http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/p ... 00383/1047

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Cheap labor?



I am 78 years old and my garage and attic were cluttered with years of accumulation. I needed to move everything into the driveway and sort out what was useful. I was struggling with the task, and my neighbor came and told me to hire some of the immigrants who gather in the morning looking for work.

I went to the place where they wait. When I stopped my car, they came rushing over. They asked how much I would pay. Since it was only manual labor of carrying boxes, I told them $8 an hour and free lunch, which is above minimum wage. I could not get anyone.

Thinking of the kids who work at McDonald's and Burger King for minimum wage, I drove by those places. I found a boy who made a phone call, and within minutes, I had two high school kids who jumped into my car for that $8 an hour. I gave them free lunch and, because they worked so hard, I paid them $10 an hour. They were happy.

These immigrants who shout and protest that they do the work no one else wants to do and work for low pay may be hiding somewhere. I regret to say that I could not find those immigrants. Those I found wanted $15 an hour.

My wife works as a custodian in a school district at $10 an hour. She works very hard and comes home aching for less than what the illegal immigrants wanted.

These immigrants who protest and wave Mexican flags do not want to learn English and want us Americans to change our ways to suit them. Aren't we just insane to give in to their behavior?

EDWARD KOCHANIEWICZ Berlin Borough
Published: July 30. 2006 3:10AM