Posted on 01/22/2002 9:20:32 PM PST by traditionalist
A story in the Jan. 10 Los Angeles Times ("Wave of U.S. immigration likely to survive Sept. 11") observes: "The most significant development in the national immigrant debate is what hasn't happened: No lawmaker of influence has moved to reverse the country's generous immigration policy, which for more than three decades has facilitated the largest sustained wave of immigration in U.S. history."
That policy is getting even more generous. And Republicans, of all people, are now playing Jolly Old St. Nick to huddled masses (legal and illegal), despite mounting evidence that immigration is poison for the party.
In the 2000 election, Al Gore carried five of the seven states with the largest numbers of foreign born. He lost the sixth, Florida, by a hair, due to the anomaly of the Cuban-American vote. Bush took all 10 of the states with the lowest immigrant populations.
Their senses dulled by a multicultural binge, Republicans can't connect the dots. Because the GOP is still minimally identified with American values, it cannot successfully compete for the affection of immigrant voters, who are more interested in handouts than tax cuts.
But, heedless of this reality, in his 2003 budget (to be submitted to Congress in February) Bush reportedly will call for restoring food stamps to 363,000 legal immigrants -- a benefit non-citizens lost in the 1996 welfare reform.
It's estimated the change will cost $2.1 billion over the next decade. But then, food-stamp use expands in a recession. Plus, more benefits will encourage more immigration. So the price tag is open-ended.
Do we really want to encourage immigrants to come here and go on the dole? Whatever happened to the concept of not giving visas to those who might become a public charge?
Because they are poorer and less educated, the foreign-born are already above-average consumers of government services. Currently, 21 percent of immigrant households use at least one major welfare program, compared to 15 percent of native-born families.
Earlier this month, Secretary of State Colin Powell met with his Mexican counterpart to see about getting another amnesty for illegal aliens (excuse me, "undocumented workers") back on track. Prior to Sept. 11, Bush was pushing for legal status for 3.5 million of these lawbreakers.
Illegal immigrants are already coming at an annual rate of half a million. Just as the 1986 amnesty (which "adjusted the status" of 2.7 million) helped generate the following waves of illegals, another amnesty would add fuel to the fire that rages on our borders.
More than any other factor, immigration is transforming America.
Between 1990 and 2000, while the nation grew by 13 percent, our foreign-born population increased over 50 percent. Steve Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies estimates that immigrants and their children born here accounted for two-thirds of all population growth in the 1990s.
Unlike immigrants of the past, all too often the new immigrants aren't assimilating. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., says: "There are too many coming in too quickly. And with multiculturalism and bilingualism in the schools, it's not a melting-pot mentality. It's a Bosnia mentality."
Still, Bush and his political strategist Karl Rove continue to pursue the illusive Hispanic vote, mesmerized by the fact that the president took 35 percent of that vote in 2000, compared to the 21 percent Dole got in 1996. They forget that Reagan received an even higher percentage in both of his campaigns, without pandering.
Whil losing two-thirds of Hispanics, the president won just 54 percent of the non-minority vote. He won't expand that base with food stamps for legal immigrants and amnesties for illegals.
The Times story quotes Doris Meissner, Clinton's commissioner of the Immigration and Nationalization Service, who cliams current immigration policy "reflects a sort of wise and grown-up attitude on the part of Americans."
Besides reflecting liberal condescension, Meissner's evaluation is dead wrong. Americans never voted for a generous immigration policy. In poll after poll, the public demands stringent controls. But due to the Republican default, voters have no choice here. On immigration, the GOP is duh.
The only ones who do are the ones who hope to capitalize on either the votes or cheap labor. Everyone acts like the hispanics are a monolith which they aren't. Reagan had the hispanic vote back in the 80's, the fact that Bush didn't is because the so-called hispanic vote has been diluted with the votes of millions newly arrived types who believe they are entitled to a piece of the American pie. Some of the immigrants are Conservatives but the vast majority of illegals are not Conservative in any way ----all one needs to do is check out their illegitimacy rate or dropout rate.
I wish I could be as optimistic. Unfortunately, immigration policy mistakes are permanent. No do-overs.
Why should they vote for the GOP when they are getting the best of all worlds under the current climate? Bush is counting on eventual voter loyalty but he's baiting the hook with self-interest.
HAS ANY GOP'er FIGURED OUT YET THAT THESE ILLEGALS DON'T PAY TAXES? ALSO, VERY FEW ILLEGALS BREAK INTO AMERICA WITH AN 'ESTATE' THAT WILL BENEFIT FROM
AN ELIMINATION OF THE 'ESTATE TAX.'
THE D's WILL GIVE THEM IMMEDIATE HOUSING, FOOD, MONEY, MEDICAL CARE AND SCHOOLS (INCLUDING FREE COLLEGE).
THE D's WILL WIN THE HANDOUT
GAME EVERY TIME...
The idea is to make America into another third world nation, with a wealthy ruling class, and a massive dirt poor peeasant class.
I think they have largely succeeded as more and more of the middle class lose thier jobs and become poor and depeandant upon the crumbs more the rich.
Undoing? Bush is making the problem worse. You better think long and hard about the Bush proposal to grant Amnesty to millions of illegal aliens from Mexico, his resurrection of immigrant welfare and his refusal, even after 9/11, to protect our borders. He is the guy in the hot seat now and by his own actions Bush is accelerating the already parabolic trend of more 3rd world immigration. How else can his actions be interpreted? Oh and thanks for the insult.
This is really what happens with immigrant welfare. It encourages the immigrants to transplant their culture here without assimilating. Bush apparently thinks this is a good idea.
Immigrant welfare? I'll assume you referring to the 2.1 billion over 10 years Immigrant food stamp program Bush wants restored for LEGAL IMMIGRANTS. A political stroke of genius that probably is going to save billions by addressing the issue before the Democrats legislate the 20 billion dollar alternative.
Bush isn't in the hot seat at all. He didn't create the immigration problem the Democrats did but of course your a Libertarian so it really doesn't matter who created it as long as you get your daily whine.
Your welcome.
I guess you missed the news a couple of weeks ago that Bush has resurrected his push for Amnesty for 3.5 million illegal aliens.
Immigrant welfare? I'll assume you referring to the 2.1 billion over 10 years Immigrant food stamp program Bush wants restored for LEGAL IMMIGRANTS. A political stroke of genius that probably is going to save billions by addressing the issue before the Democrats legislate the 20 billion dollar alternative.
I used to be a party guy like you that would make excuses for the GOP's leftward drift. No more. At some point ideology really does matter over political maneuvering. If the GOP is always trying to cut the difference with the democrats it is academic that the GOP will institute the very socialism of the democrats...just at a slower rate.
Certainly hope you're right on that one. But according to FAIR's web site in their Legislative update as of January 15th they state the following:
Bush Administration Revives Amnesty Talks With Mexico
Last Thursday, Secretary of State Collin Powell and Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda resumed talks on granting amnesty to illegal Mexican aliens. Powell said, "I am determined, the president is determined . . . to get back to the very important issue of regularizing the movement of Mexicans." The Administration may try to grant amnesty to Mexicans by attaching it to an agricultural guestworker program where after a certain amount of time aliens would be given permanent residency status. Just last month Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) and House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-MO) visited Mexican President Vicente Fox and reassured him that an amnesty would be brought before the Congress this year.
I'm not really sure if Bush understands what this policy is going to do to the Republican party, or if he understands no one but special interests want this. It is not in the national interest.
Lose the conservatives to whom?
And what has he promised.
John and Woodrow still have their lefty mitts on our lives.
Assimilation is occurring in my SoCal neighborhood. How about yours?
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