My Take on Immigration.
Left Wing columnist Cynthia Tucker gives her opinion on the immigration issue ( in her 04/09/06 column) and hits the nail on the head, though not in the way she intended. She correctly points out that the government could stop the imigration in a minute but they don't want to for business considerations.
So why haven't Congress and the White House fixed a broken immigration system? Because it works for so many — illegal workers, business interests and middle-class Americans alike. Industries such as construction and agriculture get a cheap and docile work force, poorly educated men and women who'll work Sundays and holidays and never report their employees for labor violations. Middle-class Americans get the benefit of cheaper products and services, everything from lawn care and domestic work to homegrown fruits and vegetables. And houses. Since home sales are keeping the economy afloat, politicians don't want to do anything to interfere with the massive housing-construction-and-sales complex.
In other words they make the economy work and many Americans do benefit from them being here. Anyone who thinks that those jobs should be going to Americans should start by paying someone $20.00 an hour + benefits to mow their lawn or do dishes. Some jobs simply are not WORTH what many Americans demand in pay. Some complain that Americans are willing to do those jobs but not at the rate of pay the illegals are accepting and that simply proves the point. The American workers need to re-evaluate the actual value of their labor; it would be painful but necessary.
Now I do think we need to do something to stem the tide, not so much of workers, but of criminals, terrorists and trouble-makers who are crossing over along side of the people who simply want to work. There are quite a few of them and they need to be stopped at the border. A guest worker program, without amnesty, that monitored who was coming over, where they were from, and where they were going and watched what they did while they were here would be quite acceptable IF it could be proven to be workable.. They also, as non-citizens, need to know that they do not have alot of the perks of living here (no welfare, no unemployment, no free non-critical medical care etc. plus the Second Amendment does not apply to them - no firearms.) They also need to pay taxes etc. (yes it's unfair that they pay taxes but don't get the perks but that is the price they pay for not being citizens -- citizenship needs to mean something.)
Those coming to commit crimes, join gangs or disrupt our way of life need to be shown back to where they came from. I am far more concerned about the possibility of a terrorist crossing the Rio Grande than I am about someone wanting to pick apples for less than minimum wage.
Of course if the only way to prevent a terrorist from crossing the Rio Grande into America is to seal the border, then that is what we are going to have to do; the safety of citizens living in America should be our top concern. It my spite of my willingness to tolerate those who simply want to work, we may not be able to because of the threat of unfriendlies crossing over amongst them.
It is odd though. All our jobs seem to be going to Mexico and China while the Mexicans and Chinese come here looking for work. The world is a strange place.
So why haven't Congress and the White House fixed a broken immigration system? Because it works for so many — illegal workers, business interests and middle-class Americans alike. Industries such as construction and agriculture get a cheap and docile work force, poorly educated men and women who'll work Sundays and holidays and never report their employees for labor violations. Middle-class Americans get the benefit of cheaper products and services, everything from lawn care and domestic work to homegrown fruits and vegetables. And houses. Since home sales are keeping the economy afloat, politicians don't want to do anything to interfere with the massive housing-construction-and-sales complex.
In other words they make the economy work and many Americans do benefit from them being here. Anyone who thinks that those jobs should be going to Americans should start by paying someone $20.00 an hour + benefits to mow their lawn or do dishes. Some jobs simply are not WORTH what many Americans demand in pay. Some complain that Americans are willing to do those jobs but not at the rate of pay the illegals are accepting and that simply proves the point. The American workers need to re-evaluate the actual value of their labor; it would be painful but necessary.
Now I do think we need to do something to stem the tide, not so much of workers, but of criminals, terrorists and trouble-makers who are crossing over along side of the people who simply want to work. There are quite a few of them and they need to be stopped at the border. A guest worker program, without amnesty, that monitored who was coming over, where they were from, and where they were going and watched what they did while they were here would be quite acceptable IF it could be proven to be workable.. They also, as non-citizens, need to know that they do not have alot of the perks of living here (no welfare, no unemployment, no free non-critical medical care etc. plus the Second Amendment does not apply to them - no firearms.) They also need to pay taxes etc. (yes it's unfair that they pay taxes but don't get the perks but that is the price they pay for not being citizens -- citizenship needs to mean something.)
Those coming to commit crimes, join gangs or disrupt our way of life need to be shown back to where they came from. I am far more concerned about the possibility of a terrorist crossing the Rio Grande than I am about someone wanting to pick apples for less than minimum wage.
Of course if the only way to prevent a terrorist from crossing the Rio Grande into America is to seal the border, then that is what we are going to have to do; the safety of citizens living in America should be our top concern. It my spite of my willingness to tolerate those who simply want to work, we may not be able to because of the threat of unfriendlies crossing over amongst them.
It is odd though. All our jobs seem to be going to Mexico and China while the Mexicans and Chinese come here looking for work. The world is a strange place.
posted by shoprat at 4:24 PM
6 Comments:
Shoprat, your factory jobs is worth $166 a month in Taiwan. You need to re-think this one. Republicans almost NEVER raise the min. wage. Work IS valuable. Reagan said the best social program is a job. No, grocery baggers do not deserve $20.00 Hr., but I think physical contruction, etc. does. I don't want this country to be another Mexico where the priviliged live high while the workers barely scrape by. Does the UAW and other "over the top" stuff need a haircut? Probably. Do we want the illegals to become "guest workers" and take the last few good paying blue collar jobs? The middle class is what makes us special, and they are trying to kill it.
Tim, the US got spoiled after WWII and we were the factory for the world. We failed to realize until it was too late (the last 20 year) that the world was catching up.
A chinese worker for Motorola makes about $6,000 a year. While that's well below poverty here, it's 3 times the average income in China.
So is Motorola being socially irresponsible for raising wages in China?
DC's a great example of American's who won't work for a reasonable wage. 5.5% unemployment, 8% on welfare, both pay less than a contractor here who has to import 200 laborers every year. Yet he can't find workers in DC.
tim
the solution is not protectionism (after all -- they could always go to automation like the car factory in the movie minority report that didn't have a worker anywhere). The solution is to prepare people for the jobs that are being created. A hs diploma only qualifies a person for 1/3 of available jobs. It's training and education we need to concentrate on because nothing is going to bring back the post-war boom.
hola amigos gringos!
saludos a los paisas en illinois
CP-Why do you hate the middle class? Are you rich? If not, I'd like to see you be the first to volunteer for a 30% pay cut, because you are spoiled. I suppose you think CEO pay is just fine, no matter how high or how poorly their company is doing. You will defend that and then call hard working Americans spoiled.
SR- I'm not advocating protectionism. I am advocating scrapping a guest worker program. Wages are depressed by illegals, and the guest worker thing is just a way to let people hire them without breaking the law. Americans will work, but want to be paid more than a pittance.
Even if we're only middle class, Americans know that we can be rich if we want to be. Some want that and some don't. (I'm quite happy being financially comfortable.) The illegal immigrant problem is not about depressing wages for the middle class. It's about cheating. I'll take my chances with free enterprise not social engineering. The world is in flux as it aways has been but there's a fine line between freedom and chaos. It's called the law or playing the game by the rules.
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