Members' Corner

In ABSTRACT terms, this is the conspiratorial view of what’s going on
vis-à-vis the INVASION of the illegals here:

The current alien invasion from the south serves BOTH the elites who run
Mexico – and many of the OTHER states of Central and South America -- and
the political ruling class who increasingly run the United States:

• It takes pressure off the 60 or so families who control approximately 80%
of the wealth in Mexico. Without the northern “safety valve” (the United
States) for their poor, those poor MIGHT be inclined to do what America’s
early colonists found it necessary to do: Revolt! Parenthetically, that
would be MY suggestion for them: Instead of fleeing here – and converting
“here” to a larger, more poverty infested version of “there,” they ought to
stay there and make “there” into their version of “here,” whatever that
would be. Revolutions ARE messy and there are no guarantees that they will
produce the desired result. But – according to one T. Jefferson – they are
often necessary. Never forget that THIS country was born in revolution!

• For the NAFTA/CAFTA coveting US national ruling class – especially those
who, in varying degrees, quest after some sort of One-World utopia run by
guess who? – it provides yet another level of insecurity and tension among
the indigenous populace which can be used to justify new and more draconian
limits to freedom here. Instead of securing the borders, allow millions of
illegals to come in and when the natives become alarmed, require a national
ID card. “Your papers, please!” will soon become a phrase familiar to all.
It’s Mr. Franklin’s trade of freedom for (false) security. It’s also the
time-tested Hegelian Dialectic the One-Worlders have successfully worked
like a rented mule.

While they occasionally squabble among themselves, the elites of history
have ALL had one thing in common: They will do ANYTHING to remain in
charge. And throughout that history, except for the 230 year-old experiment
in freedom called “America,” most of the men who have walked the earth have
lived as slaves to these elites whether they call themselves kings,
emperors, potentates, sultans, czars – or presidents.

Get ready, folks. Unless some SERIOUS changes are made and the handful of
Americans who CARE about liberty get involved, that history will almost
certainly repeat here.

Now for the SPECIFICS of the matter:

My take on Bush's role in all of this is:

1. His long and apparently positive experience with the large hispanic
population in Texas is largely responsible for his inaction on this alien
invasion. And why wouldn't HIS experience with them be positive as he
traveled in the highest, best-educated circles among them, not the Hispanic
gangbangers and pine-straw spreaders...

2. His brother Jeb is married to a native of Mexico and his nieces and
nephews are mixed blood. And before you scream "ethnocentric bigot" at me,
there's nothing inherently wrong with that). But that fact -- and the first
item -- DOES predispose him to a warm and fuzzy feeling for folks from south
of the Rio Grande.

And if -- in some strange and metastasizing American desire for a new royal
family dynasty -- Jeb should win the White House, I'd bet that HIS
activities toward this alien invasion will make W's behavior look like a
warm-up exercise.

Any vestige of white European culture will be a distant memory.

Several years ago I began referring to the increasing numbers of Latinos as “colonials”. Friends and others seemed to think that was funny though it was just meant to be descriptive. Well, maybe it was intended to be light hearted but certainly it was not intended in any way to be mean spirited.

This issue involving illegal immigration, undocumented workers, illegal aliens, etc. is a complicated issue. It is not one that is going to be resolved by name calling, snooty (or snotty) remarks, emotional and ignorant comments, knee jerk reactions, and mindless demands that “something be done” regardless of whether it makes any common, practical, financial, or reasonable sense. But “by Damn” we have to do SOMETHING.

At least we’ll all feel better just because something was done. Even if that something is basically worthless.

Would it be helpful if we actually had information that was usable rather than letting oft repeated statements become a mantra until we accept untrue statements as fact?

One of the things I don’t understand is “they don’t pay taxes” and wonder how is that. We are upset that illegal aliens are working at companies. At what rate may be another issue. But no matter.

If that employer includes those workers on the payroll, then the employer is required by law to withhold estimated income taxes from the employee just as with all other workers whether part-time or full-time. That money is sent off to the IRS. And, to the state. Also sent to the IRS are FICA taxes and the employer’s matching FICA contribution. In addition other payroll taxes such as FUTA and SUTA are paid. Workers Compensation premiums are paid. If the company has an employee benefit program, the law and insurance company requirements includes those workers and premiums are paid. If there is a qualified pension or 401(k) plan the employees participate by law. If it is a unionized business as some in the news recently are, those workers also pay union dues (kind of a tax).

