Illegal immigration is a matter of numbers

Re “Foes of Illegal Immigration See Support Growing,” May 16

Thank you for this article. I’ve been waiting for someone to articulate the obvious: We just don’t have the resources to pay for services for citizens and a seemingly endless wave of illegal immigrants.

To me, the recent demonstrations proved nothing other than that the normally gridlocked traffic situation was noticeably better. It made me wonder if we all would be better off with a zero-tolerance policy of illegal immigration. What would the downside be? I’d trade more expensive produce for less clogged streets and freeways any day of the week.

STEVE ROGERS

Los Angeles

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Re “Unskilled doesn’t mean unnecessary,” Opinion, May 15

As in most of the current wrestling over immigration, economists Tyler Cowen and Daniel M. Rothschild focus on what they’re trained in and omit what they can’t easily quantify.

Thus missed on their radar are the millions of people in the U.S. who believe our country is already overpopulated and that the argument should be addressing the effect of massive immigration on quality of life. Declining fisheries, water tables, air quality, forests and other resources are just part of it. Crowded schools, prisons and freeways are more.

About two-thirds of our population growth is from immigration. One doesn’t need to agree with racist immigrant bashers to favor limiting our numbers.

STANFORD TAYLOR

Pasadena

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Don’t blame the illegal immigrants; I would do exactly the same if I were in their situation. The problem will not be solved until two major causes are taken care of.

First, the people in charge in Mexico are not providing jobs and living conditions that make it possible for the citizens to work and live in their own communities with their own families and friends. Second, the Catholic Church in Mexico should allow people to limit the size of their families so they can provide for, feed and take care of their children within their means.

Until these two causes for immigration are addressed, building walls, posting the National Guard along the border and passing all sorts of meaningless laws will be only Band-Aids.

ALBERT JAKOBSEN

Arcadia

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There I was Tuesday, driving along Orange Grove Boulevard at my usual 5 miles an hour over the posted limit, when a woman with a couple of kids in her big, shiny sport utility vehicle comes flying past me at maybe 55. And through the dust I see her bumper sticker, which sports an American flag and the query, “What part of illegal don’t you understand?” So, naturally, I slowed down.

WILL OWEN

Pasadena