National Hispanic Heritage Month: Integration or Balkanization?

Did you know this is National Hispanic Heritage Month? Well, it is. Each year, from September 15 through October 15, is set aside to acknowledge the contributions of Hispanics, ranging from the arts and culture to social activists and professionals. National Hispanic Heritage Month is an outgrowth of President Johnson's proclamation in 1968 of Hispanic Heritage Week. It was enlarged by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. In addition, according to the official National Heritage Month website, the start of the month, September 15, is an important date in Hispanic history. It marks the independence day of five Latin America countries, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Also, Mexico and Chile celebrate their respective independence days on September 16.

According to a 2016 Pew Research Report, here are approximately 57 million Hispanics in the U.S. as of 2015 (that figure may not included those who are here illegally since those individuals don't always respond to US Census inquiries). That's 18% of the total U.S. population. From 2000 to 2014, Hispanics accounted for 54% of the U.S. population growth, with Mexicans making up 2/3 of the total Hispanic population. Of that 54%, Southern states received the lion's share with 46% growth in population. This was followed by 24% in Western states, 18% in the Midwest, and 12% in the Northeast portion of the U.S. California has the single largest population of Hispanics (around 15 million) while Texas (which has near 12 million) has seen the fastest growth rate. Never the less, Hispanics immigration, once the largest demographic group, has now been over taken by Asians.

Hispanics are also the youngest cadre among immigrants with an average age of 28. Among just Hispanic Millennials, that number drops to 19 years of age. The Pew report went on to say that in any given year, some 800,000 Hispanics turn 18. Not surprisingly, 55% of all Hispanics are Catholic. However, what was surprising was that the number of Hispanics who at least know some English is increasing; 68% from ages 5 and up speak English. Perhaps as a result of more Hispanics learning English and greater integration, especially among U.S. born Hispanics, there are fewer high school dropouts. As of 2016, only 10% of Hispanics dropped out high school (in 1996, that rate was 16%). Furthermore, college enrollment among Hispanics is also seeing an increase with some 47% are enrolling. This is an increase of 15% over 1999 levels.

In terms of voting, some 27 million Hispanics were eligible to vote in 2016 with Millennials making up the largest percentage of that number with 44%. Historically, Hispanics have strongly favored the Democratic Party (with the exception of Cubans, who've traditionally supported Republicans). Despite this, 57% of all Hispanics polled before the 2016 election felt that the nation was headed in the wrong direction. Out of that, 63% of those born in the U.S. felt that we were headed in the wrong direction. Interestingly, 63% of U.S. born Millennial Hispanics said that they were voting for Hillary Clinton as a anti-Trump vote rather than one in favor of Hillary. However, among non-Millennials (those over 35), 65% said they were voting for Hillary and not against Trump. Based on election results, 66% of Hispanics voted for Hillary Clinton. Ironically, this contrasts with Barack Obama who received 67 which compares to Obama's 77% Latino turn for his second term (by contrast, Trump received just 28% of the Latino vote compared to 31% for McCain in 2008 and 27% for Romney in 2012). What are the key political issues affecting Hispanics? Surprisingly, it's not immigration. The chief concerns of most Hispanic voters are education (55%), employment (52%) and healthcare (43%) and Immigration (32%).

In a recently poll by Pew, dated September 28, 2017, Hispanic unemployment has also on the downswing at 4.7% (the national unemployment rate is 4.2%, although that number doesn't include those working temp or seasonal jobs, part time jobs, underemployed or those who have simply stopped looking). Still, those are good numbers for Hispanics in general. Hispanics born in the U.S. and speak English have led this curve. Currently, 17% of the workforce is comprised of those who identify as Hispanic; up from 13.5% in 2006. Not unexpectedly, those born in the U.S. have done the best in terms of finding employment. Again this appears to be a result of their ability to speak English and integration into U.S. society. Another positive sign is that Hispanic women, especially those who are U.S. born, have done well and even outpaced Hispanic males in terms of employment. The poverty rate among Hispanics has also shown a drop with a new low of 19.4%. The flip side to that figure is that Hispanics have a higher percentage of severe poverty when compared to other populations.

So, overall it appears that things are looking up Hispanics, especially among native born and those who are Millennials and/or female. Nevertheless, we need to at least mention the "elephant in the room", and that is illegal immigration. While Hispanics, and Mexicans in particular, make up the largest share of illegals immigrants, other ethnic and racial groups are mixed in with those numbers. At present there are approximately 11 million individuals here illegally. Some are here on expired visas, be it for work or school, the majority are simply here because they made a conscious decision that they didn't want to go through the immigration process.

Some will tell you that they are simply interested in finding work and not in becoming a naturalized citizen. In fact, most who find employment send a percentage of their earnings back home to aid family members. For many of them, it's often dirty backbreaking jobs in agriculture as field hands or working in processing plants. As few may find employment in at race tracks as hot walkers, muckers, or groomers. Maybe some will find work on cattle ranches or dealing with other livestock (including slaughter houses). Others end up in construction as painters or roofers, while others windup in the food industry, while women, who may also work in these fields, also end up in sweatshops doing piece work. Of course, a percentage will fall in with drug cartels and criminal gangs, in which case their life expectancy is often short. Regardless of which area they find work, their pay is usually very little; working conditions are terrible (and since it's illegal, is not covered by the EEOC or OSHEA), while personal housing is often in dilapidated houses, sheds or garages with no running water or electricity, and they are always looking over their shoulder. A steep price for trying to jump the line.

