Because we have zero percent unemployment here, right?
So illegal immigration is up. What is Bush going to do about it? Push his "guest worker" plan.
In addition to increasing border security* and eliminating catch-and-release, Bush is touting three-year work visas. His reasoning is that "If an employer has a job that no American is willing to take, we need to find a way to fill that demand by matching willing employers with willing workers from foreign countries on a temporary and legal basis."
I've never bought that argument. Americans do mow lawns and repair roads for a living. You just have to give them enough to live on. The only reason that Americans aren't willing to take these jobs is because four dollars an hour isn't worth risking your life.
The people who are coming across are coming for two reasons: to live here for a long time, possibly permanently--or to work temporarily in order to send money back home. It's the latter group who would have use for the three-year visas.
A man in the latter group comes to America, lives like a pauper for a few years while sending every spare cent back to the family in Mexico, and then leaves. Now I'm no economist, but isn't it bad for the economy to send money out without getting money in? If a whole lot of people did this, wouldn't it be bad? I have no problem with Mexico, but why would we want to encourage this?
*curiously, in the same bill he decreased funding for emergency response. I am dead serious.
posted by Marie Antoinette at 5:09 PM
3 Comments:
not good, 2008 can't come fast enough.
Good post-somethings GOT to be done!
I have had to have a whole bunch of dollars worth of repairs done to my home since both hurricanes Frances and Jeanne put a bull's eye on this area last year. In every crew, but one, that arrived to do various repairs from roof replacement to carpet and flooring replacement the majority of them did not speak English and most were Mexicans. There was one crew that was local, English speaking Americans. I asked them why there were so many Mexicans in the home repairs crews. They told me it was because they (the Mexicans) would work for about half or less what Americans would and companies were being set up with an all Mexican staff. Due to the lesser wages they paid, their prices were much lower and they were able to win all the contracts for installation with companies like Home Depot etc. I wonder if a green card is a requirement for these companies, of if a wink and a nod are sufficient?
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