If I had the opportunity, as apparently Ms. Slutsky has to write occasional feature columns in the Farmingdale Observer, I’d be detailing the facts as they are, not as Ms. Slutsky and Long Island Wins wants you to believe.
My position is simply to obey the laws of this land. This is at the core of my views about Illegal Immigrants. I’ve stated my position clearly in an earlier letter published by you in the Farmingdale Observer on this subject. I won’t rehash the details, but will say once more for the record: anyone who enters the United States illegally, and remains in this country illegally, is in fact, in violation of the law. Some would call this type of behavior, criminal. I do.
Law abiding Americans, like all of you, have little tolerance or sympathy for individuals who willfully and intentionally break our nation’s laws, and expect/demand some kind of free ride and warm welcome. Many illegal immigrants actually think they’re entitled to the same benefits each of us enjoys as American citizens. Incredibly some already receive Social Security payouts and Medicare without having contributed a single penny into these funds. Is this the direction you want America to follow?
One of the tactics that the Long Island Wins supporters encourage you to follow is the boycotting of everything that has to do with Arizona. They claim that this type of activity is resulting in a desired negative impact on the Arizona economy. She is supporting the boycotting of American businesses and services in Arizona. Should American businesses be penalized? Ms. Slutsky deliberately fails/refuses to distinguish illegal immigrants from legal ones in her articles, and in fact tries to allege that perhaps Arizona Immigration Law SB 1070 is an effort to have fewer “Latinos” in Arizona. Latinos? Or is she actually referring to the illegal immigrants who are costing the Arizona taxpayers millions in criminal activity, and unpaid medical care costs?
Wins spokesperson Maryann Sinclair Slutsky refuses to acknowledge the majority of Arizona citizens who are in favor of this law, and the lawless activity of these illegal immigrant interlopers. The Arizona immigration bill has been applauded and supported by Americans all across this nation. States like Texas, Utah, Georgia, Ohio, Maryland and others are drafting similar laws.
Wins Director Ms. Slutsky claims that if a law like SB 1070 was passed here on Long Island our communities would face economic setbacks. Really? Slutsky’s “proof” is to cite an Adelphi University survey from 2006, which claims immigrants across Long Island yielded a net benefit of over $1 billion into the area economy, and immigrant-spending power was estimated at $7.5 billion, and this spending in Nassau created 51,600 jobs. Really? The stats used in this Adelphi study included lawful legal immigrants who pay taxes and contribute to our economy, mixed together with ILLEGAL immigrants to sway the stats and skew the real results.
My research found that the Adelphi survey referenced by Ms. Slutsky, was in fact an Adelphi supported research project, funded by a $50,000 grant from the Hagedorn Foundation. The Hagedorn Foundation provides funds and financial grants for various special interests and other charitable organizations. Apparently, for the past couple of years, the Hagedorn Foundation has seen fit to make some major cash contributions to Long Island Wins. In fact, in the years 2008 and 2009, Long Island Wins was provided with $430,000 and $230,000 respectively to “to continue educational/media campaign to change the public’s perception of immigrants and immigration on Long Island“. Seems like an awful lot of donors money being spent to deliberately cloud the issue of ILLEGAL immigration for us Long Islanders. To date, Wins has garnered over a half million dollars from a charitable foundation to sway your views. Unlike Long Island Wins, I know that Americans are not as naive as Ms. Slutsky believes you to be, and you can now clearly see through the Wins charade and paid agenda by the Hagedorn Foundation. These truths and documented facts speak the loudest and clearest on this issue, and Wins mercenary mission, to sway your opinion is simply wrong and ill advised.
Americans want something done about the hordes of illegal immigrants in our nation. America is a land of law-abiding people who have a long history of welcoming documented LEGAL immigrants from every corner of the world, and we will continue to do so. However, lawlessness should not be excused or pardoned, for those who have entered illegally. If you break the law you will be penalized. That’s American justice. Don’t let anyone tell you that you/we are wrong to insist on obeying our nation’s laws. More importantly, don’t let anyone, especially Long Island Wins Director Maryann Sinclair Slutsky, have you believe that illegal immigrants are entitled to the same rights you have as a tax paying citizen of the United States.
Lastly, I am calling upon each and every one of you, who know that there’s a better course to take for America, than that being proffered by Wins. Stand up and make your voice count this November on Election Day. This is the most powerful way you have to show this nation’s elected policy makers that YOU demand to be heard, as part of the greater majority. Vote for the candidate who will fight for YOUR rights as law-abiding, hard working, and tax paying Americans. I know I will.
Kevin D. Hassett