In terms of costs to the American taxpayer, some estimates put illegal immigration as low as 3.5 million (per a May 2013 Heritage Foundation report) while others put that number as high as 12.5 (based on a September 2017 Federation for Immigration Reform or FAIR report) plus 4.2 million children of illegal immigrants. The difficulty is lack of adequate documentation and that most illegal immigrants try very hard to stay below the radar; avoiding surveys, Census workers, and so forth. However, it appears that the higher numbers are most accurate based on reported factors such as education, hospital and emergency room reports, and crime reports. While the costs obviously vary from city to city and state to state, when both federal and cumulative state numbers are added together, the cost to taxpayers is in the neighborhood of $135 billion dollars. This includes a number of factors, such as healthcare, hiring Spanish speaking tutors, welfare payments, various local, state, federal subsidies, and so forth. Of course, there is the cost of incarceration and deportation.

FAIR breaks this figure down to $8,075.00 per illegal alien family. Nevertheless, that's not to imply that all illegal immigrants don't pay taxes in some form or another. Many do, either through purchases or use of stolen social security numbers. One estimate, based on research done by FAIR, estimates that illegal residents paid in $18,968,857,700 dollars. However, when offset by what legal residents (i.e. taxpayers) pay in, the total net costs of illegal immigration to you and me is $116 billion dollars. I've included a link to FAIR's website and specifically their page The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on U.S. Taxpayers (https://fairus.org/. I've also included a link down below to the Heritage Foundation report for those who would like to compare reports.

To wrap this up, Hispanics appear to be integrating into the American melting pot, albeit somewhat slowly, especially by older adults and recent arrivals. Those born in the United States are the best integrated as one would expect. Hopefully their experiences will aide older members of this demographic group adopt to a full and rewarding life in America by teaching them the customs, traditions, values, and especially an at least conversational English. It used to be a matter of personal pride of earlier immigrants to America to be able to speak our common language. In fact, the majority of immigrants almost immediately identified as "Americans" so complete was the separation of their ties to their former country. Hopefully, this trend towards integration will continue.



Hispanic Heritage Month Official Site


Key facts about how the U.S. Hispanic population is changing


Hispanic dropout rate hits new low, college enrollment at a new high


Hillary wins Latino vote but fell below 2012 support for Obama


The Fiscal Costs of Unlawful Immigrants and Amnesty to the U.S. Taxpayer

Illegal Immigration and the Southern Poverty Law Center: Sending the Wrong Message?

Here’s a really interesting article I received from FAIR, the Federation for Immigration Reform folks. I’m sure most of you are familiar with the Southern Poverty Law Center. If not, let me give you a brief history lesson. The SPLC came out of the civil rights movement as way to locate, monitor, and when possible, prosecute so-called hate groups. Over the decades they have been very successful in going after the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, and a host of other groups of similar nature. They have been hailed as heroes and vilified as a front group for Leftists or Communists (whichever is in vogue at the time). Personally, I have no time for hate or hate groups, and if you’re a regular reader of this blog, I’m sure you don’t either. However, what this article says about SPLC concerns me a great deal in that it sends the wrong message about border security and enforcement of immigration policy (not to mention national sovereignty or the rights of US taxpayers).

Somehow the Southern Poverty Law Center is now trying to equate anti-illegal movement in this country as being a hate oriented? The SPLC seems to believe that US Citizens wanting secure borders and enforcement of immigration laws is in some way a violation of their “rights”. First off, if you’re here illegally, you don’t have the same rights as US citizens. Their only rights are whatever is covered under the United Nations Provision for Human Rights (humane treatment, etc.). Secondly, a nation has as its most basic sovereign right, safe and secure borders. I don’t care if it’s the United States, Israel, or the Sudan. Third, they’re here illegally for Pete’s Sake! Those that encourage, support, protect, and hire them are in violation of federal law and should be punished accordingly. Lastly, and most importantly, strong and secure borders as well as the enforcement of US immigration policy is in no way racist any more than being American is racist.

New Publication Exposes Tactics Used by Southern Poverty
Law Center to Discredit Immigration Reform Groups
Guide Examines How and Why the SPLC Engages in Widespread Media Disinformation and Slanderous Allegations

October 2, 2009

(Washington, D.C) The Federation for American Immigration Reform today released a Guide to Understanding the Tactics of the Southern Poverty Law Center in the Immigration Debate. The publication is designed to help journalists differentiate fact from fiction, and politics from policy in order to improve the accuracy of immigration reporting and foster more meaningful, temperate debate. The guide reveals the unscrupulous methods the SPLC uses to discredit organizations advocating enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. In particular, it examines why the SPLC’s financial motives fuel their increasing use of ad hominem attacks.

Among the key conclusions of the report:

• The SPLC has no self-avowed immigration policy expertise yet they exploit the current national debate to increase fundraising. Their inflammatory charges against FAIR and others are politically driven, factually distorted, and wildly exaggerated for the purpose of making their mission more urgent in order to raise vast sums of money.
• Third party analysis by The Nation, Harpers, and even the SPLC’s hometown newspaper, the Montgomery Advertiser, all came to the same conclusion; the SPLC is a self-propagating fundraising machine with little regard for the truth.
• SPLC offers no objective criteria for their “hate group” designations nor is there any basis in fact to their claim that hate crimes are rising due to the immigration debate.
• When writing about the immigration issue, journalists have an obligation to test the accuracy of the SPLC’s information, question their motives, seek out responses to their allegations, and clearly distinguish between advocacy and news reporting.

“While once a constructive voice in society, the SPLC is now a deconstructive drone of heresy and baseless allegations designed to shut down debate. The SPLC is an opportunistic outfit, seeking to raise money by smearing mainstream groups and moderate Americans who simply want order restored to our nation’s dysfunctional immigration system,” charged Dan Stein, President of FAIR. “Fabricating labels like “hate group” based on their own set of criteria, playing fast and loose with the facts, and attempting to tarnish reputations is truly the new era McCarthyism. There must be standards and consequences for public debate and public conduct.”
“The SPLC has no record of offering constructive solutions to our immigration problems. FAIR hopes that the Guide to Understanding the Tactics of the Southern Poverty Law Center in the Immigration Debate will encourage journalists, legislators, students and others researching the immigration issue to judge independently, claims made by the SPLC. FAIR proudly stands by its 30-year record of advocating for reforms to our immigration policy that are supported by the majority of the American people,” Stein concluded.

