Trump is awful but I want helicopter money and illegal immigration to stop

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump didn't do anything good for his entire term and he still won't do anything good the second time around. Still waiting on my "beautiful healthcare plan".

There were far far fewer migrants with faux asylum claims coming in under Trump. That is a fact.

Please articulate how migrants seeking asylum are affecting your daily life.

I’m a Democrat and I will be voting for Harris/Walz. But you’re actually nuts if you’re serious about this question. I live in NYC and the crisis is everywhere. A direct impact on me is that the city had to cut funding to every city service by 5-10% to fund shelter and services for migrants. I don’t have kids in the public school system, but the influx of high-need, low-income, non-English speaking kids is another direct impact on NYC children whose parents are taxpayers.

I pay a LOT in taxes, and I’m happy to, for a well-run city with good services. I have no choice but to fund this, and obviously once they’ve arrived in NYC, it’s better to have them housed and fed than have depression-esque tent cities everywhere, but they shouldn’t be here at all. The asylum system is a total joke.

Obviously I get that a legislative solution is needed and that the GOP isn’t operating in good faith on this, but Democrats’ messaging (both domestically and externally, to potential migrants) needs to change. There is definitely a perception that the Democrats are the “compassionate” ones on this issue and that a Democratic administration will not take border security seriously. I’d like to see the Remain in Mexico policy put back in place as a starting point. Trump was actually right on that one.

Please remember that employed but undocumented immigrants pay taxes.

Some do. I’m not talking about sales taxes, I’m talking about income and payroll taxes that are paid by people who earn their income on the books. Which is typically not the case for undocumented immigrants, who for obvious reasons tend to work cash jobs. I wouldn’t say it’s universal, and the newly-arrived migrants are certainly not paying state and city income taxes on the whole.

There are billions of dollars paid into this system by undocumented workers who use fake SSN etc to gain employment who will never draw on these benefits. Documented fact, look it up.

It's also true that people who have never worked a day in the US come here, get legal status and then draw retirement out of the social security system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The border requires legislation and it has since Reagan was in office. At every change, the GOP has refused a bi-partisan solution, most recently when Trump jettisoned a bill that had 80% of what the GOP wanted.

That it is keeping you angry tells me their ploy is successful.

Inflation is a result of COVID and the subsequent bounceback. It is a global phenomenon. Inflation is better in the US than anywhere else in the world.

How do you reduce inflation? Bring down core costs. For housing, that means getting more built. The GOP opposed the government efforts to do this. it means bringing drug costs down. the GOP opposes the government getting involved with this. It means passing anti-price-gouging legislation. The GOP opposed such passage.

What is the GOP plan for the border? Pass the bill it opposed under Biden.

What is the GOP plan for inflation? Who knows. What we do know is that Trump wants to pass a VAT to replace the current tax system, which would be a boon for the upper class and an anchor for the lower and middle class. Trump also wants to increase tariffs, which is highly inflationary.

Please tell us what you think the GOP will do about the border and inflation.

To the bolded (as a conservative) it's also possible that it's just a hard problem to solve. I don't think the Ds have given good solutions either, right?

As someone else has noted, the Ds proposed a bill that was what the Republicans wanted and Donald told them not to pass it, so they didn't.

There are a lot of things that can be done to reduce immigration, such as making potential immigrants' home countries safer and more prosperous. But when Democrats try to pass legislation to that effect, Republicans shout about needing to help the people at home, by which they mean run a deficit for the sake of tax cuts that go to billionaires.

Republicans aren't interested in solving problems, period. And you're right, this is a hard one. But it's made harder by electing people who don't care in the first place.

