When illegal workers left, black workers gained

"An advertisement in the weekly Forest-Blade newspaper blared "Increased Wages" at Crider, starting at $7 to $9 an hour -- more than a dollar above what the company had paid many immigrant workers."

And there's the crux of the issue. The "bad guys" in this story aren't the undocumented workers who are taking what opportunity they have to make a better life for themselves and thier families. The bad guys are the employers who's only interest is paying as little as possible for the work and realize that they can exploit the undocumented worker more than anyone else.

When the company is forced to, suddenly 14% higher wages are available for the same work.

This is an issue that I disagree with the democrats on. The rhetoric of jobs that Americans won't do is nothing more than being a case of it's what the employers can get away with. Like paying a decent wage. It's not that I am against immigration, just illegals. Why would an employer pay a decent wage if he can hire illegals that would be glad to do the job for less? I also believe that is one of the reasons it has not been addressed by the current administration or the past do nothing congress. It is ashame that this war has taken our focus off other real issues that need to be addressed.

American workers have definitely been hurt by this. That's why companies that hire illegals should be punished for hiring them. If there were no jobs for illegals, less would want to come to the USA. Let's face it, though. Business friendly congress would never come down hard on their good buddies-corporate America.
It isn't hard to see why everyone wants to come here. It's the greatest country on earth.

One cant ignore the average Americans insatiable appetite for low cost goods and services as a driving force behind the hiring of cheap illegal workers.
Crider could pay a buck or two more an hour to
legal workers, but a chorus of screams would ensue from consumers about the price of chicken tenders going up a quarter to half dollar a pound at the local Piggly-Wiggly.
Americans have a very tough choice to make.
Pay more for goods and services that are produced by higher paid legal workers and cross their fingers that any savings that are seen from the reduced participation of illegal workers in government funded education and health care systems would flow back to them in the form of lower taxes, or continue to pay less at the checkout counter but ultimately pay for the cheap goods through higher taxes needed to fund said education and healthcare programs.
I believe human nature will dictate what Americans do. They will opt for the immediate reward of lower prices, regardless of the hidden cost they will ultimately pay in the form of taxes. Furthermore, does anyone with a shred of common sense believe politicians in Washington will pass on the savings from reduced illegal worker participation in entitlement programs to the tax paying consumer?
If Americans really want to see the illegal worker disappear from the nations labor market, consumers must gladly accept higher prices for a multitude of goods and services. Fat chance of that happening anytime soon.

I don't think there is a job an American wouldn't do after watching the show "Dirty Jobs" with Mike Rowe. There are some really nasty jobs out there!

Thats why we need real leaders. To explain these things. I would gladly pay more for a product to know it's an American job. Also the leadership must also let the Americans know that in the long run it cost less due to unpaid taxes, health care, education, and cost of crime prevention due to illegals.

The Wall Street Journal lives by anecdote-as-fact stories.

I'm not sure if it's just lazy journalism, or they have some kind of agenda, but those kind of "This is what happened to John Smith in Podunk, Kentucky" stories tell less than nothing.

If they can't come up with real, tested data to back their arguments, they shouldn't bother.

(BTW: I KNOW their editorial page has an agenda.)

And there's the crux of the issue. The "bad guys" in this story aren't the undocumented workers who are taking what opportunity they have to make a better life for themselves and thier families. The bad guys are the employers who's only interest is paying as little as possible for the work and realize that they can exploit the undocumented worker more than anyone else.

When the company is forced to, suddenly 14% higher wages are available for the same work.

Posted by: Tony | Jan 17, 2007 1:27:46 PM

=====

Good point. I hadn't thought of that.

Johnf and billr are right. Americans want it all, jobs for everyone but rock bottom prices. In the end we cry about the lack of jobs and wages, yet after work we run to the nearest Wal-Mart to buy cheap Chinese goods. All the hillbillies of the land crow about supporting the troops and how patriotic they are, then buy their jug of milk and pouch of chew at Wally world.
If a store opened next to Wal-Mart that guaranteed every item was produced in America with American labor but you would have to pay the higher price, where would you shop?
I thought so.

All hail Wal-mart, the store that single-handedly destroyed numerous small mom and pop shops that were owned and worked in by hard working Americans. We couldn’t bear the thought of paying more for some cheap crap we could get at the local Wally world.

