The Migrant Caravan.

[jp1]

We can afford plenty if we put our money in the correct places. Huge tax breaks for the rich could help a lot of people as could all the money we give in foreign aid.

+ 1000. All the whining about "we just can't afford this" "it's not sustainable" is just a bunch of republican talking points. But just as they falsely claim to be "fiscally responsible" or in favor of "family values" it's all just a bunch of tired BS. We're the richest country on the planet. We have plenty of money to do a lot of stuff if we don't worry about the richest among us getting all whiny about having to shell out one or two percent of their income to help others.

[Teacher Terry]

There are some wealthy people that feel the same way such as Buffet and Gates. People with real integrity.

[flowerseverywhere]

Painting people with a broad brush is wrong. I don’t believe illegal immigration is a good thing. My early voting ballot is in, straight democrat. I disagree with Trump on 90% of his policies, 99% of his stupid tweets.

But everyone one who believes that you just cannot go to a country and walk in is not a hater, selfish and racist. Many people, from the poorest to the richest have great generosity, integrity and values and do not agree with many of our immigration policies.

Where I live an adjacent town is very poor. Less than 30% of the kids in school are at grade level for math and reading. I volunteer at the public library and we raise money that goes to school reading programs. I volunteer at the school library and we help the librarian with her reading programs. Many of my friends tutor. Every child gets free breakfast and lunch. At the start of school each child gets a new backpack full of supplies, courtesy of local volunteer organizations and churches. Churches have undie sundays, sock drives, pack weekend snack boxes, and one organization provides PJ’s and books for Christmas for all the kids.
My Jewish friend and I, an atheist, are welcome in a local church that goes into the poorest neighborhoods where they help People spruce up their houses. Repairing broken windows, painting, fixing roofs, getting working appliances donated gives people great pride and spreads throughout the community. The waiting list always had twenty or so people on it that just need a little hand up. Sometimes it is a big hand up. They make sure everyone has a bed and my quilt group makes sure every bed has a new set of sheets, new pillows and a homemade quilt on it The church has a whole mentorship program that works to keep in touch with these families. Pride goes a long way.

My state has the fifth largest illegal population in the country. Being undocumented they have to work at low wages, or under the table which depresses legal wages and helps keep working people at the poverty level. This is also a big problem in the schools. Kids come in with not a word of English, they don’t know the culture, language and many have never been to school. With a teacher/student ratio of 15:1 and all the volunteer resources they have there is only so much the teachers can do.

So don’t assume that Not supporting illegal immigration makes you “part of the base” or an insensitive, selfish hating bigot or racist. I do support legal immigration. And with 65 million people in refugee camps, and people legally asking for asylum I think we can safely say there are more than enough candidates. We cannot save everyone, but should do our best with those immigrants willing to follow the process and follow the rules.

[Yppej]

We can afford plenty if we put our money in the correct places. Huge tax breaks for the rich could help a lot of people as could all the money we give in foreign aid.

No we cannot afford all the things people want. That is why we have a huge deficit. We are passing the bill on to future genetations.

And we certainly cannot afford to support every poor person who would like to live in the United States but does not have the skills or work ethic to do so at a self-supporting wage.

[LDAHL]

I find it interesting that this issue pops up just in time to use to "rally the base" and distract people.

It's great to have a horde of "others" approaching the border to really pep up the nationalists!

I have already heard October Surprise theories from both left and right. Personally, I think we are too quick to impose ideological patterns on everything that happens.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Being undocumented they have to work at low wages, or under the table which depresses legal wages and helps keep working people at the poverty level.

Few who talk about immigration ever talk about this: should immigrants be paid minimum wage and be subject to all other labor laws and protections? And with real and serious enforcement? I could see possible exceptions for agriculture, guest worker type programs, I think it could be worked out but that is only so much of the economy. But if everything becomes an exception ...

Of course I differentiate between legal immigrants who already have whatever protections anyone else does, illegal immigrants, migrants and refugees (if it's a refugee type program it might have to be accepted that not everyone will be able to integrate into the economy instantly and that yea something like kind of is a welfare program).

[Yppej]

You have to look at the payback period also. If you educate and otherwise support a teen migrant from El Salvador who never goes home but instead works and pays taxes for five decades, that's a pretty good investment. It's another story with my coworker's parents who will sit on their couch for three decades soaking up benefits.

And El Salvador is a drug war zone, Cambodia is at peace.

[pinkytoe]

Having grown up in south central Texas, illegal immigrants were just an integral part of my surroundings, so I never gave it much thought. Many families in my hood back then had a "wet" maid or lawn man who then brought over more and more family. Perhaps some legalized eventually but mostly not. I don't doubt that they learned to use our system to their advantage. I recall giving birth to DD in a ward full of Mexican women also giving birth - only they were all screaming in Spanish. My only negative thought back then was who paid their hospital bills. Times have indeed changed and many of the younger ones trying to cross may not have the strong morals and work ethic of their parents. Witness the rise of gangs in their own countries. Not a good thing to import. Some may overcome their past with the right guidance and education, but many will not. It is a mess for sure but ignored for so long, it is now hard to ameliorate.

[CathyA]

[QUOTE=pinkytoe;312161.................... It is a mess for sure but ignored for so long, it is now hard to ameliorate.[/QUOTE]

As is the case with so many things in the U.S.

[jp1]

Statistics show that immigrants, documented or not, are less likely to commit crime than native born Americans. Perhaps the young folks coming here from countries with gang problems are, for the most part, not the gang members but, instead, are trying to escape the gang violence.