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It may be work that noone wants to do, but it isn't work that Americans are unwilling to do. That's one of the myths of the pro-mass immigration crowd. All of these jobs were done in past times when immigration to the US was moderate, and even today they are done somehow in areas of the country with few immigrants.

It may be true that Americans are unwilling to do these jobs under the poor working conditions that exist (low wages, no benefits, no bargaining powere), due in large part to mass immigration.

And if the federal govt did the right thing and reduced immigration it is not as if these jobs would go undone. First of all 30 yrs or so of mass immigration has ensured that there will be plenty of foreign born for decades to come. Secondly, economics tells us that if the labor supply were reduced while demand remained strong then several things would happen. Employers would increase wages and benefits to attract more willing workers, and/or they would find ways to increase productivity of existing workers, and/or they would invest in labor saving technologies.

I certainly won't cry if the man in the white van has to pay a few more bucks to have his plumbing done.

Employers would increase wages and benefits to attract more willing workers, and/or they would find ways to increase productivity of existing workers, and/or they would invest in labor saving technologies.

If you think for one second that "Employers" would just increase wages & benefits you have been smoking that funny stuff again. Lets re-write this as: "Consumers would end up paying more to employers for all types of goods & services as employers recovered the cost of higher wages and benefits."

As a California homeowner & minor league rental property investor (a few rental homes) I face a serious problem. I am capable of doing repairs myself and can not afford to run the properties if I have to pay contractors who will charge me 10-20 times what I can do most things for. When I need assistance, I have hired day labor.

The legal choices are grim. I can get homeless people--mostly criminals & drug addicts of some sort who tire rapidly and don't want to work in the first place. Usually quitting after just a few hours. Try this some day and you will get a quick lesson in just why the long-term unemployed are that way--they are essentially unemployable.

A legal second choice is to get a local teenager to help. All the ones I have ever hired are not bad people, or unemployable, but their attention spans are very short, and they will just plain poop out after only a few hours of even moderate physical labor. Plus they are inexperienced.

The mostly Mexican day laborers around here are a true joy by comparison with either of the above choices. First & foremost they are experienced and willing workers. Any of them can work me into the ground, will suggest better & faster ways to accomplish the task at hand, are careful, and seem to take pride in their work. In general, they are intent on avoiding crime & keeping a low profile. The primary "drawback", if it is one, is that most are intent improving their English, and every trip in a truck or spare moment becomes an impromptu language lesson.

As a group these people have self-selected for risk taking and desire to work.

We need to look into ways to take control of their numbers by providing some kind of guest worker system. This is much better than the "kick them all out" attitude so frequently expressed on FR. Anyone who is willing to take the risk of being smuggled into the country in the back of a truck just to work hard for low wages is the kind of person we want in this country.