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Posted on 05/31/2006 7:27:32 AM PDT by suspects
["This has been the most satisfying week I've had since I've been here." —Sen. Lindsey Graham, reacting to the Senate's passage of the immigration bill]
Dear Senator Graham,
I'm delighted to hear that you found your work on behalf of illegal immigrants so satisfying. And who wouldn't? Tax breaks, billions in new taxpayer-funded benefits, amnesty — you've given so much to those who've chosen to break America's laws and work off the books.
But I'm writing today on behalf of an immigrant who hasn't taken advantage of your largesse towards illegals. He's not the member of an ethnic minority and he refuses to break our immigration laws. I'm wondering, Sen. Graham, if there's anything you'd be willing to do for him?
His name is Eugen, he's from Romania, and believe it or not, the big dream in his life is to go back to his job at a TV repair shop in West Columbia, S.C.
In 1999, Eugen and his wife Alina came to the U.S. after she was recruited to teach science in the South Carolina public school system. The fact that South Carolina has to recruit science teachers from crumbling Eastern European countries known for their lingering, widespread belief in vampires says something significant — and embarrassing — about the state's education system.
So does the fact that my father can't find a competent, qualified electronics repairman here in South Carolina, either.
My dad owns Graham's TV Service and in 2000 he was desperately seeking someone who could fix a camcorder and widescreen TV. After weeks of running want ads across the state and getting no qualified — or even halfway qualified — candidates, my dad found Eugen.
His English was so poor that his wife had to translate most of the job interview. He has a permanent hearing impairment, and he's Romanian, which, to a guy from Horry County like my dad, meant he was either a Communist or (worse) a Catholic. But desperate times call for desperate measures and Eugen got his chance.
Three years later, when Eugen's visa was about to expire, my dad called me in a panic. "I'm about to lose the hardest working tech I've ever had."
We spent a year calling and writing every office we could think of, including yours, Senator Graham. Your office has his information right now. But what did you and your amnesty allies do for Eugen?
Nothing. No extensions, no change in visa status. And so they left.
Eugen and Alina did something that millions of other legal immigrants have done. They kept their word. They obeyed the law. And now, they're waiting, hoping that eventually the red tape will be cut, and they can return to America and to the lawful employers who need them.
If only Eugen were a criminal. If only he were willing to break our immigration laws, then you'd be falling all over yourself to help him.
Take taxes, for example. As an illegal Eugen could have kept all the tax money he's paid Uncle Sam since 2000. Thanks to you, illegals who've been working off the books for 10, 15, or even 20 years only owe three years of back taxes. Better still, they get to pick which three years. Such a deal!
Eugen also made the mistake of paying his Social Security taxes. Unless his status changes, he'll never see a penny of that money. But if he'd committed Social Security fraud to get his job, your immigration bill would reward him by applying the profits of that fraud towards his future Social Security benefits.
And because Eugen is a skilled worker who earns middle class wages, he won't qualify for the billions in Earned Income Tax Credit dollars you voted to give illegals entering your amnesty program. If he's allowed to return, he'll miss out on the $50 billion a year we taxpayers will be pouring into public services for low-income immigrants on the Sen. Graham immigration plan.
Then there's the biggest insult of all. Eugen respecting our border and waiting for the right to return, all the while watching millions of others violating our borders and receiving special treatment from politicians like you.
Why, Sen. Graham, should a handicapped Romanian TV repairman have more respect for our laws and our borders than you do?
There are millions of Eugens out there, people in the legal pipeline to come to America, who got the shaft from the U.S. Senate last week. They deserve better than the back of your hand.
So I am writing this letter, Sen. Graham, to ask you to make things right for just one of those forgotten suckers who was dumb enough to obey the law. I'm asking you, publicly and on the record, to pick up the phone and call the folks at Immigration and Customs Enforcement and see if you can't get Eugen back to West Columbia.
Would that be special treatment? Maybe. But Sen. Graham, are the only immigrants who get special treatment from you the illegal ones?
I look forward to sharing the outcome of Eugen's case with my readers.
A great letter. I'm sure it reflects how most of us feel. Thank you.
Agreed. They suck the very blood from our veins, not to speak of our purses!
"Someone email this letter to Rush and Hannity."
Laura Ingraham, too.
"I prefer the one on the right... the other one is a bit too feminine..."
Hubby frequently says that LG is a tad light in the loafers.