About FAIR

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country’s largest immigration reform group. With over 250,000 members nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.
A Guide to Understanding the Tactics of the Southern Poverty Law Center can be located at http://www.fairus.org/site/DocServer/SPLC_Jounalists_Guide.pdf?docID=3541. Hard copies can be ordered upon request.

Fun Facts

According to the Department of Homeland Security’s own Annual Performance Report, of the 8,607 mile border we share with Mexico and Canada, we have only 894 mile under “effective control” with no plans to extend that in the 2010 fiscal year. Makes you feel all safe and sound doesn’t it? And just how many years and how much has been spent dealing with this?

If you live in the Keystone State of Pennsylvania, it’s costing you $660 million dollars to educate the children of an estimated 48,500 illegal residents, including 150 million on English language courses according to a Pittsburg Tribune-Review article by Craig Smith dated August 14, 2009 (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/state/s_638187.html#). You’re also paying an estimated $50 million dollars annually on unreimbursed health care (meaning that Pennsylvanians are picking up the full tab) and another $17.5 million dollars for prison upkeep. Who’s picking up the tap for your school kids? Is anyone paying your medical bills?

If you want to read more about the costs to you and me of supporting illegal immigrants in this country, I recommend you check out read the following article from the Center for Immigration Studies, then go back and reread the article about how the Department of Homeland Security intends to do nothing further through FY2010 to secure our borders. Here’s the link: http://www.cis.org/IllegalsAndHealthCareHR3200.

Poll Results

Our last poll asked if you thought we should focus on America’s problems first. There were three choices. The first was to address our problems first. The second was to continue our current role as the world’s rich uncle and policeman. The last choice was to do a little of both. Well, the results are in and we have a tie! In a 50/50 split, you said that that America should take care of America first and we should continue to do a little for the world too (choices one and three). There were no votes for the second option to continue down our current path. I think the poll results are pretty reflective of America in general. We are an incredibly kind and generous nation (perhaps to a fault), but we can’t continue bailing out nation after nation. Global problems require global solutions and equal partnerships.

Illegal Immigration: Amesty and Obama's Health Care Plan

I bet most of you never heard of the other Democrat Senator from New York, Chuck Schumer. Well, I think you might want to remember the name since I expect Senator Schumer will be making the talk show circuit in the upcoming months. Senator Schumer recently said the thought our borders were secure enough for “strong, fair, practical, and effective immigration reform this year”. Translation: illegal immigration is stable enough to discuss amnesty for the millions of illegal immigrants currently in this country. Not on the table for discussion will be removal of the criminal element which slips across the border along side those looking for jobs; strong border protection; or requiring a working knowledge of English by all immigrants. Click on the following link entitled “Schumer: Borders Are Now Safe Enough for Immigration Reform” at CBS News:
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/05/20/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5028447.shtml.

What do you think about Obama’s Health Care Plan? Yeah, me either. In fact, even members of his own party seemed to pan whole sections of it. My biggest problem is the cost. How can the average middle class American family and small business owner expect to the way for the poor (who need it the most), the rich (who need it the least), and themselves? As it is, we’re already tapped out paying for the Wall Street bailouts, executive perks, increased water, sewer, garbage, electric, and gas bills (not to mention the new energy taxes which is suppose make us less dependent on foreign oil. I thought we had an Energy Department created by in the ‘70’s by President Jimmy Carter to handle that problem. What’s up with that? By the way, don’t we have like a gazillion gallons of untapped oil in Alaska and off Florida’s Gulf Coast? And the reason we’re not drilling there and paying out the nose at the pump is what again?).

Speaking about Obama’s Health Care Plan, what do you think about the portion where Middle America gets to pay for the health care of illegal immigrants? Oh, you didn’t hear about that part? I guess it was an oversight by nearly every media outlet out there. Well, Newsmax.com did carry the article. Click on this link to read more, and then write, call, and email your representatives in Washington and let them know what you think:
http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/obama_illegals_healthcare/2009/07/19/237484.html

Along the same lines, the good folks at FAIR sent me their recent news release regarding Obama’s Health Care package which would allow illegal aliens to receive taxpayer based health coverage. Here’s the article:

Illegal Aliens One Step Closer to Getting Health Benefits: Ways and Means Committee Democrats Reject Amendment Designed to Limit Eligibility

(Washington, D.C.) As estimates of the costs of President Obama’s national health care overhaul soar into the trillions of dollars, the powerful House Ways & Means Committee rejected an amendment last Friday that would have limited the taxpayers’ liability by ensuring that illegal aliens would not qualify for the bill’s health care benefits. In a straight party line vote, the committee’s 26 Democrats rejected an amendment offered by Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) to the America’s Affordable Health Care Choices Act, H.R. 3200.

The Heller amendment would have required the federal government to use the database set up by the federal government for states to determine eligibility for welfare benefits to also ensure that illegal aliens do not enroll in the government-run public health insurance plan. It would also have barred illegal aliens from qualifying for tax credits to subsidize the purchase of private health insurance coverage.

The defeated Heller amendment would have required applicants for government provided or subsidized health care to demonstrate eligibility through the Income and Eligibility Verification System (IEVS) and the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) systems. Similarly, people seeking affordability credits from the government to subsidize the purchase of private insurance would also need to verify their eligibility through IEVS and SAVE. These provisions would have effectively barred illegal aliens from receiving taxpayer funded health care benefits.

“At a time when the federal government is running trillion dollar deficits, and the projected costs of the proposed health care overhaul seem to grow with each passing day, the committee that writes our tax laws wants Americans to pay for the health care costs of illegal aliens,” stated Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). “Given the opportunity to close loopholes that would cost the public billions of dollars each year, Democrats on the committee unanimously rejected an amendment that would bar illegal aliens from a national health care program.”

