Still Free

Yeah, Mr. Smiley. Made it through the entire Trump presidency without being enslaved. Imagine that.

Friday, March 24, 2006

This Illegal Immigration Thing 2

Apparently there are people who think that I am wrong on my position on illegal immigration. I have stated clearly that illegal immigrants are being used by business to depress wages to extract more profits. To prove this point I offer President Bush himself:

Guest-worker proposals would allow businesses to offer special work visas to illegal immigrants already in the country if they can show that U.S. workers will not take the positions. The visas would last for up to six years under the leading Senate proposals, but senators are divided over whether workers would have to return to their home countries for a year before qualifying for a renewal.

"But part of enforcing our borders is to have a guest-worker program that encourages people to register their presence so that we know who they are, and says to them, 'If you're doing a job an American won't do, you're welcome here for a period of time to do that job,' " Bush said after meeting with groups involved in the immigration fight.



For a group of people who want the "Market to decide" it is odd that business should be petitioning the government for special status for their exploited workers. If Americans don't want to work to pick fruit why is that? If it is because the wages are low then why not follow the laws of supply and demand. Wages would have to go up to entice workers to do the work. That's how a "free market" is supposed to work right? But no, Instead we are supposed to back programs that
allow companies to use undocumented workers (who cannot form unions) to do work the companies refuse to increase wages for.

Oh that's right. If fruit pickers get higher wages then the costs of fruit goes up. Well yeah. And? I'd rather pay more for fruit knowing that the person picking it is not being exploited than pay next to nothing for it and have their blood on my hands, or in my stomach. And besides, the cost of fruit is also determined by transport costs and the associated profit margins for that. It is also the retail costs and the profit margins associated with that as well. Is it a problem for all involved to make less profit to avoid worker exploitation? I think so.

This is why I am opposed to the current proposal in the Senate as well as 'Guest worker" programs. I am opposed to anything that depresses or stagnates the wages of working class citizens and that, readers, represents a large portion of Americans and represents a whole lot of Black people.

On the other hand I take up the challenge of "Jobs Americans don't want to do." with Black American unemployment at all time highs for certain groups of AA's I suggest a serious serious look inward regarding the attitude towards "menial" work. Dish washing isn't glamorous or "Bling" but it's honest work. Landscaping isn't bling work either, but it's honest work. If you've been in and out of jail or dropped out of High School because you wanted to be cool, you need to realize that you cost YOURSELF opportunities by deciding to be a "f-up." If you were put in a bad spot because your parents made bad choices recognize that and move on. It's not fair, but it's how it is. You can't change your past only your future. If you are being passed over for employment because of illegal immigration you need to speak up.

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