I beg to differ with Hizzoner who says we should essentially open wide the borders and grant amnesty to the supposedly 11 million persons who immigrated illegally to the United States.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the country is "giving short shrift to immigration" and that economic problems will worsen until America sends out a more welcoming message.
Bloomberg says the U.S. is "pushing people that other countries want away from our shores." He said on ABC's Good Morning America that an overly restrictive immigration policy discourages people who can create work with an entrepreneurial spirit.
My top issue is the environment. This country is already over-developed, overtly over-consumption-oriented, and overpopulated. The longer we keep growing at our current rate (3 million persons per year, mainly due to immigration) we are dooming ourselves and the planet to death by climate change. If our politicians do not wake up and at least recognize that overpopulation (including U.S. overpopulation) is killing the planet, there won't be anything else to debate. We are already in the beginning stages of climate change, as storms increase in frequency and intensity and weather patterns shift from region to region. Some scientists say we've already rolled over the precipice and climate change cannot be reversed despite anything mankind does at this point.
Slowing or stopping population growth is but one of many things we must do if we want the planet and this great nation to be habitable for future generations.
- Check out our roundup of editorial cartoons on global warming.
- See which members of Congress get the most from environmental industries.
- See 10 animals threatened by global warming.
Reader Comments Read all comments (40)
Robert Schott of NY 8:40AM July 21, 2010
Florida cracker of FL 10:34AM July 18, 2010
Fred Heap of MA 5:12PM July 12, 2010