Russ - So maybe I'm not too good at reading between the lines, but nowhere in your essay did I hear you propose a solution. I guess the status quo for 60 more years is what you are advocating. Fine for you, you probaly aren't on the bottom rung of the economic ladder, competing for employment with illegal aliens.

To characterize this effort to enforce immigration laws as ethnic cleansing is inflammatory, and it isn't even technically correct - since nobody is advocating the complete removal or extermination of an ethnic group.

My family lived in Scottsdale, Az. since 1954; my father has been practicing law since 1964 in Arizona, where we spent much of our time with Mexican immigrants, and their families. We had a trailer and boat in Chola Bay/Rocky Point south of the border in the Gulf of California where we fished the reefs.

I was raised in part by a Mexican woman from Fronteras, Sonora. She and her sisters were brought here by her cousin, a Coyote/Smuggler. They were as family, and we put them up when they came over the border. We knew the legalities, we didn't feel too worried since most of the county had similar experiences and felt as though they were part of an Arizona tradition of some kind.

These were people whom we gave keys to our homes, trusted our children with, and had all manor of relations with, yet they were never thought of as equals, and we encouraged their exploitation, and they did too. We would massage our conscience by donating clothes, and building materials to the people in Chola Bay, though self serving as it all turned out.

We would eat like the Mexicans, and adopt much of their life styles for the desert, but we would never consider them as a part of the community. When they were off or done with their work we did not want to know where they lived, and they knew it. We liked it that way, and nobody would sing their plight until Cesar Chavez.

He spoke of legalized, and unionized migratory workers whom paid taxes, obeyed the laws, and more importantly were protected by the laws. He spoke of a civilized, less exploitive relationship that would enrich both.

His idea has been in the forefront of the issue, when he made it a issue by organizing farm workers in the Southwest, and California in the 60’s, and the proposal had the same required element that is as required today as it was then.

Political Will! That’s it. Political Will!!

Question is which policy will have the political will to prevail?? Or will their be the same stalemate, perpetuating illegal immigration, exploitation, and lives lost in the border crossings.

We don’t need new legislation to resolve this issue. We have had these laws for many years, it’s a political football of last resort in the Southwest, and the nation is only now being drawn in. That could be a great thing, and it could be a great human disaster. The question is how good is our GOOD WILL??

GOOD WILL SHOULD HOLD UP OUR POLITICAL WILL. We need to enforce the immigration laws on employers, not on the nanny’s, but on the contractors, the farmers, the manufacturers, and the type of employers who would exploit cheap labor at the taxpayer’s expense. Enforce the laws with the same vigor we chase our tails in the drug war, confiscate property and fine them the same way. No need for the taxpayer here, this venture would be financed by the very corporations that have perpetuated the problem to begin with. Union cards for all those immigrants whom would wish to migrate to the US to work will insure a living wage, and humane treatment.

Happy Thoughts;

Dan Grady

Dan - Pleased to hear from another Arizona transplant. I left in 1980 - couldn't take the heat anymore. I too grew up immersed in, and loving Mexican culture. As a child, my playmates were first-generation American citizens, the children of legal Mexican immigrants. The immigration issue is not about race or culture, it is about immigration, and how to enforce the laws that provide for a legal means of acquiring American citizenship.

Russell,

You've got it 100% right, once again! Many of the students protesting last week in Portland were Hispanics who are United States citizens -- born in the good old USA. Now some Republicans in the US House of Representatives have decided that their parents should be made felons and deported. (Deporting 11 million Hispanics would push the US into a recession. Who would be left to pick our crops, clean our hotel rooms, build our houses, etc.?)

Economic reasons aside, it is not fair to punish the economic refugees from the south for our lax borders and plentiful jobs. We should provide a easy path "green cards" and accept and embrace these folks who have chosen the American way. It is not "our" land anyway-- after all, forefathers took it from Native Americans.

Posted by: Mr. Magoo | Apr 16, 2006 9:05:02 AM

Irish as I am, the rainy weather suits me much better as well. Oregon does remind me in many ways of Arizona when I'm in Bend, Medford, Rogue River. Like the White Mountains, Bradshaws, and Upper-Kiabab.

That aside; we do have to make a clear distinction as to the path to American citizenship with a country that shares a border the likes of Mexico.

I don't think it is feasible to tell Americans that the path to citizenship is through illegal immigration. I say that the corporations that would need the use of migrant laborers needs to sponsor their entrance here.

