The archbishop and Georgia’s illegal immigration debate
We are about to enter Stage Two of the debate over illegal immigration in Georgia.
With its endorsement of an Arizona-style crackdown on illegal immigrants, our Legislature has simply pushed past the preliminaries.
Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta, left, talks with Maria Elena Castro Malagreca at the state Capitol on Good Friday. Jason Getz, jgetz@ajc.com
Nathan Deal’s signature on House Bill 87 — the governor has said he will add it — will begin a predictable series of lawsuits, appeals, boycotts, demonstrations and counterdemonstrations.
We know that post-signature support for HB 87 will be peopled with hard-core Republicans and tea party activists. They insisted on the measure’s passage. But the most prominent face of the opposition may surprise you.
Its owner is African-American — and Catholic.
For the General Assembly may have just thrown a pitch into the wheelhouse of Archbishop Wilton Gregory and a surging Catholic Church in Georgia.
In a Good Friday interview on the steps of the state Capitol, Gregory expressed his disappointment in HB 87, a measure that he called “harsh and punitive.”
“I’m disappointed because much of the rhetoric — and I think a lot of it is rhetoric — is politically motivated and not related to the actual living situations of those who are here as undocumented residents,” he said. “Whenever you get into political rhetoric, you sometimes bring out the worst in people. You appeal to their least noble qualities.”
The Atlanta archbishop had weighed in on the issue before. In March, in a pastoral letter written with Bishops Kevin Boland of Savannah and Luis Zarama of Atlanta – the latter a native of Colombia, Gregory acknowledged the right of a nation to secure its borders. Like many others, the trio laid much of the blame for the current situation on a dysfunctional federal government.
But the three writers also upheld the Catholic position that “persons have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families.”
And on Friday, Gregory said HB 87, by allowing law enforcement officers to demand proof of legal residency, carries the likelihood of “families that could be separated and, obviously, children left without parental supervision.”
The bill gives short shrift, he said, to the role that illegal immigrants have played in building Atlanta. “I think people are being demonized. Many of the jobs that are being described as being taken were there for the taking before immigrant people arrived,” Gregory said.
The archbishop had just finished a blessing aimed at 150 or so people gathered at the Capitol steps for the start of a pilgrimage commemorating the Stations of the Cross — Jesus’ path to crucifixion.
Many of the faces belonged to native English speakers, but almost as many did not. They included purple-robed worshippers from Peru, as well as a young man in the uniform of a U.S. Army private bearing a name tag that read “Gutierrez.” The service was conducted alternately in English and Spanish.
As a denomination, Catholics have not been absent from debates over social policy in the South. But their numbers were too small to draw much attention during the civil rights movement of the ’50s and ’60s. Ditto with protests over Vietnam.
Over the past 10 years and more, Catholics have paired with Southern Baptists and Methodists to push through ever-tougher state legislation to rein in Roe v. Wade and oppose embryonic stem cell research. Yet they have always been the junior partners in the alliance.
Immigration is rapidly emerging as the first large-scale social dispute that will feature Georgia Catholics at the head of the parade. Catholic churches in metro Atlanta served as venues for many pre-Easter celebrations last week. Many addressed HB 87 in some fashion.
“I have written about it. I have preached about it. I will encourage the priests and deacons of the archdiocese … to raise this to public attention. I won’t be silent,” the 63-year-old Gregory said.
Should the archbishop become a major voice in the Southern debate over immigration, his is likely to be an effective one.
The media-savvy Gregory was named to lead the Atlanta Archdiocese in 2004 as one of the last acts of a soon-to-be beatified Pope John Paul II.
Before that, he was president of the 190-member U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and earned praise for his response to child molestation scandals that tore at the fabric of church leadership in America.
Gregory is said to be on many short lists of candidates for the red cap of a cardinal. He would be the first African-American to wear it.
In any fight over immigration, the archbishop would be acting as the principal teacher of Catholic doctrine in North Georgia. But Gregory would also be defending his church’s astounding growth.
In 2006, church registries counted 350,000 Catholics in the archdiocese, spokeswoman Pat Chivers said. The numbers didn’t reflect Hispanics who didn’t register — out of a fear that they would be reported to authorities.
“More and more people register as the trust increases,” she said.
Head counts in Catholic churches in North Georgia are now approaching the 1 million mark, with Spanish speakers nearly equal to non-Spanish speakers in numbers.
“We’re representing the people in our parishes,” she said.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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147 comments Add your comment
lynnbo
April 24th, 2011
7:35 pm
Two issues you will never see in the AJC conerning illegal immigrants…….
1. pictures of thousands of illegals walking into major businesses for work everyday in Hall County GA
These are not farmers or poultry or carpet makers.
2. Pictures of illegals who have not received any immunization shots and have no medical check ups cooking and working with our daily food so the owners can cheat the our systems of laws.
When you go to a restarurant that has illegals imported as slaves working in the kitchen, how clean do you think they are? Can they even read or understand our health care laws towards working with food?
No the AJC has a very biased agenda, its called pro Chamber of Commerce, as those folks want illegal labor, to hell with the little person just trying to find work.
Barbara Caggiano
April 24th, 2011
7:48 pm
The U.S., if it continues its’ current course, has a limited life futue, and will cease to exist as a nation in a very short period of time. I only wonder if those who supported the “open borders”, globalization and “cradle to grave” mentality will realize then that their foolish support of these things brought this once-great nation down?
As your president said, “We live in the greatest nation on Earth. Tomorrow we will begin to fundamentally change . . . “
I totally agree with you on this point Last Man Standing, except for the fact that yesterday we already started to fundamentally change. We are no longer the greatest country, well thought of, support great ideal, and as each day passes we are becoming more like what is bringing the illegals into this country. Eventually there will be no difference between the once great American where the wealthy are very wealthy and the rest of the country is poor, begging in the streets and fleeing to another more prosperous country. We have sold ourselves out, and I mean all of us, because we have stood by quietly and greedily when it wasn’t our problem and let it happen to us. We Americans need to rally together, take to the streets and make our voices heard; and take back our government. We have to understand that American may crumble under what is currently going on but Americans, because of our heritage and the strong, proud stock we come from will go on. It all depends on how bad we want to see things get. Whoever else is reading this don’t think this doesn’t apply to you, are you going to wait until your quality of life is compromised before you finally get off your backside and do something about it? If we wait too long it may be too late. Early immigrants in this country lived what we are going back to now. Low wages, long hours, being undercut for those who will work for less money. Living and working in horrid 3rd world country conditions; all while the wealthiest of this country continue to get richer. In addition to wars that were fought in the name of America, blood was shed to better the working conditions for each American which we are allowing to be sold down the river so the wealthy can gain more wealth at our expense.
