Could our reputation in the forecoming months get much worse?
Last month, Prince William County had the most new filings of any Washington area jurisdiction, followed by Prince George’s, Fairfax, Montgomery, Loudoun and the District, according to RealtyTrac Inc., a California-based company that tracks real estate trends.
When foreclosures rise, crime often follows, researchers said. A 2005 study by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Woodstock Institute found that, holding other factors constant, each foreclosure in a 100-house neighborhood corresponded to a 2.4 percent jump in violent crime.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/26/AR2008042601288_2.html
Admin is busy, so I (Elena), thought this would be a great topic to discuss today. What I want to know is, how does the pro “fully fund the immigration resolution” side, reconcile this quandry:
A) The resolution is working because we have seen an exodus of hispanics from neighborhoods, the ones that people complained about were responsible for overcrowding, chickens and roosters in their yards, day laboreres at 7-11 ‘s, ESOL enrollment reduced, etc. Where did these people live, well, they lived in homes, either as renters or has homeowners. Were they ALL “illegal”, I would venture to say NO, but even if they were, their houses are empty now, and forclosure consequences to these neighborhoods are the same, irregardless of the immigration status of the occupants who once lived there.
OR
B) The resolution is NOT responsible for the increased forclosure rate, ESOL dis-enrollment, or the multitude of empty shopping centers, or the mass exodus of hispanics from neighborhoods. Therefore, the resolution is not working and is a waste of money from the pro resolution perspective.
Let me clarify one point, I am not suggesting the resolution is responsible for the ENTIRE forclosure disaster, I AM suggesting that the reason PWC is DOUBLE that of our neighbors, and is number one in the region for forclosures, is the one variable that sets us apart……………the illegal immigration resolution.
Marie,
Yes, Kenneth was priceless today, a FEW of us were on the floor rolling.
Juturna,
“We are funding a war in Iraq” I wanted to add at 5/6k SECOND. I am bad at math but would that be 20 million an hour?
Moon-howler,
As you know I am not HSM and say that it was the housing market before the draft and now.
Redawn,
I want to know what the official spin…errrr….position is out of HSM. It changes every time I read something new.
It sounds to me like their spokesperson is definitely a man for all seasons.
Moon-howler,
You just reiterated my point earlier to Kenneth
“I don’t know the answers but I would just say, keep looking with an OPEN mind and bypassing the arguments that are non essential aka a waste of TIME.
Everyone is in agreement that there is a problem, the past is the past. We need to look at what WE ALL can do NOW :)”
AND followed up more or less by Juturna
“The county is being hijacked and we are all watching and some are cheering……”
IT is amazing the spin that goes on. I am surprised my head hasn’t spun of or my eyes aren’t crossed from trying to keep up!
It is dizzying! BARF!
Hey at the Apr 22 BOCS meeting didn’t Greg L report that the neighborhoods were now safe, people could stroll with their children around the neighborhoods, the fear is gone, children could play outside, overcrowding had been eliminated, that Prince William is now a “jewel” in the area and houses are beginning to sell. So, I ask why the hell does the county need the resolution. Why spend the money on something that is not necessary. I’m thinking all that money could be used to fund school programs, give teachers a raise, maintain the employment of 85 plus County employees facing layoffs, etc. Besides that the police are doing police work, arresting criminals, and taking them to the ADC where status is checked. Maybe the BOCS would like to spend some time and energy in stabilizing the community and restoring the reputation of the County. Oh, silly me.
The question of “Is the resolution working” is multifaceted.
Yes, to a degree, some of those targeted by the resolution have fled the County. A part of the Hispanic community lives in fear and ESOL classes are smaller. So some will claim we have a savings.
On the other side, no. Perhaps the number of vacant homes has been excerbated by the fleeing of residents which leads to lower values and neighborhood blight. Some members of the Hispanic themed business community are failing, leading to less tax dollars and some members of the community are afraid of local law enforcement.
By the way, the crowd of day laborers at the Rt. 1/Parkway 7/11, a point of irritation to some, has increased since the implementation of the resolution.
So, is it working? I don’t know.
Well wait until July 1 when county staff go out and make the dozen or so elderly 90 and up prove they are legal to continue to receive their meals on wheels.
Now that is something to puff up our chests about…. More statistics for Greg.
Forgot to mention, if they find any illegals receiving meals on wheels, I hope they survive the ADC.
Juturna,
I just HOPE that meals on wheels will still have the VOLUNTEERS with the gas prices!
