America's employers finally speak out for sound immigration

MontereySherry

May 11, 2008, 9:56PM
Business of reform
America's employers finally speak out for sound immigration policy

Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

The failure to pass a comprehensive immigration reform package last year was a bad piece of business. It left more than 12 million illegal workers in limbo; continued a ludicrous visa system that leaves out low-skilled workers; and showed that a noisy minority could drown out the majority of Americans, who consistently backed the reform bill's main goals.

But there was one heartening revelation: Individual voters really can trump those behind-the-scenes lobbyists. It's now time for the majority of voter voices to be heard.

Employers across the country are finally coalescing to publicly support comprehensive immigration reform. The movement aims to inform and motivate the grass roots, where people's views of immigration too often are shaped by commentators such as Lou Dobbs. By speaking out, businesses also prove they're committed to working within the system: hiring legal workers, paying taxes and minimum wage, and treating all employees fairly.

Houston is at the movement's forefront, with good reason. Our economy depends on the estimated 10 percent of our work force, about 250,000 workers, who are undocumented immigrants. Forcing these workers to continue their lives as an exploited shadow-class keeps them from participating and contributing — and assimilating — as they ought to. It harms the whole community.

Plans to smoke these workers out of their jobs would hurt Houston even more. About three-fourths of undocumented workers pay Social Security taxes (but never claim the benefits). Using Social Security rolls to oust workers with account discrepancies — as a recent federal rule aims to do — could accidentally oust as many as 18 million legal workers whose accounts also contain misspellings and other errors.

But the greatest harm would be to the city's economy. "The consequences of removing one of 10 workers would ... take us down to our knees," Jeff Moseley, president of the Greater Houston Partnership, told the Chronicle.

So chilling is this prospect that the historically conservative Partnership is investing $20 million (from private donors) in the nonprofit "Americans for Immigration Reform."

The strategy: Inspire previously silent employers to communicate with lawmakers. The goal: a national, comprehensive reform that ensures border security — as well as a way for responsible businesses to employ low-skilled foreign workers.

Right now, no way exists. The idea that there's a "line" for these workers to wait is, bluntly, a lie. Only 5,000 such visas are available annually. Yet every year as many as 500,000 workers and their families arrive without documents — and almost all of the adult males find jobs.

Businesses, trades and large corporations are finally speaking up about this reality. Many say they were caught off guard last year, when a hailstorm of constituent e-mails and letters capsized a promising immigration compromise in a few days. Employers were also fearful of attracting raids: Some 70 percent of agricultural workers and more than 30 percent of construction employees lack work papers.

Now the business community is organizing to speak out. In San Antonio, many businesses are linking with Mexican-Americans Thinking Together, Matt.org, a public relations and lobbying campaign that is spending at least $25 million on grass-roots appeals to voters.

Nationally, the nonprofit ImmigrationWorksUSA is building a federation of about 20 state-based immigration-reform coalitions. The federation wants to strengthen these groups at the grass-roots level, encourage them to join local immigration law battles, and make their voices heard in Congress.

Even in Arizona, home to some of the country's most extreme immigration laws, a backlash has developed in the form of the nonprofit Employers for Immigration Reform. The group has a ready pool of supporters. The Arizona Legislature is trying to neutralize economic effects from its own harsh employer-sanction laws with a state-level guest-worker program. That, of course, was one of the features of comprehensive immigration reform.

Here's how one restaurant chain owner — who suspended new projects in Arizona — put it to The Washington Post: "If we become a risky or a more costly place of doing business than the other 49 states, which today we are, we will become a declining economy in perpetuity."

The workplace, the community and democracy all work best when participants state their interests and share their ideas. So far, American businesses have been too silent about their labor needs. It's overdue for them to contribute to an immigration policy based on economic health, not hype.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/5771427.html

FedUpinFarmersBranch · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 2:33 am Post subject:

I almost threw up after the first sentence ....
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Yea though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death
81000 Americans killed by illegal aliens since 9-11

MyAmerica · ALIPAC Super Hero Joined: Oct 18, 2007 Posts: 5083

StokeyBob · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 3:09 am Post subject:

Another solution to the criminals in business that refuse to abide by the laws of this nation is to find another one that suits their needs better!

