One Thing Right.. wrote on Jan 4, 2008 7:29 AM:Fred Thompson has at least one thing right. Someone really needs to investigate the ethics behind so many of the home sales to those that didn't speak English. I know that there are a lot of hispanic real estate agents who also happen to be mortgage brokers that made TONS of money representing not only the buyer and seller (which in itself seems to be a conflict of interest), but also by getting loans for their clients. Neither the buyer or the seller spoke english. All disclosures and explanations had to go through these agents, and these agents were the ones responsible for "qualifying" their clients for loans, most of them being sub-prime, and not requiring proof of income. Now, latino activists are protesting in front of lenders because these non-english speakers are in foreclusre, but no one seems to be looking in the shadows for the person that got them all into situation to start with, and the ones that made the most money along the way. These folks were preyed upon by thier own people, and now "the man" is being blamed. But I guess it wouldn't be very politically correct any other way.

Hey Richard wrote on Jan 4, 2008 7:31 AM:Don't you know that us phobic racists are just making all this stuff up? They are really upstanding people that we should welcome into our country.

http://nctimes.com/articles/2008/01/04/news/sandiego/21_08_851_3_08.txt

Riehl's Rants wrote on Jan 4, 2008 9:37 AM:just get more ridiculous each month. He is so bleeding-heart, open borders, he doesn't know what to say anymore. Incoherent statements about the Minutemen just make him look foolish. America has a massive illegal immigration crisis and ... like Riehl do nothing to solve the problem.

Republicans Need It wrote on Jan 4, 2008 9:46 AM:Richard, you forgot to mention that this is a Republican issue. When I was a kid I remember Reagan's outrage over "welfare queens", of course we also had to fear Communists, then came gays, let's not forget "liberals", and now it's immigrants. How would the Republican get people to vote if they couldn't stoke the fires their party's inner fears and prejudices. People are over it - most people that is - and that's why the Democratic nominee - whether its Obama, Edwards, or Hillary - is going to dominate this presidential race. The Republicans essentially owned the government from 2000 - 2006 and have absolutely nothing to show for it.

Illegal immigration is a problem wrote on Jan 4, 2008 10:00 AM:This is the fact that columnists like Riehl will never get! Again I say, illegal immigration is a problem. There is a reason we have immigration law. Our immigration law is not racist or prejudice. The multi-ethnic Minutemen are advocates for enforcement. Apparently this is too complicated for open-borders people to understand...or they just want the problem to get worse (even at their own expense)

Pluto wrote on Jan 4, 2008 10:21 AM:Wonderful, funny, well-written column! Spot on, as they say in England. You failed to mention NCTimes columnist Richard Kirk's perennial scapegoat - the elites. But I think you are wrong about immigrants becoming targets after 9/11. I think it was 2004 or 2005 when the current crop of Minuteman groups was spawned. It was about the time the war in Iraq was becoming an undeniable disaster. My own personal theory is that Karl Rove somehow got this movement going in order to distract his base and give them another scapegoat for our terrible, unattended problems.

I wonder wrote on Jan 4, 2008 10:40 AM:does Reihl have any facts or statistics to back up his unrealistic rants, ever? Just like the rest of the pro open border, anti Americans so rampant in the NCT, Reihl relies on untruths, emotions, name calling and denigration of anyone who has the audacity to speak the truth. I'm SURE Reihl personally supports 100's of his poor illegal scapegoats, right?

Can't read this wrote on Jan 4, 2008 10:53 AM:The last time I read one of Richards absurd articles, I lost my lunch. So, I'm going to spare myself from reading any more of his bias , one sided , opinions that just don't make any sense at all.

UnReihl's Lunatic Rants wrote on Jan 4, 2008 10:59 AM:just keep getting more ridiculous. His pet "scapegoat" is obviously the MinuteMen. The 20+ million illegals don't cause ANY problems, just those pesky MM. Like the rest of the pro illegal, anti American loons the NCT puts on display, Reihl is incapable of any fact based, rational dialog. He, like the rest, uses untruths, emotions and name calling to promote his inane diatribe. So sad for him that REAL Americans don't buy it.

