Editorial in Harland (KY) Daily Enetrprise

Crackdown a boost for U.S. workers

Saturday, August 11, 2007 3:15 AM EDT
http://www.harlandaily.com/articles/200 ... al9819.txt

"Jobs Americans won't do."

It's one of the most popular phrases on television and in newspapers. You've probably heard politicians or business leaders say it countless times.

Even though it's a lie and nothing more than an excuse to depress wages for the working class, some people believe it because they've heard it repeated hundreds of times.

Politicians have used the line to explain why we need a guest-worker program. It's also the argument favored by those supporting amnesty for illegal aliens.

Instead of helping our economy, as some suggest, the influx of poor, uneducated laborers has depressed American wages, especially in areas where illegal immigration is the heaviest. In those areas, Americans did the "jobs Americans won't do" until employers discovered they could pay illegal aliens half the amount they were paying American workers.

The "jobs Americans won't do" line came up again earlier this week during discussion of the planned White House crackdown on illegal workers, expected to begin within 30 days.

Among other things, employers will now be required to fire employees who are unable to clear up problems with their Social Security numbers within 90 days after being notified. Employers who fail to comply could face criminal penalties.

While the cries will undoubtedly continue from businesses built on cheap labor, the crackdown is good for American workers. It could also be an important step in bringing back the middle class, the same group that began disappearing about the same time we started hearing about "the jobs Americans won't do."