Throughout 2008, this publication has analyzed and editorialized on the challenges brought to Saline County by illegal immigration. Our staff has tracked the disproportionately high number of crimes occurring in Crete by the Hispanic population. We have also focused on the fiscal strains placed on our schools, public infrastructure and quality of life.
Fortunately, public outcry and pressure on our elected officials is starting to pay off in the struggle to curb the waves of undocumented aliens coming to the Heartland and impacting the Midwest's quality of life, especially in meatpacking hubs such as Saline County.
The Associated Press is reporting that federal officials have deported and arrested record numbers of illegal immigrants over the past year in a five-state region that includes Nebraska, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data released Thursday.
The AP reports: "Bloomington, Minn., ICE field office -- which oversees Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota -- deported more than 4,900 illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2008. The figures for Oct. 1, 2007 to Sept. 30 are up nearly 20 percent from 4,100 the previous year.
"About 2,100 of those returned to their native countries in fiscal 2008 had prior criminal convictions."
That's making
a sizable dent in the problem. But only a dent. In 2005, the Pew Hispanic Center released a state-by-state breakdown report, making it one of the most recent estimates available. That report estimated Nebraska could have had between 20,000 and 35,000 illegal immigrants. We at the Times believe the figure could be closer to 50,000 or 60,000 today.
a sizable dent in the problem. But only a dent. In 2005, the Pew Hispanic Center released a state-by-state breakdown report, making it one of the most recent estimates available. That report estimated Nebraska could have had between 20,000 and 35,000 illegal immigrants. We at the Times believe the figure could be closer to 50,000 or 60,000 today.But here is the figure in the AP story that blew us away: At ICE's Lincoln facility alone, more than 960,000 applications for immigration benefits were processed, along with more than 178,000 naturalization applications in 2008.
Read it again. Let those numbers sink in.
Clearly, the challenge of illegal immigration is not going away any time soon. Perhaps the citizens of Saline County and other locations impacted by undocumented aliens have been too passive when communicating with government officials.
Last spring, the Nebraska Legislature's Judicial Committee, led by Omaha Sen. Brad Ashford, killed a bill requested by the governor to ensure that no illegal immigrant received state welfare benefits of any kind. According to the numbers above, such legislation would be helpful.
The cost of educating the children of illegal immigrants, alone, is staggering and unsustainable. According to the non-partisan Federation for American Immigration Reform, Nebraskans in 2004 spent more than $100 million on education for the children of illegal immigrants. (Click on chart above.)
The debate over illegal immigration should not be about xenophobia or nativism. Indeed, this debate is about sustainability. If you believe that our government -- at both the federal and state level -- needs to intensify its efforts to curb illegal immigration, take a few minutes today to contact your elected officials. Ask them to intensify their efforts to improve border security; do away with welfare and other economic benefits for illegals, including in-state tuition rates at the university; and increase funding for ICE to enforce immigration laws.
The information below will allow you to e-mail your elected federal and state representatives today. Remember, the politicians are obligated to listen to you and consider your priorities. But they can only do so if you let them know what is on your mind.
- U.S. Senator Ben Nelson: Click on http://bennelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
- U.S. Senator-elect Mike Johanns: E-mail info@mikejohanns2008.com
- U.S. Congressman Adrian Smith: Click on http://www.house.gov/formadriansmith/issues_subscribe.htm
- State Senator Russ Karpisek: E-mail rkarpisek@leg.ne.gov
- State Senator/Judiciary Chairman Brad Ashford: E-mail bashford@leg.ne.gov
- Governor Dave Heinemann: Click on http://www.governor.nebraska.gov/mail/govmail.html
This problem will never diminish (notice I did not say go away)until NAFTA is rewritten and Mexico improves its economy. Also, wealthy individuals on the coasts need to stop hiring illegal immigrants as nannies, gardners, etc. These same people along with the meat packing plants contribute huge sums of money to political campaigns which is what really influences politicans. You cannot build a fence high enough to eliminate this problem.
ReplyDelete"Our staff has tracked the disproportionately high number of crimes occurring in Crete by the Hispanic population."
ReplyDeleteWe at The Crete News again challenge your staff to provide solid, empirical data to back this claim up that you keep repeating. Do you have real numbers, real crime statistics to base this claim on? It is certainly a very serious accusation.
You say you are tracking all these problems in Saline County, but yet again your story contains nothing but anecdotes from elsewhere in Nebraska and the US.
If you are going to act as the defacto newspaper for Dorchester, don't you owe it to your readers to be precise and accurate?
Josh Wolfe,
Managing Editor
The Crete News
Does Josh even live in Crete? It doesn't take a statistician to see why more police are needed in Crete. Just take a drive through town on a Friday or Saturday night. Its scary.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone else read Karen Wideman's letter to the editor in the Crete News a couple of weeks ago. I don't think the people behind the dorchester blog are the only one's who recognize the obvious.
Josh:
ReplyDeleteWe are aware of your disagreement with our prior posts, particularly our Feb. 6 editorial.
In response, we can only reiterate our belief that the evidence is obvious when it comes to widespread concerns about illegal immigration and its impact.
Also, we do not think of our Web site as an online newspaper but as an electronic bulletin board, hosted by a handful of concerned citizens to facilitate discussion on issues important to the Dorchester area community. Nothing more, nothing less.
We appreciate your readership and civil comments.