No Goat wrote on Jan 4, 2008 11:06 AM:Richard makes it quite clear as to one of the prime tactics of the Left. They have hijacked our language! They take a word and twist its meaning. There is NOTHING that qualifies the folks we are talking about as "Immigrant"! They are "Migrant Aliens", "Usurpers", “Reconquistas”, and an “Invading Criminal Horde” –BUT they are NOT “immigrants”! Look up the word “immigrant” in the dictionary if you have a problem with my assertion. Immigrants come here LEGALLY, with the intention of integrating, assimilating and BECOMING an American –like MY grand parents! WHY are we even giving home loans to people who cannot speak or understand ENGLISH?! Richard mentioned a peck of ‘problems’ that are ascribed to Illegal Aliens. Analyze each one of those ‘problems’ and ask yourself; If these usurpers were NOT here, would “poor schools, unaffordable health care, rampant crime, stealing jobs, molesting children and littering” BE at as serious a level of problem(s) as they are. ...

To Pluto wrote on Jan 4, 2008 11:11 AM:You appear to have picked the right nickname, because if you think millions of illegal alien criminals hiding in America is a good thing for our country, then you obviously has spent far too much time on that distant planet....

sdraoul wrote on Jan 4, 2008 12:08 PM:"Unreihl's Lunatic rants" disgraces this board with his rant because he offers nothing but the "usual suspect" BS. First, there are not "20-million+ illegals" in the USA and there is absolutely no proof that the number even comes close to that. Secondly, 30-40 percent of illegals are from Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia or Canada. Thirdly, few if any problems we encounter throughout the US are caused by illegals. Look at Iowa, 93 percent good old fashioned white folks, 3 percent black and 3 percent Hispanic. Look, then, at the work force of the packing houses in Iowa, 80-95 percent Hispanic, not african, European, Asian or Canadian. Entire ghost towns abandoned by the good old fashioned Iowa white population that has moved out after high school have been resurrected by Hispanics, many of whom are illegal; the same in Oklahoma, Arkansa, North Carolina and Georgia. Get a life, ranter, you are on the
wrong side of the issue. Without illegals many states would collapse economically and you and I would have to step in with monstrous welfare money to keep those states alive as well as their aging populations that cannot produce any longer.

Typical wrote on Jan 4, 2008 12:12 PM:Attacking our safety personnel is simply ridiculous. Where does this guy come up with his ideas? I sure as hell wouldn't call him in an emergency but I'd happily dial 911 for professional and rapid assistance. I bet he would too now that I think about it.

sdraoul can't handle the truth wrote on Jan 4, 2008 1:16 PM:He claims that states would collapse if all the illegal aliens left. Far from these lies is the truth that he can't handle and does not want you to see; for example, if all the illegal aliens left, Colorado (for instance) would save more than $20 million in prison costs, and the terror that those 7,300 alien criminals set upon local citizens (more facts here ... ). Pretty much everything would improve if illegal immigration stopped, except for that extra $8 a year you would have to spend on fruits and vegetables ( ... ). But I think $8 a year is a small price to pay for our children to attend better schools, hospitals not closing, and, oh yeah, the extra thousands of dollars we would save in taxes each year.

Goatherder wrote on Jan 4, 2008 1:26 PM:News Flash to sdraoul. The numbers of Illegals in the country is likely 30-35 million, but no one dares bring this more realistic number up, as middle America would rise up -more than she has. Your numbers are ALL wrong and I wonder where you come up with some of this stuff. Without Illegals, immoral, corrupt companies would have to pay a decent wage for the menial jobs and we would NOT have 3-4 families living in houses intended for only 1. The jobs would be filled by Americans and paying a little more for goods and services would be CHEAP compared to the BILLIONS in tax moneys that are being STOLEN by ILLEGALS.

There went my lunch wrote on Jan 4, 2008 2:57 PM:right out my mouth and on to the floor. Richard, get off the drugs Man!

Big Bird wrote on Jan 4, 2008 5:24 PM:Hey, "Typical," you got it wrong. Riehl was making fun of those who use firefighters as scapegoats by claiming they're overpaid.

Nick wrote on Jan 4, 2008 6:13 PM:To SD Raoul: You are so full of it I can smell you in Encinitas. Head down to Mexico and try some change there. If 30%-40% of ILLEGALS in this Country weren't from Mexico, we wouldn't have to push 1 for English and 2 for Spanish now would we? What a knucklehead!

Lou wrote on Jan 4, 2008 8:09 PM:William Randolf Hearst and all of his fellow "yellow journalists" would be proud of you. I am not sure what you have been smoking, but it must be the really "good stuff"...a la Cheech. This article isn't even good enough to wrap fish in!

