Yeah, I’m going to hop on my immigration soap box, yet again…Mainly with a rhetorical question.

Bush seems to think that illegals take jobs that Americans don’t want. Late, last week, I read an editorial with this line – which caught my attention – It’s not exactly that they take jobs Americans don’t want, it’s that they take jobs middle class Americans don’t want. – Granted, I’m not a “lower-class” American, so I can’t speak for those who would classify, economically.

Now, one of the “positives” of having a worker corps made of illegals is that it’s cheap labour, locally. I haven’t had the chance to actually read over this Immigration reform bill, but I’m curious as to whether or not the changes include paying minimum wage. Now, should they start paying minimum wage, or even comparable wage (to the type of work), I’m curious as to whether or not they will continue to seek the new round of illegals – those who choose to opt-out of this program – on the basis that they can pay below minimum wage. On top of that, there has been speculation about how exactly this plan will be enacted. One issue that I have seen mentioned, is the inability for this new class of worker to form unions or any other type of labour group. Personally, I would like to see them form Unions, to prevent them from being treated like labour animals vs. humans (e.g. inability to complain without threat of losing job and being deported). The 3 years time-table is a bit of an iffy for me, as well. So you have 3 years to work here. It takes upwards of 7 years to become a naturalized citizen through the normal channels. Will there be any retro-active clause for those who’ve chosen to enter legally, in the first place, to gain their citizenship earlier based on being gainfully employed and their contributions to this society in the time that they’ve been here?

Honestly, I don’t fully believe the b.s. about “jobs Americans don’t want”. Yes, there are those out there who believe that working on a fruit farm are beneath them (though, farming has been pretty much relegated to the realm of technology than multitudes of farm hands), but there are also those out there who are willing to do it. How about also putting into place a national job registry that includes relocation assistance for jobs like in that realm? If we look at the way we run the job market right now, small time things (like, oh say, an Army-Navy store seeking employees) don’t get internet postings online. They seek through local print, maybe, but mostly through word-of-mouth or window-front signs. There was one example from the Dallas Morning News, that I found interesting. An out-of-work white collar guy went out to the local “illegal pick-up” in hopes that he would potentially gain a day job, doing something. He was passed over by every seeker who showed up. Not for lack of body build (granted, that’s an opinion that I didn’t form), not for lack of intelligence (he wasn’t even approached). It can be assumed it was because he was white, was legal, and various other reasons. But it does make an interesting point to ponder, for me, and it really does point to a variety of other issues that complicate this whole smorgasbord of the greater issue. Again, I find that we’re probably putting a short-term solution that will end up creating an even greater problem in the future. However, a point that I found extremely interesting, came from the former Mexican Sec. of State. He pointed out that the Mexican population is gentrifying. Right now, we are getting the influx of the younger generation that sees no future in Mexico. That will continue for a decade or so, gradually decreasing, year after year, as the older generations become less and less mobile. Of course, that leads to problems on Mexico’s side for their own economy when they don’t have enough workers and the economy, potentially, takes a down-turn for that reason. Granted, it might also be a cause for an exodus of the younger generations (coupled with wealth, give or take) back to Mexico to take advantage of investment opportunities there to create more jobs.

But, alas, my cynical side tells me it’s all bunch of blown-up crap and I’m thinking too positively.