Is the U.N. Sending Muslim Refugees to Your Town?

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Tom Balek Standard 4

Very few Americans are aware of the US Refugee Resettlement Program. In compliance with a United Nations directive, the US government pays nine government contractors (six of them ostensibly church-related) handsome fees to arrange for drops of third-world refugees in cities and towns all over our country, without warning or gaining permission from local governments, who are then forced to provide education, medical care, and social services. Ann Corcoran, founder of Refugee Resettlement Watch, has been waving the red flag for many years, trying to draw attention to what she says is a dangerous, secretive program:

In April residents of Spartanburg, SC, were alarmed to learn that their city was slated to receive about 60 of the 70,000 incoming refugees in the upcoming year, without any public approval or information about how they would be assimilated into the community. Under pressure from his constituents, Congressman Trey Gowdy demanded answers from Secretary of State John Kerry:

Dear Secretary Kerry,

I write regarding the potential resettlement of refugees to the Spartanburg, South Carolina, area. It has been reported by media outlets, and confirmed by staff within your Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), that a resettlement agency submitted a proposal to open an office in Spartanburg. In addition, it is my understanding that the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) approved the request to resettle a certain number of refugees in Spartanburg.

As the Member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing the Spartanburg area, I am deeply concerned about the lack of notice, information, and consultation afforded to me and my constituents about this issue . . .

Congressman Gowdy asked: Who authorized the resettlement and when? How was the decision communicated to state and local officials? What plans are in place to provide and fund food, housing, education and employment for the refugees? The State Department sent a response, but it did not satisfy Congressman Gowdy, and he continues to press the issue.

Meanwhile, South Carolina governor Nikki Haley came out in support of the refugee resettlement program. But she admits the lack of transparency has been a problem.

A main criticism of the resettlement program is inadequate screening of the refugees. Recent news stories about resettled refugees report violent crime, abuse of women and children, refusal to assimilate, and connections to Muslim terrorists. Conservatives also point to the economic impacts – not only the cost of the program, but the seemingly clandestine way that taxpayer funds are diverted to pseudo-charitable agencies run by officials who draw huge salaries.

Since the USA has nothing to gain, and in fact incurs significant cost and risk, by immigrating foreigners from countries who are hostile to us and abhor our way of life, the resettlement program must be considered charity. But by definition, charity is a voluntary act of giving. The refugee resettlement program is yet one more instance of our government taking wealth from taxpaying citizens and extending charity without their consent – or even their knowledge. Our government and news media must provide transparency on this program.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

We got somethin’ we both know it, we don’t talk too much about it
Yeah, it ain’t no real big secret all the same, somehow we get around it
Listen it don’t really matter to me, baby
You believe what you want to believe
You see, you don’t have to live like a refugee

Refugee – Tom Petty

Just the Facts, Ma’am. Economic Facts.

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Tom Balek Standard Reply

“Just the facts, ma’am.” – Detective Joe Friday, Dragnet

Here are some economic facts that the mainstream media and the government don’t tell you!

No speech is worth a half million dollars. In recent years Bill and Hillary Clinton have received some ridiculous amounts for speaking engagements – as much as $750,000 for one Bill Clinton speech in China. I’m sorry – there is no person on Earth whose words are so precious that they command that kind of money. The only reason anybody would give Bill or Hillary Clinton such a huge sum is with the expectation of some kind of political favor in return.

You will never again receive any meaningful interest for the money you have saved. There are 18 trillion reasons why, according to Forbes. The Federal Reserve has held interest rates to near-zero for over ten years now, enabling our government to borrow and spend sums that it will likely never be able to repay, with or without interest. This has certainly done no favor for Americans who earned and saved money. Consider this: if the interest rate on our $18 trillion national debt increased to the normal historical level of five percent, it would cost our government almost a trillion dollars a year – about a quarter our current annual budget!

Do you think anybody in Washington, DC will allow that to happen? You might want to look for an investment alternative to that savings account or certificate of deposit.

