Posted on 01/10/2004 6:13:48 AM PST by from this machine
The following letter was received by the heroic Congressman, Tom Tancredo, and posted on his site as part of 'Tom's Mailbag'...
My story.
I live in a world where I do not count. I am White. I am poor. I don't have coalitions rallying for what I feel is important. I don't have news reporters writing about "poor me". But, I have views. I vote. I pay taxes. And, I know there are millions of people in America just like me.
I live next to a shelter built by politicians who are afraid to have an opinion about closing the border. Daily, 1,500 illegal Mexicans visit that shelter. It was supposed to keep these "poor" people from urinating and defecating on the streets. It didn't. If I defecated on the street, I would get fined.
My home and vehicles have been broken into 22 times in 5 years. I stopped calling the police each time now, because they don't come anyway. Instead, we bought a gun. Scared off the last illegal trying to steal our truck. He knew enough English to say, "Sorry", as we pointed it at him. 3 months later, we still have a towel over the smashed driver's side window. Last week, I was ordered to pay a $85.00 fine for a false alarm. Police showed up for THAT hearing. The police couldn't find any criminal at my home when my home alarm sounded. I am curious how long police think bad guys "hang around" after an alarm has been triggered.
When I was rear ended in my car, the policeman said I would have to wait while he called for back -up. My baby was screaming. The police had no film in the camera. The back- up police had no fingerprinting ink, or film. The illegal had an ID, but the police said there was nothing that could be done. The illegal would just get another fake ID and would never show for court. He didn't have insurance. The illegal who hit me said, "Sorry", as he was walking away. He was free to go. I was free to pay the deductible on my car, and the chiropractor bills for my children and myself. If I drove without insurance and hurt someone or their possessions, I would be forced to pay for the damages.
My husband works 6 days a week as a framing contractor. He pays FICA, Social Security, State taxes, Federal taxes, General liability insurance, Workman's comp insurance, and probably others that I don't remember. His Workman's Comp. just skyrocketed from $5,000 per year, to $28,000 per year. Now I ask you... WHERE are we to come up with an extra $23,000? We had NO CLAIMS! Should I take it from my food budget? We often go weeks without meat! Should it come from our clothing budget? We buy our clothes at thrift sales and Savers. How about our entertainment account? Does seeing a movie every month qualify?
My home insurance costs me $100.00 more yearly because I live on a border state. How long until Kansas becomes a border state?
I have had no medical insurance for years and years. I can't afford it. At 33, I got cancer. My doctor told me to go to ACCHS. I don't remember how to spell the state's medical system, since they declined me. My husband 's company had no profit in 6 months, due to theft, and lack of laws at the time to force general contractor's to pay . Without studying my receipts, I was declined. Interesting that the hundreds of illegal Mexicans standing in line, were being given food stamps, and medical care. They did not have social security numbers, and did not speak English. If you don't believe me, look at the application DES uses yourself, spend 5 minutes at DES and remind yourself why you pay taxes. You won't leave smiling.
Taxes. We fell behind 1 year. I contacted IRS and told them we want to make arrangements to pay. We now show the IRS EVERY thing we buy. From tampons to chewing gum-they see the receipt. For the next year, we will be scrutinized. For the next 5 years we will be audited. Maybe I should never have "done the right thing" and told them. Maybe I should change my name to Garcia.
My son cries nightly because his legs and arms hurt. He has cried for almost 7 years. My husband often walks on one leg because his back and leg pain is almost unbearable. Monthly, I have mini strokes. During those times, I lose the ability to speak well, and have seizures until I lose consciousness . We don't really know what is wrong with any of us. We may never know. WE can't afford a doctor. God forbid we need emergency services. 30% of the time, hospitals are on divert status, because there is no room. The illegals take their kids to ERs for colds and sore throats. I would only go if I lost a limb, or my heart gave out.
2 years ago, I announced to my family there would be no turkey for Thanksgiving. We would eat pasta and be thankful we were a family. My Catholic friend made arrangements for me to get a food box from her church. I went, reluctantly. I drove up in my broken old van, and saw a lot full of new (stickers still attached), suburbans. My van was the worst vehicle there, and it hit me that I really was poor! I stood in line for 20 minutes amazed at the number of Mexicans taking box after box of food. When it was my turn, I had to show ID. I was told to leave. There wasn't enough food for me to take a box. I looked around- there were boxes of food everywhere! For a minute I forgot I was White, and in their eyes, not deserving.
At church, our pastor reminds us to stay hopeful. I struggle to make sense of a system that has taken from me, and given to those who have more than I do.
Who will be my voice? Where is my coalition? I thought it was the leaders of America. I was wrong. They have sold out me and millions like me out. What's worse...I don't know why.
_____
Rep Tom Tancredo
DC Office 1130 Longworth HOB Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-7882
District Office 6099 South Quebec St., Suite 200 Centennial, CO 80111-4547 (720) 283-9772
Nice. One law-breaker whining about another. How pathetic. Hilarious letter though.
Are we all doomed?
Hear, hear. The ever-present whining around FR has become deafening lately.
The economy/jobs | 35% |
Iraq | 17 |
Terrorism | 10 |
Health Care | 4 |
Medicare/ prescription Drugs |
4 |
Education | 3 |
Immigration/ illegal aliens |
2 |
Social Security | 2 |
Taxes | 2 |
Budget Deficit | 1 |
Other | 5 |
None | 6 |
Not sure | 9 |
2%? Wow... big issue.
Taxes. We fell behind 1 year. Nice. One law-breaker whining about another. How pathetic. Hilarious letter though.
It is not against the law to not have enough money to pay your tax bill. You're mean, Texas Dawg.
In fact, average Americans working in agriculture down there have to take out special insurance policies in case they get kidnapped for ransom.
Kidnapping Americans must be getting to be quite the growth industry in Latin America.
why, because they would rather not hire whites? or because the Mexicans show up and do the job?
If there were equal amounts of willing, white workers available, would the contractors still prefer to hire Mexican workers?
How's the bottom of that barrel, Tom?
ok, so, if a contractor says to himself, 'these mexicans will get the job done,' it would be wrong to hire them? It would be racist to think that?
If they work better (i.e. dependable, work as instructed, work competently) than Americans of comparable age and physical makeup locally available, why wouldn't anyone want to hire them?
Should the business man handicap himself by hiring the American vs. the Mexican with the green card?
the market is too smart to let something that isn't productive go on for too long.
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