Begging for Immigrants

The media does not repeat stories from cities like Baltimore where the mayor stated the necessity of immigrants to achieve population growth. (http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-01-07/news/bs-md-ci-immigration-growth-20120106_1_foreign-born-immigrants-population-decline). For several years, major studies, articles and books about the projected need for immigrants have been largely ignored by the media. Instead, the media reports what many want to hear: immigrants = problems.

Within 50-years we will be begging Mexico for immigrants. The Mexican economy may be so strong that our needs for immigrants will be ignored. One sign that this possibility exists is that Mexico’s economy remains in much better shape than our own. Typically, it is said that when the U.S. economy catches a cold, Mexico’s economy catches pneumonia. However, this is not the case in today’s world economy. Most Mexicans returning to their country are doing so because there are jobs in Mexico and not in the USA.

No reasonable person can argue with the facts concerning our birth-rate and the impact of severely shifting population facts. Today, one out of every 9 Americans is "old"—another former youth turns 50 every 8 seconds. Those age 65 and older now exceed 35 million, a number poised to explode. January 2011 ushered in the first of approximately 77 million Baby Boomers, born from 1946 through 1964 and are surging toward the gates of retirement[1].

The largest block of potential voters will demand more and more services from the relatively small workforce that contribute payroll taxes. Our country will require more young workers that our birthrate will not supply. Beyond the need for taxpayers, we will need workers to repair, build and maintain the infrastructure.

Often, the people demanding solutions to the current immigration problems are backward in their thinking. Many simply want immigration to end. Many more want walls, fences and expulsions. The reality of the immigration problem is that we need an immigration policy that meets the needs of our country and a policy that is moral and just. We need temporary visas. We need control of our border and control of employers. We need a guarantee of fair treatment of guest workers. We also need a national identity that includes English as our national language. Those unwilling to take an oath of allegiance and work towards citizenship should be identified as temporary workers and quickly removed from U.S. soil when their work-permit expires. Guest workers should be strictly tracked.

Human traffickers and those employing persons unauthorized to be on U.S. soil should be severely punished. The punishment must exceed the benefit of transporting or hiring unauthorized people. At the same time, farmers and certain other employers should be permitted to hire as many foreign workers as needed. Americans often will not do dirty jobs. (At least not while staying on the public dole is an option).

The prediction: we will change our immigration laws to encourage more immigration within 20-years or we will be begging for immigrants within 20-years.

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[1] Read more: http://transgenerational.org/aging/demographics.htm#ixzz1jAwcZw6C

More Danger

Media will work us into a state of fear by focusing on Soviet, Chinese, Korean and Middle East dangers. Stories about the need to keep the Pacific sea-lanes free for our overseas trade. Nothing has really changed, but the news focus will convince Americans that even the smallest reductions in the military budget will put our country and our military men and women in danger.

The tactic of media bombardment works with illegal immigration and will be used to maintain INCREASED spending in the military budget. We will lose sight of the truth: the proposed 'cuts' are primarily in new military spending increases and NOT on today's military budget.

Danger! Danger! Danger!

Yes, the work is a dangerous place. There will be many, many stories to remind us in the coming months. As the mere possibility that future increases in military spending may be cut, we will be reminded of two things: countries around the world will attack us at any moment AND our brave military deserves our support.

There is no argument that the men and women in uniform deserve our support. However, implying that they are all about to take pay cuts or put in harms way without equipment is disgusting. People enriching themselves by millions in future military contracts (including millionaire congressmen investing in weapons companies and seeking campaign funds from these companies) use the brave men and women that actually fight in the wars. Some personnel in the armed services fear any cuts because there will be fewer need to promote people to fill higher ranks.

There are an estimated 1,000 U.S. military bases around the world. (Even the Pentagon does not seem to know how many - search their website)!

We have bases in over 130 foreign countries! Most of this will not be reported in the news about the possible military spending cuts. What will be reported is every routine military deployment and test of military equipment in China, Russia and North Korea. The media owners, arms industry, upper ranks of the military and congress will scare us as much as possible so we can continue to function as the world's supplier of weapons.

Want a safer world? Congress should prohibit the sale of all weapons to all foreign countries

Military Spending = Patriotism?