Junior
April 24th, 2011
7:51 pm
Amazing. Every time we try to secure our boarders and have a rational immigration discussion WE are called racist? Racist? These people are in our country illegally, exactly what part of that don’t you understand? Look, some of the big business shills on this board want to convince you this is a racist debate. It isn’t. They just want to keep their slave labor and have the rest of us pick up the tab.
MiltonMan
April 24th, 2011
8:03 pm
I recommend that the bishop put away raping choir boys for a moment & pull out the book that he so calls preaches from. The Bible specifically says obey all laws – no exception.
Facts
April 24th, 2011
8:05 pm
Last Man Standing you keep believing your statements as a minority American citizens I can speak on these issues as to when it pertains to how we are being treated. HB 87 is a racist bill that will lead to improper and misuse of this law on many American citizens. Only those that are confident that it will not affect them in any way are rooting for this.
You appear as someone that tells a parent how to raise their children but yet never had one or better yet telling a handicap person why they are complaining because they get to park in the front of the store. There is a reason why this country is divided and the majority of minorities stand on the other side because we are affected and have been affected by racism in this country. Just because of a bunch of rhetoric doesn’t make it so. Speeding is illegal but yet every single day self proclaimed upstanding citizens break this law amongst a whole bunch of others but they comment on these type of post telling someone what is legal and what is not.
Last Man Standing
April 24th, 2011
8:09 pm
Barbara Caggiano”
” totally agree with you on this point Last Man Standing, except for the fact that yesterday we already started to fundamentally change.”
Actually, that quote was made just prior to Obama’s inauguration, or just after that. I could search it out, quote it exactly, but what I typed is close, if not exact.
It is still hard for me to accept the inevitable demise of the U.S., but it will happen unless people wake up, and wake up very quickly. Because of governmental taxation and the greed of some unions, we no longer manufacture anything in great quantity any more. At one time, “Made in U.S.A.” meant a superior product, well designed and well manfactured. Now, it is difficult to even buy anything that was manufactured in the U.S. Japan now builds the superior cars while the vehicles we “build” have transmissions built in other countries, electronics from Cjina and Asian countries, steel imported from Japan, etc. If you took everything out of your home that was made in China, there would be very little left! Most furniture now comes from China.
Faced with the economic recession or depression (take your choice), the U.S. now prints money as fast as the printing can be done and infuses into circulation/ This, the decline in the dollar and rising food costs has created a very real inflation problem. As the fed no longer includes the cost of fuel and food when they figure inflation, and the fact that property values are depressed, the government says that the inflation rate is near zero. People who buy gasoline, pay heating/cooling bills and shop for groceries know that this is false,
It isn’t my idea of “hope” and “change”, unless you want to say that I “hope” that in 2012 we will see a major “change”.
eatmotacos
April 24th, 2011
8:14 pm
@LMS
” When you plug that baby into the equation, ALL doors open to food stamps, Section 8 housing, Social Security and everything else that is “free”.
I have personally observed another scam they routinely use to game the taxpayers – they use their anchor babies’ funds to purchase large quantities of commodities, like milk. I have seen them load a grocery cart with a dozen gallons of milk for example. They go directly to a mercado/fence and trade the milk, at a discount, for merchandise that they can’t buy with the babies’ handout, like beer. In other words, the taxpayers are stocking the shelves of the mercados. How much sales tax do you think these businesses pay? The ways we are being screwed are too numerous to list.
Last Man Standing
April 24th, 2011
8:18 pm
Facts:
I have raised two children who are adults and parents now. I never told anyone how to raise a child.
I have never even commented on anyone who parked in a handicap parking space because I never knew what any of the peoples’ problems were.
You are right about one thing: I don’t worry about HB87. I am an American citizen and I can prove it. I will not be offended if I am asked to do so. You see, I’ve always thought that if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about.
How about you?
Last Man Standing
April 24th, 2011
8:20 pm
eatmotacos:
I’ve seen something similar to that, too. It seems that everyone is sticking it to the taxpayer.
Annonymous
April 24th, 2011
8:29 pm
“In any fight over immigration, the archbishop would be acting as the principal teacher of Catholic doctrine in North Georgia.” Maybe he needs to study a little less of Catholic doctrine and study God’s doctrine. He would then know that God not only approves of borders, and standards and flags and methods of deliniating national boundries, but is the author of such notions. The American people have a God given right to a national heritage and individual family heritages, even though the archbishop would be repulsed by that idea.
If the Catholic Church had not been, and did not continue to be such promoters of communisim through out Central and South America, those poor illegal aliens would have a decent native home country in which to reside and flourish. No I am not pleased by illegal, usurping, theives and the promoters of their entitlement attitude.
Last Man Standing
April 24th, 2011
8:30 pm
This will have to be continued later. Gotta run!
Barbara Caggiano
April 24th, 2011
8:45 pm
@ Last Man Standing I personally think this has gone on for decades. Even though I was not a union member, I remember starting to hang my head back when the unions were beginning to break down decades ago. A lot of those who aren’t and have never been union members, and even some who are union members don’t realize or have forgotten that because of the unions, non-union members have a higher wager and better working conditions. Yes, they got corrupt and over bloated as I hear all the time, but getting completely rid of them or allowing our govenment to legislate them away, was wrong; and as with other things we have stood by and let it happen. I blame both Democrats and Republicans equally for the mess we are finding ourselves in. There are great members of both parties who really care about the American public, but there are quite a few there on both sides who are there for their own personal gain. They live to a different standard than the average American and basically are out of touch with those who elected them or average America. I am trying to keep on topic at this site, but this issue is so complex. Our country is going down a very dangerous path at the expense of us, and has been for a very long time. The propoganda we are being fed on the news, radio and papers is what they want us to believe; and very few go beyond the mainstream and are brave enough to hear what they don’t necessarily believe in to get fair and balanced facts. One has to dig for the truth,and even at that it’s almost impossible to find when it comes to what the ones we elected are doing for our country and ourselves, the reasons why and who is benefiting from it. I sometimes think the average American couldn’t handle the facts of the truth. I am not a conspiracy theorist, but know there are conspiracies going on and it isn’t for the benefit or good fortune of the upper middle class, middle class or poor American. We are just the fools who have allowed ourselves to be caught in the middle, and bear the brunt of the repercussions.
deegee
April 24th, 2011
8:52 pm
Barbara, if you are as depressing and negative in your job interviews as you are in this blog then I can understand why you are struggling. Lighten up a little bit.
