Saturday Forum
09/08/2007
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A Reader In Alaska Says Mexican Trucks Aren't The Only Thing Coming Down The Road; etc.

From: Mike Sweeley (e-mail him)

Re: Joseph Stepien's Letter: A New Jersey IT Professional, Unemployed For More Than A Year, Calls For A Political Purge

Only a few enlightened people see what is coming down the road…and it isn't just Mexican trucks.

First, high tech people like reader Stepien were put out of business in the name of globalism.

Now American truck drivers are about to get the shaft. This is another step on the road to serfdom. Soon the middle class will be gone entirely.

That will be a sad day for the America I know and love.

Sweeley is a retired airline pilot. His previous letter critical of Yale University's role in the granting of identification cards to aliens in New Haven is here.

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A Montana Reader, Forced To Work For "Pathetic" Wages, Agrees That A Political Purge Is Necessary

From: Tim McCoy

I've been in the data processing business for forty years and have seen many changes

Until 2000, I had a reasonably comfortable retirement planned. As a contractor, the last work I had was in 2003. During one of the years in a span from 2000-2003, I had to work for pathetic wages.

Former New York Sen. Daniel P. Moynihan engaged in one of the most despicable displays of political hackery in Senate history. Moynihan added a last minute provision to the Tax Reform Act of 1986 that prohibited contract engineers from working on a 1099 forcing them instead to work for agencies on a W-2. That took money away from the engineer and directed in to the agencies that, Moynihan hoped, would donate it to Democratic candidates.

A purge? I agree. Vote out the incumbent and look for a single-issue candidate who poses the least threat for political harm.

McCoy, now retired, was born in Massachusetts. Send McCoy mail c/o [email protected]

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A New York Reader Says Mexicans Should Be Saluting Pete Wilson, Americans Damning Him

From: Vince (e-mail him)

Re: Joe Guzzardi's Blog: After All These Years, Reconquistas Still Mad At Pete Wilson

If Mexican revanchists could think clearly they would understand that they should be setting up monuments in honor of Pete Wilson throughout Mexico's fast emptying rural villages.

And if Californians could reflect on what Wilson's role really was in immigration policy, they would run him out of town and damn him for the damage that he has done their state and to America.

No man—not even George Bush or Ted Kennedy—has done more than Wilson to deliver America into the hands of Mexico. No American politician failed so miserably in his duty to protect American interests.

Wilson's endorsement of Proposition 187 was too little too late to lessen the damage that he caused by his manipulation, at the very last minute, on behalf of California growers, of the 1986 IRCA act.

It is not widely noted, but true nonetheless, that at the 11th hour of negotiations, Wilson introduced a program known as the Special Agricultural Workers (S.A.W.) provision that allowed anyone who could demonstrate that he worked 90 days in agriculture during any of the previous two years to qualify for amnesty.

The burden was on the U.S. government to disprove an applicant's claim. This was an open invitation to fraud. Whereas it was initially assumed that 300,000 people would qualify for the 1986 amnesty, after Wilson's intervention close to 4,000,000 people were amnestied.

Well into the late 1990's petitioners were still making claims that they were unfairly denied amnesty under the 1986 law. For all I know there may still be ongoing litigation over this travesty.

It was at this moment when immigration completely spun out of control. Word spread like wildfire all over South America of agents—for a few hundred bucks—who would create a package for a petitioner and apply for the amnesty. 

Those amnestied encouraged millions more to follow. Aliens sensed—correctly—that America would never enforce immigration law vigorously. 

La Raza, LULAC and other Mexican malcontents are Wilson's people. He invited them in.  Wilson was used the same pandering language to describe Mexican migrants in 1986 that Bush used during the past year…."They are good people….just doing hard work that Americans won't do….etc…." 

In the not too distant future, these aliens will be damning Bush as they now damn Wilson.

I have no sympathy for Wilson. I blame him – as I blame Bush and Kennedy - and so should every American who cares about our country and who wants our laws enforced and immigration curtailed.

Too bad for Wilson that Mexicans have turned on him. Why wasn't he thinking about that in 1986 before he meddled in our immigration law and blew the door wide open?

Heed the lesson of Wilson: politicians who make an abrupt about face after decades spent undermining reasonable efforts at immigration control and containment are not our allies and they should not be trusted. I'm referring to Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney.

Let's not waste our trust on these unfaithful opportunists.

Joe Guzzardi comments: It is a mostly forgotten chapter in Wilson's Senate career that during the 1986 I.R.C.A. he promoted amnesty via the Special Agricultural Workers Program, better known as S.A.W. In addition to everything chronicled by Vince, the program also proved deadly. One of the terrorists complicit in the 1993 World Trade Center attacks that killed six, Mahmud Abouhalima, entered the U.S. on a tourist visa and then applied for and received resident alien status under the S.A.W. program.

