The Evolution of Queen Creek

Dear Readers,

There’s an absolutely adorable blog I love to read called The Evolution of Queen Creek. The writer has a really friendly tone, there are lots of neat pictures, and it has just such a great charm and a nice vibe. The blog mostly appeals to people living in, or at least familiar with, Queen Creek and San Tan Valley, but people from far away could enjoy the blog too.

Some of the posts are really charming and funny, like this post about the Franken-poles.

The blog helps me too look on the bright side of life. I don’t know the author of The Evolution of Queen Creek in real life, but I really like the web persona she has created. I can tell she has a lot of hometown pride. Maybe I’ve walked past her in the grocery store… hmmm…

Anyway, the subject matter of the blog has flirted with politics in the past, but the author never really devoted a lot of time to the subject, until 4 days ago when she did this post.

I left a comment on it, which is copied and pasted here.

I read your blog and I really like it. I've lived in San Tan Valley for a year. (I got a cheap foreclosed home near Ironwood and Ocotillo. But it’s a nice home.) I like seeing the pictures you've taken and reading about how Queen Creek/San Tan Valley has grown over the past few years.

Your question, "Do you feel that illegal immigration lessens your chances of employment," is a good one. I’ve talked about illegal immigration a lot before, and I’ve heard politicians talking about it a lot, but I’ve never been asked that question quite like that before.

My answer is yes, illegal immigration does lessen my chances for employment, because illegal immigration makes the economy worse, and when the economy is bad, fewer people want to start businesses or grow businesses or hire people. As politically incorrect as this may be, the truth is that illegal immigrants are a drain on social services, including hospitals, welfare, jails and schools.

But I don’t buy the simplistic argument that illegal immigrants are taking all our jobs. That argument presupposes that like there are a limited amount of jobs available, and once they’ve all been taken, there aren’t any more. (Though I know it may seem that way when you’re one of 50 people going for the same job opening)

I believe that prosperity is not a zero sum game. (I had to look up “zero sum game”, and this is the definition: "a situation or interaction in which one participant's gains result only from another's equivalent losses.") So I do not believe that because I got a job recently, I took that job away from somebody else. There are plenty of jobs out there! Ronald Reagan said "We have so many people who can't see a fat man standing beside a thin one without coming to the conclusion that the fat man got that way by taking advantage of the thin one!" Reagan’s point is that every one can be fat! And my point is that every one can get a job! Not everyone can have their dream job, and there may be periods of unemployment, but generally speaking, all able-bodied and sound-minded people in America can find employment if they just try hard enough and have faith.

So, I believe that the amount of available jobs should grow as a population grows.

So in theory, more jobs should be created as more people move to Arizona, either by birth or by migration. The people just have to educate themselves, start up businesses, and work hard. But the reality is that a lot of illegal immigrants in Arizona don’t have a ton of schooling or speak English. And since they often work under the table and are scared of talking to police officers, they kind of live on the margins of society… what I’m trying to say is, I don’t think that an illegal immigrant is as likely to build a businesses and create jobs as someone who was born and raised in Arizona and speaks English and has a college degree.

But I also want to add that I have great respect for the Hispanic people, and I when I don’t get a job I’m looking for, I don’t think, “it’s those illegal immigrants!” These days when I don’t get a job I think, “It’s those danged politicians in the Obama administration!” Or maybe I think, “It’s my own lack of skills and preparation.”

OK, I have to go to bed.

P.S. I support Sheriff Joe and Russell Pearce and Jeff Smith and JD Hayworth.

Sincerely,
Telemoonfa