The vote by Ways and Means Democrats came the same week that a Zogby International poll found that 58 percent of Americans believe that excluding illegal aliens from national health coverage is an “excellent” or “very good” proposal for curbing costs. Only 20 percent said barring illegal aliens from coverage was a “poor” idea. The committee vote also occurred the same week that Massachusetts announced that it was cutting state subsidized health benefits to legal immigrants, as costs had spiraled beyond the state’s ability to pay.

“Ironically, immigration – particularly illegal immigration – has been one of the driving forces behind the growing number of medically uninsured,” Stein noted. “According to the Census Bureau, some 10 million noncitizens lack health coverage – a figure that does not include their U.S.-citizen children who are also uninsured.

“Not only do congressional Democrats and the administration want to ignore the relationship between mass illegal immigration and the growing number of uninsured, they refuse to place any caps on how much American taxpayers should have to pay to provide health benefits to illegal aliens. When it comes to satisfying the demands of the illegal alien lobby, the administration and congressional leaders will spare no expense,” concluded Stein.

The 26 members of the House Ways & Means Committee opposing the amendment barring illegal aliens from coverage under the America’s Affordable Health Care Choices Act are:

Xavier Becerra (Calif.), Shelley Berkley (Nev.), Earl Blumenauer (Ore.), Joe Crowley (N.Y.), Artur Davis (Ala.), Danny Davis (Ill.), Lloyd Doggett (Texas), Bob Etheridge (N.C.), Brian Higgins (N.Y.), Ron Kind (Wis.), John Larson (Conn.), Sander Levin (Mich.), John Lewis (Ga.), Jim McDermott (Wash.), Kendrick Meek (Fla.), Richard Neal (Mass.), Bill Pascrell (N.J.), Earl Pomeroy (N.D.), Chairman Charlie Rangel (N.Y.), Linda Sanchez (Calif.), Allyson Schwartz (Pa.), Pete Stark (Calif.), John Tanner (Tenn.), Mike Thompson (Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), and John Yarmuth (Ky.).

About FAIR
Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country’s largest immigration reform group. With over 250,000 members nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

It’s always a delight for me to get a post from Moderate Man, and this is no exception. Here’s what is on Moderate Man’s mind. Drop him a line in care of AO and let him know what you think!

Merger Without Any Reductions In Services?

When the City of Louisville and Jefferson County Governments merged into the Louisville Metro Government on Jan. 6th, 2003, the taxpayers were promised that no reductions in services would occur. Mayor Abramson said in September 2003, his chief concern was to maintain or improve city services without increasing costs. Merger was an incomplete change in the form of our government. We were left with two different taxing districts in Jefferson County. The Urban Service District (old City of Louisville boundary) and the Non Urban Service District (outside the old City of Louisville boundary). Not to mention 83 incorporated small cities inside Louisville Metro who sat out merger, along with their non unified fire departments. This also meant those in the Urban Service District paid considerable more taxes for additional city services, while those outside the district did not. Those in the Urban Service District were to receive, at the time merger was enacted, the following services: Police and fire protection, garbage pickup twice a week, junk pickup four times a year, street sweeping four times a year.

Today what the residents of the Urban Service District receive is: garbage pickup once a week, junk pickup three times a year and maybe even less next year, street sweeping twice a year (but in my neighborhood, I haven’t seen it once this year), police beat patrols have been cut along with the Southfields training facility being sold, plus Fairdale and the old 3rd District Police substations moved, and there’s a net loss in fire stations. Yes, other items have been reduced or cut, like library hours, street paving, etc. Merger was promoted with the understanding that governments duplicate positions would be eliminated either by layoffs, attrition or transfers, to promote an efficient streamlined government. Today, there are 1600 less job positions eliminated since merger of both governments. That promise has been kept. There are less city employees to run the newly merged city. But if your phone call doesn’t get answered quickly, maybe it was because the receptionist who used to do it was laid off. Or it may take two weeks to patch that pothole, as there aren’t as many Public Works employees. Or the extra money spent pre merger on police overtime, has vanished for certain areas of the town. Police helicopter was sold. Swimming pools were eliminated and park maintenance is being put off. Otter Creek Park was closed.

The Louisville Metro Mayor recently visited Charlestown, West Virginia to promote his “success” with merger. Some other United States communities considering merger are: Albuquerque NM, Aurora CO, Birmingham AL, Buffalo NY, Charlestown SC, Des Moines IA, Durham NC, Evansville IN, El Paso TX, Fairbanks AK, Fort Wayne IN, Frankfort KY, Gainesville FL, Little Rock AR, Macon GA, Memphis TN, Fayetteville TN, Montgomery AL, Orlando FL, Pensacola FL, Pittsburg PA, Portland OR, Roanoke VA, Sioux Falls SD, Tallahassee FL, Tampa FL, Toledo OH, Topeka KS, Wilmington NC. These communities should consider if they can really live with a downsized city budget, fewer employees, and reduced city services. Louisville Metro Government is learning how and its citizens will have to also. It’s not pleasant, especially if a city’s leader focuses the merger savings on downtown development and capitol projects.

Moderate Man


Poll Results

Our last poll asked you about the Obama’s lack of attention to the illegal immigration issue, which has either been moved to the back burner, or taken completely off the stove, was justified. 33% of said you didn’t think illegal immigration was a serious issue any longer. However, 66% of you couldn’t disagree more! And the remaining 1% wasn’t sure how important the issue still is. Illegal immigration affects foreign policy, national security, federal, state, and local economics (jobs, housing, crime, healthcare, education, and taxes) in terms of costs. So one percenters, I’d say it’s an important issue wouldn’t you?

Educating the Poor and Illegal

Should taxpayers foot the bill to educate the children of illegal aliens? Perhaps to put it another way, should the children bear the crimes of their parents? Most of the individuals here in violation of US immigration policy do indeed work. In fact, they work long hard days with very low pay and no benefits. In the event of employer abuse, they really have no where to go. Most are here for a better life, and no one can fault them for that. However, it’s the fact that they have tried to jump to the head of line, pass those who are following national and international laws regarding immigration that has put their status in this county in question. Most are simply rounded up and deported to their home county (where, by the way, the same offence would get them prison time). But what about the children?

