Posted on 03/31/2008 5:23:01 PM PDT by Libloather
Construction skid sidelines Latino immigrant workers
By Susan Ferriss - sferriss@sacbee.co
Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, March 30, 2008
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B3
Jose Espinosa worked his way out of the strawberry fields of Central California in the early 1990s, determined to learn a profitable trade.
**SNIP**
Latino immigrants like Espinosa, legal and illegal, were the backbone of California's housing boom, and they are feeling the pain of what Espinosa calls "una recesion."
**SNIP**
About a quarter of the nation's construction workers are Latinos, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, a research institute in Washington, D.C.
Pew also estimates that between 21 percent and 25 percent of U.S. construction laborers, stone and brick masons and concrete finishers in 2005 were undocumented. In California, where entire crews who built houses were often Latino, the concentration of legal and illegal Latino immigrant workers is believed to be far greater.
Jose Garcia, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, poured concrete driveways and foundations for a Sacramento contractor for five years. After that, he got a job with another contractor he said still owes him $1,570.
**SNIP**
Nickelsburg said it's hard to measure the true scope of job losses with the downturn since undocumented workers who work off the books are "outside our statistics." Even if they worked under Social Security numbers, he said, they don't typically claim unemployment benefits out of fear.
**SNIP**
"Everybody said it was a good idea to buy a house. So we got excited and did it," Espinosa said. "My problem now is not a subprime loan. My problem is there is no work."
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
A lot has been made of latinos leaving Phoenix after recent laws to prevent illegal workers. But I think the real truth is that housing growth has slowed significantly and there just is no work for them.
Jose Espinosa can kiss my typical white a$$. Then go home.
So, a quarter of our construction workers are “just doing the jobs that Americans won’t do.” Uh huh. Sounds like some good entry-level construction jobs to me.
And I just can’t understand how an illegal can buy a house. I mean, I’m not a real estate expert, but when I bought my house I needed to fill out so much information and sign so many documents my hand started to cramp up. How does that work? How do they purchase houses as “undocumented” people?
hundreds of thousands in CA
The rest can go to hell.
You lie about your income, or count your entire extended families income onto an interest only loan the resets in the future. There are lots of these out there in CA. 33% of homes for sale in CA are now foreclosures.
Hey, Jose! Get the hell out of my country!
We still got teachers in the schools. Firing all the rest of them will free up a lot of money.
Just trying to help.
I read an article that said over 60% of HUD loans were given to illegal immigrants. It’s nice to see our government giving low interest rate loans to the illegal immigrants who took jobs away from American citizens. This is outrageous. How many foreclosures belong to illegal immigrants? The sad fact is the American tax payer will pay for this crime through higher taxes,lower home values, a falling dollar and rising inflation. We can thank our fearless leaders who never pass up and opportunity to take a dollar out of our pocket and stick it in theirs.
The issue here is not illegals buying homes, rather your racist scoffing at them. Stop the insanity! Treat the illegals fairly!
:-)
My husband has busted his ass working hard as a mason for 20 years. Here the illegals come in, undercut everyone's prices, do shoddy jobs, have no insurance to cover the damages and take the money and run. Contractors drool over them and kiss their asses because they are making a quick buck off of the cheaper prices. Meanwhile, we pay taxes out of the ass, pay high insurance premiums, comply with everything the government requires and are out of work.
I hear you loud and clear. My brother was a masonary contractor here in LA. The illegals destroyed the wage structure years ago. An honest contractor cannot compete. It’s the same in all the trades here.
Regards
The banks not only allowed illegals to buy homes, some encouraged it. They were allowed to use a TPIN instead of a social security number, so the IRS was helpful to them getting credit, as well as earned income refunds, and even social services in some places.
Many things are easier for illegals than for citizens. The other side of that is when they are caught without a driver’s license, insurance or other required things they normally don’t get into the trouble that citizens will. Even if caught for things like DWI they don’t recieve the same fines and sentences that citizens do.
I am not sure what the thinking is- I think many agencies and even courts give illegals the benefit of doubt due to “sympathy” and ignore the laws. The banks were just plain greedy and wanted to cash in on more customers.
“Sympathy” is a word that, for me, does not apply to illegals. I don’t care if you’re an upstanding person just trying to make a living. I don’t care if you have mouths to feed. I don’t care if you love this country and are trying to make a better life for yourself. You didn’t come here legally, period. Therefore you get nothing, nada. Now get out.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.