Who killed California? Pat Buchanan warns fed immigration stupidity causing damage

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 | Pat Buchanan

[JohnHuang2]

With Gov. Gray Davis facing recall, a budget $38 billion in deficit, and a bond rating dropped three notches by Standard & Poor's to near junk-bond status, the lowest of all 50 states, the Golden State is no more.

Who killed the goose that laid the golden eggs?

Certainly, Davis, who misled voters about the gravity of his budget crisis in 2002, and won re-election by demonizing his GOP rivals, deserves his 20 percent approval rating. But Gray Davis did not kill California.

The United States government did. For what killed California as the golden land was massive and unrestricted immigration from the Third World, an unrepelled invasion from Mexico, and a failure to protect the U.S. manufacturing base and the wages of America's workers.

During and after World War II, California became a bastion of our defense, aerospace, auto and TV industries. Hundreds of thousands were hired to become the highest-paid manufacturing workers on earth, giving California the world's highest standard of living. The average California wage once stood at 130 percent of the average U.S. wage.

In the 1970s and 1980s, however, Japan, a free rider on America's defense, began to engage in predatory trade, attacking and killing, one by one, U.S. industries and capturing U.S. markets with subsidized exports.

California suffered first. Our TV industry was wiped out. Our auto industry was reeling when Ronald Reagan stepped in to impose quotas on Japanese cars. Reagan also intervened to save the semiconductor industry, Big Steel and Harley-Davidson. Unlike today's free-trade fanatics, Ronald Reagan put America first.

But it was under Bush-Clinton-Bush that California was irrevocably sacrificed to the gods of the Global Economy.

During Bush I's term, millions of Mexicans began to flee north to seek jobs and take advantage of the health care, welfare and free education American citizens provided for their people. For one-third of the illegals, California became the destination of choice.

What the U.S. government should have done was obvious, and was demanded by Americans: Enforce our immigration laws, halt the invasion, restrict immigration from the Third World. But America's politicians – out of fear of being branded xenophobic and to curry favor with Big Business, which benefits from an endless supply of low-wage labor – did almost nothing to protect America.

Californians tried to defend their state. As illegals poured in by the hundreds of thousands yearly, they passed Proposition 187, denying social welfare benefits to illegal aliens who had broken the law and broken into the United States.

The open-borders coalition, repudiated and routed, ran to a federal judge, who annulled the voters' victory. Davis then refused to appeal the overturning of 187 to the Supreme Court. Hispanic voters rewarded him in 2002, and California state and local budgets continued to hemorrhage.

By the 1990s, an exodus of taxpayers had begun. Fed up with being fleeced to subsidize illegal aliens, Californians began leaving for Nevada, Idaho, Arizona and Colorado. Two million native-born Californians left the state in the 1990s, as immigrants, legal and illegal, sent poverty rates soaring in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange counties.

This, then, is what killed California:

First, open borders. By failing to enforce our immigration laws, America now hosts 31 million legal immigrants and their children and 10 million illegals, most of them net tax consumers. California got the lion's share.

Second, global free trade and the trade deficits it produced, now running at an annual rate of $562 billion in May. This has killed millions of manufacturing jobs, as thousands of companies closed factories here and shifted plants to Mexico, Asia and China.

The Third Worldization of California is now far advanced. Yet those responsible, Bush Republicans as well as Clinton Democrats, still cannot see what they have done to our country.

But what is happening in California is not confined to California. It is happening across America. Unless we elect a president who will enforce our immigration laws and defend our borders, unless we find a Congress that will jettison the free-trade madness that is denuding America of her manufacturing, what has happened to California will happen here.

President Bush appears oblivious to it all – but then, so did his father before him.

[JohnHuang2]

Wednesday, July 30, 2003

Quote of the Day by goldstategop

[jagrmeister]

Pat's too dense to realize that the newspapers only run his editorials when they can be used to attack the Republican position or excuse Democrats. Oh, of course, it's not Grey Davis's fault...it's the federal government's fault. These liberal editorial boards laugh at Pat 90% of the time and ignore his columns; then drag him out whenever it's convenient. It's pathetic the way he lets himself get used.

[vp_cal]

>By the 1990s, an exodus of taxpayers had begun. Fed up >with being fleeced to subsidize illegal aliens, >Californians began leaving for Nevada, Idaho, Arizona ....

This guy needs to do his research. Alot of people
came to California in the 90's and most of them were legal-
white, asian, hispanic, black. I know because i was there;
they moved from other states because of the great new economy. So I really do not know what Pat is thinking.

Illegal immigration is a problem, but most of the welfare and entitlement benefits are utlized by citizens of this country. If the American citizens did not want these programs, they would be canceled regardless of what the illegal mexicans think.

[nathanbedford]

This dodges the question of whether Bucannan is right or wrong in his analysis.

Without commenting on his views on trade policy, I believe he is largely right about the baleful effects of unrestricted legal or illegal immigration.

I believe he is wrong or at least incomplete in this statement:

out of fear of being branded xenophobic and to curry favor with Big Business, which benefits from an endless supply of low-wage labor – did almost nothing to protect America.

It is not being labellled "xenophobic" which paralizes politicians but the terror of being labelled racist and losing the hispanic vote. The tyranny of reverse racism threatens our national integrity.

[Cacophonous]

He's syndicated. Means newspapers and other media outlets, contract through his syndicate, to run his columns. They can't read them first and then decide if they want to run them.

