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EXPLANATION OF CODES:
BLUE FONT: Original post.
RED FONT: Response to post.
GREEN FONT: Editorial comment.
POST HC-(**number**): Post identification number in this topic. Posts listed in reverse chronological order. Please refer to this post number, when replying to a post.
| The following entries, submitted by area constituents, are distributed by me in this blog as a public service to increase dialog about issues of importance to Blount and Sevier County residents. I do not necessarily agree with or endorse any statement made herein. Our form of government works best, when many, differing viewpoints are heard and considered. The process is often "messy." Read, think, and offer your opinions. Most importantly, though, make up your own mind.
State Senator Raymond Finney |
POST IM-6: IMMIGRATION POLICY LOSES REPUBLICAN SUPPORTER.
Received: January 28, 2007. Added: January 28, 2007.
Dr. Finney,I wanted to let you know that I feel the wrong message may be accepted as reasoning for how the Democrats took control of Senate and House. I do not feel that it was necessarily the Iraq war. I turned on my own party because of what the congressmen and women were not doing. I wanted them to take care of the illegal immigration problems. I wanted them to stand up for family values. I came from California and I lived within 50 miles of the border and the whole state is being overun with the illegals. Texas and Arizona are being taken over as well. My aunt, who lived in Dallas, had to leave her neighborhood because of gangs that had seized control of the area, made up of mostly Hispanics. I want my elected officials to stand up to the other side and quit caving in to polls or the media. God help our nation if Hillary, or Obama get elected, and yet if Republican senators and house representativess do not keep to their promises how can we not expect the libs to win? I know that it was a small notation on the media's side, but the protest which took place on Saturday may have appeared large but they (a liberal group) had to bus in the protestors from 40 states. Apparently they could not find
enough protestors locally to do the job. How about those famous California actors who continue to throw in their two cents? My wife and I do not buy nor see their movies. I wish Americans who say they are fed up would have the strength to not seek out their entertainment. I know a good movie can be tempting, but what a message it would send if their movies flopped. Tim Robbins starred in Zathura. I think we could all have a Zathura burning or dumping. Let's organize it! Steven Spielberg is supporting Obama by the way.
Greg, Sevierville
POST IM-5: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND AMERICA'S FUTURE.
Received: January 26, 2007. Added: January 27, 2007.
I have heard rumors about allowing amnesty for our law breaking illegal immigrants, as well as comments on being addressed as a nation in both English and Spanish. I really don't know who to talk to about this. I am a natural born citizen of this country with several friends that have legally entered our country from Mexico, Russia, and France, and they actually agree with me on several issues. They agree that anyone willing to break the law by coming to this country illegally is wrong, they should not be allowed to have amnesty, as amnesty allows them to bring up to eleven immediate family members with them (from what we understand about amnesty laws), which would mean that our 3 billion illegal immigrants would make it 33 billion illegal immigrants.
The way I see it, it is like what is being done in Iraq. The Kurds and Shiites are illegal immigrants (fact), being given the rights that the Sunnis rightfully should have. In other words, it would be like another country coming in to our country and letting the illegal immigrants get control, and letting them tell us how things are going to work, and the United States is gone forever. Yes, we should have gone over there and taken Saddam out; no, we should not force the natives of the country to have the illegal immigrants take over. The Shiites are the Muslim extremists. It is like creating another Iran.
Lyndon B. Johnson set up laws regarding the control of illegal immigration, which every president since then has ignored. Now we can probably see a civil war happening soon because those presidents supposedly believed that nothing would come of it. Lyndon B. Johnson also set up the fact that English is the national language of our country, yet our government wastes millions of dollars on printing all sorts of paperwork in Spanish as well. Those people that come into this country legally are learning the language and are proud to become a part of this nation.
Those coming in illegally are displaying their country's flag and insisting on having everything catered to them. They are getting money out of our welfare system, getting free medical care, and their children are learning that they can get a free ride in this country without consequences. It has to stop.
