Posted on 03/30/2006 10:44:15 PM PST by ncountylee
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Illegal immigration seems to have spawned a dreary debate about the merits of Mexicans, when it should be drawing attention instead to a very different matter: how to build on the luster and wonder of the American dream.
Immigration is not the pox neo-Know Nothings make it out to be. Begin with the astounding influx of illegal immigrants, the vast majority of whom hail from Mexico. While the population includes an eye-popping number of crooks, drug-dealers and would-be welfare sponges, it also provides a helpful prop for sustaining American economic growth and cultural dynamism.
Princeton University sociologist Douglas S. Massey reports that 62 percent of illegal immigrants pay income taxes (via withholding) and 66 percent contribute to Social Security. Forbes magazine notes that Mexican illegals aren't clogging up the social-services system: only 5 percent receive food stamps or unemployment assistance; 10 percent send kids to public schools.
On the work front, Hispanic unemployment has tumbled to 5.5 percent, only slightly above the national average of 4.7 percent and considerably lower than the black unemployment rate of 9.3 percent. Economist Larry Kudlow praises Hispanic entrepreneurship: "According to 2002 Census Bureau data, Hispanics are opening businesses at a rate three times faster than the national average. In addition, there were almost 1.6 million Hispanic-owned businesses generating $222 billion in revenue in 2002."
Skeptics counter that immigrants have clogged our hospitals, which is true -- but primarily in places that offer lavish benefits to illegal immigrants.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
I agree with the sentiment, not the reality of running a shamnesty, and certainly not before the borders are secured.
HR 4437 needs to be passed NOW and THEN start in with the shamnesty talks.
Funny, you answered a question which wasn't asked and didn't answer the question which was. Are you running for office?
Do I have your vote, or are you strictly committed to voting a straight FROBL ticket?
I love those neat little JR high codes.
I love sincere Americans that put America's sovereignty on the top shelf, which you don't. Good day protagonist.
And you came to that goofy conclusion,,,,,how?
By noting all the shamnesty supporters.
Which ones and what do they have to do with me?
Hey,,that little "shamnesty" thing is kinda cool in a JR high kinda way. Learn it today? Big new buzzword in your circles?
Good day.
Good choice.
Look to your health, Staytrue. Avoid logging in.
COME AND GET ME, IF YOU DARE.
So you thought your former mayor was bad, check out post 72.
Tony frequently takes a more "reasonable" position on various issues.
Did you seriously mean the above comment??????
Staytrue and I have some disagreement over this issue. But we exchange facts and points of logic. We never threaten one another.
On this point, Tony is correct. Texas and Florida don't have a GENEROUS welfare state like Calipornia, and therefore don't have the problems the latter state has despite both having large legal and illegal immigrant populations.
Much as the Calipornians like to blame illegals for all of the states problems, they fail to address the fact that Anglo voters created a generous welfare state from the 1930s (through "ballot initiatives") through the 1970s. So much for Calipornia once being a "conservative" state!
Conservative "ballot initiatives" have passed only to be thrown out by the courts.
Nevertheless, "ballot initiatives"" are an asinine way of setting policy. That is how California has been on the brink of bankruptcy: the citizens pass initiatives calling for more funding of education, healthcare, environmental protection, etc., yet vote for limits on taxation. There are some great people there, but it is still the land of fruits and nuts and political inconsistency.
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