[DoughtyOne]

Look, you can't win people with arguements of smaller government is better when they're hungry, and the other side promises food stamps. You can't tell them that it's wrong to cut the military when somebody else offers to help them put a roof over their head if they'll vote for them. You can't explain that invasion of privacy is more important than free healthcare. I appreciate your arguement, but our arugements stand the test when all else is equal. Not being equal the periferal issues will win over solid government every time. That's why I've tried to point out that allowing poverty stricken people to flood our nation was a very bad idea.

[FITZ]

Exactly. Here's another article that shows how likely many of the immigrants have any kind of savings, making it very likely they'll need government assistance to make it through a job layoff. Sending billions back to Mexico will end up costing the US taxpayer in the end ---of course.

Hispanics hit hardest by sluggish economy

David Peregrino El Paso Times

Hispanics will have a tougher time than others recovering from the nation's recession and may not see their employment or incomes recover until 2004, according to a Pew Hispanic Center report released Thursday.

Researchers found that Hispanics take longer to recover from a depressed economy because of limited English skills, education and job experience. Hispanics are also concentrated in manufacturing and retail jobs -- those hardest hit by this recession.

"The forecasts of a long, slow recovery are especially troubling for a population that includes many millions of young people and recent immigrants still establishing their place in the U.S. labor market," said the center's director, Roberto Suro, in releasing the report, "New Lows from New Highs."

Within the diverse Hispanic population, those with roots in Mexico, who make up 58 percent of all U.S. Hispanics, are suffering the worst. Unemployment among that sector is 7.9 percent, compared with 7.3 percent for other Hispanics.

The report's findings don't bode well for El Paso, where the population is nearly 80 percent Hispanic.

Recently VF Jeanswear, which operates three factories in El Paso County, announced it was laying off 1,238 employees.

Juan Dominguez, a 48-year-old father of two, said he has been looking for work since he was laid off in October from his clothing manufacturing job at Correa Cutting in Central El Paso.

"I've been submitting a lot of applications at clothing factories. They always say they'll give me a call, but they never do," he said. "I see a lot of my friends going through the same things."

The study -- the first from the newly created Washington-based research group -- also found that Hispanics have limited savings, making surviving a slumping economy difficult. Federal data show that half the nation's Hispanic families had $1,800 or less in stock, retirement, savings or checking accounts. The average for all U.S. families was $19,820.

Dominguez said he never saved money, just lived paycheck to paycheck.

[WRhine]

I appreciate your arguement, but our arugements stand the test when all else is equal. Not being equal the periferal issues will win over solid government every time

That is the critical point the Doctor cannot see. When dealing with a person that is probably not well educated or financially secure, higher reason is lost to direct promises of food, shelter and what have you. In this sense even the new immigrant is thinking clearer than the Doctor. Of course the American taxpayers will pick up the tab as usual.

[WRhine]

That's why I've tried to point out that allowing poverty stricken people to flood our nation was a very bad idea.

It is amazing how common sense can be so uncommon. Naivete seems to be a life long sojourn with libertarians and liberals...and it’s getting harder to tell them apart these days.