Millions of illegals aren't a crisis

[Brian503a]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com

Millions of illegals aren't a crisis
By Bill Steigerwald
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, July 30, 2006

Is illegal immigration the national crisis it's been whipped up to be?

If you listened only to the Tom Tancredos, Pat Buchanans and Lou Dobbses of the world, you'd think we are about to have our economy ruined, our culture subsumed and our fiscal future bankrupted by the 11 million to 20 million illegal immigrants living, working and hiding among us.

But Tony Snow, the upbeat conservative pundit-turned-presidential-press-secretary, and the libertarians at Reason magazine don't buy into that immigration doomsday.

While acknowledging the obvious socioeconomic problems illegal immigrants cause, Snow argues in a column that immigration -- legal and illegal -- "is not the pox neo-Know Nothings make it out to be."

Snow's column is part of Reason's current package of pro-immigration essays, "Immigration Now, Immigration Tomorrow, Immigration Forever," which is sprinkled with some facts about illegal immigrants often drowned out by the political hype and semi-hysteria:

Percentage of illegal immigrants who got here by jumping the Mexican or Canadian border: 60. Percent who overstayed their tourist or educational visas: 40.

Percent of illegals who are unemployed: 5.5. Percent who pay income taxes, Social Security and Medicare: 66. Percent who send their children to public schools: 10. Percent who receive food stamps or unemployment assistance: 5. Percent of Latino households that are Spanish-free by the third generation: 80.

Researcher-analyst Steve Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors "a pro-immigrant, low immigration vision," says some of these Reason statistics are a little off. Camarota uses the figure 55 percent for illegals who pay payroll taxes, for instance, and he seriously doubts that only 10 percent of illegals send their kids to public school.

Camarota has estimated that illegals create a net annual benefit of $7 billion for Social Security and Medicare together. "But," he says, "here's the kicker: They impose a drain on the rest of the federal budget of $17 billion for a net drain of $10 billion." The big question is whether they use Medicaid, he says, "and most of them do."

Reason uses its facts to argue for an efficient, humane, freedom-oriented system that would allow Latino immigrants and others to come, work, pay taxes, easily cross and recross our borders or pursue full-time citizenship.

As long as immigration is run by a government agency, which means it'll be politicized and bureaucratized, and as long as we have our welfare state, that hope is just another libertarian pipe dream, of course.

Meanwhile, it's still a free country -- pretty much.

You can rail about the fact that illegal immigrants broke the law to get into the USA or about the horror of having to hear those Spanish phone messages. You can lose sleep worrying that 32 Latino radicals somewhere in California aim to re-conquer the Southwest for Mexico or that illegals are costing taxpayers $10 billion a year -- in a $2.57 trillion federal budget.

You can even send your congressman an e-mail demanding that we start searching house to house for illegals, erect a gazillion-dollar fence on our southern border and start issuing new ID cards so every employer can become a private-sector immigration cop.

But with the economy growing, unemployment almost nonexistent and crime at 20-year lows, just don't call our immigration problem a national crisis.

Bill Steigerwald can be reached at bsteigerwald@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7983.

[MW]

But with the economy growing, unemployment almost nonexistent and crime at 20-year lows, just don't call our immigration problem a national crisis.

These things are happening in spite of illegal immigration not results from it! What an idiot.

[sawdust]

They just can't accept the fact that ordinary people are not total idiots.

[ALIPAC]

Is that the best you got Tony Snow and crew?

Get off of the train tracks little boys there is a train a comin! That train is the American public. Have they forgotten that the "restrictionists" eventually won each time immigration got out of control in the past?

They forget the fact that millions of these illegals hate our guts, think we are racist, and blame us for lost land and genocide.

The Tony Snow's of the worlds speak of them as happy go lucky gardeners and chefs here to cater to us.

That 10 billion lost on the Federal level is nothing compared to the tens of billions being lost when you add in the costs to the states, counties, and cities.

I guess the 25 Americans killed per day by illegals we know of are also justified in their minds as well.

It's time to start going after the companies and the Tony Snow's of the world.

How much they paying ya to sell out your nation Tony?

W

[Brian503a]

I was able to get a hold of the article this idiot mentioned and posted in the thread below.

Immigration Now, Immigration Tomorrow, Immigration Forever

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... ic&t=36232

[reptile09]

Gee, I wonder why they never mention the percentages of prison inmates that are illegal aliens?

I wonder why they never mention the numbers of hospitals that have been bankrupted and closed due to treating illegal aliens?

I wonder why they never mention the failing of our education system due to the masses of illegal alien children who don't speak English destroying the educational opportunities for the rest of the legal resident's children?

I wonder why they never mention the numbers of Mexicans, both legal and illegal who get welfare, MediCare, food stamps or other social services benefits?

I wonder why they never mention the numbers of illegal aliens resposible for the thousands rapes, molestations, murders, carjackings, car thefts, gang crimes, etc.?

Oh yeah, those things don't fit in with their agenda that all illegal aliens are honest, hard working, law abiding, salt of the earth, good hearted folks, who never commit criems or use public services, therefore they don't exist in their feeble minds.

[AlturaCt]

Is that the best you got Tony Snow and crew?

What do you expect from Mr Traffic Ticket?

They never seem to mention much the effect on our American culture or way of life either. Of course to "multiculturalist" it is insignificant and to be disdained anyway.

Like here:

or about the horror of having to hear those Spanish phone messages. You can lose sleep worrying that 32 Latino radicals somewhere in California aim to re-conquer the Southwest for Mexico

[hope2006]

Maybe William can publish in the local newspaper - this will attract people .
If Alipac expresses itself in media - this will help people to understand what they are facing better , something like Alipac column - to summarize the latest news and events - something like FAQ for William with many links .
If it starts with local newspapers - it can be moved further to national papers too .
The media is still very biased now , people have to learn more about the issue .
But I see everyday that people are slowly waking up to the fact that their country is in danger
And William has excellent debating skills , perfect English , he can present the topic and the facts the way only a deaf and blind person would not get it .
Also , I have not seen something similar to Alipac so far .
There are other anti-illegal sites , Minutemen , etc
But none of them is organized the way that includes everything like here -

1.constantly updated articles
2.unbiased info
3. huge storage of data , links etc
4.continuous development and improvement of the site
5.opportunity to grow , practice debating skills and to help the country as much as each of us is capable of

I think that if William can manage the business of Alipac with such a success , he will be successful in any endeavour he undertakes
We are running out of time - media is pushing the pro-illegal ways non-stop , trying to hypnotize the public , prior to the elections .
I think media is a good way to go next .
Any ideas ?

[Darlene]

This joke of a journalist Bill Steigerwald is the worst that the Trib. can come up with. I think the only reason they publish his articles are that his Brother is a Sports writer for Pittsburgh and pretty popular. Everything he writes is usually not researched well at all. In other words “he stinks”.