Trump Is Threatening To Close The Border

[Dancing Fire]

In all seriousness, immigrants of all ilk are the hardest working people I know. They usually have two or three jobs, sacrifice everything they have for the betterment of their children, and have a much higher proportion of their children going to medical school (or into pharmacy) than any other group where I live. They also work all the jobs that many North Americans do not want to do (often despite being trained as doctors, dentists, and other professionals in the countries they have come from). My mind is always boggled when Americans worry about immigrants being lazy and staying on welfare forever, because that is not at all what we see here.

Exactly, so why can't more Americans do the same?

 

[Dancing Fire]

Have we become COMMUNISTS??? Is this BERLIN?!?!!?
WAKE UP!!!

Not yet, but the far left is pushing our country towards communism.

 

[Matthews1127]

Not yet, but the far left is pushing our country towards communism.

I’m sorry....last week, it was “Socialism”. Can we pick one & stick with it, please? I’m tired of trying to keep up with the far right extremists. Your expectations are far too high. I can only be one or the other...not both.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I’m sorry....last week, it was “Socialism”. Can we pick one & stick with it, please? I’m tired of trying to keep up with the far right extremists. Your expectations are far too high. I can only be one or the other...not both.

Yes, but socialism is one step away from communism.

 

[Matthews1127]

Yes, but socialism is one step away from communism.

They are still separate. The Right needs to get with the program. I’m not a conservative, and I’m not a liberal. I fall dead square in the middle, which makes me “Purple”.
I cannot support this clown. I cannot support this administration.
It’s humiliating to be an American, right now. He makes me ashamed to live, here.
There is nothing to be proud of that involves him, nor which bears his name.
How anyone, after the past 2 years of dibochery, can still support him with a straight face, is beyond my comprehension.
I know many who regret their choice to vote for him, but they’ll NEVER admit to it.

 

[Dancing Fire]

How anyone, after the past 2 years of dibochery, can still support him with a straight face, is beyond my comprehension.

The millions who found have a new job.

 

[AGBF]

Stephen Colbert has some insights into the matter of the wall. I enjoyed hearing them very much. Those of you who like tongue-in-cheek humor may, also, enjoy this monologue.

AGBF

 

[AGBF]

This could be a completely ignorant statement but IMO we need to take care of our veterans before we let more people into this country.

Actually, the big waste of money is not people seeking asylum (all we need are more judges to process asylum claims to handle them), but Donald Trump's wall which might cost $35-$65 billion or more to build.

I am happy to report that Trump does NOT want to take the money for his wall from the veterans. He wants to take if from the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in and of the wildfires in California! I mean it.

He is going to take billions of money that was allocated for disaster relief for those two causes and divert it to building his wall after he declares a national emergency! I am so glad we can rest easy!


"Jan. 10, 2019

McALLEN, Tex. — President Trump traveled to the border on Thursday to warn of crime and chaos on the frontier, as White House officials considered diverting emergency aid from storm- and fire-ravaged Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas and California to build a border barrier, perhaps under an emergency declaration."


https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/us/politics/border-wall-government-shutdown.html

 

[House Cat]

Actually, the big waste of money is not people seeking asylum (all we need are more judges to process asylum claims to handle them), but Donald Trump's wall which might cost $35-$65 billion or more to build.

I am happy to report that Trump does NOT want to take the money for his wall from the veterans. He wants to take if from the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in and of the wildfires in California! I mean it.

He is going to take billions of money that was allocated for disaster relief for those two causes and divert it to building his wall after he declares a national emergency! I am so glad we can rest easy!


"Jan. 10, 2019

McALLEN, Tex. — President Trump traveled to the border on Thursday to warn of crime and chaos on the frontier, as White House officials considered diverting emergency aid from storm- and fire-ravaged Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas and California to build a border barrier, perhaps under an emergency declaration."


https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/us/politics/border-wall-government-shutdown.html

Freakin awesome.

This POS continues to sink lower and lower. His base is sinking with him. I have no more words.

 

[cmd2014]

Exactly, so why can't more Americans do the same?

