Thread: Following the Money & Passing the Buck

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Following the Money & Passing the Buck
USA/Barbara Anderson
January 14, 2006 - Estimates of the number of illegal aliens in the country range from ten million to twenty million (Bear Stearns estimate). Americans who object to this influx are presented with a “fait accompli� by apologists for illegal immigration, who say that it would be impossible to deport that many and that we need to accommodate them and make them legal. Some of the apologists have much to gain from such a stance. Some are making money from the illegal aliens who use goods and services just as citizens do. Others are deriving power from voters they perceive will favor the legalization of their countrymen.

From birth to death, illegals use goods and services. Some pregnant women cross our southern border to get into this country in time to give birth, thereby having “anchor babies� who are entitled to citizenship just because they have been born here. Since most of them are poor, they avail themselves of hospital care, using it as primary care, and then later as they give birth. Taxpayers pay for this care, ultimately.

Schooling comes next. Beginning with Headstart, children use services paid for by taxpayers. An education has been guaranteed for all children, whether they are here legally or not. This means that they are afforded English as a Second Language teachers, psychologists, translators, and, if they feel their “rights� have been abridged, attorneys. The taxpayer pays.

Some states, such as California, have given in-state tuition opportunities to illegals. That means that if you are a citizen from Hawaii, for instance, and want to go to a California college or university, you pay several thousand dollars more than if you were a resident of California. However, if you are a non-citizen, you may be eligible for the lower in-state tuition. University of California undergraduates pay $6,802 while non-residents pay $24,106. Since college slots are limited, citizens may find themselves crowded out of a college education by non-citizens who do not have to pay the higher tuition.

Low-wage earners in this country illegally cannot support a family any better than a citizen can, so they turn to our generous safety net of social welfare benefits. Nobody may ask if they are citizens when they apply for benefits. When the Mexican consulate held a day to issue Matricula Consular cards to illegals in Oregon, for instance, state agencies were invited, and attended, to direct them to services available to them. Oregon is one of the states that only requires a minimum of identification to get drivers’ licenses. When you get a driver’s license you may also sign up to vote. Nobody asks if you are here legally. State agencies justify their budgets and solidify their power when they serve more people.

For many years those from south of the border came mainly as temporary crop harvesters. They either rotated from area to area or returned home during the down time for crop harvesting. More are establishing homes now and moving up the wage ladder to other jobs, such as hospitality industry workers, building trades workers, other craftsmen jobs, and owning their own businesses. After they use the benefits available to them, they send whatever money they may have saved home to Mexico.

Last year the money sent home to Mexico was 20 Billion dollars. That was 20 Billion dollars taken from the American economy and sent out of the country. Those dollars did not buy clothing, cars, appliances, and other goods from American businesses. Mexico’s President Vincente Fox opposes every effort by the U.S. to stem the flow of his poor people into this country. No wonder. Those poor people send back into his economy billions of dollars, outpacing even the tourist dollars and second only to oil money in his economy.

Businesses such as Wells Fargo and Western Union have profited greatly from serving illegals. Transmissions may be made through these companies, who charge a fee for it, of course. Meanwhile, the leaders of the Chamber of Commerce lobby for illegal workers for their members. It is good for their members’ bottom lines but costly for the taxpayers who have to subsidize those workers. Lending institutions have tapped into this market to enrich their bottom lines.

From birth to death, illegal immigrants affect the policies of the American government. In June of 2004 , the present administration signed a Totalization Agreement with Mexico. This agreement would allow some immigrant workers, legal and illegal, to have the same Social Security benefits as citizens of the U.S. Totalization agreements have been made with other countries whose living standards are more in tune with ours. It is a reciprocal agreement that allows workers to avoid having to pay into two social security plans. However, in the case of Mexico, their standard of living is such that we would be giving vastly more than we receive in reciprocity. Mexicans who contribute to their country’s social security only get back what they paid, plus interest, while low wage earners in the U.S. get back substantially more than they put into Social Security. Adding in the dependents involved, this agreement would be disastrous. The agreement would ensure that those who came here illegally, but contributed to Social Security, would be eligible if amnesty were granted and they were made legal. Every day we hear that our Social Security system is going broke. This Totalization Agreement would be like throwing anchors on a sinking ship.

When concerned citizens protest to their governments, local, state and federal, they are likely to hear that it isn’t their problem. Some states are even “sanctuary� states where local policemen may not ask the citizen status of those they apprehend for suspected crime. Local police usually know their “beat� and know who belong to the vicious gangs springing up in many cities. They may not ask the status of any of these gang members when they come into contact with them. All the way from governors to the local council, they declare that this is a federal matter and they can’t do anything about it. However, some are finally doing something about it, now that it is getting more costly and painful to ignore the problems than to act. They are no longer saying that it is a federal problem. Still, too many are waiting for the federal government to do something, while their hospitals are closing because of the mandate they have to treat everyone who comes in, legal or not. Schools are overflowing and the school boards are asking for money, always more money. The courts are full of people who can’t speak English and require translators, all at taxpayer expense. Jail space is taken up by felons who break other laws than just coming into the country illegally.

Great demand is on utilities. Water is getting scarcer, especially in the Southwest, and will need careful management. Brownouts are common in California now. The capacity of roads and highways is being stressed, prompting municipalities to build more. Prudent planning is a thing of the past. Nobody can predict with accuracy how many people will be in the United States next month or next year, since we have no way of even knowing who is really here.

The nearest thing we have to an accounting of population is the U.S. Census. The census is used to allocate seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, no effort is being made to separate illegal from legal in these counts. Because the census determines how many representatives a state may send to Congress, those states with a heavy influx of illegals will be able to have extra seats. Those with less population will receive fewer representatives. Thus, illegal immigrants affect our voting tradition of “one man, one vote�, since that one man may not even be a citizen of the United States.

When you hear advocates of legalization for illegal aliens speaking, it is well to examine their potential advantage in such a legalization. Will it get more votes? Will it enrich their bottom lines to have low wage earners here? Also, when you hear elected officials and law enforcement personnel say they have no power to affect illegal immigration, and that it is a federal responsibility, you can be sure they are passing the buck. All take an oath to this country to uphold all its laws, not just the ones it is convenient to uphold.

Great article and right on the money.

CHILLINGLY SO.

If people here are boycotting Aruba and not vacationing there, we should start a boycott of American's vacationing in Mexico....

How about spreading the word?

Good idea! I wouldn't go back myself if someone gave me a FREE TRIP. I HATED Cancun. It was the HOTTEST place I've ever been and those people REFUSED TO SPEAK ENGLISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!