Guest Column
Still waiting for an apology
By Robert Miranda
A nationwide internal Social Security audit into double-cashing of
checks that began in September 2003 establishes once again the notion
that fear mongering anti-immigrant racists have fueled a campaign of
hate against the undocumented.
According to a report published by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the
12-month audit highlighted Milwaukee as ranking second in illegal
transactions, more than “all but one other office in the country, which
is in Memphis, Tenn.”
The audit focused on the number of double-cashing incidents by
individuals receiving social security.
First, kudos to the Social Security Administration for doing the work
that needs to be done to protect the public’s interest. The audit is
another example of good government at work. Now it is time to fix the
problem of cheaters double-cashing.
It is also another example of a falsehood being spewed by bigots on
right-wing radio that undocumented immigrants are cheating the public of
billions of tax-dollars.
Indeed, not one of the 19 charged in federal court in Milwaukee with
scamming the Social Security Administration out of more than $250,000
was an undocumented immigrant.
This part of the story will not be discussed, nor will it be debated by
the rightwing nuts poisoning the public’s perception about undocumented
immigrants with misinformation and dysfunctional bigoted opinions.
In 2004, it was Mark Belling pumping Milwaukee’s radio airwaves with
racist innuendos and bigoted rants as he reported to his listening
audience that undocumented Hispanics would be voting in the November
presidential elections of that year.
Belling even used a racial slur to drive home his point. After he was
forced to give a written apology for his racist rant, Belling was proven
wrong when U.S. Attorney Steve Biskupic, after an almost yearlong
investigation into voter fraud, found no evidence of a broad conspiracy
to try to steal an election was organized or conducted by undocumented
people or anyone else for that matter.
Not one undocumented person “illegal immigrant” in these two examples
was identified for stealing social security money or charged with
corruption of our city’s voting process.
Had the numbers shown a few undocumented immigrants arrested for
cheating on social security, I’m certain that the bigots of rightwing
talk-radio and the demagogues on the campaign trail would be bellowing
out a yell of illegal alien invasion and systemic government failure.
As it is, there is just silence.
______________________________
Robert Miranda, a frequent contributing columnist to HispanicVista.com (http://www.hispanicvista.com/)
is a national award winning columnist, Latino community activist and
Publisher of the Milwaukee Spanish Journal. Email at:
rmiranda@wi.rr.com
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed by HispanicVista.com (www.hispanicvista.com) without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)