Immigration and Texas' Budget Crisis: The Elephant in the Room

FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | December 30, 2002 | Chris Allen

[RainDog]

That's pretty racist of you

I don't know if you noticed or not, but I am a rare Freeper who defends Hispanic immigrants, and your reply joins a small chorus that says I am racist. Shame on your chorus.

Life's ironies. If you only knew of my proud personal demographics . . . he . . . he . . .

[RainDog]

So, would you care to tell us how much you pay your workers, and is it year-round work?

Grapefruit/citrus is harvested once a year. It is seasonal work, other than disking the orchard of weeds and spraying for critters a couple of times a year.

I discussed pay and made an offer earlier that was not accepted. The contract has therefore returned to its former obligee. Thank you for inquiring.

[RainDog]

And do you think that maybe at least a few Mexicans may engage in criminal activity such as selling drugs to bring in some money?

Oh yes, some surely do, and I'm sure you agree it is terribly embarrassing that such an overwhelming number of white Americans lust for illicit drugs.

Pesky markets.

[RainDog]

Right on RainDog.

Thanks, pal. The Duke would be proud.

No sé si usted habla español o no; no importa. Apenas quisiera que usted supiera que los inmigrantes hispánicos sean la gente hermosa que merece respecto. Maldito poco se ha ofrecido en esta discusión. Eso me preocupa. Afortunadamente, tengo los medios de articular otra perspectiva a estos numbnuts.

[Republic of Texas]

I'm sorry you are so niave. Although, I suppose, you don't know that, do you? You've been bludgeoned with facts and logic, but managed to ignore it all. I can recommend a good Realtor in McAllen or El Paso, if you feel so passionate about the situation. Six months in one of those cities, where they are going to have to close hospitals because of the costs of illegal hispanic immigrants, otherwise known as Mexicans, and if you had eyes, they'd be opened. If you love high taxes so much, send in an extra ten grand next year, but leave me out of it.

[Republic of Texas]

Thanks for explaining. Now we know that you owe your living to cheap, illegal, labor. So, it's ok with you for your city, county, state and country to go broke, so you can have cheap labor? Thank God you weren't around at the founding of this country.

[Republic of Texas]

I worked baling hay one summer, and three summers offshore. (oil) Neither were careers, but I made good money and learned about work there. I wouldn't want to steal that from any American child of any race. In fact, baling hay, the hardest thing I've ever done, convinced me that I did NOT want to do manual labor my whole life.

[Republic of Texas]

" I discussed pay and made an offer earlier that was not accepted. The contract has therefore returned to its former obligee. Thank you for inquiring. "

Gonna stick with the cheap illegal labor again this year, huh? How suprising.

[Republic of Texas]

Bringing race into a discussion where it's not relevant is race baiting at a minumum, and probably racist. No one here cares where the illegals come from. In many areas of Calif. Asians make up the illegal problem. It's still a problem that we should not have to pay for.

[Republic of Texas]

" Oh yes, some surely do, and I'm sure you agree it is terribly embarrassing that such an overwhelming number of white Americans lust for illicit drugs. "

Wow, I'm convinced. Because some Americans lust for drugs, let's let more drug dealers in? Or overwhelm our country with socialistic programs we can't hope to pay for? That's some deep thinking you're doing there.

[RainDog]

Thanks for explaining. Now we know that you owe your living to cheap, illegal, labor.

Hardly, but I love your passion.

Nobody makes money on citrus in south Texas anymore. Our orchard and crop acres are tended by a sharecropper; FWIW, with all the recent (and surprising) rain, he planted melons out back this year as a winter crop. They're boot heel tall as we speak. His job is to keep our property beautiful and tidy and at least break even.

My friend, it is our education, careers, hard work, and pursuit of perfection that keeps our family and land going. The result of which is that while my wife and I have a regrettably arguable claim to youth, life is already shake-your-head-and-sigh-because-it-is-so-dadgum-good good.

Texas and America. May other Hispanic immigrants (and Americans) so prosper.

(Aside: notice how the tread began with an issue and now has digressed to an individual with an offending perspective fending off personal attacks. Situation normal. Viva Free Republic!)

[FITZ]

If you only knew of my proud personal demographics . . . he . . . he . . .

Your personal demographics wouldn't tell me a thing, you lumped all hispanics together which isn't something I would do and most that I know make a distinction between immigrants and US citizens and also which country they're from. I actually know few hispanics who prefer that descriptor ---most Mexicans from Mexico call themselves Mexican, US born descendents of them are Chicanos, most Puerto Ricans are Puerto Ricans, Americans of Spanish descent are Spanish-American or Spanish-American-Indian ---for a while they were using Hispanic and some still do but it seems most want Spanish-descended now.

[RainDog]

tread = thread

You know, those boot heel high melon chutes sure are green and cute. They run two/beside to a row; we'll see how they turn out.

[ImpBill]

And don't forget many landlords that offer "welfare housing" are subsidized by state and local governments to do so, which further adds to the drain on our national economy. We have to start doing a better job at restricting access to our resources from both legal and illegal immigrants, Hispanic or other.

I really get sick of the "race card" being thrown out when the issue is talked about. It ain't about race. It is about finite resources and our ability to pay for them.

[RainDog]

most Mexicans from Mexico call themselves Mexican

Glad to see someone has figured all that out. Go ahead and let the good folk who fit your descriptors know.

[FITZ]

My friend, it is our education, careers, hard work, and pursuit of perfection that keeps our family and land going.

And of course the dirt cheap wages you pay your illegal workers. Slightly more than they are paid in Mexico by the wealthy over there. Here the taxpayers can be soaked for the free education, free school lunches, WIC, free medical care and all the rest which allows you to pay as little as you possibly can. Makes it much harder of course for your more honest neighbors who might pay their employees legal wages and gasp! offer them health care benefits.

[FITZ]

And again --about your personal demographics --I've been to Mexico MANY times and I've seen very often how the 'elite' Mexicans treat their working class. I'm not at all impressed.

[sarasmom]

Fitz, give it up.RainDog obviously has a vested self-interest in protecting his personal self-interest at the expense of all legal citizens of the USA.He calls it capitolism, he ignores the criminal aspects of his illegal hiring practices.

RainDog, enjoy your little self-induced blindness.You are indeed an enabler of the destruction of the USA by your self-centered and short sighted vision of fair market rules.Do you enjoy your status as "El Patrone" with the peasants?

I do not know you, but based on what you have posted, you seem to be mere inches away from advocating slave labor.It is a profitable endeavor.

Fortuneately, slavery is illegal in the USA.Soon, I hope to see you and employers like yourself, charged, convicted, and jailed under current existant labor laws.

You sir, are guilty of perpetuating a class of fearfull and poverty stricken serfs.Perhaps you would have been a Royalist, or a plantation owner, 100-300 years ago.Your reasoning so far, is in direct contradiction to the dreams and goals of freedom and respect for individual rights fought for by myself and my ancestors.

Continue to call "racist" all who call you a criminal extortionist of human misery.While I dream that our nation, supposedly based on the rule of law, will resolve this issue, I am certain God will sort us all out, eventually.

[RainDog]

I hope to see you . . . charged, convicted, and jailed under current existant labor laws.

Oh, this is rich. I am loving this thread, philosophically and personally.

It is good enough, in fact, to keep me in and out of the house checking the thread amongst a barbeque (winter is canceled in these parts) and throwing fireworks (one of the many freedoms Texas provides) on New Year's Eve!

Freep on.

[RainDog]

I've been to Mexico MANY times . . .

I must again defer to you the obvious expert, dear FITZ. Comparta por favor su sabiduría con las masas "huddled" pobres.