I received 10 emails from NumbersUSA members who questioned us about going to Tea Party events in Boston and Washington D.C. this week to advocate immigration reductions. We distributed 10,000 fliers (see contents below) on the High Costs of Mass Immigration, and we passed out thousands of Immigration-Reduction Report Cards across the country.
While not everybody is a fan of the Tea Party efforts, I believe most of our members get the big picture that 90% of Tea Party supporters oppose illegal immigration and want to stop amnesty. Most of our members understand that to achieve our immigration goals, we need broad coalitions — such as reaching out at Earth Day activities during the coming week.
NumbersUSA is not part of the Tea Party movement, but we have a lot of members and friends who are. Many of them participated in an education campaign at the various events across the country this week reminding attendees that it is not possible to shrink government without reducing overall immigration.
We have more than 940,000 members at NumbersUSA and adding more every week. No doubt we have a diverse audience. We have Democrats, Republicans, Reformers and Independents alike among our advisors and in our offices. It will take members of all parties to bring federal immigration policy back to a logical place.
The massive negative propaganda and assault on the Tea Party movement remind me of the constant assaults on our own organization. Race-baiting is one of the oldest tricks in the book. From my personal experience, the Tea Party folks are not violent and not racist. They are activists, and I like that. Many of them are taking action for the first time in their life, and I like that. And nearly all of them appear willing – if provided the information and the opportunity – to use some of their activism to stop the amnesty that Senate Majority Leader Reid has been promising incessantly over the last week.
Whether or not you agree with the Tea Party’s political agenda, I think you have to agree that these are regular American citizens making legitimate use of their citizens’ rights of political action. The media has been reporting that the Tea Party is racist. NumbersUSA member Nathanial Stuart asked Tea Parties in D.C. watch his video at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1CLPhz0DHM
Immigration Burdens Taxpayers, Pushes Bigger GovernmentNumbersUSA members from St. Elmo, Texas hold up NumbersUSA fliers in Freedom Plaza, Washington D.C.
The NumbersUSA Local Power team handed out more than 10,000 fliers with the following information in Boston and D.C.
53% of all immigrant households (legal and illegal) with kids use welfare services. (Center for Immigration Studies)
Low-skilled immigrant households (about 60% are legal and 40% are illegal) pay $10,573 in all taxes per year. However, these same households receive, on average, $30,160 in government benefits each year. This means that each low-skilled immigrant household costs American taxpayers nearly $20,000 each year! (Heritage Foundation)
Each American citizen pays approximately $330 each year to provide less-educated immigrant households with government services. (Heritage Foundation)
NumbersUSA members from New Jersey with their NumbersUSA fliers at the Washington Monument
If amnesty legislation, such as that proposed in 2007, were to be passed by Congress, American taxpayers would have to pay at least $2.6 trillion in retirement costs to amnestied illegal aliens in the coming decades. (Heritage Foundation)
To avoid the cost of illegal immigration, the government should secure our borders, increase interior enforcement, and mandate use of the E-Verify employment verification system. The cost would be no more than $41 billion through 2018. The SAVE Act, would do all three of these things and, over time, reduce illegal immigration to the minimum amount possible and drive out most illegal aliens. (Congressional Budget Office)
NumbersUSA Local Power Team distributes NumbersUSA fliers at Boston Common
Due to America’s out-of-control immigration, immigrants who have arrived since 1990 and their U.S.-born children account for 75% of the growth in the population lacking insurance in the United States. To a very significant extent, America’s health insurance crisis is being driven by its immigration polices. (Center for Immigration Studies)
Print out your flier and hand it out this weekend or next weekend, or at an event this summer. The numbers aren’t going to change until Congress makes a change. In fact, check back at NumbersUSA because the costs will only continue to rise!
Check out our Facebook page and view the Mobile Uploads for more pictures. The Washington Independent got it right reporting that “The Tea Party movement is slowly starting to shift its focus to illegal immigration, an issue that’s beginning to see a lot of attention, with rallies during the next few days aimed at stopping amnesty.”
New York represent at Washington D.C. rally on Pennsylvania Avenue
Do you think we did a good thing at the Tea Party rallies this week by educating over 10,000 people about the High Costs of Mass Immigration?
Do you think we did a good thing by meeting with hundreds of NumbersUSA activists across the country who traveled thousands of miles to attend these rallies?
We’ll be encouraging our members over the next week to distribute immigration materials at Earth Day rallies, including the “Earth Day 2010” event on the National Mall on April 25, and the “Second Amendment March” on April 19. We are a diverse group of people. We encourage you to educate in the groups and places that fit your other interests and values.
Again, let me reflect our “About Us” statement: This is a non-partisan site. We have Democrats, Republicans, Reformers and Independents both among our advisors and in our offices. It will take members of all parties to bring federal immigration policy back to a logical place.
Please print out 25 or more Immigration-Reduction Report Cards, share them with your friends and family, and be prepared at the drop of a dime for us to call on you for solidarity and action to S.T.O.P. AMNESTY in 2010!
Harry Reid is a loose cannon who is willing to sacrifice 10-20 seats of his own party to pass Amnesty. Reid is willing to pass Amnesty at any cost, even in a lame-duck session. Are you willing to do everything it takes to stop him? Be prepared for action.
CHAD MACDONALD is the Director of Social Media Marketing for NumbersUSA
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