Geez, Anonymous, help us with the commandment that God sent Moses that said, Thou shalt not cross political boundaries without a visa.
Orange11
April 24th, 2011
9:08 pm
Barbara Caggiano,
If you have pc access check out USAJOBS. Check it two or three days a week. You can also use a search agent with this site to issue email notices to you if the certain employment opportunity you desire is being offered by any agency. Good Luck and don’t too get upset if you don’t get picked up initially. Keep trying. Sooner or later you will be picked up. Hang in there!
MiltonMan
April 24th, 2011
10:05 pm
Facts = son of Jesse Jackson playing the race card.
Barbara Caggiano
April 24th, 2011
10:24 pm
deegee, If I came across as depressing to you that was not my intention. Quite the opposite in fact; I was stating fact as I know it. I am grateful that God has chosen to give me the experiences he has in life, because now I know what a bad day is and can empathize with those who are suffering. Getting my nails done or a bad haircut and not being able to get another appointment if a nail breaks, etc. is not going to destroy my day as it does for some. I don’t know about your situation but there are tens of millions like me who have a story to tell in this economy turned for the worse and even before the economy turned for the worse; and they too keep plodding along day after day. They don’t get spoken about in the news, they pay their fair share and never give up trying. They even find ways to enjoy life that those who haven’t had it tough have found a way to do so. I am proud that I haven’t quit trying, just as they are too. However, all that said, it doesn’t mean that me or others like me aren’t wrestling with caring for our fellow human beings without being taken advantage of. We are the ones who have been able to find humor in tough situations; but there is a time and place for humor. The job I have now doesn’t even begin to pay the bills, and I am looking for another job that will supplement the job I have until the economy picks up. I am not tooting my horn but making a point that a person I work with asked me a couple of months ago how I can remain so upbeat even after our hours have been cut for the third time in four months. It’s life, and it happens. I was going to retire from my last three jobs, planning on working at each of these jobs until that time came. I didn’t have control that the jobs were outsourced, the company folded or there was corruption and a large sum of money went missing so the branch of our office closed. My purpose for telling the things I did was to help some of those who haven’t experienced life in manners such as this a glmpse into what it’s like; so maybe they can better understand where the frustration lies, I can guarantee you that a Catholic Priest, except when choosing to fast, hasn’t gone without heat in his house, food on his table of some kind and knows what his pay check is going to be, and the fact that he’s going to have a paycheck. They even have medical insurance which is something I don’t think the average Catholic or lay person thinks about. i am not denying them their life; but how dare they tell us how we should be thinking and believing when they don’t walk the walk and talk the talk. We are counseled on our sins but are supposed to turn the other way and be loving and accepting of law breakers. Kind of hypocritical if you ask me.
God put me in this situation because there is something I am supposed to learn or there is someplace I am supposed to be, just as you are to be someplace and learning something. I don’t believe however, that God wants me to learn that the law applies to some but not the others. I still stand by my opinion that I love my Faith, I just have huge problems with the Corporations called the Catholic Church and the US Government. These are two corporations that really don’t care about the ones who put money in their trough so they can live well. If I really thought they cared about the illegals I might be able to change my mind, but they are using them to line their pockets just as we have been used and are continuing to be used.
I am amazed when people talk on blogs and boards about illegal immigration that former President Clinton’s name hasn’t been mentioned. He GAVE amnesty to illegals when he was in office and stated that it was a one time thing that was never to happen again. That was supposed to alleviate the problem, but it’s worse now than it’s ever been. Those of you who think we should do this again might want to re-evaluate that plan. It failed miserably.
Cobb Woman of Color
April 24th, 2011
10:25 pm
Illegals insult and offend Black Americans by using the Black Civil Rights movement to their advantage. The majority of Black Americans are against illegal immigration. Illegals, especially from the southern countries don’t really want citizenship. They just want to suck America dry and will lie, cheat and steal to get what they want.
Many illegals are moving to smaller communities that don’t have the resources to fight their illegal invasion.
Barbara Caggiano
April 24th, 2011
10:28 pm
Thank you Orange11, that is one of the places I use and will continue to use, I very much appreciate the encouragement.
Minus Clous
April 24th, 2011
10:31 pm
People that side with illegal immigrants are ignorant of the law, period. The country is governed by the rule of law and not mob rule. I have sympathy for illegals, Mexico and some other counties are terrible politically, economically and socially; however there are legal ways to immigrate to the US like others did. What about the people waiting in line for years to have their VISA’s approved? What make Hispanics special over Asians, Africans, Europeans especially White Europeans? Because they can walk across the border and say in masses I here whether you like it or not. What about Central American’s that try to immigrate to Mexico, they are put in jail.
This is like me saying, I need money so I will make an undocumented transfer from a bank by breaking the law. I would be in jail. How about undocumented workers using other people’s social security numbers for work. How about them getting EIN numbers to establish credit and work records illegally.
The Democratic party wants these illegal Hispanics to ensure their reign on power by allowing them to vote. republicans want the very cheap labor, that is what this is about, cheap labor to keep the capitalist machine running. All tax payers are subsidizing corporate profits by letting these criminal employers circumvent the legal process to hire legitimate qualified US workers. Illegals use more services than they contribute. Check out Grady’s clinical care facilities. The archbishop knows the rule of law, he wants tithes and offerings to keep the institution of the Catholic Church financially sound. Can I make an undocumented transfer of church property to my name for sympathy sakes? When Haitians tried to illegally immigrate to the US in boats, they were shipped back to Haiti.