I read the following article in the Los Angeles Times:
1. 40% of all workers in L.A. County (L.A. County has 10.2 million people) are working for cash and not paying taxes. That's because they are predominantly illegal immigrants, working without a green card.
2. 95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.
3. 75% of people on the most wanted list in Los Angeles are illegal aliens.
4. Over 2/3 of all births in Los Angeles County are to illegal Mexicans on Medi-Cal, whose births are paid for by taxpayers.
5. Nearly 25% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally.
6. Over 300,000 illegal aliens in Los Angeles County are living in garages.
7. The FBI reports half of all gang members in Los Angeles are illegal aliens from south of the border.
8. Nearly 60% of all occupants of HUD properties are illegal.
9. 21 radio stations in L.A. are Spanish speaking.
10. In L.A. County, 5.1 million people speak English. 3.9 million speak
Spanish.
Less than 2% of illegal aliens are picking our crops, but 29% are on welfare.
Over 70% of the United States' annual population growth (and over 90%
of California, Florida, and New York) results from immigration.
The cost of immigration to the American taxpayer in 1997 was, after subtracting taxes immigrants pay, a NET $70 BILLION/year. [Professor Donald Huddle, Rice University ].
The lifetime fiscal impact (taxes paid minus services used) for the average adult Mexican immigrant is a NEGATIVE number.
29% of inmates in federal prisons are illegal aliens.
If they can come to this country to raise Hell and demonstrate by the thousands, WHY can't they take charge over the corruption in their own country? We are a bunch of fools for letting this continue.
THE U.S. VS. MEXICO: On February 15, 1998, the U.S. and Mexican soccer teams met at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The crowd was overwhelmingly pro-Mexican, even though most lived in this country. They booed during the National Anthem and U.S. flags were held upside down. As the match progressed, supporters of the U.S team were insulted, pelted with projectiles, punched and spat upon. Beer and trash were thrown at the U.S. players before and after the match. The coach of the U.S. team, Steve Sampson, said, "This was the most painful experience I have ever had in this profession."
Did you know that immigrants from Mexico and other non-European countries can come to this country and get preferences in jobs, education, and government contracts? It's called affirmative action or racial privilege, which was supposed to be a temporary fix (my grandfather helped to write it).
The Emperor of Japan or the President of Mexico could migrate here and immediately be eligible for special rights unavailable for Americans of European descent.
Corporate America has signed on to the idea that minorities and third world immigrants should get special, privileged status. Some examples are Exxon, Texaco, Merrill Lynch, Boeing, Paine Weber, Starbucks and many more.
DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that Mexico regularly intercedes on the side of the defense in criminal cases involving Mexican nationals? Did you know that Mexico has NEVER extradited a Mexican national accused of murder in the U.S. in spite of agreements to do so? According to the L.A. Times, Orange County, California is home to 275 gangs with 17,000 members, 98% of whom are Mexican and Asian.
How's your county doing? According to a New York Times article dated May 19, 1994, 20 years after the great influx of legal immigrants from Southeast Asia, 30% are still on welfare compared to 8% of households nationwide. A Wall Street Journaleditorial, dated December 5, 1994, quotes law enforcement officials as stating that Asian mobsters are the "greatest criminal challenge the country faces." Not bad for a group that is still under 5% of the population.
Is education important to you? Here are the words of a teacher who spent over 20 years in the Los Angeles School system. "Imagine teachers in classes containing 30-40 students of widely varying attention spans and motivation, many of whom aren't fluent in English. Educators seek learning materials likely to reach the majority of students and that means fewer words and math problems and more pictures and multicultural references."
WHEN I WAS YOUNG: I remember hearing about the immigrants that came through Ellis Island. They wanted to learn English. They wanted to breathe free. They wanted to become Americans. Now, far too many immigrants come here with demands. They demand to be taught in their own language.
They demand special privileges-- affirmative action. They demand ethnic studies that glorify their culture.