Here is something to add to the discussion. Americans like to complain about how much they are paying for the illegals...How much does their economic activity contribute to the our economic well-being (especially that of our retirees) What happens to the ratio of workers to retirees (many of which depend upon the contributions of workers (i.e. soc sec, taxes, and other economic expenditures)) if we get rid of the illegals?
ReplyDeleteBecause Americans are barely replacing themselves, there is a real economic need for more bodies (real jobs that need to be done, taxes to be paid.) If we do not have a good worker to retiree ratio (i.e. 10 workers to 1 retiree, 100 to 1, 1000 to 1...), our market economy is going to attract workers to america, or send the work overseas where the labor force is.
Add to this problem the greed of companies wanting to increase profits by sending jobs overseas, and we have troubles. We have our current situation.
So are we getting what we deserve? National Greed (corporations maximizing profits and sending our jobs away so they don't have to pay for our high standard of living) Personal Greed (sacrificing our children (the well being of those we have, and the absence of those we do not)to have more and do more, and spending ourselves into increased debt).
It seems to me we can't have it both ways. Before we condemn immigration too severly, we owe it to ourselves to discover the reasons why they are here.
Western culture is hurting badly in Europe, due to the lack of people of western culture being born(Europe's birthrate is so low that they are not replacing themselves. Citizens in some countries are being paid to have children). So those countries are being populated with many folks of middle eastern descent, most of which are muslims. We should be thankful that the people we are getting are more compatible with our culture. But we may indeed be headed the way of Europe.
We should not and cannot afford the activities of illegal immigration. We cannot afford to extend our welfare services to them (which is also motivation for them to come illegally). But we need to attend to the other issues that we can affect and look at the whole issue. Many of these immigrants are hard working family oriented people, something we could use more of.
Geo Man
Finally.
ReplyDeleteThank you Geo man for something concrete yet optimistic.
"In response, we can only reiterate our belief that the evidence is obvious when it comes to widespread concerns about illegal immigration and its impact."
ReplyDeleteIn fact, the evidence is not obvious. We visit the Saline County Court every week and review ALL cases to prepare our weekly record. A quick scan of this year's records reveals that persons of Hispanic origin account for less than 1/4 of ALL crimes in the county, and a significantly smaller amount for violent/felony cases. In our first Jan. edition, we will present a report based on all cases from 2008 that will show this trend in real numbers. Right now, their level of crime is about equal or less than their population in the county.
You may continue to assert you are an editorial blog, but your posts do not reflect it, nor does your name. You are journalists whether you want to be or not, and you owe it to your readers to start acting that way. Calling yourself a blog or editorial site does not obsolve you of ethical responsibilities. Making such a charge against Hispanic immigrants without data is unethical.
Again I challenge you to back up your claims with hard data.
And yes, I do not live in Crete. But I am the only member of the staff who does not, and we speak with one voice. I also speak Spanish and have lived with immigrant families, both illegal and legal, who struggle to survive here. Maybe you should also consider those who you attack without provication before you level such claims.
Josh Wolfe,
Managing Editor
The Crete News
Washington DC - A new study by the Federation for
ReplyDeleteAmerican Immigration Reform (FAIR), Limited English
Proficiency Enrollment and Rapidly Rising Costs,
finds that between 1995 and 2005, the number of
children in our nation's public schools listed as
Limited English Proficient (LEP) increased by some
1.2 million. In 2005, approximately 4.5 million K-12
children in public schools around the country
required special educational programs to help them
master basic English, a 38 percent increase over a
decade earlier. The total bill to the taxpayers for
LEP programs likely exceeds $4 billion annually,
finds the report.
Continued large-scale immigration, particularly
illegal immigration, is the primary factor in the
increase in the LEP student population. FAIR
estimates that some 3.5 million children of illegal
aliens now attend K-12 schools around the country.
Most of the costs for educating LEP students fall on
state and local governments that are already
straining to provide educational resources to their
populations. Between 1995 and 2005, 11 states saw
their LEP student enrollment double, while eight
more saw enrollment triple.
"Education is by far the largest cost associated
with mass immigration generally, and illegal
immigration in particular," commented Dan Stein,
president of FAIR. "These mounting costs for basic
education and special LEP programs come at a time
when polls show that the public is increasingly
concerned about the overall quality of public
education in our country. While every politician in
America promises to improve public education,
government immigration policies continue to compound
the challenges faced by our schools."
The surge in LEP enrollment became a nationwide
phenomenon between 1995 and 2005, as virtually all
regions of the country experienced a rapid growth in
immigrant population. However, six states still
accounted for 69 percent of the LEP student
population in 2005, with California leading the way.
More than a quarter of California students were not
fluent in English in 2005.
Washington DC - A new study by the Federation for
ReplyDeleteAmerican Immigration Reform (FAIR), Limited English
Proficiency Enrollment and Rapidly Rising Costs,
finds that between 1995 and 2005, the number of
children in our nation's public schools listed as
Limited English Proficient (LEP) increased by some
1.2 million. In 2005, approximately 4.5 million K-12
children in public schools around the country
required special educational programs to help them
master basic English, a 38 percent increase over a
decade earlier. The total bill to the taxpayers for
LEP programs likely exceeds $4 billion annually,
finds the report.
Continued large-scale immigration, particularly
illegal immigration, is the primary factor in the
increase in the LEP student population. FAIR
estimates that some 3.5 million children of illegal
aliens now attend K-12 schools around the country.