Minus Clous
April 24th, 2011
10:47 pm
Cobb Woman of Color you are correct and the so call Black leaders have failed to address the problems. How can 2 hundred years of slavery, forced family segregation, force breeding, murders of innocent blacks, chattel property claims, a civil war equate to wanting a job. Blacks had 100% employment but were paid zero dollars.
They will use the civil rights propaganda to achieve their status in the US and forget the NAACP, all the Revenends that walked with them and established their own businesses and communities like what is happening in California and other communities. I lived around Hispanics of Mexican decent for over 12 years, very hard working people, they want the best for their families, but not what the so call black leaders think beside they want to used these illegals for their political gain.
Christopher West
April 24th, 2011
11:17 pm
Living in America shouldn’t be illegal. The law has been corrupted. See: http://doublebirds.blogspot.com/2011/04/illegal-people.html
eatmotacos
April 25th, 2011
12:05 am
@Cobb Woman of Color
An academic study that you may find interesting:
“Latino Employment and Black Violence: The Unintended Consequence of U.S. Immigration Policy”
“The study confirms that Latino immigration and dominance of low skill jobs have displaced blacks from low-skill labor markets, which in turn led to more violence in urban black communities. According to their analysis, this is traceable to U.S. immigration policies over the last several decades.”
LSU Media Center 4/12/10
SuperGeorge
April 25th, 2011
12:14 am
Barbara Caggiano April 24th, 2011 5:51 pm
“To Super George. Glad you aren’t down on the Socio-economic scale, but for those of us who are…”
1) I have good education but I do not make much money because I work for non profit organizations.
I live next to an immigrant (apparently illegal) who is making 80% more income than me.
He repairs the roof (very high). Is a very risky job with accidents and life risk.
Sometimes I think he is a hero, sometimes I think he is stupid and does not love his life.
But I understand that is difficult to find somebody to do the job.I would not say is impossible to find an American to do the job but is difficult to find it.
2) When I met a University teacher and I did ask him why you do not accept more Americans in college and why you are taking many foreign students.
He told me because if they do not qualify with a minimal score I do not take them.
3) One day I said; now the borders are much more secure than 10 years ago but what if immigrants come by plane and start overstaying their visas.
Why do not to close the door to tourists. They told me, well, we make a lot of money with the visitants industry and this business create many jobs and we can not close it because there is a percentage of tourists that stay here taking the jobs of Americans. There is a benefit and a cost. Immigration is a complex issue.
Is very difficult to make a legislation win-win.
Immigrants (legal and illegal) who work harder also produce profit and the profit generates more companies and jobs. That’s the capitalism system.
I also do not want to fall in myths.
There are all kind of immigrants; hard workers and criminals. And there are all kind of Americans. Hard workers and criminals.
What I do recommend is to work hard, not one day, always.
The same with the study. Study hard and try to be better than immigrants.
Now if you want to complain about jobs, make sure when you talk to your lawmaker
You let him know that you want GE paying taxes. Or may be you want more rich people paying more taxes or you want to pay less money for wars and more investment for real problems like health and education.
And make sure politicians take seriously what you want.
Olderandwiser49
April 25th, 2011
4:52 am
Yes, Catholic priests are certainly the last ones to be preaching to politicians about anything involving morality. As has been mentioned herein, this is all money motivated, and has little to do with religion. People have been leaving the Catholic church in droves since the flood of sexual improprieties by their priests have been made public. Now, they have a new source of revenue in the illegal alien population. The religious espousers constantly quote the Bible, saying that soujourners should be made welcome. They fail to point out that a “soujourner” is a traveler passing through, not one who has permanently and illegally settled here and using taxpayers’ resources for their support. Illegal immigration is not a religious issue, nor is it a moral one. It is an issue of law, and immigrants here illegally have broken the laws of this country. Get religion out of politics, and base future decisions on the will of the majority, not the minority.
Cobb Woman of Color
April 25th, 2011
6:58 am
@eatmotacos,
Yes, I am familiar with that study. Sadly, most minorities aren’t and side with the illegals. Americans need to band together against the illegals and the companies who employ them.
eatmotacos
April 25th, 2011
7:33 am
@ Cobb Woman of Color
You should start by throwing these two prostitutes out of office, and never, ever eating another Vidalia onion – you can use association – everytime you see one, think of the hundreds of thousands of invaders that can be linked to Chambliss and Vidalia onions – the equivelant of Fort Sumter in the immigration wars.
Isakson, Chambliss Deliver Sweet Vidalia Onions to Senate Colleagues
2,000 Pounds of Famous Vidalias Driven from Georgia to Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) today climbed onto the back of a truck to help unload more than 2,000 pounds of Vidalia onions that were driven from Georgia to Washington this week. Isakson and Chambliss presented 10-pound boxes of the famous Georgia-grown onions to all 100 Senate offices.6/5/2007
AS they fanned into the Vidalia onion fields of Georgia, the 45 federal agents were doing exactly what they thought they were supposed to do. It was 1998, and they had just arrested 21 illegal immigrant farm workers and were about to round up hundreds more.
Saxby Chambliss, then a representative and now a senator, accused immigration officials of using ”bullying tactics,” while Senator Paul Coverdell denounced ”a moonshine raid” against ”honest farmers who are simply trying to get their products from the field to the marketplace.” The Immigration and Naturalization Service backed down, granting temporary amnesty to illegal onion pickers in 19 Georgia counties.
4/16/2006 “The Nation”
GaBlue
April 25th, 2011
7:54 am
But…. MORE IMPORTANTLY…. will the good people of Georgia have time to resume hating their fellow human beings again now that Easter is over for another year? Silly me… of COURSE they will!
deegee
April 25th, 2011
8:11 am
Isn’t it appropriate that people who spend their time fretting over what someone else has don’t do as well as those that concentrate on their job and their education. It’s a big wide world and there is room for everyone. If you can come to this country as an illegal immigrant with nothing but the shirt on your back and within ten years have a comfortable, middle class life, why can’t those that are born and raised here? Maybe it’s because the immigrants go to work when they aren’t really feeling up to it. They don’t miss work because they need to see their P.O., or because their old man didn’t come home last night, or their old lady ran the car out of gas, or they had to bail their old man out of jail, or their kid got expelled from school, or their kid got locked up, etc. etc.
