There’s a myth that Donald Trump and his Republican enablers like to spread. The myth: immigrants hurt our economy and take away American jobs.
This is FICTION
Immigrants have little to NO effect on the wages and employment of native-born workers. There are NOT a finite number of jobs. When immigrants come they also increase demand for housing and other goods and services which creates employment opportunities for all workers.
The majority of economists agree that immigration is net positive for the economy. Immigration is associated with overall increases in GDP and higher standards of living. Even the conservative Heritage Foundation agrees:
“Whether low-skilled or high-skilled, immigrants boost national output, enhance specialization and provide a net economic benefit.”
So WHY has immigration become such a hot-button wedge issue in our country?
Votes
Donald Trump and his acolytes have learned that immigrants make the perfect political punching bag. They can be blamed for ALL the problems of the country - which excites Trump’s core base and brings them to the polls.
But stigmatizing entire cultures does nothing to address the REAL issues we have in our immigration system.
Right now, at the border we have thousands of people piling up in over-crowed detention camps. The sheer numbers of undocumented migrants have become a real issue.
But as a signatory to United Nations agreements after World War II, the United States is OBLIGED to offer asylum to any person who can demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or threat of violence.
The Trump Administration has made a serious problem worse by blocking border entry points forcing migrants to enter our country illegally. Cutting foreign aid to Central American Countries and making irresponsible statements has also magnified our problems.
With no plan to stem the tidal wave of undocumented migrants, the President shamelessly uses his bully pulpit to inflame voters about the untrue invasion of rapists and murders.
Any serious immigration legislation needs to deal with people in detention camps, a plan to stem the flow of Central American citizens coming to our borders, the eleven million undocumented migrants in our country, Dreamers and TPS persons in the country on temporary status.
There’s NO excuse for separating families, crowding hundreds of people in camps designed for far fewer and letting children and adults die for lack of medical care. This ISN’T the America that we know and love.
It’s time for Congress to ACT. The House passed an Immigration Reform Bill, but Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans won't even take up the matter. The failure of the Senate to take up an admittedly complicated and contentious issue is unconscionable. We deserve better.
Conversations about immigration should be detailed and nuanced. Overly simple explanations of “enemies” miss the mark and prevent us from engaging in intelligent discourse.
Please know that if enough U.S Senate Republicans demand that the Majority Leader put Immigration Reform on the agenda, it will be done. Immigration is a boon to our economy and we shouldn’t be allergic to progress. Contact your Senator and demand action now.
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The Republican Party used to be pro-choice. What we are witnessing today is the result of a TAKEOVER of the party by extremists who want to impose Christian theocracy in America.
It didn't used to be this way. Don't believe me?
Just 3 years after Roe v. Wade, public opinion polls showed Republicans SUPPORTED abortion rights even MORE than Democrats!
Republican First Lady Betty Ford called Roe v. Wade a “great, great decision,” and Republican VP Nelson Rockefeller CAMPAIGNED for abortion rights in NY.
Before they were presidents (and had to cater to a radical base), both Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush SUPPORTED a woman's right to choose.
George Norris' most CROWNING achievement, was the creation of Nebraska's unique one-house nonpartisan Unicameral legislature.
Every other state legislature in the country (as well as our national government in D.C.) has a bicameral (two-house) legislature, but not us!
In a one-house legislature, Norris said, no actions could be concealed as was commonly done in the conference committee of bicameral legislatures. In his own words:
"Every act of the legislature and every act of each individual must be transacted in the spotlight of publicity."
Norris campaigned for the Unicameral structure across the state, using his own money (and wearing out 2 sets of tires!) It was put on the ballot by petition and implemented in 1937.
George Norris is a LEGENDARY Nebraska politician and a personal hero of mine. Norris represented Nebraska in the U.S. Congress for 10 years, and the U.S. Senate for 30 years.
Norris was a Republican but cared not about party loyalty.
He supported Democrat Al Smith for president in the 1928 election over Republican Herbert Hoover and was even asked to LEAVE the Republican Party for doing so (sound familiar? 😉).
Norris routinely criticized the @GOP administrations of Harding and Coolidge. GOP officials called him one of the "sons of the wild jackass" for his dissension. Norris supported Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt for President and was a staunch supporter of FDR's New Deal programs.
There is a cancer INSIDE the Republican Party, and that cancer is Trumpism. Just because Trump is gone doesn’t mean Trumpism will go away (Marjorie Taylor Greene is currently in Congress).
When we look at this disease, we tend to focus on GOP outliers…Trump or Greene…but this is not where we should be spending our time.
We need to focus on the buttoned-up "civilized" elected Republicans who continue to LOOK THE OTHER WAY to the craziness consuming the GOP.
These "well-behaved" members of the Republican Party (you know the type) provide the oxygen to every conspiracy lie by remaining silent. By not REFUTING this dangerous nonsense, they add credibility to these unfounded ideas.
In 2020, do you think we need MORE partisanship or LESS partisanship? Exactly. Less.
Part of the reason we are so divided is STRUCTURAL. In addition to our archaic two-party system, our PARTISAN election system ENCOURAGES tribalism.
But in Nebraska, we have something special:
The elections for our State Legislative races are NON-PARTISAN. One’s party affiliation is NOT listed on the ballot. In our primaries, the 2 candidates who receive the MOST votes face each other in the general (regardless of party). Independents are not locked out of the process.
Unfortunately, this system is only used to elect state senators. Our federal and statewide officials are still using the partisan Washington-style closed system. I've introduced a bill to change that.
In Nebraska, if you commit a felony, you don't have the same rights as other citizens. You can't vote. You can't hold political office. You can’t serve on a jury. You can't hold certain occupational and professional licenses, and you can't own a firearm.
You also carry with you the label of “criminal” – which makes it difficult to find work and affordable housing.
Even if such limitations serve a purpose, should they last forever?
If someone has completed their sentence and has demonstratively TURNED THEIR LIFE around, aren't they deserving of a second chance? If they’ve chosen a path that is completely free from crime, shouldn't they be given the opportunity to have these rights restored?