Arizona’s Pinocchio Politics
By: Vince Yanez
And I shall name him, Pinocchio.
Brewer
Non-elect Governor Brewer has recently stated that most illegal immigrants entering Arizona are being used to transport drugs across the border. The Associated Press has demanded hard facts to substantiate such a claim, others are demanding she apologize for lying to the public, yet again (news.yahoo.com).
You and I both know her apology will be coming soon, and will most likely contain the words ‘I was misunderstood’.
Kyl
Senator Kyl recently stated that Obama said “the problem” with border enforcement measures is that “if we secure the border then [Republicans] won’t have any reason to support comprehensive immigration reform.” The White House denied any such thing was said. Kyl didn’t budge, at first, but is now saying that his words were taken out of context (dailykos.com).
Sad how often he is misquoted with his exact words.
McCain
Senator McCain is running a Spanish-language ad that says then-Senator Obama tried to kill immigration reform. Just a few years ago, McCain actually thanked then-Senator Obama for his support of comprehensive immigration reform. He states that “Obama…is ready to block immigration reform, but not ready to lead.” Strange that McCain is acting as if he WANTS immigration reform in these Spanish-language ads, but in his English-language ads he’s talking about ‘Securing Our Borders.’ (alternet.org).
Sounds like someone can’t figure out who to pander to.
Arpaio
Sheriff Arpaio’s ‘immigration sweeps’ claim to be taking care of the ‘illegal problem’, but there is no actual data that these sweeps have done anything in combating major crimes and may actually be taking resources away from ‘actually’ combating major crimes.
Arpaio and others claim this new law is not going to ‘racially profile’ Hispanics, yet, dozens of officers are stationed in ‘Hispanic neighborhoods,’ ready to enforce the law and hopefully catch some illegal immigrants in the process. In April, 29 people were detained on ‘suspicion of being illegal’, but were actually legal residents of the U.S. One man, who showed officers his AZ I.D. card, proof of insurance, a passport and a visa, was still booked on ‘suspicion’ and held for 13 days because he could not pay bond. He was a legal resident of the U.S. (azcentral.com).
I wonder how many illegal Norwegians his officers have detained.
Crime
Supporters of 1070 have been screaming about the horrible crime due to these illegal immigrants in Arizona. Non-elect Gov. Brewer said, on Fox, “We’ve been inundated with criminal activity. It’s just – it’s been outrageous.” Unfortunately, the only thing that has been outrageous is the lies she is willing to tell to make a misguided point. FBI and border-town reports have shown that violent crime has actually DECLINED in the last two years. The rancher that was (supposedly) killed by an illegal immigrant has been touted as some sort of proof of this horrible crime wave. If it is proven that he was killed by an illegal immigrant, it will be the first murder by an illegal immigrant in the Tucson sector in at least a decade. Research and FBI statistics also show that those cities with the LARGEST illegal immigrant population have the least amounts of crime.
Seems the more illegal’s in your town, the safer your town (newsweek.com).
Money
Illegals are draining our economy! We’re paying for their healthcare, schools, etc! More screams from the 1070 supporters. According to a Fox Business article, even with the cost of health, education and safety, cities actually PROFIT from the tax revenues of said population (foxbusiness.com).
The New York Times shows that illegal immigrants are putting an estimated $7 BILLION dollars toward Social Security. (Nytimes.com).
Money that they will never see, but you will happily accept.
But the PEOPLE want…
When 1070 first reared its ugly head, supporters claimed that 70% of Arizonan’s wanted this bill. On April 27th, that number had dropped to 55% once people started finding out the truth, not only about the bill, but about the questionable people behind it. On April 28th polls showed that 57% of Arizonan’s favored an immigration policy that welcomes all immigrants (morrisoninstitute.asu.edu). Oddly, these ‘facts’ are never brought up by the supporters of 1070; they only cling to the old data that better supports their cause.
Here are some other interesting ‘facts’ both from public records and from the Morrison Institute at ASU (morrisoninstitute.asu.edu). http://morrisoninstitute.asu.edu/publications-reports/2010-illegal-immigration-perceptions-and-realities-1
Most violent crime is committed by undocumented illegals. In fact…between 1999 and 2006, states like Arizona with high numbers of immigrants, witnessed a greater percentage drop in all types of crime than the national average.
Arizona’s prisons are bursting with undocumented immigrants. The Dept. of Corrections states that about 15% of their inmates are ‘criminal aliens.’ National Correction records from a few years ago, show that illegal immigrants make up 4% to 8% of our inmates in America. Of that percentage, 47% are African-American and 36% are Caucasians.
