American Workers Pay For Immigration

[rockbilly]

IAmerican workers pay for immigration 
The Dallas Morning News : September 8 , 2006 -- by Lynn Woolley 
   
Business likes cheap labor, but it's hurting the rest of us      If you were keeping a file folder with newspaper clippings about how the migration of poor people from south of the border is holding down wages in the United States, your folder wouldn't have much in it. While most people who favor enforcement of immigration laws have made this claim for years, the mainstream media just haven't been interested. 
 
At last, a recent front-page article in The Dallas Morning News provided some real numbers. The story, based on U.S. Census Bureau data from 1999 to 2005, showed the median household income in the Dallas-Fort Worth region fell 10 percent when adjusted for inflation. 
 
But aren't we told that the migration of millions of low-income workers into our country is a net gain? And that they come here simply to do the jobs that Americans won't do? 
 
Well, yes, we're told that by President Bush and others like Lonnie "Bo" Pilgrim, who claims that he can't find enough workers to pluck chickens at his 26 Pilgrim's Pride plants. Already, he's got three of those plants operating in Mexico. 
 
Mr. Pilgrim is just one of many top businessmen who want a guest worker plan so that the flow of inexpensive labor keeps coming – but without the risk of fines under the current wink-and-nod system. At a news conference, Mr. Pilgrim was joined by David DeJong, owner of Horizon Dairy, who stated, "I would not be able to operate my farm the way I do without immigrants." 
 
Well, that's a true statement in at least one sense. Without illegal immigration or a guest worker program, Mr. DeJong might have to pay market wages. Consumers would pay a little more at the grocery store, and market forces would actually be allowed to work. 
 
The Census Bureau report reflects the consequences of allowing Mr. Pilgrim, Mr. DeJong and others to enjoy the fruits of cheap immigrant labor. The percentage of people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area living in poverty is up from 10.8 percent in 2000 to 13 percent in 2005. The experts say that's because of who's coming across the border. 
 
"The type of people we're drawing are less educated," said Pia Orrenius of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. "Job growth is strong, but many expanding sectors are hiring for low-skill positions." 
 
Bernard Weinstein, director of the Center for Economic Development at the University of North Texas, said that the workforce is responding by offering more low-wage jobs. "It certainly drives home the need to invest more heavily in education," he said. 
 
But would Mr. Bush and Mr. Pilgrim really want this migrant workforce to be more educated? Their actions suggest that they would not, because with education would come a demand for higher wages, and then Mr. DeJong would not be able to run his business "the way I do now." That is, on the backs of poor, uneducated migrants. 
 
Unfortunately, Mr. Bush and his business buddies are willing to accept this undeniable erosion of wages in order to get the cheap labor. They don't seem to have any problem with the stress that illegal immigration puts on schools and hospitals. They don't even notice the added crime and disease in this country that come with our lack of enforcement. 
 
Add to that the cost of implementing a guest worker plan such as the one passed in the Senate. The Congressional Budget Office has just issued a little-reported analysis showing the Senate bill would cost taxpayers $126 billion during its first decade. The analysis says that the plan would require 31,000 new federal workers just for law enforcement and that newly legalized immigrants would claim $50 billion in federal benefits, including Medicaid and Social Security. And government estimates are almost always low. 
 
Dolly Parton once said, "It costs a lot of money to look this cheap." In the case of immigration -- both legal and illegal -- it costs a lot of money to get all this cheap labor. More and more, the American taxpayer is waking up to the fact that cheap labor is way too expensive. 
 
 
 
 
       
 
 
 
   
   

[Brett]

Swampman are you listening?  This is what we have been telling you all along.

[wareagleguy]

Bush isn't the olny one to blame here.  Remember the people we voted in that has done NOTHING to stop the theft of good paying jobs.  We are not being protected by these people.  Big business and special interest has taken our government and making billions while the working man is getting the shaft.

Another note to remember....

More people voted the the last American Idol than for President!!!  Total shame.

