There was some standard MAGA commentary earlier today about the drain on the US from "illegals". I am for improved border security and more reasonable/timely access to resident status, especially for those with valuable skills or fleeing dangerous countries, but let's not pretend the hordes are destroying the US.
The big irony in how some people in the U.S. talk about illegal immigrants - these folks are stealing jobs, draining resources, and hurting the countryâcouldnât be further from the truth. The reality is, undocumented immigrants usually give more than they take, and many industries quietly rely on them to keep things running.
They work tough jobs that most Americans donât wantâlike picking crops, washing dishes, building houses, and caring for the elderly. They often do it for low pay and without benefits, just to survive and support their families. And while some people complain about them, a lot of business owners count on their labor to keep costs down and profits up. Thatâs the part they wonât say out loud.
The ultimate irony is that undocumented workers still pay taxesâon groceries, rent, and even income (through special tax IDs). In 2022, they paid almost $47 Billion in federal income taxes using ITIN's. They help fund schools, roads, and healthcare services they rarely use. They pay into Social Security, even though they likely will never see a dime from it.
So when people blame them for the countryâs problems, itâs not just unfairâitâs ignoring the truth. Theyâre not freeloaders. Theyâre an integral part of the economy. At the end of the day, undocumented immigrants arenât hurting Americaâtheyâre helping it.
As I said... we should manage it better... but let's stop perpetuating another Trump lie while ignoring his destruction of untold Trillions with his ill informed tariffs.
Not just theory. We have actual examples when Obama got rid of a bunch of immigrants, the result was a smaller economy that hurt the remaining 'locals'. Jobs went unfilled and the overall community suffered.
There was some standard MAGA commentary earlier today about the drain on the US from "illegals". I am for improved border security and more reasonable/timely access to resident status, especially for those with valuable skills or fleeing dangerous countries, but let's not pretend the hordes are destroying the US.
The big irony in how some people in the U.S. talk about illegal immigrants - these folks are stealing jobs, draining resources, and hurting the countryâcouldnât be further from the truth. The reality is, undocumented immigrants usually give more than they take, and many industries quietly rely on them to keep things running.
They work tough jobs that most Americans donât wantâlike picking crops, washing dishes, building houses, and caring for the elderly. They often do it for low pay and without benefits, just to survive and support their families. And while some people complain about them, a lot of business owners count on their labor to keep costs down and profits up. Thatâs the part they wonât say out loud.
The ultimate irony is that undocumented workers still pay taxesâon groceries, rent, and even income (through special tax IDs). In 2022, they paid almost $47 Billion in federal income taxes using ITIN's. They help fund schools, roads, and healthcare services they rarely use. They pay into Social Security, even though they likely will never see a dime from it.
So when people blame them for the countryâs problems, itâs not just unfairâitâs ignoring the truth. Theyâre not freeloaders. Theyâre an integral part of the economy. At the end of the day, undocumented immigrants arenât hurting Americaâtheyâre helping it.
As I said... we should manage it better... but let's stop perpetuating another Trump lie while ignoring his destruction of untold Trillions with his ill informed tariffs.
AFW's college roommate is/was from Vietnam. She disappeared herself without telling anyone, even was asking about going to Mexico etc. The police came and asked about her last week, not sure who called them. Heard yesterday that she's back home in Vietnam. So here's a quiet student, here legally and (probably) paying a lot to be here, who was so wigged out by things that she fled the country. Did she go to Mexico first? I dunno, but it's not good for us. None of this is good for us.
Tourism is dropping fast and hard too. I think the Immigration turn around is driven by farmers who are having trouble finding help now. All of this is pathetic and fundamentally unAmerican. All of this was completely unnecessary, it's a self inflicted wound that will take decades to recover from... if we ever can.
AFW's college roommate is/was from Vietnam. She disappeared herself without telling anyone, even was asking about going to Mexico etc. The police came and asked about her last week, not sure who called them. Heard yesterday that she's back home in Vietnam. So here's a quiet student, here legally and (probably) paying a lot to be here, who was so wigged out by things that she fled the country. Did she go to Mexico first? I dunno, but it's not good for us. None of this is good for us.
AFW's college roommate is/was from Vietnam. She disappeared herself without telling anyone, even was asking about going to Mexico etc. The police came and asked about her last week, not sure who called them. Heard yesterday that she's back home in Vietnam. So here's a quiet student, here legally and (probably) paying a lot to be here, who was so wigged out by things that she fled the country. Did she go to Mexico first? I dunno, but it's not good for us. None of this is good for us.
