You’ll note that I’ve avoided the immigration debate. That’s partly because I’m divided on the issue, but I’m on several mailing lists with people who are rabid about it, and well, enough is enough.
First, yes, I have a serious problem with the fact that illegals are consciously breaking the law. This does not, in my opinion, speak well of their character, or the likelihood that this demonstrates a lack of respect for the law, the nation, and its citizens. Second, yes, I also realize that the current status quo presents a serious security problem.
Having said that, let’s move on to what I see, repeatedly, from these economically-illiterate folks.
Forget the whole issue about whether Americans would or would not do jobs illegal aliens do; I suspect in some cases it is true, and others, not. The issue is whether Americans would do the same jobs for the same pay.
The answer, of course, is a resounding, echoing, reverberating no.
Let’s take two of the job sectors that have been discussed back and forth on these lists, sectors which are dominated (at least in large parts of the nation) by illegals.
Those sectors would be fruit and vegetable picking, and construction.
So let’s say, just for the fun of it, that the “throw them all out and seal the borders” crew get their way. How would that affect these two sectors, and more importantly, us, and the economy?
The farms would have to pay Americans many times what they’re paying illegals to pick fruit and vegetables. The result is the same that you get any time you increase costs: the price of produce would go through the ceiling. And not just because of increased salaries, since California is a large part of this job sector. The state would mandate that employers pay all kinds of expensive benefits. The price of produce wouldn’t go up a few cents; it would increase astronomically. This would increase the cost of living all over the nation, since the areas where the ag industry employs mostly illegals are the largest producers of fruits and vegetables in the US. And not only would the same people who want the illegals tossed out be screaming about the skyrocketed prices, but worse, they’d be demanding protectionist legislation, which would further cut economic growth, as it always does, and indeed, must.
And the economy would suffer as a result.
Then what would happen to the price of new homes when contractors are forced to hire Americans at far higher rates of pay? The same. This would depress the economy even faster, since one of the major indicators of economic growth is the sale of homes. Just watch the median price of a house in your area go up seventy or eighty-thousand bucks.
However unsavory it may be, a large part of the economic growth is the fact that illegals are willing to work for wages far less than Americans would. That’s economic fact. Throwing them out would tank the economy. Fact.
Now, I said above that I do consider illegal immigration to be a serious problem. But until somebody comes up with a solution that won’t have dire effects on the economy, we’re stuck with illegal labor, one way or another.
Ideas? I’m listening.
Linked to: Don Surber
joubertconlon says:
A free society is messy. It’s only in my dreams that we can solve all problems in simple and commonsensical ways.
December 1, 2005, 5:19 pmSo, no, I don’t really have any practical ideas. My rants don’t count. I know that. And I could not have run a restaurant without Mexicans. The few Americans I did hire, I soon fired because they were proud to be slackers. Ugh!
Bill says:
RWN,
Turn in your conservative ID card. We can’t anyone espousing such utter…..truth.
Yes some of our economy is dependent on illegal labor. Throwing all out would have economic effcets.
The reason our politicians just do lip service to the illegals issue isn’t that but big business/campaign contributors who donate large sums to keep the status quo.
Ideas like ending birthright citizenship are simplistic and frightening considering how badly INS bungles legal immigration. I know from personal experience and have blogged on this very subject on my blog.
Any one with a workable solution to this riddle of what to do?
Bill
PS- Thanks for the Open TBs
December 1, 2005, 10:29 pmrightwingprof says:
That nonsense about birthright citizenship really annoys me — because it’s nothing more than posturing. It would require a Constitutional Amendment, they know it, and all they’re doing is milking votes. I hate that.
December 2, 2005, 9:07 amJ Philip says:
Excellent commentary. Just goes to show that to ameliorate a problem caused by indifference you can’t simply reverse course. We’ve allowed a catch-22 to develop which will require thought and guts, both of which are unfortunately in short supply in the government (and absent from the media).
December 2, 2005, 5:58 pm