I suspect they do. How many taxi drivers where you live are born in the US? How many Uber drivers? How many people working janitorial positions, manual labour positions, child care positions, or as line cooks? I have lived all over the US and saw all the same things there as I do here on this front. What I didn't see were a lot of immigrants sitting on welfare. I suspect that if you looked at the statistics, the vast majority of welfare recipients would be US citizens born and raised in the US. Including veterans, who are also disproportionately represented among your homeless population. So you'd probably do better tackling the social forces that contribute to that if you want to defund welfare. Maybe starting by better funding schools, lunch programs, after school programs, and educational support services in disadvantaged neighborhoods, funding planned parenthood programs, offering vocational support services, mental health services, and physical health services to those in need of a step up to be functional again.

 

[chrono]

I suspect they do. How many taxi drivers where you live are born in the US? How many Uber drivers? How many people working janitorial positions, manual labour positions, child care positions, or as line cooks? I have lived all over the US and saw all the same things there as I do here on this front. What I didn't see were a lot of immigrants sitting on welfare. I suspect that if you looked at the statistics, the vast majority of welfare recipients would be US citizens born and raised in the US. Including veterans, who are also disproportionately represented among your homeless population. So you'd probably do better tackling the social forces that contribute to that if you want to defund welfare. Maybe starting by better funding schools, lunch programs, after school programs, and educational support services in disadvantaged neighborhoods, funding planned parenthood programs, offering vocational support services, mental health services, and physical health services to those in need of a step up to be functional again.

Except that if we do, then we will become a socialist country because everyone has to pull their bootstraps up themselves. [sarcasm]

 

[partgypsy]

Stephanie Lynn, I just wanted to let you know your concern about immigrants somehow taking away from vets are misplaced. In fact many veterans are immigrants. My father for one, who was drafted when he only had a green card.
I think you need to learn more about today's VA. The VA has much more oversight, accounting and yes media attention than does the private sector, so everyone hears about the bad news, but not necessarily all positive things that are happening. Despite the fact that our patient population is medically more complex and has more risk factors than private care populations, the VA scores on clinical care is as good or better than that of private care. Veterans also have a higher rate of satisfaction than comparable private care satisfaction rates. We also score much better in mental health care ratings than private sector. Since 2009, the VA has a national initiative to reduce veteran homelessness, which has been effective. We also have national initiatives to reduce suicide and strengthen mental health care.
There are still hospitals and areas that need to be improved and we acknowledge that.
I stand with fellow federal employees who have had projects years in the making now be shut down at great cost in dollars and human effort. That national parks and forests are being trashed and vandalized, trees being cut down. These are our treasures. We should be angry they are not protected. The many people at the coast guard either working without pay or their boats being docked. If not for our different funding schedule we would be in the same boat. In return for our work Trump has announced DOD get raises, but a 0% pay raise for the rest of Federal workers including those who work at the VA.
Now to say something political. Shulkin despite his scandal, was a hard working, informed, passionate advocate for the VA and it's improvement. After doing his research and due diligence, he let Trump know that privatization of the VA would NOT serve the best interests of veterans. After that his days were numbered and was removed so that Trump's pro-privatization lackeys replaced those who have the skill, experience, and humble dedication to serve the VA. Trump is not an ally to veterans.
https://www.rand.org/news/press/2016/07/18.html
https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/13790/va-rates-high-on-patient-satisfaction-in-national-survey/
https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/about_the_initiative.asp

 

[Dancing Fire]

Maybe starting by better funding schools, lunch programs, after school programs, and educational support services in disadvantaged neighborhoods, funding planned parenthood programs, offering vocational support services, mental health services, and physical health services to those in need of a step up to be functional again.

Thanks for making my point. We need to take better care of our own citizens first.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...ory.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.254d5e65afe8

ETA:
I just posted the link, because I could not think of anything else to say than W T F. Everyone heard him say that...

 

[Dancing Fire]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...ory.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.254d5e65afe8

ETA:
I just posted the link, because I could not think of anything else to say than W T F. Everyone heard him say that...

Only fools would believe Mexico will pay for the wall. Just campaign BS!

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Only fools would believe Mexico will pay for the wall. Just campaign BS!

