certain percentage of these immigrants being considered as illegal. Immigration, in general, is not bad, it is when the word “illegal” is affixed to it that makes the entire issue so controversial. The simplest description is that of entering another country without proper permission. This means that the simple act of moving to another country has violated the immigration laws of that country.
U.S. voters agree with Arizona Governor Jan Brewer over President Obama on immigration policy, 55% to 34% (Rasmussen, June 2010).
With that being said, we no longer need to weigh the illegal immigration pros and cons because there are only cons in this issue. In the first place, it is tagged as ‘illegal’ and it may have its positive points, but the cons of illegal immigration are numerous and they are increasingly alarming.
Let’s look at the issue with an open mind – in many cases, Mexicans cross the border illegally in order to get to American soil and they are risking their lives just to have better opportunities in what they call ‘the promised land’. We feel for them, yes but that does not have to mean that we have to be lax and allow the situation to worsen.
A lot of people especially the illegal immigrants feel as if they are always victims of racial discrimination and harassment but are they really?
Aside from the risks involved in crossing the border, illegal immigrants cost taxpayers billions of dollars.
67% of U.S. voters say that military troops should be deployed to the Mexican border to prevent illegal immigration (Rasmussen, May 2010).
This situation drains the tax-based resources of the U.S. that are being utilized by staying in the country. In addition, they do not contribute to the economy because they do not pay income taxes.
Given that illegal immigrants are willing to accept low-income jobs, the overall demand for low wage jobs increases and this only hurts the middle class and the working class. A lot of you might say that we should be thankful to these illegal immigrants because they are accepting the jobs that Americans cannot and will never put up with; that they are willing to do ‘dirty jobs’ with low income. This is a false impression. They are getting the jobs that Americans can do and will do. Illegal immigrants are getting the jobs that are supposed to be for Americans and this fact leaves a lot of Americans unemployed.
Illegal immigration also encourages the production of fake documents, which is another major problem – the number of businesses that deal with fraud is continuously growing.
Immigration is natural and it is healthy for every nation. However, when you attach the word ‘illegal’ to immigration, now we have a problem.
Illegal Immigrants Pros: Are There Really?
Thursday, July 15th, 2010 at
12:39 pm
67% of likely voters believe illegal immigrants are a “significant strain” on the U.S. budget (Rasmussen, March 2010).
Based on estimates, there are approximately 20 million illegal immigrants in the US, and majority of them cross the US-Mexico border by various illegal and oftentimes inhumane means. Since there is a difficulty in tracking down the number of illegal aliens, the number can be more than what was estimated.
Let us enumerate the illegal immigrants pros:
- Most illegal immigrants are hard workers and they set a very positive example in terms of effective work ethic for those people who do not want to work and just depend support from social welfare. Also, they are being good role models as they strive hard for the families they have left in their country.
- Illegal immigrants help a lot in keeping the economy moving, as they are willing to fill up those low-income jobs.
- It produces a pool of customers and consumers for a mixture of services and goods.
- Farmers are given the chance to plant and reap in a lot cheaper price.
- Illegal immigrants also contribute to social security fund and most of the time their contributions go unclaimed.
- Those who own properties are also required to pay real estate tax.
- Thousands if not millions of illegal immigrants rent apartments and properties even in depressed locations, producing income to apartment owners.
- These illegal immigrants open their bank accounts, which generate dividends and interest to bankers.
And the list goes on and on. However, these illegal immigrants pros are not enough to let them enter U.S. and allow them to get the jobs that are supposed to be for the legal citizens of the country. The mere fact that they are called ‘illegal’ immigrants, there are really no pros – only cons. Since they do not have legal documents, they have no insurance and if they cause any accident, they do not have insurance policies.
66% of Americans believe that the U.S. “should not make it easier for illegal immigrants to become citizens” (CNN, April 2010).
Most communities with a lot of illegal immigrants have to deal with problems such as drugs and crimes. According to statistics, a large percentage of crimes all over the United States are caused by illegal immigrants – and this percentage continues to increase each year.
Illegal immigrants bring down the system of education and they also cause the value of properties to decrease. Today, the news is all about crimes, illegal transactions and drug smuggling – and most of these incidents are related to illegal immigrants. Additionally, ‘anchor babies’ even have the opportunity to have free education, which overburdens the school system. We cannot deny the fact that illegal immigration has positive effects but just as the same, its negative implications are a serious fact and if the United States will continue to be lax regarding this issue, there will be an uncontrolled increase in population, crime rate and spread of disease.
If an American talks about illegal immigrants in a negative way, most immigrants will probably bring up ‘racism’. Racial discrimination or not, we are just talking about the facts – that illegal immigrants are ILLEGAL and the government has got to do something about it. We wouldn’t want to wake up one day and be the ones to be kicked out by these illegal aliens, would we?
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