Americans have long recognized that education was the key (not guarantee) to future success. We place great value in education and knowledge. Currently, there are an estimated 1.5 million children of illegal parents in our public school system, costing US taxpayers some $12 billion dollars to educate them. Our schools are already overcrowded, thanks to fewer teachers (who, in my opinion, are paid far less than they deserve). Schools have to deal with gangs, drugs, petty crime, and sometimes the threat of mass violence in addition to the norms of education and adolescence. With illegals added to the mix, our schools have to deal with children who lack the basics and require remedial education to bring them up to speed with their peers. According the Mexican government’s own statistics, on 58% of individuals 15 years or older have some elementary school education (http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/illegal-immigrants-cause-public-school-crisis).

Many of these same children use the school nurses for health care their parents would normally have access to if they were here legally, plus “free” programs, such as taxpayer sponsored meals, books, and laptops. Then we need to address the costs borne by taxpayers for bilingual tutors (and let’s not forget the children of parents who do not want their children taught English. Yelp, there are parents who insist their children be taught in their native language, which means that the school has to provide a full time tutor to follow the student from class to class translating for them…all at taxpayer expense.

Children of illegal immigrants rarely stay in one school system for very long. Many move from district to district, depending on the nature of their parent’s migratory job situation. In doing so, the children failed to develop consistency in their education as well as the as resulting in gaps in their education which may affect their employment status later on. Of course, they usually fail to develop lasting friendships with other students, or a sense of “belonging” with neighborhoods or the community, resulting in a perpetual “outsider” mentality which could lead to affiliation with gangs later on as a substitute family or community, which cost the American taxpayer million if not billions of dollars in terms of police, fire, EMS, healthcare, prison upkeep, and property damage, not to mention destroyed lives. Those children left out of the education system altogether fail to develop even a rudimentary education, and can be expected to become an even greater burden to the American taxpayer later on. So, what is to be done?

America’s education system is broken. It needs a top to bottom overhaul, and that takes money and time. Unfortunately, we have neither. The countries where these illegals have come from have grossly failed their people by not allowing for the development of a strong middle class. This was the result of the rich landowners and businessmen, in conjunction with the religious institutions historically keeping the peasants poor and stupid. It produced a cheap and docile work force. Any attempt at rebellion was quickly extinguished thanks to the power of the State. Their problem became our problem when the American Government, regardless of political party, supported these very same rich oligarchs and rightwing juntas in suppressing the will of the people in free and open elections; the very thing we hold most dear.

We supported repressive governments that would allow US businesses unrestricted access to their markets. The only revolution we would permit was the “Consumer Revolution” which relied on the creation of debt to support itself. Now, we’re dealing with the consequences of those actions as the children and grandchildren of those very same peasants come here in search of the better life they see on TV or read in the pulp magazines and now that debt may be ours to bear.


The DREAM Act Illegal Alien Amnesty:
A Bad Idea at the Worst Possible Time, Says FAIR

(Washington, D.C.) Despite overwhelming opposition by the American public when it was first proposed in 2000, the House and the Senate have reintroduced a sweeping illegal alien amnesty bill known as the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.

The legislation, introduced by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), is a broad amnesty measure disguised as an educational initiative that would allow millions of illegal aliens who meet a very loose definition of “student” to qualify for green cards. In addition, it provides in-state tuition benefits for illegal aliens that will displace legal residents competing for a fixed number of college admission slots and taxpayer subsidies.

The DREAM Act represents yet another attempt to enact an amnesty for illegal aliens, either in one comprehensive bill, or piecemeal. The DREAM Act would also place severe strains on state budgets and harm middle class families who are struggling to get their own kids through college.

Passage of the DREAM Act would:
 Reward parents who violated immigration laws through their children, and provide a powerful incentive for more illegal immigration.

 Transfer seats and tuition subsidies to illegal aliens at a time when state higher education budgets are being slashed, admissions curtailed, and tuitions increased.

 By broadly defining “student” it gives amnesty to large numbers of illegal aliens who may be pursing any sort of education.

 Accelerate chain migration and exponential population growth because illegal aliens who are granted green cards will be able to petition the Department of Homeland Security in the future to grant their parents and relatives legal status too.

“Once again, Congress is ignoring the interests and concerns of hard-working, law-abiding Americans in order to reward illegal immigrants and pander to the illegal alien lobby,” said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). “Even as American families are struggling, and nearly every state is facing a budget crisis, Congress is prepared to mandate huge additional burdens in the form of a massive illegal alien amnesty.”

“The American people have made it very clear that they reject amnesty for illegal aliens whether it’s in one comprehensive bill, or piecemeal,” Stein said. “The DREAM Act would not only allow millions of newly legalized illegal aliens to compete for their jobs, but allow them to compete for their own children’s educational opportunities. With private university tuitions already out of reach for most middle class families, and tuitions at public universities rising three times faster than median family incomes, the DREAM Act would be more than a reward for illegal aliens. It would crush the hopes and dreams of countless American families trying to provide opportunities to their own children.”

About FAIR
Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country’s largest immigration reform group. With over 250,000 members nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.
Contact Ira Mehlman at 206-420-7733 or Bob Dane at 202-328-7004.


Poll Results
I asked you if you thought we were becoming a dual nation by losing our Middle Class. Historically, the Middle Class has been the bond that has held Capitalist nations together. Without it, we either revert to Anarchy or a Feudalistic society. 24% of you thought there was still hope and opportunities for the Middle Class (12% each). What I found amazing was that rest of you, some 76% felt we were losing our Middle Class. I have to wonder if that’s because of the pessimistic climate resulting from our current economics conditions, or there is something fundamentally broken in our society that government hasn’t picked up on yet. While I hope it’s the former, I fear it may be the latter. Thanks for voting!