Yes
Read the article
He claims he NEVER SAID THAT

 

[partgypsy]

Name calling! Dancing Fire is calling Trump supporters idiots.
(63% of Trump supporters believe that he is going to build a wall and have Mexico pay for it, with another 4% of his supporters thinking he has already built the wall).
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entr...-border-wall-poll_us_5c1d32e0e4b05c88b6f88159

 

[autumngems]

Being from a family of veterans, we definitely need better care for our vets.
Spouses: 2 surgeries on legs so far that diagnosis was mis-identified during active service, hearing loss, sleep apnia and we lived in Japan for 5 years next to a incinerator that spewed dangerous chemicals - people coming back with cancer and leukemia
Brother- Marine - Based at Camp Lejeune during poisoned water issue - various health issues
Brother - Army - Vietnam vet with PTSD and various health issues
Sister - AirForce - Mental Health issues
Brother - Army - Purple Heart Recipent Vietnam Vet - came back and turned to drugs, dead now
Brother-in-law - Marines - Gulf War Vet - various health issues
What we do about illegal immigrants? I don't have an answer for that but something needs to be done
Another way to save some money is look into welfare. Shouldn't there be a time limit on this? I can't tell you how many times I am in the grocery store and I see people with 2-3 carts of nothing but crap food and 4 kids in tow and another on the way paying with foodstamps and welfare. They will keep having kids they can't support because we keep paying them to. I am all for welfare for those in need but it has to stop at some point.

 

[AGBF]

Newsflash: Most people "on foodstamps" work. They are not "on welfare" in the sense that they receive cash from the government. And many vets are on foodstamps.

One reason the Republicans win elections is because the people who should support the Democrats pick on each other. Someone who supports working men and their jobs doesn't want immigrants to have rights. Someone who supports veterans doesn't want the working poor to to get food stamps. In the meantime the billionaires are all getting tax cuts. If the people with very little would stop worrying who is getting more crumbs, the people "on welfare" or the poor veterans getting bad health care and fight the damned Republicans who are holding all the money hostage, we might all have a chance.

Look around you, folks! Don't blame your neighbors who are in the same boat-more or less-than you are!

Make the Republican Senate vote to open the government. Force Mitch McConnell to call a vote! Don't let it weasel out by refusing to vote. Make them send bills to Trump and force Trump to veto them. Let everyone see that Trump is the person who cares for nobody. He has no empathy for working people.

 

[cmd2014]

I suspect they do. How many taxi drivers where you live are born in the US? How many Uber drivers? How many people working janitorial positions, manual labour positions, child care positions, or as line cooks? I have lived all over the US and saw all the same things there as I do here on this front. What I didn't see were a lot of immigrants sitting on welfare. I suspect that if you looked at the statistics, the vast majority of welfare recipients would be US citizens born and raised in the US. Including veterans, who are also disproportionately represented among your homeless population. So you'd probably do better tackling the social forces that contribute to that if you want to defund welfare. Maybe starting by better funding schools, lunch programs, after school programs, and educational support services in disadvantaged neighborhoods, funding planned parenthood programs, offering vocational support services, mental health services, and physical health services to those in need of a step up to be functional again.

Thanks for making my point. We need to take better care of our own citizens first.

Ok, but I'm confused. Isn't this what the Democratic Party is constantly recommending and isn't this exactly what Republicans don't want? Because that would make you socialists? This would include things like Universal Health Care (i.e., Obamacare) - that Republicans went to extreme measures to eradicate. Funding Planned Parenthood (which Republicans seem to be determined to try to wipe from the face of the earth). Re-instituting the Head Start Program (which Republicans defunded, if I am remembering correctly, despite it having impressive results in increasing the academic success of disadvantaged children and setting them on a path to becoming better educated and more successful members of society). And this would fly in the face of Republican notions of people getting funding that they *deserve* for their schools through the tax bases of the neighborhoods that they are in (because Republicans don't seem to think that it's fair that all schools be funded equally and instead seem to feel that rich families should have their children rewarded with more resources based on what they are able to provide). I was also under the impression that Republicans were trying to defund the so-called entitlement programs (social assistance, medicare, medicaid and the like).

I agree, the US should take care of its citizens better. I hate to criticize, because we have our social problems here too, but I have never in my life seen so many truly unwell and desperate and starving people on the streets as I do any time I go to any big city in the US - and many of them are veterans. I have never seen so many amputated limbs (untreated diabetes), missing teeth (lack of access to dental care), or visible signs of malnutrition. Why don't you take care of your poor, your sick, your mentally ill? Why don't you feed them, clothe them, medically treat them, and help them get jobs? Because none of these people are immigrants. Immigrants are busily cleaning your houses, caring for your children, cooking your meals, tending your landscaping, driving your taxis, and working in your restaurants.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I have always say the first priority is to take care of our own citizens, and if you are an able body you should find a job and not to depend on social programs.

