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I've Officially Disappeared Through the Mirror (apologies to Robert E. Howard) [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2023-10-09  

So I attended a budget meeting for a credit union recently. Some of the side comments left me troubled.

Comment 1. “Our inflation numbers are so high because immigrants increased the US population by 2% this year. This led to an additional 2% in inflation because of the extra government services they consumed.” This from an accountant who is a Board Member. And the CEO was agreeing with him.

WTF? Okay. Let’s take a look at this statement:

From The Most Common Arguments Against Immigration and Why They’re Wrong written by Alex Nowrasteh of The Cato Institute, that well known bastion of liberal thinking.

[I]mmigrants in the United States have about a net zero effect on government budgets…. [T]he economics of immigration finds that age is the most important factor in estimating whether a new immigrant will be a net fiscal drain or a contributor to government coffers… [T]hey are more likely to immediately pay taxes without receiving benefits.



From Forbes (another well-known liberal publication) May 4, 2023; Economists Say Increasing Immigration Will Reduce Inflation. (Title emphasis added.)

Finally, since Worldometer estimates the current US population at 339,996,563. Government statistics on actual numbers of immigrants is only compiled through 2021. Let’s use Boarder Patrol statistics of unique encounters as a proxy, since they compile these statistics monthly. US Border Patrol statistics through August were 2,860,137 encounters. This is 0.0084 or a bit more than ¾ of 1% of the population, not close to 2%. And that ¾ of 1% is built on assumptions such as: All unique encounters represent unique individuals, and, all unique encounters result in someone actually coming into the US. Neither of which is true.

So I feel like this about Comment 1:

“I was reading a sign high on the wall behind the bar: ONLY GENUINE PRE-WAR AMERICAN AND BRITISH WHISKEYS SERVED HERE I was trying to count how many lies could be found in those nine words, and had reached four, with promise of more...” from Dashiell Hammett’s The Golden Horseshoe

Comment 2: “I am fed up with all the problems in congress. We should put in a strict limit allowing them to run only once and make those elected positions pert-time so they aren’t in DC the whole year but have real jobs and real lives.” This came from a card carrying MAGA(t) who is also a Board Member. I know ‘cause he used to attend ZOOM meetings with his black and blue american-style flag proudly displayed on the wall behind him. At least he is beginning to recognize that his favorite folks in congress aren’t doing a good job. But other people there are agreeing with him and expanding on these ideas.

One term? If you are fast, you might learn where your office is in one term. Part-time job? What kind of ordinary working people can afford a part-time job? Especially with the expense of travelling back and forth from DC and finding a place to live there for a few month a year.

I was beyond words. We live in a pretty blue area. Credit Unions were set up by radicals opposed to capitalists. Board members are uncompensated volunteers. To become a Board member you have to show a certain level of education, have a job and a bank account, and not be convicted of financial crimes. There is also an internal approval level required. I expect these folks to be reasonable, fairly well educated, and community minded.

I kind of get the MAGA(t)s because I worked in blue-collar union jobs. I get that the Dems didn’t do squat for the working people for many many years. But I don’t get this level of insanity. And I don’t get the (untrue) anti-immigrant remarks from someone who should know better (the accountant) or from the CEO whose credit union has a mission statement and is getting grants to serve the underserved.

Can anyone help me understand this?

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