Monday, January 12, 2009

Let's dig the hole a bit deeper, shall we Mr. Mariani?

From an internal email from MN State Representative Carlos Mariani on crafting a "let's let 'em all in" letter to the Obammessiah:
Dear Colleagues

I have been working with several local immigration advocates, and with national advocates, to craft an urgent letter to Pres Obama's Administration to take immediate action on several immigration policies fronts that fall under the purview of the Exec Branch. Primarily these will fall under three key areas: the present nature and scope of the raids, (especially the door to door residential raids), the current nature of detention facilities (falling outside the scope of regulation that even hardened convicted criminals enjoy), and the nature of the 287G agreements that recruit our local public safety officals to carry out immigration enforcement with little or no federal funds to pay for our efforts.

The prime focus of the letter is to promote a more humane approach to enforcement while our nation prepares reform of our immigration policies.

We hope to have a letter ready by the end of this week. I am writing to ask you to consider joining me as a petitioner on the letter.

I do not see this as a partisan issue even as we may disagree on certain elements of current immigration policy and actions. I understand some of you may be sympathetic but hesitant to agree to the full nature of the letter's call to action however, I do not want to make that assumption for you. Let me know if you wish to see the draft letter for your consideration. Also, if you are not prone to sign on perhaps you can consider crafting your own version that you can convey to the new administration seperate from the one I am preparing. It is my belief that there is much common ground on immigration reform, including testifying to the destructive nature that the current lack of reform and heavy enforcement has had on our local communities. Any call to not continue the status quo will be important to make.

I will be issuing this invitation to both House and Senate members, to local elected officials, and to labor and business leaders as well. We will then share our call with colleagues in other states.

Please let me know of your interest as soon as possible.

Thank you for considering this request.

Rep Carlos Mariani
Note that Rep. Mariani talks about "... the destructive nature that the current lack of reform and heavy enforcement has had on our local communities" but says not one word about the destructive nature that illegal immigration has had on our community resources, including health care, law enforcement, and social services:
The study concluded that illegal aliens are expensive, costing the state $188 million annually, with costs escalating.

This paper reviews the state study concluding that its population numbers significantly understates actual trends and therefore $188 million significantly understates actual costs. Moreover, the costs included in the study failed to consider a number of other, even critical, issues in education, health care, public safety, jobs and economy, growing energy shortages, loss of natural areas, environmental damage, and threats to the homogeneity of the nation.

Although not cited in the Minnesota Study, in October 2005 a similar study of illegal aliens in Florida was published. This study emphasized the three largest expenditures, as does the Minnesota study, with the identical conclusions. Minnesota is likely 6-8 years behind #5 immigration state Florida in the seriousness of the problems connected with illegals. Florida now spends nearly $2 billion yearly for education, medical care and incarceration. California’s estimates its three million illegal aliens (likely many more) cost taxpayers $9 billion annually.3 Countering the dream of illegals advocates that the idea of tax payments exceeding costs is shattered with the finding that net outlays still amount to nearly $1 billion dollars annually, or about $315 per Florida household headed by a native-born resident. Similar to the Minnesota study, the Florida study begins with an Urban Institute study of these state cost areas. Jeffrey S. Passel, the same demographer cited in the Minnesota study, found the equivalent situation in Florida as in Minnesota where the “official” estimates of illegal aliens were undercounted.4

Yeah... way to look at all the angles, Rep. Mariani. Proof positive that liberal democrats. Can't. Link.