Featured Stories

Greed and Food
Small State: No Easy Solutions
Identity Theft and Illegals


COMMENTARY: by NPG President Donald Mann

Thirty-six years ago when NPG started to sound the alarm about America's rapidly escalating population, no one foresaw the collapse of our nation's immigration system and how it would throw our future population projections totally out-of-whack. Today, it is almost impossible to say how many millions of illegal immigrants currently reside in our country - and how many more arrive each day. Sadly, what should be an all-out war to solve the immigration crisis has evolved into a political stalemate where hordes of powerful special interests have a stake in making sure the problem is not resolved. One thing is for sure: The solution to our nation's immigration problems doesn't lie totally in Washington, D.C.

At times, fighting the immigration menace feels like a David vs. Goliath battle and we're running out of stones. However, I am heartened that as more Americans open their eyes to all of the problems accompanying the flood of immigrants into our country we are beginning to make progress in getting it under control. As in tackling any major endeavor, it all starts with tiny steps. And headlines across the country are beginning to tell the story of how the efforts of organizations like NPG - which have worked tirelessly to build grassroots pressure on our elected officials at all levels - are paying off.

The Executive Order signed by President Bush last week that calls for all federal contractors to confirm the legal work status of their employees was long overdue, but it is a start. The actions by state legislatures across the country to hold employers more accountable for making sure their employees are legal is a step in the right direction. Ballot measures in Arkansas and other states, looking to follow the lead of Arizona and Oklahoma in enacting laws that get tough on illegal aliens, give citizens a chance to bypass the do-nothing politicians and take a direct interest in sending a message to illegals that they are not welcome. Few things scare a politician more than a vast majority of the voters demanding action. And finally, reports are coming in from across the country that counties which have tightened up their laws on hiring, housing and welfare services for illegal immigrants are seeing a sizeable exodus of people who are finally getting the message that they are not welcome if they are not legal.

Along the same lines, it is very heartening to finally see headlines that blare out statements such as: "Immigration Officials Arrest 905 in California Sweep" and "270 Illegal Immigrants Sent to Prison in Federal Push." Of course, if the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials were really ready to make a dent in the immigration crisis they would start to round up employers by the hundreds whose complicity in hiring illegals only fuels the problem. Let's hope that's next.


GREED AND FOOD

Are food prices soon to shoot up as fast as oil prices? That's the question being asked by many who feel that today's shocking and fast-rising oil prices are being fed by greedy speculators who are out for a quick buck.

A June 5th story in The New York Times by Diana Henriques notes that "..A few big private investors are starting to make bolder and longer-term bets that the world's need for food will greatly increase - by buying farmland, fertilizer, grain elevators and shipping equipment." Not just in the U.S. but in Argentina, the U.K. etc.

As the Times story points out, there are two ways to look at this investment activity: Altruistic efforts to benefit all of mankind OR a chance to cash in on record profits.

The potential for food to follow the sharp spike in prices we've seen with the oil industry has some investors ready to gamble that they can make a nice fat profit. The Times notes: "By owning land and other parts of the agricultural business, these new investors are freed from rules aimed at curbing the number of speculative bets that they and other financial investors can make in commodity markets"When crop prices are climbing, holding inventory for future sales can yield higher profits than selling to meet current demand, for example. Or, if prices diverge in different parts of the world, inventory can be shipped to the more profitable market."

On the other hand, executives such as Alex Hinsch, chief executive of Calyx Agro, a division of the giant Louis Dreyfus Commodities notes: "What this new investment will buy is more technology. We will be helping to accelerate the development of infrastructure, and the consumer will benefit because there will be more supply."

Who will come out the winners in this multi-billion dollar food fight? That remains to be seen. Click on the above for the full story.


IDENTITY THEFT AND ILLEGALS

It's a shocking number and it underscores why identity theft is such a major concern among the American public these days...

...When Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided the Postville Agriprocessors kosher meatpacking plant in Iowa earlier last month they found that 738 of the 969 employee Social Security numbers in a company payroll report were invalid or belonged to other people.

A short article in the Cedar Rapids Gazette highlights one of the most critical problems our nation faces in gaining control of illegal employment. Far too often employers willingly accept phony documentation simply to keep operating with cheap labor. The new, stronger push by ICE to get employers to use the federal E-verify system to check identity should start to solve this problem but getting it under control is a very long way off. And, as the article states, new technology in creating documents that can't be forged and training of employers to recognize false documentation is finally starting to cut down on the problem.

Unfortunately, in many false identity cases the legal system works slowly to bring forth punishment - or even to identify the real culprit. In the case cited, the Gazette story notes that "A group of undocumented Agriprocessor employees have filed a class-action lawsuit claiming that Agriprocessors acquired false IDs for workers." Finding out whose telling the truth here could take years.

