Undocumented Workers

For me to keep this document short is a real challenge. As is repeated often, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Being able to write directly to the point and not get distracted by insignificant footnotes is not one of my talents, but I’ll try.

The problem with an undocumented labor force cuts two ways. One way is good, while the other way is bad.

The Good: The undocumented workforce makes available a source of willing workers to do jobs that either we cannot afford to have done at prevailing rates, or no one else is willing to do them.

Prevailing rates is defined as an arbitrary number that will persuade an American to do the work. An example of a prevailing rate might be the minimum wage as set by Congress and is meant to apply to fulltime work. But if your job will only last for a short duration, the prevailing rate can go substantially higher. This is the niche that undocumented workers traditionally fill. Numerous jobs fall into this category such as highway construction, farm work, yard work, and any job that is particularly disgusting. The disgusting job list is long and includes mucking crews, poultry processing, and waste management. The above list is not complete, but I wanted to give you an idea of some of the low skill, undesirable jobs available.

We as a nation are very lucky to have a willing workforce to tackle these jobs. But sadly, if not for our friends from south of the border, these necessary jobs would be hard to fill. As I said, undocumented workers fill a necessary void in our workforce.

The foods we eat, the highways we drive on and the housing we enjoy come to us at a relatively modest cost since most of the menial, manual labor used in the production of these products are accomplished by the undocumented workforce.

The Problems: First and foremost, these imported laborers are human. They do not like doing crappy jobs either and will eventually migrate to better jobs. Whenever they find a job that is less of a pain and pays better, they move on leaving a void that is usually filled by another undocumented worker. This process keeps our need for more undocumented workers high. It is the human side of the equation that is often left out of any arguments about illegal immigrants.

Everyone is guilty of creating a market for the undocumented workforce. Whether you have a business or you just need a little help around your home, there is nobody better suited to help you than the undocumented day laborers that gather in well known places around town. Some city governments have even built day labor centers where they can gather and be found for hire.

Yes, these people have ensconced themselves into the fabric of our society, whether we like it or not, but there is a downside to this boon to our convenience of having cheap labor available.

• Loss of entry level jobs for our young people.
• Loss of tax revenues.
• Higher cost of education without the accompanying tax revenues to offset the expenses.
• Higher medical cost. (Somebody has to bear the brunt of their medical bills.)
• Degrading of our institutions because such large contingents of people do not have an understanding of our system.
• Formation of subcultures within the enclaves of illegal immigrants because of the language barrier.
• Higher tensions over skilled positions that Americans compete for.

From a position of arrogance, Americans want the “Illegals” to stay in their place. But I will tell you that as a potential employer, hiring someone who will do the same or better job for less money is who I would hire provided I am unwilling to overlook all of the negative impact on our society.

That thought brings us full circle. According to the results of numerous surveys, America does not have enough skilled workers to man their workforce. This takes in the whole spectrum of both professional and non-professionals who make up our society. We even import more foreign doctors than we produce in America.

We snip and flush potential European descended young which limits our available pool of American workers. Out of necessity, we have to import the help we need to maintain our economy. As a nation, we have grown apathetic to maintaining our society and the opportunities that we can create by doing due diligence. Our self-indulgence knows no boundaries. We look to others to do the heavy lifting and refuse to do those necessary things that keep us from being swallowed into bondage.

If we made citizens out of the undocumented workers presently in America today, I will positively guarantee you that those citizens will not remain at those low end jobs. For those entry level and generally crappy jobs, we will need to import more and more – then what do we do?

The answer does not lie with those who see votes or those who just see cheap labor. There has got to be a mechanism put in place that allows foreign workers to do those jobs. Work banks can be set up along our border with Mexico that matches employers and employees. At the completion of the job requested by the employer, the immigrant worker goes back to his country of origin or the work center to be available for another job. A work center would be able to track who is in the country and the duration of the stay involved. The employer would be held responsible for returning the migrant after the completion of the job.

Potential employers would have to be screened to insure that they made good faith efforts to hire domestic help before they can turn to the legal hiring of foreign workers. Foreign workers would have to be paid the prevailing rates for the task involved and pay taxes. Paying the prevailing rate for the task involved would prevent the pollution of cheap labor from destroying the job pool for Americans.

The anchor baby system needs to be abolished. That system is a large magnet to parents who want to put a foot in the door to this country.

This article addresses some of the issues surrounding our undocumented workforce. Changes need to be made. If we do make the present crop of undocumented workers citizens, then we have to change the way we handle our labor shortages. Remember, when any of the common laborers get the opportunity for a better job, they take it. The problem is that as they get better jobs, it leaves a job to be filled – guess where the worker comes from to fill the vacated spot? Yep, another undocumented worker is recruited. This type of demand for the undocumented workers is a revolving door that has a voracious appetite for undocumented laborers. The system needs to be changed. Do not accept a system that does not allow for some type of work program. Do not be lulled into the idea of a permit based on time. The permits should be job based and the employer held accountable for the duration. Allow no full time employment of foreign workers unless they go through the process of becoming an American citizen. Each employer of migrant workers must provide a timetable and description of the job involved before hiring, and then held accountable for returning that worker at the end of the job.

We can solve the immigration problem with a little effort. It is in our interest to do this because we absolutely need the labor. All that is needed is a little political will. My suggestion may not be work, but there are enough smart people who can figure out a manageable way to satisfy our labor needs without the added burden to the American people by way of the back door. Missed taxes, free medical, free school, and the rest of the benefits received without any payment except for cheap labor is charged to the rest of the American workers through taxes and higher but hidden cost.

Cheers,

-Robert-

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