CAREFUL WHAT WE WISH FOR: OBAMA = AMNESTY

WHY IS NORTH CAROLINA GIVING THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES A FREE "PASS" ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION? Have we given up because everyone in North Carolina perceives their policies to be so similar? Or do we believe the candidates for state government's claims that they can fix the problem?

Our state's job growth and personal income lag the entire Southeast. We are taxed to the bone: the highest corporate tax rate, highest state income tax rate, and the second highest fuel tax and sales tax rates in the Southeast.

The quality of life we enjoy is collapsing. Medical services decrease while their cost skyrockets. Our children's schools are over-crowded and under-staffed. We now face water shortages, sprawl, traffic, air pollution, and housing for the poor is scarce. I never imagined our state would become a crime capital, with international drug trafficking, gang activity, identity theft, drunk driving – the list goes on. Meanwhile we release criminals early because of prison overcrowding.

ONE MAJOR REASON: OUR STATE HAS BECOME A HAVEN FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. Estimates place our current illegal immigrant population (primarily from Mexico) at over 650,000. In a state with less than nine million legal citizens, that is a "NUMBER OF CRISIS PROPORTIONS."

The simple fact is Washington refuses to enforce the laws on the books. This FAILURE OF THE RULE OF LAW costs taxpayers in North Carolina $1.4 to $1.7 BILLION annually. The money goes to educate the children of illegal immigrants and to pay for federally-mandated medical care for the 58% of illegal immigrants who are uninsured. We are all concerned about the state's slow job and personal income growth. A study by UNC - Chapel Hill estimates illegal workers depress North Carolina’s payrolls by about $1.9 BILLION each year.

SOME LEADERS IN WASHINGTON ARE PUSHING FOR AMNESTY. Their plan, similar to the 2007 measure, would directly cost North Carolina taxpayers an additional $3.2 billion annually. Our sympathy should go out to ALL the innocent victims, including the illegal immigrants running from their own government's neglect. Mexico has one of the largest economies in the world and is rich in natural resources. However, it is a corrupt country, ranked even lower than Columbia. But why fix the problem when you can push the victims on to your neighbor? It is unfair for us to pick up the tab. The best way to show compassion for illegal immigrants is to END illegal immigration.

RIGHT NOW WE CAN DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES. We will likely decide the Democratic nominee for president. If we fail to use this opportunity to look out for our own interests on May 6th, OUR FATE WILL BE SEALED – WITH AMNESTY.

North Carolina does not like Hillary Clinton. She certainly has not led the charge to enforce the country's immigration laws. John McCain let us down, although he has retreated. BUT BARACK OBAMA EQUALS AMNESTY. We are poised to nominate the worst candidate possible for North Carolina!

OBAMA'S PRO-AMNESTY RECORD BEGAN BACK IN 1998. When elected to the state senate, he immediately advocated state-funded welfare and Medicaid benefits to illegal immigrants. He has continued throughout his career. His campaign recently wrote:

“His father came to this country for the same reasons that millions of immigrants come to this country. Barack Obama believes immigration reform (AMNESTY) is an issue for all Americans, which is why he discusses the issue often on the campaign trail, why he has been a leading voice on the issue in the Senate and why he is committed to reviving immigration reform in his first year in office.”

CONSIDER THE POLITICAL CALCULUS INVOLVED (you can be certain Obama and his advisors are). Obama tells North Carolina he will be tough on illegal immigration, and we believe him. But the facts speak for themselves:

- Hispanic Democrats comprise about 6% of eligible voters nationwide;

- North Carolina Democrats account for less than 1%;

- The Hispanic vote is critical to winning four "swing states;"

- North Carolina is a solid "red state" - we handed Bush a 12 POINT VICTORY in 2004.

Bottom line: Barack will say anything to get our vote to win the nomination. But he knows he is highly unlikely to win North Carolina in the general election: Obama has already written off his assurances to us and pledged his allegiance to the Hispanic community (what do you think he promised Bill Richardson for his support?).

OBAMA'S PLEDGES TO THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY:

1. PUSH FOR AN AMNESTY BILL HIS FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE.
(MCCAIN is learning his lesson on the issue; HILLARY has said nothing more than "we'll see").

2. GRANT DRIVER'S LICENSES TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

(Clinton opposes driver's licenses for illegal immigrants).

OBAMA'S SHOWED HIS TRUE BELIEFS IN SAN FRANCISCO:

"It's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or ANTI-IMMIGRANT SENTIMENT or anti-trade sentiment AS A WAY TO EXPLAIN THEIR FRUSTRATIONS."

McCain would be good for North Carolina. Hillary is far less passionate about amnesty than Obama. She does not have desire or charisma to push a harmful bill through Congress. BUT OBAMA'S FERVOR, PASSION AND AMNESTY PROMISES ARE TOO DANGEROUS FOR NORTH CAROLINA. Why are we about to take that chance?