Posted on 02/21/2007 5:53:58 PM PST by NellieMae
I am getting really sick of the Mexican Invasion costing so many jobs in the Southwest Virginia- East Tennessee area. My husband is a brickmason. He is the 5th generation mason in his family- our son is the 6th. Up until just a couple of years ago brickmasons had contractors ringing their phones off of the wall wanting them to do work for them. My husband had to turn down dozens of callers because he couldn't do it all. Things have sure changed . Now, a lot of contractors in this area have gotten dollar signs in their eyes and all that they can see are cheap Mexican workers. My husband has actually had a contractor (real builders that know how to actually build a house are really scarce around here anymore) pull Mexicans on the job that he was working on because he was in such a hurry to get it finished that he couldn't wait the 2 weeks that it would have taken to do the whole job. They will pull in a huge crew and wipe the job out real quick. They waste a lot of brick though (they get paid by the 1000 brick). My husband is a very good, fast mason. His speed and quality is not the issue here. Most of these workers cannot even speak English. It is really aggravating to have lived in a place your entire life and have your livlihood seriously threatened by people that are not supposed to be here in the first place. How do we get rid of this problem? Also, on another related note: It was announced today that there are hundreds of jobs being cut in ANOTHER local factory, Bristol Compressors. I was told several months ago that a construction site in Mexico was marked with a sign that read:" Future site of Bristol Compressors" Is this a coincidence or is there another company by the name of Bristol Compressors?
Please see my post 211 : )
Thanks for pointing that out Mr. Potato Head!
"I lean to the right of Ronald Reagan!"
Dude, give it a rest. Reagan never espoused hiring illegals and breaking laws.
"Funny, I'm thinkin' this guy's about 13 years old and got a hold of daddy's laptop for the evening"
I've been wavering between that, or the old truism about stock tips and shoeshine boys.
For example, a drafter who learned to draw by hand 25 years ago would be lost and unemployed today if you failed to adapt to the new technology.
Unfortunately, those in the building trades are not a victim of technology but rather a free market economy that permits illegal workers to enter the building trades fields. The benefit to me as a consumer are cheaper prices for construction and the Death of Labor Unions!
On the down side I may lose some quality. However, the bottom line is that our Government and President Bush wants textile jobs to be exported to China and wants to import cheap labor from Mexico to take your husband's job.
It's not OK!
What I'm telling you is they are here, the government that WE elected doesn't seem to care and you can either compete or starve.
That's the harsh REALITY of this unfair world we live in! I deal in facts!
or maybe he's Mexican.
Reminds me more of George Soros : )
Your right that her husband doesn't have a right to a job.
Your also right that he has to compete BUT NOT WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS!!!
He has the RIGHT to compete for jobs with other legal americans who have the same expenses, taxes and overhead that her husband has!
There isn't a single contractor out there who should have to compete w/people who will work for 6$ an hour and pay no taxes or social security or have to pay for their own childrens education, food and shelter.
In this country, we NEED masons, electricians, builders, plumbers etc.... they may not have college educations but they have studied their craft even longer than most college grads and should be able to expect to support their families in at least lower middle class style. To expect these professional tradesman to live like third world peasants simply because illegal immigrants are allowed to compete is INSANE!!!
You mean like the steel workers that started up their own steel plant? - Or the auto workers that are building their own japanese death traps?
Man, this protectionism is killing us!
Free trade was the key demand of the Communist Manifesto, get with it!
They are not doing the job for less, only some half-a-- contractor is making a killing using substandard labor. Meanwhile, tax payers are paying the education and medical bills, and suffering the loss caused by the criminals.
There seem to be two types of people on this thread.
One type believes in the constitution. They believe in obeying the law. They want to enforce the laws on border security. It IS against the law for illegals to be here. They want enforcement of labor laws. It IS a law that illegals can't work here. That is why SSN's are asked for. They know that there are laws involving workplaces, including taxes, insurance, etc. Of course, illegals can work for much cheaper because taxes, insurance, etc. are not taken out.
The other type of person on this thread is what Ayn Rand labeled a "moocher". They care about nothing but their own well being. They don't care about laws involving border security, because they see illegals as a workforce to be exploited. Not utilized, exploited. THey don't care if illegals work without insurance, or benefits. THey don't care if americans lose jobs. What matters is the bottom line. THat is okay if there were a level playing field. However, illegals have no taxes taken out of their paychecks. Therefore, they cost the employer less, while still giving the illegals just enough money to want to come here to work.
Furthermore, the lack of tax revenue hurts the state, the influx of poor/illiterate workers hurts the value of the product, they stress the social systems upon which they arrive en masse, and they take the jobs of people who are by definition on an unlevel playing field by being legal citizens.
But none of this matters to this type of poster, he/she cares only about their own bottom line. They care nothing about individuals, only wealth creation. They care nothing about laws, constitutions, or morality. Only wealth creation.
I have noticed, however, that most of these types of posters are not brick masons, farmers, or any other type of producer. They are people who take the hard work of producers, and find a way to skim from their backs. I've yet to meet a Marine who believes open borders and lost American jobs is a good thing. Usually, the defenders of this viewpoint are speculators, lawyers, politicians, bankers, and other people who's "profit margins" are provided by the hard work of others, and who in fact provide absolutely nothing to the common good whatsoever. Some of the classes just listed still are understanding of the hard work of the producers, and empathize with them. But the coldest, most out of touch with reality still manage to find their way to these forums.
"I deal in facts!"
ummmmmmmmm no you don't.
Laws are "facts" too.
LOL.
It's just a matter of time 'til your job vanishes, too.
I've got a friend, a programmer for Chase Manhattan. He lost his job, as did everyone else, when they shipped his entire division over to India.
Henry Ford figured out that Americans need good jobs that pay well, so he would have customers for his cars...nowaday corporations say "screw the workers, screw Americans. If we can ship all our jobs overseas and lay off 25,00 Americans, that'll give everyone in management multi-million dollar payoffs!"
But what about when there ARE no good-paying jobs in America??
Ed
I don't sell my software.
I use it personally to trade. I took a skill I learned over 20 years and use it to help ME trade the market.
If the services were outsourced maybe I could get better prices from my broker.
If you guys want to talk about thieves! Let's talk about brokers!
Very well said and Oh, how true.
Quite sad and unfortunate that the level of discourse this evening on this topic has turned quite nasty and uncivil. To those who agree and disagree, please be civil and present you arguements in an intelligent manner not hurling, mean insults and let us all be respectful of others./America Is A Land Of Free And Diverse Opinions-Seoul62..............
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