Cynb, your Sept. 11th post, which I just read comments about discrimination of illegals. Saying that people "look Hispanic" and that that ran upon seeing a worker whom the staff finally figured out was dressed almost like a Border Patrol officer is a way to explain why they ran. The story wouldn't make any sense to say the people ran without saying who the people were other than prospective voters. Since we are so close to Mexico, it makes sense. Now they could have been from any south-of-the-border country, but again, the story would not have made any sense without an qualifiers. I noted that you called it my third-hand story. Only as you are hearing it. I don't know for a fact whether I got it second hand or third hand, but I thought it more honest to state that. Nobody in my story was being discriminated against so I'm not sure why you mentioned that. Here near the border it is possible to see by demeanor, dress, and even looks that a person is most likely a very-recent arrival, and in many cases that the person is nervous about being watched more than you or I would. Illegals have certain behavior characteristics that most of us don't necessarily pay attention to but the authorities would recognize as very suspicious.

Cynb, i live in MA and we do not need anything to present in order to vote. i also know for sure there is voter fraud. One year, during a competitive race for the local hack politician, two new registered voters showed up as living at the neighboring apartment. Since I had been living there for the previous five years and knew that the person in that apartment was a n elderly lady who never voted, I knew they were fakes.

Have you considered that we are the only country where in many places you can vote without any id? Anywhere else you need to show photo id. I wish it was a requirement in all counties so my vote will not be diluted by the fraudelent voters. When you have locations that more votes are cast than register voters, or census total population, then there is definitely fraud.

Cynb, you commented on my anecdote about people who "look Hispanic". The only reason I put that in quotes was because they wouldn't know but those were the ones who were running away when they (the runners) saw a man who looked like an agent. If I had told the story without mentioning that the people looked Hispanic, it wouldn't have made sense here on the border. Furthermore, the comment about second-hand or third-hand was to tell you that I didn't know which it was so I didn't know if I had all the details right. I was telling you in advance so you wouldn't have to ask.

In reference to illegals using services, yes, they do. I have heard of hospital(s) in the Valley (Rio Grande Valley) going broke because of having to provide free services to all comers who are indigent. I guess their counties don't have indigent services departments to provide money. Again, here, I don't have specific names of the hospital(s) because I didn't think to ask or make note of it.

I am guessing here, but I think that a man who goes to get food stamps who is married to an illegal would get them for her, too. I don't know what process they would use to validate that. Maybe they could show the marriage license but say she lost her ID's or they were stolen. It is possible to purchase ID's, sometimes using records of someone who has died. I have never heard of roundups of illegals for any reason other than working illegally. It is more cost effective for the authorities to go to a business where they know there are a number of illegals working and make arrests. The business would then have to pay some kind of restitution to the government.

It seems to me that a typical illegal would not want to vote because of the risk of being found out. My friend's story belies that. Depending upon their individual purpose and which country they came from, they might have an ulterior motive or ultimately terroristic motive. Voter fraud usually involves a big group or candidate paying people to vote illegally or to obtain votes illegally, at least it does for the ones around here. There is a town nearby with the reputation of having lots of voter fraud. It is also a town with a history of violence and a record of arrests of people distributing illegal drugs that were just brought across the border for the purpose of sale around the country. I say it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to voter ID's. After you've left the barn door open, you might not be able to round up the livestock.

I could imagine for people born at home, getting a birth certificate is a real problem.

Likely there are not that many births at home anymore but in the early decades of the 20th century it was probably more often than not.