What is that commercial about depression…it hurts everyone.
People these are depressed times and we need to pull together NOW more than ever to help all of us. We are in economic depression. You may not have caught it yet, but
I think there is an epidemic on the horizon.
Pollyanna,
I think your comment and more would Pandora to rest in her box
*PUT Pandora…
Juturna,
Refresh my memory please. Didn’t the office on aging take somewhat of a bad hit during the budget slice and dice the other night? I thought I saw that on the marathon bocs meeting channel.
Adult Day care – the one that Marshall got all upset about last year because his father in law uses the services. They
I am surprised he didn’t get involved this year. He has been remarkablly silent throughout this entire debate.
As the population ages, the office on aging will become more and more necessary.
MH:
Who is Marshall’s #1 supporter in the blogosphere these days?
There has always been VERY limited space at the Adult Day Care Center. Not to mention very strict regulations for Alzhiemer’s patients. These patients and their caregivers NEED this service. It is quite costly to hire someone to provided this service. I guess the inlaw is not in need of those services anymore or Bob Marshall would be fighting for the Adult Day Care facility.
Hi Turn PW Blue,
Let us know when you new blog is up and running. Lets see…to answer your question, Vanna, may I get a G please?
Also, the Honorable Mr. Marshall wants to become our next senator. He probably doesn’t want to get the taint of PWC’s Resolution all over him. It might not wash well state-wide.
Elena said on 27 Apr 2008 at 6:37 pm:
O.K., lets say I am wrong, that is always a slight possiblity :), and the forclosure rate is simply because we are a bedroom community with inexpensive housing and the subsequent construction market has dried up and THAT is explains why so many people have left our area then I still ask, WHY WHY WHY are we wasting MILLIONS of dollars on a resolution if the empty houses and empty shopping centers are simply due to market adjustments? Either way, I think my point is made. Greg and HSM say the resolution is working because ESOL enrollemnt is down and people are no longer loitering and hispanic businesses are shutting down because they no longer “illegals” to patronage their establishments. So please, someone tell me, is the resolution working or not?!
KENNETH Said – Excellent question Elena.Is the resolution working? That depends on what you consider to be ‘working’? Is it helping to reduce the number of Latinos in the community? I believe it is helping…..but so is the reduction in the number of construction jobs. Is the resolution working in the sense that we now have a better community than we did a year ago? I think that is a definite no. Just look at the total number of foreclosures, the sharp decline in home prices, and the relative slums that have been made out of several shopping centers……..and these slums are FOREVER. The problem with ‘is it working’ is that the BOCS did not have the slightest idea of what they were doing. Instead of asking the County staff what could be done to improve things, they asked FAIR and we became FAIR’s lackey in testing FAIRs hate product. If one could give the results of the resolution a grade, well, how about a 3 of 10….if the purpose was to rid the County of undocumenteds…….how about a total score…….i would give it a 2…..and falling……….thanks for asking Elena………..
Marie said on 27 Apr 2008 at 7:16 pm:
Kenneth Reynolds at 3:48 in responseto Maribel.
Kenneth I am laughing so hard I am crying. Way to go!!! You must have had Wheaties for breakfast. Just could not resist saying I am so glad someone told Maribel off.
KENNETH Said – Thank you Marie….i wasnt able to follow earlier criticisms of her? At one point, the blog was going to DEPORT her off the blog..im glad they kept her……..Guess we need someone to kick around!!!!!!
Pollyanna said on 27 Apr 2008 at 7:41 pm:
Hey at the Apr 22 BOCS meeting didn’t Greg L report that the neighborhoods were now safe, people could stroll with their children around the neighborhoods, the fear is gone, children could play outside, overcrowding had been eliminated, that Prince William is now a “jewel” in the area and houses are beginning to sell. So, I ask why the hell does the county need the resolution. Why spend the money on something that is not necessary. I’m thinking all that money could be used to fund school programs, give teachers a raise, maintain the employment of 85 plus County employees facing layoffs, etc. Besides that the police are doing police work, arresting criminals, and taking them to the ADC where status is checked. Maybe the BOCS would like to spend some time and energy in stabilizing the community and restoring the reputation of the County. Oh, silly me.