Liberal and concervative media will push the patriotism button. It will go something like, "Congress is considering cuts to our brave military, many of whom served in Iraq. As China, North Korea and the entire Middle East increase military spending, some think they will all remain as peaceful as lambs."

Absent from any discussion will be the hundreds of countries where our 189 military bases are staffed. Seldom will there be discussions about the fact that The USA has a larger military capability and spends more money on military than the next 10-countries combined (friends or enemies). Yes, if you organized the military spending of all nations, we are number one and the COMBINED military expenses of the next 10 countries is less than what we spend.

Our geographic location makes it difficult for a land invasion, unless Mexico or Canada attacks! As for 9/11, the military found not stop it. Some would argue that if we stopped being the world's policemen, we would not be so hated around the world.

We should have all of the military we need to protect the United States. Our military should not serve the businesses in foreign countries. We should spend enough to remain the best military in the world and we should enact laws that prohibit sales of our weapons.

However, we will not see any such action. Tomorrow, we will see more and more stories that imply any cut in military spending will harm our troops, put America at risk and is unpatriotic.

Greek America

I have friends that are from Greece and they are wonderful people. I do not intend to suggest the Greeks are bad. However, it has become common to hear Americans bemoan the economic crisis in Greece and the seemingly irresponsible attitude of the Greed people that are unwilling to accept cuts in their standard of living.

However, compare our country with Greece. We refuse to consider any changes in Social Security or military spending. We have politicians that are absolutely out of control. They write laws to protect them from accurate and full disclosure about their investments and many made hundreds of thousands on the stock market days after they passed laws and approved bailouts that directly affected their investments.

We continue to borrow records amount of money from China and Saudi Arabia to pay for more government than we can afford.

As individuals, we demand more and more unemployment benefits while our roads are crumbling. We have vitally no work programs or jobs programs. In Atlanta there are many jobs, now that Hispanics have fled the state. Where are the applicants to clean fish? The pay is over $10 an hour with 10-hour work days! No need to pay unemployment checks in Atlanta! Yet, we do pay - with borrowed money.

As individuals we continue to charge what we can't afford. Tomorrow it will end and not in ways we expect.

Facts Get In the Way

In spite of stories in national magazines about the huge decline in illegal immigration, politicians and anti-Mexican blogs will continue to make illegal immigration an issue. It is a diversion.

Holding cells in most border cities are nearly empty. Although there are five times as many Border Patrol Agents than there were five years ago, arrests are down. Although there are hundreds and hundreds of miles of sound and motion detectors on the border, arrests are down. Although there are drones patrolling the border, arrests are down. The only thing that will increase will be the number of stories, blog posts and demands that the problem of illegal immigration be stopped.

No politician will offer a practical solution.

Too Big to Fail, Too Complex to Explain

Down with fear! Up with courageous creativity in helping the people of the colonias.
Many have said that the expression 'too big to fail' should be changed to, "too big to exist." In many respects I echo that sentiment and would add that laws that are too complex to explain should also be eliminated.

Start with the tax code. Simplify it. The present U.S. Tax Code has more words than the Bible and is two and a half-million pages. Instead of a progressive tax code filled with so many loopholes that billion dollar corporations pay nothing, tax individuals and corporations at 15%. No deductions. Period. The IRS will practically be out of business. Congress can stop creating loopholes for supporters and do more meaningful work. Lobbyists will be looking for work.

New legislation should be written at an 8th grade reading/comprehension level, and posted on the Internet for a minimum of 90-days before signed into law. As the houses of congress propose changes, those changes must also be written at an 8th grade reading/comprehension level and posted on the Internet for 90-days before voting occurs.

Committees studying proposed bills would have 90-days to deliberate and the bill would automatically go to the floor for and up and down vote. Let the American people see what was proposed, by whom it was proposed and what the committee members recommended either as a group or as individuals.

No bill should be amended with an item not related to the bill and all amendments must be posted on the Internet for 90-days of consideration by the American people.

When the Republic was formed the people rode horses, coaches or wagons. There was not even a telegraph system. With today's information technology the people can and should be engaged in the work of Congress. Although the legislature will continue to pass laws, the people will see the process and the process will be expedited.