Illegal_Immigrants

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

This is a sticky issue. The first thing most people in Arizona think of is the problem with Mexican Nationals entering the United States without proper documentation, same in Texas, New Mexico, etc. In California, the problem can be Mexican Nationals or Chinese Nationals. In Florida, it can be Mexican Nationals or Cubans. Every region can define the problem in local terms, so the question becomes; "Why are they a problem?"

Generally, illegal immigrants are in the United States without criminal intent and are looking for the streets paved with gold. The United States offers more opportunity for success than any other country and, even without success, the return on the investment in labor returns a higher value than in any other under developed country. So in answer to the previous question, illegal immigrants are a problem in primarily two categories.

In order to limit the scope of the discussions, please disregard any Illegal Immigrants that engage in criminal activity, the primary focus of this discussion are the Illegal Immigrants without criminal intent.

Based on my limited experience, the problems with Illegal Immigrants can be broken down into two primary categories, 1) the jobs of citizens being taken away by cheaper labor, and 2) the cost to society. Both of these categories impact every citizen at some level, however, the outrage seems to be based on the view that you want to take.

Category 1 concerns the overall job market and the associated pay scales. Generally speaking, there are low paying jobs that require a lot of work, serious physical labor. Chopping cotton (for those of you with southern farm experience might recognize) is one of my favorites from growing up. Let me give you an example of what's involved. Sun beating down, temperature hovering around 100 degrees, walking down a row in a field, little plant sprouts on both sides of the row. Since this isn't a sun tanning studio and the chances of skin cancer increase with every hour of direct exposure, long pants and long sleeve shirts with gloves and a wide brim hat are the norm. So walking down this row in the field, using a standard garden hoe to chop the weeds that have sprouted around the cotton. WHY? Very simple, during the early stages of a cotton plant life, it is more likely to be overtaken by weeds, whereas later in the growing period it fends for itself. A VERY boring job that must be done so the greatest yield possible can be achieved from the cotton field. In every area of the country, urban and rural, these types of jobs exist. And in many cases, the United States citizens either don't want the job or do the job poorly.

Facing the facts, every job has a 'value'. Whether we want to believe it or not, some jobs have a greater value to society than other jobs. Value is based on a number of factors including satisfaction level, experience level, knowledge level and contribution to final product value. The only way that employers can find people to perform these jobs is to pay more than the value, replace the job with automation, or to not do the job. What to do when the job can't be automated, and the job must be done and the sales price for a bale of cotton doesn't warrant paying more than the value? Let's assume that the average welfare worker is hired to chop cotton. What does someone do when they are working at a job they don't like? Go slow, be sloppy, takes frequent breaks, whine, etc. None of these actions completes the job in a cost effective, timely, value sensitive manner.

My experience, in working at this job, is that Mexican workers are so pleased at the wages, they fairly run up and down the rows, knowing that if they are good enough, then they won't have to worry about someone else being given the job. Taking pride in doing the job right because the pay, as low as it is, is more than they could ever earn in Mexico.

So, what's the problem? None that I can see except for the fact that labor unions are upset because a job is being filled by a non-union dues paying worker. Which brings me to labor unions and I won't go there because of my negative opinions of unions as a whole on one end of the spectrum and overpaid CEOs on the other end of the spectrum. For those that have never worked with illegal labor before, the only reason that taxes aren't collected is because these people can't be legally hired so the wages are never declared. Which brings this discussion to Category 2.

Solution: develop a program for providing a temporary immigrant status. This status will allow immigrants to enter the country for a specified period of time, work within the program and return home.   The wages would be set by the potential employer, however, the tax structure would be simplified and taxes that are contributions to programs like unemployment, FICA and Medicare would not be deducted. This would require a different form of Border Patrol. A centralization of the available employment would allow restrictions on the volume and employers would not have any reason to evade the system since the wages paid would be at whatever level desired.

Category 2 is the cost to society. Since the cost to society varies based on the group making the presentation, I will concentrate on a few comments relating to two major areas:
   a) Medical: concentrating on only two primary subsections, mainly because these costs can't be charged to any HMO or Plan, and in county
       hospitals, services must be provided to preserve life (making the cost borne by the county residents):
      1) hopeful workers requiring medical attention from the trek to the United States. In the southwestern United States, many illegal immigrants
          have died from exposure while trying to make the trek. It has reached the point where humanitarian groups are placing water in strategic
          locations so that people don't die of thirst. The emergency services required for those that encounter problems and live can be excessive.
          Border areas all suffer from the additional cost of these services, even though the illegal immigrant will be returned to the native country
          when healthy.
            Solution: eliminate the trek by providing for a legal means to enter the country for work. In addition, an entire medical program needs to
                         be established for temporary immigrants to cover these costs. This would take the form of a tax on the wages of the temporary
                          immigrants.
      2) pregnant women seeking to have their child born in the United States which makes the child an automatic citizen. For everyone that has
          had a child born in a hospital can attest, these costs are not insignificant. And, in order to have automatic citizenship, the birth certificate
          must be provided by a recognized medical institution. So imagine, a pregnant women sneaks into the United States, hides out (probably
          with friends) until the last possible moment, then goes into the hospital for the delivery, knowing there isn't time for the mother to be
          deported before the birth.
            Solution: eliminate the automatic citizenship for the children born from anyone that is in the country illegally. As this position becomes
                          known, there will be no incentive for people to sneak into the United States just to have the child born as a citizen.

   b) Location and deporting: this is the Border Patrol program. Since this largely ineffective and employers skirt the law anyway, why not find
      a cheaper means of controlling the workers?

Okay, so who is being hurt by this program. Basically the unions. Is this a bad thing? When the cost of the worker on the job exceeds the value contributed by the labor, and prices cannot be raised in order to stay competitive, then alternate means of production must be identified. I question how many United States jobs have been lost to other labor markets due to the cost of United States production?

So, WHO is really hurt???