Okay.

I realize that, and I proposed a solution earlier. Probably too icky for most, however.

70% non-union? Yeah. Even if that is the case what does that prove?
Quit trying to act as though you have proof positive that housing costs would double if illegals went away.

Your interest begins and ends with your access to cheap labor to support your small business.

(1) Send 'em back.
(2) No amnesty no guest worker programs....but
(3) increase immigration quotas so they can come in legally BUT with the intention of becoming full contributing, full-paying citizens that assimilate into our culture.
(4) do not allow those who support reconquista of the southwest, who are subversives or drug smugglers
(5) after doing #1-4 put land mines on the border
(6) if this continues plan for an armed invasion of Mexico, conquer it, annex it and divide up into several states

END of STORY!!!!

Oh, I forgot the obvious solution to this problem.

Illegal Immigration: What should we do?

Leave out a bowl of anti-freeze.

That may be your experience in Iowa, or even some other parts of the country: I just don't buy the idea.....that many Americans who work fast food, or entry level service jobs....would not take a better paying job.

Why don't they ALREADY? Well.....I don't know. I think, as you suggest, some of it is laziness. Maybe companies would have to pay more, but no where close to double....I think a couple of bucks might even do it. If the jobs were readily available, and companies forced to be agressive seeking people to fill the jobs.....if anything, we might have a problem filling minimum wage/fast food types jobs, if anything.

I'm sure there's some good research on a lot of these questions:

anyone got links they are already familiar with? Dan T? Amnorix? :hmmm:

Because the illegals have deflated the wage base.

I still find it hard to believe that many people would rather work for $7-8 an hour at McDonald's, than for a Construction company or meat-packing plant for $11-12 an hour. We are talking about a 30-40% difference in wages.....

I understand the conditions may be less comfortable....but sheesh! Growth potential and standard of living should outweigh being "comfortable" and lazy, shouldn't it? Regardless, raising those wages to $13-15 an hour may be something we just need to do, if we want to address the problem. Otherwise, we should just shut up about it, I guess?

Anyone with insights about that?

Unions are almost non existant in residential housing, at least in the midwest.

And yes, my interest does have to do with keeping my business alive. Am I supposed to feel bad about that? When the median wage of the roofer in Des Moines goes up by 40-60%, I'm not going to cut into my profit margin, I'm going to raise my prices. As will every other contractor that worked on that house. That cost will be passed on to the consumer. I already said double was hyperbolic, but there will be significant increases.

You think I'm getting rich off this? Most construction business owners make a very modest living. It's not a matter of lining your pockets with the extra money that you make off illegals. It's about whether you break even, or make any money at all. We can't raise our prices everytime gas goes up 50 cents per gallon, or insurance rates double without making a single claim. Pay increases in the construction industry are stagnant compared to other industries. We don't get a 5% raise every year, because the cost of a new home doesn't go up 10-15k every year.

I'm living it. I had Americans making 30k a year working for me, that left for low education office jobs making 22k per year.

It's not just about money. It's hard fucking work. And our high schools are villifying the construction industry to the point that young adults don't consider these jobs as viable careers. 50 years ago, plumber or carpenter was an honest living. Now schools use those jobs as a threatened fate if you don't go to college.

Excerpt from an article in today's Washington Times:

Provisions in past bills that have given amnesty to illegal aliens have been used by at least five terrorists to stay in the U.S. while planning or committing deadly attacks, a fact that critics say proves their contention that the "path to earned citizenship" in immigration bills now before the Senate constitutes a security risk.

This is why I am strongly in favor of back ground checks as well as fines for companies that hire un-documented aliens.

Jesus was a carpenter.


(I'll leave it up to you to decide if I meant the son of God, or the mexican.)

Theodore Roosevelt was a pretty smart leader and he said:

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Not a good one, apparently. Did you see those scars on his hands and feet from the nail gun?

Eh, thats a pretty good point.

Dude...I can't rep you twice in a row.

This explanantion makes the most sense to me.