Letter: Taking issue with commentary on aliens (Aug. 12)
The commentary in The Madera Tribune on July 30 by Arturo S. Rodriguez, president of the United Farm Workers Union, is typical of the movement that favors and promotes illegal aliens coming into this country. You notice, he never mentions illegal aliens by name — only “undocumented workers.”
Rodriguez would like you to believe that the only way food gets to your table is by the labor of illegals. There are other ways.
One is the Bracero Program, where Mexican laborers are admitted legally into the United States for a short period to perform seasonal agricultural labor. Why is that program not implemented? Two main reasons. One, the regime could not use them for part of their voting base. Another reason: Rodriguez could not unionize them.
Another way to help bring food to the table is to get all able-bodied leeches off the welfare rolls and put them to work. That simple program is called “work or starve.”
Rodriguez uses the words immigration reform many times. Those are buzz words handed down by the regime and spewed continually by the major news media. This is all meant to brainwash the people, because it sounds good if you say it fast. Why don’t they call a spade a spade and tell the people that their intent for immigration reform means amnesty and legal citizenship for all crooks that broke the law to enter this country illegally.
The only real immigration reform is the legislation that Arizona passed. Now that is immigration reform. By the way, Rodriguez calls SB1070, the new Arizona legislation, an ill-conceived law because it would drive the illegal aliens out of this country. No kidding.
Rodriguez says if all illegal aliens were deported there would be no food on the table. What he doesn’t tell you is that only a very small percentage of the 12-20 million illegals in this country work in agriculture. Also he doesn’t tell you that if they were all deported this country would save hundreds of billions of dollars which could go toward paying the national debt.
With amnesty, there would be a flood of new aliens breaking across our borders to get in line. What then, is the next move? Do they give them amnesty, too? And then what about the next batch, and then the next? All this with no protection from our esteemed president. All he does is sue the states that try to do the job that for some reason he refuses to do, which is to uphold the law and protect the citizens of these United States of America.
Do you think Rodriguez cares about the problems some of the illegals in this country cause? Do you think he cares about the criminals that come in? Our prisons are full of them, at a cost of about $30,000 a year each. Do you think he cares about the narcotics the Mexican drug cartels send into this country through some of these illegals? Do you think he cares about the marijuana gardens here in our country that are run by illegals sent in by the Mexican drug cartels? Do you think he cares about the farmer who was killed in Arizona trying to protect his property on the border? Do you think he cares about the signs posted on U.S. soil at the Mexican border warning American citizens to stay away because that is a crossing for drugs and illegal aliens?
Does he care about Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County in Arizona who now has a $1 million bounty on his head put there by the Mexican drug cartels because he’s doing a good job protecting the citizens of Maricopa County? No, Mr. Arturo S. Rodriguez doesn’t care. All he cares about is protecting people who break the law, the illegal aliens.
Please support Arizona’s recent legislation, the real immigration reform, and any other state that has the guts to pass the same legislation.
Sam Pistoresi,
Madera
In response to the note written and sent by Sam Pistoresi on August 12, 2010. The term “Illegal Alien” is a term used by USCIS, and I don’t’ understand who created it, obviously someone that felt invaded by a population that came from outside the United States. The term should be “Undocumented immigrant”. Your statement may be right that only a portion of immigrants work in agriculture. That is because the other portion works in construction, food production, manufacturing, and customer service in fast food. Many illegal immigrants are working towards a “Golden Dream” that may never come true should an amnesty not pass or don’t have a chance through a relative that stabilize their legal status. They are working hard contributing to an economy that may not pay back once their retirement time comes unless they earn the privilege to be legalized.
I support an amnesty. In order to qualify for amnesty, a person must demonstrate that he/she has a history of good citizenship in the U.S. The person must provide proof of ongoing employment, rent history, crime-free lifestyle and ability to provide self-sufficiency prior and before amnesty is granted. Amnesty is a privilege not a right. If an amnesty is passed, I totally agree that an individual should go through a full background check to demonstrate that he/she has been a law abiding citizen other than coming to this country illegally out of need, not out of joy to leave their culture, customs, and family behind. I truly believe that those who do not meet the guidelines to be granted the privilege to remain in the U.S. and violated a law, then he/she should be deported. Currently, USCIS penalizes you with a fee for entering the country illegally, either by paying a fine of $1000 and or remain out of the country for 1 year prior to being granted amnesty.
My parents and in-laws went through the amnesty of 1986. In order to be granted legal privilege to remain in the US, the individuals had to provide proof of the above mentioned items. Since then, majority of these privileged individuals have maintained good citizenship standard and have become US citizens, but again had to continue to demonstrate be a law-abiding self-sufficient citizen.
