From those discussions, as well as recent work-related visits to Arizona, I've concluded that those of us outside of Arizona simply don't understand Arizona's plight when it comes to immigration. Their state is literally being overrun by illegals, and their state and local budgets are being overwhelmed as a result. Arizona citizens are being kidnapped, and Mexican drug lords are entering our country at will.
And what to the Democrats propose to do? The Obama administration decided to post some signs warning American citizens to not travel into the area due to "active drug and human smuggling." Initially, I thought the signs were at or near the U.S./Mexico border. It wasn't until a conversation with Pullen and Ash at the recent RNC meeting that I realized the signs are posted 80 miles north of the border! Essentially the Democrats have ceded 80 miles of U.S. territory to the Mexican government.
And where do Nebraska Democrats stand on this important issue. Their leaders believe that illegal immigration is "much ado about nothing."
Democrats Mike Meister, Tom White, Steve Lathrop, Danielle Nantkes Conrad, Amanda McGill, Kent Rogert and Norm Wallman apparently all agree. I guess we'll see if Nebraskans accept their dangerous position come November.
It's true that the Democratic party is misrepresenting illegal immigration as "much ado about nothing", but it's also true that the Arizona is grossly exaggerating the magnitude of the problem in Arizona.
ReplyDeleteBefore we accept claims from the Arizona GOP, we need to do some fact checking. For example, part of the Buenos Aires Wildlife refuge is indeed closed, but a small strip 3/4 mile along the border itself, and the closure happened in 2006, not in the last two years. 97% of the wildlife refuge remains open, and violence is down.
http://www.fws.gov/southwest/docs/MediaAdvisory.BorderRefugeOpen.62010.pdf
Claims about beheadings in the Arizona desert by Gov. Brewer have been debunked by coroners, as have claims that most illegal immigrants smuggle drugs, and that crime is escalating. Crime rates in Arizona and other border states have been falling for decades, even during surges in illegal immigration, and cities in border states have lower crimes rates than comparable cities in non-border states.
Apparently, certain Arizona politicians view the problem as a wedge issue. In particular, Gov. Brewer was in a weak position until SB1070 generated publicity for her campaign. A similar strategy was used by California Gov. Pete Wilson, who, behind in the polls, supported Proposition 187. Prop. 187 boosted Gov. Wilson's popularity for a short time, while also driving conservative Hispanics in droves to the Democratic party. The California GOP has never fully recovered from the Prop. 187 debacle.
More Hispanics are conservative than moderate, and more are moderate than liberal. We need to avoid using rhetoric or repeating factoids that will alienate this important block of conservative and moderate voters, lest Nebraska and other states go the way of California.