I believe that a migrant worker's card, a union like the NFAW, would strike the balance of controlled immigration, borders, and responsible employment practices that effect the wage earners and taxpayers of America.

Happy Thoughts;

Dan Grady

I’m not ambiguous on the subject of amnesty. I realize that the lack of political will to the exception of cheap labor has created a huge number of illegal aliens with legalized citizens as their children. This is never going to be an easy issue to deal with.

Let’s do a little reflection on the last amnesty. We certainly noticed a change in the racial landscape as we do with many mass immigrations, but the economy has not been worse for the wear. The problem though is we do share a border, but not the consequence, cost, and yes, even benefits. We have the unique first of possibly seeing a down size to the overall cost of a southern neighbor whom would migrate north, legally or not.

If a immigrant is in our country seeking work from employers whom don’t wish to surrender their wealth for the privilege, and we in turn offer an opportunity for their return to our nation if they apply to a guest permit, and union affiliation. This approach of both the government’s permission and workers union affiliation makes the even playing field that the American worker should be able to count on. Parents with children in our country would have to apply for a temporary workers permit, and go through a FBI background check.

Illegal immigrants employed with fake papers, identity frauds, must make reparations, and pay appropriate fines. This is going to be messy, unpopular, and very difficult, but completely necessary.

The treaties that our Democratic Centrist and Republican leadership has handcuffed us to for the past 10 years has obviously left us holding the bag as a nation, though the retailers, wholesalers, and business interests of the kind that benefit from cheap labor. We are not capable of a safety net socially as a nation extended to the southern hemisphere; as well they’re wealth being sent out of our economy.

Any immigration solutions employed at this point would have to include the inequities of NFTA/CAFTA treaties that don’t further the wholesale slaughter of what where otherwise healthy industries in our own country.

Happy Thoughts;

Dan Grady

Illegal aliens are flooding our country, draining public resources and causing huge drug and crime problems. Many of them are opportunists who smuggle and sell drugs to make a living. They bring diseases with them we haven't worried about for many years. Many of them drive with no license or insurance, then when they cause a severe accident, simply disappear.

I support federal legislation that removes some of the attraction to enter our country illegally and break our laws. I would like to see a corresponding increase in federal work-farm prisons to enforce these laws.

We need to get serious about the threat to our national security and livlihood before we lose even the lower standard of living we now have.

Cesar Chavez was against illegal immigration because he knew it hurt the legal workers he represented. As a matter of fact his workers wages jumped up significantly after the "guest worker" program of the '60s ended. Cesar Chavez knew illegal "cheap labor" degraded the worth of the honorable work the farm workers were doing. There is no such thing as work that is beneath the dignity of American workers. Pay a man more than what an illegal alien will work for is the American, and honorable way to recognize that man's worth to society.

Why is the Democratic Leadership selling out their core constituents: working people, blue collar people, trades people, African-Americans, people who went through the legal process to become citizens, and Hispanic ciizens on the lower rungs of the economic ladder?

AN APPEAL TO INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS

Why is the Democratic Leadership selling out their core constituents: working people, blue collar people, trades people, African-Americans, people who went through the legal process to become citizens, and Hispanic ciizens on the lower rungs of the economic ladder?

AN APPEAL TO INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS

Posted by: jfe | Apr 16, 2006 12:49:21 PM

Amen!

Russell,

As already stated above, you propose no solutions.

This problem demands solutions. Not weak diatribes that propose nothing. Sen Kennedy is proposing solutions. And his own party in the Senate are mad at him, because this is a great issue to demonize the Republicans from now until the election, and Kennedy wants to drive for a solution instead of going for the short term political advantage.

Some proposed solutions: -Obey the laws (but do not create new felonies).
-Reward the legal immigrants, not the illegal law breakers.
-Punish the companies (including the rich households with nannies) who exploit the illegal workers, and make them only hire legal workers. -Create a program to deal with the 11 million illegals in the US. -Secure the border to prevent the 2nd and 3rd 11 million from coming over illegaly.

So, Russell, what do you say? Any solutions, or just more demonizing?

To: Dan Grady, I appreciate your comments, but the answer is not to legalize the current flow and give amnesty to illegals already in the U.S.A. That is what Mexico wants and its President Vicentes Fox wants. Regretably, the Democratic Leadership also wants amnesty and a large flow of "guest workers" to depress and undercut American wages.

