So, will Mexico pay for-

[Wedgebuster]

This voter fraud investigation?

[cx500d]

This voter fraud investigation?

No, they'll take it out of the $60000000000 budget for studying the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[houndawg]

This voter fraud investigation?

Fvcking hilarious how he can't keep from responding whenever somebody says he lost the popular vote. We're going to have so much fun with this guy. Whoever thought that our great nation would advance democracy to the point that a person can insult this miserable excuse for a President and get a personal reply! God I love this place..

[CID1990]

I keep wondering what he means when he says Mexico will pay for the wall.

It's a pretty good thought exercise to try to think of the ways that could actually happen. The only things I can come up with are-

1) tax the hell out of remittances to Mexico by requiring wire transfer agents to verify legal status in the US. If no legal status, then there's a surcharge to send money to Mexico and other countries designated as having high rates of illegal immigration in the US. There are a number of roadblocks to this- namely that there is only one way to reliably verify US citizenship, and that is with a passport or Consular Report of Birth Abroad. So grandma needing to wire money to her grandkid on spring break who just got robbed (or spent it all on booze and hookers) would have to pay extra for an expedited passport to show her citizenship before wiring money.

2) threaten trade agreements. This is already happening but it is unclear if that would be a big enough lever. That said, Nieto has no choice but to say Mexico isn't paying for the wall for political reasons, so hard to say.

All his said, remittances to Mexico are in the billions of dollars- 24.8 billion in 2015 to be exact. It is hard to say how much of this is coming from illegals.

[mrklean]

Trump is lying about the wall. The U.S. taxpayers will foot this bill.

[houndawg]

I keep wondering what he means when he says Mexico will pay for the wall.

It's a pretty good thought exercise to try to think of the ways that could actually happen. The only things I can come up with are-

1) tax the hell out of remittances to Mexico by requiring wire transfer agents to verify legal status in the US. If no legal status, then there's a surcharge to send money to Mexico and other countries designated as having high rates of illegal immigration in the US. There are a number of roadblocks to this- namely that there is only one way to reliably verify US citizenship, and that is with a passport or Consular Report of Birth Abroad. So grandma needing to wire money to her grandkid on spring break who just got robbed (or spent it all on booze and hookers) would have to pay extra for an expedited passport to show her citizenship before wiring money.

2) threaten trade agreements. This is already happening but it is unclear if that would be a big enough lever. That said, Nieto has no choice but to say Mexico isn't paying for the wall for political reasons, so hard to say.

All his said, remittances to Mexico are in the billions of dollars- 24.8 billion in 2015 to be exact. It is hard to say how much of this is coming from illegals.

I've read that there are more Americans moving to Mexico than vice versa - how much Social Security money gets sent to Mexico?

[houndawg]

Trump is lying about the wall. The U.S. taxpayers will foot this bill.

Easy solution - Trump pays for the wall himself, if his Russian bankers OK it, and Mexico pays Trump back.

[CID1990]

I keep wondering what he means when he says Mexico will pay for the wall.

It's a pretty good thought exercise to try to think of the ways that could actually happen. The only things I can come up with are-

1) tax the hell out of remittances to Mexico by requiring wire transfer agents to verify legal status in the US. If no legal status, then there's a surcharge to send money to Mexico and other countries designated as having high rates of illegal immigration in the US. There are a number of roadblocks to this- namely that there is only one way to reliably verify US citizenship, and that is with a passport or Consular Report of Birth Abroad. So grandma needing to wire money to her grandkid on spring break who just got robbed (or spent it all on booze and hookers) would have to pay extra for an expedited passport to show her citizenship before wiring money.

2) threaten trade agreements. This is already happening but it is unclear if that would be a big enough lever. That said, Nieto has no choice but to say Mexico isn't paying for the wall for political reasons, so hard to say.

All his said, remittances to Mexico are in the billions of dollars- 24.8 billion in 2015 to be exact. It is hard to say how much of this is coming from illegals.

I've read that there are more Americans moving to Mexico than vice versa - how much Social Security money gets sent to Mexico?

I havent seen the numbers, so it probably depends on what metric you use. Mexico is our #1 immigrant visa country in the world. I don't know the exact numbers, but I guess it is possible that we have more pensioners moving there than they have legal immigrants moving to the US. But I highly doubt it in terms of the raw numbers

However- SS benefits overseas are handled by our overseas federal benefits units (FBUs) and they are almost entirely by direct deposit. In less developed countries with dd problems (like Nigeria) we were still issuing paper checks at embassies and consulates. Even that is coming to an end. Ultimately, changes to wire transfer rules would have no effect on recipients of fed benefits. That's one of our consular functions overseas - we assist and facilitate pur pensioners getting their money no matter where they are.

[Baldy]

Just cutting our trade deficit to Mexico in half will pay for the wall.

[Ibanez]

Trump is lying about the wall. The U.S. taxpayers will foot this bill.

Yeah, but it's going to be a yuuuuuge wall.