This narrative from the Ds is so tiresome and stupid. The democrats like to pretend they had a border bill that got torpedoed by Trump and the GOP, but the bill was an absolute farce. The Ds proposed a do nothing bill that still would have allowed upwards of 1.5 million illegals into the country per year. The ‘bill’ was nothing more than toilet paper and worthless. The dems just wanted to make it appear like they were trying to do something even though they knew it was so bad it would get killed no matter what. The Ds offered no real border solutions and remain obstinate in allowing the USA to exist as a sovereign nation. The Dems are a threat to our nation’s existence, because they don’t believe in borders. Let’s also not forget the situation is so bad under Harris and Biden that they have even allowed a number of ISIS affiliates to infiltrate our country through their open borders:

https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/dhs-identifies-400-migrants-brought-us-isis-linked-human-smuggling-rcna158777

Sorry... the Dems proposed a bill? That bill was co-sponsored by Oklahoma Republican James Lankford, a very conservative senator. No one will take you seriously when you can't even get your facts straight.

Langford actually wrote the bill in good faith that the Dems would support it. Little did he know that his own party would undermine his effort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP,

Immigration is a global problem. Not political party can fix it, anywhere in the world. I am French, and I am acutely aware of how challenging it is for the European Union to regulate the millions of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean. Images of drowned toddlers on beaches are traumatizing. Some countries' coastguards have been accused of letting migrant boats capsize and not rush to their aid. Yet no country can withstand that much migration, so Europe needs to control the flow.
It's an awful situation.

What people fail to understand is that migration doesn't get solved at the border. By then it's too late. You will create human suffering whether or not you create an impenetrable wall.

Migration exists because some countries are dirt poor and some are insanely wealthy. Climate change worsens migration significantly. So do criminal organizations: American demands for drugs and weapons push South and Central American countries into drug lord governance and weaken democracies who could rduce violence and keep their populations inside their own borders.

The GOP has traditionally not been receptive to gun control, and the Democrats have traditionally not been receptive to drug control. They are both to blame for much upstream decisions that create criminal opportunities in Latin America, and force desperate people to leave for greener pastures.

Europe has similar problems.

It's useful to vote for idiots who make grand promises but will clearly not do a thing to address the core issues. Harris at least is trying - she traveled to Latin America to strengthen democratic and economic ties in a bid to keep people where they are. It's very uphill work, and the democrats can't solve it unless they also crack down on drug crime, which also means cracking down on lax gun laws. You can't do one with the others! And Republicans will never agree to gun control.

So please vote for something your chosen party can actually make happen, OP. Because migration is not solvable with the parties we have currently.

And yet many countries do not have a migrant problem. Is it possibly because their policies positively discourage migration?

dp... no, it's just purely about location.

The US shares a border with MX, which shares a border with Central Am. which shares a border with SA. We are the richest nation in the Americas, and it's easy to not stand out in the US if you have a different skin color.

Illegals don't want to go to Canada because it's dam! cold up there, and their country is not as wealthy as the US. Yes, there are many real Americans who are struggling, but the US is still a wealthy country, more wealthier than Canada.

If you look at Europe, you see a lot of Africans and Middle Easterners going through southern Europe to reach a more wealthier country where they can blend in easier, like France and the UK.

[Anonymous]

Inflation is bad because we printed free money during the pandemic. Right decision but, has consequences. That’s your guy.

The border, as you know Obama was very aggressive with deportations. Don’t write the dems off on this.

The alternative is chaos and literal criminals in the WH. There is no choice, only Kamala

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with you OP. And, it is my #1 issue. Number 2 for me is cost of living.

Harris will do nothing to improve the border. Her positions in the past and her running mate's positions confirm that for me.
We will continue to see the large numbers of migrants coming from all over the world.
This nation cannot afford another 5-10 million illegal aliens living in the US.

She will do the same thing that she can, that Biden can, until meaningful legislation is passed. Maybe after the election, if Trump loses, the GOP will actually break the shackles and support the bill during the lame duck session.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump didn't do anything good for his entire term and he still won't do anything good the second time around. Still waiting on my "beautiful healthcare plan".

There were far far fewer migrants with faux asylum claims coming in under Trump. That is a fact.

Please articulate how migrants seeking asylum are affecting your daily life.