What planet does Mr. Riehl live on? wrote on Jan 4, 2008 11:00 PM:Surely not the one of which San Diego County is part. Why does he use the word "scapegoat?" These illegals are not figments of our imaginations, nor are the crimes they commit. Like I've said many times on these blogs, wait until he gets his ID jacked by an illegal (oops, I mean "borrowed"), or is involved in a hit & run where the illegal has no license or insurance; I gaurantee you that he will be whistlin' another tune (and it won't be a happy one).----Oh, and sdraoul: If there isn't such a huge Hispanic population, why, then, are we always instructed to press 2 for Spanish instead of, oh, I dunno, Chinese? Vietnamese? French? Urdu? Japanese? Polish? Talk about a "duh" moment....

Marcos? wrote on Jan 5, 2008 12:09 AM:Did you not see the latest poll that is in your paper? "A poll released Friday found that illegal immigration registers as a serious problem for a strong majority of people living in four Southwestern states." Are all these people MM. I'm not and I don't think Thompson is but I thank them for bringing this issue forward!! Illegals are a definite problem. My kids can't play in our canyons because of them squatting!!

So the MM created the illegal problem? wrote on Jan 5, 2008 12:16 AM:Wow Mr. Riehl, you sure do give the MM alot of credit. My family lives in non border states and they are definitely feeling the effects of illegal immigration. Non are quote Minutemen but all are active in trying to curb the problem.

Classic debate wrote on Jan 5, 2008 8:14 AM:both sides not listening to each other, many not even understanding what they just read. Ignorance and jingoism in abundant supply. I'll just toss this one in: If all the for profit corporations give an option to do biz in Spanish, is there maybe another reason than illegals? Maybe it's because they are "for profit" and want the biz 'cause no matter what language, greenbacks are greenbacks.

Truth Squad wrote on Jan 5, 2008 10:36 AM:There's nothing in Riehl's column that supports illegal immigration--only that people like the minute (meaning tiny) men blame illegals for all our troubles. That's the meaning of scapegoats. They're not figments of anybody's imagination.

next president wrote on Jan 5, 2008 10:48 AM:My vote will go to the strongest against ILLEGAL immigration

Roberto1 wrote on Jan 5, 2008 9:32 PM: "In the aftermath of 9/11, illegal immigrants have become one of their favorite targets."

Reply:
Great article and truth...to bad the phobes don't understand the truth.

John wrote on Jan 5, 2008 10:39 PM:We, so called phobes do understand the truth, we know we are getting overrun by illegal aliens. They are taking our jobs, taking advantage of our social services, bringing our school level of learning down, bringing our quality of life to sub-standard levels. Scapegoat; I think not, this is reality hitting us hard. Mr. Riehl's crack about the MM having time on there hand... Yeah maybe they can head to the hills during the fires and tell the illegal aliens not to try to cross the borders because they will get burned, (they are not bright enough to figure that out for themselves), oh but we'll foot the bill. Perhaps if these illegals were not so demanding and think we owe them the world, their transition over here wouldn't be so noticable. No getting everything for free isn't quite easy enough for them.

Illegal immigration is a problem for 95% of those polled in 4SW states wrote on Jan 5, 2008 11:25 PM:According to a survey of 4 SW states , all but 5% of the people see illegal immigration as a probel. HMM? How do you answer that Mr. Riehl? The article was in this paper!!

A real loon! wrote on Jan 5, 2008 11:28 PM:What propaganda! I don't know how this was even printed!

Marco wrote on Jan 6, 2008 4:59 AM:Thank you Richard for the Real thing. The minutemen are not curbing the problem!! They have made matter worse and have done exactly whay Richard Reihl states in his column they have divided Americans. The minutemen and their far-fetched propaganda, extremist agenda, and tactics of racism are not what the United States needs. The immigrants legal or illegal are scape goats and we have used them spitefully in the past and now again. They may not be figments of anybody's imagination but their contributions do outweigh the use of services. To many lies and distortions are creating too much division and hate and groups like the minutemen must be stopped. I don't agree with illegal immigration but I do not think the hate method is really accomplishing anything.

Diversity wrote on Jan 6, 2008 6:12 AM:Classic. Tolerance for others point of view and cultural values, unless the liberals don't like the point of view and values? Is that how it works?

George wrote on Jan 6, 2008 11:50 AM:The dictionary says a scapegoat is someone who takes the blame for someone else. How can the traffic planners be scapegoats? Who plans our transportation systems if it's not the traffic planners? Please explain!

