You have to wonder about people who hate entire segments of the population, especially when they’re encouraging you to do the same. What we hear from a few people in local government — notable locals include Rep. Sue Myrick (she’s running for re-election in the 9th District), Jim Pendergraph (former Mecklenburg County Sheriff and current County Commission candidate) and Bill James (he’s running unopposed for county commission) — who have made their political careers on hating, demoralizing and criminalizing immigration, is that undocumented workers equal crime and tough economic times.
But, here’s the rub: They’re wrong.
While they scream and holler about all of the woes immigration causes, back in reality land illegal immigration is down (thanks to the economy) and that’s bad news for us since those undocumented workers often pay taxes into the system without receiving any benefits in return, they boost business production and discourage our companies from relocating to other countries. That’s not to mention all of the spending they do in local economies.
Here’s more from The New York Times:
Over all, it turns out that the continuing arrival of immigrants to American shores is encouraging business activity here, thereby producing more jobs, according to a new study. Its authors argue that the easier it is to find cheap immigrant labor at home, the less likely that production will relocate offshore.The study notes that when companies move production offshore, they pull away not only low-wage jobs but also many related jobs, which can include high-skilled managers, tech repairmen and others. But hiring immigrants even for low-wage jobs helps keep many kinds of jobs in the United States, the authors say. In fact, when immigration is rising as a share of employment in an economic sector, offshoring tends to be falling, and vice versa, the study found.
In other words, immigrants may be competing more with offshored workers than with other laborers in America.
We see the job-creating benefits of trade and immigration every day, even if we don’t always recognize them. As other papers by Professor Peri have shown, low-skilled immigrants usually fill gaps in American labor markets and generally enhance domestic business prospects rather than destroy jobs; this occurs because of an important phenomenon, the presence of what are known as “complementary” workers, namely those who add value to the work of others. An immigrant will often take a job as a construction worker, a drywall installer or a taxi driver, for example, while a native-born worker may end up being promoted to supervisor. And as immigrants succeed here, they help the United States develop strong business and social networks with the rest of the world, making it easier for us to do business with India, Brazil and most other countries, again creating more jobs.
Read the entire article, by Tyler Cowen, here.
So, what are these fat-cat bureaucrats squealing about again? Right: The “other” people threatening their white-bread homeland. Don’t be fooled, their rants aren’t about national security, jobs or the economy — they’re about the reality that white folks aren’t going to be the dominant race in America for much longer.
Instead of recognizing humans as humans, these divisive politicians are asking us to judge our neighbors based on superficial qualities they can’t change, like the color of their skin, their country of origin or their native language. I say, the American thing to do would be to embrace our differences, talk to each other and find common ground. This land is big enough for all of us to share.
This video is about the Latino vote in America. Skip to 1:40 to bypass the overdone thank yous.
Rhiannon “Rhi” Bowman is an independent journalist who contributes snarky commentary on Creative Loafing’s CLog blog four days a week in addition to writing for several other local media organizations. To learn more, click the links or follow Rhi on Twitter.
This article appears in Oct 26 – Nov 1, 2010.
You do realize you are quoting an article from the NY Times to support a liberal idea, right? That isn’t exactly an unbiased source. First of all the quoted article specifically references hiring immigrants, not illegal immigrants, so any information is irrelevant without this distinction. And the “proof” this article provides to back up their claims is some pie in the sky generalities like hiring immigrants helps other domestic workers get promoted and if we didn’t have immigrant labor companies would just move overseas for cheap labor. Not exactly the facts and figures most proof consists of. How about this fact for you, in the last 2 years foreign born labor has actually increased in jobs, to the tune of 600k. So based on your little study, Americans should be doing even better, getting promoted and enjoying economic prosperity from the overspill of immigrant labor. Turns out American born workers have lost 1.2M jobs, twice as many created by the foreign labor. Turns out, the foreign workers are actually taking American jobs at lower wages, thus depressing the standard of living for everybody. Kind of like the “immigration fear mongers” you criticize are saying is happening. Maybe you should do a little fact check next time before you regurgitate some liberal agenda article.
“criminalizing immigration”? Uh, no. ENFORCING THE ACTUAL LAW.
Have you been to Ellis Island, RhiBo? I have, and it has SEVERAL exhibits which reference the deportation of people trying to get into the US A HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS AGO.
And those exhibits don’t call them “undocumented”. They call them ILLEGAL.
Learn your history, ditz.
First you pass laws that are designed to pander to the bigots that want all “those people” to stay out of “our country”. Then you rationalize your bigotry by saying it’s not about “those people” it’s about “the law”.
