The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 11, 2005, Sunday

Copyright 2005 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

December 11, 2005 Sunday
Home Edition

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. 5C

HEADLINE: LETTERS

BYLINE: D.A. KING, KEITH KAYLOR, YEH LING-LING, EBBA GAMER, CHARLES HANKLA, ROBERT YOUNGBLOOD, NORMAN C. COX, JULIAN BENE, MUHAMMAD YUNGAI, MICHAEL CANFIELD, JOHN DAVIS, LINDA SCOTT, JOAN O. KING, MELANIE COWARD, DAVID SKILLING, THOMAS BUNN, THOMAS BURKE

BODY:
Immigration: Responses to "Walls can't truly keep out illegals," Editorial, Dec. 4
No way to compete with 'guest workers'
OK, we get it. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution supports illegal aliens and a "guest worker" program.
Let's ignore that the oft-used figure of 250,000 illegals in Georgia is ridiculously low --- from the lowest estimate of five years ago. And that many independent studies show that because of the amnesty of 1986 there are now likely 20 million illegals present nationally. And let's ignore that billions of people want to live here. But let's not ignore this from Cornell University labor economics professor Vernon Briggs: "The toleration of illegal immigration undermines all of our labor; it rips at the social fabric. It's a race to the bottom. The one who plays by the rules is penalized . . . a guest-worker program guarantees wages will never go up, and there is no way American citizens can compete with guest workers."
Let's enforce existing immigration law --- like Mexico?
D.A. KING
King, of Marietta, is founder of the Dustin Inman Society, a coalition aimed at educating Georgians on the consequences of illegal immigration.
Penalize those who employ illegals
The AJC is exactly right about illegal immigration. As long as Georgia businesses continue to hire illegals, they will continue to come here, no matter how many fences are built and border agents are hired.
The only effective way to address this problem is to reduce demand by rigorous enforcement of labor laws, including stiff penalties for employers who hire illegals. Republican politicians are unwilling to do this, as their campaign contributors want to keep using cheap illegal labor. Instead, they will continue to call for ineffective measures such as denying in-state tuition benefits.
KEITH KAYLOR, Dunwoody
Build walls, hire agents, strip benefits
Walls will work if, at the same time, our immigration laws are enforced, additional border agents are hired exactly as recommended by the 9/11 commission, and a new law is adopted to deny all benefits to illegal aliens, including automatic U.S. citizenship to children born here of illegal aliens. Most of them will leave the United States if they cannot survive economically and if their children cannot receive any benefits whatsoever.
The Bush administration and both party leaders in Congress only want unlimited guest-worker visas and amnesty for possibly more than 11 million illegal aliens. If President Bush were serious about securing our borders, why hasn't he hired an additional 2,000 border patrol agents as recommended by the 9/11 commission? His proposal as well as the amnesty bill of Sens. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) will be a repeat of the 1986 bill that gave amnesty to 3 million illegal aliens. But its provisions to curb illegal immigration have been seldom enforced.
The United States still has tens of millions of unemployed and underemployed low-skilled Americans, including Hurricane Katrina victims, able-bodied welfare recipients and nonviolent prison inmates. Why not put them to work in jobs held by illegal aliens?
YEH LING-LING
Ling-Ling is executive director, Diversity Alliance for a Sustainable America, Oakland, Calif.
Mountain paths show the problem
I have just returned from a visit to see firsthand the border between Arizona and Mexico --- what a joke ("Fix immigration on outside, inside," Equal Time, Dec. 4).
Paths are worn over our mountains by the border where illegals --- including those bringing drugs, diseases, weapons and people from terrorist states --- enter our country every day.
We must build a fence if we wish to remain a sovereign country.
EBBA GAMER
Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Many noncitizens are here legally
Carlos Campos reports that "GOP leaders in the General Assembly have signed on to legislation that would require the state to verify citizenship before a person receives social services, in essence denying them to illegals" ("Are illegals a drain on Georgia?" Page One, Dec. 4).
Would the AJC and Republican lawmakers please remember that there are a large number of legal non-citizens in Georgia? They work, pay taxes and obey state and federal laws. They are clearly entitled to basic social services, even by the cruel logic that the GOP would use to deny health care and education to vulnerable, hard-working illegals. More compassion from the self-proclaimed "party of faith" would be welcome.
