Immigration: Not Always a Burden

I came across the most interesting article today. A nonpartisan think tank called the Migration Policy Institute recently issued a report providing a profile of Napa Valley’s immigrant population. The report provides estimates of immigrants’ influence on local economic health.
The report shows that although the Latino immigrant population in Napa County has increased 35 percent since 2000, the poverty rate among Latino immigrants had fallen dramatically. A high percentage of employers offer health insurance to their immigrant employees, reducing public costs of Medi-Cal, and from emergency rooms and clinics for the uninsured.

Sure, Latino children get free education in our Napa’s public schools. (GASP!) But their parents pay taxes at the same rate as other demographic groups.

The researchers recommend the county invest in their immigrant population (well, shucks!), maintain quality education in the public schools, incentivize private health care coverage, offer more citizenship programs, and invest in affordable housing for their large commuting workforce.

Thus the burden on social services due to a high immigrant population that conservatives in this country contrive as an excuse to fire, deport and separate families becomes a non sequitur when immigrants are treated respectfully and are offered the benefits everyone else gets. I think Mitt Romney and his cronies would balk at such evil socialist ideas. But these ideas are working all the time all over the country! Napa County is proof there is more than one way to solve our economic problems.

The Debt Ceiling Impasse is Shameful

I usually get most incensed only when the government insists on inserting their legislation into my uterus or pays general disregard to female equality. But the debt ceiling failures plaguing our Congress of late have me so upset, I felt the need to share with Senator Pat Toomey my disappointment in his and his party’s job performance of session.

Dear Senator Toomey,

I have had enough. I am sick and tired of the whining over the failure of the so-called “Cut, Cap and Balance” bill. Frankly, we don’t NEED to pass a new constitutional amendment in order for Congress to do the work ALREADY assigned to it by the Constitution and pass a responsible budget each year. You frequenting every news outlet in the country to complain about opposition to a bill that is unnecessary and, frankly, detrimental to our nation’s security accomplishes nothing.

The fact is republicans refuse to negotiate with democrats to pass a debt ceiling agreement that provides for the national security of our nation. While your party forces sweeping cuts in education – undermining the security of our future generations – you refuse to close tax loopholes for hedge fund managers or eliminate tax-payer funded subsidies for billion dollar oil companies. This is ludicrous!

Take note, Senator! While you traipse about the airwaves broadcasting your tough, ideological talk, the rest of us are waiting for you to really do something good for America. I am waiting on you and your party to start getting serious about protecting our financial security and create realistic solutions for America.

Drop the partisanship and GET REAL!

Sincerely,

Nucleargrrl