[doosee]

It is not being labellled "xenophobic" which paralizes politicians but the terror of being labelled racist and losing the hispanic vote. The tyranny of reverse racism threatens our national integrity

California is now Mexifornia. The only bright spot in the entire state was Silicon Valley and the .com bust has ruined that. I think Pat Buchanan is right on with this article. He forgot to mention the OJ trial and Judge Ito. Where else but Mexifornia..

[Mo1]

Unless we elect a president who will enforce our immigration laws and defend our borders, unless we find a Congress that will jettison the free-trade madness that is denuding America of her manufacturing, what has happened to California will happen here.

Gee Pat, are you trying to say that you are going try to run AGAIN?

[CWOJackson]

Gee, and I thought many years of liberal politics would be partially responsible for California's problems.

[cyborg]

Pat Buchanan is a bigot, bigoted against immigrants. Boy he talks about halting immigration from the 'third world'. Excuse me? He should take a look in the mirror Mr. Irish Catholic. Back in the day, Italians were considered 'third world' undesirables and my mother is from the Caribbean, Trinidad which is not a third world country but it's not the US either. Both are highly educated. ALL AMERICANS are immigrants. He is so classic in blaming the ills of a place on immigration. This was the tactic used in the early days to restrict immigration from 'certain countries'. Please... it's a myth that illegals are crumbling our health care when it's really man Americans on welfare and also being fat and unhealthy that is straining our resources.

[Hugin]

Please... it's a myth that illegals are crumbling our health care when it's really man Americans on welfare and also being fat and unhealthy that is straining our resources.

Nonsense. There are three million illegals in LA county. When they get sick they go to county hospital emergency rooms who are required to treat them. How to you think hospitals cover the cost of treating them? They have to raise the cost to the paying customers, or take it from tax dollars. If you don't think this is happening, you are just plain ignorant. You also seem to have difficulty with the concept of illegal vs. legal immigrants.

[cyborg]

I am not ignorant. I am looking at three million illegals versus many more millions of Americans. I know the business of illegal immigrants in emergency rooms are going on, but I think many more millions of Americans not paying their medical bills is more of a strain. Also, I have no difficulty differentiating between illegal and legal immigrants. It's Pat Buchanan that has that problem. Read the article again yourself and you will see that he lumps in both legal and illegal immigrants.

[vp_cal]

the problem is not with the illegal immigrants- the problem is with us. They do not hold a gun to our heads while we subsidize their free medical care. We do this of our own free will.

If you hand out cash at the mall and people take it, who is to blame for your lack of money- you or the taking your money?

We need to take responsibility for our own failed policies.

[Rodney King]

ALL AMERICANS are immigrants

That a keen insight. I haven't heard that 10-20 thousand times before. It is also very relevent to the debate as to whether or not its a good thing to have millions of illegale pouring into California.

[Finalapproach29er]

Mexico's controls her borders-their southern border is sealed shut. Are the they racist also? Must you resort to name calling?

Is it okay with you if 40 million Americans were to invade Mexico? What do you think the response would be from the Mexicans toward the GRINGO'S?

People with your mindset think that we Americans who have been here for 150 years, owe it immigrants today to keep the borders open to people who have no interest in being American. That's the difference. My ancestors became American-they didn't ask for anything from America.

Are you also one of these people who believe those who can't get work in a recession should have to compete for work against non-Americans?

The middle class is getting killed by outsourcing and its clear our leaders don't see the Tsunami coming. Mark my words: If voters get a choice, they will put in office the first guy who puts a stop to all of this. Its getting out of hand; espcially when the economy isn't producing decent jobs. Go ahead call me names too. 70 % of Americans agree with me on immigration; call them racist also.

[cyborg]

I was more referring ti Pat Buchanan's questionable insertion of LEGAL immigrants. Of course, I do not think millions of illegal immigrants pouring into California is a good idea.

[cyborg]

I did not call anyone any names. Pat Buchanan is a bigot. "Mr. Amen Corner" never misses an opportunity to be one when discussing immigration, and especially Jews.

You do not know me, or my mindset. You also do not know my ancestors either. My father came over to this country from Italy and my family name is registered in Ellis Island. My mother came over here from the Caribbean to seek a better life for herself. Neither asked for anything from America. Legal immigration.

[CWOJackson]

"...restrict immigration from the Third World."

Yes, it would seem that pat isn't just referring to illegal immigrants...he doesn't seem to like those pesky third world types, legel or illegal. But hey, the Euro types are okay...you know, like the French and Germans.

Well, some people used to warn America what would happen if we let those Irish in.

[cyborg]

That's what I was really referring to. I am sorry that some FReepers interpreted my severe commentary on Pat Buchanan and his views as being pro-illegal immigration. I am well aware that some of the things I've said are also said by liberals. However, when I watch films about the early European immigrants, you hear the same thing.

[cyborg]

That's what I was really referring to. I am sorry that some FReepers interpreted my severe commentary on Pat Buchanan and his views as being pro-illegal immigration. I am well aware that some of the things I've said are also said by liberals. However, when I watch films about the early European immigrants, you hear the same thing.

[junta]

Clever use of the cliches give yourself and A. The Third World is its people and their cultures and its not the result of the white man throwin down some serious bad mojo upon the innocent people of color as some lefty day dreamers think.