Some interesting reading..

[Rex E.]

Originally Posted by merrylander

I must have been very lucky, first I came here on an H1B visa. That allowed Florence and I to marry and that got me a green card. Then the same lawyer who got the H1B only charged me $1200 for the Natralization paperwork. I waited five years after marriage to apply because I did not realize the wait had been cut to three years.

As it turned out the officer who interviewd me for the Naturalization process saw the copies of Madison's notes and the Federalist Papers in my briefcase (a little PR does not hurt) and practically dragged me in.

Rex I am amazed if anything I wrote here swung your viewpoint, it may well have caused you to re-visit past events in your life and reach different conclusions.

Mind you as a former teacher I will be only too happy to take credit.

Things have changed since that wonderful "Patriot Act". My friends Brazilian wife is going though it now. OF course I had no idea about all the hoops until it burdened a close friend and his wife and child. I had no reason to even concern myself.

Rob, your words are well thought out and rarely do you waste a single one. Between this and the fact that you come from another country and are happy to share the differences with us with out "waving the flag" (at least some of the time ) had made me look more at our own state of affairs here and what we could look at and take from our neighbors.

[d-ray657]

Just a little factoid here - the minimum wage in Mexico is $7 . . . . . per week.

Lets try and look at the immigration issue as something other than a zero sum game. If we educate all who are within out borders, then we can create wealth by developing what Rob (and others) have referred to as our greatest resource - our people. Intelligence doesn't know nationality. If we develop all who live here, we will find those who have the ideas that will lift us up and move us forward.

For what it's worth, the administration's enforcement policy is what I would expect from an able administrator. There are finite resources for enforcement. Throughout the Obama administration the deportation pipeline has remained full. The resources available to process and transport those arrested are at the max. Accordingly, working with the limited resources avaliable, there was an administrative decision to focus the greatest efforts and resources on those who were here illegally AND who presented a risk to others. Enforcement has focused on those who had a criminal background when they arrived or who have committed crimes here. As mentioned, that focus has still kept the pipeline full. The Obama administration has deported folks at a much greater rate than the Bush administration. You don't hear that fact from the politicians and pundits who want to make political hay by decrying "illegals" because it does not fit within their narrative.

Regards,

D-Ray

[Rex E.]

Originally Posted by hatrack71

"On the flip side of that we should look at a neighboring countries people in the same situation and just say "tough shit, watch your kid die"?


"How do you feel about this, instead of sending billions of dollars to the other side of the world, how about we concentrate those billions on our neighbors to the south (I realize your initial reaction will be to concentrate those dollars here but we are in a global environment whether we like it or not). Why not bring all the central and south American countries to first world levels. Will that not help to decrease some of our burdens from illegals while helping out our neighbors?"


You got me there. I really don't know. Innocents are dying in the Middle East and African nations as well. I will agree that it is a bad situation down south. Terrible actually. Why do we have to be the ones to bail everyone else out? Is it we are the only ones who care? And yes, I do care, but our resources are finite. I know that sounds cold. I really don't want to have to choose and have that on my conscience.

But these people are all of our neighbors. Think of your neighborhood and how you'd like it to be.

We are not the only ones though the others most likely give a smaller percentage.

If other countries do not have the resources to give or just won't give then who will?

I could agree that we need to concentrate much more at home and in our hemisphere. Past that we still need to help. What would we do with all that wheat if we did not sell or give in humanitarian efforts?

I believe you do care. I just think an open mind to another perspective is a good plan. Who knows, you might find you agree sometimes...

[bobabode]

Sorry for my part in piling on, Kyle. I waited a few pages because I felt and still feel that your heart is in the right place. Even though, initially I thought it was a ploy to bitch slap liberals, I saw some worth to your citations in your first post. As Rex has pointed out, Boreas served in our armed forces. In 'Nam, IIRC. He is a polar opposite of an un American POS. He has demonstrated a love of country far exceeding many that I have met - right or left.

You might even say we have a bit of a long distance bro-mance goin' on.

I'm even starting to take a shine to you, point man. Strictly platonic of course, mind you. After all I'm happily married to a sweet Connecticut gal that I met 40+ years ago. We've been together since the early '90's and only married since '10. I should've had our accountant as my best man. He made us get married.

[bobabode]

If I can get Rex to sign up for a two year stint in the Peace Corps my life would be complete, this time around.

[Rex E.]

Originally Posted by bobabode

If I can get Rex to sign up for a two year stint in the Peace Corps my life would be complete, this time around.

Can I get ya to sign a two year lease on on this house....

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by Rex E.

Can I get ya to sign a two year lease on on this house....

Sure! You know that I would sub lease it to the first pack of illegals that comes a'callin, though?

Edit-after I remodel the kitchen and baths....

[bobabode]

Back on subject...

Someone's singin', Lord

Kumbaya.

(It is Sunday, right?)

[Rex E.]

Originally Posted by bobabode

after I remodel the kitchen and baths....

You can come do that anyway

Need a shower put in the downstairs bath for when the folks come to visit...

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by hatrack71

Why do we have to be the ones to bail everyone else out? Is it we are the only ones who care? And yes, I do care, but our resources are finite. I know that sounds cold. I really don't want to have to choose and have that on my conscience. Maybe the question would be better directed to the bankers who ripped us all off. After all, they have all the money to change the world for the better and then some. Comes down to greed and I have no problem giving my last buck to someone who needs a cup of coffee. I can't say that for everyone though. I really can only affect change minimally and locally unfortunately. One person at a time.

Kyle, we're not the only country contributing foreign aid. A lot of countries do. While it's true that we contribute more than any other nation, we contribute a far smaller percentage of our GNI (Gross National Income) than do most other countries.

As for the idea that we have finite resources, no argument there but it's important to be smart about where you put them. If, for instance, we put more of our resources (money and people) into improving conditions in the developing world would we need to put as much into our military? I think not. People don't "kill the golden goose" very often.

This chart shows that the United States contributes far more in development aid than anyone else in raw dollars (but about $29bn isn't a hell of a lot, now, is it?) On the other hand, if we combine the EU countries together, they contribute more than twice what we do, $66bn.



This chart shows the percent of GNI contributed by the same 23 countries in the above chart. Look where the US is and how much smaller a percentage we contribute than the top contributor, Sweden.



I think this is pretty telling.

John