It’s called circular logic.
For more than two hundred years, small minded people have been screaming that one immigrant group after another are destroying “our country”. You know, the one we stole from the Natives. Or have you forgotten that WE are descended from immigrants?
WE NEED A CLEAN SLATE TO STOP THE CORRUPTION IN WASHINGTON
Even the Tea Party will also be held accountable, as will those lawmakers already in Washington. That is the promise of the Tea Party to the American people. A new vision for this country is at hand, that will scrub clean the corruption in Washington, deep six the Liberal extremists, and stem the unfavorable tide of special interests groups that have crippled the people’s interests. Hopefully this will eliminate the Tax and spend mountainous problem, which is already out-of-control with revised 16 Trillion US dollar deficit. More balanced free trade agreements and a revised Health Care package, that doesn’t bankrupt America. ATTENTION: Watch for irregularities at the Polling places and be observant of voter fraud with absentee ballots. LARGE POPULATION OF NON CITIZENS WHO VOTE COULD COMPROMISE ANY CLOSE RUN RACE. HAVING ALREADY VIOLATED THE LAW, FOREIGN NATIONALS HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE. CALIFORNIA, NEVADA AND OTHER BORDER STATES MUST BE CAREFULLY SCRUTINIZED.
Remember! That if you are for the State of Arizona rigid enforcement of Immigration law which includes SB1070, it would be extremely foolhardy to vote back any Liberal-Democrat to the House or Senate, as they can do much damage to our wilting economy. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada has already promised to attach The Dream Act, to any new Amnesty. Senator Barbara Boxer is of the same mind, that the 12 to 20 million illegal aliens should be rewarded even though they broke the law. America has become a welfare entitlement landing place for the destitute of the world. Yet the American people are treated with indifference and rejected for their economic needs? The thought of adding another 2.6 Trillion dollars (Heritage Foundation estimate) to our already diminished reservoir of public services for the use of illegal aliens, is absolutely irrational. Casino head’s have likely intimidated their staff to vote for Harry Reid, as the entertainment and service industries are well supplied with illegal workers. The thought passed through my mind, that Tea Party members should boycott Harrah and other Casino’s?
The problem is, it’s a civil infraction and doesn’t become a serious offense, until you reenter the United States after being deported? It up to the new Congress and specifically TEA PARTY members to uphold the 1986 immigration law, and perhaps make it a felony like other countries, including Mexico. None of the Incumbents want to open the proverbial can of worms, as they are all Pro-Amnesty. It would be like Icarus flying into the sun, with wax wings.No Liberal has any gonads to tell the truth of their so-called progressive ideology. Even Gubnatorial Jerry Brown has stayed silent, about what to do about the principle Sanctuary Cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles, as both have been infiltrated by Liberal progressives, who want no border and the free flow of cheap labor. How can any Politician really even think of allowing a run on the border should there be another Amnesty, when millions and millions of Americans have no job? The TEA PARTY must turn their attention to stopping the drain of jobs to foreign lands, as our manufacturing base is been obliterated by unfair competition from mainly China. We must bring jobs home and stop patronizing Mexico, as hundreds of companies have product bases there and selling them back to America. We cannot go on like this as the US dollar, will soon be worth less than other developed nations. We must rid ourselves of the cheap, shoddy goods from China and start buying made in the USA again.
Former president Bill Clinton effort for Jerry Brown, will not stop the avalanche of NEW TEA PARTY members from changing their agenda. Jerry Brown is likely to win so will be owing a lot of favors to Union, who packed his campaign war chest. His Sanctuary city policies will destroy his Liberal plans, that has drawn massive criminal aliens into the State in the form of illegal gang members who have slaughtered innocent citizens. Possible new Lieutenant Governor’s Gavin Newsom, another hard core liberal should he win, will also bring with him the blemish of illegal alien murders, rapes, assaults to his new position and his neglect to enforce immigration laws in San Francisco. Reid’s Nevada has the highest unemployment nationwide, and Boxers California have some of the highest jobless rates in the nation. The Tea Party and other proponents will not open the border gates, and will use a composite of the new state of the art E-Verify, to start dislodging illegal workers.
DLP,
The US has the most liberal (i.e. permissive) immigration laws in the world.
Go take a look at what Pedro in Mexico does to Juan from Guatemala when Juan illegally enters Mexico.
Hint: he’s lucky if he gets sent back to Guatemala in one piece.