Most of the costs for educating LEP students fall on
state and local governments that are already
straining to provide educational resources to their
populations. Between 1995 and 2005, 11 states saw
their LEP student enrollment double, while eight
more saw enrollment triple.
"Education is by far the largest cost associated
with mass immigration generally, and illegal
immigration in particular," commented Dan Stein,
president of FAIR. "These mounting costs for basic
education and special LEP programs come at a time
when polls show that the public is increasingly
concerned about the overall quality of public
education in our country. While every politician in
America promises to improve public education,
government immigration policies continue to compound
the challenges faced by our schools."
The surge in LEP enrollment became a nationwide
phenomenon between 1995 and 2005, as virtually all
regions of the country experienced a rapid growth in
immigrant population. However, six states still
accounted for 69 percent of the LEP student
population in 2005, with California leading the way.
More than a quarter of California students were not
fluent in English in 2005.
Before The Hart-Celler Act of 1965 (Thank you Senator Kennedy)and the 1986 Amnesty Act ( Thank you Senator Kennedy) most Americans wanted population control in the US.Now we allow in around 2,000,000 legal immigrants a year plus their extended families,(Mother,Father,Sister ,Brother and their children.)That adds millions more.Then you have the 12-20 million illegal Aliens that Congress wants to give Amnesty to.If that's granted,then you have their extended families,which will add millions more.Then you have the 500,000 that still cross our southern border illegally each year.The US current population is 305,000,000,not to long ago we exported our surplus food,now we import half,In the near future 36 states will have a water shortage,Some studies show the US population at 450,000,000 by the year 2050.Has anyone ask their Congressman and Senators what quality of life our Children and Grand Children will have? Social Security,in 1996 the Social Security Administration signed an agreement with Mexico that will give Social Security payments to some of the 12-20 million illegal aliens once they are granted amnesty, total cost over 50 billion dollars a year.Add the 45 billion dollars each year that the American tax payer donates for illegal aliens free medical care,food stamps,WIC,rent assistance,free school lunches,and translators at schools for their children and we have a ticking time bomb.Amnesty for 12-20 million illegal aliens and endless immigration is not the answer.I encourage everyone to write their Congressman and Senators and ask them what the total cost to the American tax payer will be if they grant amnesty to those 12-20 million illegal aliens,after all you and I and our children will foot the bill for their decision
ReplyDeleteCheck this out. Could it be that illegal and legal immigration are solutions for the current economic crisis (social security included)?
ReplyDeleteIf they are going to contribute to our economy and pay taxes, perhaps we need to find a way to bring them in? How can we be so opposed, downright racist at times, and yet the clear need for more workers seems apparent to me? Perhaps we need to beef up the IRS, that would curtail illegal immigration!!
GEO MAN
http://www.taxfoundation.org/blog/show/1424.html
http://www.socialsecurity.org/pubs/articles/tanner-050114.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/business/05immigration.html
Oh, now I get it, Josh (from the crete paper) .... You have friends who are illegal immigrants so you choose to turn a blind eye when it comes to the law of the land. Here I thought you were just defending farmland meat packers.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the dorchester blog attacked anyone without "provocation." After all, had the illegals not been here illegally in the first place they wouldn't have been scrutinized, right? It's great to see Josh has become such an advocate of illegal immigration and the havoc they wreak on small town america. Guess we can count on fair and balanced reporting from the crete news! Ha!!
BY THE WAY, HAS ANYONE ELSE NOTICED THAT THE CRETE NEWS ARREST/STOP RECORDS HAVE BECOME MUCH SHORTER EVER SINCE THIS BLOG'S EDITORIAL? I'm just saying I trust the assoc. press numbers more than what will be coming from the crete paper. Besides how do they know the actual number of hispanics in crete if half or more are here illegally???
"Feb. 6 issue of The Crete News shows that 36 percent -- or 21 of 58 -- of the listed stops or arrests involved individuals with Hispanic surnames. For example, Jose Torres-Cortez of Dorchester was stopped for careless driving. Marcelino Temporal-Padilla of Crete was charged with using the identity of another person to procure a drivers license and to obtain employment, as well as accessing financial resources of the victim. Felix Cesar Delacruz of Dorchester, listed as a habitual criminal, was booked on felony charges of committing terrorist threats. Ten others were given citations for having no vehicle operator's license or valid form of ID."
ReplyDeleteI want to know if these people were here in the US legally.
Can the Crete News and other newspapers denote if the people apprehended are US Citizens or not?
Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ruth McGregor (a white liberal) has endorsed a demand from the Hispanic Bar Association to censor words and phrases such as "illegal aliens" and substitute "foreign nationals" in court documents.
ReplyDeleteTo my family members and those at the Crete News: you may find all your Christmas gifts for me on one website ... http://www.cafepress.com/rightwingstuff/1554612
ReplyDeleteCricket,
ReplyDeleteEurope wanted population control as well. Now the government of Italy will pay couples to have children. If you are talking about controlling the population of illegal immigrants that's another story. But I contest you cannot build a wall high enough if there is a real economic need for labor in this country.
One reason we import food, is because NAFTA has made it cost effective. It is better for us to import food produced cheaper (cheaper labor) than it can be in the US. We in Nebraska import food products from other states even though we produce some of the same products here. NAFTA has made Mexico and Canada kind of like states when trade is concerned. Sometimes it makes sense to import what you make. I do not think the fact that we import more food than we used means we are somehow hurting because of increased population.
