Immigration letter by Rep. Honda is pure propaganda

In the July 13 opinion letters of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, Rep. Mike Honda and Rosario Dawson suggested an immigration reform path ("Immigration reform needs a path to citizenship"). Their letter was so full of left-wing ideology it serves as pure propaganda, and nothing more. The Arizona Senate Bill 1070 specifically does not allow law enforcement to "stop, question, detain and report based on suspicion etc. ... " but as a liberal bureaucrat, I wouldn't expect that you have read the bill. The Arizona bill details that before law enforcement can inquire legal status they must already be engaged in another police matter. Are you concerned about potential "illegals" having to show ID? I must show ID when pulled over by police, making purchases with credit card, at a doctor's appointment, filling out credit applications, applying for a driver's license renewal, when updating a passport, college applications, donating blood or boarding an airplane or train.

If you "understand" Arizona's desire to initiate immigration reform, then you must also understand Arizona's and most Americans frustration with the feds' failure to implement even the minimum border control. How can a state law that mirrors the federal law interfere with the feds' obligatory duty? Seems to me that Arizona ought to be thanked for helping the feds do their job. Do you believe federal law trumps state law? If so, as a California bureaucrat, how do you explain California's legal marijuana sales? It's still illegal according to federal law.

Yes, lots of Americans immigrated (not all, as you claim—some Americans are born here, you know). But the immigrants I know of, including my parents, immigrated "legally" without breaking the law. You mentioned that if immigrants could "come out" they could pursue higher pay jobs and pay more taxes, etc. And are you aware in 2006, illegal aliens sent home to their countries of origin $45 billion in remittances? How much of that was in taxpayer-provided dollars?

Yes, Arizona has a huge debt, so does California, that you and your party contributed in helping bankrupt.

You think the Arizona law will push illegals into the shadows? Where are they now, even with "so called" sanctuary cities. Your comment that the Arizona bill takes us away from American ideals? Oh yeah? When did breaking our immigration laws become an American ideal?

As you mentioned the Japanese internment, you failed to remind readers that it was your party's hero, FDR, that initiated such a plan.

In this time of state bankruptcy, I would remind voters $11 billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year by state governments. So let's quit piling on debt for our children and grandchildren, please.

Peter Azzarelli

and another....
It is a pity that you allowed yourself to be used by the Obama propaganda machine to publish the disgraceful White House mass mailing ("Immigration reform needs a path to citizenship," letter by Rep. Mike Honda and Rosario Dawson, July 13). The letter intentionally misrepresents the Arizona anti-illegal immigration statute, makes hysterical and nonsensical comparisons, and is an insult to your readers.

Cynics among us expect politicians to lie. Idealists among us expect the press to call them on it. Shame on you.

Marc van Niekerk