January 03, 2004

NOTE: PLEASE say if you DON'T want your name and/or email address published when sending VDARE email.

A Former U.S. Consular Officer Is Flabbergasted by WSJ's George Melloan

From: A Cleveland Reader

Just wanted to let you know that I sent over a modest contribution via PayPal.  Please let me know if you don't receive it. [VDARE.COM note: Received with thanks!]

Your website is terrific and you have at least one admirer in Northeast Ohio. We have not been affected to the same extent as some other parts of the country by the immigration crisis, but it is only a matter of time before the problems that have already started to crop up over the last fifteen years or so become much worse.

Even now, for example, a large portion of tax dollars are being spent on welfare, education and health care for legal and illegal immigrants.

The new mayor of Cleveland [Jane Campbell, mayorcampbell@city.cleveland.oh.us] created a population czar (my term) position last year upon taking office.

The task of this new highly compensated bureaucrat is to reverse the population decline of the city in the same way that places like Chicago have over the past decade.

Of course neither the mayor nor the press mentioned what the likely approach for realizing this goal will be, namely the drawing of more immigrants to the city. That this will almost certainly increase the burden on city services and worsen social problems like crime and poverty is of no concern to them, they are always looking for an excuse to put a levy on the ballot.

The real purpose for increasing the headcount, as it was made clear, is to bring in more money from Washington and Columbus for the local hacks to steal and dole out to their constituents and cronies. The long term survival and prosperity of the city and region means nothing to them.

Our situation is merely a microcosm of what is happening at the national level.

I don't think I overstate matters by saying that your group and a few others out there are the only hope our country has for averting this national disaster.

I hope to correspond with you again in the future and I will certainly give you any relevant updates from my neck of the woods.

Peter Brimelow writes: Our generous reader makes an excellent point: when immigration enthusiasts claim that immigrants "revitalize cities," they don't mean the Americans in the city (who generally end up moving out) but bureaucrats and commercial special interests—and arguably some selected foreigners.