I get soooo soooo tired of hearing the "terrible plight" of many illegal immigrants. Just read these two statement in context to each other.
He sleeps under a bridge and at Dolores Mission Church east of downtown because he can't afford to rent an apartment. He still sends half of what he earns to younger brothers in Mexico, whom he wants to stay in school and get ahead.
<snip>
LOS ANGELES - A shadow population lives among the estimated 14,000 homeless on Skid Row.
A growing number of immigrants are bedding down each night in parks, abandoned buildings and cardboard boxes, finding refuge in camouflaged encampments under freeway overpasses and bridges.
Everyone in life has decisions that we make. The problem is.. few want to hold there hands up and be accountable for their decisions in life, and prefer to blame "others" or the government for the outcome of their decisions.
For example, how much sympathy would be garnered if you read a news release like this one.
LOS ANGELES - A shadow population lives among the estimated 14,000 homeless on Skid Row.
A growing number of former upper middle class US citizens are bedding down each night in parks, abandoned buildings and cardboard boxes, finding refuge in camouflaged encampments under freeway overpasses and bridges.
One of those former upper middle class citizens now on Skid Row is Theodore Rockefeller III, Theodore, who entered the Skid Row community less than a year came from Mission Viego, California.
Theodore, 42, came to Souther California with a BSEE education. As a Desing Engineer for a local technology company, he made about $250 a day. But, he quicky got caught up in the Southern California lifestyle, running up huge credit card debt, and got caught out when his 5 year locked Variable APR Mortgage kicked in. Theodore also had the additional obligation of large child support payments to his children back in the Chicago area.
In October of last year, Theodore lost his home when it was repossesed, and lost his job. Now he works near downtown LA and makes $125 a day $15/an hour ( $90 a day after he pays both state and federal income tax). He sleeps under a bridge and at Dolores Mission Church east of downtown BECAUSE HE CAN'T AFFORD TO RENT AN APARTMENT AND STILL SEND HALF OF WHAT HE EARNS TO SUPPORT HIS CHILDREN VIA HIS CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS.
So Mr. Ramirez makes $80 a day double tax free (that's $1600 a month DOUBLE TAX FREE). Yet Mr. Ramirez makes his own choice in life to send half of his income to his other family members in Mexico, leaving him with only $800 a month to live on. Then says he can't rent a room, and lives under a bridge. Then, the media spins this into the "poor Mr. Ramirez is being exploited in the United States". |