If an illegal alien does not file an income tax return it would seem that they do not get ordinary income tax deductions, earned income or other credits, etc. There is no refund. Doesn’t that mean they paid more than they actually had to pay?

In addition, just in the normal course of living in this country other taxes are paid. Do they not directly or indirectly pay property taxes? Certainly sales tax is paid, SPLOST is paid, as are the “sins taxes” of alcohol and tobacco. Gasoline taxes. All of the imbedded taxes in goods and services that we all pay are also paid.

So, I don’t understand when it is said, “They don’t pay taxes”.

I am a product of the government schools (GS). I graduated from high school in 1957 and was exposed to several hundred teachers. Most were dedicated professionals. And I can STILL name the EXCEPTIONAL ones.

Edna Kleinmeyer who didn't just teach English: She imbued us with a love of language I carry to this day. It was Ms. Kleinmeyer who told me I had a gift for writing;

Charlie Kluckholn, the tough old wrestling coach who taught chemistry and gave me some of the best advise I ever heard;

Charles Huffman, the homeroom teacher who helped me over a very rough spot in my life;

Franklin Jefferis, a "lowly" shop teacher, whose love of a job well done was wordlessly communicated to his kids in thousands of subtle ways. Mr. Jefferis died soon after I graduated. One October night, I “visited” him – alone -- at the funeral home and wept as I thanked him one last time.

But the current GS are radically different from the system through which I passed 50 years ago. Know that my concern and hostility are NOT directed at those who still TEACH -- really teach, really want the best EDUCATION for the kids, want to prepare them academically for the future.

Those feelings are reserved for SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS who have socialist/collectivist agendas or quietly acquiesce to the agendas imposed on them from above. They know that what is going on is wrong, but say nothing lest they jeopardize their careers. Author Thomas Sowell calls these folks "the anointed." And as the title of his book on the subject, "The Vision of The Anointed," indicates, they HAVE a vision!

That it is NOT the PARENTS’ vision is of no concern to them.

When my kids were still in the GS, my wife and I were quite active. The Principal of their elementary school chose me to represent the school in something called the LSAC (Local School Advisory Committee) program. I attended several meetings held at the County Board of Education headquarters. I came away from the VERY FIRST of those meetings with these impressions:

1. Those folks DID NOT speak English. Through tight little smirks clearly indicative of the low esteem, indeed, contempt, they had for the uninformed and ignorant gaggle of parents arrayed before them, they spoke in buzz words and technobabble code only they comprehended. At one point -- to the visible relief of the other parents -- I stopped one woman’s presentation and asked for a translation of what she'd said. She was NOT pleased!

2. They DID NOT want parents involved! Cookie sales and PTA? OK. Serious criticism of a course or textbook? Verboten! Your option was private or parochial school. There very little home schooling then.

3. Most of these people MAY have once been educators. They were now bureaucrats guarding their turf.

4. Many of those administrative folks were making over $50K and, though I looked for signs of it, I saw little evidence of anything resembling “work.” And this was 20 years ago when the average classroom teacher earned less than $25K.

5. There were WAY too many administrators in the GS. It is a perfect opportunity to provide make-work sinecures for “anointed” members of the educational fraternity. Four years as an Air Force instructor taught me how to spot the signs.

Here’s the “bottom line:” Simply hurling more money into the black hole of the GS WILL NOT WORK. Most of that money will NEVER get to the classroom or into the pockets of DESERVING teachers who actually TEACH. And teach what any sensible human being – REGARDLESS of race, faith or ethnicity -- instinctively understands to be correct, morally defensible material.

Bush is right about one thing: We need accountability! Perhaps you recall Clinton’s asinine plan to send 100,000 PAID Americorps “volunteers” into the grade schools to TEACH KIDS TO READ. Why hadn’t their PREVIOUS teachers – OR THEIR PARENTS! -- taught them to perform that rather basic skill???

Think about what you just read as YOUR local government schools continue to raise YOUR property taxes.