Mary
April 25th, 2011
8:43 am
American Shadow:
You talk about Illegal’s paying property taxes. Most illegals live fifteen in a house with at least 8 kids, now how is that fair when they only pay maybe 600-700 a year for all those kids. Also, most live in apartments and pay $0 for schooling. Add this to the free medical and food stamps then you have them bankrupting Georgia. They have taken jobs away from Americans in the construction, cleaning, land- scaping, etc, etc. Illegal is illegal and they should not make kids citizens who are also illegal.
eatmotacos
April 25th, 2011
8:44 am
@duhgee
” They don’t miss work because they need to see their P.O., or because their old man didn’t come home last night, or their old lady ran the car out of gas, or they had to bail their old man out of jail, or their kid got expelled from school, or their kid got locked up, etc. etc.”
Sounds like a lifestyle that you are very familiar with……..
deegee
April 25th, 2011
8:49 am
eatmotacos, if you have ever run a small business then you have heard it all. These are just some of the more common excuses for “I can’t come to work today because…”
mike14zoom
April 25th, 2011
9:07 am
No surprise that the Catholic church in general, and specifically in Ga, does not support any legislation to curb illegal immigration. Were it not for them, the Catholic church would likely die on the vine.
doug
April 25th, 2011
10:01 am
A new Government Accountability Report found that the number of criminal aliens incarcerated in California rose to 102,795 in 2009, a 17 percent increase since 2003.According to federal auditors, more than one in four of the illegal immigrants imprisoned in California are locked up for drug offenses. The average inmate has been arrested a shocking seven times at an average $34,000 annual cost. The facilitator that allows criminal aliens to roam free is the sanctuary city policy which bans law enforcement officers and municipal employees from asking about an individual’s immigration status. Hundreds of cities across the United States, including some of the largest, have declared that illegal immigrants can live without the fear that local authorities may alert ICE of their whereabouts. Even Washington D.C., the nation’s capital and U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement’s headquarters is a sanctuary. Others include New York, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and—well, you get my point.
Kim T
April 25th, 2011
12:25 pm
@Phil L – that’s an excellent point. I get upset that big corporations get away with not paying taxes, like they NO apathy regarding the country and how much many of us our struggling. Immigrants do pay taxes and of course this argument is being used over and over – but they are do the jobs Americans are too ‘good’ to do. It’s almost like Americans would rather live off welfare than work be a maid or work in construction (I’m not speaking from quantitative data, but just what I have observed, mostly immigrants work these jobs.)
deegee
April 25th, 2011
12:43 pm
The most memorable excuse for not coming to work, ” I got to go the the hospital for some testes.”
Michael
April 25th, 2011
1:03 pm
People who live in apartments pay property tax — it’s in their rent. Do you think apartment owners don’t pay property tax? And everyone who wants to live 10 to an apartment is allowed to, divide up the rent payment and live more cheaply.
I know you illegal haters hate to hear this but crossing a border without a visa of some sort is illegal but it is not a crime. Consequently illegal aliens are not criminals. By analogy (sorry, we liberals use big words), anti-bankruptcy clauses in contracts are illegal, but they are not crimes. Driving without a seatbelt is illegal but is not a crime.
Tired of BS
April 25th, 2011
2:07 pm
CON@ 6:21 on 4/23…… “GA has a racist past with slavery and segregation. And, of course, this attack on immigrants is racist as well. We seem to need to discriminate against some minority.
Wow. Just wow! You really need to study your history buddy.
Doug
April 25th, 2011
2:59 pm
First off, Michael, it is not legal to live 10 people to an apartment, almost every county has laws about how many people can live in apartments of various sizes, and it is also a violation of leases. About 30 years ago I got in trouble with my apartment community because my brother was staying with me in a one bedroom apartment. So they may be paying property taxes in their rent, but they are not paying their fair share of taxes.
I can understand why the “greedy” big business Republicans want illegal labor, it raises profits which the greedy rich can exploit. But what I do not understand is how the labor movement can support this farce. If illegals where not here, labor rates at the bottom of the scale would have to rise, thus benefiting low wage workers. A farmer will have to find someone or something (machinery) to harvest their crops. A motel will have to pay more for maids, making hotel rooms more expensive. Your local fast food establishment will have to pay higher wages to attract workers, raising the price of eating out, but the workers would end up with a net positive increase because of the higher wages.
I have traveled to many other countries. At the border you receive a stamp in your passport that says it is illegal to work in that country as a visitor. At each hotel you visit, the desk clerk is required to see your passport, to see the current stamp and your status being there. If landlords, hotels, and establishment that rents shelter is required to check identity documents, we can solve this problem quickly. But no one has the guts to tackle the problem, and anyone who is for American workers rights (meaning citizens and legal guest workers) is branded a “racist”, a simplistic and ignorant statement.
Brittanicus
April 25th, 2011
5:34 pm
THE LIES ABOUT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT
Since the 1986 Immigration Control and Reform Act, who has ever been in power has lied to the US people? Just enough laws have been passed, to make it seem that President Obama, George Bush back to Ronald Reagan, has promised to secure fully the border, to enforce immigration laws, but truthfully nothing serious as ever been done? All the laws enacted, were made to be broken, underfunded still leaving access to cheap labor for Republicans and more votes for liberals and Democrats; legal or illegal. E-Verify was nearly killed by Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and the true 2006 Secure Fence Act, less than a 6 months later Texas Republican Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn pushed for “flexibility to choose other options instead of fencing, if needed.” Politicians adamantly vowed to keep America safe. The law specifically called for “at least 2 layers of reinforced fencing, topped with concertina barbed razor wire with the installation of additional physical barriers, patrol roads, lighting, cameras and sensors” at five exact regions of border totaling approximately 700 miles.
Six months after passage of the Secure Fence Act, the border fence initially planned to be 700 miles, had shrunk to around 370 miles. The so-called Border fence shows utter incompetence or very strong reluctance to keep the border—CLOSED—no matter the consequences to the people? The illegal alien invasion could be cut to a trickle, by constructing the double layer border fences as originally commissioned. Then adding 5000 military of either National Guardsman or US Army along the along the fence perimeter, saving billions of dollars in the interior of America.