NOW, WHY CAN'T WE SEND THEM HOME? I know you are going to say it is not that simple. You are correct. It no longer is simple, so we need to make them want to go home. Stop paying them welfare, stop paying for their children to go to school, stop paying for their medical care. If my brother-in-law can be denied medical help (he is a United States citizen with diabetes), so can they. We are not going to have a country for our children if we do not wise up now.
I don't know if this is going to do anything or go anywhere. I just want to let you know my feelings and fears of the future which is being laid out in front of us.
I pray that God can still help our leaders see the error of their decisions.
Senator Finney was gracious enough to hear my views and has responded asking that I post my thoughts on this blog.
God has blessed America, and I pray He will continue to do so.
Ellen, Sevierville
REPLY TO POST IM-5:
Received: February 1, 2007. Added: February 1, 2007.
Ellen, thank you for your passion on this topic. I share your sense of urgency on the topic of illegal immigration, and like you I am searching desparately for a champion. I do not know where we will find one. There is not one currently holding elected office that will do anything at all. I do not mean this as a dig against Dr. Finney; he is a good man. However, when asked on this blog what he would do his simple one-word response was "nothing". This is the same with all incumbant elected officials. There is not one that will do a thing. Aspiring politicians, unfortunately, are politicians. As such, the promises proffered are likely empty and void.
I ask you, as one who shares the passion to get something done, to hold as tight as we can to provable facts. This will help our cause. The socialists constantly look for any one point to use to call credibility into question. Proclaiming 3 Billion illegal immigrants in a country of 300 Million, for example, or projecting 33 Billion illegals in a country of 300 Million on a planet of 6 Billion. Not our best approach.
We also get slammed on non-provables such as the number of illegals who live in a garage, get paid in cash, pick oranges, etc. There are enough facts accepted by all sides regarding the number of illegals here and the cost they impose on American taxpayers. Other non-provable information (and it is non-provable, illegals don't get in line to fill out census questionnaires) is used as leverage by the socialists to dismiss the whole issue, claiming we exagerate or misrepresent facts, therefore the issue doesn't exist. Of course, when they exagerate or flat out falsify information, they excuse it time and again (remember the "...it depends on what your definition of 'is' is" fiasco?).
We also need to maintain a line against the illegal invasion of our sovereign nation, and not mix statistics on legal immigration into our arguments. Defenders of our nation and protectionists/isolationists fight for two separate causes, but the other side is faster than a lightning bolt to lump the two together to make us look narrow minded and bigotted.
I hope you accept this as constructive, it isn't a criticism. I want there to be a Great Nation of The United States of America for my granddaughters to enjoy (if the Lord should tarry). I am hoping beyond reason that this effort by Americans to keep America will catch on. It will take passion for this issue-- like yours-- to make anything happen. May God continue to bless you, sister.
Gerry, Maryville
EDITOR'S COMMENT: Gerry, my "one word" answer of "nothing" was actually explained in a somewhat lengthy comment. (See Reply to Post IM-1, below.) The reason that neither any of my fellow legislators nor I can do anything is because state government does not have the authority to decide and enforce national security and immigration policies. Such issues clearly fall on the federal government, which busies itself with "more important" issues as bitter partisan squabbles and posturing to see who will be the next president. Many of us struggle in Nashville to try to do something, but no one has yet thought of an approach that is both workable and constitutional. There are also legislators in many other states-- especially the border states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California-- who are also trying to find a solution to this problem. Perhaps, someone will come up with a successful strategy this year. If you or any other reader can tell me what Tennessee can do, I will try it. This is a most vexing problem for state legislators.
State Senator Raymond Finney, February 1, 2007
POST IM-4: WHY MUST WE HIRE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS?
Received: November 17, 2006. Added: November 18, 2006.
I was talking to a man who hires immigrants. He would not say whether they are all legally present in this country. He said he cannot hire enough American citizens for his business, and must hire immigrants by necessity. Why do you and your readers think this man (and others) have so much trouble hiring American citizens? I am interested in the reasons behind this lack of workers. Thank you.