KENNETH Said – Excellent Observations Pollyanna…….i hope someone can deliver this message to the BOCS on Tuesday……….maybe they’ll understand that one!! Its damn sad that they were co-opted at election time…..and i think the BOCS Members believed that if they stood up for what was right, the simpletons who went to the polls would have voted them out…its taken a year for the people to see what a piece of crap the resolution is……and now they can rescind it……its sadly laughable that they are going to ban illegals from the senior centers….nice goin Board!! and just how dumb is the police thing? lose-lose….and maybe get sued…….hummmm that rhymes!!
Juturna said on 27 Apr 2008 at 8:12 pm:
Well wait until July 1 when county staff go out and make the dozen or so elderly 90 and up prove they are legal to continue to receive their meals on wheels.
Now that is something to puff up our chests about…. More statistics for Greg.
Kenneth said – YUP, whatta guy!!!! I wonder if he belongs to the KKK…….
Moon-howler said on 27 Apr 2008 at 8:53 pm:
Juturna,
Refresh my memory please. Didn’t the office on aging take somewhat of a bad hit during the budget slice and dice the other night? I thought I saw that on the marathon bocs meeting channel.
KENNETH Said – I believe it did, based on Cathy Marshall’s ltr in the PN this weekend…….She is Bob’s wife and her father goes to the center. Well, the same thing happened last year, and every senior went to the next BOCS meeting and beat them up….so they put the funding back………only trouble is, they seemed to be the same geezer set (i am on that doorstep too!!!) that Greg rounded up to start the resolution……….remember, the bunch of white haired folks waving red signs??? And dammit, we are in PWC no Manassas anyway!!!!
Kenneth Reynolds,
It is beginning to sounds like everyone is their own great grandfather.
So as I understand it, funding for the senior center is out for this year? Once again, we manage to beat up on the most vunerable members of society.
I would certainly hope Mrs. Marshall would continue her vigilance with this county service.
Kenneth,
Here is the link:
http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/article/manassas_senior_day_program_targeted_again/14459/
Regardless of the consequences, what was the end goal of the Resolution? Right, it was to rid the county of ILLEGAL immigrants, and yes where they were living would obviously become vacant. No rocket science there! I suspect the foreclosures came about because they had little equity in the houses, and it was easier to walk away than to go through the ‘paper work’ (and we all know how much they hate documents) of selling the house and paying more money to a real estate agent. Basically it was as if they were walking away from rentals. Remember the no money down financing? I’m sure Mr. Lopez of Manassas fame was responsible for a number of these.
“Who is Marshall’s #1 supporter in the blogosphere these days?”
I’m not a #1 supporter of anyone, but he did a good job of saving the program last year.
http://luxuriouschoices.blogspot.com/2008/04/once-again-lets-cut-programs-for.html
Do you really think these people are going to come out of Alheizmer’s treatment to support a resolution by the same people who want to cut their funding? Kenneth, are you SURE these are the SAME people? If so, how dare GL lead them on without giving them the facts to make up their own minds. He’s no better than a scam telemarketer.
“and it was easier to walk away than to go through the ‘paper work’ (and we all know how much they hate documents)”
SA, I hate paperwork like that! You know why? Because I don’t understand it. You know why? It’s not even written in ENGLISH! It’s some kind of legalese crap that even native speakers can’t understand if they’ve never bought homes or property before.
See, that leaves people like ME out of the understanding loop because I was someone who thought I would never have enough money to buy a home. I saw myself as a renter for the rest of my life. People like me don’t understand complex paperwork when we haven’t been taught to understand it.
Do you understand now what the “promises” of home ownership does to people like me and immigrants as well? It’s like the poor students who are sold “the dream” of higher education. They buy into it not knowing what they are saddling themselves with.
There are unethical lenders from every racial group, and to me, they are all worms.
In addtion to cutting services to the elderly and closing the Adult Day Care in the Western end of the County, didn’t the BOCS also cut funding for foster care and for the disabled? These are the most vunerable populations.
Second Alamo,
Do you not think that most people would get the proper documentation if it were possible? The Salvadorans who are here with TPS have to fill out their paperwork fairly frequently, I believe I read 18 months.
I think people walk out on a mortgage because they have no choice. Show me where I am wrong.
Also, are you saying that the Resolution got rid of illegal immigrants or the economy got rid of illegal immigrants?
Most people would get the documentation if possible, but the question is who should get it first, those in line in other countries or those who came here for jobs/opportunity/their children’s future without waiting in line? That is the question that can’t seem to be answered by Congress or anyone else.
The Salvadorans have to renew on a frequent basis and if they miss their deadline, they lose their protected status. Drive by the Salvadoran consulate in Woodbridge one time and see how perpetually crowded it is everyday.