As for population explosions, world census counts by those who would seek to control the earth's population have been drastically wrong for many many years. And for water shortages, irrigation is by far the greatest consumer of water we have. As for the quality of life you'll have. I can guarantee you that the tax burden that will continue to grow will be much better tolerated by 450,000,000 than 300,000,000. And try this, Divide 7,560,000,000,000 (size of Texas in square feet) by the population of the earth 6,000,000,000 and you get 1260 sq. feet per person. Although I'm fine living in Nebraska, the world could fit into Texas. So it's safe to say that we'll not run out of room any time soon. If you combine this fact with the fact that immigrants to contribute to our economy (see the links in my previous post), rather the pure taker scenario that you propose, I think there is at least a modest silver lining to this issue.
As for the problem of entitlement government and welfare, we have plenty of legal citizens taking advantage of the system. Could it be that an illegal family who work hard and pay taxes could be an asset to our economy, while the generations of legal enabled welfare recipients are not. And let's not forget that it's the government who is growing this entitlement program at break neck speed.
It is possible that an amnesty program (which I would be opposed to on principal) would make it easier for the IRS and other tax collecting entities to get an even bigger cut of our immigrants salaries( THEY DO PAY TAXES)? Don't forget the economic and social value of good families and a healthy worker to retiree ratio.
Finally, ask yourself...would our country mostly controlled by greedy Wall Street types allow the masses of illegal immigrants if it were not cost effective for our corporations? Why aren't these corporations paying the bills? We need an economic impact breakdown of immigration.
Geo Man
Immigration - we could use an influx of good families who are willing to do it legally. English is important for us to remain a country. We need not enable immigrants to not learn it, but it isn't going to happen overnight. Borders, how can a country live with out them. Perhaps a repeal of NAFTA and some help on the border would help, not to mention some consequences for those that hire illegals. What about our culture, most nations have a unique culture which keeps them together. Can we get these things with some of the immigrants we now have?
ReplyDeleteWHAT A TOPIC!!
Geo Man
Geo Man,
ReplyDeleteHere's some more information about the economic impact of cheap illegal immigrant labor. I think there may be a silver lining, however cheap labor (illegal immigrants) and our jobs being shipped out have hurt the economy immensely. Bush, McCain and his yolk have sold us out. Check out this link, it's Pat Buchanan's blog.
Wanna Be Middle Class
Pat Buchanan's Blog Site
ReplyDeletehttp://buchanan.org/blog/
Repeatedly on the campaign trail, President-Elect Obama pledged to be a strong advocate for America's workers, particularly to help get the unemployed back to work.
ReplyDeleteSupport American workers by signing the Petition asking President-Elect Barack Obama to Reject Amnesty for illegal aliens.
Illegal aliens take job opportunities away from the most vulnerable Americans in skilled and unskilled positions. To force through an amnesty for illegal aliens would hurt American workers, especiall in a time of rising unemployment.
It is very important that you both sign the petition and ask your friends to sign it too.
We will present the signed petition to President-elect Barack Obama. Hurry! We must ensure that our new president sponsors a sensible immigration policy!
GO TO www.NumbersUSA.com
The illegal alien population has access to welfare through their children that are born here,and in return they send billions of dollars back to Mexico and other points South!
ReplyDeleteSource: Inter-American Development Bank, March 2006 report, “Remittance 2005”. Mexico remains the largest recipient of remittances, at over US$20 billion, followed by Brazil and Columbia which for the first time reached over US$6 and US$4 billion respectively. Central America and the Dominican Republic combined to reach over US$11 billion; and the Andean countries totaled almost US$9 billion.
http://www.iadb.org/mif/v2/files/guemez_remitforum05.pdf
As much as 50% of remittances are unreported. As published in the Development Prospect Group Briefing #3, "This amount only reflects transfers through official channels. Econometric analysis suggests that unrecorded flows through informal channels may add 50 percent or more to recorded flows. Including these unrecorded flows, the true size of remittances, is larger than foreign direct investment flows and more than twice as large as official aid received by developing countries."
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPROSPECTS/Resources/334934-1110315015165/MigrationDevelopmentBriefingNov2006.pdf
If this law is signed by President elect Obama,our Social Security will be gone!
ReplyDeleteSocial Security Agreement with Mexico Released After 3-1/2 Year Freedom of Information Act Battle
Illegal Mexican Workers Could Receive Billions of Dollars from U.S. Social Security System
January 4, 2007 (Washington, DC) – After numerous refusals over three and a half years, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has released the first known public copy of the U.S.-Mexico Social Security Totalization Agreement. The government made the disclosure in response to lawsuits filed under the Freedom of Information Act by TREA Senior Citizens League, a 1.2 million member nonpartisan seniors advocacy group.
The Totalization Agreement could allow millions of illegal Mexican workers to draw billions of dollars from the U.S. Social Security Trust Fund.
A loophole in current Social Security law could allow millions of today's Mexican workers to eventually collect billions of dollars worth of Social Security benefits for earnings under fraudulent or "non-work authorized" Social Security numbers, putting huge new pressures on the Social Security Trust Fund.
If an illegal worker working in the United States today gets a "work authorized" Social Security number through guest worker immigration legislation, the Totalization Agreement, or perhaps just over time, that worker could eventually apply for Social Security benefits once he or she has met eligibility requirements.