Midnight roundups and cattle cars are not the answer either. Self deportation is the answer: disallow tax deductions for business expense for employees if the business can not prove the employee is a citizen or a legal resident. This avoids clogging the courts,but gets the strong message across to business not to hire illegal aliens. States should deny drivers licenses to illegal aliens. Do not allow illegal aliens to use the U.S. banking system to send remittances to Mexico or other countries. This will encourage illegal aliens to self deport to their home coutries.

To: Harry, I'm sorry, but almost everybody who has looked closely at the McCain-Kennedy Bill in the United States Senate knows its a mirage. Its amnesty with little enforcement. The bill would perpetuate the current failure to enforce our laws. The bill will encourage more, not less illegal immigration across our border. What proof is there that the Federal Government will enforce any future law when they can't enforce the current law. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Enforce the border and our laws, not bills that are sham amnesty and an invitation to more of the current intellectual dishonesty about immigration policy.

All work is honorable, I say that as a citizen who has worked: picking strawberries, cleaning toilets and sweeping floors, washing dishes at a restaurant, working at an agricultural nursery, pumping gas, painting houses, doing lawn and garden care, and even shovelling horse manure. All work is honorable.

Why does the Democratic leadership promote policies that undercut and degrade the value of labor of American workers?

I keep hearing supposedly progressive people say that the illegals are doing work that "Americans" won't or can't do. To my mind that is a racist arguement. I guess they must be a super race because you don't have to pay them a living wage and they seem to be able to survive. If we need more workers than the 11 plus million unemployed we have now, we need to pay them well so they can contribute to the economy that much more than they do now.

We certainly don't need to make people just trying to survive into felons. I could easily imagine myself in their situation. I personally can't feel blame.

I believe that the whole issue has been brought up now as a pre-election diversion, but it is a big problem for those of us who love to make a living with their hands outside. Those family wage jobs are just about gone. We need the money and the will to enforce the laws against the employers. If we need any new laws at all, maybe we should make the employers the felons or make some really hefty fines that local governments could go after.

jfe writes: "To: Harry, I'm sorry, but almost everybody who has looked closely at the McCain-Kennedy Bill in the United States Senate knows its a mirage. Its amnesty with little enforcement. The bill would perpetuate the current failure to enforce our laws."

I don't disagree with you. I thought that the Senate bill was not enough enforcement and too much amnesty. Also, many thought that the House bill was too much enforcement and not enough dealing with the existing population of illegals. Hence my call for some ideas on what are the best solutions to the problem.

It might be great politics to claim that the House Republicans are evil, so therefore elect Dems to the House this November. Okay......once elected to the House Majority, what is the Dem alternative to the bill passed by the (Rep) House?

Or is it better to just demonize? At some point, the opposition must put forth their alternative idea. "Bush is bad, and I will do a better job" did not work for Kerry (re: the Iraq war), and it won't work for the Dems in the House or Senate either.

So, who stays and who leaves? Those here for 2 years or two months? With family or those without? Those here for 5 years or 2 years? Is it a felony to be here as illegals or just a regular crime? What is the penalty? The same as today (ie nothing)? What is the penalty for businesses to hire illegal immigrants?

Solutions!! Give me your ideas!!

Drop the felony penalty for being here illegally to a misdemeanor. But remember the House Democratic Leadership voted against changing it to a misdemeanor because they were more interested in partisan advantage. Yes, chalk one up for the Democratic Leadership, minus one for the Republican Leadership. Isn't this issue too important for this kind of political calculation.

Kari - how about asking someone from the Latino community to write something, this is like the 3rd post on immigration by white people...

And people should rent Farmingville - it's a documentary about a town in NY about the issues of immigration and how it is affecting the community - it's fantastic,

and I'm appalled by people's resistance on Blue Oregon to welcoming our friends from the south. Ya'all sound like my peeps in the trailor parks back home. (not good)

And for the argument Americans can do the work, than simply, why aren't they? Nobody is stopping them from picking lettuce, or any other produce.

I had the pleasure of doing one on one interviews with the Latino community in the rough and tumble town of Forks, Washington for the University of Washington last year. (The on-line project will be out this year.) Most of the community on the Olympic Peninsula picks Salal, a flowery srub that goes into floral arrangements. Americans, as in Native Americans also pick Salal on the peninsula, but I never witnessed one (white) person coming in for work. And Forks is a dying timber town with a high unemployment rate. So: saying that Americans will do the work - where's the proof of that? From the history books I've read, there's a long line of minorities that have been working in the fields in the Pacific Northwest, before WWII it was mostly Asian labor from Hawaii (before it was a state), Japan and China - during the war we sub-contracted with the Mexican government to have workers come work the fields, and here we are today....

