BloggeRhythms

With the POTUS packing his golf clubs for his Cuban jaunt, Kate Linthicum,Contact Reporter, @latimes.com, writes about current conditions there.

At present, there are tens of thousands of Cubans “fleeing the island even as it undergoes an unprecedented opening — a shift crystallized by President Obama's historic visit to Havana on Sunday. Cuba is opening the door to more private enterprise and expects lots of new money flowing to the island as Obama eases travel and business restrictions. Yet more than 95,000 Cubans have left for the U.S. since 2014 — and more are on their way.” 

As an example of those still without hope: “In January, Leonid Castro used fake papers to travel to Mexico and then the U.S. border, where he asked for political asylum. A few months from now, his wife plans to join him. 

"They say things are changing, but it's not changing for those on the bottom," said Castro, who earned $25 a month as a cigar roller in a government factory in Havana; he now makes $8 an hour handing out fliers to tourists on the Las Vegas Strip. "I know that in America if I work, I can win." 

In that regard, Geoff Thale, program director at a think tank called the Washington Office on Latin America, writes: “The number of Cubans who are coming for genuine political reasons is minuscule compared to those coming for economic reasons.” Thane believes, “it's part of a broader regional trend that has driven migrants out of other Caribbean countries, as well as Puerto Rico”. 

Presently, Cubans enjoy a special status setting them apart from other Latin American immigrants. “Once they arrive on U.S. soil and ask for asylum, they are "paroled," or allowed to stay legally, and can apply for work permits and eventually green cards. 

“But there is increasing pressure, from lawmakers in both parties, to change the law, under which immigrants from Cuba are also eligible for federal welfare benefits. The pressure has increased as the number of Cubans rises and amid record levels of migration of children from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras who are fleeing poverty and gang violence."

Nonetheless, Border Patrol Spokesman, Daniel Hetlage, said, in a message echoed by Obama aides: "The administration has no plans to change our current immigration policy toward Cuba or seek legislative change regarding the Cuban Adjustment Act." 

Conversely, Leonid Castro and his wife “believe the window for them to access the American dream is closing, and it's better to be safe than sorry.” 

"In Cuba, the prices get higher, but the salaries don't," Castro said. "I felt like a dog there, not in control of my life." 

So, in typical Democrat fashion, the POTUS’s historic policy change toward Cuba sounds great in self-serving sound bites. But it's still a lose/lose situation for those remaining there as workers and American taxpayers subsidizing those escaping to the U.S.  

On another subject:  Maureen Dowd interviewed Trump for her column @nytimes.com today. The article itself said nothing new, and surprisingly for Ms Dowd, was boring and pointless with Trump repeating the same old, same old with no substance whatsoever.

However, in the middles of the piece she asked Trump: “What about Mitt Romney, who’s pushing for an open convention? 

Trump answered: “He’s a jealous fool and not a bright person. He’s good looking. Other than that, he’s got nothing.”

In this case, Trump should invest in a mirror and a video recorder to play back images of himself. Because at least he thinks Mitt’s “good looking,” although comb-over Trump isn’t. Nor is he very “bright.” But, since Mitt's actually quite intelligent, that means Mitt beat the self-impressed blowhard twice.

And then, a friend sent some quotes from Ronald Reagan. Here’s one: "Socialism only works in two places:

Heaven where they don't need it and hell where they already have it." 

Bringing us to today’s update on Bill Clinton’s wife. 

Neil Munro @breitbart.com, writes that at an event in Salt Lake City, Utah on March 15, Bill Clinton’s daughter told an advocate that her mother “thinks it’s so important to extend the Affordable Care Act to people who are living and working here, regardless of immigration status, regardless of citizenship status.” 

Whereas at present, according to the Center for Immigration Studies, roughly 14 million illegal immigrants are living in the United States, here’s the arithmetic: 

American taxpayers pay roughly $5,000 per year for each person enrolled in Obamacare. Adding only 10 million current illegals would cost taxpayers “at least $50 billion per year, or $500 billion over 10 years, partly because many migrants lack workplace skills or even the ability to speak English.” 

Making matters worse, Bill’s wife “has also promised she will largely stop deportations of foreigners who sneak into the United States. “I would not deport children. I do not want to deport family members either,” she said at a March 9 Latino political rally hosted by Univision and the Washington Post.”

 

Mr. Munro then points out: “If Clinton’s open-borders policy encourages more migrants to enter the United States, American taxpayers will have to divert funding from their relatives — retirees, children, unemployed and disabled — to pay for the healthcare of many more millions of foreign people who choose to break the nation’s popular immigration laws.” 

According a 2012 survey by Gallup: “At least 150 million more foreigners would like to migrate to the United States.” Thus, if only one-seventh of the 150 million migrants actually arrive here, the 10-year bill would rise to $1.5 trillion. 

Also in 2012: “The Heritage Foundation predicted an amnesty for 11 million illegals would cost Americans $6 trillion over 50 years, including the cost of healthcare.” 

At the Salt Lake City event, an audience member (most probably a plant) asked Bill’s daughter: “Is she planning on expanding Obamacare as people know it, ACA, to include people who are not fully documented? Because when you get ill, your illness will not ask you if you are a permanent resident or not.” 

Part of the daughter’s answer was, “[S]he supported comprehensive immigration reform at every possible chance and she was one of the original supporters and sponsors of the DREAM Act. She does not believe that while we are working towards comprehensive immigration reform we should make people wait, like the families you are talking about. Which is why she thinks it’s so important to extend the Affordable Care Act to people who are living and working here, regardless of immigration status, regardless of citizenship status.”

So, in Bill’s wife’s mind, why wait until immigration laws are finally reformed before spending taxpayer’s dollars? Let’s take all we can from them right now. And then, extend illegal’s voting rights too, if they aren’t sneaking into the booths to vote “Democrat” already. Even extreme socialist Sanders wouldn’t try to top that one. 

Raising the ongoing question again: Joe Biden, Jerry Brown, and Starbuck’s chairman and CEO, Howard Schultz, are you guys reading this?      

That’s it for today folks.      

Adios