In the recent scandal of the Veterans Association, government records were manipulated as our veterans died waiting for medical assistance. Many more veterans are ill, homeless, or struggling to find a job. Millions of American also face similar struggles to have basic necessities in life. While our government does assist millions of Americans struggling for food, shelter, and employment, the heavy tax burden has fallen on middle America and our children as our national debt approaches $18 trillion. However, our government has become more focused on assisting those who have broken our laws.
Obama's policies have encouraged illegal immigrants to come to America, which has overwhelmed our border patrol from capturing drug cartels, drug traffickers, and even suspected terrorists. These drug cartels are responsible for 55,000 murders along our southern border, including Border Patrol agents. They have also conspired with Hezbollah, an Arab terrorist network, to traffic humans and drugs through 75 tunnels into America. In essence, 90 percent of those seeking to get into America illegally are successful with 20 percent having a criminal background.
Approximately 30 percent of those in our federal and state prisons are here illegally. Many are being set free through policies of the Obama administration on a promise to appear in court. According to the FBI, there are 1.4 million gang members coordinating multiple crimes from drugs to theft to murder, tying up police services, prisons, and our courts. According to a 2010 Justice Department report, gangs consisting of illegal immigrants are active in 1,286 U.S. cities.
With Americans in danger and the cost to pay for these services and incarceration skyrocketing, one may think our federal government would assist states in enforcing the border. Wrong. Our federal government is actually encouraging illegal immigrants to come, using a website to teach them how to sign up for welfare programs once they arrive in the U.S. Now billions are spent on welfare to house, feed, and care for those here illegally. Some are provided EBT cards and bused to Walmart. Many have diseases, overstretching our healthcare system and services. With our social welfare system, justice system, and health care system over burdened, illegal immigrants have also overwhelmed our educational system. U.S. taxpayers are now spending $52 billion annually on educational services for illegal immigrants. All of these expenditures and services ultimately take away from our American citizens and taxpayers. We pay more for the cost of the service while getting less in return.
All of this pandering to illegal immigrants undermined those that came to America legally. Those individuals respected the law and went through the legal process. Those that came here legally and those that came to America 100 years ago did not come for government entitlements. They assimilated into society and learned English. They loved the Red, White, and Blue and many died fighting for Liberty and Freedom. They became proud Americans with the heritage of another nation.
Today, these immigrants are encouraged to break the law through an assortment of entitlement flavors for all ages dependent on a government to care for them. That, in their mind, would be future Democrat voters.
America needs to enforce our border, protect the legal process of immigration, and provide services to Americans, such as our veterans that have risked their lives to defend liberty and freedom. If President Obama and our government want to assist young children and those in need, their are many places throughout the U.S. where they can find real Americans.
Frank Aquila is a Manteca resident and president of the South San Joaquin Republicans. He is also the author of the book, "Sarah Palin Out of Nowhere." He can be emailed at mantecarepublicans@yahoo.com
