Where's the racism?
You got to be kidding me. State Rep. Don Brown's e-mail was racist? Since when is telling the truth racism? (The e-mail said, "Don't forget to pay your taxes - 12-million illegal aliens are depending on you!")
Illegal immigrants in this country are a drain on our social system. Many work under the table and pay no taxes to begin with. Of those who file (using illegally obtained Social Security numbers) many often pay virtually nothing anyway.
Their kids get free education. They get free medical care in our emergency rooms. Yet they broke dozens of our laws to be here. So explain to me again how that e-mail could have been racist?
Vilmar Tavares, Spring Hill
My response that I sent to the editorial board:
In his letter, Vilmar Tavares from Spring Hill contended that illegal immigrants in this country are a drain on our social system. I beg to differ.
According to the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences (NRC), "immigrants indirectly raise the incomes of U.S.-born workers by at least $10 billion each year just by paying taxes and increasing the general productivity of the economy." Furthermore, a "typical immigrant family pays about $80,000 more in taxes than all of its members together will ever receive in local, state, and federal benefits."
Because immigrants are still human beings, they have basic needs. These needs are reflected in shopping for food, clothing, and other products (another reason to institute a sales tax, as to increase the potential revenue.)
Furthermore, let us remember that under Clinton's Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity and Reconciliation Act, it is much more difficult to actually receive welfare benefits.
Finally, "Yet they broke dozens of our laws to be here" can be applied to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison.
Yes, I do agree that this nation needs a comprehensive immigration reform, as several hospitals, especially those in California, have been closed because of immigration influx. It is crucial, however, that we stop perpetuating the negative stigma surrounding the immigrants in this nation.
2 comments:
He was talking about illegal immigrants, not merely immigrants as your quote clearly states.
Actually, the reference is to illegal immigrants. Here is another personal example, published in the New York Times:
“Last year, Mr. MartÃnez paid about $2,000 toward Social Security and $450 for Medicare through payroll taxes withheld from his wages. Yet unlike most Americans, who will receive some form of a public pension in retirement and will be eligible for Medicare as soon as they turn 65, Mr. MartÃnez is not entitled to benefits…The estimated seven million or so illegal immigrant workers in the United States are now providing the system with a subsidy of as much as $7 billion a year.”
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