CHARLES HANKLA, Atlanta
Stop rewarding lawbreakers
I support Senate Bill 170, which would prevent illegal immigrants from receiving state benefits intended for and paid for by legal residents of Georgia ("Bill to cut services for illegals strikes chord," Metro, Dec. 4).
Rewarding people for doing the wrong thing only encourages more people to do the wrong thing. Our current process --- which provides benefits to illegal immigrants --- costs taxpayers a lot of money and encourages more illegal immigrants to enter this country. I want it stopped.
Our federal legislators have been an embarrassment to our nation for not enforcing our borders and for not implementing a reasonable process to legally allow people into this country when it is in the best interest of this country. Amnesty programs only reward folks for doing the wrong thing.
ROBERT YOUNGBLOOD, Alpharetta
Children of illegals will open floodgates
I don't know what all the fuss is about.
Police should have the authority to hold illegals until proper authorities handle it. We should change the law that says a child born to an illegal immigrant in the United States is automatically a citizen. Employers who hire illegals should do jail time.
It is about money, it is about what is proper and it is about security. Do we teach our children that it is OK to cheat on taxes but not OK to rob a bank? Illegal is illegal.
If we cut back on unemployment and other social benefits, more U.S. citizens would do menial jobs and we wouldn't need illegals. If we continue to allow children of illegals to become citizens, eventually they will vote to open the borders to all illegals. I'm 77, so thank God I'll be dead by then, but my great-grandchildren will have to live with our mistakes.
NORMAN C. COX, Jackson
Warning: Politics of hate likely to backfire
Let's quit the immigrant-bashing.
We aging baby boomers need all the help we can get from south of the border. Who else is going to pay the taxes to fund our nursing home care, and who else will empty our bedpans? So what if a fraction of our taxes today pays for a few ungenerous benefits for illegals? The savings we gain from all the work they do for rock-bottom pay makes this the bargain of the century. Instead of griping about the nice Catholic folks with good attitudes who have come to work among us, we should thank our stars we don't have Europe's Muslim immigrants, an underclass that really is hard to assimilate.
But if Georgia Republicans keep up their mean-spirited attacks on Hispanics for short-term electoral gain, they could create burning resentments like those that erupted in France recently. Voters need to show these demagogues that hate politics doesn't pay.
JULIAN BENE, Atlanta
Christmas: Materialistic orgy hardly honors Jesus
What's with all the controversy about Christmas being under attack? It seems that it is attacking me, with every supermarket, department store, etc., blaring inane Christmas songs all day and radio, TV and newspapers keeping up a steady diet of Christmas spiel as if everyone celebrates Christmas.
How can folks claim to celebrate a most spiritual person in an orgy of materialism? And there is scant historical evidence that this person actually existed as described in Scripture. But there is tons of evidence to suggest that the way this holiday is celebrated in the West is merely a modern extension of the ancient Saturnalia solstice rites, which predate Christianity.
It would be wise for people upset with those who dare to challenge tradition to remember that if all biblical accounts are true, then the one they say they worship was put to death for doing exactly that.
MUHAMMAD YUNGAI, Decatur
Another diversion launched by right
Christmas has joined Terri Schiavo, flag-burning and gay marriage as the latest diversion launched by the right wing. They start these non-stories, and the media cover them, wasting air time and column inches.
Businesses are free to call their sales whatever they want to call them. People are free to patronize those businesses or to take their business somewhere else. People are free to wish everyone good cheer as they wish to, and to decorate their houses any way they want. The issue is that government shouldn't decide which version of a winter holiday is the "correct one."
The fight has never been about Christmas --- it's about government intrusion. And even the right says they subscribe to that view. Relax, and have a great holiday season.
MICHAEL CANFIELD, Atlanta
Glad the dark days of tolerance ended
This holiday season we can be thankful that we are more socially sensitive than we used to be.
In the dark days of my youth we had a melange of kids in our school. We had a couple of Palestinians, but we didn't know any better than to call them refugees and they didn't know enough to be offended.
