Stealing jobs is a poor work ethic

The Washington Times
November 17, 2009 Tuesday

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's statement - "that," as The Washington Times puts it, "the federal government has done its work and now it's time for Congress to pass a broad bill to legalize illegal immigrants" - is pure sophistry ("Immigration bill promoted for 2010," E-Edition, Page 1, Saturday).

There are still tens of thousands of illegal immigrants flooding into our country annually.

According to the Department of Labor, 16 million American workers are looking for jobs.

Our jobless rate is 10.2 percent nationally and 12.3 percent here in California.

Many of these figures apply to unskilled and less-educated Americans who are forced to compete with illegal immigrants for the same jobs.

It is unconscionable that 5.4 percent (according to the Pew Hispanic Center) of our work force comprises 8.3 million illegal immigrants, who take jobs that should be taken by millions of less-educated, low-skilled Americans.

No American should be jobless while millions of illegal immigrants remain employed.

According to a variety of sources, the net cost of illegal immigration to California is $8.9 billion annually.

That is one-third of the state's $26.3 billion budget deficit.

Why should we legalize millions of illegal immigrants who have few skills and little education while displacing Americans from the work force and siphoning off our taxes from urgent needs?

It is beyond all rational comprehension that Ms. Napolitano can't understand why her amnesty objectives will keep Americans jobless in order that millions of illegal immigrants can keep their jobs.

MICHAEL SCOTT

Glendora, Calif.

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