 

[Matthews1127]

Ok, but I'm confused. Isn't this what the Democratic Party is constantly recommending and isn't this exactly what Republicans don't want? Because that would make you socialists? This would include things like Universal Health Care (i.e., Obamacare) - that Republicans went to extreme measures to eradicate. Funding Planned Parenthood (which Republicans seem to be determined to try to wipe from the face of the earth). Re-instituting the Head Start Program (which Republicans defunded, if I am remembering correctly, despite it having impressive results in increasing the academic success of disadvantaged children and setting them on a path to becoming better educated and more successful members of society). And this would fly in the face of Republican notions of people getting funding that they *deserve* for their schools through the tax bases of the neighborhoods that they are in (because Republicans don't seem to think that it's fair that all schools be funded equally and instead seem to feel that rich families should have their children rewarded with more resources based on what they are able to provide). I was also under the impression that Republicans were trying to defund the so-called entitlement programs (social assistance, medicare, medicaid and the like).

I agree, the US should take care of its citizens better. I hate to criticize, because we have our social problems here too, but I have never in my life seen so many truly unwell and desperate and starving people on the streets as I do any time I go to any big city in the US - and many of them are veterans. I have never seen so many amputated limbs (untreated diabetes), missing teeth (lack of access to dental care), or visible signs of malnutrition. Why don't you take care of your poor, your sick, your mentally ill? Why don't you feed them, clothe them, medically treat them, and help them get jobs? Because none of these people are immigrants. Immigrants are busily cleaning your houses, caring for your children, cooking your meals, tending your landscaping, driving your taxis, and working in your restaurants.

^—— CAN I GET AN AMEN?!??

 

[Dancing Fire]

Another way to save some money is look into welfare. Shouldn't there be a time limit on this? I can't tell you how many times I am in the grocery store and I see people with 2-3 carts of nothing but crap food and 4 kids in tow and another on the way paying with foodstamps and welfare. They will keep having kids they can't support because we keep paying them to. I am all for welfare for those in need but it has to stop at some point.

...well said

 

[Matthews1127]

I have always say the first priority is to take care of our own citizens, and if you are an able body you should find a job and not to depend on social programs.

This is easier said than done for MANY people....including college educated kids, just getting started in the world.

Not everyone who relies on social programs is lazy, uneducated, etc.
Many hard-working Americans are on some form of assistance, just to be able to support their families, and keep food on the table.

 

[AGBF]

^—— CAN I GET AN AMEN?!??

Amen!!!

(I will even sing it!)

 

[AGBF]

The idea of cutting "foodstamps" upsets me greatly. I wanted to share part of an article I found on-line. It doesn't tell some of the heartbreaking stories that come to my mind when I think of how people struggle with hunger in the United States, stories I cannot shake, but at least it gives some facts.

"Trump's Food Stamps Cuts Will Leave More Americans Hungry"


"Monthly food benefits for poor Americans already do not cover the cost of a low-income meal in 99 percent of the country, a new study shows—even as President Donald Trump is proposing a 30-percent cut to the nutrition program's budget that could further reduce American productivity and health.

Forty-four million Americans currently benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program each month—an annual cost of $70.9 billion, or less than 2 percent of the entire federal budget. (snip)

'Families need to find additional resources to cover the basic costs of food, which means those resources aren’t available for other things like housing and child care,' said Elaine Waxman, a Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute and author of the study. 'There’s a tradeoff between food and other basic needs. Food insecurity drives people to find cheap coping mechanisms that make problems worse and then costs show up elsewhere.'

Since its high in 2011, the average monthly benefit per recipient has fallen from $133.85 each month to $125.79. Yet Trump and like-minded Republicans continue targeted the SNAP program for cuts. In his 2019 budget, the president proposed trimming food stamps by $213 billion, or 30 percent, and instituting a meal box delivery service that has never been tested and would be difficult to implement.