In addition, that worker could be able to claim credits for work performed while in the U.S. illegally. The SSA maintains an "earnings suspense file," which tracks wages that cannot be posted to individual workers' records because there is no match for a name and Social Security number. Once an immigrant gains access to a work authorized Social Security number – whether a legal citizen or not – wages earned while in the U.S. unlawfully could be reinstated to the worker's new Social Security account.
The Congressional Research Service reports the earnings suspense file currently stands at approximately $520 billion. According to the congressional testimony of SSA Inspector General Patrick P. O'Carroll in February 2006, "We believe the chief cause of wage items being posted to the earnings suspense file instead of an individual's earning record is unauthorized work by non citizens
How can the Crete Police Dept. do this if they don't ask,"Are you a Foreign National?
ReplyDeleteSteps to Follow When a Foreign National is Arrested or Detained
(For full instructions, you are advised to review the U.S. Department of State web publication located at http://travel.state.gov/law/notify.html
1. Determine the foreign national's country. In the absence of other information, assume this is the country on whose passport or other travel document the foreign national travels.
2. Determine from the mandatory notification list below whether or not notification must be made to the consulatre of the foreign national's country.
3. If the foreign national's country is not on the mandatory notification list:
* Offer, without delay, to notify the foreign national's consular officials of the arrest/detention. For a suggested statement to the foreign national, see Statement 1 below. Translations of the statement into selected foreign languages are found at http://travel.state.gov/law/notification4.html
* If the foreign national asks that consular notification be given, notify the nearest consular officials of the foreign national's country without delay. For phone and fax numbers for foreign embassies and consulates in the United States go to http://travel.state.gov/law/notification6.html A suggested fax sheet for making the notification can be found below.
4. If the foreign national's country is on the list of mandatory notification countries:
* Notify that country's nearest consular officials, without delay, of the arrest/detention. Phone and fax numbers are at http://travel.state.gov/law/notification6.html and you may use the suggested fax sheet for making the notification.
* Tell the foreign national that you are making this notification. A suggested statement to the foreign national is found in Statement 2 below, and translations into selected languages are found at http://travel.state.gov/law/notification4.html
5. Keep a written record of the provision of notification and actions taken.
Democrat presidential nominee Barack Obama today speaking to the National Council of La Raza in San Diego promised amnesty for the more than 12 million illegal immigrants that are living in the United States.
ReplyDeleteHere’s a bit of what Obama had to say: “Yes, they broke the law. And we should not excuse that. We should require them to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for citizenship - behind those who came here legally. But we cannot - and should not - deport 12 million people. ”
Obama went on to say: “That's why we need to offer those who are willing to make amends a pathway to citizenship. That way, we can reconcile our values as both a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.”
That’s amnesty any way you look at it. How does “a nation of laws” ignore the fact that 12 million people broke the law of the land by granting them amnesty?
Do you really suppose he’ll insist that all of those 12 million people learn to speak English? Does that mean we won’t have to “press one for English” anymore?
This is shameful pandering to a group that doesn’t give a hoot about what’s best for America.
A real leader wouldn’t pander this way. What should be done is to insist that anyone who applies for citizenship should have to do so from their country of origin. Anything less is amnesty and a slap in the faces of all those who came here legally.
http://voices.kansascity.com/node/1653
Can someone show me hard statistics as to how undocumented workers have affected wages or job availability here in Nebraska? How many of us go to a restaurant where we suspect there are undocumented workers on a regular basis? How many of us regularly patronize businesses and services that are suspect? Who can state the reasons that we have so many people willing to leave their homeland to come to this state to work? The problem couldn't be us could it? We voted for right to work, we continue to patronize businesses that mistreat undocumented workers even when they're identified. We continue to elect representation who accept money from lobbyists and play for pay. It is easy to blame the underdog who has no resources to fight back. The problem is WE are the problem. Not them.
ReplyDeleteWe get it emily ... you're a socialist who defends the down-trodden, right? Everyone of us is evil and racist ... we're terrible people who should be ashamed we want to preserve the good country in which we grew up.
ReplyDeleteGod, I hate the self-loathers.
So I can't really say I've done any 'research' of my own in regards to the problem that Josh from the Crete News seems to have with the Dorchester Times (but it does make me very upset by the way he appears to tolerate/defend illegals), but I would like to say that the Times is the only real source of Dorchester-related news/info that we can get these days. We sure can't count on anything decent being reported by the Crete News. Josh should pay more attention to his own newspaper instead of getting all bent out of shape over our news source and what it chooses to report.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, you couldn't pay me enough to live in Crete because anyone with eyes can see what illegal immigrants have done to that community...and you can't tell me there are no illegals living in Crete. And that doesn't make me racist, that makes me an American citizen who gives a crap about my country and it's future. I've always said that I have no problem with immigrants, as long as they come here legally, live by our rules and learn our language. Seems like a fair requirement for the priviledge of being an American citizen.
Cricket23...holy cow buddy----who even reads those ridiculously long, boring posts?????
ReplyDeleteEmily please read this and respond. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteFederal Immigration and Nationality Act
Section 8 USC 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv)(b)(iii)
"Any person who . . . encourages or induces an alien to . . . reside . . . knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such . . . residence is . . . in violation of law, shall be punished as provided . . . for each alien in respect to whom such a violation occurs . . . fined under title 18 . . . imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both."
