Sunday story on Latino community missed the mark

Letters

The Daily Dispatch, NC, August 12, 2004

Having read the story on the "Latino" community, it seems off the mark. The fastest growing minority in North Carolina, as well as the rest of the country, is the illegal alien. Until our elected and appointed officials decide to work in concert to roll back the flood of humanity from third world countries that seek to shift the cost of their kleptocratic policies and practices, we'll continue to be a magnet for those who desert their homelands for their individual interest at the cost of the American taxpayer. As a Hispanic who is a citizen and who has lived and traveled legally throughout Latin America, I take issue with those who belittle, violate and defy our immigration laws and the privilege of living in one of the few countries where the rule of law is remotely observed.

As the ranks of illegal immigrants of all ages swell and drag down social programs, the arrival of even more illegal aliens is bankrolled by the remittances from those already here. For this we can thank those unscrupulous employers who hire illegal alien labor with no benefits and on cash to conceal their payroll and shirk any potentially resulting obligations. We can also thank those banks and money transfer corporations who assist in the laundering of the tens of billions to the illegal alien homelands. We can thank kleptocrat states, like Mexico, for encouraging their citizens to come here illegally, for developing a network of more than 45 consulates dedicated to promoting the acceptance and tolerance of their illegal alien citizens and the Matricula consular so they can charge the more than five-and-a-half-million Mexican illegal aliens $26 for each. The gross revenue of the Matricula product hovers at some $146 million plus any annual additional inflows of additional illegal aliens...

As North Carolina, and the country as a whole, takes on more of the obligations that should rightfully have remained in countries which have large percentages of their population living here illegally, like Mexico (6 percent) and El Salvador (25 percent), our tax burden will continue to rise even as the benefits to our less fortunate citizens and legal immigrants shrink due to the exploitation of these by illegal aliens.

As to the article's question; Unless somebody in a position of authority grows some moral rectitude and starts compelling all facets and levels of government and law enforcement to detect, detain and repatriate any and all illegal aliens in an expeditious manner, the NC Latino community not only will stay. It will swell and then the question will be: U.S. Citizen community: Is it going anywhere?

Carlos R.
Overland Park, Kansas