[Chuzzlewit]

Bush says, jobs americans do not want ????? bulls*t... when I moved to California, I first applied for contructions pick up jobs , and house painting... employers laughed in my face... I was making $18 hour as a house painter in Michigan... they were paying $2 an hour to illegals for this work in Los Angeles....

[WackyKat]

I was making $18 hour as a house painter in Michigan... they were paying $2 an hour to illegals for this work in Los Angeles....

That's why this whole thing is a farce and will only make things much, much, worse

[Weimdog]

Interesting story here as well -

"I wholeheartedly disagree with the reported intent of this administration to issue temporary work visas to workers in the United States Illegally. As a Project Manager for an underground construction company [which he then names], I have had an extremely difficult and frustrating time dealing with the INS (now the Dept. of Homeland Security) regarding two Australian citizens with highly specialized knowledge and 7 years more experience than any comparable American Citizens for my microtunneling operations. They have extensive experience using a highly technical and specialized trenchless method, and have installed 3 times the amount of footage of anyone else in the world.

"I have spent numerous dollars in attorneys' fees, expedited processing fees, airline tickets, hotel rooms (both in Australia and the US) attempting to navigate the byzantine temporary worker visa program while attempting to get a green card or H1-B for the two Aussies in question. (These two Australians want to maintain their Australian citizenship but work in the US and train US workers to their standards for approximately 3-5 years and then return to their native country.) They are hard working, they pay US taxes, and they have made every effort to stay within the letter of US immigration laws (as has my company).

"I cannot begin to express how frustrating it is to me personally that it has cost me approximately US$50,000 (and untold frustration to the Australians and their families shuttling back and forth and disrupting their children's education and life), attempting to follow the regulations of US immigration laws, only to find out that our President is contemplating handing out 3 year protected working visas to any Tom, Dick, or Harry working here illegally that managed to sneak across the border one way or another and has made absolutely no effort to obey the immigration laws of the United States

http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/04_01_04_corner-archive.asp#022270

[jwalsh07]

I was making $18 hour as a house painter in Michigan... they were paying $2 an hour to illegals for this work in Los Angeles....

If thats the case, then wouldn't there be upward pressure on wages if companies hiring undocumented workerswere penalised severely?

[No.6]

"I was making $18 hour as a house painter in Michigan... they were paying $2 an hour to illegals for this work in Los Angeles...."

The astounding thing is that anyone should pay $18/hr for the amazingly skilled trade of applying paint to a surface. There are many jobs requiring four-year degrees that pay less.

[Phsstpok]

when I moved to California, I first applied for contructions pick up jobs , and house painting... employers laughed in my face... I was making $18 hour as a house painter in Michigan... they were paying $2 an hour to illegals for this work in Los Angeles....

Don't you suppose that if the temporary workers were "licensed," so to speak, that at least minimum wage laws would apply? Oh, and did you report the immigration and employment law violations that you observed these employers commit to the authorities and press? I bet you didn't bother. Too much effort to actually do something about it yourself. (if you did do something and were blown away by the authorities, my apologies for being flip - if you didn't, then think about it).