Ending a debate about illegal immigration
Advertisement
Text size: small | medium | large
Jason M. Bond
Published: July 3, 2008
Miss Sorto, you make this debate between you and I too easy for me. I am going to state the facts and get the record straight.
I welcome legal immigration into the country as well as our city.
I have served the residents of Prince William County and the surrounding area for the past 15 years. Race, gender and ethnicity have never been an issue for me and never will.
My issue is with illegal immigrants who benefit from government funded programs and resources without contributing financially into the same system.
To say “ the money they send home actually helps us because that’s less money the U.S. will send to their country for aid” is preposterous. As the most powerful nation in the world we will always assist
other countries in need.
Illegal immigrants sending American dollars to their countries of origin (You called it “home” but are also arguing that “this” is there home) does in no way stimulate the American economy.
I commend Prince William County and the City of Manassas for being at the forefront of taking a stand against illegal immigration.
As far as the sign issue goes: put a sign in your front yard with the same dimensions as the one on Liberty Street and you too will be asked to provide the same permits. The city is not “picking” on
anyone. The law is the law.
My point has now been proven and I am going back to happily serve all the tax paying citizens in my town.
JASON M. BOND
Manassas
Post a Comment
The commenting period has ended or commenting has been deactivated for this article.
Can't find what you're looking for? Try our quick search:
Reader Reactions
Posted by ( raywilliams ) on July 05, 2008 at 6:11 pm
You are fairly correct willow. I have outlined the basic problems with illegal immigrants being 1: illegal is illegal 2: undocumented residents are a potential security risk. 3: illegals don’t pay taxes in the traditional sense. 4: immigrant social behaviors may differ from ours. The ongoing question we debate is how to stop the continued influx of immigrants (border security which requires funding) and what to do with those already here. The PWC Resolution wants to drive them out of PWC and off to another county. This is a great policy until one understands that like the tide, when the jobs come back the population will roll back in again. I keep proposing a Documented Illegal Immigrant Card for those willing to undergo security checks, pay employment taxes and begin the process of legal documentation. I even suggest an additional “illegal immigrant tax” on their wages to help fund ICE programs and border security and to exclude social benefits to those documented as illegal. Next, encourage groups like Mexicans w/o Borders to take an active role in helping with English training and assimilation to our society. I am open to any and all ideas towards SOLVING these issues but each idea must be tagged with a funding source. The debate is old and stale with neither side willing to budge.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( jmolina ) on July 05, 2008 at 11:17 am
Ray, I would have to agree with you on Mr. Bond’s comment: “My issue is with illegal immigrants who benefit from government funded programs and resources without financially contributing to the same system” well, illegal immigration is his personal issue because not everyone agrees
with his point of view, I would like anyone to tell me what benefits is he talking about? what kind of resources are illegals eligible to receive? as far as I know if a person is not legal he or she will not benefit from Social services programs, will not receive medicare, will not receive medicaid, will not receive retirement, can’t receive incometax return, can’t get unemployment benefits, they are not eligible not even for an ID or driver’s license, if any government employee is giving illegal immigrants this benefits is clearly breaking the law, so I don’t understand how this individuals are draining resources from the county, what i do know is that many lazy CITZENS are living on welfare for many years with no intention to get out of it, that’s why we get taxed even for the air we breathe because we have to take the burden in supporting this people. isn’t this issue more important?
now, if Mr. Bond complaints that illegal immigrants don’t financially contribute back to the system, let’s just ask Walmart, Shopper’s Food Warehouse, Moneygram, Western Union and many other chain stores where are they getting most of their revenues from and how much taxes they are paying the county from this revenues. if C. Stewart, Mr. Bond and all those who support the illegal immigration crackdown were samarter, they would’ve find a way to give this people a chance to legally contribute to the county and to our economy, but instead, they promote racism and demonized illegal immigrants so every citizen would hate them. ejben, this people are here because they were waiting in line for years to come to this country in a legal way but, our system was not created to received cherry-pickers, only lawyers and doctors. as far as the sign on liberty street, the issue is not the sign itself, the real issue is the truth that is written in it and that it was posted by a Mexican, since illegal immigrants are voiceless and have no rights of expressing their views, let the sign speak for them.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( willow703 ) on July 04, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Taxes are not the issue. Millions of citizens & legal aliens willfully & wrongfully fail to pay the taxes they owe.
Neither is the issue illicit receipt of
government services. Millions of citizens & legal aliens willfully & wrongfully seek & receive services to which they are not entitled.
The issue is illegal immigration. The solution is two-fold, 1. Secure the borders; 2. Justly & humanely deal with those who are here illegally.
The solution is, unfortunately, unattainable for 2 reasons, money & politics.
