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On Thursday evening, I attended the local forum on immigration titled: "Find Out What The Other Side Is Thinking." What a disappointment. It is clear they are not thinking at all. I hoped for two-way dialogue to explore solutions to the growing negative impacts of illegal immigration, but it turned out to be a largely one-way set of presentations from taxpayer funded individuals and organizations who aid and abet the local illegal population.
Perhaps the most ludicrous analogy was offered by Heather Christie of the Family and Intercultural Resource Center. She shared a warped view that Summit County is today's Ellis Island. How disgusting and insulting to the thousands who were screened, processed and then legally entered the United States through Ellis Island. Comparing that to today's illegal free-for-all reflects the ignorance of the open border advocates. The forum did however provide an interesting insight as to how, without a vote, our county tax dollars are drained away for giveaway programs that subsidize illegals in our local community. Against a backdrop that 94 percent of illegals in Summit County are here illegally from Mexico, we learned the following:
1) 22 percent of our local school population do not speak English and are provided expensive bilingual programs.
2) 80 percent of the patients utilizing the County's Community Care Clinic are Hispanic. The center is provided free rent and liability insurance at taxpayer expense.
3) 70 percent of Summit County Medicaid cases are from illegal immigrants (legal, non-citizen immigrants don't qualify for Medicare)
4) 40 percent of Summit County residents on food stamps are illegals (again, legal, non-citizen immigrants don't quality for food stamps)
5) 40 percent of referrals received by Summit County Social Services are immigrant families who have neglected their children.
Taken together, it is clear that millions of dollars are spent each year subsidizing the illegal lifestyle right here in Summit County. At a time when our local teachers, police, and fire departments desperately need salary increases to bring income levels closer to the cost of living, we instead waste tax revenues rewarding illegal behaviors. Free education (in Spanish), free healthcare, free transportation, free daycare, and generous welfare benefits. All acting as a magnet for more and more illegals.
After reflecting on this stupid and unsustainable reality, I offer the following principles and suggestions for change:
A) Enforcing immigration laws is not about judging individuals or nationalities. It is about enforcing the law and providing consequences to those who violate it.
B) Draft and pass a countywide voter initiative that bans the use of county tax revenues for the purpose of supplying services (except emergency medical) to illegal aliens. Make proof of legal residency a prerequisite to receiving taxpayer funded services. Based on recent SDN polls on the willingness of taxpayers to fund benefits for illegals, it appears that a large majority do not support it. Seems a properly drafted voter initiative would pass easily.
C) Actively enforce existing laws prohibiting the employment of illegals. Do not allow cheap illegal immigrant labor to undercut local wage rates. Do not rationalize the "need" for illegals by fabricating imaginary arguments concerning the need for local economic growth. That growth, and its impacts, are both unneeded and undesirable for Summit County.
D) Push for immigration reforms at the national level that support a logical and disciplined system of guest worker visas for foreign nationals that have been screened and meet minimum standards of basic education and have passed a criminal background check. Create a local business support center in Summit County to serve as a resource for both large and small businesses in need of legal, tax paying, guest workers.
E) Redirect county tax revenues away from cancelled education, health and welfare programs currently aimed at illegals and toward pay increases for local county workers.
F) Establish and fully fund a local ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) office to track down and deport illegals.
G) Cancel the current loophole that allows children of illegals born in the US to apply for citizenship. That loophole is incentivizing an illegal population boom with a corresponding massive drain on our taxpayer funded social services.
It is clear that the word "immigrant" itself is used as code to camouflage the distinction between desirable legal immigration and those who break the law. In my mind, there is a big difference between a great "melting pot" of legal immigrants and an illegal dumping ground.
Perhaps the most ludicrous analogy was offered by Heather Christie of the Family and Intercultural Resource Center. She shared a warped view that Summit County is today's Ellis Island. How disgusting and insulting to the thousands who were screened, processed and then legally entered the United States through Ellis Island. Comparing that to today's illegal free-for-all reflects the ignorance of the open border advocates. The forum did however provide an interesting insight as to how, without a vote, our county tax dollars are drained away for giveaway programs that subsidize illegals in our local community. Against a backdrop that 94 percent of illegals in Summit County are here illegally from Mexico, we learned the following:
1) 22 percent of our local school population do not speak English and are provided expensive bilingual programs.
2) 80 percent of the patients utilizing the County's Community Care Clinic are Hispanic. The center is provided free rent and liability insurance at taxpayer expense.
3) 70 percent of Summit County Medicaid cases are from illegal immigrants (legal, non-citizen immigrants don't qualify for Medicare)
4) 40 percent of Summit County residents on food stamps are illegals (again, legal, non-citizen immigrants don't quality for food stamps)
5) 40 percent of referrals received by Summit County Social Services are immigrant families who have neglected their children.
Taken together, it is clear that millions of dollars are spent each year subsidizing the illegal lifestyle right here in Summit County. At a time when our local teachers, police, and fire departments desperately need salary increases to bring income levels closer to the cost of living, we instead waste tax revenues rewarding illegal behaviors. Free education (in Spanish), free healthcare, free transportation, free daycare, and generous welfare benefits. All acting as a magnet for more and more illegals.
After reflecting on this stupid and unsustainable reality, I offer the following principles and suggestions for change:
A) Enforcing immigration laws is not about judging individuals or nationalities. It is about enforcing the law and providing consequences to those who violate it.
B) Draft and pass a countywide voter initiative that bans the use of county tax revenues for the purpose of supplying services (except emergency medical) to illegal aliens. Make proof of legal residency a prerequisite to receiving taxpayer funded services. Based on recent SDN polls on the willingness of taxpayers to fund benefits for illegals, it appears that a large majority do not support it. Seems a properly drafted voter initiative would pass easily.
C) Actively enforce existing laws prohibiting the employment of illegals. Do not allow cheap illegal immigrant labor to undercut local wage rates. Do not rationalize the "need" for illegals by fabricating imaginary arguments concerning the need for local economic growth. That growth, and its impacts, are both unneeded and undesirable for Summit County.
D) Push for immigration reforms at the national level that support a logical and disciplined system of guest worker visas for foreign nationals that have been screened and meet minimum standards of basic education and have passed a criminal background check. Create a local business support center in Summit County to serve as a resource for both large and small businesses in need of legal, tax paying, guest workers.
E) Redirect county tax revenues away from cancelled education, health and welfare programs currently aimed at illegals and toward pay increases for local county workers.
F) Establish and fully fund a local ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) office to track down and deport illegals.
G) Cancel the current loophole that allows children of illegals born in the US to apply for citizenship. That loophole is incentivizing an illegal population boom with a corresponding massive drain on our taxpayer funded social services.
It is clear that the word "immigrant" itself is used as code to camouflage the distinction between desirable legal immigration and those who break the law. In my mind, there is a big difference between a great "melting pot" of legal immigrants and an illegal dumping ground.