No Congressman or Governor can become a multi-millionaire from only his or her salary. Our US Representatives earn $174,000 per year, plus expenses. The cost of living in Washington, DC is crushing, and some members sleep in their offices to avoid the hefty DC apartment rental rates. But many legislators have enjoyed tremendous gains in net worth during their tenure as public servants. The median net worth for members of Congress exceeds $1 million. And while many public officials were wealthy before their elections, it seems that profit opportunities abound for those whose votes and influence can generate winners and losers in the private economy. Former house leader Nancy Pelosi, for example, directed a billion dollars in subsidies to a light-rail company which was a big contributor to her campaigns and also listed her husband as a major investor. Former Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer parlayed some insider information about a mining operation into a hefty sum. Former senate majority leader Harry Reid reportedly retired as details of a number of financial scandals were about to surface. Other examples of public officials striking it rich abound.

The Affordable Care Act is not making health care more affordable. This year’s Milliman Medical Index, which tracks health care costs for employer-provided plans, shows an increase of 43% for employees and 32% for employers since the ACA took effect. A dramatic increase is expected in 2018 when the “Cadillac Tax” provision kicks in. And while the total cost of health care by traditional measurement has not increased as rapidly as many ACA critics predicted, a hidden cost is the 21 new and higher taxes that were implemented as part of the ACA. Medicare is now partially funded by transfers from the general fund, and that amount will increase in upcoming years.

Immigration is not a boon to our economy. Due to lack of education and employable skills, immigrants – both legal and illegal -use welf immigrant-welfare-use-4-11-f1 are and public assistance programs at a much greater rate than native-born Americans. 71% of Hispanic immigrants with children received public benefits in 2009.

Contrary to President Obama’s contention, most successful wealthy Americans are not “lottery winners”, whose good fortunes are the result of dumb luck. 80% of millionaires are the first generation of their family to get wealthy. Most are self-employed, and have a spouse who helps them succeed financially. My financially astute wife points out that she never met a wealthy person who set out to be rich. They were so busy working and building their businesses that they didn’t have time for unprofitable activities.

The economy is not as rosy as we are told by the administration and the media. The labor force participation rate remains at a 37-year low, and the average real wage (adjusted for inflation) has not increased much since the 1970s. Many middle class Americans can no longer afford to take vacations without sacrificing something else.

Just the facts, ma’am. Nothing but the facts.

this article can be seen in its entirety at Watchdog Arena.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Look into my eyes
Can’t you see they’re open wide
Would I lie to you baby
Would I lie to you

Would I Lie to You? – the Eurythmics

A Pat On the Butt for the Democrats

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Tom Balek Standard 2

photo by Rich Sugg – Kansas City Star

Point guard Frank Mason of the Kansas Jayhawks took the outlet pass and pounded the ball down the left sideline on the fast break. Out of the corner of his eye he saw teammate Perry Ellis racing for the basket behind the TCU defender. Mason lobbed a perfect pass over the rim to Ellis and BOOM! With one hand Perry caught the ball and hammered it down through the rim, even while being fouled. “That’s gonna be on Sports Center,” chuckled the TV announcer. Wide-eyed fans howled as the cameras panned their faux-shock-and-awe faces.

One of the TCU players passed behind Perry at the free throw line and gave him a pat on the butt. Even though they are mortal enemies, a great play like that has to be recognized.

This morning I have to give the Obama administration a little pat on the butt.

Don’t get me wrong, we are mortal enemies too. I am furious and frightened by almost everything this administration does. But I have to admire how well they execute their game plan. Nothing is left to chance. No player on the administration’s team makes a free-style move. Every statement is carefully coordinated. They all get the memo, and they all follow the script.

Following Obama’s claims last week that poverty is the root of terrorism, the administration sent out State Department’s Marie Harf to explain why young men become terrorists, behead Christians, and burn victims alive in cages. Harf said, “We need the media to go after the root causes that lead people to join these groups, whether it’s a lack of opportunity for jobs … ” And this: “They are using social media to get converts to their cause and to spread their hatred all over the world.”

Today Jeh Johnson, director of Homeland Security, was the administration’s point guard, running the offense from the same playbook. He, too, blamed social media – repeatedly – for ISIS’s organizational success, along with poverty and joblessness. And he threw in, for good measure, the need for Congress to fully fund Homeland Security while disregarding the president’s executive amnesty edicts.

Absurd. Blaming social media for the ISIS atrocities is like blaming Hitler’s World War II barbarity on the telephone. And, as George Will pointed out, singling out poverty as the cause of terrorism is “an insult to poor and jobless people all over the world who don’t strap bombs onto their women and children and send them into shopping centers to kill innocent strangers.” Not to mention, most ISIS terrorists are far from destitute, according to CNN’s national security analyst Peter Bergen.

