Oct. 04, 2002 - 10:16 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Feet

Is this the weekly third degree ? No I don't think so, just the Friday Five exercise

1. - What size shoe do you wear ?

A. - Ten and a half - both feet.

2. - How many pair of shoes do you own ?

A - Three. One for dirty work other two for comfort.

3. - What types of shoes do you prefer (boots, sneakers, pumps ?

A. - No pumps for this guy. Oxfords, orthopedically correct.

4. Describe your favorite pair of shoes.

A. - Black, leather, Oxford, walking shoes, soft, super comfortable and with Velcro closures. Not the most beautiful of shoes, not obtrusive and can be worn with dress clothes as far as this old man is concerned.

5. - What's the most you have spent on shoes ?

A. - Seventy dollars to get comfort and a degree of durability.

Rather prosaic, but so am I. I got the seniority though.

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Seems as if our country's people are somewhat ambivilant on immigration and things like that. Our mayor is advocating, as a goodwill gesture, to allow ID cards issued by the Mexican Consulate be recognized so that illegals will have access to services. He said that, "Accepting the Mexican Consulates 'Matricula Consular' card would improve relations between a GROWING immigrant population and Denver government." caps mine.

According to the Rocky Mountain News, "If the City Council approves Webb's proposal, Denver would join more than 40 other cities, from San Francisco, (California) to Colorado Springs, (Colorado) to Chicago (Il), in accepting the card as legal identification."

The card does not disclose a person's immigration status in the United States the paper says. "That fact should eliminate an immigrant's fears that showing the card to, say, a police officer could result in a deportation hearing, officials said." It says further, "The card would give the holder better access to simple city services that require identification -- such as getting a library card, receiving help at a hospital or entering a recreation center. Other services, including applying for building permits and business licenses, would be discussed as part of the mayor's plan." A bit further on the paper says, "the identification still would not get immigrants state or federal services, including food stamps and welfare."

Sometime before I was born, workers from south of our border were brought to Colorado to work in the beet fields, one of the excuses used was, "Anglos won't work at stoop labor." Actually I think what the truth of the matter was that our citizens would not work in the fields for the pay offered by the companies. It seems to have continued during my lifetime too. Businesses have thrived on illegals working for peanuts and maybe we all are guilty for going for the "bargains" resulting from illegal workers output.

This bit boggles my mind along with other things concerning our citizens. Manfacturing facilities being shipped to overseas businesses, taking jobs away from our people. Even work not in the manufacturing area is being taken out of our country.

Another argument I have heard from many sources, "We put our operations overseas because unions have caused the wages to rise to the point we are no longer competitive in the world market." Well sure, of course, if your wares cost of production amounts to a very scant fraction of union scale plus cheap materials and the prices charged to the customers -- the company or corporation has more money to go broke on . . . . . I guess that would be called competition with world prices. From what I have read, Bike's sportswear, for instance, shoes are over $100 now for some of their models but are made by cheap labor out of our country.

Like a pendulum it goes, impetus added by the urge to make money by the illegals, and business's urge to profit from cheap labor vs. plain old common sense.

I will not try to place any of the blame on illegal aliens. They need to survive and will do whatever they can, to do so.

From what I read immigration and naturalization facilities are understaffed and undersupervised. How can a border, much of which is through desert country, be protected from being breached ? Should we merge with Mexico ? Or should they merge with us ? Or do we get deeper into our present ambiguous way of dealing with life ?

I guess smarter people will have to try to solve the problem. There appear to be too many loopholes allowing any measure to become ineffective to my mind.

So, Bastion turn your mind to more sensible things and move your Feet . . . . . . . . .

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