Thoughts on Immigration from a Teacher's Husband

[JennyMominRI]

If theyre getting paid under the table...who is paying for the wic and foodstamp programs their children need to be on? And if theyre not on wic and foodstamps, who is paying for their education?

.

Do you have any idea how much of your tax dollars actually got to means tested programs like WIC and welfare..It's pennies. Pennies for G-ds sake.. If it's going to feed hungry children,frankly ,they can have more of my pennies. I don't care what nationality those children are. My G-d doesn't see borders. My family is not exactly hurting for money. I don't think the difference of the amount of change it would cause me to super size my meal is really enough for me to complain about.

 

[shortbun]

Just another rant from the "I've got mine!" folks is how I see this writing from a "teacher's husband." Hey, I live in a big city and drive a school bus. I see pregnant teens, kids destroying things and people on welfare all day long. I can think of NONE of them who are immigrants. Actually, the immigrant children on my bus are quiet, polite and good students interested in improving themselves. It's the redneck WASP
kids who cause me all the problems, go figure!

 

[gina2000]

It's easier to blame someone else for the country's problems than to realize that alot of it is in our own backyards.

 

[dis ms.]

Because i'm a terrible writer.

Oh, I don't know about that. You seem to get your point across. I don't think anybody here is unsure of your true feelings.

FTR, I don't have a problem with my tax dollars (however few) going toward food for any child (here illegally or otherwise). I don't think it's right to deny hungry children food because of their parents' actions. And, let's not forget that far too many "legal" folks are getting WIC and foodstamps for which they don't actually qualify.

 

[LuvDuke]

And the Dems don't want them for their votes right? Both sides are using these people for all the wrong reasons.

Two observations:

1) As to your comment about the "Dems", you really should get your "ducks in a row" before shooting. Gaining Hispanic support was why Bush used his version of Spanish (aka: mangled Spanglish) and waved the Mexican flag at campaign rallies.

Since one picture is worth a thousand words .....

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/04/04/bush-waves-mexican-flag/

Oh, pardon me, you were using the "Dead-eye Dick" Cheney method of hunting.

2) As to your "both sides" comment, gee no kidding! That was the reason for my comment "Politics makes strange bedfellows and Bush is sleeping with Ted Kennedy when it comes to amnesty."

I didn't realize it needed a translation.

 

[airhead]

I guess I just didn't give much thought to how it effected me until a few months ago.
I'm a self-employed person working at many little jobs to make ends meet and occasionally take a vacation. I pay my own health insurance which costs me $486 a month. A few months ago,while working at one of my little jobs(Doggie daycare)a woman who was dropping her dog off for the day(her dog comes 3 days at $25/day)walked in with a broken arm that she got when her horse threw her off. I always enjoy talking with her and love her Irish accent. We talked about her injury and I made the comment,"thank God for health insurance!" when she turned to me and said,"I don't have insurance. I get free care at the clinic".
How does that happen,I ask? Well,I'm not a citizen of your country(she has been living here for 12 years,just never returned to Ireland). She cleans houses and house sits for a living,drives a nice SUV,has a horse(not a cheap pet...).She lives with a relative here in Massachusetts. She says to me,"Why should I pay if I can get it free?" I went from really liking this woman to feeling so mad. I asked her how she did it. She is very proud of how she "gets things for nuthin' in your country". I told her that her free care wasn't for "nuthin'" that people like me, pay for her, with high monthly payments! Her response blew me away. She said," You're a fool for paying so much,your government will give it to you for free!" Then she says," you could take that $486 and buy a nice truck like mine!"
That was the day I changed my mind about illegal immigration.
This woman has no intention of getting her citizenship. Where's the incentive? She's doing just fine living under the radar,for free!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

That is sickening. The only way to get it "free" is to lie basically (especially for the SUV Irish lady). Sickening. Maybe we should start doing credit checks in the ER. Good credit history--well helllooooo to paying the bills!