I’m a Democrat and I will be voting for Harris/Walz. But you’re actually nuts if you’re serious about this question. I live in NYC and the crisis is everywhere. A direct impact on me is that the city had to cut funding to every city service by 5-10% to fund shelter and services for migrants. I don’t have kids in the public school system, but the influx of high-need, low-income, non-English speaking kids is another direct impact on NYC children whose parents are taxpayers.

I pay a LOT in taxes, and I’m happy to, for a well-run city with good services. I have no choice but to fund this, and obviously once they’ve arrived in NYC, it’s better to have them housed and fed than have depression-esque tent cities everywhere, but they shouldn’t be here at all. The asylum system is a total joke.

Obviously I get that a legislative solution is needed and that the GOP isn’t operating in good faith on this, but Democrats’ messaging (both domestically and externally, to potential migrants) needs to change. There is definitely a perception that the Democrats are the “compassionate” ones on this issue and that a Democratic administration will not take border security seriously. I’d like to see the Remain in Mexico policy put back in place as a starting point. Trump was actually right on that one.

Please remember that employed but undocumented immigrants pay taxes.

Correct. https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-immigrants-taxes-rent-vaccine-requirements-983035929946

Sales taxes were excepted in th epost to which you are responding. Being undocumented, these people cannot (or should not) get legitimate jobs. So they are paid under-market and in cash. No taxes. Even your article recognizes that only "some"pay income, social security, etc taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump is awful and I think JD was the wrong pick. But I just can’t take Kamala seriously about the border and inflation. And these things do matter.
At least with Trump there is a chance of getting these huge problems fixed because there will be other individuals at the helm making things happen. With Kamala, not a chance.
We are so screwed.

I don't understand how Biden gets tagged with "helicopter money" and inflation. At least half the COVID stimulus money was proposed by Trump in 2020 and passed by that Congress. At best they share the blame equally for injecting too much stimulus into the economy. But I tend to be more charitable and believe that nobody understood how COVID would be a short-term economic disruption - at the time people were really afraid of a full-on depression.

There was a good case for the 2020 money distributions because at the end of April 2020 unemployment spiked at 14.8%. But, after the stimulus, it very rapidly decreased and stood at 6.2% at the end of January 2021, and was on a steep decline. Likewise, there was a significant dip in GDP second quarter 2020 from end 2019 GDP. But, by the end of 2020, GDP was higher than it had been at the end of 2019.

The 2020 stimulus did its job in getting unemployment and GDP back on track. No further stimulus was necessary and could only be inflationary as Larry Summers warned about Biden's American Rescue Plan.

Except that the vaccine wasn't readily available until April 2021 so there was a months gap there that needed to be covered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP,

Immigration is a global problem. Not political party can fix it, anywhere in the world. I am French, and I am acutely aware of how challenging it is for the European Union to regulate the millions of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean. Images of drowned toddlers on beaches are traumatizing. Some countries' coastguards have been accused of letting migrant boats capsize and not rush to their aid. Yet no country can withstand that much migration, so Europe needs to control the flow.
It's an awful situation.

What people fail to understand is that migration doesn't get solved at the border. By then it's too late. You will create human suffering whether or not you create an impenetrable wall.

Migration exists because some countries are dirt poor and some are insanely wealthy. Climate change worsens migration significantly. So do criminal organizations: American demands for drugs and weapons push South and Central American countries into drug lord governance and weaken democracies who could rduce violence and keep their populations inside their own borders.

The GOP has traditionally not been receptive to gun control, and the Democrats have traditionally not been receptive to drug control. They are both to blame for much upstream decisions that create criminal opportunities in Latin America, and force desperate people to leave for greener pastures.

Europe has similar problems.

It's useful to vote for idiots who make grand promises but will clearly not do a thing to address the core issues. Harris at least is trying - she traveled to Latin America to strengthen democratic and economic ties in a bid to keep people where they are. It's very uphill work, and the democrats can't solve it unless they also crack down on drug crime, which also means cracking down on lax gun laws. You can't do one with the others! And Republicans will never agree to gun control.

