Guest Column: Immigration, Perry and a Divided GOP
The strange saga of anti-sanctuary cities legislation in the 82nd session amplified the sharp dissonance around immigration politics inside the Texas Republican Party. The essence of the problem is the conflict between conservative Republican voters with intense preferences for restrictions on immigrants and immigration, on one hand, and the much more pragmatic positions of key Republican leaders, elected officials, and business interests in the state on the other. Gov. Rick Perry, as the leader of the party, has maneuvered through this conflict with mixed results. Whatever his place in the party and his political future, the problem is built into ...
Comments (17)
gypsy314 ne
Perry has fail us Texans on SB9 and until he finish's his business with SB9 he will not get a lot of votes he could have. So he needs to decide Texans or illegal aliens his choice choose wisely Governor Perry. The nation will see you as someone that choose the illegal aliens over Texans citizens that will not go over well.
JeffDaiell
Sanctuary cities are a form of nullification. Those who support either are hypocritical in opposing the other.
Jeff Daiell
Mary Steele
The problem is illegal immigration, not legal immigration!!!! We have massive unemployment and 8 million illegals should not be working our jobs!! Replacing 8 million illegals workers with some of our 14-22 million unemployed legal immigrants and citizens would save billions in unemployment and subsequent costs and help our businesses get their patrons back!!
States will benefit when they no longer have to help our unemployed survive and can take that money and do more contracting!! That increases business revenue and creates jobs!!
Replacing illegal workers through enforcement, less than $2 per employee, getting illegals out of our jobs and country (including our ER's where Obama admitted we pay for) -- priceless!!!!
Dale Kramer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
CARRY YO PASSPORT IN TEXASS
Dale Kramer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
PARANOIA WILL DESTROY YA 'ALL-
Dale Kramer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
DONT MESS WITH TEXAS RESONATES NOW TO DISSONATES-RIGHT ON-NOT!
Daniel Aparicio Hernandez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
there is absolutely no need for a citizen of this country to carry any form of documentation showing their legal status in this country regardless of their race. it's absurd!
Bambi Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I fail to understand how Hispanics could support this guy.
Bert Chadwick
The real issue is that, since mid 80's the Republican party has been the worst enemy of the immigrant community. The worst enemy of the Hispanic community.
The first anti-Latino and anti-immigrants action was the "ENGLISH ONLY" campaign. And at the same time that I agree with the fact that everybody must speak the language of the land, the "English only" had a very racial, discriminatory base, root. The promoters of that movement were all Republicans, not even one Democrat. They only became silent when they realized that Pres. George W. Bush could speak Spanish. The English only campaign was directed to Latinos only.
Then Pete Wilson took the center stage with Prop. 287 in California.
In early 90's a Republican politician created the ANTI immigrants MYTH, that undocumented people were all criminals, and that they were bottom crap of society. And many "seudo" intelligent people swallowed the pill and became anti-immigrants without even knowing the issue. Many never have had not even a light contact with an immigrant, legal or undocumented. But they allowed themselves to be brainwashed.
The bitter sentiment grew and took root in the minds of redneck people, racist, and natural haters.
The crude and sad reality is that the Republican party for decades has been the WORST enemy of the Hispanic and immigrant communities. The evidence and proof? This past 2011 Texas Legislature. We can look at the innumerable anti-immigrant bills filed this year. That's enough evidence. What is hard for me comprehend, are all those Hispanics turned Republican. To me they are TRAITORS to their roots, and their community because they know how much the GOP has mistreated the Latino community, but they have forgotten or ignored that.
During the Reagan administration Hispanics fell 33% below the Federal Poverty Line. The Reagan people did nothing to provide Latinos with opportunities
Do they still want to attract Latino voters? Do they think Hispanics are going to forget this year's legislature?
Very hard to believe.
Many Hispanic activists will not let their people to forget that. Some naive people think that Latino voters are against undocumented immigrants. Just plain talk, in the privacy of the voting polls, they will vote otherwise. Latinos probably disagree on the issues and fight among themselves, but when their community is the target of the mean spirited, they become ONE.
gypsy314 ne
Well for a nation of laws seems to me some want to pick and choose witch to follow. Mean while law abiding citizens and tax payers keep forking it out for the illegals to suck us dry. Tell the family's of the dead that die from the illegals aliens that do there damage and run back across the borders like the cowards they are. There will be a big battle one day and then things will be set right. Until then keep vote these demos and rhinos out of office.
V Marshall
The UT/TT poll was interesting. It would seem that there is overwhelming support for immigration control measures. More than I would have expected given how immigration is treated in the media. More surprising though is that Independent voters seem more committed strict enforcement. Based on these numbers, it would seem that the reason the e-mail servers in Congress were overwhelmed by the volume of mail when they considered CIR in 2006 might be that Independent voters were the ones so strongly opposed. That might make the Democrats' focus on this issue problematic for them in 2012. No one gets elected to the Presidency in this country without Independent support.
