Dear followers,
This week’s issue of The Economist provides deeper insight into Immigration Reform laws that have been proposed going back 15 yrs. Dick Durbin and Lindsay Graham cosponsored a bill 15 yrs ago codifying the Dream Act. I understand that Carlos Curbelo, a Republican representative from Florida, is prepared to enter a bill that not only codified the Dream Act, it offers Dreamers a path to citizenship. Thom Tilles, a Republican from North Carolina, will sponsor the bill in the Senate.
According to The Economist, 50% of voters who voted for Trump support DACA. That’s good because the US budget for immigrant deportations exceeds the budget of the following government agencies combined: the FBI, DEA, the Secret Service, US Marshals, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco. A hefty sum indeed! Deportation is more costly then training illegal immigrants and assimilating them into society where they can become taxpayers and provide needed revenue for our State and local governments. This is an ongoing debate and one that should finally be addressed. The economy loses taxes for every day delayed.
Most importantly, the human toll on these people must be addressed as well. Why deliberately maintain a population in perpetual limbo when, as we saw from Monday’s slide presentation, they are contributing to our economic growth. During the coming climate crisis affecting our mainland, we as a Nation should be coming together to tackle the daunting job of rebuilding our structures and acknowledging the worth of our left behind Human Capital. We should not allow a crisis to go to waste. Short term thinking has not worked for America. Medium and long term planning is required to help our people survive during these stressful times. Tax cuts at this time is unpatriotic and should be reassessed to assure that everyone pays their fair share to Local, State and Federal Governments for the critical infrastructure our country requires. Augmented Reality using MegaData will be an indispensable tool when planning our Cities.
There is no doubt in my mind, that making the Dreamers US citizens is the first order of the Government’s business. They are the very model of a productive industrious educated American citizen, many with kids of their own. These young people contribute to our economy and tax base. We should legalize them in a nanosecond and be proud of our newest group of American citizens.