New Haven Independent

posted by: Townie on July 29, 2010  9:01am

Why is there always a constant ignorance of the fact that Arizona and other states, are trying to combat illegal immigration? DeStefano’s comments about legal immigration are correct, it is important to the economy. However, illegal immigration should not be condoned or tolerated. Many hard-working people come to this nation legally and do so at great personal expense, and sometimes risk. However, it seems that many liberals ignore this fact and want to reward the people who gain entry into this nation illegally.
I will admit that Arizona’s law went too far in many aspects, but something should be done to stem the flow of undocumented aliens who pour over our nation’s southern border.
I support the idea of temporary, and renewable, work permits that would allow free movement across the border for any person gainfully employed in the U.S. The worker would retain their Mexican citizenship but be allowed to enter the U.S. in order to work. The permits could expire in 6 months, or 1 year and could be renewed upon verification of employment. The worker would pay State income tax, but be exempt from any Federal income tax.

posted by: Clueless on Church Street on July 29, 2010  9:11am

I think he was asking her if she knew of any nice places in Mexico where tax assessors had gone into exile.

posted by: Bill on July 29, 2010  9:26am

“immigration grows the economy, because we support immigrants, and because it creates jobs,” DeStefano

Not illegal immigration. They work as day workers and don’t pay any income tax, and send much of their money back to their home country. They get free medical care in our hospitals. How does that help our economy? Please explain Mr. Mayor.

posted by: Facts on July 29, 2010  10:25am

DeStefano is correct.  Every legitimate study has shown that immigration, legal and illegal grows the US economy. 

For instance where would Fair Haven be economically right now if not for the immigrant community.  You only need to look back to the early 1990s when gangs overran the neighborhood, houses were vacant on almost every street and Grand Avenue was losing businesses left and right.  In the middle of the worst recession in 100 years, Fair Haven has managed to hang in there, with less crime, vacancy or business loss than other low income neighborhoods in the city.

posted by: More Facts on July 29, 2010  10:38am

For almost all immigrants from Mexico and Latin America coming here to work, there is no line to get on.  If people try to come to work, they simply cannot get in.  If they are trying for family reunification, they should expect to wait twenty or more years if they even get approval.

So please stop talking about “coming here legally.”  Most people cannot do so.  That your grandparents did reflects the fact that the law changed, and that most people have no idea whether their relatives came here legally.

Let me help you understand why.  Even today most illegal immigrants come here legally.  They just over stay their visa.  People cross the US border from Mexico and Canada every day.  Most return when required, and some do not.  The US has an extremely hard time regulating this because these are such large tourism and trading partners.  US southern border towns rely on Mexicans coming across the border to shop for instance.

Until 9/11 when we tried to shut down our borders, there was not too much of a problem.  This is because it was pretty easy to come and go.  So people would come here to work and then would leave. And because there were so few visas, most people did this illegally.  In fact, the entire US agricultural industry is based on this fact. 

Then we shut down the borders and people could not leave.  This meant that the illegal immigrant population went up, not because more people were coming, but because when they got here, they could not get back out and if they did they worried that it would be hard to get back in.  So they stayed.

Want to solve illegal immigration?  Make it easier for people to come and go.  Provide enough visas for people to come here who want to work and require that everyone register and get a visa.  Since there are so few visas now and people can’t come and go, they just stay.  That’s just stupid.

It would be one thing if we did not rely on immigrants to pick basically every vegetable and fruit we eat, milk the cows, and tend to livestock.  But we do and that’s not changing.  We have whole industries that would shut down absent immigrants.  Former transient workers have become permanent residents.  Why? because we tried to stop them from coming by building a fence but they were already here and we needed them here.

posted by: Townie on July 29, 2010  12:28pm

To Facts: The US has pretty liberal immigration laws compared to many other industrialized nations and the citizens of this nation have a right to control the influx of immigrants. The fact that it is more difficult to enter the nation legally does not make it okay for anyone to circumvent the established laws. Many people, in the present time, enter this nation legally and manage to negotiate the difficulties of the bureaucracy.
I do support legal immigration and I find it disingenuous that many people claim that immigration, of either kind, is perfectly acceptable. No other country would tolerate the amount of illegal immigration that we are faced with and the US cannot be expected to act any differently.  If the people want to change the current immigration laws than there are established means to do so. Until that time, people in Mexico and Latin America will have to act according to the law or face the legal consequences.
A bit off topic: Immigration from Mexico and Latin America wouldn’t be a high as it is, if the people in those nations stayed in their country and worked to improve their society. The problem with immigration in general is that it is a selfish endeavor that seeks temporary remedy to systemic problems. Unfortunately the US is a nation of immigrants and so we must face the realities that this creates, both good and bad.

posted by: LAND REFORM NOW on July 29, 2010  7:06pm

ATTENTION ALL WORKERS:

Why must we continue to fight over the scraps left to us by rich corporations and wealthy landowners? Is “the right to work” really our highest aspiration? I don’t believe it is.

We should not have to work someone else’s land day after day and still return to our families with little to show for our labor. We should not have to sweat and toil in someone else’s field under the hot sun. We should have control over the land that we work! We have a right to exist successfully without struggle, and to be humble stewards of the land. It does not belong to anyone! So why do we allow a minority of the population the right to horde vast amounts of land under the guise of “ownership.” It is unjust and inhumane. We shall stand up and challenge their “right” to control us!

If we all value our dignity and that of the natural world, we will see these property ownership laws for what they truly are: a method of enslaving the working class and perpetuating the serfdom of the majority. The underclass will always outnumber those who control them. Therefore, the power is in our hands to retract their land and wealth and exert our right to live!

The “right to work” is actually in the favor of the wealthy. They appreciate our cheap labor more than any one else. Instead, we shall demand our right to live self-sufficiently, whether it is in our native country or here.

Every nation in the world has it’s property controlled by the wealthy, thus trapping the underclass with no higher hope than to hold a steady job. Why should land ownership be constantly beyond our reach? Why should one have to struggle to feed a family when there is plenty of dormant land to be cultivated by capable hands. Why should land that could otherwise feed hungry mouths be allowed to sit idle or act as an ornament. It should be re-captured by those who will use it! In the U.S. the land was stolen originally from those who cared for it. The time has come to take it back!

Brothers and Sisters, RISE UP! We will not be the first. There are many who have come before us to demand the exact same rights!

Zapatista Army of National Liberation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EZLN

Landless Workers’ Movement:
http://www.mst.org.br/

Landless People’s Movement:
http://www.landaction.org/display.php?article=91

Via Campesina:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_Campesina

Bardoli Satyagraha:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardoli_Satyagraha

posted by: Alan Felder on July 29, 2010  8:58pm

Yes to S.B. 1070, 20 million Americans are unemployed, we have a 10% unemployment rate in the nation and in the Black community the unemployment rate is 20% if not higher. Yes to S.B. 1070!!!!!!!
The City of New Haven has created a (sanctuary city),But for Blacks we are (Without Sanctuary, http://www.withoutsanctuary.org by James Allen).

posted by: Pro Immigration on July 31, 2010  1:45am

I totally agree with Townie,we should up hold our laws and regulate immigration,while welcoming legal migration.” Immigration from Mexico and Latin America wouldn’t be a high as it is, if the people in those nations stayed in their country and worked to improve their society.” -Towney. It is so true. And I do wish Arizona up hold our laws without violating the Constitution, that will be GRAND.