[nomosendero]

Bush isn't the olny one to blame here.  Remember the people we voted in that has done NOTHING to stop the theft of good paying jobs.  We are not being protected by these people.  Big business and special interest has taken our government and making billions while the working man is getting the shaft.

Another note to remember....

More people voted the the last American Idol than for President!!!  Total shame.

Of course this is true, if Bush were the only problem the problem would be solved in 2 more years assuming we could wait that long(big assumption). No it is Pres Bush. & ALL of the Socialist Democraps & most or the Republicans which are also becoming very wimpy. I am thankful to the handful of Conservative Republicans left like Mr. Tancredo. But I am afraid this handful are losing the war which means we all are losing.

[wareagleguy]

I must disagree on a few things.   I am not for socialism and not for conservative republicans.  Socialism just doesn't work as we have seen with the USSR.  However, conservative republicans are part of the problem with "big business" take over of the government.  I simply want a gonvernmanet that has the AMERICAN worker in mind when he/she makes a vote on a law or bill.  The conservatives have sold out to only being conserned with buisness which has now become global.

[nomosendero]

So you are saying that Tancredo has sold us out because he is against Illegal Immigration ? I was not trying to state your position at all. True Conservatism has NOTHING to do with selling out to big business & that is why I made a distinction to just a few of that party. The rest aren't Conservative at all & like you said are sell outs.

[victorcharlie]

You only need to read the 10 planks of the communist manefesto if you don't think we're a socialist country.

We have complied with all 10 planks and fit what Karl Marx described as the way to socialism.......

We threw away the constitution a long time ago.........the latest being the right to private ownership of property which has always been the biggest difference between a capitalist country and a communist country.....

What ever happened to liberty?

[wareagleguy]

I noticed Tancredo didn't vote for CAFTA which was a good thing.  However, the GOP overwhelmingly passed the measure.  That was not a good day the the american worker.  While I have issues with the Democrats they fought hard to try and stop it.

I don't believe we are headed for true socialism which are companies owned by the people.  Unions in a socialism structure would be more in ownership of the company which just isn't quite the same as labor unions.

[nomosendero]

Yes, & we all know that Socialist Democraps suck up to the Unions with one side of their mouth & yet AAALLLL of them also suck up to Illegal Immigration. Confusing & not good for any of us.

[wareagleguy]

Monosendro,
I find your statements interesting.  Right now you have a Republican in the white house and a Republican held house.  It has been that way for a long time.  Please tell me what the president and the congress has done to stop illegal immigration?  While these people refuse to help you and I by protecting good paying jobs they resort to hard ball tactics to pass a bill into law (CAFTA) that lets more jobs leave this county for cheaper labor.

You may be one of the privileged that wants to find a way to lower your cost and hopes to find cheap labor here (border jumpers) or want to move your company to South America to increase profits.  If that is the case I understand why you seem to defend a President that clearly isn’t for the working class in the country.

Read this…

“When the official 15-minute period ended, CAFTA had gone down to defeat, 180
"nays" to 175 "yeas."  But the House leadership was so politically driven to get
what they wanted, they broke the House rules:  they simply violated the time limit
in order to keep twisting arms and making deals until they finally had bought or
coerced enough votes to pass CAFTA nearly an hour later.

"Twist some Republican arms until they break in a thousand pieces."  That
statement by Representative Jim Kolbe (R-Arizona) describes the Republican
leadership's rabid determination to get the U.S. House to pass the Central
American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) -- no matter what.

The vote that began late Wednesday night finally ended just after midnight on
Thursday morning, July 28.  But Mr. Kolbe's statement doesn't begin to tell the
whole truth.  Here's some of what he left out.

Because President Bush and the House leadership knew the vote would be razor
close, the day of the vote began with the president making a rare appearance on
Capitol Hill to speak before a closed-door, members-only meeting of House
Republicans that morning.  He even brought Vice President Cheney and Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice with him.

And the arm-twisting began.”

It would seem they can do just about anything they WANT to do.

[nomosendero]

Monosendro,
I find your statements interesting.  Right now you have a Republican in the white house and a Republican held house.  It has been that way for a long time.  Please tell me what the president and the congress has done to stop illegal immigration?  While these people refuse to help you and I by protecting good paying jobs they resort to hard ball tactics to pass a bill into law (CAFTA) that lets more jobs leave this county for cheaper labor.

You may be one of the privileged that wants to find a way to lower your cost and hopes to find cheap labor here (border jumpers) or want to move your company to South America to increase profits.  If that is the case I understand why you seem to defend a President that clearly isn’t for the working class in the country.

Read this…

“When the official 15-minute period ended, CAFTA had gone down to defeat, 180
"nays" to 175 "yeas."  But the House leadership was so politically driven to get
what they wanted, they broke the House rules:  they simply violated the time limit
in order to keep twisting arms and making deals until they finally had bought or
coerced enough votes to pass CAFTA nearly an hour later.

"Twist some Republican arms until they break in a thousand pieces."  That
statement by Representative Jim Kolbe (R-Arizona) describes the Republican
leadership's rabid determination to get the U.S. House to pass the Central
American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) -- no matter what.

The vote that began late Wednesday night finally ended just after midnight on
Thursday morning, July 28.  But Mr. Kolbe's statement doesn't begin to tell the
whole truth.  Here's some of what he left out.

Because President Bush and the House leadership knew the vote would be razor
close, the day of the vote began with the president making a rare appearance on
Capitol Hill to speak before a closed-door, members-only meeting of House
Republicans that morning.  He even brought Vice President Cheney and Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice with him.

And the arm-twisting began.”

It would seem they can do just about anything they WANT to do.

There would be absolutely zero confusion if you had actually read my first post in this thread. How much clearer could I be when I said that Pres Bush & ALL Socialist Democraps & MOST Republicans are to blame, but there I said it again. You can't call that a blanket Republican stance in any way now can you? But there are a HANDFUL of Republicans like Tancredo like I said the first time who are trying to do the right thing, now that is either true or false, happens to be true, don't shoot the messenger.

And if you have read many, many posts I have entered in this forum you know dang well what my position is concerning Illegals, it ain't going to happen & I find your hint that I could be sucha person/employer to be very insulting. No, let's call a spade a spade. You either don't like my feeling toward Socialist Democraps, but I feel that way because it is the truth, these politicians are low lifes. Some good people vote Democrat along with the Socialist Libs, so the term applies to the politicians.
Or you don't like my feelings about Unions & again many good people are members of Unions & that is fine,
but I don't need to be in a Union to make a good living & I never will be, which I see no need to further discuss because it is not the subject of this thread.

So, no need trying to twist around what I say because you don't like some things I say, people can merely look back and read my post anyway or to hint that I may work Illegals which is humorous for sure. The reference to the "privileged" indicates a little class envy, but not to worry, I am not rich. I just at this time happen to be blessed with a fairly high paying job & I thank God for that & wish the best for all who are willing to work hard.

[wareagleguy]

My intent is not to insult you and if I did I am sorry.  For what it is worth I think I should state a few facts about myself.  I am a business owner (poultry farmer) and also an IT engineer with a large power producer here in Alabama.  I don’t consider myself poor or rich.  Like most I am right in the middle of middle class.  However, the middle class gets LESS representation from the current administration.

Thanks.

[nomosendero]

My intent is not to insult you and if I did I am sorry.  For what it is worth I think I should state a few facts about myself.  I am a business owner (poultry farmer) and also an IT engineer with a large power producer here in Alabama.  I don’t consider myself poor or rich.  Like most I am right in the middle of middle class.  However, the middle class gets LESS representation from the current administration.

Thanks.

Thanks for your kind words, much appreciated & I am sorry I got my hackles up.
I too am middle class, I sell Forklifts & Industrial Equipment.

I feel that we in the middle class do not get anywhere close to adaquate representation by ANY recent
Administration, but the current Administration has represented me some & the previous one offered zero
except to his Liberal & homo admiring wacko friends.
The ways that middle class was thought of SOME is as follows, the first 2 are reversals from Moscow Klinton:
1. Klinton gun ban lifted & instead an advocate for gun/hunter rights. The National Democraps are totally
    anti-gun, part of their platform.
2. Tax cuts, yes it happened & helped me alot & even some like my young married son, I was glad to see
    my grandkids benefit instead of a welfare Queen who of course wouldbe a Dem. as opposed to the Klinton
    tax hike that was retroactive. Taking away from the productive & giving to the non producer is the
    Democrap.
3. Pro-Life instead of Pro-Death, I know what the Bible says about innocent blood, I cannot vote for baby
    killing.
4. Not sucking up to wacko Europe anymore.
5. Even though I do not agree with how the war is conducted, not crawling around begging the ragheads for
   forgiveness like Jimmy Carter did, if I look at him too long I need to puke, he turned his back on us then &
   now.

I could give 20 more reasons with ease, but the point is clear & easy to verify, but as I said, we are not being represented enough, but no one can say with a straight face that the Dems help the middle class.

Concerning this thread, we are in a bad way as neither party will help us with ILLEGAL Immigration except a handful of Republicans, what a shame!

[jvs]

Some years ago, America lost alot of good paying Jobs that were put in Mexico.  Not one TV is made here anymore, among other things.  Remember Ross Perot and his "Big Sucking Sound" of jobs leaving this country for Mexico?  Like him and his message or not, he was right.

They got rid of those 'top' jobs here because it was good for the companies and the economy.  Now they want us to give up more jobs at the lower end of the Spectrum.  AND, we are supposed to give up our Immigration Policy for the good of the Economy again.   Mexico, China, Taiwan....they all are doing the work we did.

And here we sit, right in the middle, surrounded by Mexicans.  Who are they kidding?  I think somebody is Washington is playing the American public for a bunch of Service Oriented Chumps.  No other Government in History has been so far removed from the real world and its Citizens than this one is.  The damage Bush has done with jobs, oil, and now Immigration, is unforgivable, IMO.

This is what you get when you have Lifetime Members of Congress, Lobbyists who were voted out of Congressional office and two term Presidents. 

I hear Ford is trying to Buy out its White Collar and Union Production Workers in an effort to back out of its Pensions.  There goes that "Big Sucking Sound" again.  When Ronald Reagan fired all of those Air Traffic Controllers in 1981, he knew exactly what he was doing to the American Job Market.  One day they will come for your job too.

[rockbilly]

The purpose of my post were to make you mad as Hell, In doing so, I hope along with the post you make here, you are also informing others on your e-mail list, and writing to your elected officals expressing your views. 

We can gripe, moan and complain for days on an issue posted here, but if you opinion does not reach the ears of those in office no changes will be made.  Write, let them know how you feel, and remind them that you are a voter.

Several years ago, Merle Haggart had a song, "Are The Goodtimes Really Over For Good."  In the song there is a pharse, "we are headed down hill like a snowball headed for hell."  That pretty well sums it up.  With our jobs being exported, no check on the illegals entering this country, and folks in Washington that act like they care less, we are surely doomed. 

I am near 70 years old, I doubt that I will see the total destruction of America from the cancers that is eating away at our form of life, but rest assured, if you are younger that 50, I think you will see major changes, for the worst, in your life time unless agressive action is take immediately to turn things around.

Of course, if you don't mind America being degraded to that of a third world country, like the culture changes that are taking place as a result of the number of illegals, and don't mind all your jobs going overseas, then disreguard my advice, set back and watch it happen and try to corrcet things when it is too late. 

[nomosendero]

Jvs, Mr. Perot was right at least about the giant sucking sound.

Rockbilly, Amen to what you said & yes, we must spread the word on this!