Wow, excellent letter. And to think I was a supporter of him years ago.
I am about to become a SC resident (again), and I will wholeheartedly support anyone who opposes Graham in his next Senate Primary.
Great letter....I do still think we need to support great conservatives like Shelby and Sessions. We just need to do more to get a conservative majority in the Senate and House, and then the RINOs can all go join the Dems for all I care. We're about 13 seats away in the Senate, about 30 or so in the House. And we need one in the Oval Office, too.
Wow that's a good one.
I've been meaning to write the Senator, but haven't been able to bite my tongue enough to write something civil.
I saw this goober doing some interview, I don't believe it was MTP with the Georgia congressman and he stated that his constituents were satisfied with his overall performance but he was taking some heat on immigration. I have posted this before but Kay Bailey Hutchinson said her communications were running nearly 2000 against the Bill with less than 20 for. If this here boy were honest, he report the results as the Texas senator did. It would demonstrate just how little regard he has for them that voted for him and are concerned enough to express themselves. Most of these boys and girls in the Senate buy, bribe, and lie there way into office and could care less what constituents have to say.
That is a great letter.
Thanks! I've been meaning to drop him a line. You were the catalyst.
Dear Senator Graham,
I have supported you in your elections. I did this because I thought you would represent me, and the conservative public of South Carolina. I got that idea from listening to you call into Ralph Bristol’s show on the radio. You seemed to say the right things.
Was I wrong?
I have no idea what you were thinking when you voted for that abomination of a Senate bill that purports to deal with illegal immigration. Wait a minute…that should be ILLEGAL immigration.
My grandfather immigrated to this country (legally). I have no problem with immigration. It’s the illegal part that rubs me the wrong way. A basic foundation of our law is the premise that no man shall profit from his crime. Yet, you voted to not only allow, but to abet millions of people to profit from their crimes.
But it is such a difficult problem. What can we do?
How about we do this:
Fix the border. Stop the illegal entry into our great country. We were supposed to get that result 20 years ago, but here we are with the same problem. If we do nothing else, at least we can say we’ve fixed one major problem. Let’s plug the hole in the bottom of the boat before we consider what to do with all the water that has already come in up to our knees.
Senator DeMint seems to understand this. He has my full support in his next election cycle.
Perhaps you are thinking that Republicans will HAVE to vote for you next time around. We don’t want to cede control of the Senate and the House back to the Democrats, right? Not quite. If our elected representatives choose to ignore the people who put them there, then we have no representation, and need to find someone who will listen.
Right now I feel like our government is out of control, and is addicted to pork. Our trusted leaders are spending money like it grows on trees, and the republicans control both houses and the presidency. If we cannot tell the difference between the republicans and the democrats, then what are we to do?
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Did I mention that I am disappointed? Have I just wasted the electrons that it took to send this message?
Thanks for your time (assuming you actually read this).
Yes there are Rod. And a whole bunch of us will be working hard to see to it that Lind-see lives up to his nick name of "one-termer."
I hope you don't hold your breath waiting for Senator Graham to offer any assistance to tax paying citizens and legal immigrants who respect and obey US laws.
Wow! Great letter, but now I am very sad.
Sigh.
I hope the good people of SC put Senator Graham's ass in a sling for this. I would almost move there to vote against him, but I have Sen. Warner here in VA to get rid of. Someone in SC, please work against this guy on my behalf.
With the passage of this Bill, Michael, I hear echos of Clinton and Gore. In fact, it sounds like the same ol' horse pucks. We listened to and believed that things were going to be different when the 'pubs came to Washington and took over the White House and Congress. Over the last four years, I have become disillusioned. Nothing has changed except to get worse.
Where is the needed and necessary changes to the tax situation, where is the needed and nessary changes to the SSI program, Medicare, etc.? Right where they were with the Dems - lining someones pocket in DC.
I'm so angry and upset and hurt that the people that I worked so hard to see in office have done nothing but let me down. Just because they are republican doesn't mean they are better. I can't defend my choices during the last two elections anymore, they have let me down - Bush, Graham, DeMint and Brown. I should have known they'd turn out to be no better than those they replaced. It happens everytime - Republican or Democrat - Washington perverts and turns them into tyrants, liars and - oh well, no use going on.
Thanks for the ping Ruben
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
At least with lispin' Lindey that is one thing we don't have to worry about.
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