RINO SENATOR’S HUTCHISON, CORYN AND OTHER PRO ILLEGAL ALIEN LIARS HAD DESIGNS TO GUT, UNDER FUND THE SECURE FENCE ACT BEFORE IT EVEN PASSED!! IT WAS ALL A PROVEN LIE TO PLACATE VOTERS BEFORE THE 2006 MID TERM ELECTIONS. THE BORDER FENCE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST LIES PLAYED UPON THE GULLIBLE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
Nothing has changed, just the majority of the people overseeing the border. But we have a choice now. The usual Rino’s and the Arch Liberals, hiding beneath the cloak of Democrats, are not fully in charge anymore. It’s impossible to count the millions of Americans who have turned to the National and local TEA PARTY, hoping to save America from the greed and political power brokers. The criminals are still crossing the border, where there are hundreds of miles of no fence. Open areas of land, where the US Border Patrol are not allowed to enter, without permission from the US government. Packing AK 47, ordinary illegal peons are forced a gunpoint to carry drugs for the Cartels, or are engineering new routes for illegal immigrants to enter our country. Even some of the regions inside America are prohibited land, because of the dangers of confrontation with criminal aliens.
The interior of our nation has become an infestation of foreign nationals, stealing jobs, stealing education from our own children, stealing Medicaid from our own impoverished people. They are stealing hundreds of billions of dollars annually in public entitlements, in unemployment benefits in some states, in workers compensation. They come here ready to conceive their foothold babies, so they can take advantage of citizen subsidies. They cross the border or fly in to take advantage of our mandated health care system. Then we wonder while our national debt of 14.5 trillion dollars is still mounting? Continually–each day we hear of illegal aliens drunk, mowing down pedestrians, homicides, kidnappings, home invasions, assaults, child molestations and other heinous criminal acts. Our jails and prisons are overflowing, because the Dems and Republicans are refusing to seal the border tight and therefore they are to blame for the daily acts of terror happening across America.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE MUST DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES, IF THEY BELIEVE IN THE SHADOW ADMINISTRATION IN THE US GOVERNMENT, THE LIBERALS PROGRESSIVES AND EXTREMISTS IN ACADEMIA OR THE GROWING MOVEMENT OF THE NATIONAL TEA PARTY AND HUNDREDS OF GRASS ROOT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE PRO-SOVEREIGNTY AND THE ENFORCEMENT TO THE “RULE OF LAW.”
We need a uniform plan to hire the highest skilled, that are not available in this nation’s workforce. These will be skilled newcomers who will not fall upon the US taxpayer, to pay their way. With the terrible gloomy picture of a 14 Trillion deficit bearing down on US taxpayers, with an unceasing movement of economic illegal aliens slipping past our borders, we are in a very poor State of affairs. Foothold families with 14th Amendment citizenship for their children are one of the most expenditure befalling this nation. No real dollar numbers really exist, except for the statement of Los Angeles City manager, Michael Antonovich “Illegal immigration continues to have a catastrophic impact on Los Angeles County taxpayers,”. “The total cost for illegal immigrants to County taxpayers exceeds $1 billion a year – not including the millions of dollars for education.” Any form of Amnesty in no matter what form it comes in, is an automatic magnet for the indigent of foreign countries and this must desist. The TEA PARTY will oppose or rescind any laws, contrary to the “Rule of Law”, which includes Volume Immigration reform, Sanctuary states, Dream Acts and Chain Migration. ITS EASY TO FIND THE NEAREST TEA PARTY WERE YOU RESIDE BY GOING TO http://www.freedomconnector.org/
STATES THAT PANDER TO THE ILLEGAL ALIEN OCCUPATION WILL LEARN THE HARD WAY; JUST AS THE STATES OF CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA HAVE BEEN BRANDED SANCTUARIES. UTAH WILL BE THE THIRD STATE TO GET THIS UNSAVORY LABEL IN THE SOUTHWEST, IF THE DOJ ERIC HOLDER’S IN WASHINGTON REMAIN IN A STARK SILENCE TO UTAH ENACTING AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL GUEST WORKER PROGRAM.
Under Obama’s presidency and his Leftist henchman or the upper echelon of Republican leadership, the push for mass amnesty will continue. Every American who sees this as a threat to over population, absolute insane expenditures, overcrowded schools, health care any number of major problems foreseen in our future should join the TEA PARTY. The TEA PARTY numbers now are in the tens of millions and still climbing. People are seeing this political party as the only possible release from the grip of the Liberals and Rino’s. Its truthful challenge is Limited Federal Government, Our Individual Freedoms, Our Personal Responsibility, Markets that are free, but fair and Returning Political Power to the States and the People.
Attn: Whether in fact billionaire Donald Trump is running, he is bring up some major points of interest to the American people, that other candidates stay clear off? Trump is a bit of an egotist, but he loves his country and owes no favors to lobbyists or criminal money brokers. That if this country, has more oil and natural gas than anywhere on Mother Earth, why are we paying $4.00 or perhaps $6.00 dollars in our near future. Oil–we aided Saudi Arabia when Iraq attacked the country during the GULF WAR–what do we have to show for it, dead girl and boy GI’s, and now they are disrupting America, but cutting back on supplies. Drill in Anwar Alaska, The Gulf and wherever it is available. To–HXXX with the environmentalists! Why are we subservient to the environmentalists, which are upset because of the partial border fence that is disrupting wild life, but concealing the hills of debris and filth left behind by decades of illegal aliens crossing onto our soil? This year from our growing massive deficit, we owe China $300 billion dollars in just interest, when once they were the lender? This country must close of the purse to the Lefts Obama administration, no matter how painful as we are currently carrying the financial burden of foreign governments and their people.