Section 274 felonies under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, INA 274A(a)(1)(A):
A person (including a group of persons, business, organization, or local government) commits a federal felony when she or he:
* assists an alien s/he should reasonably know is illegally in the U.S. or who lacks employment authorization, by transporting, sheltering, or assisting him or her to obtain employment, or
* encourages that alien to remain in the U.S. by referring him or her to an employer or by acting as employer or agent for an employer in any way, or
* knowingly assists illegal aliens due to personal convictions.
Josh, as you know entry into the United States without permission is against Federal law. (Misdemeanor)
ReplyDeleteYour comment:
"I also speak Spanish and have lived with immigrant families, both illegal and legal"
Now tell me Josh,what other Federal or State laws do you teach your children its OK to ignore.
From the U.S. Census Bureau:
ReplyDeleteIn 2006, there were 14,155 people in Saline County, of which were 16.2 percent Hispanic or Latino.
I would agree with the argument that there are a significant number of illegal immigrants in the county, so let's call it more like 25 percent.
If you look at a number of weekly records, you'll find Hispanics (guessing by name, because their nationality is not listed in court documents most of the time) account for about 1/4 to 1/3 of overall crimes. However, if you look at felony cases, which are of course the most serious crimes, they account for far less of those numbers. We will, as I have said, present hard numbers at the end of the year, when we have access to a full 12-months worth of data.
Despite popular opinion, I do not support illegal immigration, nor does our newspaper. And our weekly record is what it is, it's size fluctuates with the number of cases on the docket.
As a reader I expect hard evidence if you are going to assert that Hispanics are causing serious problems in our community. It seems more likely that we are experiencing the same phenomenon as we did in the 1800s during the last major immigration into the county, that is it will take several generations for them to fully assimilate into our culture.
The point I'm trying to make here is simple. If the Dorchester Times is going to look like a newspaper, walk like a newspaper and talk like a newspaper, than it needs to act like a newspaper and present anecdotes and hard evidence to back up it's claims. Otherwise, what true value does it have to community?
Josh Wolfe,
Managing Editor
The Crete News
As a journalism (news-editorial) graduate from the University of Nebraska, I have to ask: Who is Josh Wolfe to preach journalism ethics to a bunch of bloggers? I check out several blogs each week. I don't hold them to the same standards as the New York Times, the Lincoln Journal Star or even The Crete News.
ReplyDeleteI also read The Crete News every week, including Josh's column, which has featured strange celebrity pictures in place of his own. (For all you kids reading this, it's tough to establish a reputation for professionalism via this high school tactic.) Josh seems hellbent on making enemies with the public servants at Crete City Hall. Meanwhile, he goes out of his way to be an apologist for illegal aliens.
Regardless of what The Crete News "study" finds in January, it won't hold an ounce of credibility considering Josh the editor's personal bias. It's too late; he has become emotionally entangled in this issue and he has an agenda.
If Crete wants to really take a hard, honest look at the consequences of illegal immigration, I suggest they gather a task force much like the one assembled in Fremont. Such a group could assemble those "hard numbers" that Josh and other apologists demand.
The study conducted by the Fremont Mayor’s Task Force on Illegal Immigration relied upon court data from the Dodge County clerk magistrate in June, July and August. There were 494 total adult criminal cases that went through Dodge County Court in those months. The third Tuesday of each month, there are Spanish interpreters available in court and the court said there were 82 people with Hispanic surnames that went through court on those three days. Of those crimes, 60 were misdemeanors and 22 were felony violations. Traffic infractions, civil cases, small claims cases and juvenile cases were not considered.
The Fremont Task Force determined that number represented that Hispanics have committed 16.6% of crime that went through the county court. The ratio of Hispanic to non-Hispanic people committing crimes in the area being 1.79 to 1.
“This show’s that 83% of our crimes are committed by non-Hispanics,” said the Fremont Task Force chairman. “If the numbers are correct or fairly close, it does say the Hispanic population is putting a strain on our court system. It does increase the cost of the court cases.”
All Josh Wolfe wants is to stir the pot du-jour. If he is not somehow trying to start a controversy then he is not happy. It is apperant that he is continually checking this blog to find something that he can chime in on to rant and rave how his journalism ethics are far superior than others.
ReplyDeleteJosh this is a blog. Nothing more. It is no more than an internet opinion page, and any one is entitled to their opinions you a so-called journalist should realize that.
For you to continue to press the Village Dweller about his identity, and his or her methods is ridiculous. Just write your little weekly paper and leave this successful site to the people who enjoy interacting with one another.
The issues that are discussed here are sometimes hot-button topics of the day but they are presented to spark conversation and debate. Feel welcome to state your side of the issue but leave your soapbox at home.
Josh any illegal alien in Saline co. is a criminal. How can you compare the present influx of illegal aliens into our country with the 1880's when there was no immigration laws?
ReplyDelete1921: The first immigration law sets temporary annual quotas according to nationality. Immigration drops off.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDelete"Cricket23...holy cow buddy----who even reads those ridiculously long, boring posts?????"
OK buddy I'll try to tone it down!
Hey Cricket23....you don't need to tone it down. Josh asked for hard facts and the facts you delivered were the knock out punch we've been needing. As in all good debates, those who have the best or most influential talking points win. Congratulations...I think you've won the debate thus far. Rebuttal anyone?
