Debate Over Immigration

According to your Dec. 20 editorial, 41% of the 810,635 legal immigrants in 1992, or 332,361 people, decided California was the place they ought to be. The Times then deduced that all 332,361 new arrivals landed on public relief: “It is both unfair and unwise to ask California taxpayers to pick up the tab for this.” Not a Beverly Hillbilly among ‘em.

Are you willing to state explicitly, and do you have the numbers to back it up, that not a single one of those immigrants became contributors to the tax base that so ill-supports California’s schools, libraries and public hospitals? Before we assume that we earlier immigrants are supporting all these ne’er-do-well nouveaux arrivees, we should look at how well they are supporting us.

CECELIA E. HENDERSON

Cypress

Your editorial was excellent in pointing out the reason for people’s anger against immigration. Economically, it just isn’t fair. The majority of the benefit from the work of immigrants goes to factory owners and upper-income individuals who employ domestic help. The majority of the cost goes to “Joe and Jane Sixpack Taxpayer” whose state and local income taxes are going to pay for the social costs of these immigrants and who get nothing but inferior schools, diluted law enforcement protection, strained sewer, water and other services.

Many of the new arrivals, who you describe as having bountiful energy and entrepreneurial spirit, are working under the table. They are not paying taxes and they are sending money to their home countries to the detriment of revitalizing the Southern California economy. It just isn’t fair.

ROBYN TURNER

Malibu

Your editorial points the finger at Washington. You are pointing in the right direction. However, it is not U.S. immigration policy that causes people to migrate here without documents. It is, rather, caused in part by a flawed U.S. foreign policy, including economic policies.

A case in point is the flawed disastrous policy toward Haiti. George Bush did too little when Jean-Bertrand Aristide was overthrown by in 1991 and Bill Clinton is too late! Haitians are dying as a result. U.S. policy is killing them!

JO’ANN DeQUATTRO

Los Angeles