8 Comments so far

1. namvet67 March 15th, 2007 4:32 pm

   It’s very clear that the vast majority of people come here for jobs. And we are a country that has many jobs to offer. H1B visas (except for doctors and lawyers) are one way. American nurses and high-tech workers are examples of American labor competing with international workers for jobs. That benefits the employers who now get lower labor costs, and hurts American workers by costing them money and jobs. The 12 million or so foreign workers without these H1B visas also benefit the employers by working for less, and working in jobs that won’t pay a living wage. If American employers were willing to pay American workers a living wage then there would be less incentive for foreign workers to come here for jobs.
   Hoa Binh

2. yaja March 15th, 2007 7:22 pm

   A misconcieved concept many americans believe, latin american immigrants come here for a ” better ” life. La” verdad” the wages are better. Maybe if you made an open border policy they could work here and return home NOT being U.S. citizens. Other news flash, they don’t increase our crime! in fact hispanic men and boys have a significantly lower incarceration rate than american born caucasion men and boys.

3. provoice March 16th, 2007 11:48 am

   yaja… that’s a crock of crap and you know it.

   For many years, I worked alongside migrant pickers that came to Michigan to pick strawberries, apples and cherries… most were Mexican nationals who DID go home after the harvest.

   On the whole, those workers were more dangerous than comparable U.S. farm workers because of their tempers and their tendency to carry large knives. Most of their disputes were within their own groups, and police paid little attention to the violence perpetrated on one Mexican by another.

   The laws permitted the migrant workers, and the law deported those who refused to go home… as it should be and as it has always been.

   Anyone in law enforcement knows that the U.S. jails and prisons are swollen with illegal invaders who have come here to smuggle drugs or to STEAL a better life. Estimates exceed 25% in many areas of the country which is amazing when you consider that they are less than 10% of the general population.

   As for the H1B visas, I know at least two highly skilled computer programmers who had to TEACH their H1B replacements how to do their jobs for 1/3rd the pay… seems odd that we have about as many high-end U.S. computer engineers unemployed as we have H1B visas in that field.

   It is insane that our government has allowed people to stream across our borders without being screened for drug smuggling, weapons smuggling, mental illness, criminal backgrounds, third world diseases or political affiliations.

   What’s more, I will guarantee you that there are at least TWICE as many illegal invaders in this country than we are being told.

4. Sean Donahue March 16th, 2007 1:57 pm

   An excellent article — as far as it goes.

   The one truth that it ignores is that most people coming from Latin America to the U.S. in search of work would rather be able to make a living in their own communities — but the economic and military policies the U.S. has imposed on the rest of the hemisphere have made that impossible.

   We need to create just trade policies that make it possible for people throughout Latin America to support their families without leaving home, and we need to pay reparations for the harm we have caused, especially in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and southern Mexico.

5. John Freeman March 16th, 2007 7:06 pm

   This whole ‘debate’ seems to forget the prime rule of capitolism. You cannot seperate a willing buyer from a willing seller. As long as corporate America gets away with illegal hiring practices the people selling their labor will find work. Of course, expecting corporate America to accept any penalties for their actions is rather silly. In any case, think about where you might get a head of lettuce if you wait for an American to get out into the field and pick it. I worked in the fields when I was a kid…the slowest Mexican could outpick me 3-1 on my best day.

   John Freeman

   Oh….the above maxum about buyers and sellers? Try it on for drugs and prostitution, same deal. The war on drugs, poverty, prostituion etc is just a war on We the People. Lotta money in dem wars.

6. Lobo Gris March 18th, 2007 1:50 am

   Sean Donahue March 16th, 2007 1:57 pm

   “We need to create just trade policies that make it possible for people throughout Latin America to support their families without leaving home, and we need to pay reparations for the harm we have caused, especially in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and southern Mexico.”

   How about some just trade policies first that make it possible for American citizens to support their families instead of the outsourcing of decent jobs to low wage non regulatulatory areas of the world to increase the profits of and for the benefit of the transnational corporations and their stockholders.

   Lobo Gris

7. Lobo Gris March 18th, 2007 1:54 am

   John Freeman March 16th, 2007 7:06 pm

   “This whole ‘debate’ seems to forget the prime rule of capitolism. You cannot seperate a willing buyer from a willing seller. As long as corporate America gets away with illegal hiring practices the people selling their labor will find work. Of course, expecting corporate America to accept any penalties for their actions is rather silly. In any case, think about where you might get a head of lettuce if you wait for an American to get out into the field and pick it.”

   I don’t have a problem with a guest worker program that allows foreign workers to come here and work in agriculture.

   I do have a problem with uncontrolled borders and illegal workers working in places such as an airport in Georgia as aircraft mechanics or working for a contractor in San diego on Navy ships.

   Lobo Gris

8. bncihukinuxi December 12th, 2007 10:32 am

   tithukycotiwy…

   exhawozipuru…

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