But here’s why I have to give the “pat on the butt”.

This week Congress will have a hearing and likely a vote on whether to turn control of the Internet over to the FCC by classifying it as a public utility. The “Net Neutrality” issue has been misrepresented, misreported, and remains totally misunderstood by most Americans, and unfortunately by most of our legislators, who swallow the warm, fuzzy claims that we poor citizens must be protected from the money-hungry huge corporations who want to deny us fair access to the internet. Government good! Competitive free internet bad! In reality, it is yet another federal power-grab that would result in poorer internet access and performance, loss of privacy to government snooping, and huge profits for a select few crony corporations at taxpayer expense. (Is it any wonder Time Warner / ComCast is a huge supporter of net neutrality?)

Concurrently, the Obama administration is pushing for a new blowout budget with higher spending on social programs, and they want Congress to release its hold on funding Homeland Security and allow Obama’s executive amnesty edicts to continue unfettered.

The administration is using the “ISIS Crisis” to drive home their real domestic agenda: Pass Net Neutrality and give the government control of the web. Pass the budget and give the government more taxpayer money for the ‘poor and jobless’ (mainly more government jobs). Fund HHS without restrictions so we can open the borders and give full rights and benefits to illegal immigrants.

More government control. More dependence on big government. More Democrat voters.

I hate it. I hope to hell enough thoughtful people see through it. But Democrats, I have to give you a patt on the butt for executing a great play.

Tom Balek, Rockin’ On the Right Side

From Piston Pete to Doctor J,
Michael Jordan’s fadeaway,
Hip hop is the way I live
And basketball’s the game I play

Basketball Jones – Gabe York

March Madness is around the corner, and then the NBA playoffs!

Here is the very indiscreet, racist, misogynistic, nasty, politically incorrect and mostly funny original by Cheech and Chong – watch at your own risk, you will be offended, and I am not responsible for content! 1975 was a very different time!

GOP Congressmen – Time To Take A Stand!

Posted on December 7, 2014 by Tom Balek Standard Reply

take-a-stand Have you ever had to tell the boss he’s wrong?

One of the stupidest things I ever did is something I am still proud of. Way back in the day I was a sophomore on the junior varsity basketball team, hoping to move up to the varsity squad. The first week of practice we were struggling to adjust to our new coach, who operated in Bobby Knight mode with a lot of yelling, cursing, and finger-poking-in-the-chest intimidation, but without as much knowledge and strategy as the famous Hoosier coach.

We were running a drill called the “three-man weave” where three guys pass the ball back and forth while running a weave down the court without dribbling, and the last one shoots a layup. Only instead of a basketball, we were throwing a huge 15-pound medicine ball. Coach charged up and down the sidelines, voicing his displeasure with our lack of manhood. My friend Larry and I were next up, and we charged off the baseline with another guy. Now, Larry was a great little player. But he couldn’t have weighed 90 pounds dripping wet wearing clothes, shoes, and a winter coat with bricks in the pockets. My pass was a little bit too far in front of him, and Larry didn’t have the strength in his sharp-shooting but skinny little arms to haul it in.

Coach lit into Larry like he had just sold his sister to a cannibal tribe, with maximum volume and vigorous finger-poking-in-the-chest. And I popped. “Come on coach, he couldn’t catch that!”

You could have heard a pin drop. Coach walked over to me, red-faced, eyes bugging out. I can still see that face, but I don’t remember what he said, because my entire life was whizzing before my eyes. Needless to say, I didn’t make the varsity squad. Hell, he hardly gave me any playing time on the junior varsity, and nothing I did on the court was going to change that. But Coach did seem to mellow a little after that episode, and Larry actually was doing pretty well, until his hard-scrabble itinerant family moved on halfway through the season.

I remember that snapshot event like yesterday because for one moment as a geeky kid I stood up and said “hell no” to the boss, knowing I was right and he was wrong, and that it mattered.

Our newly-elected Congress was sent to Washington, DC to stop the damage our nation has endured under the Democrats for the past six years. Poll after poll shows that the majority of Americans oppose Obamacare, support energy development, and want our southern border secured. The majority of us think it’s wrong for our government to choose winners and losers based on political party, gender, or race. We are terrified that our children face a national debt that has grown by $7 trillion dollars under President Obama.