Empty desks on a given day meant that it was a Jewish holiday, and the Jewish students got off for Hebrew school, too. Catholics got off one afternoon a week for religious instruction. Black and white Protestant kids came in last, with an hour off on Wednesday afternoons to listen to a woman who was a notorious fruitcake squeak on about the Communist threat. We had an atheist or two, but they got lumped in with the Protestants to get out of school. We wished one another Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah.
A byproduct of our ignorance was tolerance, an insignificant casualty in light of our newfound social awareness.
JOHN DAVIS, Sautee
A nation without God is doomed
Some people have a problem with the word "Christ" when talking about a Christmas tree? Give me a break!
All of the people who are anti-God, anti-religion, anti-Christ, anti-Ten Commandments being displayed, etc., need to be rounded up and moved to their own little country where they can have it their way.
If President Bush wants to do one thing good for this country before he's done in Washington, he should make this happen. But without God invited into their country, they must be prepared for the worst to happen to it, because the devil is always lurking. If we want to end the craziness going on in our country, we must bring God back.
LINDA SCOTT, Tucker
Global warming: Responses to "Global warming may be hazardous to health," News, Dec. 4
Americans want to have it both ways
Global warming may endanger our health --- oh, really? This is what environmentalists have been saying for years. Did you really think our only interest was the spotted owl or the snail darter?
"The lethal impacts are felt by people around the world, especially the poor," the article informs us. Yes, but Americans want to defend "our way of life" at all costs. And we call ourselves a religious nation.
JOAN O. KING, Sautee
It's harmful to the economy as well
The evidence points to the conclusion that global warming is causing illnesses to develop and spread more quickly. A growing number of people are dying and becoming sick as a result.
Not only can global warming be harmful to health, but many other aspects of life, such as our economy, could be negatively affected.
If we do not strongly combat global warming, there could be serious repercussions. There should be increased efforts to inform people of the possible harm of global warming and of how they can help. Those who act in ways that will help to slow global warming, such as recycling and using solar-powered heat, should be rewarded.
MELANIE COWARD, Cumming
Aviation safety: Responses to "Skies safer, despite woes," Business, Dec. 4
Nonunion crew gets the job done
Unions don't have much going for them these days, including the truth, it seems. Union claims that unionized mechanics perform safer airline maintenance are bogus. Since Delta mechanics have never been unionized, is that airline unsafe?
My own recent experience as a Northwest Airlines pilot showed that unions can be decidedly less safe. Leading up to their August strike, the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association mechanics at NWA deliberately allowed backlogs (called MELs) of mechanical discrepancies to build to high levels, ostensibly as a pressure tactic against the company. The Federal Aviation Administration allows fixing specific categories of discrepancies to be deferred for specified periods of time. This is not unsafe, but the effect can be cumulative.
Just before the strike, nearly all airplanes had multiple MELs, and I flew one with nine. Within two weeks of taking over, the replacement nonunion mechanics had the average down to well fewer than one per airplane.
DAVID SKILLING, Marietta
Outsourced hires lack motivation
Dave Hirschman's article suggests that safety is not affected by outsourcing.
I have been helping people deal with flight phobia for 25 years. Whenever clients have spoken with mechanics, inevitably the mechanic is asked, "How do I know you do your job right?" The answer has never been because of the FAA, or concern about being fired or getting flak from a supervisor. Instead, it has always been, "Because I know when my family flies on a pass it is going to be on a plane I have worked on."
Mechanics doing the outsourced work do not get passes for themselves or for their families. Thus, the overriding motivation for doing the job right is being lost.
THOMAS BUNN
Bunn, of Easton, Conn., is a retired commercial airline pilot.
Nagin is a disgrace
After some good reporting by Mae Gentry, I can only say it is about time that New Orleans, Louisiana and the nation see Ray Nagin for what he is: a pathetic, ineffectual excuse for a mayor or a leader ("Evacuees frustrated with Nagin," Metro, Dec. 4) .
What caused many of New Orleans' problems (before and after Katrina) was all his talk and his almost negligent failure to act. It continues today with his "rah-rah" bravado without substance, fiscally or strategically, to support its people. Is this nothing more than an attempt to save his political life?
THOMAS BURKE, Atlanta