Immigration Quote of the Week

I guess it is still the same week as the last one, but whatever. I like this one.

"I know if they didn't have a job, they wouldn't be here," said Peters. "But we all shop at Target and Wal-Mart, and all their stuff is made overseas with cheap labor."

It is just that simple.

Angelides Slowly Imploding

1A few months ago, I thought Angelides had the Democratic Nomination for Governor in the bag. How wrong I was! He is trailing Westly in a number of polls and just keeps on saying the same things: I am gonna tax you! Broken record that nobody wants to hear.

Maybe it is a better thing that he lose the primary, it seems that Westly can draw in more independents. He also has a bit of flair to him that I like, even if he was pretty supportive of Arnold in the beginning. Still, if it is between a guy that keeps saying that he is gonna raise your taxes and one that says he is going to close tax loopholes, I'll choose the latter. And somehow, I don't think I am the only one.

Oh yeah, and if you are Angelides, it doesn't help having former Presidential Nominee Michael Dukakis send out an e-mail for you.


Tag: Angelides, Westly

Immigration Quote of the Week

1Rabbi Stephen Pearce on his grandfather's arrival to the U.S.,

"He learned three things: One, the streets were not paved with gold; two, they were not paved at all; and three, he had to pave them,"

Immigrants make this country run... even undocumented ones.

Worthy to Note

1Michelle, subbing in for Sully, reminds us that nuclear Power isn't all that bad...

My father has spent his entire career in the nuclear field—first in the Navy, then in nuclear power. He has long insisted that, despite what my lefty media colleagues might think, when environmental activists got serious about global warming they would concede that nuclear energy ain't all bad. I always thought he was nuts—not so much on the merits of his point as regarding his belief that any self-respecting green would embrace anything nuclear. Then comes today’s Washington Post opinion piece from Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore. Apparently, Moore has been moving in this direction for quite some time. Looks like I owe Dad an apology.

I am definitely in favor of more nuclear power plants. It is a zero-carbon source of immense electricity. However, there obviously needs to be more done to increase security and recycle spent fuel. I won't deny that the mining of uranium is "dirty", nor that the storage of spent fuel is a contentious subject, but this doesn't have nearly the same negatives as coal.

Tag: Nuclear Power

Xenophobia from the Left

1Ezra hits this one on the head.

This31 is pretty disappointing stuff. A Senate bill, cosponsored by a variety of leading Democrats, to force call centers to identify their country of origin at the beginning of the call. Exactly why the United States Senate has to force the dude handling your tech support to mention that he's in New Delhi isn't really explained, but I assume it's just such a nice merging of protectionism and Clintonian incrementalism that opportunistic senators simply couldn't resist.

In the end, though, a bill like this doesn't penalize outsourcing, it doesn't help the unexpectedly unemployed, and it doesn't do anything about globalization -- it just whips up some resentment again foreigners. If Democrats want to seriously address the downsides of free trade, they should (it'd be damn well about time). Instead, they want to look like they're addressing the downsides of free trade, while not actually making any of the hard decisions or substantive trade offs a coherent policy response would require.

I don't really see the purpose in doing something like this either. People are just gonna end up being angry at foreigners and companies, without really having much recourse. Sure this may lead some to stop buying from these companies, but is that really the underlying reason for such a bill?

Immigration Smackdown

1For all those interested in the actual facts, here is an awesome rundown of some talking points from La Queen Sucia. Here are two of my favorites,

MICHAEL SAYS: 2. They overwhelm the public school system and not being property owners they pay no taxes to support the schools.

Of the 11 million or so illegal immigrants in the United States, 1.6 million are children under 18, according to the Urban Foundation. If you figure many of them are not yet old enough to be in school, we are talking somewhere around 1 million undocumented immigrant children in the United States – from every nation on earth.

According to the press office at the National Education Association, there are currently 48,132,518 children enrolled in America’s public school system. Assuming 1 million of them are undocumented immigrant children, this means 2 percent of America’s public school students are undocumented immigrants.

Besides which, most undocumented immigrants do, in fact, pay property taxes. Illegal immigrants who are not property owners live in rental properties for which the OWNER does, in fact, have to pay property tax. Unless the owner is extremely stupid, this tax is covered by the rent. (Real Estate 101, my friends.) Therefore the illegal immigrants, like all renters, are paying the landlord’s property tax.

Therefore, the number of undocumented immigrant children whose parents are not paying taxes who are enrolled in American public schools is probably miniscule. Somewhere less than a quarter of one percent of all illegal immigrant children in public schools have parents who do not pay for those schools.

Let us reflect on the Webster’s dictionary definition of “overwhelm,” the word you used to describe the illegal immigrant population in America’s public schools. It is: “Upset, Overthrow, to cover over completely, to overcome through superior force or numbers.”

Let us review another word from Webster’s: Exaggeration. “To enlarge beyond bounds or the truth.”

You are an exaggerator. Actually, exaggerator is a generous description of what you are. The best description goes like this: “One that tells lies.” You are a liar.

AND,

MICHAEL SAYS: 3. They do not register for selective service and do not serve in the military - forcing legal Americans to defend them.

ALISA SAYS: Sigh. According the U.S. government, all male immigrants – legal and otherwise – are required by U.S. law to register for selective service.

According to the National Center for Immigration Law, one in ten U.S. soliders who have DIED in Iraq have been immigrants. Five percent of those serving in our military are illegal immigrants.

The first soldier to die for the United States in the current war in Iraq was Marine Lance Cpl. Jose Gutierrez, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala.

He died for you.

You are not in Iraq fighting for anyone. You are home, sending lie-riddled missives to strangers at 3 a.m. on your computer.

Enough said.

Hat tip Atrios.