Money because too many people are willing to pay $50 a week for latte &
cigarettes, but not willing to spend $10 a week to solve this serious problem.
Politics because this is a weapon with which both left & right can attack the other.
Those of us in the middle can only hope that when left & right are finished; there will be enough nation left to salvage.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( mongoose ) on July 04, 2008 at 3:55 pm
do the right thing should open his home to immigrants if he doeesn’t want to collect taxes from them. willims is always talking about taxing illegals and that makes him a liberal? the livberals are the ones that want to support illegals with our tax dollars.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( raywilliams ) on July 04, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Mr. Bond said “My issue is with illegal immigrants who benefit from government funded programs and resources without contributing financially into the same system”. That sounds pretty cut and dry that he would like illegals to make tax contributions to support programs they use. He may indeed also support the “illegal is illegal” argument we all agree to be a true statement. He doesn’t make that case. His concerns as stated are a lack of tax contributions. So the question becomes how to collect those taxes. It simply makes sense to look at other avenues while you’re waiting for 12-20 million to go or be sent home. See doright, your INACTION is costing ME my tax dollars. I am much happier to be tagged a liberal than to be ignorant. Get it yet?
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( raywilliams ) on July 04, 2008 at 1:11 pm
What the bright minds of doright, elben and others don’t ever seem to get a grip on is that there are 12 million plus illegal immigrants in this county and maybe, maybe 500 a month get deported. With thousands crossing the border each week, the illegal population is growing, not shrinking. So we can solve the problem by pouting and stamping our feet in defense of the law or we can take action that will lessen the impact caused by illegal immigrants. Your choice dudes. I pay the same taxes as you do and no, will not pay more than my share. If you’re not part of the solution, that makes you part of the problem.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( willow703 ) on July 04, 2008 at 9:09 am
Of course, the debate is too easy when you state only your “facts” and deny or ignore the existence of facts which don’t prove or which disprove your statement.
Millions of illegal aliens pay social security taxes, but not to their own accounts. The Social Security Administration is aware that some numbers have over 100 names attached to them, but does little to determine who is the rightful owner.
Millions of illegal aliens pay tens of millions of dollars in sales, fuel, property & income taxes.
Millions of illegal aliens pay tens of millions of dollars in traffic fines & court costs.
Millions of illegal aliens contribute tens of millions of dollars to religious & other charitable organizations.
I disagree with the sign. None of the masters painted with a broad brush. There was no policy of genocide. Most of the native Americans who died after our coming never came into contact with us. They died from our bacteria, not our bullets.
Slavery was initiated not by Europeans, but by Africans who kidnapped their fellow Africans and sold them. Some of those Africans ended their lives as slaves to Native Americans, former slaves, & descendants of slaves; look up Angola Plantation.
The truth is the truth only when it is the whole truth & nothing but the truth,.
No person or group of persons owns the truth & the truth speaks only for itself.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( ejben ) on July 04, 2008 at 8:49 am
Mr. Bond is correct. And its impossible to say what would work.As this would cause more disention. But the good old way of the fact they are here ILLEGALLY.We send them back and thats what we are trying to do.
There is no inbetween, ILLEGAL< they go back and wait in line ,like every one else.
ILLEGAL is ILLEGAL just like a CRIMINAL is a CRIMINAL.
LAWS WE HAVE AND LAWS WE WILL KEEP
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( do the right thing ) on July 04, 2008 at 7:59 am
Mr. Bond:
It is difficult to reason with the illogical theories of folks like Ms. Sorto and Mr. Williams,trying to defend illegal immigration.
I encourage Mr. Williams and Ms. Sorto to open their own homes to fifteen of their closest illegal alien friends, to lessen the impact on social services in our county. We will see how long that lasts!
Liberals like Ms. Sorto and Mr. Williams have no problem telling taxpayers who and what we should be paying our tax dollars on. Let them carry the burden of those draining our social services who are not legally present in our county. Put their money where their mouths are!
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( raywilliams ) on July 04, 2008 at 5:51 am
Another same-old same-old letter about what the problems are with illegal immigration without a single comment on how to fix the problem. Mr. Bond states he welcomes immigrants but is unhappy if they benefit from government sponsored programs without making contributions. The easy answer to Mr. Bond’s concern is to develop and issue a Documented Illegal Immigrant Card to immigrants who apply. This would allow us to document who is in our country and allow the illegal immigrant who is working to pay all the required taxes into our system. Mr. Bond: Since your debate with Ms. Sorto appears to be over, feel free to focus your attention on supporting a Documented Illegal Immigrant Card which will resolve your concerns about funding for government programs. Welcome aboard.
Report Inappropriate Comment