As to illegal immigrants growing marijuana in their backyards, let’s say it how it is, it is grown to be consumed by the welfare recipients sitting at home waiting for their TANF (public assistance) check and food stamps to come in, instead of obtaining a job and raising their children, and not creating the next generation of taxpayer raised children. I strongly believe that all individuals requesting public assistance (legal or illegal) should undergo random drug tests, and be required to participate in community service such as their children’s schools, and public entities to contribute to society.
As far as illegal immigrants sitting in the county jails, and prisons, there are prisoners that should be deported right away instead of sitting in a jail or prison at the cost of the taxpayers, although not much different than those US Citizens that walk out of prison on parole or probation and still having to complete a Prop 36 or PC 1000 (Drug diversion program), at the cost of the taxpayers. Considering that given their background record, nobody will hire them, they then apply for general assistance which pays for their basic clothes, toiletry, and rent voucher because they cannot and not expected to hold a job given their conviction. Which one could is more expensive to the taxpayer in the long run?
Believe it or not Mr. Pistoresi, illegal immigrants also commit misdemeanor crimes such as traffic violations that allow them to remain in the U.S. unless they are arrested and an ICE hold is put on that individual at the county jail, which is a mandate for every non U.S. citizen, legal and not, that results in deportation at time of release from the local jail or prison. Legal individuals that commit a felony, loose the privilege to remain in the United States automatically and do not have a right to contest their privilege provided by USCIS once they have broken a law. I agree with this.
As far as your term “able-bodied leeches” are those who chose to stay on the welfare rolls instead of getting a job. I believe and know there are illegal immigrants that get on welfare rolls to collect money to raise their children and those children are supporting the parent, and not vice-versa. That parent sometimes does not have any intention of finding a job using the excuse “nobody will hire me being illegal” That is a lame excuse as the majority of illegal immigrants do not sit and wait for financial assistance on behalf of their children as it is only a small portion of what living expenses cost. What excuse do U.S. citizens have to not get a job? For U.S. citizens, there are rules that apply. For instance there may be a rule that does not allow a parent to draw additional financial funds for every consecutive child they have,( US Citizen) but other means of “enabling” is created. If the mother is an able-body that should be expected to have a job, is put on a “exempt” list that it is more county cost effective to keep this mother at home raising her child to the age of 3, increase her food stamp allotment instead of having to assist in paying county money to provide for child care for such child. Being on welfare rolls for US citizens is a enabling domino effect given that if a parent has a criminal background, they are exempt from obtaining a job, but continue to collect financial means on behalf of the children while sitting at home.
I am not criticizing people’s beliefs or opinions, but you have to see both sides of the coin. I was an illegal as a child. At the age of 18, I became a permanent resident. At the age of 24, I became a U.S. citizen and proud of my accomplishments. I am a self-sufficient legal taxpayer, I don’t agree with illegal immigrants that take advantage of the resources, but I do not like to see that they are the only ones attacked. Do U.S. citizens, by the right of being a U.S. citizen have the right to drain the economy by double dipping into taxpayer paid resources?
WAKE UP AMERICA! Invasion of illegals from other countries into the USA is an act of war. There is no mistake about it. Internicine happens everyday in our country from illegals and it is not just along the border states. They are taking our kindness, Bill of Rights, (and the 14th admendment), and twisting it to meet their evil needs as criminals that hide behind their religion of hate. These people making money off of their anchor babies are also crimnal and have no ethics. America needs to protect their own from this invasion as this is a clear and present danger to our nation. I stand with AZ. and behind the men and women of I.C.E. doing the job our troops should be doing. Name another country that would put up with this invasion?
Sam Pistoresi had a fine letter regarding illegal aliens but Veronica Pleitez was critical because he used the term “illegal alien” and she prefers “illegal immigrant.”
She would have been very upset with the U.S. government back in the 1950s when it was pressured to do something about the onslaught of immigration so it came up with “Operation Wetback,” and with intense border enforcement and raids netted about a million illegals in 1954. Many illegals fled back across the border. In some cases, illegal immigrants were deported with their American-born children, who were by law U.S. citizens and now are referred to as “anchor babies.” There is now a rising sentiment to changing that law.
Operation Wetback was eventually abandoned because opponents in both the U.S. and Mexico complained. Some 50 years later, look where we are. Not a lot has been accomplished. We still have illegals from a lot of countries coming into the U.S. and our politicians still haven’t fixed the problem.
I understand where Ms. Pleitez is coming from since she admitted to once being an illegal alien herself. She seems knowledgeable regarding welfare so she may work for the welfare department or maybe has been on welfare, and I do agree with some points in her letter.
I just participated in a poll which asked, “Should America follow Arizona’s lead when it comes to immigration reform?” Of 445,439 polled, 97 percent voted yes.
Frank Bradford,
Madera