Mayor Lori Lightfoot was able to do what she did. New York's Mayor Eric Adams cannot do the same. Suburbs surrounding New York City may not be that welcoming to migrants.
In fact, the mayor of Plainfield, N.J., had to address residents who were concerned about White Supremacists showing up to join a local Labor Day parade. (
https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-supremacists-crash-south-plainfield-new-jersey-labor-day-parade )
What most of my detractors seem unable to understand are the skyrocketing apartment rents, sub-standard housing and dangerous neighborhoods many of these migrants may have to live in. The many poor of New York City, Long Island and Westchester County already exist in such conditions.
Not everyone is waiting for or getting a handout. Many people on welfare in NYC do actually work. But one cannot afford to pay these sky-high rents on minimum wage salaries.
These high food, clothing and appliance prices are a ticking time bomb. Municipal finances will not be able to cope with rising prices if they have to underwrite the total living and healthcare costs of penniless new arrivals sans relatives to tide them over.
Since so many restaurants, small businesses and other services have shut down over the course of the pandemic and never reopened, there are few opportunities for arrivals without English skills to earn a living.
New York City is not financially sound. No new affordable housing is being built. It's all expensive, luxury apartments that are available. That's why there's so many homeless.
Anyone can come to the U.S. But if they arrive without permission or documentation, they may have a tough time navigating the rules of their new country. It all depends on whom they meet and who's willing to lend them a hand.
There are some community groups that will teach migrants, new arrivals or the down and out needy how to apply at social service agencies in different languages. Some may even have municipal service contracts. But what happens when the federal government, as it been wont to do, refuses to fund social service proposals? What happens then?
We're being set up for vicious and brutal class warfare with possible real deaths occurring because the working poor, even those who make what was once known as Middle Class salaries are being forced to compete for scarce housing, expensive foodstuffs and reduced services.
It's one thing to scream, hurl insults and tell others to shut up. It's that ignorant, impatient and hateful individuals do. But it's quite another to offering WORKABLE solutions.
Because that's what moderate Democrats such as myself try to do.