NAFTA and CAFTA have been poorly negotiated, just as if our trade representatives instead of working for America were secretly in the employ of China, Mexico, and India and others. Currently we are cutting our own throat by buying cheap inferior products and killing our own industries. Thousands of American companies have moved across the border or abroad and we are buying the tax free goods, with no penalties. In many cases our government has given American firms incentives to move overseas, while companies around the country have closed down, with the loss of millions of jobs. Have you even noticed, it’s almost impossible to buy something Made in the USA? Listen to Donald Trump, because out of the bunch of potential candidates, he is the only one that is telling us the raw truth.
venom1
April 26th, 2011
7:06 pm
YOU GUYS ARE HILLARIOUS. its pretty funny to read all your comments where you go nut about this HB87 stuff… you speak like people will actually take in consideration everything your saying.. “round ‘em up and send them home”, ship’em back to mexico…etc. (BTW quick point, not all illegals are mexican, there are about 20 more countries going south, do some reading.) regardless, the last time we mixed religion people got burn at the stake (IF YOU DONT KNOW, go educate yourself)… i think its ironic how we call ourselves a christian nation, yet we dont hold christian beliefs. we ALL are a bunch of hipocrits. we go to church every sunday, and ask God for forgiveness, yet we do not forgive those who have also done wrong. when Jesus met the samaritan, she didnt kick him out, she actually gave him some water (ONCE AGAIN, if you dont know educate yourself).
and sticking to the facts, is that whether we like it or not, this state will suffer a major shock after this bill becomes a law. for several reasons, among them is that there are other people in other states that will boicott Georgia, there arent enough white people here to work in the fields for minimum wage, under a candid sun picking onions, peaches, etc. Atlanta is the business capital of the south, we all know this, how are other countries gonna take this? MORE BOICOTTS. and even better, Arizona has lost about 4 millions (IN TAX PAYER MONEY) thanks to a few law suits… i think the tea party and republicans should be the ones paying for this, hence they are supporting this bill. in the end, this is whats gonna happen. illegals will be here, whether we like them or not, the cost of getting rid of them is too high, and we cant afford to do it.
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dont bother replying to this, i wont be back. i got more important things to do like getting my education so i can keep fighting for the rights of the less fortunate (and sticking it up to those who like playing the “i know it all game”)
Brittanicus
April 27th, 2011
12:02 am
LOOK OUT CALIFORNIA, NEVADA AND UTAH
The passage of immigration policing bills in Arizona, Georgia, Alabama, Indiana, and Montana are displaying lawmakers have some guts. These are a passage of bills to stop the draining of American jobs, welfare payments and curtailing illegal immigration into these States. The most vulnerable States are the Sanctuary States of California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon and Utah in the Southwest. These States have not imposed E-Verify as the law and still on a voluntary basis; the merit going to Senator Harry Reid, who derailed it as mandatory. Thousands of economic illegal aliens are vanishing from the tough policing State of Arizona, moving to unprotected States offering free public services, without cross-referencing verification of a person’s immigration status. Although E-Verify is not strictly enforced in all states, ICE audits are restraining many business entities from taking a risk of hiring foreign nationals. It seems that Liberal Sanctuary cities such as San Francisco are all upset, as “Secure Communities” is not open to debate, but mandatory across the country. It makes sense that anybody caught and being processed in any part of America, should have their fingerprints and other data be forwarded to the FBI and the (ICE)Immigration and Custom Services. If you are here in America illegally, no matter your crime within the country, you should held for deportation
Not only is there a real risk of ICE sweeping down on different larger employers, as even lesser companies have become a target. Even more prevalent is the sudden emergence of “Whistleblowers” who see their jobs rapidly disappearing and intend to do something about it. Business owners need to be warned that most prudent workers are cautiously watching every move inside the store, office or any building. Defrauding the IRS of taxes by paying cash for work in construction, service industries by Contractors and Sub-Contractors are by far the largest culprits. Thousands of small companies have been driven out of their particular specialty, by their inequitable competition using illegal labor. Jobs that formerly went to the less educated Americans at the bottom of the ladder, has been stolen by illegal aliens.
Less trustworthy businesses saw they could make larger profits, as illegal immigrants were willing to take fewer wage, with no access to benefits. Business owners were well aware; they had no obligation to attribute Health Care, as their employees could just as well go to the emergency room, costing them zero under federal law. This is the same with all family members and relatives, leaving the hospital to swallow the costs, or inevitably the US taxpayer. Agricultural farm workers or Guest workers are in the same situation, where the business owners unload their human responsibilities on the nearest hospital, leaving the public with the financial burden. Hard luck stories in Liberal media appear with constant frequency that never ceases to amaze me. That if the border was securely sealed with American military deployment, the open border organizations would have nothing to write about.
Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer signed HB 178 into law yesterday a bill that requires the MVD to electronically verify legal presence before issuing the State driver’s license or state identification card. The new law requires those applying for new licenses will have to show proof of legal presence in the United States. Out-of-state driver’s license cannot be used as proof. Montana will utilize (SAVE) Systematic Alien Verification of Entitlements program, which checks an applicant’s information against federal data bases.
Five days ago the Indiana House and both Alabama chambers approved E-Verify legislation, which would require businesses in their states to implement E-Verify. The bill approved in Indiana is significantly stronger than Alabama’s, but both laws require most employers to check new hires through the E-Verify system. Senate Bill 590 now requires most employers to verify the citizenship status of their employees through the federal E-Verify program, and mandates state and local governments ensure illegal immigrants are not receiving welfare benefits, but it removed Senate-passed language that authorized local police officers to check the immigration status of individuals they suspected of being in the country illegally.
In Montgomery, Alabama last Friday evening both the House and Senate passed bills allow police officers to check immigration status, but the provisions on E-Verify have a significant difference. The House-passed bill requires businesses with at least 25 employees to use E-Verify, but the Senate-passed bill only requires businesses that contract with the state or receive grants from the state to use E-Verify.
Another bill that would extend in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens was defeated Monday in the Colorado State House Education Committee. The bill, SB 126, was passed by the Senate before being defeated, 7-to-6, in the House committee. It’s the fifth time the bill has failed in the State Legislature. The Republican-led committee argued that passing SB 126 would encourage future illegal immigration and provide a false hope for illegal alien students who would be ineligible to work in the United States after graduation.
