Letters to the Editor
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
‘Immigration City’
Your editorial, “Immigration City,” extols the virtues of immigration, but does not deal with its problems [April 3, 2006].
You point out that 36% of New York City residents are foreign born. That is too many to facilitate assimilation. Witness our overcrowded schools and the multitude of demands for “multi-lingual” services.
You also neglect to mention overcrowded housing, transit, and roadways, which significantly decrease our quality of life. Having driven in the city for over 40 years, I can attest to the fact that driving anywhere has become a chore.
I, for one, do not think we need to “beat Los Angeles” as the largest city. Why is it always assumed that bigger is better?
Your view that immigration can only be positive is refuted by Paul Krugman, definitely not a conservative journalist, in the New York Times (March 31, 2006), wherein he states: “But low-skilled immigration depresses the wages of less-skilled native-born Americans. And immigrants increase the demand for public services, including health care and education. Estimates indicate that low-skilled immigrants don’t pay enough in taxes to cover the cost of providing these services.”
JOHN OST
Manhattan
‘Locking Out Taiwan’
Although Congress passed a bill urging the U.S. to introduce a resolution at Geneva to support Taiwan’s World Health Organization observer seat in 2004, Taiwan’s bids to join the WHO still failed every year due to China’s boycotts [“Why Locking Out Taiwan Is Bad for World Health,” Jack Kuo-Jung Lee, Opinion, April 14, 2006].
Just a month ago, the WHO’s official Web site erroneously included Taiwan as a part of China and showed Taiwan as being affected by bird flu.The mistake was made simply because Taiwan is not a WHO member and has been misrepresented by China in the past. The incident by the WHO could have damaged Taiwan’s international image had it not made a prompt correction. It is yet another example showing that Taiwan’s exclusion from the WHO is morally incorrect and fundamentally inconsistent with the WHO’s goal. As the WHO assembly is near, the U.S. should continue to encourage other member states to support Taiwan’s efforts to participate in the organization.
JONG-SONG LEE
Secretary Austin Institute of Taiwan Studies
www.aitsusa.org
Austin, Texas
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