“Admin is busy, so I (Elena), thought this would be a great topic to discuss today….I AM suggesting that the reason PWC is DOUBLE that of our neighbors, and is number one in the region for forclosures, is the one variable that sets us apart……………the illegal immigration resolution.”
http://www.slate.com/id/2189576/?ref=patrick.net
“Liar Loan”
“The term is mortgage-industry slang for what’s more formally called a “stated income” mortgage—a mortgage that a lender gives without checking tax returns, employment history, or pretty much anything else. Many of the loans that are in trouble now, or will be in trouble soon, fall into this category. But the term gives only the barest hint of the pervasive failure involved.
~snip~
“At the height of the mortgage boom, however, especially in pricey markets, the liar’s loan became a routine way of doing business;”
~snip~
“Under ordinary circumstances, we think of lying as something that a few people do. But the nickname “liar’s loan” is stunningly apt. The vast majority of the people who took these loans out exaggerated at least a little. Most lied a lot. And it’s likely that most of the liar’s loans—including those given to people with excellent credit histories—will go bad.”
…
Considering the amount of growth PWC has gone thorugh in the past 8 years I have lived here – new developments all over the map – much moreso than Fairfax, Arlington, PGC, etc…is it at all possible the amount of foreclosures we’re seeing have to do with the fact of so many liar loans being done? And perhaps many of these liar loans purchased by illegal residents as well as low-income residents are the reasoning behind why so many homes are now vacant?
I still recall the article from the WaPo describing in detail the illegal landscaper who was given a 300K mortgage for a townhouse and was walking away from his commitment…. The foreclosure of his home was his decision-making event to abandon his property…the resolution just an added incentive to leave the county. Either way, his home was going to go vacant. Resolution/no resolution the mortgage meltdown was going to happen anyway because so many people like that landscaper were sold BAD loans. The unique/unfortunate circumstance for our county was that so many bad loans were sold to people who could not afford them once they re-set, and that population was the Hispanic/Latino population – be they legal/illegal residents. And why were they sold such bad deals? Because they were the market for them – they were the people most in need of housing and the easiest targets for such dubious financing.
So did the resolution help? No, it pushed those with the most to lose out (the illegal residents). But since these same people were also victims/participants of the mortgage meltdown, it’s hard to say they would have STAYED when their housing was being taken from them. Many would have had to leave because of lack of rental properties available!
“…Prince William’s schools were imploding, losing an entire
school’s worth of Hispanic students each year as recent
immigrants steadily left the county, an exodus fueled by
both pressure – tough enforcement aimed at illegal
immigrants – and the lure of good money back home in
Central America where the service, hospiltality and health
industries were hungry for workers around the huge
retirement colonies filled with septuagenarian boomers
from El Norte.”
Washington Post Magazine (4-27-2008)
“Washington -2025”
Geesh, the WaPo is beating us up – 17 years in the future!
“but the question is who should get it first, those in line in other countries or those who came here for jobs/opportunity/their children’s future without waiting in line?” If they have already been here and have been contributing without protection and being able to collect social security, they’ve already done their “penance.”
It’s common knowledge immigration laws have changed, the system is brokedn, and there is a backlog without any employees to fix it at the moment. It’s also common knowledge this county doesn’t give enough work visas. The unemployment rate is low. So why not legitimze these people and then once this is all cleared up, determine how many more people we need to take care of our economic needs? The reason there’s such a long waiting list in the first place is that we are so backed up!
I meant this “country” doesn’t give enough visas. And please ignore the other typos. I need to get away from the computer for a little bit before I go completely blind.
Well a huge issue for me is that my house was just appraised at 210k even though the city of manassas park claims it is worth 307k…It truly is criminal the overinflated values that they have sent out to us. We are struggling BIG TIME in the park dealing with all of these foreclosures. The vast majority of the surnames of the owners are Hispanic. Legal or not, we have an entire culture of folks that are packing up and leaving in the middle of the night and leaving us to deal with their mess. I can’t even refi out of my ARM now because my house is worth less than I owe. I would have never in my wildest dreams imagined that my home would lose 50% of its peak value within 2 years. I know of no other locality in the entire US that has suffered like we have here in the park. The city doesn’t even address the issue and as far as they are concerned they won’t even take foreclosures into effect when assessing a home’s worth. Not only do we pay the highest real estate taxes in the ENTIRE state of Virginia here in the park, but I am all but positive that we have one of the highest if not THE highest foreclosure rate per 100 homes in the country. We were open and welcoming to illegal aliens in this city and this is what we get for it?? To say I am jaded would be an understatement.