Iowa City immigration lawyer Dan Vondra is quoted as saying "people don"t even have to know they're using someone's Social Security number to be guilty of identity theft." He continued by saying "conviction is punishable by a mandatory two years in prison." NPG has consistently advocated a strong push by federal officials to target employers who, in flouting the law in demanding solid employee documentation, greatly contribute to our nation's immigration problem by providing jobs for illegals. This is a sham that has gone on long enough and it has severe repercussions for millions of Americans who fall victim to identity theft. Continued pressure must be brought on our elected leaders to make the fines for hiring so astronomical that all employers not only check, but double check, to make sure they are operating within the law in their hiring. Click on the link above for the full story.


SMALL STATE: NO EASY SOLUTIONS

Not many people think of tiny Delaware confronting major water issues but the "First State" is plagued with the same problems confronting all the other states - especially when it comes to protecting its bays and rivers that are quite prevalent in the lower part of the state.

A recent report in the Wilmington News Journal titled "A cleanup deal for Inland bays" highlighted the fact that the state was ready to move forward with proposals for a pollution control strategy that will address the concerns of landowners, farmers and developers. For some environmentalists the proposal is a long time coming. Ed Lewandowski of the Center for the Inland Bays noted that his organization has pushed for a pollution control strategy for more than a decade.

According to the news story, a comprehensive management plan that outlined the need for a pollution control strategy for the bays was developed more than a decade ago. Yet controversy developed when state officials started to outline how they would limit the flow of nitrogen and phosphorus into the bays. That challenge involved getting control of discharges from sewage treatment plants, run off from residential lawns and golf courses, septic systems and farm operations. Controversy over buffer proposals and property rights all got into the mix.

Today, state regulators are applauding the cooperation of the many entities involved in this issue and feel that everyone is finally on the right track. Indeed, the Journal quotes House Natural Resources Committee Chair Joseph Booth as stating: "The Inland Bays plan likely will be a model for watersheds throughout Delaware and possibly throughout the nation." The fact remains that it will still be awhile before a final strategy is locked-in.

NPG applauds any and all efforts to find responsible strategies to rein-in pollution. However, as this story highlights, the decade-long struggle to find solutions to a critical problem underscores the dramatic need for long-term planning for the future. Setting strict environmental policies now that will essentially limit future population growth in key areas is essential. Click on the link above for the full story.


POPULATION AND IMMIGRATION NEWS NOTES

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY...

Just when we thought U.S. economic problems could not get worse, we learn of yet another residual effect of our country's recession dilemma.

Times are tough for those who work in the U.S. and forward money back to their families in Mexico and other third-world countries as they feel the crunch of our economic woes. With construction jobs having dried up, family members back in their home countries are receiving less financial help, increasing their economic problems as well.

Frighteningly, economists believe the long-term effects of this diminishing funding could encourage those family members to attempt to enter the U.S. illegally in hopes of finding work in order to replace this loss. Thus, not only are we dealing with an economic downturn, and the possibility that it could grow even worse, now we may very well be forced to deal with another influx of illegal aliens, racing across our border in an attempt to solve their own economic problems. The question must be asked to those who ignore the complexities of our immigration crisis: Are we really able to better the lives of hundreds of thousands of additional illegal aliens when we cannot solve the problems of our own American citizens now?


THIS CAN'T BE GOOD...

A short Associated Press story buried in the pages of the Washington Times last month could prove quite worrisome.

The story titled, "Census deputy resigns amid 2010 count woes" told of the retirement of Deputy Census Director Jay Waite. However, the heart of the story focused on serious problems with the upcoming Census challenge and how they will be rectified in the next two years. In his Census Bureau bio, Waite is described as "the architect of the 2010 census."

Waite leaves amidst a total collapse of the Census Bureau's efforts to go high-tech in 2010. They announced last month that they were totally scrapping their much-anticipated (and extremely costly) hand-held computers that census-takers were to use to count the millions of residents who fail to return census forms mailed out to their residences. About one-third of U.S. residents fall into this category. Now, the 2010 census-takers will revert to - you guessed it - pencil and paper.

The collapse of the hand-held computer system is a real setback and the finger of blame is pointing in many directions. The Times noted: "Bush administration officials have described an agency that was unprepared to manage the contract for the hand-held computers, blaming census officials for doing a poor job of spelling out technical requirements to the contractor, Florida-based Harris Corp."

Precise census figures are important. They are not only used to track the skyrocketing numbers contributing to our nation's population crisis but are also used to apportion seats in local, state and federal offices and to calculate the distribution of hundreds of billions in state and federal grants.

There is always controversy after every U.S. Census as to its veracity. Will the 2010 numbers stand up to scrutiny? Stay tuned.


IMMIGRATION IN THE STATEHOUSES

The failure of Congress to act on immigration reform and address the growing crisis of illegal immigration has led to more and more action on the state level to address the issue - especially when it comes to employment.

An April report released by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) showed that legislators in 31 states introduced 179 employment-related immigration bills during the first quarter of 2008.

The study showed that employment continues to be in the top three areas of concern to legislatures across the country with law enforcement and identification documents being the other two.


ON THE BALLOT

Count Arkansas among the states where voters may have a chance to influence immigration enforcement this November.

In May, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel approved the language of a proposed ballot initiate that would require government agencies to verify that people seeking public benefits in the state are legal residents.