 

[CheshireVal]

I guess I just didn't give much thought to how it effected me until a few months ago.
I'm a self-employed person working at many little jobs to make ends meet and occasionally take a vacation. I pay my own health insurance which costs me $486 a month. A few months ago,while working at one of my little jobs(Doggie daycare)a woman who was dropping her dog off for the day(her dog comes 3 days at $25/day)walked in with a broken arm that she got when her horse threw her off. I always enjoy talking with her and love her Irish accent. We talked about her injury and I made the comment,"thank God for health insurance!" when she turned to me and said,"I don't have insurance. I get free care at the clinic".
How does that happen,I ask? Well,I'm not a citizen of your country(she has been living here for 12 years,just never returned to Ireland). She cleans houses and house sits for a living,drives a nice SUV,has a horse(not a cheap pet...).She lives with a relative here in Massachusetts. She says to me,"Why should I pay if I can get it free?" I went from really liking this woman to feeling so mad. I asked her how she did it. She is very proud of how she "gets things for nuthin' in your country". I told her that her free care wasn't for "nuthin'" that people like me, pay for her, with high monthly payments! Her response blew me away. She said," You're a fool for paying so much,your government will give it to you for free!" Then she says," you could take that $486 and buy a nice truck like mine!"
That was the day I changed my mind about illegal immigration.
This woman has no intention of getting her citizenship. Where's the incentive? She's doing just fine living under the radar,for free!!

She demonstrated a bad attitude, sure, but did she actually say she's here illegally? Just because someone isn't a citizen doesn't mean that they are an illegal immigrant.

My DH isn't a US citizen (and doesn't really want to be) but he's a legal permanent resident.

 

[airhead]

But when you think about it,don't all illegal immigrants lie about the money they make? Where and who they live with? There is no record of employment or that they even exist! This Irish woman doesn't have a bank account(doesn't trust the banks won't steal her money....)
After she dropped her dog off,I checked to see where she lived. The dog is registered to her relative! On paper,she doesn't even own her dog! all I kept thinking was that there must be 1000's of people living and sucking the $$$ out of our system.

 

[CheshireVal]

But is she illegal, though?

 

[LuvDuke]

I guess I just didn't give much thought to how it effected me until a few months ago.
I'm a self-employed person working at many little jobs to make ends meet and occasionally take a vacation. I pay my own health insurance which costs me $486 a month. A few months ago,while working at one of my little jobs(Doggie daycare)a woman who was dropping her dog off for the day(her dog comes 3 days at $25/day)walked in with a broken arm that she got when her horse threw her off. I always enjoy talking with her and love her Irish accent. We talked about her injury and I made the comment,"thank God for health insurance!" when she turned to me and said,"I don't have insurance. I get free care at the clinic".
How does that happen,I ask? Well,I'm not a citizen of your country(she has been living here for 12 years,just never returned to Ireland). She cleans houses and house sits for a living,drives a nice SUV,has a horse(not a cheap pet...).She lives with a relative here in Massachusetts. She says to me,"Why should I pay if I can get it free?" I went from really liking this woman to feeling so mad. I asked her how she did it. She is very proud of how she "gets things for nuthin' in your country". I told her that her free care wasn't for "nuthin'" that people like me, pay for her, with high monthly payments! Her response blew me away. She said," You're a fool for paying so much,your government will give it to you for free!" Then she says," you could take that $486 and buy a nice truck like mine!"
That was the day I changed my mind about illegal immigration.
This woman has no intention of getting her citizenship. Where's the incentive? She's doing just fine living under the radar,for free!!

Must be a sign of the changing times: Twenty years ago, the story was these people were driving Cadillacs. The new and improved version has them driving SUVs.

Btw, 40 years ago in my old NY neighborhood, people were telling the same story and using the exact words "You're a fool for paying so much,your government will give it to you for free", only they were complaining about the Puerto Ricans.

This thread is turning out to be a BB junkies dream.

 

[airhead]

I didn't ask her that. Seems if she was here legit,her dog would be licensed under her name not her relative's name. She did say she came to visit 12 years ago,and when she was suppose to return to Ireland,she just didn't return. I was thinking if she was not here ligitimately,she better keep her mouth shut. Its almost like a brag about what she gets away with. My hours have changed at the dog camp,so I haven't seen her or her dog recently. I wonder what she thinks about all these protests...

 

[Crankyshank]

On a side Disney note - Imagine going to the AMERICAN ADVENTURE at Epcot. And listening to 'Spread your Golden Wings' In Spanish. Listening to John F. Kennedy ask 'Its not what your country can do for you, its what you can do for your country' In spanish!? Well heck, lets listen to in a native american language, they were here first!