Joe, Maryville
EDITOR'S COMMENT: Joe, there may be several reasons, but think about a reason that is never mentioned.
Since November 22, 1973, abortion on demand became legal in the United States (the Roe v Wade and Doe v Bolton decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court). Following these decisions, we have aborted approximately 48-million unborn babies, which exceeds one-million babies each year. If we had not been relying on legal abortion as a form of birth control-- as we do now, we would now have millions of Americans who would have ended up in the workplace, not piecemeal in a garbage bag. Our aborted children, as they reached adulthood, would be available to fill job opportunities in a number far greater than the number of Hispanics now flooding American job markets.
Not only has abortion created an employment crisis, think of the irreplacable people that may have been lost-- scientists, teachers, other professionals, and workers in all fields, not to mention great moms and dads.
Think also of the Social Security crisis abortion is setting up for the future. Social Security payments are based on a pyramid of workers. A broad base of workers must exist to pay benefits for a relatively small group of retired workers at the top of the pyramid. As we reduce the bottom of this pyramid through abortion of potential workers, the pyramid becomes more like a cylinder. As baby boomers retire and demand Social Security and Medicare benefits, they may find restriction of funding and reduction or even elimination of some benefits-- at least in part due to the abortion of workers their generation championed or condoned.
State Senator Raymond Finney, November 18, 2006
REPLY TO POST IM-4:
Received: November 22, 2006. Added: November 22, 2006.
Dr. Finney's comment is very insightful, and very accurate. I would, however, add another response as to why Blount County employers (at least those I know personally) think it "necessary" to hire illegals-- greed. If you desire to pocket higher profit margins by under paying labor and not providing any benefits, it seems necessary to hire illegals because it's easier to take advantage of them. Pay a fair wage and there is still an adequate supply of labor-- even at record employment levels. When will we tire of the lame excuses and do something? When will there be even one elected official with a spine to stand up for what is right? I think that shall never come. No one currently in politics has any
guts to do anything, and by the time we raise up a champion, we'll all be subjected to wearing paper hats making a living asking "con fritos?" for less than minimum wage.
Gerry, Maryville
POST IM-3: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION-- AMNESTY AND LANGUAGE.
Received: September 24, 2006. Added: September 24, 2006.
The following comments were made by me when signing Senator Finney's petition regarding Federal and State immigration
problems. In his written response, the Senator invited me to add those comments to this blog, so here they are: I am totally against "amnesty" programs! All illegal immigrants should be sent back to their country of origin and made to apply for proper entry to the United States. The INS should do significantly more to keep track of people in this country on student or other visas and make sure they return home when their time expires. Also, all immigrants should be given (if possible, for free) classes in English as their first language. Students in our schools should NOT be taught normal subjects in Spanish or any other language. We speak English in America and that should be expected of every immigrant-- no exceptions and no special dispensations! The government, educational institutions, and the corporate world could save enormous amounts of money if everything was printed/dispensed/sold/etc. with English as the only language used, as it has been for several hundred years until the ACLU decided that it was in charge of political correctness and liberals took over Congress and passed all these outrageous multicultural laws. Thank you for anything you [Senator Finney] can do to put things back the way they belong! If headway can't be made federally, then at the very least, Tennessee should do everything they can to put an end to this costly problem in our state.
D.J., Louisville
EDITOR'S COMMENT: It is my understanding that English has already been established as the official language of Tennessee. Enacted in 1984, TCA 4-1-404 declares that English is Tennessee's official language and requires all governmental communications and publications to be in English.
State Senator Raymond Finney, September 24, 2006
POST IM-2: AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS.
Received: September 13, 2006. Added: September 13, 2006.
Too many illegal aliens drive autos with no insurance. If they have an accident, many of them leave the area or return to their home country. Mandatory insurance should be required BEFORE county clerks issue license plates in this state (and all states) like Virgina does, for example.
Bob, Seymour
REPLY TO POST IM-2:
Received: January 20, 2007. Added: January 20, 2007.
