Thread: IN OUR VIEW Cities face immigration problems

http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs...512020322/1014

The City Council is discussing some ways that it can do its part to alleviate the problem. Among the potential actions is to deny city contracts to companies that contribute to the problem by hiring illegal immigrants, which is an illegal act in itself.

That's fair because, the problem, after all, is really created when companies, in an effort to become more competitive, pay illegal immigrants at a scale that is equal to or below minimum wage standards. It's the old law of supply and demand at its worst, if you will, because employers know the illegal workers don't have many options.

The playing field should be level, not only for companies, but workers. That means simple compliance with the law and not hiring people who have not established legal residency or the right to work here.

Certainly, the federal government has the primary responsibility for enforcement of immigration laws, but local governments also have a role to play. Until this Washington City plan, not many have chosen to explore their options.

The United States should welcome immigrants who come to this country to find a better life for their families. Many of us, if placed in the same circumstances, would want to move to America because of the wide variety of opportunities that can be found here.

But the line should be drawn at illegal immigration. These are people who, by their presence, have broken the law. That doesn't mean they should be denied basic human rights. But it does mean that they shouldn't be a burden to taxpayers.

And part of that process is ensuring that employees are legally allowed to work.

The law should be obeyed - not just by immigrants, but by businesses as well.

The problem is mostly numbers of immigrants not illegality. A nations economy can add only a finite number of people without having an effect on whatever the compensation for labor is that can be negociated between it's workers and employers. With the adult sibling re-unification policy we already have a factor which may be destabilizing our equilibrium.

The other problem is that the illegal alien problem ignores a nation limits immigration by people whose skills and income level result in their paying in less in taxes than they pay out in benefits.

A mass amnesty would just lock in our problem.