Sensenbrenner's congressional district

[angela146]

Congressman James Sensenbrenner, one of the big leaders of the anti-immigrant faction of the Republican party, has a rather interesting Congressional district.

Take a look at the map with me, please: http://www.house.gov/sensenbrenner/map.htm

He represents the northern half of Milwaukee County and the counties surrounding it *except* for the actual city of Milwaukee.

Why is that important? Well, his district is where most of the white people live, whereas Milwaukee is where almost all of the non-white (including Hispanic) people live.

The jagged edge of the map on the southeast follows the ethnic boundaries street by street, block by block.

Gee, I wonder if that might be a factor in Mr. Sensenbrenner's politics.

Maybe he and his constituents are afraid that if too many hispanics keep immigrating, they might start leaking into the "white folks" territory.

 

[rgraham666]

Isn't gerrymandering a wonderful thing?

 

[zeb1094]

May I ask a question?

Would you, Angela, want to live nextdoor to a criminal? Someone who has a total disregard for the laws of the United States of America?

 

[Guest]

May I ask a question?

Would you, Angela, want to live nextdoor to a criminal? Someone who has a total disregard for the laws of the United States of America?

I think we do.

 

[Xelebes]

Oh look, Ottawa, US.

 

[zeb1094]

I think we do.

That's the point. There are so many here in the states illegally that have no regard for our laws. And now they want us to relax our boarders to allow more law breakers to cross into our beloved country!

Where will it end? When there isn't a single American Citizen left in the United States?

 

[angela146]

May I ask a question?

Would you, Angela, want to live nextdoor to a criminal? Someone who has a total disregard for the laws of the United States of America?

If by "criminal" you mean a tax-paying hard-working immigrant whose only crime is not being registered with the INS, then I would have to say "Yes".

You see, I work with manufacturing companies and I suspect that many of the people I come into contact with may be in that category.

 

[angela146]

That's the point. There are so many here in the states illegally that have no regard for our laws. And now they want us to relax our boarders to allow more law breakers to cross into our beloved country!

Where will it end? When there isn't a single American Citizen left in the United States?

So, let's relax the citizenship and residency laws and let them become citizens.

 

[zeb1094]

So, let's relax the citizenship and residency laws and let them become citizens.

So you want to let someone who has already broken the laws of the USA to be come a citizen? That would be pretty hard to do if they all told the truth on the citizenship forms. I believe there is some questions about breaking the laws of the land and such. Also, they didn't get here by the legal means why should we(the country) allow them to stay?

I don't understand the mentality of people who are for any kind of relaxing of our immigration laws. They aren't all that tough to begin with. And anyone who abides by those law I will welcome with open arms in to this country.

But, by crossing the boarder illegally there has been a breech of our self worth as a nation.

 

[zeb1094]

If by "criminal" you mean a tax-paying hard-working immigrant whose only crime is not being registered with the INS, then I would have to say "Yes".

You see, I work with manufacturing companies and I suspect that many of the people I come into contact with may be in that category.

Well they are criminals and using your logic we should slap drug dealers on the wrist, tell them to file tax returns and let them go back to selling drugs.

A criminal is anyone who ignores the laws put in place. And who says they pay taxes. Claiming 99 dependants on your W4 gets whoever's SSN is being used in trouble. Not the illegal. You can't file tax returns without an SSN or a taxpayer ID and if you come into this country illegally you have neither.

So they by them from someone somewhere and claim 99 dependants on their W4's (or however many will result in no tax being withheld).

 

[Stella_Omega]

May I ask a question?

Would you, Angela, want to live nextdoor to a criminal? Someone who has a total disregard for the laws of the United States of America?

You mean... like our president?

 

[zeb1094]

You mean... like our president?

Okay, let me restate.

Gosh your so pretty Stella I just can't stop staring at your AV, sweetie!

 

[angela146]

Well they are criminals and using your logic we should slap drug dealers on the wrist, tell them to file tax returns and let them go back to selling drugs.

Not all crimes are created equal. I would put drug dealing in the category of a dangerous crime whereas being an illegal allien would be something less than that.

A criminal is anyone who ignores the laws put in place. And who says they pay taxes. Claiming 99 dependants on your W4 gets whoever's SSN is being used in trouble. Not the illegal. You can't file tax returns without an SSN or a taxpayer ID and if you come into this country illegally you have neither.

So they by them from someone somewhere and claim 99 dependants on their W4's (or however many will result in no tax being withheld).

Actually, most of them do have SSNs (you can't fill out a W4 without one).

Most undocumented folks get paid a lot less than legal residents so income taxes aren't all that big a deal.

