Posted on 10/15/2004 9:56:26 AM PDT by Mars55
Capps is not doing the job
A few months ago, I noticed a large number of workers working on a construction project here.
Since I speak Spanish, I began to speak with a few of them. It didn't take me long to learn they were recent arrivals from Mexico, and obviously illegal.
When I reported them to the U.S. Border Patrol office, I was told they had not been allowed to enforce the Simpson Act for many years. In summary, although the vast majority of citizens and legal immigrants in the U.S. are opposed to illegal immigration, the pressure groups are so powerful they have prevented enforcement of the law.
Action will be taken only through political pressure from a congressman, senator or high official in the administration.
I then contacted our Rep. Lois Capps, who refused to take any action. I next contacted the office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Within three days, all the illegal aliens were gone, replaced by legal workers.
My conclusion is that Lois Capps does not and will not support working people nor the wishes of labor unions. Perhaps, for this reason, and the fact that Capps has done a terrible job in Congress, many Democrats have banded together to form a Democrats For Regan organization. I urge your readers to contact this organization at P.O. Box 513, Santa Maria, 93456, or call 925-3367.
Perhaps other concerned Democrats like myself will even consider joining up to help put Lois Capps out of office.
Richard Dydell
Santa Maria
That's what I hear from my brother too. He moved to the St. Paul, Minnesota area a few years ago. I don't think there's a state in the union that the illegal aliens haven't found.
You are absolutely right about Unions and taxes being the cause for many to hire illegals. Small business simply can not afford the price of union workers or the taxes associated with their employment.
Oh, but don't think the illegals are cheap. They are not. They get a decent wage for their work, but a company can afford to pay them well without being bankrupted. Plus, the illegals are impressive workers in many cases. They are anxious to work and have a much better attitude than some of our lazy demanding workers.
And law suits! Workers sue for everything under the sun...not just injuries. This is a sue happy society thanks to the trial lawyers.
You're right .. earning $10 a day is better than the $1.50 they would earn in Mexico.
America needs to get rid of all those idiot regulations which hinder the growth of business.
I was very opposed to the plan Bush had for illegals, but on second thought it makes some sense. We use to have a Braceros program during the war. We needed the workers. It is often the immigrants who keep us in line because they do offer a good service and are willing to compete in our society. So, if they can do that honestly, why not? We need to get rid of some of the restrictions that make it impossible to work without belonging to unions. The unions are anti-productive in our society, imo. They are way too big and have way too much political power.
>>Some of our "representatives" are not representing us or our interests! This must stop! I say to them, enforce the law, or get out of town! America is not for sale or exploitation!<<
You need to write a letter to the President of the USA. He fits your description to a tee!
Where's your proof that construction companies are unable to make a sufficient profit while paying union construction worker's wages?
You're building an argument on a false premise.
What's the hardest manual labor job you've ever done? How much were you paid to do it and why aren't you still doing it?
Why don't you have any respect for the skilled tradesmen and the craftsmen that work in these construction fields?
It's snobs like you that are the reason that many socially and fiscally Conservative union members don't trust the Republican Party.
I'm not a union member, but there were many injustices visited upon employees in the past by their greedy employers that led to the formation of these labor unions.
There were and still are unscrupulous, unethical employers that would work their labor force to death, for barely enough to stay alive, and laugh all the way to the bank, while doing it.
The jobs these employers offered amounted to little more than indentured servitude or another form of slavery.
It appears you'd have the inclination to be one of those employers, if you owned your own company.
"There were and still are unscrupulous, unethical employers that would work their labor force to death, for barely enough to stay alive, and laugh all the way to the bank, while doing it."
You can see some of them every day right here on this forum. We're a blue-collar family and they've certainly made me look at the Republican party in a new light.
BTW, all these arguments about "union labor" might make some sense except for one thing: This answer doesn't explain why NONUNION construction workers in Right-To-Work states are losing their jobs to these illegals, too. And plenty of these American construction workers have no benefits, so it can't be that their healthcare/retirement/vacation packages are too expensive. That pretty much leaves "greed" as the motivating factor for employing illegals in this case, doesn't it?
Could be. But, maybe those Americans might like to be asked? What say you?
I remember doing the accounting for a Brick Mason who had a large company in town. He pulled up stakes and closed down his business when it became too difficult to meet the payroll. The burden of having employees was too great in our community. No one wanted to hire people for the increasing cost of doing business in our community. Instead, they hired the company who provided the illegal workers.
I believe the burden on employers is way too high. Not only do they have to pay the wage, but they also have to pay all the perks and benefits and then pay the cost of being sued for all sorts of frivolous claims. When they conclude that it isn't worth it, I don't blame them.
JMO. BTW...I remember working in law offices where there were 3-4 attorneys and 6-8 support staff. Today those attorneys work without that staff in very many cases. They can't afford the same staff. People no longer have those jobs because the cost of those jobs is just too high.
I believe greed is the motivating factor for employing illegals in the majority of cases.
These 'white-collar', greedy, slave-drivers aren't fooling anybody.
How can any political party hope to attract the socially and fiscally Conservative union members, if they have no respect for the hard-working, blue-collar, trades-people and the jobs that they do?
If the INS had prosecuted the construction company that employed the illegal aliens, the company that employed the American citizens would still be in business.
The fools in your community have passed on the costs of the 'cheap' labor for their home construction to all the rest of the U.S. Taxpayers.
They get cheap bricks and the lawbreaking construction company gets windfall profits and the rest of us get the bill for emergency room care, food-stamps, welfare, rental assistance, education, interpreters, etc. for all these, so-called, 'cheap', illegal alien laborers.
As has been said before, the mantra of these crooked business owners is 'Privatize profits, Socialize costs!'
"How can any political party hope to attract the socially and fiscally Conservative union members, if they have no respect for the hard-working, blue-collar, trades-people and the jobs that they do?"
Exactly right!!!
This seems to be the attitude of some short-sighted members of the Republican party nowadays: "Hey, all you dirty, lazy, worthless working-class people! Don't forget to vote Republican!" (That's certainly a guaranteed vote-getter - NOT!)
APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE .. right out of the UNION PLAYBOOK!
"What makes me qualified"
I know how to read!
Thanks. You have good points, but my experience is somewhat different. :)
I agree. The minimum wage laws should be abolished immediately so that citizens can freely compete with the illegals for these $10/day jobs.
Note that I was careful to write "your" $10/day illegals back there. If your BS detector is making noise, tell it to the source.
Regardless of the wages, the point remains the same. The b*st*rd who hires the illegals is doing so because he figures to get more bang for his buck and it's worth the risk. If we don't want him hiring illegals, we need to convince him he figured wrong.
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