Overheard the other day: "Immigration is not a hot issue right now - people are concerned about jobs, the Georgia budget cuts, the mortgage meltdown, education and health care ... even the presidential candidates didn't talk about immigration during the campaign ..." How preposterous.

The usual suspects are indeed talking about immigration, both legal and illegal. They never stop the conversation because promoting victimhood, amnesty, open borders, bilingualism, increased immigration and rabidly defending the crime of illegal immigration is an immense, thriving business.

The presidential candidates spoke mucho about immigration and amnesty, but mostly in the Spanish-language media.

In the native language of the majority of the illegal aliens, candidate Obama repeatedly made the promise of a do-over of the amnesty and path to citizenship of 1986 in his first year in office. Candidate McCain later raised the stakes on Univision, a Spanish language television network. He pledged to present a legalization plan to Congress "on my first day."

Just another reason this long-time American is not a member of any political party and why he could not vote for either nominee.

U.S. Border Patrol Agents are talking, too. That besieged agency reports apprehending more than one million illegal aliens at our borders in fiscal year 2008. Apprehensions have always been a dependable method of estimating the volume of illegal entries into our country. The optimistic estimate is that one of four illegals are caught crossing.

The low estimate from last year was that illegal aliens had taken about 5 percent of American jobs. That's probably "xenophobic" and "mean-spirited" to mention while our unemployment rate soars. Si?

Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway is talking about illegal immigration and enforcement. He has applied for federal training - called 287 g authority - to locate and begin the deportation process for the illegals in his jail who escaped the Border Patrol.

In a 26-day trial run ended last week, 917 illegals "looking for a better life" were found in his jail, including 13 charged with murder, 154 with felony drug charges and 23 charged with child molestation.

Enforcement works. Including Cobb, illegals migrate out of every community in which the law is actually enforced.

The ACLU is a veritable fountain of conversation on "immigration.." It is steadfastly opposed to enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. Jerry Gonzalez of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials does little but talk about illegal aliens - while trying to make you believe they are victimized "immigrants." Any suggestion that immigration law be enforced is met with snarling accusations of "hate speech." If you see this character, remind him that "immigrants" do not require amnesty ... por favor?

Mortgage lenders, having been allowed to illegally make mortgage loans to illegal aliens for years may be silent on the issue now - but wait until public attention wanes and they start loaning their taxpayer funded bail-out money. If you listen closely, you will hear the whispered sales pitch to the newest batch of illegals: "The coast is clear, ya'll come on in for a loan." The term "banksters" comes to mind.

That federal law that makes it a crime to harbor an illegal alien or to encourage him to remain in the United States? Forget about it. The Bush administration did and the Obama administration will. Follow the money.

Americans should be talking about illegal immigration and our children's education. Cobb School District spokesman Jay Dillon says the cost of educating one child for one K-12 school year here is $9,036.00. Legal or illegal. Budget cuts anyone?

For the readers who have convinced themselves that health care is somehow a separate issue from the illegal immigration crisis - stay out of the local emergency rooms. A trip there will destroy your fantasy.

The Washington-based Federation for American Immigration Reform recently published a report estimating Georgia spends about $1.6 billion a year for illegal aliens and their dependents to provide K-12 education, public health care and incarceration.

Due to the budget shortage, in November the Georgia War Veterans Home in Milledgeville was closed. We may cut the "Meals on Wheels" program for our seniors.

On funding, we are now saying "no" to citizens quite often.

Because we know it works, shouldn't we be talking more about enforcing our immigration laws before we talk about where to cut services to Americans?

Or am I being "mean-spirited"?

King is president of the Cobb-based Dustin Inman Society, which advocates for immigration law enforcement. On the Web: (http://www.TheDustinInmanSociety.org)