Thread: Is U.S. willing to pay for fewer illegals?

Is U.S. willing to pay for fewer illegals?
By Tim Kalich
Editor



Saturday, August 30, 2008 7:27 PM CDT

Howard Industries claims it did not wittingly hire illegal aliens.

Maybe so. There is evidence, apparently, that at least eight of the 595 plant workers detained last week in the biggest single immigration raid in U.S. history were using fictitious names and documentation.

Still, it strains credulity to think that Howard, one of the state’s largest employers, was completely oblivious to the huge percentage of its workforce -- as many as 15 percent -- that may have been on their payroll illegally.

Chances are more likely that their managers -- appreciative of the productivity and cooperative attitude of their immigrant workers -- didn’t worry a whole lot about distinguishing between those who were in the country legally and those who were not. Maybe they didn’t go out of their way to hire illegals, but also maybe they didn’t worry too much about ferreting them out either.

If it turns out that Howard was negligent in screening their hires or actively solicited illegal workers as a way to hold down its operating costs, the company should be punished with steep fines and possible prosecution of their executives -- that’s if the nation is really serious about curbing illegal immigration.

If you want to stop the tide of illegals, the only way is to reduce the size of the lure that draws them. That means making an example out of the corporate offenders.

The nation can round up hundreds of illegals in an immigration sweep, but there will be hundreds more ready to take their place in a week or two. As long as farmers, food processors, construction companies and manufacturers will give them jobs, the workers will keep coming from outside our nation’s borders.

Who can blame the illegal newcomers? They face economic deprivation in their home countries, where wages are a fraction of even minimum-wage jobs in the United States and where working conditions are hostile and often dangerous. They are looking for a better life for themselves and their families, just as immigrants to the United States always have. Their crime is simply that they don’t follow the rules to get here.

Even still, it’s not an easy life for illegals. They endure harsh traveling conditions, often get ripped off by those who smuggle them in and usually wind up in the least desirable, lowest paid jobs. They get taken advantage of by landlords who know their tenants aren’t going to file complaints with the government about their living conditions. They pay taxes but don’t access many of the benefits for fear of being detected. They are forever looking over their shoulders to see if immigration authorities are onto them. And they have to overcome the handicap of living in a country where they don’t speak the language and are often treated with disrespect.

It was a little pathetic, if news reports are accurate, that some American-born workers at the Laurel plant were applauding when the immigrants were rounded up.

If anyone deserves derision, it’s not the illegal workers. It’s the U.S. employers and their customers who have created the demand for the illegals’ services.

As much as Americans want to complain about illegal immigration in the abstract, it’s doubtful that they really understand the consequences of stopping it.

Without illegal labor, fruits and vegetables would be more expensive at the supermarket. Farmers in California, Florida and elsewhere would have to pay higher wages for legal residents to do this kind of back-breaking seasonal labor — that is, if they could find enough U.S. workers willing to do so. Chances are, without illegals, a lot of produce would rot in the fields because there wouldn’t be enough hands to pick it.

Without illegals, the costs of housing and other construction would rise. So would the cost of keeping lawns manicured in most of the nation’s ritzier neighborhoods.

Chances are also good that at least some manufacturers would take another look at the viability of staying in the United States.

Following the raid at Howard Industries, some righteous indignation surfaced over the $31.5 million in state incentives approved by the Legislature in 2002 to help the company add about 2,000 jobs. Presumably lawmakers didn’t mean to fund hires from Latin America.

It must also be noted, however, that for at least a decade, Mississippi has fretted over the number of manufacturers who have moved their operations to Mexico or overseas.

What’s worse, having a plant pull up stakes and go where the cheap labor is, or tolerating a certain level of illegal hires as long as the predominance of jobs are filled by native workers?

That’s the type of question this nation must ask itself if it really intends to do more than just blow steam over illegal immigrants and ridicule them.
http://gwcommonwealth.com/articles/2008 ... ogcomments

Faced with a 5.7 percent national unemployment rate in July 2008, 1 in 6 manufacturing jobs vanishing since President George W. Bush took office, and an unimpeded flow of illegal immigrants into the country, immigration enforcement advocates are calling on Washington to stave off a recession by passing the SAVE Act to secure the U.S. border with Mexico; thus protecting the American worker and taxpayer.

In order to save the U.S. economy we must change the equilibrium by permitting only those legally authorized to hold jobs to actually compete for employment. Citizens do not want to keep working harder with fewer results and fewer benefits in order for our government to continuously reward the criminal behavior of illegal aliens successfully cheating the system.

Despite the ‘conventional wisdom’ of pro-illegal immigration activists saying the free flow of illegal immigrants across America's southern border is beneficial to the economy, both the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the Congresional Budger Office (CBO) have found the cost of illegal immigration outweighs the benefits, thus creating a net fiscal drain on the U.S. economy.

