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Comment by davidf18

> "The anti-immigrant, anti-Mexican, anti-Muslim and anti-refugee sentiment expressed by some Americans today echoes nativist lurches of the past—the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, the Know-Nothings of the mid-1800s, the anti-Asian sentiment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries..."

They are mostly anti illegal immigrants. Obama has been trying to legislate the legalization of illegal immigrants. Legislation is the job of Congress. The Executive (Obama) is supposed to enforce those laws. Obama is not enforcing the laws.

These illegal immigrants take jobs away from Americans. Plumbing and electricians are licensed jobs in states and they have Americans working in these jobs as a result. Carpenters and bricklayers are not licensed and as a result illegal immigrants have taken these jobs as well as driven down wage rates.

Edit: Also not noted, is the growth of (legal) immigrants from about 9 million in 1970 (less than 5% of the population) to 43 million today (about 14% of the population). Add to this 11 more illegal immigrants and this increases immigrants to 54 million.

Moreover, a major cause of inequality is the high cost of rent in cities such as SF, NYC, Boston, DC, LA (and also for example London) is "rent-seeking" of local laws which create artificial scarcity of housing through zoning density restrictions. This transfers income and wealth from tenants to landlords (property owners).

Donald Trump holds a large position in Manhattan real estate so he benefits from these unfair laws that benefit special interests e.g., wealthy landlords. The markets can do an efficient job but parties that favored landlords getting more money for their property favor these zoning laws.

parent davidf18 10 years ago

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