Inspired by Illegal Immigrants

If mass illegal immigration is the foundation of our economy and is so beneficial, why is California 28 billion dollars in the red?

Oh, by the way, do legal immigrants contribute to the economy at all? What if the legal immigrant is a white male?

Illegal immigrants pay taxes just like you and me (assuming you have your papers). Just ask your tax preparer how many returns they have done for people who have a tax ID number but no SS number. You might learn something. Not only that, studies have shown that illegal immigrants receive less in benefits than they pay into the public system. For example, they will never see any SS payouts. California's situation has very little to do with illegal immigration.

"Please consider doing future features on the illegal immigrants, who are the foundation of our economy"

Perhaps he author doesn't realize that they are actually supporting the exploitation of illegal immigrants.

I remember back in the early 1970's when housing was affordable in S.B. before the crush of illegal immigration occurred so the ecomomic miracle that open borders advocates talk about has not happened. We can debate whether mass, UNRESTRICTED illegal immigration has actually caused the economic woes in California but it certainly has not brought economic utopia that people who use the argument (Such as president Bush has) that "They do the work Americans simply won't do" that one would think it would.

What it HAS caused is overcrowded schools, emergency rooms, traffic jams,and given the Mexican government a green light to ignore the problems that cause these people to come up here in the first place. Also, cramming endless numbers of people into already overcrowded gang-ridden neighborhoods only adds to the feeling of desperation and angst that fuels the gang problem in the first place.

Take a look at Japan as just one example of a country with little immigration but one that has sustained itself well.

I understand the emotion behind this issue, and I believe the person who wrote this letter has their heart in the right place; that having been said, if one is truly concerned about the working-class on BOTH sides of the border, they need to look around then and see what is REALLY happening.

Also, the foundation of a good economy is a well-educated populace. Take countries with high literacy rates/levels of education and compare them to those that don't. Which countries are more prosperous and peaceful?

Whereas in times past people came here and assimilated and of course, learned the language of commerce and power, we nowadays see people who are in increasing numbers not doing this. We see the low test scores in our local schools. The population trend in the U.S. is heading toward an increasingly uneducated populace and moreover, impoverished people. This makes for a poltitically and socially unstable society. A cursory look at history bears this out.

My attack is not on the immigrants themselves--who are victims in this--but on big business interests, poverty pimps, left-wing idealists, and of course the U.S. and Mexican governments how exploit this issue for their immoral gain at the expense of the future of both countries.

Is day to day life really better because of this?

Social Stigma? The Illegal Aliens are not IMMIGRANTS. I am sorry that the Country you came from is corrupt. I am sorry that you have broken the law to come here. The arrogance of believing that you are the foundation of our economy is outrageous!
PUEBLO is using these Illegal Aliens to futher their political clout. They have encouraged Illegal Aliens to displace Illegal Aliens. I have seen what law breaking contributes to this Country. It is not a pretty picture.
As for Illegal Aliens pay more in taxes than they use, This is pure propaganda. A typical illegal alien family has a husband, wife and 5 kids. Those 5 kids alone break the back of our educational system. In Ca. it cost $10,000 plus per student per year. Illegal Aliens children do not speak English and it is not spoken in their homes. They receive more in resources (ESL) than an American child.
So if you have 5 children, do you pay $50,000 in taxes a year to cover the cost of the education? I think not.
"Voices Rarely Heard" is PURE propaganda. It is a conserted effort on the part of LaRaza/PUEBLO to feel sorry for these illegal aliens so that they can put pressure on the new administration to pass an Amnesty bill. Don't be fooled! Go to Numbers USA and capweb.org