ReplyDeleteThe facts are that illegal aliens do come across our borders
ReplyDeleteillegally and get jobs with stolen Social Security numbers.They then sent 20 billion dollars a year back to Mexico,at the same time holding out their hand for public
assistance.
Under the 14th amendment when an illegal alien female has a child here in the United States, the baby is an American Citizen and
entitle to the same benefits as other Americans.With the stolen Social Security card illegal aliens can access those same benefits.
Under Federal law illegal aliens are entitle to basis medical care,also by Federal law their children are entitle to an education in our public schools,It costs the American tax payer around 45 billion dollars a year to pay for their Free medical care,WIC, Rent assistance,Food stamps,and Translators and free lunches for their children in our public schools.
American cities along
our Southern border provide free emergency medical care for
Mexican citizens, and what do the pregnant Mexican women do
in return ? They come across the border to have their babies
( American Citizens).
How about Elvira Arellano and her
child,she was deported came back,had the child and return to
work with a stolen Social Security number,she also had been
in our country for 10 years,but had to have a translator at
her news conference!
Earlier last year illegal aliens
demonstrated in the streets of our cities demanding amnesty
and flying the American flag upside down below the Mexican
flag and carrying signs saying "this land is ours Gringo"
Those same Mexicans didn't stay in their own country and
fight the injustice they face there.
I would ask you the same question I ask Ruben Navarrette
The Hispanic Columnist (which he has refuse to answer) what
do you tell the millions of immigrants waiting in other
countries around the world that want to come here the legal
way?
You don't take your first step to become an American
citizen by committing an illegal act!
Just because we share
common borders that illegal aliens can wade or walk across to get
here,does not give them the automatic right to American
Citizenship It's worth more than that!
The Lincoln Journal/Star has a positive article on immigration in Crete. Any comment?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.journalstar.com/articles/2008/11/11/news/local/doc4918cd3e344fe751370747.txt
I read the Lincoln Journal Story this morning. It is just the typical politically-correct, feel-good, empty-headed crap that the non-thinkers typically shove down our throats, insinuating we are racists and haters if we question the euphoric "diversity" created by illegal immigration.
ReplyDeletePUKE! Why should we expect anything differently from the news media? Don't challenge the non-thinking left with the facts ... they have their minds made up already. The non-thinking populist left today is a bigger threat to free speech than the Southern racist mobs in the 1920s.
I just noticed that Former Mexican President Vicente Fox spoke at the Orpheum Theater in Omaha today (Tuesday. His wife will speak tomorrow at Creighton University. I wish prior notice had been given. It might have paid for Saline County residents to attend the event and quiz Fox on immigration.
ReplyDeleteI agree with bob. The well intentioned agenda of tolerance used throughout my childhood (80s and 90s) has shifted into fifth gear and gotten out of control. It's easy to point fingers at caucasians when you don't agree with them on the issue of immigration or any matter of culture, just accuse them of being ignorant or racist. Yet today as I drove through a fast food drive through in Lincoln, I saw the words "Latinos rule" written on the side of the building in clear letters. There would be a public outcry and a front page newspaper story if that said "whites rule." Instead we turn our head and pretend it doesn't exist, just like the problems taking place in crete and elsewhere. Just print a happy story about shiny, happy people and maybe it will all go away.
ReplyDelete"Former Mexican president says wall not the answer"
ReplyDeleteI see the Lincol Journal Star has chose not to allow comments on the Mexican President's speech in Omaha. They use the standard quote they use for
People charge with a crime.Has The President of mexico been charged with something?
Publishing opinions about the guilt, innocence or character of the accused in open criminal cases can affect that person's constitutional right to a fair trial. For that reason, JournalStar.com has chosen not to accept user comments on this story.
We get it emily ... you're a socialist who defends the down-trodden, right? Everyone of us is evil and racist ... we're terrible people who should be ashamed we want to preserve the good country in which we grew up.
ReplyDeleteGod, I hate the self-loathers.
Whatever happened to good ole' personal responsibility as Emily is speaking of...or is that no longer an American trait? My guess is you wouldn't know a socialist if they were walking down the street waving red books and signing the Internationale.
I think she has a good point...if we didn't demand cheap services we wouldn't such a large problem. Seriously, do you think that the undocumented workers are just showing up at Farmland and pounding on the doors demanding jobs that don't pay all that well and are relatively dangerous? C'mon, we all know that Farmland advertises in Mexico and Central America. If you really want to do something about the problem start buying local (Karpisek's Market in Wilber is one of my favorite shops in the area) and boycott Farmland and other meatpackers until they start hiring locally and paying fair compensation for the work that is done.
I think another issue is that very few...if any of the commenters on here have never had any personal experience with the mess that is the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. The high fees, long waits and poor service (lost files, incompetent bureaucrats) certainly make the situation all the worse. I think if you've ever spoken to any illegals they probably would much rather NOT be illegal. Luckily my husbands visa required only a one year waiting period for the processing to go through....but that doesn't include the additional six months of waiting to get a green card to work after moving to America. The current system has serious flaws that if addressed, would probably help shrink the number of undocumented immigrants.
Finally, how do you propose deporting 12 million people. I think cattle cars were so 1940's.
That is just my two cents
Lindsay O'Brien
DHS 2000
Nice post, Lindsay. You hit all the right notes.
ReplyDeleteLindsay said:
ReplyDelete"The current system has serious flaws that if addressed, would probably help shrink the number of undocumented immigrants."
