jpccusa
Happy with this new hobby
Beth and Wade I agree. JP in Maryland far from the southern border we have an enormous problem with illegal immigration, job loss, and the strains this puts on education. Programs like ESOL cost our county millions a year alone to teach children to speak English so they can navigate our educational system. Interpreters also cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, printing news letters in two languages, resource classes that should be for disabled children like my son instead are used to teach non English speaking children and also cost well over a million a year in Montgomery County alone where I live, programs like head start have gone from being low income prekindergarten to Spanish speaking only classrooms, and so on. These wastes of resources which by the way are limited take away from our children and have caused shortages of interpreters, ESOL and resource teachers due to budget cuts because of the sheer number of illegals in need. If you don't consider this a problem I'm pretty much at a loss. Public school educational systems have struggled for adequate funding since their start and adding programs for non English speaking kids only further reduces what is left to give not to mention overcrowds already crowded schools. I guess you have forgotten I am a 2nd generation American so I'm not sure where your comment about me having problems with cultures mixing comes from- I have a problem with people who come here illegally, don't pay taxes (though you swear the majority do which is a load of bull), refuse to learn the language, get free health care, education, housing, and other benefits, and then act like they are entitled to stay illegally. Thats my problem! My family got sponsors, paid their fees, filed their paperwork, WAITED PATIENTLY, and came here legally- completely different and having nothing to do with the mixing of cultures. FYI this is America a melting pot of cultures I'd be in the wrong country if that were my problem
As for your argument that illegals do not take away jobs from our country are you serious? Lets talk macroeconomics then. You think our unemployment rate coincides with the overall supply of jobs right now and I actually agree there. We are in a recession, businesses cut back on jobs to save their bottom lines as people spend less in the economy, and as a result there are fewer jobs to go around- not complicated to me. However, when any country has 19 million extra people legal or not jobs must be spread around to a greater number of people to keep unemployment rates stable, but when jobs are decreased and the number of people demanding a job does not unemployment rises. So if we had 19 million fewer people we would have several million extra jobs available meaning no illegal immigrants=more job availability- also not complicated.
I will agree we have a number of illegals here who have overstayed their visas, but their still illegal. We also have people rafting in from the south, tunneling, walking, running.....to come illegally. If we crack down on our borders eliminating those who try to cross illegally we cut down on our illegal immigration problem and if we crack down on businesses that hire illegals we force many to go back home also cutting down on our illegal immigration problem. This is how EVERY other country deals with immigration why can't we? In Canada their workforce departments are tied into their immigration departments making it almost impossible to work as an illegal immigrant and check out how many fewer illegals they have then us. No system will ever be perfect and illegal immigration will never be entirely eradicated, but we could do a lot better than we are now.
JP Do you see any negative side effects of illegal immigration on our economy and country at all?
Thanks for your response Danielle.
I did forget you are a second generation American. Like I said, forgive me if I jumped into conclusion there. I can see how you would be frustrated with all the things you listed, but how would that be the fault of an American child who happens to just speak Spanish (perhaps due to illegal immigrant parents)? Your message addressed those kids slowing English speakers down, and that is where I drawn my conclusion from.
I provided reports that say illegal immigrants do pay taxes. I am not the one putting those reports together, therefore I am not swearing they do pay taxes, I am just sharing the information I have on the topic.
As for illegals taking jobs from Americans, I agree with you - if we didn't have 12 million people in the work force illegally we could have more Americans working. BUT, deportation of 12 million, as we agreed before, can't happen. And if you were not referring to deportation, then what to do with the illegal workers? Should we give their work to legal workers? Wouldn't that make the "black market" bigger? Wouldn't that slow down the economy due to the learning curve/reduction in productivity?
I agree with your last paragraph... We need an immigration reform that fix all the points you pointed out.
Good question your presented: I am not pro illegal immigration. I think it should stop (border security and the development of a document that can't be counterfeited that works for employment). But I think the immigration system needs to be completely redone. Visa quotas, workers program, permanent residency, etc. Everything.
Illegal immigrants already here have some negative effects. Many do work "under the table" bringing wages down. Many refuse to assimilate into the American culture. BUT (I always follow with "but" don't I?) people can work under the table being here legally to avoid taxes, and the problem with assimilation of the culture would be somewhat addressed in the proposed immigration reform (learn English for example).
Please let me know if you want me to expand in any point. I am running out of time here at work, kinda rushing to answer.