Those ‘lazy’ illegal immigrants are feeding off of good, hard working Americans, taking our jobs and bringing down our way of life. Keep in mind, these are the same people that shouted that healthcare reform was ‘Socialism’ and they didn’t want to have to ‘pay for those who milk the government.’ Studies show the states that receive the MOST federal dollars for the LEAST taxes paid (essentially not doing their part, yet expecting the rest of us to carry their ‘lazy asses’), are Red States. 17 of the top 20 states taking more than they’re giving are Red States. 76% of federal dollars go to states that voted George Bush for president. Seems those who scream the loudest about government handouts, lazy Americans and socializing out country, are the most likely to go home after their tea-party rallies to pick up their unemployment, disability or other type of government-provided assistance (taxprof.typepad.com).
So what’s my point? Lying, that’s my point.
Dr. Spock says that children will lie when they wish something is so. Dr. Quek, a psychotherapist and counselor in Toronto, states that there are four reasons for lying: fear, habit, modeling and over-prediction (Dr. Quek).
So when it comes to Illegal Immigration and all the lies that are floating around in Arizona in order to create a sense of fear, hate or panic, you must wonder why? Why, if your cause is just and your reasons valid, must you lie in order to win?
Is it fear? Are you afraid to lose an election? Are you afraid of those people who don’t look like you or are afraid that people that DO look like you are becoming the minority in this country?
Is it habit? Technically, Brewer, Pearce, McCain, Kyl and Arpaio are politicians, and thus, lying is nothing new (though, I’m sure they call it ‘looking at things a different way’), which is funny that it usually happens around election time.
Is it modeling? Were your mom and dad liars and you just continued this way of living?
Or, is it over-prediction? That is when a child ‘assumes’ an adult will say “NO”, so they lie to change the outcome. Is this what is happening? If any of these politicians (the child) were to just, plain and simply state, ‘We realize undocumented immigrants don’t cause more crime, they don’t cost more money and they aren’t taking jobs from Americans …but we just want them gone anyway.’ Are you afraid that the voting public (the adult) will say “NO”, so instead you lie, in hopes the public won’t educate themselves on what is really happening?
I think it’s the last one, and Kudos to them for doing whatever they feel is necessary to get a win. I mean come on, they ARE politicians after all, duh! The real shame is on those of us that don’t educate ourselves enough to find the facts, to ask the questions and who will, lock-and-step, choose party rhetoric, fear or hate over true morality, values and honesty.
Dishonesty, regardless of outcome, lowers us all as a society. Ignorance keeps us there.
I hope that every American, regardless of where he lives, will stop and examine his conscience about this and other related incidents. This Nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened. All of us ought to have the right to be treated as he would wish to be treated, as one would wish his children to be treated, but this is not the case.
I know the proponents of this law say that the majority approves of this law, but the majority is not always right. Would women or non-whites have the vote if we listen to the majority of the day, would the non-whites have equal rights (and equal access to churches, housing, restaurants, hotels, retail stores, schools, colleges and yes water fountains) if we listen to the majority of the day? We all know the answer, a resounding, NO!
Today we are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free. In a time of domestic crisis men of good will and generosity should be able to unite regardless of party or politics and do what is right, not what is just popular with the majority. Some men comprehend discrimination by never have experiencing it in their lives, but the majority will only understand after it happens to them.
Looks like I wrote this article a tad too early, as Brewer is busy making up more stories based on non-facts. Of course, if we waited for her to stop lying, we’d have to wait until she loses the race for Governor before we could write anything about her lack of facts-type-point-making.
Now she is saying they are finding beheaded bodies in teh desert, because of our illegal problem, of course those in law enforcement are pointing out this is actually not true.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/02/jan-brewers-beheaded-bodi_n_632185.html
First of all Brewer will be our next govenor. So, get used to it. I am not for open borders, so I believe SB1070 is a little drop in the bucket but it is a start. We need to shut this invasion down and get rid of the criminal aliens that are here. We need to keep the hard working immigrants and get them green cards and citizenship. And if you don’t beleive this is happening, check out this video taken from hidden cameras.
http://www.borderinvasionpics.com/
I agree Brewer will be our next governor, because this state doesn’t know any better, other than that I take everything else with a grain of salt. The illegal aliens make up 4 o 8% of our prisoners, 36% are White, 45% are black…so their ‘criminal problem’ is in question. Considering such a huge population, the percentage of that population is oddly non-criminals.
