Mike Blair: "There is not a single platoon of American soldiers in place along the American border with Mexico, which is almost regularly invaded by Mexican Army troops shielding Mexican bandits smuggling drugs and illegal aliens across the border."

An obvious question: What makes these citizens and others of like mind so adamant about combating the amnesty problem? And what makes them so sure that the immigration problem we have is THAT critical? America. after all,  is often called, not incorrectly, a land of immigrants, is it not?

A not-so-obvious answer: The people---and there are many more of them--- who are making these kinds of observations are individuals who have studied the immigration problem; have first-hand knowledge of its danger to the U.S.; are personally affected by the alien invasion; know about existing (but ignored) U.S. immigrations laws; or are just plain mad as hell that George Bush can dream up reasons to fight wars around the world, but doesn't give a tinker's damn about protecting our own sovereign borders.

To begin with, unless you have read Buchanan's book, "The Death of the West", with its the eye-opening statistics about the aliens that are stampeding into America, you may be apt to put statements like those above (in this case, even Buchanan's) in the category of generalities.

So let's take a look at Mexican fence-jumping from a more gutty, down-in-the-dirt angle: money. 

Mike Krikorian, of National Review Online, reports that a revealing panel discussion about illegal aliens recently took place at the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C. What the panel talked about was a comprehensive analysis of the subject, entitled, "The High Cost of Cheap Labor"  written by Dr. Steven Camarota, Director of the Center.

The study centered around the administration's plan to legalize the illegal aliens now living in America.

For starters, the study shows that illegal aliens now cost the U.S. $10 billion a year---and giving them amnesty would nearly triple that cost.

Now, that also might impress you as a "generality" since nobody we know is on speaking terms with illegal aliens, and besides, who can count to ten billion? 

So, using Census Bureau data, let's do some investigating and find out where all that money goes, thanks to the many benefits we give to the "free lunch" Mexicans (and other) aliens who don't belong here.

Among other things, Dr. Camarota's study shows that:

* Illegal alien households use about $2,700 a year more in government services than they pay in taxes. That's an extra $10.4 billion that WE have to come up with.

* If illegals were legalized, paid their taxes, and used existing services, the annual fiscal deficit would still increase from $2,700 to $7,700 per household. Overall, that's $29 billion more of OUR tax dollars.

* Legalizing aliens will increase costs to you, because they would be able to use many more government services. Services that WE are now paying for.

*Combined costs of federal programs ($8 billion) that legalized aliens will get gratis: Medicaid, treatment for the uninsured, food programs, cost of prison and court systems, and aid to schools. Lucky them, It's US who are picking up the tab.

*Since most illegals have very limited schooling, their low education levels, and resultant low incomes and tax payments, create a larger fiscal deficit. Which WE have to make up.

The fact is, what the study reveals clear and simple: the fiscal deficit is created because so many illegals are unskilled, thus they have lower incomes, and thus pay less in taxes. Which means that WE take the hit.

It didn't used to be this way. In the past, unskilled workers used less government services (there weren't as many), therefore the immigrants of yesterday did not cause the fiscal problems that today's immigrants do. And, of course, the nature of America's economy has drastically changed.

So, the conclusion Dr. Camarota arrives at is, "large-scale, unskilled immigration is incompatible with current economic conditions and an extensive welfare state." Meaning: unskilled immigration, legal or otherwise, MUST be reduced.

However---and Camarota's analysis makes this quite clear--- given the costs of illegal aliens and of any amnesty, it probably makes more sense to enforce our existing immigration laws and reduce illegal immigration.

At any rate, it's nice to know that somebody is discussing "all aspects" of amnesty for illegal aliens. We only hope that you, George Bush, read Dr. Camarota's conclusions, forget partisan politics for once, and do the right thing for the country.

Change your mind again.

"Published originally at EtherZone.com : republication allowed with this notice and hyperlink intact."

Jim Moore is a free-lance political writer and is a regular columnist for Ether Zone.

Jim Moore can be reached at [email protected]

Published in the August 30, 2004 issue of  Ether Zone.
Copyright � 1997 - 2004 Ether Zone.

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