Costs and Benefits of Immigration##M:[more]##
Lloyd Gracey’s February 18 letter (“Who Pays For Illegal Immigrants”) recycles some often voiced misconceptions about undocumented immigrants. First of all, the Census Bureau is not the source of the study claiming a deficit in services used vs. taxes paid by undocumented immigrants. The report was published by a private Washington group advocating for tougher immigration policies, the Center for Immigration Studies.
Among the “costs” computed in this study are a per capita share of things like highway maintenance, small business loan subsidies, and the federal court and prison system. The assumption made is that if all undocumented immigrants were to disappear tomorrow, by waiving some magic wand, the federal government would be $10 billion richer, which is clearly not true. The study acknowledges that a majority of the benefits are provided to the U.S.-born children of these immigrants, but it fails to account for the future contributions of these children as workers and taxpayers.
Why should the children of immigrants be entitled to healthcare and education at taxpayers’ expense? Because they will make up the future workforce that will sustain our growing retiree population. In the 1990-2000 decade, New Jersey would have had zero population growth without the influx of new immigrants. At a time when we are contemplating the need to reform our Social Security system because of the unsustainable demands that the Baby-Boom generation will impose, how can we responsibly consider removing immigrants from our society?
The Social Security Administration is holding $421 billion in an “Earnings Suspense File” for wages reported under “unmatched” Social Security numbers, which are likely to belong in part to undocumented immigrants.
Maria (Charo) Juega
Chair, Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund (LALDEF), 609-713-6616
License Lost, Plainsboro Cops To the Rescue
The Plainsboro Police did the right thing and I wish to thank them for helping me.
My husband and I vacationed in Florida, Key West, in February and my wallet was lost (or stolen). I canceled my credit cards, but a blank check and my driver’s license were gone. Checking home messages, I was delighted to hear a message from a woman saying she had found the wallet in a parking lot, her son had it, and asking me to call her — she left a number.
She did not answer on my first try, but the voice mail of the number I called gave the name of a company. I left a number and we played telephone tag. When we finally spoke, she told me how very lucky I was that they had found it. She pressed on so much about how I must be upset, etc, that I began to feel trouble. I asked if she could put my wallet in the mail, and I would send her money for postage. I said she could also leave it with the police, as they had my information.
A week passed and no wallet appeared. I called and she told me I had not been “nice enough.” Her comments had me feeling like extortion was being suggested. Then she said she did not have it, and hung up. This type of call repeated itself several times. Then she started accusing me of harassment!
I got a copy of the police report from Key West, and I went off to find help. I was really fed up, and by this time quite concerned.
Initially the Plainsboro Police said they were not able to do anything, because the incident happened out of state. But soon more officers were listening to my tale, and a smart young woman at police headquarters named Dolores offered to help. She asked good questions and showed concern for the situation, and came to the conclusion that this was a case of identity theft — not just a lost wallet.
Patrol Officer Brett J. Olma was put on the case. The officer was kind and attentive. He heard my story and offered a great solution — he called the people!
The phone call did not go through the first time, but to voice mail, and Officer Olma heard the name of the company, as I did, and he left a message. It did not take long before my “Florida friend” returned the call. I must say, I loved the thought of that conversation. I am sure he was a gentleman, but told her clearly to get that wallet back to its owner — to do the right thing.
When I next saw Patrolman Olma, he was smiling and shaking his head. He told me, “Your instincts were right, this was an odd woman.”
So I’ll probably never see the wallet, but those creeps know the Plainsboro Police Department have their eye on them. So I do feel better. Isn’t this the sort of thing that needs to be followed up on? Small efforts to keep an eye out, believing a person’s strange story of ID theft? Homeland security starts at home, I think, and so did this wonderful officer and his department. I just hope I have heard the last of these horrible people.
An important and somewhat troubling footnote: The motor vehicle department had no way of recording on my paperwork that my license had been taken. It was simply re-issued to me as a duplicate. Even though the Florida police had told me to be sure to tell them, the people at the motor vehicle commission looked at me like I was nuts when I asked them to make a note of the theft. We need to change that, I think. Go to it, Plainsboro!
Ardeth Black
580 Sayre Drive, Plainsboro
Mayoral Preference
I was pleased that Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh chose such accomplished residents as Linda Geevers and Heidi Kleinman to join him in his continued efforts to serve our town.
I’ve come to learn first hand that Shing is open to new ideas that foster increased dialogue and community connection among residents. He is a proponent of open communication and of holding regular Town Hall meetings on issues of critical importance and interest to residents. Shing sees this as not only a means to disseminate information, but as a way to obtain valuable feedback and gain consensus on a host of public projects he hopes to initiate over the course of a second term.
Shing also values common sense, and open communication with the public. It provides him a rich source of expertise and points of view from those willing to serve their community. In fact I learned that during Shing’s administration, volunteerism in Township governance increased by more than 60 percent.
