Irrational anti-immigrant screed dissected and exposed

Don’t you sometimes wish the right wingnuts would understand that bold face with lots of !!!!!!!!!!!!!, and in different colors in an email doesn’t make up for poor or ‘cherry picked’ data, insufficient logic and gross generalizations. Oh, and providing hyperlinks to websites that are blocked to all but paying subscribers, or linked to well-known right wing foundations with an ‘agenda’ aren’t very helpful, simply serving to widen the credibility gap.

I’ll dissect this one on illegal immigration.

First, the nonsensical email:

Perhaps you have already seen this, but it really spells out the reasoning behind the AZ bill

This article will open your eyes as to what is really happening to our country’s economy.  Read it if you wish to be informed so you can make the right decisions when it comes time to vote!

It’s easy to dismiss individual programs that benefit non-citizens until they’re put together and this picture emerges.  Someone (AZ) did a lot of research to put together all of this data. 

Often these programs are buried within other programs making them difficult to find.

A Real Eye Opener   
WHY is the USA BANKRUPT?

Click to read more ...

Legal or illegal, does immigration cost us jobs?

The Tea Party, and other xenophobes, would have us believe that immigration - legal or otherwise - is bad in every way. Like so many of the issues the right attempts to address, the issues are far more complex than their rank and file take the time and effort to understand. Unfortunately, their jingoistic sloganeering is what ends up in the media sound chamber, and is picked up as ‘fact’ by too many people.

Again, I have provided you the links to the immigration reform organizations mentioned in this analysis. Go to their sites, and peruse the About Us sections, and their Boards. It can often be quite revealing. The 23 member group of Supporters for NumbersUSA includes eight who are ‘deceased’. I find that puzzling. You have to wonder why they can’t come up with a group of completely living Supporters; individuals who can speak on their on behalf regarding their support, unlike people like the late Edward Abbey. The Daily Kos had an interesting article about NumbersUSA, by Alfredo Martin Bravo de Ruedo Espejo, “The Charming Racism of Numbers USA”.

FAIR ( Federation for American Immigration Reform) may not be exactly what it seems either, looking at some analysis on RightWeb (“Tracking militarists efforts to influence U.S. foreign policy”):

Click to read more ...

Immigrants actually help our social security picture

Immigration is good for the financial health of Social Security because more workers mean more tax revenue.

New York Times

In fact, illegal immigrants contribute more to social security than legal immigrants. And, illegal immigrants are highly unlikely to demand the benefits on the other end.

But, immigration rules have to be reformed.

We have a legal immigrant from West Africa, who has been living with us for nearly four years, and she is paying all the taxes that you and I pay. She is unlikely, at this point, to collect them. Life takes a lot of unusual turns and who can really say how it will all pan out.

Immigrants from places like India and Africa (in our case) are here with one goal in mind: to achieve.

Click to read more ...

Immigration work permit drama over - for now.

Well, I had just spoken to the staffer in Sen. Harry Reids’ Reno office yesterday, getting an update on the status of Natacha’s work permit, after having done a little discreet inquiry with his Washington D. C. staff during the Constituent Breakfast last week.

The staffer here wasn’t very positive sounding. In fact, it was damn discouraging. He told me that immigration is the one agency that they dare not push too hard with, as the chance of nasty blowback was too great. All they can do is politely inquire.

Natacha applied for a renewal of her work permit in May of this year. She tried to apply a few months in advance so there would be no gap, but was told by immigration that she had to wait until the old permit had expired before she could request a new one. So when she requested the new one, it was like starting from scratch - new fingerprints and the works. Like any of that had changed since August of 2007.

The bottom line here is that she couldn’t work through the summer to earn the money for school this fall. Guess who had to come up with the exorbitant ‘out-of-state’ tuition?  Yeah, that’s right.

She could have worked illegally. I discouraged that. I don’t want to see her get into trouble with immigration over a couple thousand dollars and completely end her chances to stay her and complete her education.

My question is this: with immigration being such a hot button issue for people before, during and after each election cycle, why isn’t anybody asking about making the immigration people answerable, and accountable plus making it easier for immigrants to get their permits and follow the law of the land.

This seems to be a no-brainer.

Natacha had taken a trip back to Baltimore, Maryland this summer, paid for by a cousin that lives back there. Evidently, she could have stayed if she’d wanted to. There is, apparently, quite a few Africans living there and working illegally. She could easily have joined them. I guess we’ve been a good influence, as she declined.

But the fact remains that these draconian agencies and laws aren’t doing what they were intended to do. Keep the ones out that don’t want to play by the rules - they’re all here and doing well, and making it damn near impossible for those who do play by the rules to stay and tough it out. This isn’t regulation - this is more like a punishment for believing the Hollywood version of America and coming over here to attain a better life.

Well, this one is good until May of 2009, at which time she will have graduated with two associate degrees and is then required to work for one year in the field of study. Thank gawd for small favors.

Catch me before I swoon with joy.

maven