So please vote for something your chosen party can actually make happen, OP. Because migration is not solvable with the parties we have currently.

And yet many countries do not have a migrant problem. Is it possibly because their policies positively discourage migration?

All the desirable (wealthy and tolerant) countries without daunting ocean protections have immigration problems. Are you thinking of Japan? It’s an extremely insular and xenophobic country. I can say that, I’m Japanese.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know how anyone can look at Trump and say he's the better choice because there's an immigration problem that Republicans refuse to address (other than constant squawking about it).

Hi, let me introduce myself. I 100 percent think Trump is the better option. The Democrats are actively hostile to the idea of solving the problem. They actually want more of the problem. It is a no brainer to support Trump.

Laughable statement given it was the GOP who chose not to support their own bill to, you know, solve the problem. A bill that ALL of the Dems and the Democratic president all agreed to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny how the GOP just becomes concerned about illegal immigration during election time.

Exactly. And they are frightened at how popular the Harris Walz ticket is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP,

Immigration is a global problem. Not political party can fix it, anywhere in the world. I am French, and I am acutely aware of how challenging it is for the European Union to regulate the millions of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean. Images of drowned toddlers on beaches are traumatizing. Some countries' coastguards have been accused of letting migrant boats capsize and not rush to their aid. Yet no country can withstand that much migration, so Europe needs to control the flow.
It's an awful situation.

What people fail to understand is that migration doesn't get solved at the border. By then it's too late. You will create human suffering whether or not you create an impenetrable wall.

Migration exists because some countries are dirt poor and some are insanely wealthy. Climate change worsens migration significantly. So do criminal organizations: American demands for drugs and weapons push South and Central American countries into drug lord governance and weaken democracies who could rduce violence and keep their populations inside their own borders.

The GOP has traditionally not been receptive to gun control, and the Democrats have traditionally not been receptive to drug control. They are both to blame for much upstream decisions that create criminal opportunities in Latin America, and force desperate people to leave for greener pastures.

Europe has similar problems.

It's useful to vote for idiots who make grand promises but will clearly not do a thing to address the core issues. Harris at least is trying - she traveled to Latin America to strengthen democratic and economic ties in a bid to keep people where they are. It's very uphill work, and the democrats can't solve it unless they also crack down on drug crime, which also means cracking down on lax gun laws. You can't do one with the others! And Republicans will never agree to gun control.

So please vote for something your chosen party can actually make happen, OP. Because migration is not solvable with the parties we have currently.

And yet many countries do not have a migrant problem. Is it possibly because their policies positively discourage migration?

Which countries don’t have a migrant problem?

Just about any country in Asia, most countries in Africa and South and Central America, Canada, and Australia. latter two now thinking they may have over welcomed migrants, almost all of whom are legal.

Illegal migration is basically a European, UK, and US problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The border requires legislation and it has since Reagan was in office. At every change, the GOP has refused a bi-partisan solution, most recently when Trump jettisoned a bill that had 80% of what the GOP wanted.

That it is keeping you angry tells me their ploy is successful.

Inflation is a result of COVID and the subsequent bounceback. It is a global phenomenon. Inflation is better in the US than anywhere else in the world.


How do you reduce inflation? Bring down core costs. For housing, that means getting more built. The GOP opposed the government efforts to do this. it means bringing drug costs down. the GOP opposes the government getting involved with this. It means passing anti-price-gouging legislation. The GOP opposed such passage.

What is the GOP plan for the border? Pass the bill it opposed under Biden.

What is the GOP plan for inflation? Who knows. What we do know is that Trump wants to pass a VAT to replace the current tax system, which would be a boon for the upper class and an anchor for the lower and middle class. Trump also wants to increase tariffs, which is highly inflationary.

Please tell us what you think the GOP will do about the border and inflation.

Came here to say exactly this.

There is no such thing as a "bipartisan" solution. The Democrats do not want a solution. They want to increase the problem. To the extent these "solutions" you speak of purported to do anything, the Democrats will immediately turn around and ensure that any enforcment is non-existent.

