Saturday, July 9, 2011

Day Labor Line Still Growing

In Salt Lake City, Utah there is a Home Depot on the corner of 2100 South Street and 300 West Street. The store is in an excellent location right next to Interstate 15. And on the east side of the Home Depot is an employment line. This employment line is the type of line that everybody knows about, but nobody talks about.

It is a line full of mostly Hispanic, with a few others mixed in, day laborers. Now mind you yes I did just "racially profile." But not to digress, I will explain this later. If these men had permanent jobs of the legal type, do you think they would be standing out by this Home Depot waiting for a pick up to the job site? Probably not.

Now, why did I mention Hispanic men earlier? Because that is their ethnicity most likely! They are probably from Mexico and Central America, where most illegal aliens come from. And they wait for their under the table employers to come and pick them up. It is summer and so the line is there well into the afternoon, even in the hot sun as the laborers wait to be picked up.

This Home Depot is an excellent place. Contractors come and get their supplies, wood, plumbing, glue, nails, power tools etc. and their labor. All at one convenient big box stop. Not too shabby right? Wrong! Now why is this day labor line allowed to exist. Because it is made up of Carnival workers waiting for their next show? No. It is because these people are most likely in the USA illegally and they have employers that don't want to have to pay American wages and deal with paying US, state, and local taxes.

And what do these Hispanics and others have to lose? Nothing. They get more in under the table jobs than they could earn in their home countries in one day. And this is a bad US economy. Meanwhile there are legitimate men and women looking for an honest days work for an honest days pay who do not have access to these black market jobs. I wonder if a bunch of gringos were in this line, would they get picked up by the bosses? Probably not. Americans and legals need real wages, not $5 per hour for heavy construction labor.

Now the reason I bring this up is this is one example as I have before, it that illegal immigration to a degree begins at home. When Americans want illegal aliens who are largely poor and under educated show up for work, you don't have to pay them a real skilled worker job. And the illegals are here just trying to support their families. But often it is also on food stamps, Medicaid, and other social welfare programs.

What does this day labor line have in common with the US border with Mexico? Everything you can associate with illegal immigration. Open borders are bad for both nations. With immigrants pouring over the border like ants to a picnic feast, and Mexico in turmoil who can blame them. But with the influx of illegal immigrants going into out job market, competing with out of work Americans and legal residents, for jobs it muddies the job market.

With that also comes the strain on education, social, and economic systems that are already beaten up. Criminals need work and a market to work in. Love those Americanos. They are willing to buy pot, heroin, and yes human cargo also. Mess with them and sometimes just go missing. Many criminals are garden variety rapists, murderers, thieves, burglars and wife beaters. They are taken off our streets and put in our jails.

Just don't make them face true justice or the Mexican government will get angry. All these elements come together. To control the problems created what do we as US Citizens demand? We close the damn border with Mexico.

How do we do this? Border Patrol allowed to do their jobs. National guard who are actually allowed to patrol and shoot. Aerial drones to spot and report on remote areas. Fencing where appropriate and feasible, heavy, reinforced, and guarded.

The 10s of millions of illegals in the nation already cannot be dealt with until the leak in the border is slowed to a trickle. Those who hire and help illegals knowingly get jobs need to face stiff fines and punishment. The bring a market for Coyotes and drug runners to smuggle illegals into the United States. Others who want to cause harm such as terrorism to Americans have that back door wide open. We need to shrink our problem with the US border and maybe the day labor lines for illegal workers and their employers will be shrunk or eliminated.

So where is your local day labor line full of illegals? There is one probably near you or your local big box hardware store.

DAY LABOR LINE LINK

No comments: