calcapt

Anyone inconvenienced with the immigrant walkout Tuesday? This is an issue that seems to have no easy answers. It's frustrating to see illegals get a free ride on our tax dollars, but most immigrants I come in cantact with are hard workers and good people.They just want an opportunity to earn a fair wage just as we do. How do we move this issue forward in a civil and humane way? Can we? Should we?

p3pilot

I agree with you Calcapt. Most of the illegal immigrants are hard working and trying to make a better life for their families. On the other hand the ones that are just thinking of them selfs are the ones that bring more crime and drugs to our country. I know that there should be a program that says " You came to our country illegally, but you have had a job , payed taxes and been an upstanding citizen, then heres your green card" but I don't know how to even start that. I do think though that our southern border needs to be more gaurded. So if the minute men or some other group of people want to sit on the border and tell the people jumping the border to STOP then why not. If I swas to see someone doing something illegal in my town I know I would say something.

My 2cents

Rocket Man

I agree that many illegal aliens may be honest, hard-working people who just want a better life for themselves and their families. However, our country cannot afford to continue to accept the world's poor. Mexico has already exported approximately 10% of it's population via illegal immigration.

While they may pay sales tax, the majority do not pay income or social security taxes. The social services many require is having a devastating effect on the treasury and quality of life of US citizens/legal residents is going down the toilet. Living in SoCal, I see firsthand what illegal immigration is doing to our state and country. Schools, emergency rooms, transportation infrastructure, etc are all overwhelmed.

What really ticks me off is seeing many of these folks carrying flags from foreign countries while demanding rights in our country. If we grant legal status to any of these illegals, we will never solve the problem. We will have this same debate in another 10 to 15 years.

Mass deportation is not a realistic option. Throw some CEO's in jail for hiring illegals and the problem will go away real quick. If there are no jobs, most will go home.

reCALcitrant

A few of thoughts. We can't catch all people that commit other crimes...do we stop arresting the ones we do catch? 2, they may be hard working, but NOT honest. They are using an illegal means of id to work and get services in the US. 3, they are already felons. It is a felony to enter this country illegally. It is a felony to use a fraudulant SS number. Although it is true that immigrants formed todays US, it doesn't mean that our todays immigrants did so. They walked across a river and started picking lettuce. Give me a break. These jobs are not ones that Americans won't do. They are jobs that Americans won't do for $4 per hours. So my asparagus price will go up. I'll pay it. I just contracted my own house using NO illegals and costs were slightly more (.5%) than had I used illegal crews. Final thought...If I were Mexican, I would run across that border also. I lived 1 mile from Mexico for a year. I have spent a lot of time in border towns and southern Mexico. The conditions can be deplorable. It is up to the US to stop this problem so that legal Mexican immigrants can be rewarded for their patience and dedication and become Americans.

lagavulin

I think a big part of the problem is the increasing disrespect in our culture for labor rights and the concept of productive work. Look at meatpacking, for instance, which presently employs TONS of illegals, but only began to do so after the industry broke its unions by moving operations from traditional labor strongholds like Chicago to more "business-friendly" states. The inherent instability of an illegal workforce is way too attractive to the maximum-profit-at-any-cost types, as by their very status, illegals CAN'T complain or organize. And the realities of graft and patronage in Washington mean that enforcement against the companies hiring illegals will be tilted towards poor-schmuck middle managers, not the real decision-makers at the top...

We can argue about the morality and law of the situation all day, but the economic realities of supply and demand will ensure that the cycle moves on in its present fashion until some sort of check or balance is instituted. Jail time and felony enforcement will do a little, but I don't think it'll fundamentally change the situation. Only the re-development of a system of checks and balances between labor and management will accomplish that...

Bigflya

I agree about the companies hiring to save big $$ on labor costs. If US airlines could figure out a way to import and hire cheaper overseas pilots to fly for less then you bet they would. I agree with the contruction example. Contractors charge their customers as if they are paying US labor but actually pay much less and pocket the difference. What makes me ill is name another country where I could move to illegaly, try to work, and protest about my rights, other than the US. We (US citizens) must look like a bunch of jacka$$es to the rest of the world with these illegal labor demonstrations. I also hate the arguement that these are jobs Americans won't do. Well we once did them and at a fair wage. It just proves that across all industries, labor is the one factor that mgmt continues to use as a tool to reduce costs. Automation/technology isn't getting cheaper, neither is natural resources/commodities. Labor is the one true negotiable factor and the airlines and others prove it everyday (ie recent Northwest/Mesaba/Delta/Ford/GM paycuts). They are successfully breaking organized labor and taking the bennies that past generations worked so hard to get. This fact will never end.

lagavulin

It's a cycle. We're just on a downward slope. I refuse to think that it can't be turned around, in fact our forefathers did it on multiple occasions. It'll take a lot of heart and smarts, though...

HSLD

Huh? By definition, illegal immigrants have broken our laws. Not a great start in the honesty department if you ask me. I support immigration, although the US, as with most other countries, have laws that should be followed.

I DO love the idea of throwing CEO's in the clink for anyone in their company knowingly hiring illegals. Talk about a platform for the upcoming elections!

lagavulin

I wish I could go to CEO prison- my backstroke and tennis game would improve exponentially...

HSLD

No kidding. I grew up on Eglin AFB and there was a federal day camp there, they played tennis, lifted wts., did a little gardening, and actually ran the marina were I rented a sailboat now and then.

If you ever make it to federal prison, be sure to read this first:
http://www.federalprison.com/index.html