Actually I think Native American languages (note the plural) should be taught in schools and more people encouraged to learn them. Thanks to us caucasians the languages have all but become lost to them- it's something small we can do to help them preserve and reclaim their past.

You do not just get rights. If you did, every country would be a wonderful, perfect democracy. You EARN rights. And these people who are protesting feel they are owed something, when its them who are trespassing on our land. Whether theyre from England, mexico, New Zealand or Egypt. If your not a citizen GET OUT. or become one. Simple as that.

The citizenship process takes a long time. Are you saying that unless you are a citizen or in the process of becoming one, you shouldn't be here? Do you have any inkling about what kind of effect that would have on our economy? I'm not talking illegal immigrants here - I've all ready stated I was opposed to illegal immigration. I'm going with your last sentence - if you're not a citizen, GET OUT, or become one.

 

[RitaZ.]

Rita: might want to check that again, pretty sure it isn't the correct plural.

I was referring to the Spanish word.

 

[Charade]

Thank you! If I saw the phrase INS on here one more time...How can you be all up in arms about immigration and not even know the agencies that deal with it?

So sue me.

I'll try to remember to use ICE next time. And I CAN be up in arms about illegal immigration even though I used an old acronym for the department we both know I was referring to.

 

[Puffy2]

To my bleeding-heart liberal friends who want to point out how much these illegal immigrants contribute to our society because they LIKE their gardener and housekeeper and they like to pay less for

Don't try to pin this one on "liberals" - it's the fault of our Republican government for not enforcing laws ALREADY ON THE BOOKS and for protecting corporations that hire these illegals (if they couldn't get the jobs , they wouldn't come - period).

But the solution isn't to deny a child healthcare or education . The solution is preventing the parents from having a reason to come here illegally (make it so they don't have a job, and prosecute industries that hire them , and deport illegals. A fence and much better boarder control would be a good start. How about bringing home several thousand of our troops to have them protect our own boarder instead of Iraq's?).

The reason so many of these children qualify for the free lunch, etc... is the forged paperwork - that could also be addressed.

It doesn't have anything to do with "liberals". This is a problem that the "conservatives" have allowed to continue and flourish ...until election time rolled around again.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

So sue me.

I'll try to remember to use ICE next time. And I CAN be up in arms about illegal immigration even though I used an old acronym for the department we both know I was referring to.

The problem is that it's not a new acronym for an old one. INS no longer exists. ICE is a department that is spread too thin trying to do too many things. There is no strong focus. I'm not picking on you Charade, I'm sure you are well aware of all this. But there are others who don't realize there isn't one agency that exists to deal exclusively with illegal immigration.

 

[Charade]

FACT CHECK: U.S. Government Commissioned Spanish-Language ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ in 1919

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/02/spanish-anthem

http://usinfo.state.gov/esp/home/topics/us_society_values/national_symbols/anthem_spanish.html

So what you're saying is there were idiots back then. Even though the SSB (not to be confused with SideShowBob!) didn't become "official" until 1931?

And so someone who wasn't even born when the BoE commissioned that can't see things differently in 2006?

Lastly, the fact that the State Dept. has Spanish versions on their website means just what? I'm sure that it isn't rewritten is such a way to take a jab at the US like the current Spanish version is.

ETA, if you look at the State Dept. website, you'll see that it's (the entire website) available in many different languages. That I would expect.

 

[Puffy2]

And the Dems don't want them for their votes right? Both sides are using these people for all the wrong reasons

This may come as a surpise, but Illegals CAN'T VOTE.

and it may come as a surprise to the Republican's who have been kissing their behinds, because many of the latinos who are in the US legally do NOT support giving the illegals a free ride. Doing so is costing them business and income. (Because they are trying to conduct businesses legitamently, by hiring only legals, and when the government looks the other way when their competitors use illegals, they can't make the same low bids for jobs).

 

[Charade]

A few thoughts.

1. Most individuals here illegally know full well that they have zero chance of ever getting here legally. To all of you who take the copout road and say things like "I'm in favor of LEGAL immigration" ... short of being sponsored by big business (a five-figure cost on that one) or marrying, it's virtually impossible to get into this country.

Doesn't appear to be all that impossible. According the State Dept. website:

“Each year, more than 450,000 immigrants become U.S. citizens during naturalization ceremonies across the country,” according to a USCIS press release."