Growing up in industrual-rural Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas I came up with the blue collor worker, but I don't think white Americans have ever worked the fields in masses except for during the depression - east of the Mississippi slaves and then the same African American community hired at very, very low wages, west of the Mississippi - Asian and Latino laborers...

show the love people!

sorry, this stuff gets me going... and don't forget to thank the laborers when you buy yo mama some flowers next month! All those flowers and salal where probably picked by a minority you know...

In the 70's i picked salal and sword fern and moss. I also worked the orchards and some fishing boats. In the 80's I worked alot in construction. I also worked in the woods as a choker setter. At that time almost everyone I worked with was anglo-american. I could work most of those jobs and put money away. some of them paid very well. I also picked rasberries and pickle cukes in northern Washington with native americans who came down for the season from from Canada. Working with them was a warm, wonderful learning experience. I made good friends, but that was certainly not a way to get ahead financially and I couldn't afford to do it for long.

Israel writes - "nobody is stopping them from picking lettuce" - nobody but the growers who will only hire illegals that can be cowed into tolerating substandard working conditions and living conditions. If there were no illegals here taking these jobs, the wages and working conditions would need to improve for Americans to do the job. At some price Americans will do the work - and God knows, many need these jobs.

Kari - fair enough. You make great points. I did concrete, roofing, and construction work most of my teenage years, and early 20's, and most of the community I grew up with continue to do this work. But I can tell you I would rather work little to nothing as a writer, and organizer than by laying concrete right now... While I do use a lot of generalizations, by and far, most Americans are not working the fields...

which leads me to responding to Mr. Mango comments

To blame low wages on illegal immigrants is a naive take on the issue. In many communites around the US the Latino population is working hard to improve working condidtions and get paid a fair wage, while on the flip side - Corporations (Wal-Mart, strip mall culture, etc.) coupled with NAFTA and the FTAA and the breaking of the Unions, are the reasons we are seeing the masses work low-income jobs. Not to mention south of the Mason-Dixon line most of the states are right to work states, and many of the fair wage jobs from the midwest have relocated to southern states.

We've always had cheap slave labor in America, by mostly immigrant populations - please name a time when we haven't? And most of the time those workers have worked in an environment of discrimination, and nationalism based upon the idea that the under-belly of America needed work. And most of the time those population organized for fair living conditions.

Of course we need work at a fair wage, so by legalizing the immigrant popoulation workers will then be able to organize above ground, instead of fearing deportation, etc. This country is ripe for another labor movement, but it will not happen if we pit one worker against the other... instead of blaming a growing population of immigrants we should be educating the busted American worker on free trade vs. fair trade, and move this mountain back to the center....

I'm not trying to clog up the posts, but to respond to Thom's case, I simply do not believe Americans will do any work at a fair enough wage. We have entered the technological age, and my generation (I'm 30), and younger are not going to shovel cow shit, or work the bean fields, or pick salal in the masses. I just don't see it happening...

Theoretically, according to Hartmann et al., we could build a wall around the USA and keep "foreigners" out and wait for a domestic labor shortage to force wages to rise. The problem is that with current global trade policies, if you can't raise lettuce for $1.00 a head in California, the lettuce growers will simply move to another country where they can grow the product more cheaply, like central or south America. The only way you can use a restrictive immigration policy to raise US wages is to also adopt restrictive trade barriers to keep out cheaper foreign goods, which is not going to happen.

National boundaries may be an out-dated concept. Goods move freely, information moves freely, and I think eventually people are going to move freely regardless of their place of origin. It is a hard concept to grasp.

Read the Thom Hartmann piece located on Kari Chisholm's comment April 16 2006 7:23:03pm. The article really spells out why the Democratic leadership is wrong to want amnesty.

How about we throw out all the emotional crap and look at this for real?

Somebody is going to get badly screwed in the resolution of this debate. There is no "feel good" solution. Either illegals are out of the low-mid blue collar job market and they suffer or they're in and legal worker's wages are further devalued. Labor in that range is a commodity that is composed of the workers trading their bodies for money. More bodies = less money. If you think I exaggerate, check out some old workers, they're pretty beat up and it ain't paper cuts that got 'em. This market is getting pressured from above as manufacturing jobs get out-sourced and from below as jobs are in-sourced. What exactly do you propose to do with that labor force? These are your own countrymen, people who've played by the rules and gotten the least, and now you want to dump on them in the name of "compassion"?

