Illegals destroying community, quality of life

[Skippy]

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/ ... 0816a.html

Illegals destroying community, quality of life

By ROBERT J. KERNS
For AJC Gwinnett News
Published on: 08/16/06

A recent column asked readers, "How does illegal immigration affect you?" (AJC Gwinnett Opinions, Aug. 11). Here is one reader's response:

This is how illegal imigration has affected me and my family.

I believe strongly that I am not the only one experiencing these situations. People of our country need to know what is happening to our livelihood, schools and neighborhoods.

The value of my home, based on current sales, has fallen almost 20 percent. As I drive through my subdivision, I make a mental note of the new graffiti on traffic signs and fences, the old, unregistered and abandoned cars, beer bottles and cans from the night before's drinking fest, six to eight vehicles parked at 60 percent of the homes, trash strewn about front lawns, swing sets and play houses in front yards, homes that have weathered and peeling paint, business vehicles (irrigation companies, pest control companies, welding companies) parked in the driveways, vehicles parked on front lawns, garage doors half open with sheets, blankets and shower curtains hanging to divide the garage into bedrooms for the "other family members," eight children playing in one yard and living in the house with three adult females and four adult males.

Then there is the constant carrying of building supplies — drywall and framing lumber — being brought into the house to divide the family room or living room into more bedrooms or divide a master bedroom to provide at least one more sleeping area. I have been inside of these houses and seen this for myself.

My daughter plays with the children every once in a while. When I come to the house to get her, I ask myself, "Wow, this house is the same as mine, but I have three bedrooms and they have six. How did they fit six bedrooms in 1,500 square feet of living space?"

On a designated Saturday every two to three months, our block captains pass out fliers to all 140 homes notifying the residents in both English and Spanish that there is a "block party" and to bring your own brooms, rakes, gloves and trash bags to do a clean sweep of the entire subdivision. Turnout is usually just the block captains, while the other residents sit on the front stairs or peek out windows covered with blankets to see why we are walking on their lawn, as we sweep through the neighborhood picking up the trash they leave in their own front yards.

As we move through, picking up trash and sweeping or raking the gutters, my daughter, 10, and I wonder if it is really worth it, because it is Saturday, and it is inevitable that there will be a group of men that evening who speak no English, standing in a driveway drinking beer and throwing empty cans and bottles in the road. Those bottles break, forcing me to do daily tire inspections on my vehicles, and the cans are left there until the next "block party."

The men laugh as cars drive by and they hear the crunching of glass and maybe even a "phwet, phwet, phwet" sound as the cars move on, leaking air out of tires. They have put a cardboard box from a case of beer in the middle of the road. As I approach in my car, they are watching me. I stop just as I get to the box and they begin to laugh as I get out of my car and move the box, which is full of empties. About 20 minutes later, I return from the store and the box is there, in the middle of the road again. The men are standing around, drinking beer, and begin laughing as I pull up and get out to move it.

Every day, as I drive through my neighborhood, I encounter a small group of children and teenagers, mostly Hispanic, walking in the middle of the street. They turn to look at me and keep walking, not even bothering to move to the side of the road, so I am unable to drive around them. It has taken as much as five minutes to follow them 100 yards until I reach my cul-de-sac. I realize pedestrians have the right of way, but this is carrying the law too far. What have the parents been teaching these children, I ask myself?

Some of the lawns have not been mowed for three months. Weeds and grass are more than waist high. No lawn work has been done since they moved in. Not even leaves from the past fall have been raked. Weeds have been allowed to thrive curbside on a curve, blocking the view of drivers until they have to swerve into an oncoming vehicle to avoid missing a woman and toddler and infant in a carriage. Dogs are not kept in fenced yards or on leashes. Everything from pit bulls to mutts roam free, and at times they chase children and adults.

I have witnessed no less than four accidents in the past month, all involving Hispanic males or females. A few months ago, I was parked in a parking lot and a Hispanic woman backed out of her spot, hitting me, knocking me to one side then hitting my vehicle and causing $4,000 worth of damage. When I said I was calling the police, the male passenger said he could fix my vehicle for $1,000. Wait a minute! Why should I pay him to fix something that was the fault of someone else? I called the police.

The Gwinnett County officer arrived and checked licenses, registrations and insurance cards — but only mine because the driver of the other vehicle could not speak English, nor did she have a license, registration or insurance card. Because this was on private property, a strip mall parking lot, the officer could not write a ticket.

I still wonder why the officer allowed the driver to drive away, and he was right behind the vehicle at fault, following her for a block on a county/state road then turning off. Yes, the officer turned off without stopping the driver and arresting her for not having the documents required to be legally driving on a public road in any state!

On several occasions in the grocery store, I have witnessed purchases with food stamps by non-English-speaking Hispanics who are passing these welfare stamps from one adult to another, five total, to get enough to make one adult's purchase. I walk out to the parking lot as three of the five drive off in a new Navigator, a one-year old Escalade, and a new Suburban. None of the vehicles had Georgia license plates, in fact none had valid plates. The Navigator had a cardboard tag that said. "TAGG APPLYED FR, JUENE 16," the Escalade had a piece of cardboard that said, " LOSTED TAGG NU APPLYED FOR."

This may all sound like I am prejudiced or a bigot. I assure you I am not. I was raised better than that, and my life would sound like a world tour to some and a lifetime of adventure to others, as I made friends all over the world, friends of many different races and religions. I am for immigration, but only legal immigration by people who are ready to accept our laws, way of living, respect our nation and learn English.

I know a large number of these people are not here legally. They buy houses using tax IDs, then either ignore our laws or think they do not apply to them. They can't speak, read or write English. They have lowered the integrity of our schools, brought in gangs and trashed our neighborhoods.

They should be on notice, however. I will report them.

Here is a suggestion for the Gwinnett County Board of Education. Start a one-year mandatory course in English. If a child cannot read or write, in English, at their grade level, then the only class they attend for their first year in our school system is "Learning the English Language" for six hours a day during that first year. Once they show proficiency in the English language, they may then attend classes with other English-speaking children. I firmly believe this direction would be better then placing them in classes and making them take mandatory tests that result in poorer school ratings.

There are some good illegal immigrants here. Those are the ones who obey the laws, work, pay taxes and don't buy a house in my neighborhood for three or more generations of their family and learn how to speak, read, and write the language of our country, English.

Maybe this is all because our government doesn't care and won't enforce the laws, I don't know!

But my wife and I hold two of the votes that may or may not be for our lawmakers. Show us that you deserve the votes. Take action against the illegal immigration that is turning our nation backward in time.

[crazybird]

Great article.......shame that's the absolute truth they are refusing to see.

[sippy]

There are some good illegal immigrants here. Those are the ones who obey the laws, work, pay taxes and don't buy a house in my neighborhood for three or more generations of their family and learn how to speak, read, and write the language of our country, English

How can they be 'good' illegal immigrants if they broke the law getting here? and they are not obeying the laws by being and staying here illegaly.

[jimpasz]

"
fit six bedrooms in 1,500 square feet of living"

These are breeding rooms, nice when they have 6 cars or vans parked all over the grass, driveway,street. The loud music and late night drinking does push more Americans to sell there homes and move. Building permit? Drivers license? respect for neighbors? "fagetaboutit"

They are good about putting the trash out, any day of the week so by the time pick up day comes its all over the neighborhood. no need to bring the barrel back in it stays at the curb.

Dogs are another favorite yard accessory, never cared for or cleaned up after.