Shing’s running mates — Linda and Heidi — are committed to public inclusion as well. I’ve come to know Linda through her tireless efforts to bring attention to the needs of our older schools, in particular Dutch Neck and High School South. Having Linda’s expertise on Township Council is invaluable. She’s shown a great deal of respect for public comment as a member of the Board of Education, and has specifically sought out individuals able to provide key support toward the development of sound educational policies that enriched the lives of our children.
Meanwhile Heidi, through her work on the planning board and as founding member of the Arts Council, has worked hard to seek out public advice on projects, now underway or in development, that enrich our community.
As a Township resident who values public discourse and the free exchange of ideas (no matter the source) I will cast my vote on Tuesday, May 10, for the Community Vision Team — Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh, Heidi Kleinman, and Linda Geevers.
Barbara Pfeifer
3 Beardsly Court, West Windsor
Founding member, Resident Roundtable Initiative; member, Friends of Dutch Neck
Mayoral Vision
I would like to bring to the attention of the West Windsor community some of the lesser known attributes of West Windsor’s current mayor — Dr. Shing Fu-Hsueh. Shortly after being elected Mayor of West Windsor in 2001, Mayor Hsueh retired from a 28-year career as both an engineer and manager with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the State Office of Smart Growth to devote a full time approach to a part time position: that of mayor of this 27-square-mile, 22,”000-person Township. He has used his experience and familiarity with the various governmental funding processes — at the County, State and Federal level — to obtain over $9 million of grants and commitments to the Township at ZERO cost to the West Windsor taxpayer!
These grants are being used to develop and produce analytical and quantitative reports on a variety of issues affecting West Windsor Township, such as the Route 571 corridor through Princeton Junction, the Vaughn Dive connector linking Washington Road with Alexander Road, and the Grover’s Mill Pond dam improvement and reclamation, to name but a few, that have evolved as this township has seen such rapid growth.
These are the first steps in an orderly and constructive vision to establish West Windsor as a fully developed community. Mayor Hsueh deserves more than just simple admiration and recognition. He deserves to be re-elected to another term to lead the Township through to the completion of these goals.
Please vote for Mayor Shing Fu-Hsueh and his Community Vision Team on May 10.
Richard Eland
4 Courtney Drive, West Windsor
Student Shootings: Preventable Acts
I know that with this latest school shooting, many will think that this is the only time that the Million Mom March surfaces. But for those of you in Mercer County, and for many others around the country, you know this is not the case. We are a gun violence PREVENTION organization — working EVERY day to bring attention to the dangers of having a gun in the home. When something like this incident in Minnesota occurs, it is not a surprise to the Million Mom March. We see this possibility brewing every day. It could, and should, have been prevented.
Every day in America 100,”000 kids take a gun to school. Students at this latest school, as with those in 75 percent of the other schools where shootings have occurred, said that this boy spoke of killing people at the Red Lake school. But they didn’t take him seriously. Kids need to know that they are empowered to save themselves and their friends and teachers from this kind of tragedy. The days of threats of violence being a “joke” are long gone. SPEAK UP. If you know of a weapon threat at your school, tell a school administrator or your parents. If you are uncomfortable doing that, call 1-866-SPEAK-UP, the first-ever nationwide hotline for students to anonymously report weapon-related threats at their schools. Remember: when it comes to preventing school violence, nobody’s voice is more important than yours.
We also see that now that there is no federal assault weapons ban, gun manufacturers are making bigger and better guns for the average citizen to possess — and some will, just because they can. The .50 caliber weapon can take down an airplane. The new Five-seveN (street name: Cop-Killer) is advertised as, and has been proven to, being able to penetrate policemen’s body armor. Until a “smart gun” (one that can’t be fired by unauthorized users) is DEMANDED on a federal level, children will continue to get their hands on others’ guns and shoot fellow students. Prisoners will be able to take the gun from a court guard’s holster and kill at will. These are not accidents. These events are preventable.
Congress has got to stop pandering to the gun lobby and begin protecting the general public. There are currently some life-saving, gun violence prevention bills before Congress that need your support. But instead of considering these bills, immediately after their Spring Recess, Congress will scramble to pass Gun Industry Immunity bills (S.397/H.R.800). The deceptively named “Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act,” this legislation would take away the legal rights of gun violence victims and give special legal privileges to the gun industry. They are strongly opposed by law enforcement organizations and officers across the country, and hundreds of organizations representing victims, faiths, children, and medical groups. YOU must urge Congress to OPPOSE these Immunity bills.
Contact your Congressmen today and tell them to protect our children, our cops, our homeland security — not the gun industry.
Carole Stiller
President, Mercer County Chapter,
Million Mom March
March united with the Brady Campaign to
Prevent Gun Violence