Traffic planners as scapegoats wrote on Jan 6, 2008 1:43 PM:George: Traffic planners are blamed for depriving us of our freedom, for higher taxes, and for imposing their personal values on the rest of us. That's why they can be called scapegoats--They're saddled with complaints about many matters that go beyond mere traffic controll.

George wrote on Jan 6, 2008 2:21 PM:If you'll think back a few years, SANDAG advocated the passage of the TransNet tax "to reduce congestion". After passage, they approved a Regional Transportation Plan that avoids congestion relief in an attempt for force people out of their cars. That addresses all three of your points right there. You can't call it "scapegoating" when they're actually doing the things they're being blamed for!

Nick wrote on Jan 6, 2008 2:57 PM:Listen to you "Marco", go spew the same bull to the Mexican hate groups. I'm brown and feel the same way the Minutemen and Millions of other Americans do. La Raza, Yeah...their not racist!

Skip wrote on Jan 6, 2008 7:27 PM:Illegal aliens from many different countries simply walk or drive across our Southern Border. Drugs are delivered daily, by the truckload. The violence from the North Mexico border is spilling across into the United States. Our Border Patrol Agents are under Physical attack, like never before. The triple layer fence along the border with San Diego is 98% effective in stopping the never ending flow of this madness. Now more then ever we need a fence on our Southern Border. WE KNOW IT WILL WORK. I have absolutely no problem with stationing our full military might on the border in the meantime. REMEMBER THE FENCE BILL "It�s all too obvious that America is under threat because its land borders are largely porous and unprotected. In response, last year Congress passed, and the President signed into law, legislation calling for the construction of 854 miles of border fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border. Despite this legislative mandate by the U.S. Congress, the Department of Homeland Security recently announced its intention to build only 370 miles of fencing along the border, not the 854 miles required by the legislation. The Kennedy-McCain Amnesty bill, also would cut the 854 miles of fence down to 370.

Pat wrote on Jan 6, 2008 7:42 PM:I am an American married to a Mexican......My father-in-law looks like he has a used car lot on his front yard in a beautiful part of Escondido! It was less then a week he got letters from neighbors to move the cars.......2 years later their still there.

Bobby wrote on Jan 6, 2008 8:39 PM:Yes, Mr. Riehls article has made thing clear as mud to me now. Americans who try to stop people, foreign nationals actually, from running rampant through their nation, by the millions, commit I.D. theft, to make life easier--for them, depress wages for American workers, than those Americans are scapegoating them. Right,understood. Lord protect us from these type of people--the Mr. Riehls of this country.

Derick wrote on Jan 6, 2008 8:45 PM:Hey I have an idea, why don't we give a limited work permit to the illegal aliens and have them build the 854 mile border fence and then when it's done make sure their on the south side of it. Win, win, they have a job that they so desperately come illegaly over here for and we get our fence.

wilro wrote on Jan 6, 2008 10:51 PM:Crime victims of illegal aliens goes largly unnoticed for some reason. But when the victims are illegals themselves, harmed at the hands of American citizens, it's all over the news. What's wrong here?

Betsy wrote on Jan 6, 2008 10:52 PM:There have been many Americans who have been victims of identity theft due to illegals. My cousin had her identity stolen a couple of years ago and an illegal woman used her name to obtain credit cards and stuff. The woman was caught at a store when one of the credit cards was declined. There have been various crimes committed in different levels by illegals.

Bill wrote on Jan 7, 2008 2:33 AM:There is a term for men of Mr. Riehls ilk, it is "TRAITOR"!

to Bill wrote on Jan 7, 2008 3:37 PM:so what is the term for people that expose an undercover CIA spy?

Roberto1 wrote on Jan 9, 2008 4:12 AM:Good job, You done reiled up the phobies....

Stop the influx wrote on Jan 10, 2008 3:36 PM:We must stop the incoming swarms of people before we talk of deporting or amnesty... what ever we do STOP the freakin people from running into a country. Like an overflowing pool turn off the water before you start bailing yourself out.

GOD-BLESS-THE-USA wrote on Jan 15, 2008 1:23 PM:New numbers show that there are at least 39.7 million illegals in this country. We all know 12 million is a joke. Pro illegals will call you all sorts of names. Just remember there was full amnesty in 1986. Look where we are now. California spent 9 billion dollars in 2007. Now our governor has declared a fiscal emergency. Both Villaraigosa and Nunez are both mecha member reconquistas. They want to raise taxes for transportation. VOTE NO ON PROPS 91 and 92. I will not vote for new taxes used to support whoever can sneak across our borders.