We as Americans can talk the talk but when it comes to the walk, we go right to the rollback prices and the cute little happy face. Asian goods have the American pocketbook 'buy' the short and curlies. And we like it that way, just look at the parking lot at Wal-Mart on a Saturday afternoon, all those good patriots supporting America.

I find it morally difficult to oppose immigration, illegal or legal, in the "land of the free". After all, we Americans are all descended from illegal & legal immigrants (and nearly all of them poor & looking for opportunity). I consider the first wave of immigrants illegal, since they came to this land, took it over, and kicked out or killed anybody who disagreed. How very democratic.

Economically, however, it is easier to make the case against illegal immigration in the present. We can't even provide our present citizens with universal health care and quality public education, which lag far behind European systems.

I disagree with Catherine's assertion that we are the best country in the world. By many indicators, we are not: expensive, nonuniversal health care, lower quality K12 public education, higher crime rates, greater income gap disparities, higher incidents of health problems (cancer, obesity, etc.), widespread discrimination, etc. We should tell the truth to the world and admit that we AREN'T the best country, which might ultimately lower immigration.

Mr. James is correct to point out that the evidence is "anecdotal." We might also note that it is short-term.

The beauty of the illegal worker is that he will not only work for less, he will work for less for longer (hours and years). As some here have noted, that means lower costs for products and services. That means more business for the American economy.

Let's not lose sight of the big picture here, folks. It's not about what is right, it is about what is good for Americans as a whole.

If we were concerned about what is "right" then we wouldn't want our government to be supporting fraudulent elections or coups. As long as we're "good" with the latter, we can't thump our chests for the former.

Frank - you and/or your readers can acess those wall street journal articles for free with a plugin called a netpass from congoo: http://www.congoo.com/netpass/install

I just thought this might be a useful tip.

Sincerly,

Allison Porter

I've conducted no scientific study, done no valid random sampling, etc. I just know what I see in daily life, working in one of the industries most affected by immigrant labor: construction.
I am a self-employed carpenter. I concentrate on small jobs. Occasionally I hire short-term help. Occasionally, I hire on to work for others on larger projects.
My observations are: Our small but rapidly growing community had almost no Mexican labor 10 years ago. Today, many of the roofing, plumbing, landscaping and carpentry crews are exclusively Mexican. I don't know how many are legal or not. What I do know is that most of these immigrants crowd into housing, reducing their regular living costs. At the same time, many have left employers after several years of training, and struck out on their own. They hire relatives from Mexico, friends and their relatives from Mexico. All of it is cheap labor.
Someone needs to explain to me, a self-employed carpenter, how Mexicans saving money by crowding into cheap housing and hiring cheap labor from Mexico aren't a threat to my job. How can I compete and maintain even a modest standard of living if my competition is able to run on significantly lower overhead? It just doesn't add up.
And yet, whenever I or anyone in my position raises such concerns, we're accused of racism. My problem isn't with race; it's with an endless flow of immigrants, who eventually will force me to lower my standard of living to compete, and who crowd into and change the neighborhoods in which I've lived for years.

I totally agree with Roger's observations about the impact on illegal immigrants in the US. I have been turned down for housing because I was not latino, and for jobs because I didn't speak Spanish (at the time). Over the years as a teacher, my workload has exploded due to the numbers of instant citizens purposefully born by illegals, certainly my pay has not increased accordingly. Now that I speak Spanish I have learned how racists and really anti-USA many latinos are.

My SS# was stolen and I once owed taxes instead of receiving the refund I should've gotten.

My parents were unable to purchase vacation property in Mexico because they are not Mexican, yet illegals seem to think they have a right(!) to the housing, education, health care, and welfare payments of this country using our tax money. Meanwhile, they send dollars to Mexico instead of actually contributing to the economy they are sucking dry.

Though I am a single parent, I pay for private schooling for my children since the local school is over crowded and the funding is focused on second-language learners.

Mexico seals its borders to immigrants attempting to enter their country as a means of reaching ours, yet they have the gaul to call Americans racists and to stupidly compare the efforts to secure our borders as akin to a Berlin wall!?

I don't like the racist backlash folks, but we need reform now. I would like to w/hold my money and vote from politicians, companies, & other panderers to these illegals. I won't shop at Walmart and other non-union stores, and I would like to know how I can make an economic impact myself against the corporations who allow illegals to work after stealing SS#'s or otherwise criminally misrepresenting themselves. It is a real pity to see what this country is rapidly becoming due to the unwillingness of our elected reps to take a stand against the situation.