Maybe they can meet their illegal labor half way or just go whole hog and go all the way to where the labor is.

I'm tired of having to pay their medical and other social services.

Dixie · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 7:33 am Post subject:

There was a lot of fear mongering and speculation in that article.

Many of their statements are based on the previous existing economy, and because it is currently declining and will not be needing a bunch of illegal aliens competing with Americans for jobs, cheep housing, inexpensive resources... the basics needs that we must have in a slow economy.

Americans Firtst!

The people at the top of these companies that are getting fat off of illegal aliens are going to resist having to share the wealth within the company. They are not going to want to cut into their wages or their profits to pay a prevailing wage.

tencz57 · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 8:17 am Post subject:

Houston made there own problem by turning their collectives backs on American workers , low skilled or other wise .
When an American reads this type of PC propaganda , one thing bears a thought . The pure Greed hiding behind large uncaring words mean to void the mind of loyalty to America . Example and a good one . Our meat packaging plants once paid a very livable wage so did the huge chicken plants. Yet neither meat nor poultry where very expensive less you had to have the best cuts !! Point is , good wages good products Americans where employed . Now Illegals do the same jobs for a dime on a dollar . The company laughs all the way to the bank with a professional writer in tow .
Will i or can i feel anything for an Illegal or a city like Houston ? NO ..to many Billionaires in this country now and most have never sweated in their lives .
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miguelina · ALIPAC Super Hero Joined: Oct 01, 2007 Posts: 7412

NoBueno · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 11:02 am Post subject:

Americans do not want immigration reform, AKA amnesty! We want immigration enforcement! The majority has already spoken on this issue so get over it! Those 12 million illegal workers who have been left in "limbo" can go back to wherever they came from.

TexasBorn · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 11:55 am Post subject:

"But the greatest harm would be to the city's economy. "The consequences of removing one of 10 workers would ... take us down to our knees," Jeff Moseley, president of the Greater Houston Partnership, told the Chronicle"

Am I supposed to feel sorry that Houston employers were stupid enough to break the law??!!!! You made your bed, no lay in it!
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PhredE · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 11:59 am Post subject:

If the unemployment rate in Houston is at, or about 10%, it is entirely possible there would be no ill effects at all - possibly only a net plus all the way around. Wink

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"If my family wasn’t safe, what makes you think yours will be?"
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yongmi · ALIPAC Apprentice 3 Joined: Jan 28, 2008 Posts: 166

Texas2step · ALIPAC Super Hero Joined: Apr 30, 2006 Posts: 5963

There is no justification for the statement here that "Some 70 percent of agricultural workers...lack work papers". Under our current H-2A "Temporary Worker Program for Agriculture", U.S. agricultural employers can bring in an UNLIMITED number of workers legally each year. Under this legal program, the rights of these workers to fair pay and benefits while they are working temporarily in our country also are protected.

When agricultural interest complain that there are no more available farm workers "because of their fear of ICE raids", they refer to illegal workers whom they can pay lower wages, often in cash, without providing any benefits, thus "exploiting" both the workers and our country at the same time for their own gain.

StokeyBob · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 6:30 pm Post subject:

Populist · ALIPAC Super Hero Joined: May 28, 2007 Posts: 7684

The majority of Americans reject amnesty, and favor attrition/enforcement of laws. Valid polls reveal this, despite what this weak editorial claims.

Chexfive · ALIPAC Titan Joined: Nov 19, 2007 Posts: 580

It's called Bribe Money.

Pay the lobbyist to make sure the businesses don't lose their cheap labor, just another way to hold another group hostage to their demands while nothing gets done.
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