Posted by
Playful Walrus on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 6:00:00 PM
Most of the letters printed in today's Los Angeles Times deal with issues surrounding illegal aliens, prompted by earlier items in the paper.
Haydee Pavia of Laguna Woods wrote:
Our immigration system is not broken, and we don't need immigration reform. It is our government that is broken, and we need government reform.
We need to move away from socialism and towards free markets; away from payroll taxes.
David Eggenschwiler of Los Angeles wrote:
Let us have strong border control,
Yes.
but let us also have legalization of long-term illegal immigrants
Only if they have otherwise been law-abiding or they have served admirably in our armed forces, and only if the border has been secured.
Bob Braley of Bakersfield wrote:
Remittances are a huge drain on the state and federal levels. The amount of money leaving the country is enormous.
Yes. While we are subsidizing the education, health care, emergency services, legal protections, recreation, housing, meals, transportation, and utilities of illegal aliens and their children, they are sending money out of the country. If someone has money to send out of the country, they are not in need of taxpayer subsidies and shouldn't be receiving them.
Wendy Velasco of Whittier wrote:
Private charities provide spotty help at best. Taxes are the fairest way to spread the cost around.
Hey, because government programs have worked so well and efficiently and have eliminated want!
Cristina Martinez-Thompson of Signal Hill wrote:
Why is it that during times of economic crisis, the most vulnerable are blamed?
You're right. We should be focusing on illegal aliens all of the time.
What about those of the legal population committing welfare fraud, Medicare fraud and Social Security fraud?
We should go after them, too.
These vulnerable workers do pay taxes. When they purchase items, they are paying sales tax.
There are many, many other taxes. On the whole, these people cost a lot of more than they are contributing.
We cannot underestimate the significance of contributions these illegal immigrants make to the farming/agricultural/food processing/packaging business.
I'd gladly pay more for food out of the savings we'd get if we were spending less on prosecuting and incarcerating illegal aliens, educating illegal aliens, infrastructure for illegal aliens, and health care for illegal aliens.
Tim Aaronson of El Cerrito wrote:
The standout in the recitation of costs because of illegal immigration is the portrait of Delia Godinez and her five children. The family receives $650 each month from the state's CalWorks program, $500 in federal food stamps and other vouchers and unmentioned thousands in public schooling benefits. This is for one illegal immigrant family.
The public schooling would be about $60,000 per year. This means they are getting about $73,800 in tax benefits, not counting other public services.
Tony Stengel of Los Angeles wrote about quality of life:
Even parking becomes impossible when half of my neighbors are living nine people in a one-bedroom place with five cars outside.
Yeah, it's more than just the money.
Congressperson Maxine Waters wrote:
As a member of Congress, I work hard to make sure that federal funding for school districts is maximized so this center and other area schools can best serve our students and communities.
How about keeping the federal government from taking the money out of California in the first place?