I take it from your comments that you support the 12-20 million illegal aliens(not undocumented immigrants!) who entered our country uninvited,steal a social security card to work and demonstrate for amnesty in our streets by waving an American flag upside down below the Mexican flag at the same time shouting "This land is ours Gringo"
Is that really the kind of people you want to give American citizenship to? You don't take the first step to become an American citizen by committing an illegal act to get here,our citizenship is worth more than that!
As for deportation President Eisenhower did it in 1954.
Quote:
"Then on June 17, 1954, what was called "Operation Wetback" began. Because political resistance was lower in California and Arizona, the roundup of aliens began there. Some 750 agents swept northward through agricultural areas with a goal of 1,000 apprehensions a day. By the end of July, over 50,000 aliens were caught in the two states. Another 488,000, fearing arrest, had fled the country.
By mid-July, the crackdown extended northward into Utah, Nevada, and Idaho, and eastward to Texas.
By September, 80,000 had been taken into custody in Texas, and an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 illegals had left the Lone Star State voluntarily.
Unlike today, Mexicans caught in the roundup were not simply released at the border, where they could easily reenter the US. To discourage their return, Swing arranged for buses and trains to take many aliens deep within Mexico before being set free.
Tens of thousands more were put aboard two hired ships, the Emancipation and the Mercurio. The ships ferried the aliens from Port Isabel, Texas, to Vera Cruz, Mexico, more than 500 miles south.
The sea voyage was "a rough trip, and they did not like it," says Don Coppock, who worked his way up from Border Patrolman in 1941 to eventually head the Border Patrol from 1960 to 1973.
Mr. Coppock says he "cannot understand why [President] Bush let [today's] problem get away from him as it has. I guess it was his compassionate conservatism, and trying to please [Mexican President] Vincente Fox."
There are now said to be 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens in the US. Of the Mexicans who live here, an estimated 85 percent are here illegally."
On my drive home from Crete, Sean Hannity was reporting that the Senate and Harry Reid are planning to push through an amnesty bill for illegal aliens early in January or February.
ReplyDeleteAmerica, you're about to lose your country.
I read abou the 1954 Eisenhower deportation story in "The Christian Science Monitor." I found it fascinating that Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson fought Ike because of pressure from farm growers in Texas. Ike went ahead with the operation, but as we can see, it was not a permanent solution.
ReplyDeleteWASHINGTON — Few people have been closer to the center of the debate over illegal immigration than Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, the top Democrat in a conservative state with little sympathy for illegal immigrants.
ReplyDeleteWhile taking a law-and-order posture on immigration enforcement, Napolitano has opposed the construction of a 700-mile wall along the Mexican border and stressed that policing immigration is a federal responsibility.
Now as President-elect Barack Obama's nominee to head the Department of Homeland Security, she won't be able to pass that buck anymore. It will be her task to enforce the nation's immigration laws, and her selection might be a signal that Obama wants to chart a moderate course on a volatile issue.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/
politics/story/56816.html
Meet your new Homeland Security boss!
ReplyDeleteQuote:
Napolitano has said she has no time for “unrealistic” demands to round up and deport every undocumented worker. At the same time, she’s not about to extend a blanket amnesty, like that approved by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. She has talked instead about a strict protocol for allowing immigrants to remain in the United States, including stiff fines and requiring a history of paying taxes.
Napolitano is also poised to reform the nation’s visa system to increase the needed supply of workers — whether skilled, high-tech experts or seasonal migrant farm workers. But that won’t be a back-door entry, Napolitano insists, because she supports tough employer sanctions for companies that knowingly hire undocumented workers.
Comment:
My question is why do you need more Visa's when you already have 12-20 million illegal aliens filling those jobs? Why not give all the illegal aliens Visa's then they can all go home after they expire.
Quote:
ReplyDelete"Some politicians suggest that illegal aliens can get right with the law by remaining in the U.S., learning English, and paying a fine - like a traffic ticket. These politicians claim that these amnestied illegal aliens would have to "get in the back of the line." That doesn't make any sense. The "back of the line" for an illegal alien who gets rewarded with amnesty starts in the United States, whereas the back of the line for a person who abides by our laws and waits to immigrate legally starts in their home country. We are talking about two different lines.
Amnesty is fundamentally unfair to immigrants who play by the rules. The only way for illegal aliens to get right with the law is for them to leave the U.S. and apply for a green card from their home countries. Any proposal to allow illegal aliens to remain in the U.S. is an amnesty."
Here is my question:
ReplyDeleteAs a white-collar downsized technical writer, I can tell you that we do not need to "import" information technology workers. We have enough IT workers in the U.S. who are unemployed. However, companies such as Microsoft love the visa system because it means cheap labor.
You will love this from the Washington Post:
ReplyDeleteEvery few weeks for nearly four years, the Secret Service screened the IDs of employees for a Maryland cleaning company before they entered the house of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, the nation's top immigration official.
The company's owner says the workers sailed through the checks -- although some of them turned out to be illegal immigrants.
Now, owner James D. Reid finds himself in a predicament that he considers especially confounding. In October, he was fined $22,880 after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators said he failed to check identification and work documents and fill out required I-9 verification forms for employees, five of whom he said were part of crews sent to Chertoff's home and whom ICE told him to fire because they were undocumented.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/10/AR2008121003524.html?hpid=topnews