I agree there are good laws and bad laws, and no one in their right mind would argue that what Bull Conners did was morally defensible. Legally - that's another story. He was acting within the limits of his legal authority. Rosa Parks broke the law - in her case what she did was morally correct if technically illegal. Drug laws are another stupidity, and interdiction efforts can't be defended on any logical grounds I can think of. And MS13 is funded largely by illegal drugs. Simple solution here - legalize it (all of 'it'). But that's another discussion.
Whether illegals underutilize or overutilize the public health system isn't germane. If they weren't here they wouldn't be using those services.
You make a couple of reasonable points about the cost to the school system. However, having spent a lot of time dealing with bureaucracies I'd have to believe there's some cost associated with dealing with multiple languages. I'll bet there are all sorts of administrative positions that deal with it. But I'll defer to you on that one. However, the Texas Education Agency estimated that the cost of dual-language instruction was between $290 and $879 per pupil, depending on class size (i'll put the links at the bottom since it seems to highlight EVERYTHING as a link once you put one in). According to the old INS and the US department of education, the cost of educating illegal immigrants in FLrida was 1.2 billion dollars in the year 2000. It will be a hell of a lot more now.
I disagree that using the population density argument is racist. I don't have kids in school either, and pay property taxes to fund schools I get no immediate, tangible benefit from. I'm also paying a much, much higher per capita rate then the 6 guys sharing a flat, though. The point about health care costs also applies here. If they weren't here, they wouldn't be in school, and they wouldn't be costing us additional money. I don't mind funding education - it's an investment in the future and blah de blah - but a smaller student population means a smaller outlay overall. Or better schools for the same money.
Florida does mandate auto insurance. But - it's easy enough, given the huge underground economy, for an illegal to buy a car with valid plates. Since the address they give are seldom correct, the state has a very hard time enforcing the law.
I've seen several of your other posts where you argue that low-wage employees have no one to blame but theirselves for their prediciment. I have to agree, at least to a point. However, a high school diploma really doesn't prepare you for much other than a 10 or 12 buck an hour job. An associates degree is jujst a bit better. To actually make any reasonable money you need a bachelors at a bare minimum. At least in any technical field, which are the only ones I can speak to. I still don't see why even a slacker should have to suffer due to illegal immigration. This is a 'free' country, and if they choose to work at a low paid job they have a right to do so.
We're in agreement on the stupidity of the current bill. Shows those of different stripes can agree on something, eh? lol. I enjoy your posts - nothing like a good discussion on a Sunday morning, I always say.
Where are you writing from? Are you in NY?
<link>
<link>
