Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Schock's advice to Black teenagers

Schock has some advice for Black teens: Skip your first job.

At the NPR Forum on October 2nd when an Elgin resident pleaded with him to free up some entry level jobs (now held by illegal aliens) for the African-American youth that need to get off the streets, Schock said:

“Economic advancement isn’t a function of whether or not you’re competing with another low wage earner. It’s a function of acquiring twentieth century skills and education. Those who are at the bottom of the economic rung, regardless of the race or ethnicity, are there because they do not have the requisite skills and the requisite education to advance to higher paying jobs."

“The modern day economy in the United States is increasingly dependent on one’s skills and education, and if one hasn’t got those skills and education they are admittedly going to be at a serious disadvantage. And it doesn’t matter whether immigrants or non-immigrants… So, yes, there are instances where new arrivals do compete with those at the bottom rung of the economic ladder. But the answer for all people at the bottom rung of the economic ladder is improved skills, improved education, better marketability... If you’re all alone at the bottom of the economic rung but you don’t have the skills for the jobs that are going to advance you economically, it doesn’t matter if there is competition or not, you’re not going to get the job.”

Schock went on the argue with an Economics Professor about jobs Americans won’t do. The professor explained to the Mayor that Americans would do those jobs if the illegal aliens weren’t flooding the market and driving down the wages for those jobs.

What Schock failed to realize is that there is no particular skill set for those entry level jobs. Black youth are more than capable of doing those jobs. As for education, Schock knows very well that Black high school students out-perform Hispanic high school students every day of the week. They have a lower drop-out rate, a higher graduation rate, and better performance on standardized tests.

His suggestion that these youth lack skills and education to compete with the illegal aliens working those jobs is an insult to African-Americans and their parents.

Doug Heaton

Schock on 287(g)

Regarding stricter enforcement of immigration laws among our illegal alien residents, Mayor Ed Schock said:
“I think measures like 287g are more symbolic than substantive, the city of Elgin has had no problems arresting and participating in deportation of aliens who have committed serious crimes. I don’t think that’s the issue. When we adopt measures like that that are more symbolic than substantive, we do put fear unnecessarily in segments of the community that we serve."
“On almost every police car in every municipality it says two things on the door, To serve and protect. Well, we can’t serve a segment of the population that’s afraid of us because they question the motives of certain actions that we take. So I think measures like 287g do more harm than good for our law enforcement officials. That’s why our police department recommended against its adoption.”

Excuse me, Mr. Schock, but I don’t feel served and protected when you allow these people to steal Social Security numbers, use our emergency rooms, take up space in our schools, and drive around uninsured. What about the protection of the faithful taxpayers?

Schock wasn’t the only one to dust off the welcome mat for illegal aliens. Elgin also was praised by the Latino advocate on the panel, Guadalupe Luna, who compared Elgin with other communities. Luna said: “You have communities that have a big history with all sorts of immigrants in their communities…and succeeded. Elgin has succeeded and didn’t have to resort to some of these anti-immigrant measures that I am seeing. I’m also seeing a divorce, a gap, between the hierarchy of law, in that a lot of these states that are choosing to go these anti-immigrant routes are ignoring the relationship between the federal government and the state. And so there’s a big gap here between what I’m seeing today comparable to other cities, Elgin being a point.”

Oh sure, there isn’t an ordinance on the books declaring us a Sanctuary City, but we can’t get the Mayor, City Council, or Police Chief to even identify the illegal aliens in custody and report them to Immigration, let alone train for additional authority.

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…it must be a Sanctuary City.

Doug Heaton

Is Elgin a sanctuary city?

I once asked that question of the city manager, Femi Folaren, and he said without reservation, NO.

But if you were in the audience at the Hemmens on October 2nd, you might think differently. WBEZ radio did a community forum on immigration that night and some things were said that led me to believe Elgin is indeed a Sanctuary City. Listen to these quotes and decide for yourself.

When Mayor Schock was asked about the problem of illegal aliens in the community, he said: “I think everyone experiences a degree of frustration around the issue of immigration and the failure to have an orderly process by which people can enter our country, whether it’s to obtain citizenship or work; that’s absent."

“For years the federal government has turned a blind eye, pretending not to see, as millions of people have streamed across the border…Then after having had, and almost invited, millions of people to enter our country, to come up with draconian measures that’s going to punish those people once they are here is to attack the problem from the wrong end. I think everyone wants an orderly process. Every country wants to know who enters and leaves its borders. But the fact of the matter is the economy of the United States is dependent upon and grown as a result of the immigration. The unfortunate thing is that this has had to occur too often in an illegal environment rather than a legal, orderly process.”

