Relocating migrants

Regarding “Editorial: Did Abbott and DeSantis get their busing idea from Jim Crow?” (Sept. 16): I had to write to express my admiration for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Due to their superior intelligence and hard work, they both arranged to be born north of a certain river.

Thankfully, they are striving to keep out the “ignorant, lazy” immigrants who weren’t smart enough to be born here.

If these governors were voted out of office, we might even welcome more people who dare to seek a better life and find jobs. Someone might even think of raising the minimum wage and bringing these new workers into the Social Security system which would at least lessen the system’s projected deficit.

What we actually have is a perceived problem which is in reality an opportunity. Abbott and DeSantis’ mean-spirited strategies are only arousing their political base while working against our country’s own self-interest.

Marc Freedman, Houston

Last week, DeSantis patted himself on the back for spending Florida taxpayer money to fly Venezuelan refugees, who had arrived in Texas, to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., via chartered jet.

I can’t imagine that Floridians are too happy about spending their tax dollars for that flight — especially the estimated 100,000 to 125,000 Venezuelan-American voters residing there. Given that DeSantis and Republicans have railed against Venezuelan presidents Nicolás Maduro and Hugo Chávez and conditions in Venezuela for years, one would expect Republicans to welcome these asylum-seekers with open arms.

This pre-midterm publicity stunt does nothing to address the real need for comprehensive immigration reform.

With any luck, this and similar actions by Republican governors will backfire and shift recently acquired Latino voters’ allegiance back to Democrats.

Aletha Evert, Houston

Republicans have always played hardball while the Democrats played softball. From failing to consider the appointment of Merrick Garland to ramming through Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination, to aggressive gerrymandering, to clear, unapologetic, divisive rhetoric, and finally, to outright lies, Republicans have employed all sorts of brutal tactics to retain power.

The busing and flying of immigrants to blue states is another example. By doing so, they cement their appeal to voters who embrace these tactics. It’s a “win at all costs” strategy. They know full well the Democrats will not fight back using these same tactics. They are taking a bat to the defenseless immigrants. Their crowd cheers them on.

There is nothing physically preventing the governors of California and New Mexico, for example, from busing immigrants to red states. There is, however, something inherent in Democratic philosophy that prevents them from doing so. It’s just not in them.

It’s “Democratic Nice” versus “Republican Mean” — softball vs. hardball.

It is indeed sad that the Republicans will continue to employ these tactics.

It’s a winner for them. It’s good that the Democrats will not stoop to these tactics, even at the considerable risk of being run over again and again. Principle should matter.

Orlando N. Campos, Houston

The legal immigrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard were told that they were going to Boston and that jobs awaited. The state of Florida needs to hire them, as promised. The legal immigrants are reportedly being given documents with false addresses and sent far away from the courts in which they have appearances scheduled. How does a penniless immigrant get from Martha’s Vineyard to Los Angeles in three days to meet the judge?

The people of Martha’s Vineyard behaved in true Christian fashion, providing shelter and food for their unexpected arrivals.

Then, the federal government stepped in and provided more suitable shelter. Tellingly, the legal immigrants who were sent far from where they needed to be indicated that the lure of jobs, not “free stuff,” was what got them on the plane.

Trolling “libs” and engaging in publicity stunts doesn’t solve the problem. Engaging with Democrats for a legislative solution would, but Republicans don’t want to solve any problems; they want to exploit the vulnerable to gain power.

They know that their base won’t forgive them if they work with Democrats to develop any solution to anything. The Biden administration continues to catch more illegal crossers than the previous administration at our “open” border.

Bruce Ellis, Houston

Not only Democrats can shoot themselves in the foot effectively. The stunt perpetrated by DeSantis places him personally on a level of inhumanity with Belarusian “President” Aleksandr Lukashenko. That doesn’t make him an outright Nazi, but both sent their huddled masses of tired, poor, desperate asylum-seekers on what they thought were cruel bogus passages, and both did so with the primary intent to do harm. Both deserve their measure of shame.

DeSantis’ blunder, however, is more comical, since the asylum-seekers he discarded have reached an area of the country, unlike Florida, blessed with education and humanity. In the BostonCambridge area, for instance, three influential MIT professors recently shared a Nobel Prize in economics for their work broadly demonstrating that an influx of immigrants bestows a medium and long-term wave of prosperity on the receiving country.

We expect Massachusetts to enjoy it, and hope that the new arrivals will get basic hospitality this month, jobs at Harvard next year and be taking classes there the year after that. That’s a vision of prosperity growing. That’s a major part of how America got this way.

The Florida guy is just a good shot when aiming at his own foot.

Scott Hartley, Fairfield, Iowa