And now President Obama’s unilateral, illegal and unconstitutional grant of amnesty, featuring work visas and eligibility for taxpayer-paid benefits to tens of millions of illegal immigrants (and millions more who will flood the untended border gates upon hearing the news) will cost the taxpayers another $2 trillion according to the Heritage Foundation.

Sadly, even as Republicans are staged to take majority control of the House and Senate, the party’s leadership does not seem willing to hear or follow the voice of the People. Next week Congress will vote on funding the government’s budget in the form of either a continuing resolution (CR) or an omnibus spending bill, providing them the leverage they need to defund executive amnesty. Despite the polls and the landslide election victory, the GOP leadership cites a list of imaginary roadblocks. “We don’t want to get blamed for ‘shutting down the government'”, they wail, despite the total lack of evidence that this tactic has ever had lasting repercussions. Another excuse offered is: “We can’t defund an agency that operates on fees rather than funding from our discretionary budget,” a claim which was totally debunked by the Congressional Research Service.

Then, according to Congressman Louie Gohmert, the House Republican leadership pulled a “bait and switch” on its members, making unannounced changes to Congressman Ted Yoho’s defunding bill moments before 216 Republican congressmen voted in favor of it. The last-minute additions may actually grease the skids for the president’s amnesty. This is the tactic made famous by Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi when she said, “We have to pass the (ObamaCare) bill to know what’s in it.”

Conservative firebrand Rush Limbaugh says there is only possible reason for the Republican leadership to oppose the will of the majority of voters and their own members: they must actually support the President’s amnesty plan.

62 Congressmen, including my own South Carolina representative Mick Mulvaney, showed courage and resolve by signing Congressman Matt Salmon’s letter to the house appropriations chairman, Harold Rogers, requesting a defunding rider. On a Facebook Town Hall meeting on Friday, Mulvaney said, “I have already told my leadership that I will vote against the Omnibus spending bill if it doesn’t contain defunding language.”

To those Congressmen and women who refuse to tolerate the bullying and finger-poking-in-the-chest, I say, “Good on ya.” And I encourage you to demand the same courage from your counterparts on the hill who know it’s the right thing to do. Sometimes you just have to take a stand when you know the boss is wrong.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

If you are confused check with the sun
Carry a compass to help you along
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around

Stand – R.E.M.

Conservative Immigrants – Don’t Turn Around!

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Tom Balek Standard Reply

Turn-Around-Sign-300x196 I’m trying to get a better understanding of the immigration reform and amnesty issues, and while traveling recently I have had some enlightening conversations with immigrants.

Rafael is from the Dominican Republic. He has been working in New York City as a driver for about ten years, and is saving money to rejoin his wife and daughter back in Santo Domingo permanently. Meanwhile, he watches for airfare bargains and makes several brief trips home each year. Rafael believes in the “American Dream” – anyone who is willing to work hard can succeed here. But he is skeptical of the US government. He bought some land in the Dominican Republic and plans to build a house on it. “Nobody can take your land away from you there,” he said. “Once you pay for your land, it’s yours forever. Here in the US, if you don’t pay your taxes, or if the government wants your land for some reason, they can just take it away from you.” Hard work, personal responsibility, and property rights – Rafael is a conservative immigrant.

Jonathan immigrated to New York City from Hong Kong with his parents ten years ago. He started a couple of small businesses in Chinatown, but both failed. Undaunted, he is still bullish on the US economy and while working a couple of service jobs he is an ardent investor in stocks. I asked him about the dicey situation in Hong Kong, where the communist Chinese government is now stripping away many of the freedoms citizens enjoyed when it was a British protectorate and then a quasi-independent state. “The government has become so corrupt,” Jonathan lamented. “You can’t do anything without having to pay off somebody in the government.” I suggested that our government has become corrupt, too. “But there’s a difference,” he said. “In China, everybody knows about the corruption and just deals with it. Here, it’s supposed to be a secret.” Opportunity, free markets, and freedom from big, corrupt, oppressive government – Jonathan is a conservative immigrant.