There was a bi-partisan solution. Trump told the GOP not to support a bill that was written by a conservative Senator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to Trump, the way to bring down inflation is to "drill, baby, drill".

Should be pretty obvious that increasing the supply of readily available energy sources will decrease costs for energy consumers (manufacturers, airlines, power producers, consumers, etc.).

And guess what? Under Biden, the US is peaking all time drilling and oil and gas production as well as renewable energy production and is a net energy exporter. Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump didn't do anything good for his entire term and he still won't do anything good the second time around. Still waiting on my "beautiful healthcare plan".

There were far far fewer migrants with faux asylum claims coming in under Trump. That is a fact.

Please articulate how migrants seeking asylum are affecting your daily life.

I’m a Democrat and I will be voting for Harris/Walz. But you’re actually nuts if you’re serious about this question. I live in NYC and the crisis is everywhere. A direct impact on me is that the city had to cut funding to every city service by 5-10% to fund shelter and services for migrants. I don’t have kids in the public school system, but the influx of high-need, low-income, non-English speaking kids is another direct impact on NYC children whose parents are taxpayers.

I pay a LOT in taxes, and I’m happy to, for a well-run city with good services. I have no choice but to fund this, and obviously once they’ve arrived in NYC, it’s better to have them housed and fed than have depression-esque tent cities everywhere, but they shouldn’t be here at all. The asylum system is a total joke.

Obviously I get that a legislative solution is needed and that the GOP isn’t operating in good faith on this, but Democrats’ messaging (both domestically and externally, to potential migrants) needs to change. There is definitely a perception that the Democrats are the “compassionate” ones on this issue and that a Democratic administration will not take border security seriously. I’d like to see the Remain in Mexico policy put back in place as a starting point. Trump was actually right on that one.

Please remember that employed but undocumented immigrants pay taxes.

Some do. I’m not talking about sales taxes, I’m talking about income and payroll taxes that are paid by people who earn their income on the books. Which is typically not the case for undocumented immigrants, who for obvious reasons tend to work cash jobs. I wouldn’t say it’s universal, and the newly-arrived migrants are certainly not paying state and city income taxes on the whole.

There are billions of dollars paid into this system by undocumented workers who use fake SSN etc to gain employment who will never draw on these benefits. Documented fact, look it up.

It's also true that people who have never worked a day in the US come here, get legal status and then draw retirement out of the social security system.

Not if they haven’t subsequently worked the requisite years.

Have you never dealt with SSA? The documentation required to get any payment is enormous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to Trump, the way to bring down inflation is to "drill, baby, drill".

Should be pretty obvious that increasing the supply of readily available energy sources will decrease costs for energy consumers (manufacturers, airlines, power producers, consumers, etc.).

Should it be obvious? Is the US oil supply constrained? Or is "drill, baby, drill" just three words that used to be an applause line?

Yes, it should be very obvious to everyone capable of thinking about it.

So the US extracts more oil than any nation in history, is a net exporter, and "drill, baby, drill" is a silver bullet?

yep, and he wants to kill our environment.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/drill-baby-drill-donald-trump-oil-gas-rnc/story?id=112108980

However, during Biden's tenure, the United States has continued to produce and export the most crude oil out of any country, at any time, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Crude oil production averaged 12.9 million barrels per day in 2023, breaking the previous U.S. and global record of 12.3 million, set in 2019, according to the agency.

Throughout his bid for reelection, Trump has been vocal about his plans to double down on reliance on fossil fuels and reverse federal climate action.

"I'm going to write it out in an executive order. It's going to end on day one," Trump said, claiming that wind turbines "kill" whales, which was later denied by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Doesn't TX rely on wind turbines to some degree? Oh yea, they froze because they didn't follow guidelines and winterproof them. I guess the thinking is that if they drill more oil, they won't need wind turbines, but then you risk more earthquakes and definitely more pollution.

https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/08/west-texas-earthquakes-fracking/

So, I guess TX can expect more earthquakes under Trump.