Trump says he will allow illegals to work in farms, hotels: "we're going to let them stay in for a while and work with the farmers, and then come back and go through a process, a legal process"
can't wait for the spin now.
I know he does his best to surround himself with minions even less intelligent than himself, but it seems as if some sane human beings are gaining access somehow.
Trump says he will allow illegals to work in farms, hotels: "we're going to let them stay in for a while and work with the farmers, and then come back and go through a process, a legal process"
Waldo Jeffers had reached his limit. It was now mid-August, which meant he had been separated from Marsha for more than two months. Two months, and all he had to show was three dog-eared letters and two very expensive long-distance phone calls. True, when school had ended and she'd returned to Wisconsin, and he to Locust, Pennsylvania, she had sworn to maintain a certain fidelity. She would date occasionally, but merely as amusement. She would remain faithful
But lately Waldo had begun to worry. He had trouble sleeping at night and when he did, he had horrible dreams. He lay awake at night, tossing and turning underneath his pleated quilt protector, tears welling in his eyes as he pictured Marsha, her sworn vows overcome by liquor and the smooth soothings of some neanderthal, finally submitting to the final caresses of sexual oblivion. It was more than the human mind could bear
Visions of Marsha's faithlessness haunted him. Daytime fantasies of sexual abandon permeated his thoughts. And the thing was, they wouldn't understand how she really was. He, Waldo, alone understood this. He had intuitively grasped every nook and cranny of her psyche. He had made her smile. She needed him, and he wasn't there. (Awww...)
The idea came to him on the Thursday before the Mummers' Parade was scheduled to appear. He'd just finished mowing and edging the Edelsons' lawn for a dollar fifty and had checked the mailbox to see if there was at least a word from Marsha. There was nothing but a circular from the Amalgamated Aluminum Company of America inquiring into his awning needs. At least they cared enough to write
It was a New York company. You could go anywhere in the mails. Then it struck him. He didn't have enough money to go to Wisconsin in the accepted fashion, true, but why not mail himself? It was absurdly simple. He would ship himself parcel post, special delivery. The next day Waldo went to the supermarket to purchase the necessary equipment. He bought masking tape, a staple gun and a medium sized cardboard box just right for a person of his build. He judged that with a minimum of jostling he could ride quite comfortably. A few air holes, some water, perhaps some midnight snacks, and it would probably be as good as going tourist!
By Friday afternoon, Waldo was set. He was thoroughly packed and the Post Office had agreed to pick him up at three o'clock. He'd marked the package "Fragile", and as he sat curled up inside, resting on the foam rubber cushioning he'd thoughtfully included, he tried to picture the look of awe and happiness on Marsha's face as she opened her door, saw the package, tipped the deliverer, and then opened it to see her Waldo finally there in person. She would kiss him, and then maybe they could see a movie. If he'd only thought of this before. Suddenly rough hands gripped his package and he felt himself borne up. He landed with a thud in a truck and was off
Marsha Bronson had just finished setting her hair. It had been a very rough weekend. She had to remember not to drink like that. Bill had been nice about it though. After it was over he'd said he still respected her and, after all, it was certainly the way of nature, and even though, no, he didn't love her, he did feel an affection for her. And after all, they were grown adults. Oh, what Bill could teach Waldo! But that seemed many years ago
Sheila Klein, her very, very best friend, walked in through the porch screen door and into the kitchen. "Oh gawd, it's absolutely maudlin outside."
"Ach, I know what you mean, I feel all icky!"
Marsha tightened the belt on her cotton robe with the silk outer edge. Sheila ran her finger over some salt grains on the kitchen table, licked her finger and made a face. "I'm supposed to be taking these salt pills, but," she wrinkled her nose, "they make me feel like throwing up." Marsha started to pat herself under the chin, an exercise she'd seen on television. "God, don't even talk about that." She got up from the table and went to the sink where she picked up a bottle of pink and blue vitamins. "Want one? Supposed to be better than steak," and then attempted to touch her knees. "I don't think I'll ever touch a daiquiri again."
She gave up and sat down, this time nearer the small table that supported the telephone. "Maybe Bill'll call," she said to Sheila's glance. Sheila nibbled on a cuticle. "After last night, I thought maybe you'd be through with him." "I know what you mean. My God, he was like an octopus. Hands all over the place." She gestured, raising her arms upwards in defense. "The thing is, after a while, you get tired of fighting with him, you know, and after all I didn't really do anything Friday and Saturday so I kind of owed it to him. You know what I mean." She started to scratch. Sheila was giggling with her hand over her mouth. "I'll tell you, I felt the same way, and even after a while," here she bent forward in a whisper, "I wanted to!" Now she was laughing very loudly
It was at this point that Mr. Jameson of the Clarence Darrow Post Office rang the doorbell of the large stucco-colored frame house. When Marsha Bronson opened the door, he helped her carry the package in. He had his yellow and his green slips of paper signed and left with a fifteen cent tip that Marsha had gotten out of her mother's small beige pocketbook in the den
"What do you think it is?" Sheila asked. Marsha stood with her arms folded behind her back. She stared at the brown cardboard carton that sat in the middle of the living room. "I dunno."
