"They only do jobs others don't want."

How many times have you heard that argument? Just like the mantra, "A day without immigrants" (where they left out the "illegal" part), this mantra leaves out an important part as well: Illegals only take jobs that others don't want for such low wages. A free economy means wages are established by employers offering the lowest amount that attracts employees to do the work. Illegal workers undermine that free system with corruption.

Ten years ago, we had a thriving Construction Industry filled with Americans who had little educational background. It was dominated by blacks and "red necks" (white day laborers). They worked hard and made good money, usually over twenty thousand dollars each. But what has happened in the last decade? The work crews are being replaced with illegals, who charge about 20% less (about the same amount the American workers paid in taxes) and can be fired without any discrimination law suits, workman's comp, or unemployment claims. The employer pockets the difference. (You certainly haven't seen a reduced cost in new homes have you? Absolutely not!) Uncle Sam gets cheated his share of the income taxes, and the rest of us pick up the tab.

What happened to the Americans who lost their jobs? Some found other jobs (which often paid less) and others wound up unemployed or turned to crime. In other words, we paid for them to go on the dole or grow old in jail.

Check out any construction crew and you'll be amazed how fast the change has happened. Or check out your local Home Depot or Lowes home improvement store and notice all the signs are now also in Spanish. These are good paying jobs that Americans want, but are handicapped in competing against someone who doesn't pay income taxes or claim any of their workers benefits.

We need to either repeal all the worker's rights we've provided and do away with the income tax, or we need to enforce our immigration laws. It's unfair to Americans to give the illegals the advantage.

Some bosses make racist claims that illegals work harder. What they are attempting to do is divert attention away from the fact they are breaking the law and avoiding playing by the rules. Many of the Americans that have lost these jobs are also Hispanic! The only difference is that American Hispanics have full worker's rights and demand more pay than the illegals, and that's the real reason they are put at the back of the line.

They all used the play by the rules and did just fine a decade ago. But as long as "the next guy" hires illegals, so will everyone else. Enforcement of serious penalties against employers-- all employers-- is the best way to stop this race to the bottom of the barrel. Getting the private sector involved in enforcement would be a good idea as well. (Rewarding private bounty hunters 10% for every immigration fine they collect from US companies they find hiring illegals would result in big profits. It would not only solve the illegal immigration problem, it would go a long way to reducing the deficit! The current fine is $10,000 per illegal, but it is rarely enforced.)

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