Javier is from Puerto Rico. “I’m a US citizen,” he boasts. Still, as a Hispanic he is considered a minority and somewhat outside the mainstream. He works long hours, and loves it. The more he works, the more he earns. And he has no patience for those who expect to be cared for without working, whether they are traditional American citizens or immigrants. “They make me sick, these guys who do nothing all day. Why should I pay taxes for them to be lazy?” he rails. Hard work and the desire to keep what he earns. Yes, Javier is a conservative immigrant, too.

I did not ask these gentlemen whether or how they vote. The Democrats believe all minorities are their chattel property. And because Democrats have so vilified Republicans and conservatives in the mainstream media, minorities do pretty much vote in lock-step for liberals.

Why? Every immigrant I talk to is a conservative. It is conservative values that drives most immigrants to our shores.

Donna, a native of Guyana of Chinese descent, is a conservative activist. She told me the compelling story about her path to America. “I was in Guyana, minding my own business. I turned around, and suddenly I was surrounded by socialists. So I moved to Venezuela. I was minding my own business, and when I turned around, again there were the socialists. So then I came to the United States.”

“The moral of the story,” she says, “is don’t turn around!”

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Don’t turn around, uh-oh
Der Kommissar’s in town, uh-oh!
You’re in his eye and you’ll know why
The more you live, the faster you will die

Der Kommisar – After the Fire

Five Reasons Why Hispanic Americans Should Vote For Conservatives

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Tom Balek Standard 1

photo courtesy politico.com

Our nation is graced with millions of loyal, legal Hispanic Americans. They work hard, they raise beautiful families, and they vote – almost always for Democrats.

I recently talked politics with a couple of Mexican business acquaintances who both immigrated to the United States over twenty years ago, and was surprised at how similar our values and political leanings are. We agreed on every issue, right down the line. But when I asked them what they think of Republicans, or Conservatives, or the Tea Party, the fear and distrust was palpable.

You could say the Democrats have done an outstanding job of demonizing their Conservative opponents. Hispanic Americans are convinced that Conservatives are hateful racists who want to hurt them and hold them back in every way possible.

Apparently Hispanic Americans just don’t know what we Conservatives believe in and stand for. There can’t be any other explanation for the way they vote.

Here are five reasons why Hispanic Americans should vote for Conservatives and support our mission to downsize our over-reaching, destructive and unaffordable federal government.

1 – Conservatives want to improve the private economy and support businesses so that jobs are plentiful, pay rates improve, and families can enjoy a higher standard of living. That can’t happen when so much of our cash flows through a bloated, inefficient federal government. We think families should keep more of their earnings, and will make better spending decisions than the government can on their behalf. Millions of Hispanics came to this country for economic opportunity, and are willing to work hard to succeed. Why would they support Democrats whose policies have slashed personal income, exploded the national debt, reduced labor participation to record low levels, eliminated the middle class, and put one in five Americans on food stamps? If you want to be part of a thriving and growing economy, you are a Conservative.

2 – While Democrats work tirelessly to put more control and authority in the hands of the federal government, conservatives believe in personal freedom and responsibility. Most of our Hispanic immigrants came from countries with oppressive governments, where only those with connections or money have influence and opportunity. It makes no sense for them to support the party that pushes the United States toward socialism and heavy-handed government control. If you love opportunity and don’t want every detail of your life regulated by the government, you are a Conservative.

3 – Most Hispanic Americans have strong family and religious values. While Democrats fervently support the rights of Muslims, they find Christianity abhorrent, lashing out at any display of Christian faith with a vengeance. They have done all in their power to destroy the traditional family structure in our country. They promote gay marriage, endorse single motherhood through tax and welfare policy, and encourage abortion. If you treasure your family and your church, you are a conservative.

4 – Democrats are great at making promises, but somehow when they are in control, things seem to get worse. Is there anything the Democrats have done that has made life better for Hispanic Americans? For that matter, has any Socialist government in history improved the lives of its citizens? If you think the US Constitution and laws, and our rich history of defending freedom and truth are what made the United States the greatest and most prosperous nation on earth, you are a conservative.

5 – Fairness is important to all people, including Hispanic Americans. And nothing is fairer than being allowed to keep the property you worked for and to use it as it best serves you. Conservatives believe that our government should not try to seize or control our private property. And it should defend our property from those who would try to take it from us. My Hispanic American friends agree that our borders must be enforced, and we can’t provide benefits to those who only come here to take and not contribute. And our military forces must be ready and able to defend our homeland. If you want your property and the safety of your family to be secure, you are a conservative.