[Grizalltheway]

Trump is lying about the wall. The U.S. taxpayers will foot this bill.

Yeah, but it's going to be a yuuuuuge wall.

That's what you told me about your willie.

[Ibanez]

Yeah, but it's going to be a yuuuuuge wall.

That's what you told me about your willie.

A guy will say anything to...you know.

[mrklean]

Trump is lying about the wall. The U.S. taxpayers will foot this bill.

Yeah, but it's going to be a yuuuuuge wall.

You wanted him, now you got him......................

[Grizalltheway]

That's what you told me about your willie.

A guy will say anything to...you know.

Get pegged?

[89Hen]

What happens if we piss off Mexico? Will Mexicans stop coming into the country? Will they kick out US companies and their manufacturing?

[Ibanez]

Yeah, but it's going to be a yuuuuuge wall.

You wanted him, now you got him......................

Who said I wanted him? Are you making an assumption based on race and/or gender? Of course, you wouldn't make such a blanket racist comment, would you?

[Ibanez]

What happens if we piss off Mexico? Will Mexicans stop coming into the country? Will they kick out US companies and their manufacturing?

Tequila and Tortilla futures are plummeting as we speak.


Thanks Donald!

[mrklean]

You wanted him, now you got him......................

Who said I wanted him? Are you making an assumption based on race and/or gender? Of course, you wouldn't make such a blanket racist comment, would you?

I know you did not vote for the Hillda Beast

[Ibanez]

Who said I wanted him? Are you making an assumption based on race and/or gender? Of course, you wouldn't make such a blanket racist comment, would you?

I know you did not vote for the Hillda Beast

I didn't vote for any candidate. Neither of them have the character to be a leader.

[houndawg]

I've read that there are more Americans moving to Mexico than vice versa - how much Social Security money gets sent to Mexico?

I havent seen the numbers, so it probably depends on what metric you use. Mexico is our #1 immigrant visa country in the world. I don't know the exact numbers, but I guess it is possible that we have more pensioners moving there than they have legal immigrants moving to the US. But I highly doubt it in terms of the raw numbers

However- SS benefits overseas are handled by our overseas federal benefits units (FBUs) and they are almost entirely by direct deposit. In less developed countries with dd problems (like Nigeria) we were still issuing paper checks at embassies and consulates. Even that is coming to an end. Ultimately, changes to wire transfer rules would have no effect on recipients of fed benefits. That's one of our consular functions overseas - we assist and facilitate pur pensioners getting their money no matter where they are.

Will the mass resignation of senior State Department management have any effect with consular duties?

[houndawg]

What happens if we piss off Mexico? Will Mexicans stop coming into the country? Will they kick out US companies and their manufacturing?

Tequila and Tortilla futures are plummeting as we speak.


Thanks Donald!

If he fvcks up my access to good Mexican food there will be trouble...

[Wedgebuster]

Pissing off Mexico as our trading partner moves them right in with China, they have their arms wide open...

And if dumbshit Trump gets the wall, China will have two great walls, one there and one here...

[Baldy]

What happens if we piss off Mexico? Will Mexicans stop coming into the country? Will they kick out US companies and their manufacturing?

Nothing, but there will be tons of foot stomping, whining, crying, crocodile tears, and hand wringing.

They need us a whole lot more than we need them.

[CID1990]

I havent seen the numbers, so it probably depends on what metric you use. Mexico is our #1 immigrant visa country in the world. I don't know the exact numbers, but I guess it is possible that we have more pensioners moving there than they have legal immigrants moving to the US. But I highly doubt it in terms of the raw numbers

However- SS benefits overseas are handled by our overseas federal benefits units (FBUs) and they are almost entirely by direct deposit. In less developed countries with dd problems (like Nigeria) we were still issuing paper checks at embassies and consulates. Even that is coming to an end. Ultimately, changes to wire transfer rules would have no effect on recipients of fed benefits. That's one of our consular functions overseas - we assist and facilitate pur pensioners getting their money no matter where they are.

Will the mass resignation of senior State Department management have any effect with consular duties?

I saw that article in the WaPo. Predictably, they got it wrong (or at least misleading)

Only one person has left State and that's Pat Kennedy. The rest of the people they listed (like my boss, Michelle Bond) have not left. They have stepped down from their Senate-confirmed positions but are still employed by State.

Which is what happens every time a new administration from the other party comes in.

But to answer your question, no, it will not affect consular operations any more than the other 100 times an Assistant Secretary has stepped down.

[houndawg]

Will the mass resignation of senior State Department management have any effect with consular duties?

I saw that article in the WaPo. Predictably, they got it wrong (or at least misleading)

Only one person has left State and that's Pat Kennedy. The rest of the people they listed (like my boss, Michelle Bond) have not left. They have stepped down from their Senate-confirmed positions but are still employed by State.

Which is what happens every time a new administration from the other party comes in.

But to answer your question, no, it will not affect consular operations any more than the other 100 times an Assistant Secretary has stepped down.

So business as usual except for some ambassadors?