Some Thoughts On This Immigration Debate
“There shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the alien be before the LORD” Numbers 15:15.
During my lunch hour today I was held up by a group of cops on motorcycles. Following behind them was a huge group of high school students with flags who had taken to the streets to protest the injustices that are being done in Washington.
Tom Delay and John Cornyn spoke today about a war on Christians, the only problem is, they are the ones waging it. In the halls of the Capitol building hateful vitriol is being spewed about an entire class of people that provide the backbone for this nation.
Rep. Pena has some good thoughts on this all, I encourage you to read them.
Regarding national security concerns, I saw this quote on BlogLubbock “When did you ever see a Mexican blow up the World Trade Center?” A demonstrator said. ‘Who do you think built the World Trade Center?’”
There are a lot of causes to take up. In Austin, I’ve seen rallies for the war, for gay rights, and a number of other things. I’m glad someone, even if it was high school students, decided that this issue was worthy of taking to the streets.
Comments (27)
When the students begin to realize that 4.7 Billion dollars of Texas taxpayer money goes to pay for illegal immigration…4 billion of that just in education..they might have a very different opinion.
Nice post, Rawhide.
Great post, the flags were Mexican flags (I guess I was somewhere near Rawhide in traffic because I was held up too).
My first thought when I saw them was that they had made a strategic error in having Mexican flags. I mean I am all about national pride, but from a purely strategy standpoint they should have had US flags, or no flags at all. Some signs would have been nice too.
They all seemed to be school aged children, and one of the escort cops had Austin ISD on the car. If I knew you could get out of class to protest, I would have solved all the injustices in the world before I was a sophomore.
Right of Texas,
Perhaps we should consider getting rid of the educational welfare system then. You are always focusing on everything but the REAL problem.
This whole immigration nonsense is just a ploy to divert the public from the real issues:
Impeaching Bush
Illegal war in Iraq
Mulitiple scandals in the White House
and on and on
Worked pretty good eh?
Gee, there are some some real Rhodes scholars here. Unless they live in tents or under the bridge, everyone pay taxes. Renters pay property taxes and that is primarily how our schools are funded.
Why do people think immigrants don’t help fund our schools?
UT_guy - Its cause you have to put the blame on someone, rather than the leadership of this state, why there’s high property taxes and other numerous national problems - forget that we need to start having a true discussion on other tax resources, the easier way is to give into hate.
UT_guy,
And you consider yourself ANY type of scholar, let alone a Rhodes Scholar? LOL.
You are incorrect on at least two things. 1) Renters do not pay property taxes. The landlord does. 2) The property tax per child ratio is much lower with apartments than it is with single-family homes. Thus the reason snooty suburbs restrict apartments building.
Mike N. Landlords pass the property taxes through, or they wouldn’t make money. I’m a slumlord — OK, one garage apt — I know.
Illegals don’t pay all the same taxes as the rest of us…
RoT - Fuck. You’re like a bad penny, always showing up.
I know it’ll come as HUGE shock to you, but they DO. Some of them even own homes and pay property taxes.
Moron.
RoT: If you’re that worried about it, allow guest worker programs and take taxes out of pay checks.
Or is the better idea to take away the backbone of our nation, build a huge fence with huge fiscal note, and then pay to occupy the region like its a war zone?
Call me a capitalist, but I’d rather make money off of the system and use it for fixing education, healthcare, etc., than spend it fighting a battle I can’t win.
That’s just me. Guess some people think its worth the loss.
Illegals (in the eye of the beholder) probably pay more, ratiowise, in taxes. They take one hell of a hit from sales taxes.
Not a bad idea orginial TREY
As long as no one received amnesty.
Wall = Bad.
Stopping immigration = Bad.
Amnesty = Bad.
Uncontrolled immigration = Bad.
Organizing immigration through guest worker program = Good.
Protesting when you know what you’re protesting = Good.
Protesting when you don’t know what you’re protesting = Bad.
Carrying Mexican flags to protest an American federal law = Not just a “strategic error,” but irritating as hell.
Good God I can’t believe you righties are STILL trying to peddle that “immigrants don’t pay taxes” bullshit. Most of you gave that up a long time ago when everyone realized that they pay sales taxes, they pay property taxes – yes, even if they’re renting, dumbasses, you think the landlords are sucking that up when the taxes go up every year?? More of them would have car insurance if the state would let them, but whose fault is that???
Immigrants, illegal or otherwise, pay taxes. That argument has been won. Move the fuck on and see if you can’t come up with a better reason to shit all over the people who prop up this country’s economy. This taxes shit is tired.
$27,400
Average annual family income of a migrant farmworker.
$4,212
Average federal taxes paid by that family.
Click on my name for link.
Thanks, RawHide, you’re a champ. Any idea where those numbers come from? I’d like to hit a few friends over the head with them.
DMWP, the Pew Hispanic Center conducted the study, detailed results can be found by clicking on my name.
drinks_at_the_stephen_f,
Not sure who all these “righties” are, but the only one I can see even coming close to suggesting that “illegal” immigrants don’t pay taxes is “right of texas”. And he/she doesn’t even say that, really.
Perhaps you should read before you go on childish rampages?
Lefty icon Krugman disagrees.
Mike N. you dumb shit. I noticed you didn’t come out swinging to defend your idiot comment about landlords paying property taxes. That is a CLASSIC argument by people who are trying to prove that immigrants are sucking up taxpayer dollars when actually they’re contributing to the economy.
You’re a moron. ROT is a moron. And if you want to talk about childish rampages, let’s chat about ROT’s ludicrous (learn how to spell it) “they don’t pay all the same taxes” assertion - that’s just stupid. Everyone pays different taxes. Suggesting that immigrants get a free ride or a cheaper ride is EXACTLY what you pricks were doing. If you don’t have the balls to say what you mean and stand behind your arguments, then you need to be prepared for someone to interpret them for you. And I challenge you to tell me honestly that this is not what you’re saying.
drinks_at_the_stephen_f,
Another chilish rant, but you still didn’t answer my question. Are you having a hard time admitting you are wrong?
*childish
drinks_at_the_stephen_f,
You must be a Republican to have so much anger.
Those that know they are wrong often resort to ad hominem attacks as they know their logic has no reason.
Mike N - It won’t take you long to figure out that childish rants are the norm here.
And what question was that?? Because in your first response - and subsequent ones - i saw no question. I saw an observation.
And you didn’t answer mine, either. Your silence tells me I’m right, and you were, in fact, suggesting what I said you were suggesting.
Nice dodge, jackass.