Immigrant questions

Of late, we have mostly concerned ourselves with whether or not a Super Wal-Mart should be welcomed as a good neighbor in our business community. I assure you that this should be the least of our worries. The influx of immigrant workers locally should be a greater concern to all of us. There will, of course, be those who think I am a racist and that is untrue. I am, however, a realist.

Our President has promised to push legislation that would offer millions of illegal immigrants a path to U.S. citizenship. He refers to it as the Guest Worker Initiative. How very true that reference is, and it would be the worst piece of legislation since President Clinton won approval for the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada in 1993. An estimated 10 million immigrants live in the United States illegally. The majority are from Mexico, with an estimated additional one million arriving every year.

Portland is receiving a fair share of these immigrants thanks to at least two of our area businesses. One of them is in the process of providing (taxpayer funded) free child care to the migrant workers. These same immigrants will be living in new housing this coming fall (also government funded). Along with that, they will be treated at our medical facilities for free, their children will attend our public schools for free, and their contribution, from a tax standpoint, is very little. A large majority of them do not have insurance on their vehicles and they do not pay taxes on their license plates because their vehicles are licensed out-of-state.

We have now hired, I understand, two persons whose sole job will be to help new arrivals settle into our community with as little impact as possible. I see this as two persons who will guide them along the path of least resistance to the services offered locally. They will not need to speak English to receive these services.

California, Texas and Arizona have already felt the impact of immigrant migration and we will feel it also.

It was partially felt this past summer when the canning company did not work for a period of time and the migrants drained the food banks in area communities. Possibly the factor that brought them here should have provided for them. Quite possibly they should be responsible for their housing, medical, child care expenses, etc. I am quite sure they would not be so quick to import these workers if we, the taxpayers, were not paying all their expenses.

Our jobs are exiting to Mexico and Asia, our balance of trade is not in proper alignment, and with an additional one million immigrants arriving each year, what will happen to the average American and our local citizenry? Keep checking your local paper for foreclosures. These persons already know the answer.

James Coleman

Portland[[In-content Ad]]