Posted on 12/24/2010 3:46:32 AM PST by Scanian
A hailstorm brought the useful life of my mother's roof to an end this summer. An acquaintance of mine came to the house, gave Mom a bid, and left with a deposit check. When his crew arrived a few days later, their appearance shocked my mother. Apparently, she had expected the 2010 counterparts of Archie Bunker and Ralph Kramden. Instead, she had six workers, one of whom could speak English...sort of.
In a recent American Thinker essay, Christopher Chantrill explored the motivations that might lead a new contractor to hire "undocumented" workers rather than tax-paying, on-the-books, legal workers. By tacking on a 32% surcharge in the form of payroll taxes, our government provides a profound disincentive for small-scale employers to play by the rules.
I understand how money matters can lead a roofing contractor to hire the most recent arrivals from Chiapas rather than the most recent graduates of Rydell High School. That 32% could allow our contractor to underbid the rule-followers by 10% and still pocket a lot more in the way of profits. It's not right, but it is understandable.
Similarly, I can understand the forces that would drive a young man from the rural reaches of Mexico over the Rio Grande and onto that roofing crew. If I had the choice between staying home and earning perhaps $500 a month or heading north and earning double that at minimum wage, I'm pretty sure I'd have my bag packed. That's an understandable motivation as well.
Just as easily, I understand the motivation of people like my mother who take advantage of that lower-paid, off-the-books labor. Mom could have insisted on a strictly legal crew. Had she been able to find such a group, she'd have probably paid at least a 20% premium...
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Bull. I understand crass stupidity when I read about it.
Cheaper isn’t better.
Disagreeing with the laws concerning taxation and immigration is no basis for breaking laws. Then anyone can pick and choose what laws they will respect. Hence progressives are always talking about violence against conservatives — they have no respect for laws or for the opinions of others.
This author is being more than a little disengenuous. 20 Million new rat voters is a pretty strong incentive for the rats. Labor is permanently cemented to the rats.
Thanks for posting.
There are a number of things that people (like the grandma in the story) do not consider, when hiring a crew of cheaper but “undocumented” workers.
1. Contractors who hire them to save money, are prolly doing other things to save money, too. Namely, skimp on insurance and bonding. This makes the homeowner liable for any injuries on the job. Courts across the US have ruled on this repeatedly. Some amigos who have been seriously injured have won multi-million dollar judgments from HOMEOWNERS.
2. Contrary to popular thought, construction is SKILLED, and not unskilled labor. Hiring someone who possibly completed sixth grade in Mexico (but likely dropped out in the fourth grade) to be a pair of hands is cheap, but foolish. Wait until the next “big one” hits CA, and you’ll see what unfettered illegal immigration costs, in terms of workmanship. It will be measured in how many homes simply collapse out of shortcuts in skilled labor, materials, and building regulations. Just watch. And because they don’t speak English, and are barely fluent in proper Spanish, btw, they cannot understand instructions!
3. Being undocumented also means this: you have no idea of the true identity or background of this worker. Meaning: this kind grandma (who may be living alone) has hired a worker who now knows that there is this elderly, trusting little ol’ lady, living at 123 Main Street. And this worker, who may be the salt of the earth, has friends and family, who may not be the same. People talk. IMO, this lady has been exposed as a possible soft target for crime. For all she knows, this guy could have been a wanted rapist back home. That is what UNDOCUMENTED means...you have no official identity or record!
When my sister, who is a lawyer, had her home built, she kindly informed ALL contractors: Your employees had better all be legal to work in the US or else. She also warned them that she reserved the right to check the “papers” of their crew, and to call ICE if necessary. Because she did that, she put food on the tables of some Americans. Instead of enabling some amigo to work under the table and send a good chunk of that to Mexico, while the US taxpayers are supporting his family with benefits.
Someone I know bought a house in NJ that needed a lot of work. He reached out to a legal Hispanic, the brother of an acquaintance. He was offered a cut rate deal of $30,000. Then he reached out to local illegsls, and got the entire job - new bathroom, tearing diwn walls, etc. — for $3,000. I call that a significant difference.
I’d rather see enforcement than reform. Actually, now that I think about it, reform is just like “fixing” our medical care system. They’re fixing something that isn’t broken. Don’t we have laws already against crossing the Rio Grande Northbound without an invitation?
