Many Oklahomans Having 2nd Thoughts about HB1804!!

As businesses continue to go out of business, Latinos tired of Racial Profiling leave the state and as the Economy worsens, many are voicing their concerns about the restrictionist laws and the pandering politicians pushing them.

Tulsa World reports: (summary)

House Bill 1804 is among the most onerous anti-immigration laws in the country. Its principal author, Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, will certainly run on his dubious accomplishment of throwing suspicion on every Hispanic — legal and illegal — in the state. The illegals have, of course, broken the law. But a porous border and a lack of a legitimate and enforceable federal immigration law over decades has caused the problem. Add to that the temptation of jobs for a huge segment of Hispanic poor and the willingness of companies to employ them, often without benefits and with low pay, and what results is the mess we find ourselves in now. Into that disastrous mix step politicians such as Terrill, willing to make political hay on the backs of not merely illegal Hispanics but all Hispanics. Inflammatory rhetoric and bad law have cast a shadow over every Hispanic in the state, many of whom are citizens of the United States and many even second- and third-generation Americans. Terrill is not alone in this debacle. HB 1804 was passed by an overwhelming majority of the Legislature and signed by Gov. Brad Henry. Only a handful of leaders, such as Sen. Harry Coates, R-Seminole, have recognized the folly of 1804 and have attempted to rectify the mistake. And you can bet that Terrill and too many like him will exploit the issue, an issue they helped create. Never mind that Oklahoma is last or near last in every important category from education to health care. Illegal immigration is a hot-button issue that sounds like an easy fix. But it is not an easy fix. Laws such as 1804 only make matters worse. Illegal immigration always has been the purview of the federal government. That is where the problem must be solved. If you want some progress made on the subject, then press your candidates for the U.S. House and Senate. When you do, however, keep in mind that we are talking about human beings. People who are trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. People who are enticed here by jobs. People who are able to get here because of poor federal law. A fair and honest debate needs to take place concerning illegal immigration. As the economy worsens the problem will only deepen. It might be naive to expect, but this political season let's force politicians who are running for state offices to deal with the issues that are sinking this state. Let's not allow politicians to exploit fear and divert our attention from the important issues. That, sadly, isn't likely to happen. So, in the meantime, buckle your seat belts and get ready for some divisive and mean-spirited campaigns from politicians intent on beating up on and getting elected on the backs of a defenseless minority.

Economic Impact of Oklahoma´s Restrictionist Immigration Law HB1804 = $1.8 Billion

Oklahoma´s Tulsa World Reports:

Economic impact of HB 1804 estimated

By GINNIE GRAHAM World Staff Writer 3/26/2008

The state bankers association says the loss could be $1.8 billion.

If 50,000 immigrants leave Oklahoma, the state would lose about $1.8 billion annually in productivity and wages, according to a study released Tuesday by the Oklahoma Bankers Association. The group does not take a position on HB 1804, the state's new immigration law, said President and Chief Executive Officer Roger Beverage. The study was commissioned after the association began hearing stories about banks seeing impacts such as loan defaults and halted housing developments. "Bankers asked the question, 'Can we afford to do this? Does this make sense?' " Beverage said...House Bill 1804 makes it a crime to knowingly hire, house or transport illegal immigrants and took effect Nov. 1. Economists Russell Evans and Kyle Dean, of Economic Impact Group in Edmond, wrote and researched the study. .."We're not saying that it is a good bill or a bad bill," Evans said. "We have no comment on that. But from a purely economic standpoint, we wanted to see look at what the cost would be of removing them." The Federation for Immigration Reform has estimated Oklahoma spends about $207 million a year in public funds for illegal immigrants, mainly for education, emergency health care and incarceration. The economists assume the number to be correct, Evans said. Between 50,000 and 70,000 undocumented immigrants are estimated to be living in Oklahoma, the study states. The study gives a range of impacts based on the number of immigrants who leave. In the short term, the impact ranges from a $786 million annual loss if 25,000 immigrants leave, up to a $3 billion annual loss if 90,000 migrate elsewhere, according to the study. In the long term, Oklahoma would lose between $637 million to $1.9 billion annually, the study states. "If you don't enter the impact of losing those workers into the discussion, then I think the discussion is somewhat distorted," Evans said. "All we are trying to provide is what the lost outcome of productivity and lost income of those workers would be." More House Bill 1804 impact studies are expected, Evans said. "The academic community was a little behind with everybody else," Evans said. "The bill happened so fast and became law so fast that the discussion about the impacts of the bill didn't begin until after it had been implemented and signed." ..Beverage said Oklahoma banks remain strong in spite of the challenges of the national credit crunch, depressed housing market, subprime mortgage meltdown and the Federal Reserve predictions that some community banks will fail in the next couple of years. "In addition, Oklahoma banks have had to deal with the practical ramifications of the economic impact of 1804," Beverage said. "You cannot confine the economic impact of 1804 to one sector of society or one classification of workers. Rather, it has an impact to workers in a number of different areas."