'The SNAP program is not adequately funded,' said Waxman. 'We’re asking the wrong questions here, we shouldn’t be discussing how we can further reduce funding, we should be asking how we can supplement the program.'

New York City resident Barbara Hart receives $168 each month in food benefits—and making it last for 30 or 31 days can be a monumental task.

“At the beginning of the month, I might just skip lunch but by the end I’m skipping a lot of meals to stretch my money,” she said. The 54-year-old cancer survivor is currently on disability and cannot work. 'It’s stressful, there’s a lot of juggling and calculating involved. I try to buy meat and vegetables because I can get canned goods at food pantries.'

Hart can afford to spend about $1.80 per meal based on her benefits or less than half of the $3.96 average cost of a low-income meal in the Big Apple. Even in rural, low-cost counties, the average SNAP recipient receives 27 percent less money per meal than he or she minimally needs, the Urban Institute study said.

Hunger and food insecurity cost the United States at least $160 billion each year in health care costs and lost productivity, according to researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine and the Universidade Federal de São Paulo. And every $5 spent on new SNAP benefits generates as much as $9 of economic activity, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

Churches, food banks, and private food charities supplement meals for the poor, but they are no replacement for federal power: Government nutrition programs provide 20 times the amount of food assistance as private charities do. There’s no way these foundations will be able to pick up the slack if significant government cuts are enacted, said Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America.

'People will starve, we’ll see Great Depression-like conditions,' Berg said.

Right-wing opponents of such programs claim there are large amounts of fraud, but in reality about one cent of every dollar received through SNAP is misused, and 82 percent of all SNAP households have at least one working non-disabled adult within a year of joining the program. SNAP has work requirements for able-bodied adults in place, and many states have supplemental stipulations.

Tens of thousands of military families receive food stamps to supplement their incomes.

The amount of recipients working often goes underreported, said Berg, as the poorest Americans often work under-the-table, gig jobs.

It’s easy to ignore or deny the problem because food insecurity in America doesn’t look the same as it does in undeveloped countries, in fact those who are food insecure are more likely to become obese because unhealthy foods are often cheaper than nutritious, healthy foods.

'Opponents of governmental nutrition plans say we don’t have hunger issues in the U.S. because of our high obesity rates, but the two are actually tied together. The argument is akin to denying climate change because of a cold winter,' added Berg.

Applying for and renewing SNAP benefits is a job in itself says Hart. 'When you’re poor, a lot can get in the way of keeping a job. You need to pay your rent, you need to pay for a car and gas, and you need to eat in order to get to work and be productive. If you can’t afford to do those things, you might not be able to keep your job. It’s not so cut and dry.'"


https://www.newsweek.com/trump-food-stamps-snap-hunger-815327

 

[Dancing Fire]

Applying for and renewing SNAP benefits is a job in itself says Hart. 'When you’re poor, a lot can get in the way of keeping a job. You need to pay your rent, you need to pay for a car and gas, and you need to eat in order to get to work and be productive. If you can’t afford to do those things, you might not be able to keep your job. It’s not so cut and dry.'"


https://www.newsweek.com/trump-food-stamps-snap-hunger-815327

My family been there, done that, w/o any public assistances. . I still remember every morning my mom would give me a quarter for lunch on school days. We couldn't even afford a used car from 1969-1971.

 

[aljdewey]

So, let me get this right........

Purportedly, we need the wall as a matter of national security because it's the only way we can keep *some* of the entrants out (illegal immigrants).......but in the next breath, we somehow think we'll be able to successfully "close" our border (which by definition means keeping *everyone* out) sans wall?

Does no one else find this ironic?

If it's just that easy, let's just declare our border 'closed' to illegal entrants (which ought to be easier to enforce due to less effort) and we won't need the wall at all, right?

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Talk about frighteningly prophetic: This is from a 1950’s TV show.
https://www.msnbc.com/mtp-daily/wat...named-trump-1424481347976?cid=sm_npd_ms_fb_ma

 

[AGBF]

Talk about frighteningly prophetic: This is from a 1950’s TV show.
https://www.msnbc.com/mtp-daily/wat...named-trump-1424481347976?cid=sm_npd_ms_fb_ma

You have to see that to believe it, Madam Bijoux! Thank you for sharing it here.
Deb