Rand Study on Immigration

Before immigration proponents denounce the Rand study (Sept. 15), they should carefully read the proposal. The suggestion is to decrease new legal admissions to California to a “moderate range,” not to stop immigration altogether. It appears to me that our efforts should be to assimilate new arrivals rather than continue our “open door” policy of the past 20-plus years.

In addition to the concern regarding the shift in the California economy away from low-skilled jobs toward service and technology industries, there are environmental concerns as well. With the California water supply becoming “tapped out” and the relentless urban-suburban sprawl that shows no signs of abating, the “lifeboat” that is California appears to be rapidly reaching maximum capacity.

CAROLE SPIVEY

Irvine

* On the same day that Frank del Olmo downplays the significance of illegal immigration (Commentary, Sept. 14), The Times printed a front-page story on the leading role of Mexican drug cartels and illegal immigrants in growing marijuana in California. The next day, The Times reported on a Rand Corp. study that documents the negative impact of massive immigration, both legal and illegal, on Californians. The poor, in particular, are being displaced in the job market by immigrants.

Now that “welfare as we knew it” is over, jobs must go to American citizens and legal immigrants, not to the undocumented. Developing a counterfeit-proof Social Security card would help greatly in reducing the employment of illegal immigrants. A more productive relationship with Mexico should be based on mutual respect. But what respect do Mexico and many of its citizens now show for America’s laws and international border?

JASON HALE

Oceanside