The U.S.-Mexico Money-Go-Round

Re “The American Dream ... in Mexico,” Commentary, May 20: I agree with Steven Hill that the gradual integration of the American and Mexican economies would help both countries, and maybe Canada would like to join.

I know that after Ireland joined the European Union, that country changed for the better. After being under the yokes of Britain and the church, the economy took off and the country had the highest economic gains in its history. Ireland saw to it that students learned computers and to speak a second language to accommodate their European neighbors. Large financial institutions built centers in Dublin.

It’s a better country now and a grand place to visit!

Mary C. Thomas

Garden Grove

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Sheer brilliance. The U.S. could not possibly keep people from walking across our border. Instead, because we have such large budget surpluses, wages are far too high and jobs way too plentiful, we should send massive subsidies to Mexico to raise its standard of living and lower ours (advocates of these policies seem to leave out this indispensable piece of the economic equation) until they reach an equilibrium and Mexicans will no longer find it financially rewarding to come here.

In other words, we don’t educate, imprison, hospitalize and financially support enough illegal aliens already, so the solution is to take on a whole failed nation as a partner. How could this not work? Steven Hill for the Nobel Prize in economics!

Kevin Rudd

Los Angeles

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When I saw your May 21 editorial, “When Cash Crosses Over,” I thought, “Oh, good, they will say some of that cash should stay here instead of going to Mexico and Central and South America to build infrastructure, buildings, houses, etc.” Was I ever wrong!

Emma Willsey

Huntington Beach

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Close to $100 billion a year is being transmitted by mostly illegal aliens in the U.S. to their countries of origin; $45 billion represents transfer of funds to Latin America.

This means one thing and one thing alone: $100 billion is not invested in the U.S., from which mostly illegal aliens expect the rights of citizens, from healthcare to education to driver’s licenses.

What has been overlooked, deliberately or otherwise, in politically correct -- or just political -- arguments that equate legal immigrants who usually plan to become citizens with illegal aliens who have no intention to become legal immigrants, let alone citizens, is this: The former invest in the communities in which they live and the latter invest in countries from where they came.

Duh!

Marta Vago

Santa Monica