Another look at illegal immigration
Dick Little
Article Launched: 04/24/2007 01:00:00 AM PDT


Do the words, "illegal alien" bother you? Some alarming statistics might get you to pause and ponder this problem. According to the Los Angeles Times, 40 percent of the workers in Los Angeles County are working for cash and not paying any direct taxes.

That translates to nearly 5 million people. (The newspaper also reports 300,000 of the "illegal" population live in garages).

To put this into perspective, 70 percent of the annual growth rate in this country (90 percent in California, Florida, and New York) comes from outside the country The Times also says 95 percent of the warrants issued for suspected murders are for illegal aliens. Seventy five percent of the people on the most wanted list from the Los Angeles Police Department are here illegally. More than two-thirds of the births in the county are to illegal aliens on Medi-Cal, which are paid for by all of us.

In the county, 5.1 million people speak English while 3.9 million speak only Spanish. Twenty five percent of all inmates in California's overcrowded detention centers are Mexican citizens in this state illegally. Half of the gang members in the county are living here illegally.

Sixty percent of the occupants of federally funded housing are also "illegals." Among those picking crops in L.A. Country only two percent are illegals. (The overwhelming number of those working in our fields are either citizens or have work visas. In other words they are here legally.)

The Times quotes Rice University professor, Donald Huddle's conclusions that immigration is costing taxpayers $70 billion, after subtracting taxes paid by immigrants minus services used.

He concludes, "the lifetime fiscal impact for the average adult illegal immigrant is a negative number." He also reports 29 percent of inmates in federal prisons are "illegals."

Under our present laws, so-called "minority" immigrants can come to this country and receive "preferences" in jobs, education, and government contracts. (Some refer to this as "racial privilege.") Under present law, the Japanese emperor and Mexico's president could come to this country and be immediately eligible for handouts not available to immigrants from Europe because they are not "minorities."

The newspaper also reports Mexico regularly intercedes on the side of the defense in criminal cases involving illegal immigrants from their country. (According to published reports, "illegals" from Mexico send home $19 billion a year, which props up Mexico's very weak economy, so Mexico ignores the problem).

The New York Times reported more than 10 years ago the influx of legal immigrants from South-east Asia (mostly Vietnamese) were receiving welfare, compared to eight percent of households nationwide.

We had to let the Vietnamese in because we bungled the Vietnam War which allowed North Viet-nam to swallow up the country. (Many of the refugees who got out would have been killed by the invaders from the North had they remained). The Wall Street Jour-nal reported more than 10 years ago law enforcement officials were concerned about the Asian gangs claiming they posed the "greatest criminal challenge" to this country.

Now that focus is on Mexican gangs. In this country, money talks, leaving everything else behind -- which is why our government will not do anything. The two major parties would lose cash flow if there is a crackdown.

Democrats pick up lots of votes and workers from the alien population, particularly those from south of the border.

Many Republican contributors utilize the labor of illegal immigrants because they work for less than American workers and for the most part work harder with fewer complaints.

The result: neither party wants to tackle this problem. That's the real dilemma behind the illegal immigrant challenge. Both sides benefit from the influx, and if they back away, a major source of revenue disappears from their political coffers. So they sit on their hands hoping the problem will fix itself. In the meantime, the rest of us have to pay for medical care and welfare for people are here illegally.

Our country has always had a soft heart for immigrants fleeing from tyrannical dictators. How-ever, Mexico does not have that type of person running their government. Inept maybe, corrupt (by our standards) maybe, but not a tyrant in the classical sense of the word. (Hitler and Stalin, for example, were tyrants). According to the Times, the overwhelming majority of "illegals" from south of the border are not picking our crops (the data shows only two percent are working in the fields). However, 29 percent of the illegal population from Mexico is on welfare.

Bottom line: the cost to taxpayers was a net $70 billion according to Donald Hubble, an economist with Rice University.

The "lifetime impact" (taxes paid minus services used) for the average adult illegal immigrant from Mexico, is a "negative number according to Hubble. Twenty nine percent of the people in federal prisons are illegal immigrants from Mexico.

On the other hand, a huge throng of Mexicans living in this country (unknown how many are legal, as opposed to illegal) took to the streets in Los Angeles de-manding amnesty for illegals. They can come here and we say in this America, you have a right to demonstrate against any grievance. However, it makes more sense if they stay home, and rally for their rights in their own country.

Our government should convince "illegals" to return to Mexico and help turn that country turn itself around before they come here and demand we change our laws so they can fit it in.

If all of the so-called illegals in this country returned to challenge their government, then life for all people south of the border would be enhanced. Because of massive corruption in Mexico, the next election is likely to produce another Hugo Chavez, who now controls Venezuela.

Now that's even scarier than our growing illegal alien population.

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Dick Little is a Paradise resident who also contributes to a local Npr station.
http://www.paradisepost.com/columns/ci_5735078