Inside the package, Waldo quivered with excitement as he listened to the muffled voices. Sheila ran her fingernail over the masking tape that ran down the center of the carton. "Why don't you look at the return address and see who it's from?" Waldo felt his heart beating. He could feel the vibrating footsteps. It would be soon!
Marsha walked around the carton and read the ink-scratched label. "Ah, god it's from Waldo!"
"That schmuck!" said Sheila. Waldo trembled with expectation. "Well, you might as well open it," said Sheila. Both of them tried to lift the staple flap
"Ah sst," said Marsha, groaning, "he must have nailed it shut." They tugged on the flap again. "My God, you need a power drill to get this thing open!" They pulled again. "You can't get a grip." They both stood still, breathing heavily
"Why don't you get a scissor," said Sheila. Marsha ran into the kitchen, but all she could find was a little sewing scissor. Then she remembered that her father kept a collection of tools in the basement. She ran downstairs, and when she came back up, she had a large sheet metal cutter in her hand. "This is the best I could find." She was very out of breath. "Here, you do it. I-I'm gonna die." She sank into a large fluffy couch and exhaled noisily. Sheila tried to make a slit between the masking tape and the end of the cardboard flap, but the blade was too big and there wasn't enough room. "God damn this thing!" she said, feeling very exasperated. Then smiling, "I got an idea."
"What?" said Marsha
"Just watch," said Sheila, touching her finger to her head
Inside the package, Waldo was so transfixed with excitement that he could barely breathe. His skin felt prickly from the heat, and he could feel his heart beating in his throat. It would be soon. Sheila stood quite upright and walked around to the other side of the package. Then she sank down to her knees, grasped the cutter by both handles, took a deep breath, and plunged the long blade through the middle of the package, through the masking tape, through the cardboard, through the cushioning and (thud) right through the center of Waldo Jeffers' head, which split slightly and caused little rhythmic arcs of red to pulsate gently in the morning sun
I was thinking more of being picked up by the ears by some kind of delivery drone and flown through the neighborhood.
PS .. which of course invariably goes wrong, resulting in my freedom and a collapse of the system .. etc.
Waldo Jeffers had reached his limit. It was now mid-August, which meant he had been separated from Marsha for more than two months. Two months, and all he had to show was three dog-eared letters and two very expensive long-distance phone calls. True, when school had ended and she'd returned to Wisconsin, and he to Locust, Pennsylvania, she had sworn to maintain a certain fidelity. She would date occasionally, but merely as amusement. She would remain faithful
But lately Waldo had begun to worry. He had trouble sleeping at night and when he did, he had horrible dreams. He lay awake at night, tossing and turning underneath his pleated quilt protector, tears welling in his eyes as he pictured Marsha, her sworn vows overcome by liquor and the smooth soothings of some neanderthal, finally submitting to the final caresses of sexual oblivion. It was more than the human mind could bear
Visions of Marsha's faithlessness haunted him. Daytime fantasies of sexual abandon permeated his thoughts. And the thing was, they wouldn't understand how she really was. He, Waldo, alone understood this. He had intuitively grasped every nook and cranny of her psyche. He had made her smile. She needed him, and he wasn't there. (Awww...)
The idea came to him on the Thursday before the Mummers' Parade was scheduled to appear. He'd just finished mowing and edging the Edelsons' lawn for a dollar fifty and had checked the mailbox to see if there was at least a word from Marsha. There was nothing but a circular from the Amalgamated Aluminum Company of America inquiring into his awning needs. At least they cared enough to write
It was a New York company. You could go anywhere in the mails. Then it struck him. He didn't have enough money to go to Wisconsin in the accepted fashion, true, but why not mail himself? It was absurdly simple. He would ship himself parcel post, special delivery. The next day Waldo went to the supermarket to purchase the necessary equipment. He bought masking tape, a staple gun and a medium sized cardboard box just right for a person of his build. He judged that with a minimum of jostling he could ride quite comfortably. A few air holes, some water, perhaps some midnight snacks, and it would probably be as good as going tourist!
