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A double whammy for U.S.
Glen Colton
lenc1@comcast.net


Sometimes I wonder - just who is looking out for the interests of American workers these days?

Over the past few decades, the interests of American workers have been largely ignored by corporate and political leaders of both parties as we have moved towards an increasingly global economy. Millions of Americans have seen their well-paying manufacturing and information knowledge jobs offshored to countries such as India and China as corporations have pursued ever lower labor costs.

These types of jobs have traditionally helped create and maintain a strong middle class with a good standard of living. The loss of these jobs has weakened many communities and displaced workers who are often unable to find alternative jobs with comparable pay.

At the same time, the United States government has allowed immigration levels (both legal and illegal) to increase to between 1.5 million and 3 million people per year. This mass immigration has resulted in job displacement and wage reductions for American workers, especially for those at the lower end of the wage scale.

Jobs in meat packing plants, construction, custodial services and many other industries that used to pay good wages to lower-skilled American workers have been lost to recent immigrants (often here illegally) who are willing to work for lower pay with no benefits.

White-collar jobs, including hundreds of thousands of jobs in U.S. high-tech industries, have also been lost to imported workers as a result of the H1-B visa program, which allows American companies and universities to import foreign scientists, engineers and programmers.

The combined impact of offshoring of good paying jobs to cheap foreign labor markets and the importation of high numbers of foreign workers have delivered a double whammy to beleaguered American workers. While corporate profits have soared and CEOs are enjoying record compensation, the average worker continues to lose out. Real income has fallen, benefits have been scaled back, and poverty has increased.

At one time, America's leaders saw a healthy economy as a means to further people's well-being and build strong communities.

Businesses provided jobs, products and services to meet the needs of American workers, their families and their communities, and to provide a reasonable profit to owners. Now our leaders seem to view the economy as an end unto itself, and our country as a source of cheap labor to businesses and a market for products manufactured overseas. Many people believe we are on our way to becoming like a second or third world country with a small wealthy minority and a large impoverished working class.

So, what needs to be done? First, we need to re-examine globalization and its impact on all parties. Negotiations on the Free Trade Area of the Americas should be discontinued and the Central American Free Trade Agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement should be revisited. We should no longer blindly follow the mantra of "free trade" without thoroughly understanding its impacts on all parties concerned and ensuring that workers and the environment are protected.

Second, we need to completely eliminate illegal immigration into the United States, reduce legal immigration to historical levels of around 200,000 people per year, and avoid any amnesties or massive guest worker programs.

To accomplish these goals, voters will have to insist that their elected representatives do what is right for the American people, not the special interests. We can no longer let "cheap labor" business groups, agribusiness interests, industry consortiums, and open borders immigration advocacy groups drive public policy in favor of their special interests, to the detriment of American workers, their families, communities, and the country as a whole.

Glen Colton is working toward making Fort Collins a sustainable community. He has 23 years of financial experience in high-tech companies. Call him at 225-2760. Send e-mail to lenc1@comcast.net.


Originally published January 23, 2006