According to Schock it’s as simple as that. The US just didn’t order enough foreign workers for our needs. So why are we concerned that 12 million of them came anyway? It was hard to believe the mayor actually said that. But Dave and I heard it with our own ears, and I have it on tape.

When asked about illegal aliens providing labor, he said:
“Of course there have been employee and employer abuses, but the key factor to remember is this; In the Chicago metropolitan area since 1970, 96% of the population growth in the entire six county Chicago metropolitan area has been as a result of Latino immigration. No immigration; no new workers. Our region would have lost jobs because of its inability to provide or find workers."

“So, when you combine the fact that almost all of the population growth for the last 35 years has been the result of immigration with the fact that over the next decade the University of Notre Dame estimates that two out of the seven million workers that we have in the Chicago metropolitan area will need to be replaced because of retirement, the baby boomers going through, where would we find an additional two million workers in a region whose entire population growth is traceable to immigration?”
(Just a footnote here. That Notre Dame estimate came at a Metropolitan Mayors Caucus meeting from Latino Studies Professor Sylvia Puente. Consider the source. Economics Professor Barry Chiswick has some different opinions about the value of Third World workers.)

“It wouldn’t happen. The Midwest, Illinois, Chicago area economy would collapse. We need additional workers. The pity is that the federal government didn’t establish a process, an orderly process, to allow workers and to bring needed workers to the United States rather than having it happen in the manner that it has.”

Schock repeatedly spoke of illegal aliens in terms of their economic benefit. I suppose there are economic benefits to dealing drugs too, but IT IS ILLEGAL! Surely he can’t be a proponent of situational ethics.

When the mayor talks about it, his logic is that we needed more workers, Washington didn’t plan for it, people came here illegally, we exploited their willingness to work below market rates, and that’s OK.

Doug Heaton

We don't need no stinking DREAM Act

We received this from one of our local supporters who works at a college/university. (The name has been omitted by us, not at his request, to protect his job!):
This is a subject close to my heart. Do you know that we have adult students at the school where I teach who are not US citizens and who get the PELL grant, which is a federal grant (no pay back required) plus other federal grants to go to school? One student from the Dominican Republic told me that she didn't want me to find a job for her after she finished my program, because she was getting housing from our housing department and she was getting PELL grant which paid for her total tuition and books, plus money left over.She was looking into WAIT which gives students a CREDIT CARD for gas to come to school, and into CARIBE which is a special program for immigrants and it pays for child care and all sorts of needs while they go to school or training. The one student I just mentioned told me she was not going to be a US citizen because she plans to return to the Dominican Republic someday and that she "loves HER country." I asked her if she felt guilty taking what the US is giving her and then not even bothering to become a citizen and she told me that it doesn't bother her, because that is what the money is there for!I asked the CARIBE administration about their program and if you ARE a US citizen, you don't qualify for their program. And all the while, I am working a full day, my son-in-law works more than 60 hours a week, and everyone in my family works and pays for our education.Something is wrong here. Right?I am sorry but after hearing they want to sing the National Anthem in Spanish - enough is enough. Nowhere did they sing it in Italian, Polish, Irish (Celtic), German or any other language because of immigration. It was written by Francis Scott Key and should be sung word for word the way it was written The news broadcasts even gave the translation -- not even close. Sorry if this offends anyone but this is MY COUNTRY - IF IT IS YOUR COUNTRY SPEAK UP -- please pass this along.I am not against immigration -- just come through like everyone else. Get a sponsor; have a place to lay your head; have a job; pay your taxes, live by the rules AND LEARN THE LANGUAGE as all other immigrants have in the past -- and GOD BLESS AMERICA! PART OF THE PROBLEM. Think about this: If you don't want to forward this for fear of offending someone -- YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM!It is Time for America to Speak up

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Social Security Number Verifications

Did you know that the Illinois State Legislature passed a law FORBIDDING employers to use the federal database to check Social Security numbers for new employees? The next time one of them tells you they are working hard to protect your identity, ask them about it.
It is House Bill 1744 and the Gov signed in on August 13.
Now, the state is being sued by Homeland Security for that little stunt but we don't know how that is going.
But I learned today that it doesn't become law until January 1. Get on the phone and ask your elected officials to change that law.
We need Social Security number verification.

Monday, November 26, 2007

We hit a nerve with this one!!

Here's a comment we received at legalamericans.net. AFLA received this comment on 11/25/07 through the website. As a point of information, her name is Hispanic with two Hispanic surnames hyphenated.