It wasn’t hard to foresee a mortgage problem in the making when you consider that the median family income for PWC families probably hovers under $100,000 a year and most new houses a couple years ago were selling at $400,000 plus. Using conventional financing with 10-20% down, those families would be hard pressed to afford a single family house here. Enter Low Doc or No Doc loans and presto – a new wave of buyers was created. The same scenario played out all over the country.
PWC had a surfeit of affordable housing compared to Fairfax and Loudoun so we were especially hard hit when people who could only marginally afford a home bought one and then couldn’t keep up with the payments. But the impact of the resolution can’t be ruled out because it’s a fear factor that can’t be glossed over particularly for blended families.
Kgotthardt, what do we tell those relatives of American citizens that have patiently waited in line who can’t illegally enter the US because they don’t share a common land border? Do we just say, “we’ll take the civil offenders first because they behaved themselves after they came here”? Even though the American citizen’s relatives in Liberia, Ireland, Vietnam, India or Korea played by the rules?
I completely agree with you that the immigration system is broken, but some token of gratitude must be accorded those who followed the law, even though some on this blog tend to minimize entering illegally as a civil offense. That’s one more offense than the nonoffenders committed.
“Well a huge issue for me is that my house was just appraised at 210k even though the city of manassas park claims it is worth 307k…It truly is criminal the overinflated values that they have sent out to us.”
You too? The park assessed our home at 420K. We wanted to re-fi and our mortgage asseser gave us the number of 330K. Why? The Park is NOT taking into account the foreclosed homes when they did their magic math to come up with the outrageous numbers they did. So, they are excluding all foreclosed homes from making the assessments. Pretty FU’d, no?
“We are struggling BIG TIME in the park dealing with all of these foreclosures.”
Two more on my small street went to auction Friday….
“The vast majority of the surnames of the owners are Hispanic.”
And that is the case in my neighborhood as well. In fact the two that went to auction last week – hispanic owned. Those along with the other homes on the street that went into foreclosure.
“Legal or not, we have an entire culture of folks that are packing up and leaving in the middle of the night and leaving us to deal with their mess.”
Yep.
“We were open and welcoming to illegal aliens in this city and this is what we get for it??”
We weren’t open to illegal aliens, the RE agents, the mortgage brokers and all were open to making a buck at any cost. It just happens to coincide with the fact we had the most affordable housing that could be fradulently sold to a group of people who couldn’t afford it (ethnicity irrelevant).
I only wish we had moved a few years ago…but then again, logic prevented us from selling our home and purchasing a loan we couldn’t afford to move elsewhere in NOVA. See, we knew we could not afford a mortgage for a 600K+ home…
The Park is a dump run by shady bureaucrats – and no damn “new old town” will be its saving grace. Best to ditch its incorporation and return MP to PWC governance.
I have been seriously thinking about taking up an effort to get a class action lawsuit together to sue the people that have abandoned their homes and to find the realtors and lenders who are the biggest offenders of predatory loans for these people that walked. I think a few hundred people on this class action suit and a law firm may bite. What these people have done to our community is criminal and should be punishable by fines and/or jail time. Making payments on a home in the park now is like setting fire to your money. It is no better than renting except for the tax write off. Why continue to make payments on an investment that will never recoup its initial value? All of us in the park also need to stand together to protest these absurd overvalued tax assessments too.
Kgotthardt said:
“Maribel, not a single person I’ve ever met outside of PWC thought it was trashy. The place still has the reputation of being “backwoods” if anything else, and this lack of progressive, critical thinking just strengthens the stereotype.”
Kgotthardt, I don’t know what circles you move in, but I must disagree.
When the huge influx of Hispanics arrived, Manassas quickly became known in military family circles as “Manasty”, and military families stopped choosing PWC as a bedroom commute community of choice — they moved to Stafford and Fredericksburg. I can not even begin to count the number of families I know of first hand who listed this as a key reason to NOT choose PWC over Stafford.
All this talk about ESOL funding going into general coffers. Well, military families bring “impact money” to the school fund as well. For each military dependent enrolled in PWC schools, the fed govt gives the county $$$. Of course, this money does not go to programs that directly impact military dependents and THEIR special needs and educational hurdles (frequent moves, separation from parents during deployments, etc) but I don’t hear any one of you giving a DAMN about military kids or wringing your hands in despair. What a bunch of hypocrites!
