Right, please don't call me racist. I just want to post a few facts about myself, my family, and my home town as they apply to immigration.
Immigration can be a good thing- heck, both sides of my family came over fleeing Napoleon.
But: My home town has been in a state of labor surplus for 15+years. My mom considers herself lucky when she can get 20 hours a week, and she has a friggin Masters in Education. When applying for jobs in my home town, over 1/3 of them pay less than min. wage.
Most jobs now require you to be bilingual (Hace tres anos que hablar espanol). Taxes for the city take more than state and federal combined. Gang activity is on a sharp rise. (more due to economy than people, but the people screwed up the economy)
Ill. immigrants attend my old high school for free, and dumb down the courses.
My family is hard working, and decent honest people, but my parents will be declaring bancrupcy next year, as will record numbers of others in my home town.
Last year, my car was totaled in a parking lot by an illegal immigrant in a stolen car, without a liscence, doing 35 in a 10, around a blind corner. When the crash happened, his freinds took off so they wouldnt be arrested. He was, temporarily. But, since hes an ill imm. they couldnt hold or charge him. Nor would my insurance cover me. He had no insurance. Due to new laws they didnt even have the ability to deport him. When he didnt show up to court, and ran to another state, they could do nothing, because he wasnt an american. He is a known repeat offender in Auto Theft, and violent crimes, now living god knows where.
I like immigration, but there is a limit, people. And that limit is when injustice becomes standardized.
oh, and as an edit note: min wage in my state is $5.15 I've been helping out my family for the last 3 years averaging $4.50 an hour, at 30 hours a week (and that took two jobs at the same time)Jobs: dishwashing, hotel work, handyman, target setting, moving pipe, paper delivery.
Edited, Tue Apr 18 13:22:05 2006 by Monkeylope