Oct. 31, 2002 - 19:06 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Agreement

Do we have a Democrat in Republican clothes ? Wheee. U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo a Republican said the United States must decide whether it wants a border it is willing to enforce. He puts out some telling words, he says what many of us have thought for years. Speaking of illegal immigration he says, quote, "Democrats want it for votes, Republicans want it for cheap labor."

Holds water to my way of thinking. Both sides equally to blame. For years, even before I became aware of what happens in the adult world the common philosophy was that Anglos wouldn't do stoop labor in the fields. Brighton has a large population of Hispanic whose ancestry is of those illegals who came to work in the beet fields. Of course they were not paid as our farmhands were nor were they treated like human beings.

Jeepers even Mr. Money weighs in, Alan Greenspan pointed out the boom of the '90's was supported by immigrant laborers and illegal workers (sheesh, he is supposed to be a law and order man). Estevan Flores a sociology professor at the University of Colorado says it is impossible to stop illegal immigration as long as Mexico and United States exist side by side and have such disparate economies. Immigration attorney Donna Lipinski reported she talks to employers who say they can't find workers. Rep. Tancredo whams that nail on the head. He said, "They only give half the line really, he said. "The rest of that sentence should be, 'We can't find workers at what we are willing to pay.'"

There are a few areas where both sides agree (up to a point) they think the Department of Immigration and Naturaliztion needs to be reformed, and that the United States should explore "guest worker," programs. One thing that could be worked out is that guest workers could come in and work and their relatives would stay home. That way schools would not be overloaded.

I may be wrong but I think such schemes are being worked in some European countries. To my way of looking at this, it could be good - - - as long as guest workers are paid at the same rate as the our citizen workers, given the saftey protection as our folks, work a forty hour week like we do - that could work. In other words they would come in and fill an actual labor shortage rather than coming in as more or less peons in fear of the INS and being taken advantage of.

Sure there is a difference in the income between the two countries. The faults could be determined in many ways, but the way I see it, we are absolutely not obligated to accept a flood of immigrants who will work as cheap labor.

I realize that the world economy is askew, but then it always has been. We as a nation have to make sure that our welfare is secure before we adopt the whole world of immigrant laborers. We have to also make sure that who we let in will get paid the same wage for the same work as everyone else is. That they are protected by the same laws.

There of course will have to be some drastic adjustments on farm labor to the point that our citizens will be able to make a living wage working there also -- which has not been possible here before.

I can see that the prices will go up, but should be rigidly controlled so that undue profit not be accumulated. The situation has been so messed up so long that it is almost impossible to bring under control.

Some one in converstion with me once said something to the effect that billions could be saved if the government workforce would suddenly be shorn of the deadwood, paper shuffling, empire builder types. Millions of government workers laid off, where would they go, who would feed and house them ? Gee, what a frightening thought. Things are not easily solved by draconian measures of course.

Once in a while opposing sides do reluctantly reach a point of Agreement . . . . . . . .

Blog