Whether Wilson's conversion in 1994 was sincere or merely political expediency we may never know. What's true that Wilson was running 20 points behind the Democratic challenger and former state treasurer Kathleen Brown in the early polling. But when Wilson took up illegal immigration as a cause, he surged to an easy win.

Wilson's come-from-behind victory proves that a strong anti-illegal immigration stance is a winning issue for politicians, even in California.

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A Kentucky Reader Explains Why Educrats Are Happy About Falling SAT Scores

From: Robbie Burns (e-mail him)

Re: Randall Burns' Blog: Immigration And Declining SAT Scores

For the second year in row, SAT scores have fallen nationally. And educrats are thrilled. Well, they're not so happy the scores have dipped, but they are excited about the reason why: a far larger and more diverse pool of students taking the exam than ever before.

The Associated Press reports that the combined reading and math SAT scores for the high school class of 2007 were the lowest in eight years, averaging 502 out of a possible 800 points for reading and 515 for math. A year ago, the scores were 503 and 518 respectively. Scores also fell three points on the writing section, which is still in an experimental stage, from 497 to 494, notes AP. [Average SAT Scores Dip Again,  By Justin Pope, Associated Press, August 28, 2007]

The College Board, which administers the exam, says the drop in scores in 2006 and 2007 is within normal historical fluctuations and is not significant, insisting the lower scores reflect the fact that there is now a far broader group of test-takers than in years past.

"Broader group" means more immigrant children who have limited English language skills.

Approximately 1.5 million students take the test, and about a quarter of those speak English as a second language. In addition, 35 percent of the test-takers would be the first in their families to attend college. The number of blacks taking the SAT rose by 6 percent, while the number of Hispanics rose 27 percent, more evidence that Hispanics are pushing blacks out of the picture.

AP reports that school systems nationwide are encouraging all students to take the test no matter what their post-high school plans may be. For example, Pittsburgh schools push students who aren't on the traditional college track to take it and in Maine the SAT is mandatory.

But Maine had poor results. The percentage of test-takers soared from 73 percent to 100 percent, but the math and reading scores to plummeted by a combined 71 points, the largest drop in any state.

College Board President Gaston Caperton said, trying to explain away Maine's poor showing: "They have taken a very progressive stand in trying to get more and more students to go to college. The larger the population you get to take an examination, it obviously knocks down the scores."

Burns, no relation to VDARE.COM's Randall Burns, is a union ironworker. His previous letter to VDARE.COM about Sen. John McCain is here.

Joe Guzzardi comments: Caperton's remark about a large base of test takers dragging down scores may be true in today's educational environment. But it needed necessarily be so. If students were well-prepared when they start school, encouraged at home and received proper instruction—meaning more emphasis on learning and less on diversity and multiculturalism—test scores would be rising instead of falling.

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A Delaware Reader Says Craig Incident Shows GOP Has Death Wish

From: Dave (e-mail him)

Re: Joe Guzzardi's Blog: How Larry Craig's Immigration Enthusiasm May Have Hastened His Departure

I have a different view of Craig's situation.

The GOP missed an opportunity to, as we used say in the 1950s, look cool. The Republicans should have done and said absolutely nothing about Craig—no public statements and no threats of any investigation.

When the media queried them about Craig, they should have said, "We have no problem, what's your problem?"

If pressed, Republicans could add:

"If Craig wants to engage in homosexual acts that's his business.  He claims he was innocent of the charges, and only pled guilty to close the matter. We believe him. As far as the Republican leadership is concerned the matter is closed."

The Republicans could point out that they are not homophobes; they just don't make a big stink about it. They could also point out that soliciting sex in a men's room is a misdemeanor, while illegal campaign donations to Democrats are matters of grave consequence.  

Instead, as we now know, the Republicans made a big and fatuous fuss over it, alienating some, and certainly gaining no new support.

Sometimes it seems the Republican Party has a collective death wish.

Dave is a semi-retired software engineer. He defines "semi-retired" as meaning that if work comes his way, retirement ends.

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An English Reader Values Joe's Opinion About Farm Labor More Than The Liberal MSM View

From: R. E. Prindle (e-mail him)

Re: Joe Guzzardi's Column: For Labor Day, Good News From The Lodi, CA. Vineyards— Plenty of Workers (and Machines) For This Year's Grape Harvest

I enjoyed Guzzardi's essay on the Lodi grape harvest. As the man on the scene with actual knowledge of how things are done rather than the wild liberal conjectures created by the mainstream media of peons toiling in the fields wearing big floppy hats, his opinions carry more weight.

Columnists like Tamar Jacoby seem to need the idea of overworked, unpaid peasants doing stoop labor.  

Just after the 1965 Immigration Act disastrously altered America's demographics, I lived in Oregon and worked with other teenagers picking fruits, string beans and berries in the summer.

I liked it. You could meet a lot of girls and make enough money to take them out.  Oregon was smaller and more rural back then without so many people.  And the borders weren't wide open.

Then the liberals passed laws that put restrictions on how much fieldwork kids could do and when they could do it. Finally, kids just stopped coming out. 