Since the President of Mexico is so upset with the state of Arizona and by extension, the rest of the United States, it is clear that he needs to be mollified–and I think I know how this can be done.
Clearly Mr. Calderon believes that Mexico’s immigration laws are far more progressive and fair than our own–so why don’t we adopt Mexico’s legislation on immigration?
This would include the following provisions per J. Michael Waller at the Center for Security Policy:
That immigrants are:
* in the country legally;
* have the means to sustain themselves economically;
* not destined to be burdens on society;
* of economic and social benefit to society;
* of good character and have no criminal records; and
* contributors to the general well-being of the nation
Furthermore, that:
* immigration authorities have a record of each foreign visitor;
* foreign visitors do not violate their visa status;
* foreign visitors are banned from interfering in the country’s internal politics;
* foreign visitors who enter under false pretenses are imprisoned or deported;
* foreign visitors violating the terms of their entry are imprisoned or deported;
* those who aid in illegal immigration will be sent to prison.
But wait! There’s more!
Naturally we would want to be selective as to who we allow into our nation, so the following provisions would apply (Articles are from Mexico’s Ley General de Población, or General Law on Population):
* Foreigners are admitted into Mexico the United States”according to their possibilities of contributing to national progress.” (Article 32)
* Immigration officials must “ensure” that “immigrants will be useful elements for the country and that they have the necessary funds for their sustenance” and for their dependents. (Article 34)
* Foreigners may be barred from the country if their presence upsets “the equilibrium of the national demographics,” when foreigners are deemed detrimental to “economic or national interests,” when they do not behave like good citizens in their own country, when they have broken Mexican American laws, and when “they are not found to be physically or mentally healthy.” (Article 37)
* The Secretary of Governance head of DHS may “suspend or prohibit the admission of foreigners when he determines it to be in the national interest.” (Article 38)
For the sake of national security, we would have the follwing provisions:
* Federal, local and municipal police must cooperate with federal immigration authorities upon request, i.e., to assist in the arrests of illegal immigrants. (Article 73)
* A National Population Registry keeps track of “every single individual who comprises the population of the country,” and verifies each individual’s identity. (Articles 85 and 86)
* A national Catalog of Foreigners tracks foreign tourists and immigrants (Article 87), and assigns each individual with a unique tracking number (Article 91).
* Foreigners with fake immigration papers may be fined or imprisoned. (Article 116)
* Foreigners who sign government documents “with a signature that is false or different from that which he normally uses” are subject to fine and imprisonment. (Article 116)
Failure to obey the rules would result in the following sanctions:
* Foreigners who fail to obey a deportation order are to be punished. (Article 117)
* Foreigners who are deported from Mexico the US and attempt to re-enter the country without authorization can be imprisoned for up to 10 years. (Article 118)
* Foreigners who violate the terms of their visa may be sentenced to up to six years in prison (Articles 119, 120 and 121). Foreigners who misrepresent the terms of their visa while in Mexico the US — such as working with out a permit — can also be imprisoned.
For illegal immigrants:
* “A penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of three hundred to five thousand pesos dollars will be imposed on the foreigner who enters the country illegally.” (Article 123)
* Foreigners with legal immigration problems may be deported from Mexico the US instead of being imprisoned. (Article 125)
* Foreigners who “attempt against national sovereignty or security” will be deported. (Article 126)
And for Americans who provide assistance to illegal immigrants:
* A Mexican US citizen who marries a foreigner with the sole objective of helping the foreigner live in the country is subject to up to five years in prison. (Article 127)
* Shipping and airline companies that bring undocumented foreigners into Mexico the US will be fined. (Article 132)
I propose that one of our national legislators introduce a bill containing the above language, and call it the American Sovereignty and Security Act. It will probably have to be a Republican who introduces the bill, but if they can get a Dem cosponsor, then so much the better.
After the introduction of the bill, I would be curious to see how many of Calderon’s applauding fans in the House and Senate will praise, and vote for this bill. Since they love Calderon so much, I can only assume that they would be eager to emulate their idol and his nation’s laws.
As a bonus, I would also propose that a reporter show Mr. Calderon the language of this bill, and see if he approves. I can only assume that he’ll love it.
Of course, if he is critical, the reporter can gently point out to him that it is the the exact same language as his own Ley General de Población. I’m sure that his reaction to that news would be worthy of recording on camera.
You do the math and see what you come up with.
25 million Americans can not find full time jobs.
30-50 million aliens waiting to become citizens and needing jobs.
Projected job growth over 5 YEARS is 12 million jobs.
This is not fear, it is reality and where do you see this country in 5 years??