What It Takes To Notice Illegal Immigration

What does it take for Arkansas politicians to notice illegal immigration? Cash draining out of their fun money sack, thats what.

The growth rate of immigration in Arkansas is fairly astounding. It grew 196 percent in the 1990's. We have about 150,000 immigrants, about half of those illegal according to statistics. Most living in Northwest Arkansas where the chicken manufacturers love them.

A recent report presented to the Legislature shows that we spend about $170 million on them. About $154 million of that on education. We spend about $1.8 million to house convicted criminals who are illegal.

Complaints by citizens have not sparked officials to act.....but $175 million out of the tax kitty apparently does. Oh well, whatever it takes.

With that being said, I think LEGAL immigration is a great thing for our state. Immigrants from Mexico are generally very family-oriented, generally religious, and without doubt hard workers. They save some of our manufacturers about $95 million a year in additional labor cost. I certainly do not mind Mexican citizens applying to come to the United States and choosing Arkansas to live and work in.

But if you are an ILLEGAL immigrant I do not want you here. Your presence signifies that you do not respect the laws created by the people of my country. I don't care how hard working you are or how much your family in Mexico needs the money. I would prefer that you be deported and that you be replaced by a Mexican national who followed the legal procedure.

The general response to such a view is to call the wielder of it a racist. I am not. I am actually in favor of increasing the legal quota of Mexican nationals admitted to the United States. They are hard workers, and they provide benefits to the economy. To those who fill out the paperwork and ask to come here....welcome. To those who sneak in...please go home.

The reasonable approach of raising the legal quota while deporting the illegals is not going to happen. Liberals see political benefit in creating another dependent minority and Conservatives will never allow a raising of the legal quota. So we will end up with all manner of criminals and ne'er do wells sneaking in alongside those who cannot gain entry legally because there are too few slots.

To those Americans who support ILLEGAL immigration and stand in the way of every attempt to enforce the law....please stop. If you want unfettered immigration then by all means have the law changed to make unfettered immigration legal through our democratic system. But help enforce the law until you do. That is if you believe in democratic government and the rule of law.

For Conservatives, you might want to consider that you cannot have controlled legal immigration with a quota of zero. Human nature does not work like that. You are going to have to fix the legal immigration system to reflect reality in order to stop illegal immigration. Increasing the quota is NOT amnesty. I deplore the idea of an amnesty, but encourage the raising of the quota.

As for the Arkansas Legislature......take a look at the trend line on immigration to Arkansas.....take a look at the budget of state number 49 in everything.....and then figure out if you will still have money for "Grabfest", whiskey and cigars, and Hawgball. Doesn't look like it to me.