Illegal Immigration is not free to anybody. Annually it costs billions of dollars to every US taxpayer. In this unsettled period of America’s financial downturn, we must care for our own people, not the poverty of other countries. There is no excuse for either political party not enforcing our border, nor making the E-verify program permanent for every business nationwide. Federal judges are too lenient with companies who break our laws and should be dealt with fines, asset confiscation and major prison. The TEA PARTY will make enforcement of immigration laws, one of the top issues in future elections. Chain Migration will be eliminated and no form of Immigration Reform, better interpreted as amnesty will be tolerated. Almost every city or community throughout the United States has a TEA PARTY, so locate to join.
The management of both political parties has brought the American people much misery and turmoil, including allowing Communist China to use unfair trade practices to get the upper hand. A 14 trillion dollars US deficit is no laughing matter, that we are no longer the lender of money, but the universal debtor. As the American dollar gets weaker, so gasoline will spiral. As we have seen the TEA PARTY has lost no time, in cutting billions, but if more people get together under this moderate Conservatism, we can drag out the big spenders in Government.
Attn: Stop this insaneness from the environmentalists in placing some elusive Texas “Sagebrush lizard” being placed on the endangered Species list. When gas prices are raising towards $6.00 is beyond incomprehension that Lizards, frogs and other wild animals come before humans. Rehabilitate these different species to some other part of Texas wilderness as we need oil, more than we need these creatures. Instead the environmentalist grieving about some insect, bird, animal or wild thing, get their friends together and begin cleaning up the mounds of garbage left by illegal aliens drudging through the border regions for years. Animals are getting their paws and wings caught in plastic bottle ties, and dying amongst the heaps of effluence.
In oncoming elections we need to be very observant of illegal aliens voting. Numerous States have displayed that this is happening, so if you federal government will not enforce a more stringent law, then States must do this. Underway now is plans in different States to ensure that a individual whom is voting are whom they say they are, either by possessing a passport, drivers license or State ID card; these picture ID documents must be cross-referenced for proof of citizen status.
SuperGeorge
April 27th, 2011
12:17 pm
Is hard to believe in a legislation done and based in a system like E-Verify with so many issues.
E -Verify “ it is still a system that warrants much needed improvement. Alarmingly, until improvements are made, employers are left in the difficult position of having to use a flawed system while still being held accountable for hiring unauthorized workers even if they were confirmed through E-Verify.
The current E-Verify system matches a name to a social security number, and where available, a photo taken from a U.S. passport, green card or EAD, but it is not able to reliably confirm that the person presenting the documents is in fact the person associated with the name. To illustrate this point, a December 2009 report by Westat, an independent consulting group, reported that “54% of the unauthorized workers who are checked through E-Verify are confirmed as work authorized.” This is an extremely high margin of error for a system whose very purpose is to confirm that every person employed in the United States is, in fact, authorized to work.
Moreover, while E-Verify’s photo-matching tool allows an employer to view a picture from a green card, EAD, or passport to determine whether the person standing in front of them matches the picture in the system, it still falls entirely on the judgment of the employer to confirm the identity of the person before them.”
Source: http://www.ilw.com/articles/2011,0426-brueggemann.shtm
4/27 – ajc.com – Obama blasts Ga. bill targeting illegal immigrants | ajc.com « GIRRC – Georgia Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition
April 27th, 2011
3:15 pm
[...] Insider: Archbishop Gregory and illegal immigration debate [...]
doug
April 27th, 2011
7:37 pm
$11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year by state governments.
2.
$2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens.
3.
$2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens.
4.
$12 Billion dollars a year is spenton primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English!
5.
$17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.
6.
$3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.
7.
30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens.
8.
$90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social services by the American taxpayers.
9.
$200 Billion dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens.
10.
The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that’s two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the US .
11.
During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens
from terrorist countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana crossed into the US from the southern border.
12.
The National Policy Institute estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period.
13.
In 2006, illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances to their countries of origin.
14.
The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly one million sex crimes are committed by illegal immigrants in the United States.
The total cost is a whopping $338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND IF YOU’RE HAVING TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY — IT IS $338,300,000,000.00 WHICH WOULD BE ENOUGH TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY.
Are we THAT stupid?
YES, FOR LETTING THOSE IN THE U.S. CONGRESS GET AWAY WITH LETTING THIS HAPPEN YEAR AFTER YEAR!!!!! JUST FOR VOTES!!
It is time again to Take Out The Trash!
heartofdarkness
April 27th, 2011
10:52 pm
Think about the implications of current US population trends for this state’s economy if self interest is the limit of your moral reasoning.
Soon the descendants of these people some are so anxious to deport will form the majority population in Georgia.
Terry
April 28th, 2011
7:52 am
Hello everyone. My comment is: I don’t have a problem with “immigrants” as long as they are here legally. Have taxes taken out of “their” paychecks to put back into the system that they illegally take from. They get paid under the table with personal checks from “us” legals so there is no trace of documentation. Companies will pay “them” because they will work for less therefore taking jobs from “legal documented workers”. The “illegals” take advantage of state resources but, again, not giving back. This is the reason Grady Hospital is sinking and other hospitals turn the immigrants away. When it comes to crime, they disappear. They knowingly give false information when approached by police, this is illegal. They own businesses like car lots that clearly tell them in ads of their language that they don’t need ssn, identification, or insurance when a car is purchased by them. If they cause an accident the cost is on “you” because they flee or the information given is false. My point is if immigrants wish to stay in any of these states they should do it “legally”. “PAY WHERE YOU LAY”! One of my co-workers have a great suggestion for all of us. She propose we all keep our entire paycheck (like them), allow us the option to pay into healthcare (as some of us do through our jobs-and are fine with that) but tax all purchases (state tax ONLY-not Federal or Medicare) this way everyone contributes. This is fair because money will even come from those who abuse the system. Then, the “system” is responsible for putting money in places it should go.
doug
April 30th, 2011
12:29 am
Denmark’s strict immigration laws have saved the country billions in benefits, a government report has claimed. The Integration Ministry report has now led to calls among right-wing populists to clamp down further on immigrants to increase the savings.
The extremely strict laws have dramatically reduced the flow of people into Denmark in recent years, and many government figures are delighted with the outcome. “Now that we can see that it does matter who comes into the country, I have no scruples in further restricting those who one can suspect will be a burden on Denmark,” the center-right liberal integration minister, Søren Pind, told the Jyllands Posten newspaper.