Illegal Immigration

Response to Editorial and Ernesto Portillo’s Column
12/21, 2007

I can’t let the Star off the hook for today’s editorial content. You take aim at relocated Americans who have moved to Arizona either in pursuit of employment or to retire. I retired here 14 years ago. My first home was in Villa Sin Vacas. I kind of liked the sound of my new area. I had no hard feelings for Latinos or the Spanish culture. Illegal immigration may have been in full force but I was not aware of it.
As the years past by and particularly since I became a hiker I began to be aware on an increasing basis the garbage that was being strewn in the pristine wilderness areas through which I was hiking. Because I am an avid reader and keep myself informed I have come to deeply resent the invasion of my country by millions of illegal immigrants who are predominantly Mexicans.
I resent Mexican Presidents Fox and Calderone for interfering in our countries business by insisting that we accept all who wish to come here outside of our immigration guidelines. I also resent the fact that these so-called leaders do so little to provide employment opportunities for their people. Check out the Mexican government’s immigration policies to see how they treat immigrants.
I also resent the fact that thousands of Mexican jobs that had been created by NAFTA have gone instead to China. This is a country that violates every facet of international trade by pegging their currency to the dollar, by pirating trademarked goods, by employing children working long hours for little pay, by exporting contaminated food products for people and pets and toys containing excessive amounts of lead and other poisons, by selling human organs removed from prisoners in their custody.
I deeply resent our current weak leadership in Washington for allowing them to do all this without sanctions. I also resent these same leaders for allowing illegal immigration to get so far out of control. As Mr. Portillo so eloquently stated there have been severe actions taken by our country to return Mexicans to their country. The first was by President Hoover. This was during the depression and millions of Americans were without work. The second was by President Eisenhower when the millions of returning veterans were in need of employment. The amusing thing to me is that our government had no problem finding and evicting on a fast track basis. They could do the same today but have no desire to do so.
My personal position is that temporary work visas should be increased if a labor shortage exists that is not being filled by citizens. People like you are fond of saying illegal immigrants are doing jobs Americans won’t do. This may be partially true but equally true is the depressed wages being paid because of them which discourage Americans from taking these jobs. You in your arrogance like the fact that this keeps construction and manufacturing costs low so you can live in a bigger house and purchase goods for less. You care not one little bit that working Americans would also like bigger homes and to be better able to provide for their families.
Since you seem to resent other Americans from settling in Arizona, I have a question for you. Were you born in Arizona and were all other members of your editorial staff born here? If not, then you have no more right than I do to express your thoughts as you feel you have the right to do. I would also like to know if any of you have ever been employed in a labor intensive job. I doubt it very much or you wouldn’t be so happy to see our industrial base collapse with jobs heading by the millions to communist China all for the sake of you being able to have all the goodies you want at low cost.
I took the time this morning to respond as I deeply resented both editorial columns. I made it longer than normal since I realize it wouldn’t be published anyway. You can call us bigots if you want. We just want order to our immigration process not the chaos we are presently witnessing.

Jack B. Walters
3961 N. Hillwood Circle
Tucson, AZ 85750
(520) 722-2958
December 21, 2007
jackbwalters@yahoo.com