Here's another example of "jobs lazy Americans won't do." Hell, people won't even stay and clean up their own excrement in their own home-town.
They clear rotten seafood from stinking restaurant freezers, wash excrement from the floors of the Superdome, rip out wads of soaked insulation. The work is hot, nasty and critical to the recovery of New Orleans. And yet, many of the workers are not actually from New Orleans. Many of those engaged in the huge cleanup and reconstruction effort -- nobody has an exact count -- are immigrants, both legal and illegal, from Mexico and Central America. Meanwhile, as many as 80,000 New Orleanians sit idle in shelters around the country. They are out of work, homeless and destitute. That irks some civic and union leaders. (snip)
http://www.washtimes.com/business/20051007-101928-3995r.htm
But but but .. I thought there were plenty of people who wanted to work
Yes disgusting jobs indeed! but we are Americans...but the perspective can look very different from other countries position. Poverty, has a way of motivating people in ways we in US can not understand. These facts you mention, probably prove better than anything, that there could be/should be a program of some kind to let people from other countries do these jobs... and at the same time protect them a bit with medical and other basic services. Maybe the Government should study which jobs need people willing to do them, and provide the mechanism for for immigrants to do these jobs, say a contract for a period of 5 years, at which time, they could be eligible for permanent residence.. assuming they keep their nose clean... and 4 years if they learn English and pass a test to certify this, etc etc. IOW, we could satisfy our needs, reward some people willing to work, and keep order and protect the borders, all at the same time!... instead of the mess we have now.