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Like it or not, that concept of Blue-Collar Middle-Class is a thing of the past.

Tell that to the millions and millions of hard working Americans that chose skilled trades over a college education. Someone has to do this work. And when our government pays billions of taxpayer financed dollars to provide A-Z welfare benefits to illegal immigrants so they can artificially depress the wages of honest Americans, the only ones that benefit from this are the illegal immigrants and the companies that employ them. Not everyone is cut out for higher learning. I take it that you could care less if many Americans find themselves unable to pay their mortgages or adequately provide for their family needs because of lower wages caused by illegal immigration. People like you will end up ruining this great country yet.

2 Issues here:
1. Although I do believe in expanded social services (No, I'm not a Socialist) I'll agree that no money/services (except basic health svcs.) should be given to illegal immigrants. Federal/State/Local help should go to Citizens/Residents who need it. (Like my wife, who after many years as a taxpayer is now an Enron ex-employee)
2. Those millions of hard working Americans are not loosing their jobs to illegal immigrants, they are loosing them to overseas work forces. Ask Mr. Ford why they're moving manufacturing to Mexico and he will tell you that they are made cheaper so when they bring them back and sell them in the US they can make more money. Is called Globalization. We design it, they make it , we buy it.
Is a very difficult balance. Americans want their SUVs bigger and their Gas cheaper... Are you willing to pay an unionized oil worker $35/hr. or more to produce oil in the US? Pay between $5.00 and $7.50 per Gallon? Most Americans do not.
I do feel sorry for those who can not afford education and even more for those who think they don't need it... the future is going to the very hard for them.