A funny thing happened: I later visited New York and mentioned that I was from Oregon. People said:" Oh, that's the state where you exploit children in the fields."

That was the liberal perspective…but it wasn't reality.

Prindle writes for the Edgar Rice Burroughs weekly webzine and has two blogs: reprindle.wordpress.com and idynamo.workpress.com 

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A Florida Reader Wonders Why A Law Firm Couldn't File A Class Action Suit Against the U.S. Government Regarding Illegal Immigration

From: Robert Moffett (e-mail him)

One of the weapons pro illegal aliens and open border advocates have is an army of immigration lawyers and groups like SPLC and ACLU that readily and creatively use any legal means to fight our citizens wish to have immigration laws enforced. But why can't we use the law to go after them?

Nothing is impossible.  Ten years ago class action suits were filed against big tobacco companies claiming they had harmed thousands with their product .Few people thought these lawsuits had any chance of winning the billions of dollars of damages the lawsuits were seeking.

But they were wrong. Big tobacco lost.

We should file suit against the federal government for failure to enforce immigration laws claiming its inaction has led to thousands of citizens being harmed and in some cases murdered by illegal aliens.

The federal government should be sued as they have denied city, county and state governments the right to pass laws to manage the problem of illegal aliens, tying their hands while doing little to protect us from criminals that have been arrested repeatedly and permitting them to live freely in sanctuary cities.  

Allan Wall has provided legal information on your site that all illegals entering the U.S. break not only our laws but also Mexican laws. Yet Mexico is on record of encouraging illegal immigration.

Even when one of Mexico's citizens is returned, no one prevents them from returning again to the U.S., again illegally. The Mexican government has taken no action to solve this problem.

For far too long we have allowed lawyers to use our laws against us and to the benefit of aliens. Let's turn the tables on them. 

Even if our side loses the lawsuit, the public awareness of the thousands of Americans that have been harmed by the inaction of the federal government will help our cause.

Moffett is a Florida native and a victim of free trade globalization.

VDARE.COM note: Our Joe Fallon suggested something similar in 1999.

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A Pennsylvania Reader, Former NJ Resident, Describes The Garden State's Deep Decline

From: Robert H. Burch (e-mail him)

Re: Kathleen Pacifico's Letter: A New Jersey Reader Takes On Latino Thugs At A Pro-America Rally

Pacifico is fortunate to live in a part of New Jersey, where a politician like Morristown Mayor Don Crisitello can openly attend a Pro-America rally and support the 287(g) program.

I formerly lived in Hudson County where the invaders recently held an anti-America parade and rally organized by the socialist group, ACORN. [We Want Reform Now  By  Jessica Rosero, West New York Reporter, May 6, 2007]

The worst part was that local Hispanic politicians and a Hispandering Anglo mayor, Brian Stack, not only endorsed the proceedings but they attended the rally and gave speeches supporting illegal immigration.

Where are the tar and feathers when they are so sorely needed?

Union City, along with neighboring West New York, was invaded in the early 1960s by Cuban exiles. Things got worse in 1980 after Jimmy Carter let in the Mariel criminals.

Since then, conditions have deteriorated to the point where even the Cubans have started to flee, as immigrants from other poor Spanish-speaking countries have entered. The interesting thing is that high-rise luxury buildings have been constructed in West New York along the Palisades for Manhattan exiles, so you have a society akin to that in Brazil. I haven't heard of any kidnappings yet, though.

Jersey City, Union City, West New York and North Bergen, N.J. are all sanctuary cities. No wonder the illegals have no trepidation about marching and rallying there.

Burch describes himself as a prematurely retired ex-chemical research engineer whose job was outsourced. His previous letter about Ron Paul is here.

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A New York Reader Says NJ Mayor Will Not Be Getting An Apology Anytime Soon

From: John H.Ciccolo, Jr [email]

Re: Kathleen Pacifico's Letter: A New Jersey Reader Wonders When Morristown Mayor Will Receive An Apology From Sanctuary City Apologists

Morristown Mayor Don Crisitello may have to wait a long time—like forever—for an apology.

The politicians, it appears, are currently busy "putting out fires".

On August 24, less than three weeks after the Newark schoolyard shootings, three of the six forensic pathologists in the Newark Regional Medical Examiners' Office announced their resignations. Two have already departed and the third is leaving this month. [Pathologists Job Shift Leaves Void in Essex" Brian T. Murray, Star-Ledger, August 26, 2007]

Last week Louie Allen - Chief of Investigators of Essex County Prosecutor's Office— also resigned. [Essex Chief Investigator To Take Post In Albany, By Guy Sterling, Star-Ledger, August 29, 2007]

Wow, what's the hurry?

These events may be unrelated and coincidences but something is not right.

Cicollo is a former economics professor and systems engineer. His letter predicting Mexico's inevitable collapse is here. Other Cicollo letters regarding English-only at Geno's Steak House and his contemplated move out of New York are here and here.

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