Letter to the Editor: June 12

Balint should apologize for offensive remark about immigrants

To the Editor:

Rep. Becca Balint’s May 28 town hall in Newport included a highly offensive remark: “If we don’t have avenues for people to come here legally, we’re not going to have anybody around to wipe our a**es.”

This crude metaphor perpetuates a bigoted stereotype that immigrants are only valued for low-wage, undesirable jobs like personal care. Such rhetoric is disturbing and dehumanizes immigrants, ignoring their vital contributions to Vermont’s economy in a wide range of important roles. It’s an egregious viewpoint that demands condemnation.

Where are all the people protesting this disgusting comment? Where are all her loyal supporters who rallied for individuals like Mohsen Mahdawi but think her demeaning remarks about future immigrants being only needed to wipe “ a**es” is OK? Not a peep.

Balint’s claim of insufficient legal immigration pathways is outright misleading. The U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act provides avenues like H-1B visas for skilled workers, H-2A/H-2B for temporary labor and employment-based visas (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3). Clearly these pathways exist and have existed. In 2023, over 1 million immigrant visas and millions of non-immigrant visas were processed.

These pathways exist and continue to exist to support critical industries as well as support a positive route to citizenship. The bureaucracy, which has tangled the immigration policy, needs massive revision, not open borders.

The enormous influx of illegal aliens has completely overwhelmed federal agencies and quite a few state and local ones as well. If this influx hadn’t occurred over the last four years, due to liberal and progressive policies, then deportations and all the legal labor involved could instead be focused on correcting the process and bringing in people seeking to embrace the American life and pursue liberty. All in all, Vermont’s labor needs highlight the need for immigration reform, not harmful stereotypes.

Balint’s continued volatile activism and failure to bring real jobs to Vermont (not money via the Congressional Directed Spending in March of 2024) is not helping the vast majority of her constituents. Her support and outrage over recent arrests in Vermont takes a lot of her time, and still, no new jobs, no new businesses … just crickets.

We must reject rhetoric that diminishes immigrants’ dignity and advocate for fair, efficient immigration policies that value their diverse contributions. We demand Rep. Balint apologize for her heinous comment, for to give her a “pass” would be even more egregious. We must demand Balint begin her designated job to represent all Vermonters to improve the state’s financial and overall outlook. Or we will put someone in office who will have the state’s best interests at heart.

Pam Baker
West Halifax