“Reform” is one of those Democrat words made out of thin air to promote their power grab.
Amen. I have heard about shoddy work by illegals over and over. I watched a crew of tree trimmers, contracted by the local utility, cut the trees in my back yard. ALL of them spoke broken English-no one can convince me that they are all here legally. Eight Americans could be doing that work. I do not want to here the BS that Americans will not do that work.
When a governor of a border state finally cracks down on these companies that hire illegals and takes away the welfare and benefits from illegals, they illegals will self-deport. That will demonstrate a significant decrease in crime, emergency services, classroom size, welfare enrollment, etc. It will demonstrate that each and every illegal is costing each and every American way too much. The new math will read illegal + immigrants = lost $$$$
Being half of a Hispanic, people frequently ask me to find them “a good Mexican” concrete man, carpenter, roofer, whatever.
Not wanting to get into a scolding session, I always tell them: yes, I have lots of Mexican customers but they are the LEGAL variety (as a mortgage broker my first question is, “Do you have a social security card? Let’s copy that and your drivers license”).
When they find out that I only have contacts who are US born or here legally, they seem to lose interest quick.
Sad. Everybody wants to get away cheap. Without thinking about the consequences long-term.
Secure the freakin’ border!
If you don’t want to do that first, I’m not interested in anything else you have to say, Mr. Politician.
Sorta off topic but doesn't his Mom have homeowners insurance?
Does the fool author believe that people will get the same “deal” (cheap labor) once Congress “reforms” immigration? If illegals are given amnesty, their employers would have to pay that “32% surcharge in payroll taxes” and wouldn’t be able to underbid other contractors. Good-bye, gravy train.
Of course.
If a Hispanic is here legally, the chances are much higher that they are skilled, for example. They may have gone through one of the many apprenticeship programs, for one thing. If not, they prolly have a working knowledge of English and can be taught the skills they need, etc.
Yes, you can find a good Mexican. Most of them are terrific people. They work very hard, and yes, sometimes harder than our own native born Americans. And I happened to be at work the very day there was a small immigration raid, hauling away a half dozen of my coworkers (whom I’d known were illegal). And it was heartbreaking, I have to say.
I don’t blame them, as they are pawns. I blame the people that hired them (including my former company). They aren’t just taking advantage of these workers; they are taking advantage of the system by hiring on the cheap, and then foisting the “benefit package” of a living wage (food stamps, housing assistance) and health care (medicaid, etc) on the taxpayers. Many of whom who have lost their own jobs!
And this is to say nothing of the strain on charities. When I worked at our local Catholic Church for the Christmas Charity meal-a-palooza, at least 80% of the people in line were Latino. They spoke little English except for “thank you.” It was a thoughtful gesture on their part to ensure that they and their children said it in English, instead of “gracias.” But I can tell you that Dixie Care & Share (which is what the Salvation Army in S. Utah is called) is nearly tapped out. Charities here are at a crisis stage. We are close to both AZ and NV, both economically in deep shit, testing the legendary Mormon charitable impulses.
I call it economic warfare waged by illegals against Americans by foreign invaders. I live in NJ, I used to work in the home building industry. I’ve seen how illegals undercut American contractors all the time. And it’s not just some guy in a pick-up truck hiring illegals. Toll Brothers hires them, through sub-contractors, Hovnainain , Ryan Homes, all the big builders hire them.
When I have work done on my house I do the same thing your sis does. I tell anyone I ask for a bid that I do NOT have illegal aliens on my property for any reason. Where I live I have had many of them simply not call back.
“Secure the freakin’ border!
If you don’t want to do that first, I’m not interested in anything else you have to say, Mr. Politician.
“
Precisely. “Reform” is just a Commucrat Red Herring.
Doesn’t work where I live. We have sooo many illegals that their prices aren’t that much lower than a regular company now if you look around. I know people who have hired illegals and could have used an American company for the same price more or less.
Awhile back I called someone to get a bid on trimming a huge tree in the front yard. I knew he was probably an illegal because he wasn’t licensed, just left a card on my front door. After I got his price (from his daughter because he spoke very little English) I called my regular tree company. There was a $75 dollar difference. That is cheap to have someone licensed, insured, and hires Americans in my opinion.
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