However, even the ones who don't pay income taxes do pay sales taxes and property taxes (as part of their rent). Hence, they are paying for schools, and other state and local services just like the rest of us.

 

[angela146]

So you want to let someone who has already broken the laws of the USA to be come a citizen? That would be pretty hard to do if they all told the truth on the citizenship forms. I believe there is some questions about breaking the laws of the land and such. Also, they didn't get here by the legal means why should we(the country) allow them to stay?

Not if we granted amnesty

I don't understand the mentality of people who are for any kind of relaxing of our immigration laws. They aren't all that tough to begin with. And anyone who abides by those law I will welcome with open arms in to this country.

They aren't all that tough? What about the quotas?

But, by crossing the boarder illegally there has been a breech of our self worth as a nation.

Our self worth as a nation is based on our heritage as immigrants and their descendants.

America welcomed my grandparents (and great grandparents) with open arms and made it very easy for them to enter the US.

Oh, but my ancestors were from Europe so I guess that's different somehow.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Isn't gerrymandering a wonderful thing?

That may or may not be gerrymandering. Milwakuee has a pop. of 596,974 and Wisconsin has a pop. of 5,363,675 divided into eight congressional districts. These districts are supposed to include whole cities and/or whole counties when possible so the fourth district should include the city and part or all of the county. The member of Congress from that district might or might not be a member of a minority.

If you were to divide Milwaukee so it was part of two districts, with one to include the northern half of the city and counties to the north and west, and the other to include the southern half and counties to the south and west, you would probably have two members from the same city, which would be unfair. However, since there is not a large concentration of minorities anywhere in WI except in Milwaukee, these two hypothetical districts would almost never be represented by a minority person.

If you want to see real gerrymandering, look at how the city of San Francisco, about the same size as Milwaukee, is divided so it dominates two districts.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Isn't gerrymandering a wonderful thing?

The problem with a gerrymandered district is you have to look at who did it and why. Perhaps his district is gerrymandered to give a white majority district. Perhaps, it's jgerrymandered to keep a white majoirty district from encompassing enough of a non white area to keep that non white area from having a rep of their own?

Unless you know when the last redistricting was done and who was in power at the time, you really can't say. In my home state, the districts in and around Jackson were gerrymandered by the dems to get a black rep to the house. Some of them looked like ameobas, plucking majority black districts in any fashion they could, including dome of the same house by house, street by street, lines Angela was mentioning.

Unless Sensenbruner had a hand in redrawing his district, I think it's a little unfair to gig him for expousing the view that is likely to be dominant in his district the way it's drawn.

 

[zeb1094]

Not all crimes are created equal. I would put drug dealing in the category of a dangerous crime whereas being an illegal allien would be something less than that. Actually, most of them do have SSNs (you can't fill out a W4 without one).

If they have a SSN that is truly theirs then they are in this country legally. If it is not theirs then that's two crimes that have been committed. The second crime being the felony of fraud which then places them, in the eyes of the law in the same category as the corner drug dealer.

Most undocumented folks get paid a lot less than legal residents so income taxes aren't all that big a deal.

They shouldn't be here in the first place.

However, even the ones who don't pay income taxes do pay sales taxes and property taxes (as part of their rent). Hence, they are paying for schools, and other state and local services just like the rest of us.

Admitted, they do pay those. No argument here, except - They shouldn't be here to use those services in the first place.

Not if we granted amnesty.

You do know that by granting amnesty you are reinforcing bad behavior? A pat on the back and a 'we don't care that you broke our laws, just continue on with what your doing. Keep ignoring our laws.'

They aren't all that tough? What about the quotas?

So, we should just allow any number of people in the country that want to come here? In most places there are housing shortages, schools are crowded, medical facilities are over burdened, the welfare system is being pushed to the limit. And you would just throw open the doors and let whomever wants to enter, too place a bigger burden on our limited resources?

Think about the next time you need to go to the hospital and it is either so crowded that you can't get in. Or it will be closed. Out of business.

Or your child in now in a classroom with 100 other children and only one teacher. Do you think they will learn anything that way?

Our self worth as a nation is based on our heritage as immigrants and their descendants.

America welcomed my grandparents (and great grandparents) with open arms and made it very easy for them to enter the US.

True. But yours and mine got her legally. As did many others. When someone crossed our boarder with out going through the proper channels they have injured our nation.

Oh, but my ancestors were from Europe so I guess that's different somehow.

I don't care who they are. Whether they be Mexian, Russian, Czech, Chinese. I you did get here legally, you shouldn't be here.