By Friday afternoon, Waldo was set. He was thoroughly packed and the Post Office had agreed to pick him up at three o'clock. He'd marked the package "Fragile", and as he sat curled up inside, resting on the foam rubber cushioning he'd thoughtfully included, he tried to picture the look of awe and happiness on Marsha's face as she opened her door, saw the package, tipped the deliverer, and then opened it to see her Waldo finally there in person. She would kiss him, and then maybe they could see a movie. If he'd only thought of this before. Suddenly rough hands gripped his package and he felt himself borne up. He landed with a thud in a truck and was off
Marsha Bronson had just finished setting her hair. It had been a very rough weekend. She had to remember not to drink like that. Bill had been nice about it though. After it was over he'd said he still respected her and, after all, it was certainly the way of nature, and even though, no, he didn't love her, he did feel an affection for her. And after all, they were grown adults. Oh, what Bill could teach Waldo! But that seemed many years ago
Sheila Klein, her very, very best friend, walked in through the porch screen door and into the kitchen. "Oh gawd, it's absolutely maudlin outside."
"Ach, I know what you mean, I feel all icky!"
Marsha tightened the belt on her cotton robe with the silk outer edge. Sheila ran her finger over some salt grains on the kitchen table, licked her finger and made a face. "I'm supposed to be taking these salt pills, but," she wrinkled her nose, "they make me feel like throwing up." Marsha started to pat herself under the chin, an exercise she'd seen on television. "God, don't even talk about that." She got up from the table and went to the sink where she picked up a bottle of pink and blue vitamins. "Want one? Supposed to be better than steak," and then attempted to touch her knees. "I don't think I'll ever touch a daiquiri again."
She gave up and sat down, this time nearer the small table that supported the telephone. "Maybe Bill'll call," she said to Sheila's glance. Sheila nibbled on a cuticle. "After last night, I thought maybe you'd be through with him." "I know what you mean. My God, he was like an octopus. Hands all over the place." She gestured, raising her arms upwards in defense. "The thing is, after a while, you get tired of fighting with him, you know, and after all I didn't really do anything Friday and Saturday so I kind of owed it to him. You know what I mean." She started to scratch. Sheila was giggling with her hand over her mouth. "I'll tell you, I felt the same way, and even after a while," here she bent forward in a whisper, "I wanted to!" Now she was laughing very loudly
It was at this point that Mr. Jameson of the Clarence Darrow Post Office rang the doorbell of the large stucco-colored frame house. When Marsha Bronson opened the door, he helped her carry the package in. He had his yellow and his green slips of paper signed and left with a fifteen cent tip that Marsha had gotten out of her mother's small beige pocketbook in the den
"What do you think it is?" Sheila asked. Marsha stood with her arms folded behind her back. She stared at the brown cardboard carton that sat in the middle of the living room. "I dunno."
Inside the package, Waldo quivered with excitement as he listened to the muffled voices. Sheila ran her fingernail over the masking tape that ran down the center of the carton. "Why don't you look at the return address and see who it's from?" Waldo felt his heart beating. He could feel the vibrating footsteps. It would be soon!
Marsha walked around the carton and read the ink-scratched label. "Ah, god it's from Waldo!"
"That schmuck!" said Sheila. Waldo trembled with expectation. "Well, you might as well open it," said Sheila. Both of them tried to lift the staple flap
"Ah sst," said Marsha, groaning, "he must have nailed it shut." They tugged on the flap again. "My God, you need a power drill to get this thing open!" They pulled again. "You can't get a grip." They both stood still, breathing heavily
"Why don't you get a scissor," said Sheila. Marsha ran into the kitchen, but all she could find was a little sewing scissor. Then she remembered that her father kept a collection of tools in the basement. She ran downstairs, and when she came back up, she had a large sheet metal cutter in her hand. "This is the best I could find." She was very out of breath. "Here, you do it. I-I'm gonna die." She sank into a large fluffy couch and exhaled noisily. Sheila tried to make a slit between the masking tape and the end of the cardboard flap, but the blade was too big and there wasn't enough room. "God damn this thing!" she said, feeling very exasperated. Then smiling, "I got an idea."
"What?" said Marsha
"Just watch," said Sheila, touching her finger to her head
Inside the package, Waldo was so transfixed with excitement that he could barely breathe. His skin felt prickly from the heat, and he could feel his heart beating in his throat. It would be soon. Sheila stood quite upright and walked around to the other side of the package. Then she sank down to her knees, grasped the cutter by both handles, took a deep breath, and plunged the long blade through the middle of the package, through the masking tape, through the cardboard, through the cushioning and (thud) right through the center of Waldo Jeffers' head, which split slightly and caused little rhythmic arcs of red to pulsate gently in the morning sun