Construction wages have stayed nearly stock still since RR's amnesty, the folks who got amnesty promptly moved up and were replaced by illegals. There's a cycle there. Pay attention, the robber barons of the late 19th century knew what they were doing. How do you suppose the Homestead strike was broken, with willing unskilled labor, labor that was in surplus. It was 40 years before labor was able to move. Think on that. Think about the disparity of wealth that existed then and reflect on now, it's here again.

Fine, do away with borders. Lets have a race to the bottom. Those fine countries exporting their dissatisfied citizens to us will thank you, and we can become the same racist, corrupt, oligarchies they are. Just don't be horribly surprised when it gets violent, very violent and national origin becomes an identifier. For momentary satisfaction of guilt you'll consign the future into the hands of the violent and corrupt, angry people seldom make good choices. Who is it that doesn't understand that people are getting angry now? Who is it that doesn't understand that the powers that be don't mind having a scapegoat for their policies, illegal immigration and the crushing of the bottom 40% of the economic scale. If something is not done about illegal immigration, nothing can be done about the rest of their agenda, and illegal immigration needs to be dealt with before it turns into hate. We already have racists and xenophobes hijacking the debate, how much strength do we want to endow them with?

The pile on mentality that rules the House version ignores the horrid consequences of actual action on the illegals, there is no need to make their plight worse. They did know the possible consequences of their actions when they entered, those coming true are bad enough. There is no need to become inhuman.

For pete's sake, the bigotry around Italians, Poles, Germans, Irish, and in the north, Blacks had everything to do with the labor market. The history is there, not in high school textbook whitewashes, but it's out there and it's ugly. Want to go there again? Chuck

Russ, this country has Constitution, it is Law of the Land, and no one, even not convicted yet criminal President Bush is above the Law! I'm myself former Immigrant from former USSR. Came here legally in May, 1980 for political reason. I respect this nation and the PEOPLE for giving me political refuge. I'm loyal and owe this country. Yes, this nation needed immigrants, some of them are defending our country and this nation is respecting them. Potential immigrants must respect this country and laws, but not assult our Borders Patrol Agents: it is a spit in face of the PEOPLE. Welcome legal Immigrans.

Pavel Goberman - Candidate for US Repres. 1st Congr. Distr. (against D. Wu) "Stop Political Prostitution!" Beaverton, OR 97075 www.getenergized.com/vote.html

To: Dan Grady, 'I appreciate your comments, but the answer is not to legalize the current flow and give amnesty to illegals already in the U.S.A. That is what Mexico wants and its President Vicentes Fox wants. Regretably, the Democratic Leadership also wants amnesty and a large flow of "guest workers" to depress and undercut American wages.'

Posted by: jfe | Apr 16, 2006 1:47:30 PM

I would not concern myself with the concerns of Vincente Fox, he'll have little to say about it, as his population demands more in a modern economy, he'll be put out and a socially responsive leadership is evolving as it is in the south.

I would submit that labor and products produced in America are going to grow an American economy, as well "guest workers" should be made to organize as a "migrant worker union" so as to guarantee a living wage for them, as well as labor competing with them, as well as health & social benefits. When a worker is behind their dues would be a red flag for their own to take notice, and in a manor self regulate under current reach of the laws.

I would also submit that the law enforcement part of this is all too simple and always has been. The INS is not the only department of government that can enforce these laws, and when a fine is concerned, and a collection is concern, you'll be amazed how enthusiastic the Government can be. I don't want a felony charge to have anything to do with this, an immigrant must find his or her way home to get a permit to begin with, and an employer had better show they have one for their benefit.

The laws have been around to solve this problem for 60 years, Cesar Chavez made it clear that we only need the "Political Will" to enforce these laws on the employers whom defy them. Fine a migrant, you get a debt, fine a business and you'll get money!!! Few courts needed!

The bottom line is that if the laws are made fair, and enforce on employers as well as migrants, if the process is sincere the migrants will know it, and be proud to comply.

Happy Thoughts;

Dan Grady

It's the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, otherwise known as ICE - which is overseen by Homeland Security

ICE

Bad link above: ICE

And they do a lot more than immigration work - wild stuff...

article/ICE

http://uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm

I stand corrected, My focus is that the effort of responsible immigration doesn't happen for the most part at the border.