David Spratt
Mr. Perry , the home builder, certainly wants illegals to roam at will. They supply cheap labor to build his product and thus bigger profits. Without them he would have to pay living wages to the tradesmen that build them. Mr. Butt Reaps the benefits of sales of millions of $ from the food stamps that are redeemed since all anchor babies are eligible for them even if their illegal parents are not, as well as the cash from the couple of million Illegals here. Both of them stand to lose if illegals are sent home. From my standpoint , I no longer work in residential construction as I was one of the ones pushed out of the industry by builders like Perry. I can remember a time, being 53 years old, when Americans built these houses, and built them well. Today they begin to fall apart after the first year. No one ever told us these were jobs we should not want to do, we never considered that, and were very happy doing them. . We did them for years and years , until wages became so low we could not support our families anymore. I wonder a lot of times when I hear, '" they do the jobs Americans will not do," who actually built this country before the illegals took over the residential construction industry? I would have to assume from the rhetoric it was some type of invisible fairies that at some point decided they did not want to do that type of work anymore. Who made fast food and handed it out the window of the drive through before illegals came here by the millions? Who made all those hotel and motel beds everyday and vacuumed the floors? Who cleaned the homes of those who could afford a housekeeper? It is a wonder this country ever made it as far as we did up to 15 or 20 years ago without 20 million plus or more illegal immigrants. All the problems our country faces with unemployment, low wages, declining tax revenue, budget deficits at city, state and federal levels, and some refuse to even entertain the thought that perhaps millions upon millions of illegal immigrants , poorest of the poor, largely uneducated, might have something to do with it? I have seen it firsthand and have been negatively affected by it firsthand. I know for a fact that they are not the valuable , productive, assets some would claim them to be. I am not saying they are evil people or are intentionally trying to do harm or destroy our country. They are simply here to get what they can and do not care about the consequences of their actions as it relates to Americans or the country as a whole. Most probably understand very little about the finer points of our system of government , societal structure and how it all works. They do not vote, as well they should not. so they are on the fringes already and have very little interest in governmental affairs or whether or not the system is working as intended or not. Their only concern is staying under the radar and not being deported and that is as far as their concerns regarding government goes. Imagine if the Majority of people , Americans, did the same. Americans and Legal Immigrants built this country, they vote, they are concerned about the state of the country and most exercise their civic responsibility to see that this country remains intact and prosperous for all Americans. Illegals simply ride the train as an underclass not pulling their fair share of the weight. After all, if things go really bad, and the land of milk , honey and freebies goes south, they have countries to go back to. Where will all you bleeding heart libbies and illegal supporters go? I have but one country, It is the United States of America. I will do everything in my power to protect it and preserve it. As the polls suggest , the Majority believe as I do and we will prevail despite those who are blinded by emotion and personal feelings of empathy.
Brittanicus
Either party, Democrat, Republican are completely ignorant or just intentionally remain unconcerned about the massive expenditures for pandering to the illegal alien invasion. The federal debt ceiling and all 50 States have huge deficits from the illegal immigration occupation. Schools, health care and programs that is reducing America to a pauper nation. You as the American people must start yelling at the politicians in Washington, to demand they recognize that this issue is part of the discretionary spending. Only Rep. Michele Bachmann R-MN) Leader of the Tea Party Caucus, speaks out about this issue, with a conviction that this is part of our national issues. Bombard them with you voices, tell them no Amnesty, No Immigration Reform, no Sanctuary cities or States and No Dream Acts.
This needs to be repeated that When (Fair) analyzed the cost of illegal immigration and its nationwide deficit, they came up with a stunning figure of $113 billion dollars annually, while illegal alien revenue to the government coffers was a total amount of $13Billion dollars and change. Not included in these illegal foreign labors is wages leaving the country to foreign nations, estimated to be 46 Billion dollars? Our economy is sinking and the Obama administration is insisting on passage of another Amnesty failure. Heritage Foundation has stated that cost for processing another Amnesty expenditure is another 2.5 Trillion dollars,
Break down of revenue to support illegal migrants and illegal immigrants.
