[Winona Online Democracy]
On Apr 18, 2006, at 06:19, Dwayne and Denine Voegeli wrote:
[Winona Online Democracy]
About immigration...
It's interesting that we have many people who strongly support the
supposed "free" trade ideas but most of those same people are also
staunchly opposed to the free movement of people across borders.
I would argue, it is interesting that people support free trade, but
when competing for laborers involves raising pay, the same parties run
to the government to alter the market, again.
Apparently "freedom" only applies to boxes and cheap plastic things
but not to people.
Would we even be discussing this issue if it weren't for some trying
to whip up a frenzy in their political bases?
And a nice motivation it is, tapping into almost pure racism and
prejudice.
The huge rallies across the nation, some that have set records for the
largest events ever in some cities, are very hopeful to see.
Any issue presented in an election year is for purely political
reasons. Many of these issues never see the light of day. We have seen
this with abortion, taxes, social security, the thirty-five faces on
the war against terrorism, and now likely immigration. Everyone will
get worked up into a partisan frenzy and will be convinced the
apocalypse will occur if the other side is elected. Again, the
environment in Saint Paul and Washington, D.C. will prevent real issues
from moving forward. Again, two more years will pass where essential
issues will not be addressed unless another 9-11, Pearl Harbor, San
Francisco earthquake, Katrina, or similar disaster occurs.
"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem;
government is the problem." --Ronald Reagan, January 20, 1981.
The Mexican government and their policies that stagnate the economy
leave individuals no choice but to migrate to the states for
employment. What can the US do to make it clear that Mexico needs to
reform its economy so that persons from Mexico need not take drastic
steps of uprooting their families? Short of annexation, practically
nothing, however, the immigration debate may send a few messages south
of the Rio. However, no one, not the Republican bomb throwers nor the
Democratic race-baiters is willing to recognize that the problem is
deeper than the simple solutions that the activists on both sides are
demanding.
It would be great to have an event of some kind in Winona to
acknowledge the rights of immigrants, to honor their presence and
work, and to protect them against unfair laws.
The problem is the US issues so few visas to facilitate movement of
Mexican migrants that it is more cost-effective to move illegally.
Rather than complain incessantly about immigration, which seems a
non-issue in Winona why not complain about and protest the messed up US
Tax Code that affects everyone adversely in countless ways. What
about... pick an issue that affects residents unfairly.
It would also be nice to see the City Council and Mayor actually take a
position to prod Winona State into dealing with the parking problem
rather than enacting policies that will make it worse ten years from
now.
It would also be nice to see the City Council and Mayor bring real
employment into Winona, rather than Wal*Mart which redistributes
existing employment rather than creating new employment.
It would also be nice to see the City Council and Mayor take notice
that Winona generates plenty of graduates every year but, few can stay
in Winona thanks to a lackluster local market for degree bearing
positions. (This bears a strange similarity to the plight of Mexican
immigrants who leave Mexico for greener pastures.)
It would also be nice to see the City Council and Mayor actually lay
down some position on trying to deal with the traffic on the
Mankato-Sarnia-Homer corridor, but none will occur, because they are
more concerned with vanity issues.
It would also be nice to see the City Council and Mayor deliver. Throw
them out, all of them, as they have failed, again.
May the Statue of Liberty always stand tall and proud.
:->
Dwayne Voegeli
April 18, 2006
********************************************
David Dittmann
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