McDaniel's decision gives the green light to backers of the proposal to begin circulating a petition to get 61,974 signatures from Arkansas voters by July 7th for inclusion on the November ballot.

Similar ballot efforts in both Arizona and Oklahoma in recent years met with widespread approval.


VOTER ID UPHELD

With our nation so politically divided these days and local, state and even federal elections being decided by very close votes, the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in upholding Voter ID laws is very welcome.

The case was one of the most sharply partisan voting rights issues in years but the 6-3 ruling went a long way to protect the sanctity of the ballot. In a nation where we have countless millions of illegal immigrants looking to scam our laws and do an end run around any and all restrictions on their activities, it is essential that we try our best to keep them from gaining one of the most valuable rights of citizenship - the right to vote.

Sadly, the identity system we've created today is not perfect. Some states do grant drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants and there are surely millions of forged documents that could enable those determined to cast a ballot to find a way to do so. But the U.S. Supreme Court's actions sent a strong signal that we won't tolerate wholesale fraud in our elections. And the good news is that even more strident efforts to safeguard our democracy are already underway in states such as Missouri which is pushing an amendment to the state constitution that would enable election officials to require proof of citizenship from anyone registering to vote.


QUOTABLE

"For those who do not believe illegal immigration is a problem:

...Do not ask for more tax dollars to build more schools. We have enough schools if we close the border and send illegal immigrants home. (Yes, by law children of illegal immigrants born in the U.S. are citizens. They will have the option of staying or leaving.)...

...Do not ask me to conserve water. Close the border and send illegal immigrants home. This will conserve 10 percent of our regional water supply.

...Do not ask me for more money for welfare, food stamps or medical care for the poor. Close the border; send the illegal immigrants home and more services will be available for our less fortunate citizens.

...Do not ask me for more money for more roads. Send illegal immigrants back home, and let's see how the traffic flows.

No, illegal immigration didn't create any of these problems, but they are using resources that are becoming scarce. Before we change our own lifestyles, should those who should not be here return to their homelands?"

Jim Carr, Gwinett, GA
Letter to the Editor
Atlanta Journal Constitution


"A recent AP news story titled 'Thousands rally in May Day effort for immigration reform' is filled with plenty or quotes that show the bias and the slant that the liberal media outlets take on this issue. ...The story talks about marchers across the country who 'demanded citizenship opportunities for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. and an end to raids and deportations.' Did I read that correctly? People come into this country illegally, and then 'demand' citizenship and an end to enforcing the laws that are on the books to stop illegal activity?"

Bobby Eberle
National Columnist


"The Post's eye-opening series this week on the global food crisis has provided a grim reminder that the global economic ecosystem has become so interdependent that a drought in Australia, a tax credit in the United States, French farm subsidies and export controls in India can wind up forcing a desperate African farmer to eat his own seed corn."

Steve Pearlstein
The Washington Post


"...We are in a new phase of global environmental challenges, as billions of people across an interconnected and resource-scarce world seek an affluent lifestyle once confined to Europe and the U.S.

No longer are the old environmental questions of pollution vs. conservation so simply framed. Instead, the choices facing us, at least for the next few decades, are not between bad and good, but between bad and far worse - and involve wider questions of global security, fairness and growing scarcity."

"A New Environmentalism"
Victor Davis Hanson
National Columnist


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WHY THE NPG JOURNAL?

The NPG Journal (offered free to all recipients) exists to give more widespread distribution to timely news stories and articles related to population, immigration, environmental and political issues that currently affect our daily life -- or have the potential to seriously impact our futur

We realize not all news stories covering population issues will reflect NPG policies and goals. One of our main purposes in creating the NPG Journal is to expose these items to a wider audience, and to draw attention to the fact that so many articles speak to immigration and population issues but often fail to address the central cause of many problems - TOO MANY PEOPLE

Ultimately, NPG would like to see writers at all levels make the obvious (to us, at least) connection between environmental and resource problems and the growing umber of people in both the United States and the world. Unfortunately, most do not. To that end, we comment as necessary to help our readers see those links in hopes they will continue to speak out on what we deem to be the most pressing issue of our time - population size and growth.

NPG President Donald Mann offers his personal insight and commentary on individual stories, especially those that challenge, confirm and/or complement our NPG Research and Forum Papers. The goal of the NPG Journal is to greatly expand NPG's educational mission. As NPG celebrates its 35th Anniversary we continue to emphasize the need for Americans to speak up on population issues and keep our nation -- especially our elected leaders on the national, state and local level - focused on taking action to help resolve today's immigration crisis and work to halt, and eventually reverse America's out-of-control population grow

We welcome your feedback to articles posted on the NPG Journal and urge you to forward us the e-mail address of friends you think would like to receive a complimentary copy of the NPG Journal on a bi-weekly basis. Contact us at www.npg.org


ABOUT NPG

Negative Population Growth, Inc. (NPG) is a national nonprofit membership organization with over 30,000 members nationwide. It was founded in 1972 to educate the American public and political leaders about the devastating effects of overpopulation on our environment, resources, and standard of living. We believe that our nation is already vastly overpopulated in terms of the long-range carrying capacity of its resources and environme





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