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M odern P atriot C hronicles
An Eleventh Commandment Free Zone
Vol. 6, Issue 7
July 1, 2007
By Craig Dawkins

Message to Republicans: Forget Immigration - End the Welfare State
Last Grocery Store Chain 'Escapes from Detroit'

Copyright@2007, All Rights Reserved
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POLLS! POLLS! POLLS! POLLS!

Should the US build a fence across the Mexican border?

Yes or No?

Go to www.ModernPatriot.net and vote today!!!
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Message to Republicans: Forget Immigration - End the Welfare State

Before I started to write this newsletter, I pondered the various perspectives offered on the recent demise of the US Senate bill regarding immigration. The supporters of the bill blamed the bill's failure on “nativist, racist, xenophobic” opponents. Those who argued against the bill proclaimed the bill was flawed because of the amnesty afforded to illegal immigrants who disrespected the rule of US laws. Some Republican Party activists went as far as to refer to the immigration bill as the “destruction of the Republican Party” bill.

The entire issue was summed up by Mississippi US Senator Trent Lott. After committing a serious faux pas regarding talk radio, he proclaimed that he had supported immigration reform his entire political career but that the problem was that US immigration laws have not been enforced……..I could end at this point and let that be final word on the entire issue. But I'll resist the temptation for the moment.

Lott acknowledging the lack of enforcement of US immigration laws begs the question - Why will a new immigration law make ANY difference? Without a change in the willingness to enforce immigration laws, no law will make a difference. But what will?

Ending the Welfare State would be a good start. But somehow that's not such a popular idea among most so-called conservatives. Ending the Welfare State would ensure that those coming to the US would be WORKING. And let's be honest, most of the “illegals” are here working in low skill jobs. And honestly…….We all benefit as consumers of the services provided by these workers. The prices of roof replacements, construction, agriculture and other types of services are lower because of the lower wage workers that immigrate to the US - legal or not. And if the US intends to continue the welfare state, we will need all the workers we can get.

Go ahead and build a fence if you'd like. It won't stop one illegal immigrant from coming into the US. I'm uncertain whether to refer to such folly as yet another example of 'conservative style' big government or just another 'faith based' program.
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Last Grocery Store Chain 'Escapes from Detroit'

I read with much interest a news story in the Detroit News Online that highlighted the problems faced in Detroit, Michigan as the last big grocery chain exits the city. Among the reasons cited in the article:

“Here are some reasons cited by national retail experts on why brand supermarket chains avoid Detroit:

· Net profits at supermarkets run 1-5 percent of revenue. If shoplifting by customers and employees runs 7-8 percent, the store is doomed to lose money.
· High cost of maintaining security for the stores, something most suburban locations don't need. Shopping carts often disappear, at a cost of $300 per cart.
· Personal safety for employees, with robberies, thefts and assaults both inside and outside the stores.
· Difficulty finding qualified managers willing to run Detroit stores. Most prefer the suburban locations.
· Problems seeking qualified workers for the stores. It can be a major undertaking to find employees who can pass reading, writing and math tests along with credit, criminal background and drug tests. And there is a constant turnover of employees at stores in the city. "It's a human resource nightmare," said David J. Livingston, a supermarket expert from Wisconsin.
· Declining population. No national chain wants to move into an area that is losing population.
· Lower per-capita income. That means less expenditure on food.
· Racism and discrimination accusations. If the store raises its prices because of higher costs of doing business, it is often charged with gouging the poor.
· A well-publicized violent crime or armed robbery can cost the store 10 percent of its business. Three such crimes, experts say, and the store may as well close its doors.
Source: Supermarket experts”

How I would fix the problems faced by Detroit?
1. End the minimum wage in Detroit, Michigan.
2. End city sales tax on groceries.
3. Permanently assign police officers at grocery stores and establish police substations at the busiest grocery stores.
4. Install an aggressive restitution program as punishment for all shoplifters.
5. Privatize public schools, close failing public schools and sell buildings to the private sector.
6. Convert all race based affirmative action programs to an economic based model.
7. ---- Just for starters.----
What did the current Mayor of Detroit do?
He protested the citation of crime as a reason for leaving Detroit.