Illegals May Get Stimulus Checks

The Obama sponsored Economic Stimulus Package appears to be less than it seems (or perhaps more) when it comes to illegal aliens. The $800 billion deal could direct some of our taxpayer based money to illegal immigrants. How you ask? The legislation, which would direct a tax credit of $500 per worker, or $1000 per couple, would, on the face of it disqualify illegals since you must have a social security to get a check. But here’s the rub.

A House passed version would allow anyone with an individual taxpayer ID number to qualify for a stimulus check. Those who support this measure point out the illegal aliens should be “entitled” to receive a stimulus check since they can file tax returns using the same individual taxpayer ID number. So, illegal or not, since they (theoretically) pay income tax they argue, they should get a check just like everyone else. Opponents argue that illegal immigrants may or may not report all of their income and therefore should not be allowed to participate. Furthermore, they ask what part of “illegal” does Congress fail to understand? The previous stimulus check initially allowed illegal aliens to use their individual taxpayer ID numbers; however, a revolt lead by House Republicans forced the Democrats to modify legislation to require social security numbers only. The current legislation does not. Please contact your Congressman and Senator and ask that any stimulus package be restricted to US citizens only.


Union Yes!

Good news for unions and union supporters (and yes, that would include yours truly). According to the latest numbers, union membership is up for the second straight year. According to the US Department of Labor, union membership increased to 12.4%, which was up from 12.1% in 2007 (the level in 2006 was 12.0%). In terms of actual numbers, union member increased by 428,000, bringing the total to 16.1 million union brothers and sisters! Union membership peaked toward the end of the 1950’s when just over a quarter (26%) of the workforce carried a union card. The majority of workers at that time were in manufacturing and the defense industry.

To quote AFL-CIO President, John Sweeny, "Today's numbers confirm what many working people already know - that if given the chance, American workers are choosing to join unions in larger numbers”. President Obama is expected to sign the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which would reverse a 2007 Supreme Court decision making it more difficult to initiate legal action over pay discrimination.

Government workers represent the largest group unionized. Average weekly wages among union employees was $881.00 compared to $691.00 among non-union workers. In addition, union workers had better working conditions, benefit and retirement plans compared to their non-union counterparts. And don’t think unions are for blue collar workers only. The fastest growing segment of new union members are in traditionally white collar jobs, especially education, training, and library workers with 38.7% unionized. Office workers and middle managers are also starting to seriously look at unionizing as companies continue to cut back, overwork, and outsource jobs.

So where do unions go from here? The next big battle will be a repeat of the Employee Free Choice Act which went down in defeat recently. Unions plan on a rematch with Big Business, but expect a very different outcome given the current political and economic climate. The EFCA would allow employees to form unions by majority vote without any interference by management or organized labor.


North Carolina Losing 1.2 Billion Dollars to Illegal Immigration

Below is an interesting article I recently received from FAIR---Federation for American Immigration Reform. According to the article, illegal immigration is costing North Carolina, a relatively poor Southern state, a whooping 1.2 billion dollars annually:

A report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) finds that illegal immigration costs North Carolina more than $1.2 billion a year. An additional $1.2 billion earned in the state is denied to the North Carolina economy by illegal aliens who sent remittances abroad. The report, The Costs of Illegal Immigration to North Carolinians looks at just three essential state services and programs: education, public health, and incarceration of criminal illegal aliens. Those impacts are:

K-12 Education. The estimated 120,000 children of illegal aliens in public schools cost taxpayers more than $1 billion annually.

Health care. Uncompensated health care for illegal aliens costs North Carolina an estimated $130 million a year.

Incarceration. Besides the human and economic costs of crimes by criminal illegal aliens, incarcerating the perpetrators carries a $49 million annual price tag.

According the report, tax collection from North Carolina’s illegal alien population amounts to about $225 million annually. However, if those jobs currently held by illegal aliens were filled by legal workers, often at higher wages, those taxes – and probably additional taxes – would be collected anyway.

The release of The Costs of Illegal Immigration to North Carolinians coincides with worsening fiscal news for the state. While the state spends more than $1.2 billion on services for illegal aliens, North Carolina is faced with a budget shortfall of $3 billion – about 10 percent of the total budget.

“The staggering $1.2 billion price tag for North Carolinians demonstrates the extent to which illegal immigration has become a nationwide phenomenon and a burden on American taxpayers in every region of the country,” noted Dan Stein, president of FAIR. “It is a burden that is especially onerous given the impact that the current economic crisis has already imposed on millions of American families and the havoc it is playing with state and local budgets.”

After years of ignoring North Carolina’s growing illegal immigration problem, the state now has more local police trained to identify and detain illegal aliens than all but one state, and has ended the practice of granting driver’s licenses to people who cannot prove they are legal residents. “As has been demonstrated in other states, consistent state-based policies can reverse the flow of illegal migration. North Carolina’s new governor, Bev Perdue, can ease the burdens on North Carolina taxpayers and reduce the state’s budget shortfall by continuing and strengthening state efforts to discourage illegal immigration,” Stein concluded.

About FAIR

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country’s largest and oldest immigration reform group. With over 250,000 members nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced. The full report is available at www.fairus.org.

Poll Results

We asked in our last poll is you were worried about losing your job. 41% of you said you were while 35% of you were not worried. 23% of you said you already lost your job (I'm sorry to see that). There is no doubt about it; we are living in historical times.

Aztlan Anyone?

I’m willing to bet most of you have never heard of “Aztlan” and know even less about the Chicano or Aztlan Movement. As most everyone knows, Hispanics are now the largest minority in the United States; comprising approximately 15% of the total population (which is expected to rise to 29% by 2050). This dramatic increase in numbers has made the Hispanic population a potential power player in American politics at all levels. This may explain the foot dragging of those in Washington to quietly impede the building a fence along our Southern border, or provide adequate funding of border security. It may also explain why there is private distain by those inside Washington’s beltway to any efforts to establish English as our national language while allowing Spanish to become the de facto “co-language” much as French is in Canada. This brings me to question regarding Aztlan.