Maybe now that the illegals have hit the road due to the Resolution, and the price of housing is going down, the county can begin to attract military families again and burnish its reputation as a place where military families want to settle down. Most of THESE families have the qualities anyone would want in a neighbor — patriotism and respect for civil law and order among others.
If the hispanic meltdown means PWC can attract military families again, then bravo!
Lucky Duck,
Thank you. It is rare to see someone stick up for legal immigrants who play by the rules and not make excuses for the selfish decisions of illegal aliens to gate-crash.
If the American people think the immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed (even though 1 mil sre admitted each year LEGALLY), then I hope that they do not “fix” the system by rewarding the rule breakers. Only more chaos will result. Why would anyone play by the rules then?
Kgotthardt;
The 1965 Immigration Act was designed to discriminate against immigrants from Europe and the UK. President Kennedy stated that the intent of the act was to ensure that “no more than 10%” of legally admitted aliens came from “any one nation”.
The systemic discrimination against Europeans and others who share our language and culture is pretty much complete.
Mexicans and other Latin Americans state they cross here “illegally” because it is virtually “impossible” to gain entrance to the US legally, since the number of visas issued to prospective immigrants is capped based on the 1965 law. The 1965 law is now discriminating against Latins and now is a “problem” but when it discriminated against Europeans, no one had a problem with that (except for the Irish, who continue to come here in waves illegally and demand the “right” to adjust their status and legalize).
Maybe the solution is just to make it known to Europeans that as long as they can get here they can “earn” a path to citizenship and stay with only a slap in the wrist.
Oh – that’s right — the majority of Europeans have respect for civil laws and the sovereignty of nations. My bad!
“All of us in the park also need to stand together to protest these absurd overvalued tax assessments too.”
We submitted a challenge to ours. Fat chance it ever got out of the “inbox” it was put in…
As did I, for all the good it will do….
“Kgotthardt, what do we tell those relatives of American citizens that have patiently waited in line who can’t illegally enter the US because they don’t share a common land border?” You tell them “We’re getting more visas so your family members won’t have to wait ten more years to be here. It’s part of “family reunification” which needs to be a goal as soon as the domestic paperwork is taken care of which needs to be NOW.
As far as calling some would-be immigrants non-offenders, that’s like saying anyone who has never gotten a speeding ticket is a non-offender. Well sure, but do we call traffic violators “offenders” and determine they should not be able to use our roads because they broke the law? That’s not really logical. Do we say people who are behind on their taxes can’t use parks because they are, after all, behind? Of course not. See, the standards change when we move from one civil offense to another. Being “illegal” is unpopular and politically charged at the moment, so anyone missing paperwork or behind on taxes is automatically subjected to the newest Spanish Inquisition.
Kgotthardt, nobody is “missing paperwork”…either you have one of the myriad of visas that are available or you do not.
Those who broke the civil law of illegally entering the country should, in my opinion (humble as it is) wait behind any of those who have waited out our broken system. Remember, you keep writing that our system is broken and it is nearly impossible to gain entry. Well that same problem exists for those who do not share a common land border with the US and are trying to play by the rules. Coming here for a job/better life/your child’s opportunity, while I understand and would do the same thing, should NOT put you or me ahead of those who have played by the rules. That is a major sticking point for me in any legislation. I agree with you that we need to address immigration as a nation, but we need to consider all points, not the heartstings approach that having a shared land border can develop.
USMCWife:
You know why local schools get “impact money”? It has nothing to do with providing a program or service specifically tailored to military children’s needs (nor were these funds *ever* intended for that purpose).
It’s because military installations don’t contribute directly to the local property tax revenues, so those housed in base housing are sending their kids to local schools, but not paying property taxes to support those schools.. It’s because many military families are legally domiciled in other places and often do not pay state and local income and personal property taxes in the locations they are stationed (not always the case, I know). The “impact fees” are to cover the “impact” of this population on the school system to ensure that the schools have adequate resources that otherwise would not have been paid for.
Lucky, we KNEW they were here. We did NOTHING about it. At least part of the onus is on US to do the right thing, don’t you think, instead of paying a gazillion dollars for this resolution and for mass deportations?
And you needn’t be so humble. You’re obviously well informed. : )
It’s not really a heart-string issue to say, “the resolution is making us broke and susceptible to lawsuits.”