Tennessee does ask for proof of insurance when you apply for a title. They do not ask for this when you buy a plate/ decal. Tennesse has a law that requires you to have auto insurance, but it has no means of enforcing this law! This would require a separate department to recieve the proof of insurance and the cancellations which would have to be sent to them by the insurance companies when the insurance was cancelled. Georgia has a system that does this in place but, it will cost Tennessee money to set this up by hiring people to operate it. This system was the advent of the 6 month policy instead of 12 months. In Tennessee you can buy insurance, get your title and tag and then cancel your insurance as there is no department to check it. You are then free to operate your vechile until the law stops you or you buy another vehicle! Another thing that I have heard but have not verified: In Tennessee it is against the law to sell a motor vechile to anyone that does not have a drivers license! This being the case, how does an illegal immigrant get a vechicle?
Robert, Seymour
POST IM-1: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.
Received: September 11, 2006. Added: September 11, 2006.
A courageous move, Dr. Finney, including such a controversial topic (illegal immigration)in your blog. Then, you aren't
one to shy away from the tough issues. Illegal immigration is just that, illegal. Why are we labled intolerant or uncaring when we object to this invasion? Here's the simple truth: I have never once heard anyone profer the opinion that immigration itself should stop-- only that the existing rules and regulations be enforced. There are clearly ways to
immigrate, and we are a land of immigrants-- except, that is, for those unfortunates that we stole the land from to begin with. Being a culture that learns nothing from history, we turn a blind eye to the fact that we came here and imposed our culture by force, wiping out the existing culture, and the very same thing is being done to us today. At least the natives we displaced had the guts to stand up and fight. Where are our fighters? There is an invasion, a destruction of our culture, and an imposition of the will of the invading forces. We have become so politically limp that there exists no champion to stand up for our way of life. We will be over-run because we are spineless (our president is chief among the spineless). It is no wonder at all that our enemies in the half-hearted and under executed "War on Terror" are encouraged that we can be overtaken and will let them impose their will on us. We give them that encouragement on a silver platter. Enough soap-boxing: Senator, there are pockets of illegals in your district. Maryville has a large population of illegals that somehow find it possible to get checks from our local, state, and federal government regularly (when they aren't taking jobs away from your constituents). Sevier County has a large legal immigrant population, but the number of eastern Europeans seeking to "buy" spouses to gain permanence has become a running joke. Then, there are the illegals in the tourist industry that we all know are there. I, for one, am sick of the excuse that no one else wants the jobs they take. That is a foolish position. Education and healthcare cost money, and we are paying for theirs. What is your position, Dr., regarding rounding up the illegals in your district and sending them home?
Gerry, Maryville
EDITOR'S COMMENT: You ask what I will do to round up and deport illegal immigrants. The short answer is nothing, because, I believe, no one in state government has the authority to deport illegal immigrants. Immigration policies are set by the federal government. As far as I can tell, our borders are almost completely porous, and there is little enforcement of existing federal laws throughout the states. The Tennessee government might be able to work indirectly on this problem, even if we cannot do so directly. The Republican Caucus is launching a series of legislative initiatives, bundled as "The Tennessee Trust." I have been a signatory to all parts of the Trust announced to date. The first announced portion of the Trust concerns illegal immigration. The Republican Caucus has identified five areas to seek legislative relief during the 2007 General Assembly. These five points may be read at the bottom of one of my
Web pages. Within the next week, I will publish a petition in area newpapers, trying to demonstrate popular support for enactment of Tennessee laws concerning illegal immigration. You may participate in this process even before the advertisement appears in the newspapers, by completing an
ONLINE PETITION. I realize I am voluntarily entering a "burning house," and I will be widely criticized. However, a nation which does not maintain its borders secure is no longer a sovereign nation. We can-- and should-- permit legal immigration. However, massive, uncontrolled immigration is a recipe for disaster.
State Senator Raymond Finney, September 11, 2006
See ImmigrationCounters.com for estimate of number of illegal immigrants in this country and their cost to the United States of America.