Aztlan was the mythical home of the Nahua people, the original inhabitants of Southwest America and ancestors of today’s Latin American populations. The Aztlan or Chicano Movement, which began in the late 1960’s, is aimed at nothing less than the “reconquista” or “reconquest” of land lost during the Westward expansion, beginning in the 1840’s and creation of a Spanish speaking “Republica del Norte” or Republic of the North. Included in this “reconquest” are Arizona, New Mexico, California, Colorado, and Texas, along with the Mexican States of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas.

So, who supports the creation of this new Hispanic State? Well funded groups like the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Council of La Raza (“the race”), Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, and the National Immigration Forum just to name a few (http://www.mayorno.com/WhoIsMecha.html , http://www.diversityalliance.org/docs/Chang-aztlan.html, and http://www.atzlan.net/).

While there is no doubt that those who support the creation of Aztlan are quite serious in efforts, there are just as many Hispanics who oppose the idea. These are primarily Hispanics who have come to America legally, and established themselves within their respective communities throughout America. In short, they’ve assimilated into the tapestry of America just as countless immigrants have done over the centuries. If we allow our government officials to continue along the same path of ignoring the issues of illegal immigrations, unsecured borders (including prosecuting our border agents for doing their jobs), and protecting our national heritage by adopting English as our official language, we play into the hands of those who seek to destroy America. Nothing less than a strong secure America bound by a common language and shared culture will do in my opinion.


I’m not a big fan of talk radio, and I rarely listen to Rush Limbaugh. But that does not diminish my concern when a federal agency tries to impede someone’s right of free speech, as guaranteed to each of us under the Bill of Rights. The following article was sent to me by Jim Boulet of English First, an organization I support, and whose aim is to make English our official national language. You will also find a link to a petition asking that the FCC reverse campaign to ban radio talk shows like Limbaugh, Beck, Ingraham and others from public airwaves.

FCC Rule to Drive Rush Limbaugh off the Radio

Do you want the government to drive Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Dr. James Dobson and other conservatives off your radio dial? This month, the FCC will end its review of a "Notice of Proposed Rule making" which, if ultimately adopted, would impose a back-door version of the discredited "Fairness Doctrine" upon America's airwaves.

Our opponents determination to take Rush and the others off the air demonstrates the critical importance of talk radio .Rush and the others allow us to know what is going on in Congress in time to do something about it. Had the FCC's stealth "Fairness Doctrine" been in place in 2006, amnesty for illegal aliens would have passed easily.

The FCC's stealth Fairness Doctrine regulations seek "to ensure that broadcasters serve their communities, especially traditionally underserved audiences," such as non-English speakers, whether or not these people actually exist.

The FCC's proposed regulations also contain a new requirement that all "licensees should convene and consult with permanent advisory boards." These advisory boards "should include representatives of all segments of the community."

Such a requirement would empower self-appointed "community leaders," such as representatives of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) or the Center for American Islamic Relations (CAIR), to discourage commercial radio stations from airing discussions of controversial matters such as the costs of illegal immigration or the meaning of jihad.

Fans of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Dr.James Dobson and other syndicated radio talk shows need to stand up against these proposed FCC regulation or watch our favorite hosts taken off the air in the name of encouraging "cultural diversity."

English First has established a web site, http://www.keeprushontheair.com,
containing the relevant FCC documents and a citizen's petition to the FCC
that I hope you will sign. If you have already signed our petition (over 1,000 Americans have done so), please ask your friends and neighbors to sign our petition as well. Thank you for your time and for doing your part. Your comments or complaints are welcome. E-mail them to me at jbouletATenglishfirst.org (replace AT with @).

You can donate to support the work of English First at https://www5.clearlight.com/english/join.htm.

Jim Boulet, Jr.
Executive Director
English First
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102,
Springfield, VA 22151
(703) 321-8818 (voice)
http://www.englishfirst.org (web)

Poll Results

I asked you if enough was being done to stop illegal immigration. Your response came through loud and clear! 86% of you said you wanted stopped now. 10% of didn’t think it was an important issue, and the remaining 4% thought we were already doing enough. Now, only if our so-called “leaders: in Washington would listen to us.

Illegal Immigration: The Facts

Let’s look at some facts concerning illegal immigration in this country. According to the American Federation for Immigration Reform (FAIR), 18% of illegal immigrants fall below the poverty compared to 11% of native born Americans, and they are twice as likely to try to obtain some form of taxpayer based assistance. Did you realized that between $11 billion and $22 billion dollars is spent by state governments annually to provide aid to immigrants? That’s our hard earned tax money NOT at work, at least for us. Approximately $2 billion a year is spent on WIC, food stamps, school lunches and the like. $2.5 billion is spent on Medicaid for illegals, while $17 billion is spent on “anchor babies”; that is, babies born in the States to mothers here illegally. Thus the child is automatically a US citizen, and “mom” gets to stay here, in large part at your expense, as the caretaker.

The Center for Immigration Studies in Washington DC estimates 1.1 million illegal children attend taxpayer funded schools. Not surprisingly, the majority don’t speak English. So, guess who gets to pay for the in-class translator? Yelp, you and I do. According to the California Department of Education, the cost of educating its three million children of illegal parents will cost their taxpayers $38 billion dollars. In Colorado, which has an estimated 200,000 illegal aliens, the cost to its taxpayers is $140.6 million dollars according to the Colorado Department of Education. Even in Georgia, it’s costing their citizens $230 million dollars to educate the children of illegal aliens. FAIR estimated that residents of Kentucky (which has a hard enough time educating its own students) spent $51.6 million dollars just in 2004 to educate the children of illegal residents and that number keeps increasing. The PEW Hispanic Center estimated that in 2005, there was between 30,000 and 60,000 illegal immigrants living in Kentucky (http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_researche5a6).