Here’s her letter in its entirety (complete with CAPS and misspellings):
“Based on these comments that you wrote on your website, I would like to know where your family came from-or are you NATIVE AMERICANS.
These comments are ludacrist-and all I can say is you are a bunch of RACIST pigs. For your FYI- When an illegal alien uses a fake SSN to WORK, they are paying taxes and not getting one penny back from those taxes that were taken out of the checks. This comment is insane, when they have children those children are automatically citizens. By being born here they are entitled to all the benefits of our own children. what have happened if they would have not let your ancestors come into America, you too would not have been US citizen. I am very proud to say, that I came from 2 hard working parents, that came into this great country as ILLEGAL ALIENS and became legal as soon as they were able to do it. As an illegal alien my mother worked at 2 great institions of education in this city, in the houskeeping department of both ELGIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE and JUDSON COLLEGE, she became legal in 1986 and then was employed at U-46 as a secretary until she retired in 2005 due to illness, otherwise she would still be working. As my parents said, they came to this country to work and not ask for anything. WE NEVER received UNEMPLOYMENT or PUBLIC AID. Most WHITE or AFRICAN AMERICANS or HISPANIC AMERICAS (that have been here for over 3 generations) will not work at McDonald's or at the drycleaners. If illegal hispanics would not go into work one day, lets see how this great nation would function... Who would serve you WHITE racists your breakfast at the local diner, who would cut your lawn and shovel your snow or work construction in the hot sun or in the cold weather? NOT a WHITE or BLACK AMERICAN that is for sure, they would rather go sit their lazy butt at the unemployment line or public aid office and beg for money, rather than go do a menial job. So, I propose a day without hispanics- lets do it !!!! Lets see how this country functions, if every hispanic person stays home legal or illegal. Lets see how the economy does... Reading the garbage that you write makes me so angry and sick to my stomach, that all I want to do is go out and be a better person and make sure that my 2nd generation children who are AMERICAN make something out of their lives, go to college and get EDUCATED, that is the only way to fight ignorant people and thinking. and to keep our language alive. I am sorry if your family all decided to wipe away your language and your customs, but I will not- I will keep what my parents taught me about my MEXICAN heritage alive and incorporate with my AMERICAN life. My son is 19 years old and is a freshmen in college and is studying to become a lawyer (either corporate law or immigration law). Like he says, he wants to be an immigration lawyer to help in this fight to help people wheather they are Europeans, Asians or Hispanics achieve the dream of being able to be in this country in peace and make this country a STRONG COUNTRY, without RACISM and bring back the morals that our country was based on. Just remember this GOD loves all people whether they are ILLEGAL or Legal, you all are not being good Christians. Well, maybe you are not and that is why you do not care. Jesus always helped the less fortuante.
As a first generation U.S AMERICAN, and I say this because MEXICANS are also AMERICANS, because Mexico is located in the continent of NORTH AMERICA- because they are ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS de Norte America, which transltes to UNITED MEXICAN STATES of North America).
I will always lend a hand to help out anyone in need whether they are LEGAL or ILLEGAL - this is what my priest has said in our church in Elgin and he is an White American- he has said that we are here to help our fellow brothers and sisters whatever there status is as that is what GOD would want and that is who will be judging me when the day comes...
God Bless you and heal your racist heart and mind. It is sad to think that this is what you are teaching your children, I am teaching my children to LOVE everyone ... Respectfully submitted a pro-human. “ and she typed her name.

How's Business?

For those of you who heard Mayor Schock at the Hemmens on October 2nd, you'll recall he was so proud of the economic strength of Elgin.

Here's what he said about the contributions of illegals:

"It starts with the basic belief and a conviction that diversity is a factor that enhances the quality of life for everyone who lives in our community; that diversity brings, both economic as well as ethnic diversity; brings a richness to a community that homogeneity doesn’t. So, we felt it was important to convey that message that this is a community that not only accepts diversity but welcomes it and embraces it.It’s because it is our sincere belief that diversity is an economic benefit. It’s in our self-interest. It strengthens our local economy. It’s allowed us to grow jobs in Elgin at a rate faster than the state of Illinois and the other Midwestern states." ~Elgin Mayor Ed Schock -

Now, here's the reality of Elgin's unemployment rate. Not so good. We beat C'ville, Rockford, Waukegan, and the state of Michigan last year. See for yourself. (Hint: You can click on it to see a clear image of the chart.)

The truth is that illegal aliens are bad for entry-level, low-skill workers. It hits hardest in the areas of the poor among us and people going for that first job.

Unemployment Rate Comparison

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