Illegal Immigration: What should we do?

[jspchief]

Originally Posted by vailpass

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.

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.