Federal Expenditures on Illegal Aliens
Education Title 1 program $1,332,900,000
Migrant education program $236,900,000
Title 111 program $538,000,000
Education Subtotal $2,107,800,000
Medical Emergency medical care $250,000,000
Fraudulent use of Medicaid $1,235,000,000
Medicaid cost of childbirth $1,238,100,000
Medicaid for children $1,626,800,000
other medical outlays $1,600,000,000
Medical Subtotal $5,949,900,000
Law enforcement Scaap compensation $330,000,000
Federal incarceration $678,400,000
Byrne grants $24,300,000
Detention and removal $2,545,000,000
Project safe neighborhoods $39,500,000
Residual ice functions $2,824,000,000
Exec. Office of immigration review $222,500,000
Southwest border prosecution $33,000,000
National Guard $642,000,000
Coast Guard $500,000,000
Law Enforcement Subtotal $7,838,700,000
Public assistance Free and reduced meal program $2,264,600,000
Temporary assist. Needy families $1,030,000,000
Housing assistance programs $637,000,000
Child care & development fund $633,000,000
Public Assistance Subtotal $4,564,600,000
General expenditures $8,184,400,000
TOTAL $28B, 645,400,000
State/Local Expenditures on Illegal Aliens ($ M)
Alabama $298 Illinois $4B,592 Montana $32 Rhode Island $278
Alaska $139 Indiana $608 Nebraska $262 S. Carolina $391
Arizona $2B,569 Iowa $350 Nevada $1B,191 S. Dakota $33
Arkansas $244 Kansas $442 New Hampshire $123 Tennessee $547
California $21B,756 Kentucky $280 New Jersey $3B,478 Texas $8,878
Colorado $1,451 Louisiana $224 New Mexico $608 Utah $453
Connecticut $957 Maine $41 New York $9B,479 Vermont $38
Wash D.C. $312 Maryland $1B,724 N. Carolina $2B,063 Virginia $1B,905
Delaware $305 Massachusetts. $1B, 862 N. Dakota $32
Washington State $1B, 510; Florida $5B,463 Michigan $929,
Ohio $563 W. Virginia. $31; Georgia $2B; 399 Minnesota,
$744 Oklahoma $465 Wisconsin $883.Hawaii $155 Mississippi.
$106 Oregon $705 Wyoming $51, Idaho $188 Missouri $338,
Penn. $1B,378
STATE AND MUNICIPAL TOTAL $83B,851
RECEIPTS FROM ILLEGAL ALIENS
Category federal State/local
Income -$2,302,800,000 $244,200,000
Social security $7,000,000,000
Medicare tax $1,637,100,000
Excise and miscellaneous $2,489,700,000
Employer (FUTA & income) $632,600,000
Property tax $1,378,000,000
Sales tax $2,333,000,000
If you as a taxpayer wants to keep paying financial support for 20 million illegal aliens outlaws, then you deserve higher taxes and loss of jobs. Read the projections of future years if our borders remain unsecured, or no tracking system for 40 percent of visa over stays, who disappear and all take American workers jobs. Go to the Heritage Foundation website, NumbersUSA or Judicial Watch and read for the dollar figures that will turn your stomach sour. This is a patriotic chance to help your fellow jobless countryman by Calling House Leadership NOW Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121
COPY THIS INFORMATION AND DISTRIBUTE TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
JeffDaiell
Under the 10th Amendment, the Federal Government has no authority to bar peaceful and honest individuals from immigrating here. Therefore, the statutes violated by individuals who come here without some Federal bureaucrat's permission are un-Constitutional. So city governments have no obligation to cooperate with the enforcement of those statutes.
Jeff Daiell
C Baker
Truth Is..Bob Perry isn't just using illegal aliens to build their homes they need them to buy their homes....I watched it happen before my eyes long before it became a crisis...I couldn't believe the Illegal Aliens getting mortgages with NO document loans, just Stated Income...That's right, they would say this is what I earn and that was it! These home builders all had/have in house closings...in their offices, no one regulating them noone watching them.. They all forbid their salesmen to hold a real estate license. If you had a Real Estate License, you had to let it go in order to remain employed by the builders. That kept the Texas Real Estate Comission out of the builder's business....Entire new subdivisions all full of illegal aliens...... That's who/ what crashed the housing market! Not us Americans who actually have to qualify for a loan.
Mary Steele
When are people going to learn that we cannot employ or educate everybody that wants to come here 'for a better life"?We already have 14-22 million unemployed legal immigrants and citizens, so anybody that thinks that 8 million working illegals are not a problem in this country, answer these two questions honesty!! Are you willing to give up your job or only sources of income and give to to an illegal? Are you willing to give your children's opportunity for college or job to an illegal? Of course not, nobody else should have to either!! One Congressman's staff member said "it's not that simple", and finally realized-YES IT IS! When you allow illegals to work and take resources from legal immigrants and citizens, they are denied their chance "for a better life" and should not have to sacrifice their opportunities for illegals!!
C Baker
We voting citizens get it, it's the anchor babies who don't want to get it because that's how their families got here in the first place and the big business donors like home builder Perry Homes, HEB grocery chain and big business illegal immigration lawyers who do not want to get it and show them how to use many identities while living here until their Big ID kicks in with some kind of legal papers....this is normal for them. They are all living in a Black Market World to be here illegally.....