Bottom-line mentality fuels illegal-immigrant crisis
By Martin Walters

Special to The Times








IF President Bush and all his men were truly interested in slowing down the tide of illegal immigrants, all they would have to do is enforce current employment law. With American corporate profiteers willing and able to break laws to increase their bottom line, and our current leadership's willingness to ignore it, one can only expect future problems.

This political negligence serving the White House's constituents can be found if one "follows the money." Bush's proclamation that illegal immigrants are doing work Americans are not willing to do is laughable. America did just fine before this tsunami of immigrants, did it not? What has riled and straitjacketed local and state government to no end is that it is this same federal government that comes down with all its powers to punish those who follow existing laws.

I recently watched a Texas businessman on CNN desperately explain that he had no illegal immigrants to harvest his crops. This farmer stated that it was because of a local construction boom and the illegals went off to higher-paying jobs in the city.

This farmer's worry illustrates the problem. Immigration is all about money and always has been. Farm labor, like being a McDonald's hamburger flipper, has always been entry-level employment.

Will illegal immigrants do our entry-level work for the rest of their lives? That is an insulting notion. As soon as opportunity knocks as a result of all their hard work, they will move on to something better, like all of this nation's former immigrants. If allowed, illegal immigrants and/or their children will be future professionals and public leaders. Make no mistake about it.

Until our leadership is serious about securing our borders and enforcing immigration and employment law, the only way to address this crisis appears to be self-control. Like our addiction to drugs and oil, Americans create a demand and then are angry when someone is there to fill it! Give them a job and they will come.

This flood of illegal immigrants is destroying our current ability to balance our civic structure. Having run a landscape design/build business for the past 28 years, I, too, have been subject to opportunistic pressures as I watch competitors hire illegals — or offer under-the-table cash to nonimmigrants — to exploit a low wage. No taxes go to the local, state or the federal government; instead, the money stays in the pocket of the hirer.

When our safety nets are then required to catch an illegal immigrant, or an under-the-table hire, no funds have been collected for this cost. So guess who pays for their police, fire department, insurance and medical needs?

The Millionair Club was the only game in town to acquire fast, temporary labor when I started my business. There is no legitimate reason to subvert our society through use of illegal immigrants, since we have legal labor providers in almost every community.

Unethical opportunism leads to employers profiting while the average Joe pays more for civic infrastructure.

Yes, abuse has always occurred, but the current, overwhelming level of cheating has created a political and societal crisis. Remember, taxes are the cost one has to pay in a civilized society. It would suit political leaders who have an anti-tax platform to remind themselves of this fact on occasion. It could help them to not spend nonexistent treasure and to collect the required funds needed.

Stop using — and I mean using in the fullest sense of the word — that illegal yard-maintenance worker, house cleaner, or any other type of illegal labor. Otherwise, stop complaining!


Bottom-line mentality fuels illegal-immigrant crisis
By Martin Walters

Special to The Times








IF President Bush and all his men were truly interested in slowing down the tide of illegal immigrants, all they would have to do is enforce current employment law. With American corporate profiteers willing and able to break laws to increase their bottom line, and our current leadership's willingness to ignore it, one can only expect future problems.

This political negligence serving the White House's constituents can be found if one "follows the money." Bush's proclamation that illegal immigrants are doing work Americans are not willing to do is laughable. America did just fine before this tsunami of immigrants, did it not? What has riled and straitjacketed local and state government to no end is that it is this same federal government that comes down with all its powers to punish those who follow existing laws.

I recently watched a Texas businessman on CNN desperately explain that he had no illegal immigrants to harvest his crops. This farmer stated that it was because of a local construction boom and the illegals went off to higher-paying jobs in the city.

This farmer's worry illustrates the problem. Immigration is all about money and always has been. Farm labor, like being a McDonald's hamburger flipper, has always been entry-level employment.

Will illegal immigrants do our entry-level work for the rest of their lives? That is an insulting notion. As soon as opportunity knocks as a result of all their hard work, they will move on to something better, like all of this nation's former immigrants. If allowed, illegal immigrants and/or their children will be future professionals and public leaders. Make no mistake about it.

Until our leadership is serious about securing our borders and enforcing immigration and employment law, the only way to address this crisis appears to be self-control. Like our addiction to drugs and oil, Americans create a demand and then are angry when someone is there to fill it! Give them a job and they will come.

This flood of illegal immigrants is destroying our current ability to balance our civic structure. Having run a landscape design/build business for the past 28 years, I, too, have been subject to opportunistic pressures as I watch competitors hire illegals — or offer under-the-table cash to nonimmigrants — to exploit a low wage. No taxes go to the local, state or the federal government; instead, the money stays in the pocket of the hirer.

When our safety nets are then required to catch an illegal immigrant, or an under-the-table hire, no funds have been collected for this cost. So guess who pays for their police, fire department, insurance and medical needs?

The Millionair Club was the only game in town to acquire fast, temporary labor when I started my business. There is no legitimate reason to subvert our society through use of illegal immigrants, since we have legal labor providers in almost every community.

Unethical opportunism leads to employers profiting while the average Joe pays more for civic infrastructure.

Yes, abuse has always occurred, but the current, overwhelming level of cheating has created a political and societal crisis. Remember, taxes are the cost one has to pay in a civilized society. It would suit political leaders who have an anti-tax platform to remind themselves of this fact on occasion. It could help them to not spend nonexistent treasure and to collect the required funds needed.

Stop using — and I mean using in the fullest sense of the word — that illegal yard-maintenance worker, house cleaner, or any other type of illegal labor. Otherwise, stop complaining!


Martin Walters lives in Renton and has owned Walters Landscape by Design since 1981.