A non-english speaking person wandering the streets for work that a employer can't afford to offer is a easy mark for law enforcement of all types. A employer is where illegal aliens would obviously be found, until the time that employer realizes the cost of that cheap labor.

No economic benefit of immigrating, gives little incentive for immigrating, unless legally.

I alphabet soup of federal, and state agencies that enforce all manor of laws, and ordinances can participate in citing, and collecting fines for illegal immigrants on American job sites.

Happy Thoughts;

Dan Grady

Why the hell is this some mystery? We have laws. Laws that are broken probably means someone has broken the law. Still with me?

If I broke into your house, ate the food from your refrigerator, took a shower, watched your TV and then mopped the floor on my way out, would you call the police? After all, I did contribute. Please forward me your home address if you agree.

Yes, the U.S. politicians have done a real lousy job at protecting our borders. But, let's not pretend these invading people are some half-wit idiots who don't understand things like laws and somehow are confused. Even most democrats who voted for Kerry (the ones who voted for Kerry just to vote against Bush get a pass) must be able to understand that the legal action would be at least to make their way to a border crossing. How confused and retarded must one be to think the legal point of entry is a hole in a fence, a tunnel under a fence, a trip over a fence, a ride in a semi trailer, or crossing in the middle of the desert....I a little hungry so it might be dessert?

And for those who paint our friends who have rushed to our aid as heroes, are you high? Sorry but I must have missed the TV specials, newspaper articles and bat signal to them requesting they drop their lives and rush up to help us keep wages down.

Carrying that Mexican flag and not learning English clearly puts them at the front of the list of immigrants wanting to be hugged.

On a human level, I don't blame them from being lazy to do anything in their land. I understand the lack of hope. Thankfully, the CEOs bringing them in have passed on the feeling to me.

Unlike Bush, in this case it is true. You are either for U.S. citizens or your are against them. You are either just playing politics or need to shut up about corporate greed and what Reagan started. Today and moving forward this is about right and wrong for the future of this country.

I would have bothered to spellcheck or even give this a glance over, but let's face it you've already given away the country. If many others have stolen millions of futures from the children of this country, you have held the door open from them.

You could have done the right thing. You chose a different path.

Good luck with playing politics.

Tim, are you anti-immigrant or just anti-Mexican?

"Carrying that Mexican flag and not learning English clearly puts them at the front of the list of immigrants wanting to be hugged. " sounds more sarcastic screed than well thought out policy proposal.

If someone from a country other than Mexico, someone who maybe learned English before coming here on a visa which they overstayed (visa expired in 2004 and they stayed), never marched in the streets, would that person be OK because they didn't carry a Mexican flag in a march, and they speak English?

And what about a story I heard on the radio about the influx of Asian immigrants into some communities?

Would you be willing to bring your message (above) to the employers of illegal immigrants? Or are you just angry and not thinking this through?

Seems to me the employers deserve more blame than the immigrants who do the grunt work for low wages. Of course it is harder to scapegoat the American business owner who hires people without proper documentation because they are not as visible as marchers.

And what do you think of the people who want all workers to be not only documented but legal and union members?

Where's the solution? Looks like the Republicans need another Abe Lincoln to save ILLEGAL people from continued exploitation by the Democrats.

Remember how we did it back in the 1860's? Democrats hated losing those slaves....now we have todays progressives hating to lose those ILLEGALS.

SAVE DEMOCRACY, VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT!!

"Where's the solution? Looks like the Republicans need another Abe Lincoln to save ILLEGAL people from continued exploitation by the Democrats.

Remember how we did it back in the 1860's? Democrats hated losing those slaves....now we have todays progressives hating to lose those ILLEGALS."

Hey David;

Those Democrats were thrown out of the party with LBJ's progressive legilation, Voting Rights, Equal Rights, segregation, they have been Republicans every since. I would love to have an open dialogue with the Republican that can read.

I read your diatribe, and I have to tell you I had no idea what your position is on what subject. Please try to think this through. Bloviating frustration, without doing a little research, and giving the issue a bit of thought might help.

Happy Thoughts;

Dan Grady

Schools love illegal aliens! Know why? Because they get funding based on attendance but it isn't equally distributed to each student. For each non-english speaking student (ie. illegal) they recieve 1.5 times the funding that they would otherwise recieve. By comparison, students with physical disabilities are worth 2 times a "regular" student. Still think it's ok to educate illegal aliens at taxpayer expense? (I'd really like to hear from those paying the Multnomah County ITAX)