George Putnam
Friday, Oct. 24, 2003

It is this reporter's opinion that all too few of our elected officials understand the threat we face in dealing with immigration, both legal and illegal. One exception is Congressman Tom Tancredo, R-Colo. This modern Paul Revere is going to be honored by us at a giant rally in Los Angeles on Nov. 1.

You remember Tom. He was warned that because of his strong stand against the invasion of illegal aliens, his constituency in Colorado would not support him for re-election. Tom took a stand and his people re-elected him 2 to 1. Tom asked his people and all Americans, "WILL WE STILL BE A NATION?"

He pointed out that mass immigration – both legal and illegal – combined with multiculturalism represents the greatest danger this country has ever faced. He warned that the government and the media have failed to confront the national security, economic, and even health consequences of unrestricted immigration.

Tancredo said, "The government is ignoring the 70 percent of Americans who polling data show favored tightening U.S. borders." He says that the concept of secure national borders is rapidly becoming an anachronism, especially in Washington.

Shockingly, many of his colleagues on Capitol Hill believe that market forces and globalization will erase national borders, an idea supported by multinational corporations, which view the "global village" as their marketplace and support tearing down national borders. Tancredo believes that corporations are simply seeking cheaper sources of production.

Strong words from Tom Tancredo – so strong, in fact, that when he visited the White House and spoke out against the illegal invasion, presidential adviser Karl Rove, told our Tom, "Leave now and don't darken our doorstep again."

This reporter has spoken repeatedly of the costs of immigration.

• Illegal aliens have cost U.S. workers $133 billion in job losses.

• Mexicans have sent home $10-12 billion annually.

• In 2002 foreign workers sent back $25 billion to Latin America, $16 billion to Asia.

• U.S. unemployment has jumped to 6.8 percent – 20 million of our people are out of work.

• Our country is $6.8 trillion in debt – and that number is climbing as our corporations outsource to India and China.

• We're forced to pay $8 billion to educate children illegally here.

• More than 890,000 hold H-1B visas (for aliens given temporary working status).

• So-called immigrants are a full 75 percent more likely to use food stamps, medical benefits and housing assistance, at a total cost of $68 billion annually.

Let's talk about crime.

• More than 75 percent of all illegal drugs come across our unguarded borders.

• More than 25 percent of prisoners in federal prisons are illegal aliens.

• These prisoners cost us $900 million per year to feed and house.

That is only the tip of the iceberg! And yet our public officials, including the newly elected governor of California, send out mixed signals on immigration.

Here are the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger when he supported a bill sponsored by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that would grant temporary working permits to allow illegals to travel to and from the U.S. and loosen the requirements to apply for visas (and hear this): "I want to make all undocumented immigrants documented and legal in this country. It's all part of the package."

Doesn't Schwarzenegger, who came here as an immigrant, understand the peril we face? Is it any wonder that Congressman Tom Tancredo asks, "Will we still be a nation?"

It'll be my privilege to act as Master of Ceremonies on Nov. 1.

Related Links:
http://www.house.gov/tancredo/Immigration
http://www.limitstogrowth.org/WEB-text/Tancredo.html

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Homeland/Civil Defense
Immigration/Borders

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