I know that most Hispanic Americans – and for that matter Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and traditional homeland-born Americans – are Conservatives at heart. We all want the same things. We just have to set aside political correctness and the Democrat agenda of deceit to find the higher common ground.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Powers keep on lyin’
While your people keep on dyin’
World keep on turnin’
‘Cause it won’t be too long

Higher Ground – Stevie Wonder

I know, Stevie Wonder is an avowed liberal Democrat, blind in more than the obvious way. But hey, he’s an amazing musician and it’s a great song. Plus I have a soft spot for blind musicians! (Hi Jeff!)

Made in the USA – By Mexicans

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Tom Balek Standard Reply

mexican concrete crew My wife and I are building a new home. We are doing some of the work ourselves but the majority of the work is done by subcontractors, mostly hired through our general contractor. Working on a major project like this brings many current political and economic issues from the big-picture level down to the up-close and personal level.

Today, as our driveway was being installed, I had quite a discussion with the owner/operator of our concrete finishing company. Alex (not actual name) is a legal Mexican immigrant and has been doing business in the US for almost twenty years. He went through channels, got a green card, and studied English for two years. Alex pursued the American dream, and got it. He has handled several segments of our construction project, and does top quality work at a fair price. Working in the same space every day we got to know each other and today we spent some time discussing business and politics.

Alex’s business is doing well. In fact, there is much more demand for his work than he can fulfill. He would like to hire more employees and expand his business, but he can’t see a way to do it and still maintain quality. As a retired corporate manager and business owner, I offered some growth strategies and personnel practices that have worked for me. But his circumstances are quite different than mine were. You see, all of his employees are (probably) illegal Mexican immigrants.

In fact, almost all of the residential construction work in the Carolinas is being performed by illegal Mexican immigrants.

Why? Have Mexican immigrants taken all of the construction jobs because they will work for lower wages than American tradesmen? Are American men now too lazy or pampered to take on the difficult, physical work required in the construction trades? Have our schools convinced every American student that anyone who doesn’t pursue a college degree and a desk job is a failure? Did our government over-regulate our traditional construction businesses into extinction, so that only “under-the-radar” groups of illegal immigrants can function at a feasible cost?

Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

But there’s more to it than that. I talked with another general contractor today who was interested in hiring Alex and his crew for some of his projects, only to learn they are over-booked. “It’s a shame,” he said. “Most of the (American) subcontractors went broke during the housing bust five years ago, and they aren’t coming back.”

Alex and many entrepreneurial Mexicans like him are able to seize the market opportunities because they are connected to the available army of illegal Mexican immigrant workers. Alex can find them, hire them, manage them, communicate with them, and help them with the considerable personal challenges they face working in the shadows of American life. Still, his business growth is limited because he employs these men. “My business can’t grow,” he said. “None of my workers can advance to be managers because they don’t even try to learn to speak English.” He would employ English-speaking American construction workers, but there just aren’t any. It’s a very complex business model.

I had heard that Latinos are being barraged with liberal propaganda, painting conservatives, Republicans and especially Tea Party guys as hateful monsters to be avoided and feared. So I made it a point to tell my new Mexican friend Alex that I am a conservative. Tea Party, even.

Alex winced. “I’m not a monster,” I said. “I’m not a racist and a hater. You know me. You can’t believe the stuff you hear in the media.”

“Well, the conservatives don’t want to allow any immigration,” he said.

“Not true,” I countered. “We want LEGAL immigration for people who can bring value to our country. What we don’t want is dangerous, uncontrolled borders, or slackers coming here to take advantage of taxpayer-funded benefits. And we DO want our legal immigrants to assimilate – to become patriotic, law-abiding, productive Americans, not Mexicans who just happen to live in the US.”

Like you, Alex. Without you, and men like you, there would be no new homes under construction in my neighborhood right now.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Save me from this prison, Lord, help me get away
‘Cause only You can save me now from this misery
‘Cause I’ve been lost in my own place
And I’m getting’ weary, how far is Heaven?
And I know I need to change my ways of livin’
How far is Heaven?

How Far Is Heaven – Los Lonely Boys

My favorite Mexican band – Los Lonely Boys! (this song is also on my set list)