When the costs of illegal immigration are tallied against the benefits, most studies, including those above, show there is, at minimum, a $100 billion annual fiscal loss.

To immigration enforcement advocates, the largest impact illegal immigration has on the economy centers upon the fact that the U.S. employers hiring such workers eliminate job opportunities and depress wages for American workers, while increasing the financial obligations of the American taxpayer.

IF A COMPANY ONLY HIRES ILLEGALS THEN IT IS NO LOSS TO US. WE NEED EMPLOYERS WHO HIRE AMERICAN CITIZENS. IF THEY MOVE THEIR BUSINESS TO MEXICO THEN TAX THEM TO IMPORT INTO USA. TAX THEM HEAVILY.

The state gives 31.5 million dollars to Howard industries as incentive to hire tax paying legal workers and then this company hires hundreds of illegal workers with the citizens hard earned money.Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! That 31.5 million should be paid back to the state of Mississippi.

my reply to the editor of that article:

Pathetic that ICE was doing its job? Pathetic that Americans proudly applauded that laws were being enforced on those that ignored them? Pathetic that I applauded the fact that now my neighbor, cousin, brother and friend, after months of unemployment, could now have a shot at a good job at Howard? While you sit in front of your nifty laptop condemning us, look at the other side. The fact that now when Joe or Bill walks into a lunch room at Howard, they can join a conversation and build a relationship with a new worker, and not feel like a stranger in your own company because you are the only one that speaks English. Folks talk abput race issues...well at least blacks and whites can have a dialog....you cant do that with a Mexican, as they don't care about ace, nor can they even start a dialog cause they CANT SPEAK ENGLISH! Thankfully, this city can now have hope of returning to a city that we can all grow together and be one than having 'us' and 'them'.

Originally Posted by zeezil

What’s worse, having a plant pull up stakes and go where the cheap labor is, or tolerating a certain level of illegal hires as long as the predominance of jobs are filled by native workers?

If our Globalist run government had not removed the 30% tariff on imported Chinese goods, there would be plenty of manufacturing jobs both here and in Mexico.

Is U.S. willing to pay for fewer illegals?

The question should be "Are Illegal Aliens willing to pay?"

The time is to ask are they willing to get legal Social Security Number, pay taxes on correct number of children, get car insurance, register car legally. Get Drivers License without the right to vote. Take away Motor/Voter Law. Do they want to have a background check and drug test done for job employment? Receive NO social services for 5 years just like Legal Immigrants? When pulled over for a traffic violation the police can and DO run background check.

IF the answer is yes to all of the above maybe some will listen to their cry and fear. But my guess is NO to all of the above.

Who can blame the illegal newcomers? They face economic deprivation in their home countries, where wages are a fraction of even minimum-wage jobs in the United States and where working conditions are hostile and often dangerous. They are looking for a better life for themselves and their families, just as immigrants to the United States always have. Their crime is simply that they don’t follow the rules to get here.

Then the illegals need to go back and protest their government. The countries they ran from will never change until their people do something about it. I dont care what the wages are in 3rd world countries. When illegal aliens come here it drives down American workers wages. If they want a better life for themselves and their families, make it at home and stop sponging off America. BY THE WAY, IMMIGRANTS WHO CAME TO THE UNITED STATES WERE LEGAL AND CAME LEGALLY. THEY WERE NOT ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO COMMITTED A CRIME BY SNEAKING IN HERE.

Good point, butterbean. Economic reasons is no valid purpose to sneak across our border--the reason is pure greed and the stories sent to the old country how easy it is to get social benefits and no questions asked.
Lots of Americans are facing their own economic troubles, but there is not one country in the world that would accept any of us after sneaking through their borders, and give us what this country has given these folks. I would rather my tax money go to helping people who are US citizens who have suffered fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. who have lost everything. Unfortunately, I cannot specifiy to the IRS where I want my money spent.

Without illegal labor, fruits and vegetables would be more expensive at the supermarket. Farmers in California, Florida and elsewhere would have to pay higher wages for legal residents to do this kind of back-breaking seasonal labor — that is, if they could find enough U.S. workers willing to do so. Chances are, without illegals, a lot of produce would rot in the fields because there wouldn’t be enough hands to pick it.

I'm so sick of this argument in support of the illegal invaders I could scream! There are 20-30 million illegal invaders in this country and less than 1% of them are employed in the agricultural sectors!! Further, we already have basically, unlimited agricultural workers available to farmers in this country under the H2-A, seasonal ag visas!

Stop justifying the invasion of millions of illegal invaders into this country under the guise of an increase in the price of produce in this country. It's nothing more than propaganda based hysteria!!!