FBI statistics and the border towns have agreed and stated two things over and over. The amount of ‘invaders’ (as you like to call them) has dropped SIGNIFICANTLY in the last ten years and is nowhere near what is was when Bush took office. Obama has actually given more money, manpower and deported more illegals in just a year and a half then Bush did over 8 years…and the funnest statistic of all, the FBI and border towns have also agreed that the CRIME rate has been the lowest its been in ten years. IF that guy was killed by an illegal (and that’s still an IF), that would be the FIRST murder in that heavily populated illegal county in over TEN YEARS. A fact.
So if they really aren’t ‘invading’ us and they really aren’t a ‘huge criminal element’ in Arizona, like the GOP likes to shout, what exactly is it that is causing good Americans to step forward?
And….the greatest question of all, how come NOT ONE of them has tried to create Proper Immigration Reform instead of shouting about headless bodies, kidnappings and all the other nonsense? It’s because it’s an election year…and just like the Abortion issue, they like to scream values, be scared, etc….until the election is over…then suddenly….silence.
vineeya says that illegal aliens make up 4 to 8% of the prison population in Arizona. That is not true. According to CBS news on July 22, 2010, illegal alliens make up 14.8% of the prison population in Arizona. The total amount in jail was 5,983. That is almost one in seven. That is like having 6 new prisons like the one proposed in Globe just for the criminal illegals. At $62 (ADOC number) a day this is costing the State about $135,000,000 per year. What if this money was instead going to our Schools, or into ACCS for medical treatment of the poor.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20011391-10391695.html
Actually, those stats were for the entire US, not for Arizona, and considering Arpaio puts DOZENS of officers in hispanic neighbors to stop them for anything from jaywalking to an out taillight in order to ‘check their status’, it’s no surprise our numbers are higher. Something tells me if Arpaio decided to stake out Italian neighborhoods, we’d have an oddly higher number of Italian’s in jail compared to the rest of America….but it’ s not ethnic profiling, nope, not one bit….purely coincidental.
Now, just two nights ago Arpaio was reminded on CNN that 40% of our illegal immigrants actually CAME HERE LEGALLY, then their visa’s ran out….because our immigration system is so slow and backwards (Normal Visa lasts about 2 years, our immigration process can take anywhere from 2 to 7 years, and if you leave, you start over), thus, they remained and are NOW considered illegal. Arpaio’s answer….I don’t care, LOCK THEM ALL UP! (cuz he likes to shout to make his points).
So if 14.8% of our prisons is costing $135 million a year….how much is ‘lock them all up’ going to cost? And consider this:
It has already been proven that the work illegals do actually BRING MORE MONEY into a state then they cost that state, even when you take into account education, healthcare, emergency services and jail…. (http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/economy/illegal-immigration-provides-benefits-states-despite-rhetoric/),
and that they pay BILLIONS into our Social Security System, a system they will never actually get to enjoy….(,http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/business/05immigration.html?_r=3)
So then I ask you….if the state is making MONEY off of them and they are GIVING MONEY back into our system, then we can’t yell about the ‘cost’ of illegals in our country, because the COST is actually a PROFIT.
Which means this discussion cannot be about money, in fact, it can’t really be about money or crime or taxes or anything that concerns what ‘we are paying’ because of them, instead, it’s about what ‘we are making’ because of them….including lower food costs, lower motels costs, lower restaurant costs, and kids willing to die in our military.
So if you aren’t losing money, and actually saving money…and STILL feel they need to go…at least be honest as to why you want them to go….cuz it ain’t about money….right?
Vince, That’s why I said in my first post that we need to get the hard working illegals made legal with green cards and citizenship. At the same time we need to deport those who commit crimes. But first we have to stop the bleeding at the border. I do not want folks here that didn’t come through the gate. If they had a visa, they came here legally and maybe stayed too long. If our politicians would quit insisting that they all become citizens immediately, maybe we could take one step at a time and get these folks work permits and then they would be legal.
The amount of illegals coming over the border is at its lowest in ten years….where’s the bleed? And not one of them, Brewer, Pearce or Arpaio has mentioned work permits, they’ve only screamed invaders and lock them up. McCain, once talked about those things, when he was under the guidance of smart people like Kennedy, but now that he’s on his own he doesn’t know who to pander to.
Show me the calm discussion about work permits, extending visas, fixing our immigration process so it actually makes sense… show me any of that from our wonderful Arizona GOP, and then everyone is ready to talk. Show us they want to fix the problem, rather than scare their voters into thinking the problem is really bigger than it is. We all know we have hard working illegals here, none of us have seen any facts about beheadings or invasions…and yet, here we are.
Remember, crime by illegals lowest in ten years, number of illegals coming into US lowest in ten years, most being deported by Obama Administration in more than ten years…..so again, what’s the ‘real’ issue here? Bleeding only counts if there’s actual blood…otherwise it’s just a bunch of words.