Let’s talk a little about crime. Statistically, illegal aliens have a crime rate more than double White non-illegal residents. Currently, the US has the highest population behind bars than any other industrialized nation. Of that, 30% are illegal aliens. $3 million dollars a day is spent to incarcerate illegals in US jails—that’s per day folks complete with three squares and free medical care. Dr. Deborah Schurman-Kauflin at the Violent Crimes Institute (www.drdsk.com), located in Atlanta Georgia, wrote in 2006 that she conducted a year long in-depth study of 1500 sex crimes committed between January 1999 and April 2006. Her conclusion was that Americans face a serious threat from sex predators crossing the border.

Dr. Schurman-Kauflin reported that based on a population of 12,000,000 illegal residents, in which young males make up the largest portion of the population, the proportion of sex offenders was higher than that of the general population as a whole. To break the numbers down into understandable terms, it means that an estimated 93 sex offenders and 12 serial sex offenders cross our border every day. The 1500 offenders in this study had 5999 victims; that’s an average of 4 victims each. 53% of these were child molestations; 24% were rapes; 41% were sexual homicides and serial murders. Of the child molestations, 47% were Hispanic, while 36% were White. Asians, Blacks, and other nationalities made up the remaining 8%, 6%, and 3% respectively (I bet you've at least thought about checking on your kids at this point).

Of the rape cases, an amazing 64% knew their attackers. Hispanic and White victims made up 34% while Black women and other nationalities made up the balance. And these weren’t simply rapes (which is bad enough). 70% of the victims were beaten, and weapons were usually used. The average age of the victim was 23 years old. 3% of the rapists were categorized as serial rapists. Each serial rapist averaged 5 victims each. 6% of those raped and murdered were also mutilated according to the study. The most common method of murder was bludgeoning. The next most common method was stabbing. Both White and Black women were most often the victims of rape and murder (Whites had a higher percentage). Their average age was 42 years old and apparently socioeconomic class was a factor, the majority were in affluent areas. You can read more of Dr. Schurman-Kauflin’s study by visiting her site at
http://www.drdsk.com/articles.html#Illegals.

While “hard” figures are difficult to come by, an estimated 4 to 10 million people entered the US illegally along our southern border (you remember our southern border don’t you? It’s the one we were promised would have a fence along it with adequate security personal. The same one that folks in Washington keep failing to fund). According to the National Policy Institute, it would cost upwards of $230 billion to deport the illegals we already have in this country (gee, would be nice to have that fence wouldn’t it?). Here’s an interesting little fact; did you know that illegals send approximately $45 billion dollars back to their native country? Wow, that sure would go along way to offset the money they’re costing us. Shame our government can’t freeze those funds.

None of the three contenders for President have offered any serious avenue for change. So what do we do? Well, for one thing, the President doesn’t make the laws. That’s the job of Congress. For now, we need to make sure we elect responsible leaders to Congress (yeah, I snickered when I read that out loud too) who will get off their backsides and address the illegal immigration issue while we still can. Email them; write them; call them at every opportunity and badger them to start protecting America and Americans. Secondly, demand that companies have an “English Only” policy. No more “Press 1” for anything. Write or emails companies and demand “English Only” on their product labels. Report crime and form block watches and neighborhood associations. Insist that your children are exposed to a broad spectrum of cutural and language classes in school and not be resrticted to Spanish only language classes (as is the case in Kentucky public schools---frankly, they’d be better off learning Chinese). Lastly, don’t stop fighting for what’s right…ever.


Rush Limbaugh and Illegal Immigration

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHPm_TEQ0PA&feature=related

Pay close attention to the last part of the video.

We have another article by our very own “Moderate Man”. Take a look at what he has to say:

Politicians Promoting Themselves

I don’t have any problem with politicians promoting themselves, regardless of party. In fact there can be unexpected benefits that come from the experience. What we can learn from the issue is their character, values, morals, priorities, behavior, beliefs, etc. Yes, it could be corny or it could be confrontational. It is a good way for the voters to learn about the elected official, beyond the election canned agenda and information. Let me first say, there are many good politicians who follow the rules and laws. But I do have a problem with elected officials who use public money to promote themselves. Money that should have been used for the tasks that they were elected to. I have always believed that if you do a good job, people will remember that better than any other method. Many politicians promote themselves using public money. So many that the public seems numb and apathetic about it. These examples are but a few that come to mind. The past governors (you name either party) of Kentucky traveling around the state passing out ceremonial large checks for budget items. They should have just put the check in the mail. How about a United States President who has a letter mailed to inform recipients of a future tax rebate to its citizens.

Many politicians travel to events supporting lower and upper ticket candidates and especially around election time. Some try to mix in elected business travel to make it appear they happened to be in the area. Some try to stiff the taxpayer with the bill for travel till a public outcry makes it an issue. Some lower ticket candidates try to attend events for popular upper ticket candidates. They mug for cameras, try to get interviews, pass out their campaign materials, etc. They may try to pass the travel cost on to the public, by driving in a public supplied car, helicopter, etc. hoping they don’t get caught and coming up with a lame excuse to attend in it. One method of self promotion that is practiced by our Jefferson County Clerk. Every few years as required by law, she returns surplus budget money back to Louisville Metro Government in a December city council meeting with another one of those large ceremonial checks for 2-3 million dollars. It makes her seem like a trusty financial steward of taxpayer money. However, her office is given 6 to7 hundred thousand dollars in each yearly city budget. The council should eliminate this and let her operate on her fees and her surplus. The city money can be used for other Louisville Metro Government needs in these trying times. Just mail in the check.


Poll Results

Our last poll asked if public meetings should be mandated by government. 100% of you said “yes”. I couldn’t agree more. They work for us, not the other way around.