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Monday, August 26, 1996 Page:
Government should be more frugal and selective about immigration
Your editorial, “Closing our open door shuts out a bright future” (August
18), was less than accurate in portraying the benefits of immigration to
this countryFirst and foremost, it is important for we the people to
assimilate and domesticate the foreigners we already tolerate.
Apparently, many Third World immigrants feel they don’t need to learn
English or adapt to our culture. This could be construed as racist on their
part.
Americans now realize that the costs of our present high level of
immigration, legal and illegal, are enormous and growing. The Center for
Immigration Studies estimates that immigration costs us $29 billion a year —
more than the combined budgets of the Departments of State, Justice and
Interior.
Illegal immigrants receive taxpayer support for children born in the United
States — immunizations, subsidized public health and other programs.
Legal immigrants are eligible for almost all federal programs.
In many areas, such as education, the federal government gives matching
grants for state expenditures, which means paying twice for those costs of
immigration.
When states hand a bill to the federal government for the costs of
immigration as provided for by law in the case of incarceration of illegal
immigrants or welfare programs for the illegal aliens who were “amnestied” in
1986, you pay regardless of where you live.
To make matters worse, many immigrants from Third World countries exhibit a
demeanor which assumes that we owe them and their language and culture is
better than ours.
Sadly, many are uneducated and don’t have what is needed to contribute to
the IRS to maintain their own welfare. For that reason, all Americans should
demand that their representatives in Washington reduce the price they are
paying for immigration.
The best way to cut those costs is to reduce immigration itself. Let’s make
emigrating to this nation an honor and a privilege.
No wonder more and more people join the militias.
Helen Bates
Shavertown