Immigration Reform...why can't we...

[SemiCharmedQuark]

Immigration Reform is a sticky issue. I believe that I see a lot of people taking those concerned about jobs for racists and those concerned about people as corporatists. I have a question...

Why can't we open the borders? Allow Mexicans to come here and work. If Mexicans are legal, 1.) they will be more likely to return home when they have earned some money. This is based on studies that have shown they are more likely to stay because they are afraid that they cannot return. 2.) They will report abusive employers who underpay or have substandard working conditions. This would require that corporations of course pay big time when they are caught hiring anyone "under the table". Not just a fine. Wal-Mart could pay 10K and not blink. Perhaps a percentage. Mammoth fines. Also, since this would make minimum wage the bottom again, Americans would have the edge, as they speak English. Mexicans would fill in the gaps, if there were any.

Bottom line, WHY NOT MAKE THE CORPORATIONS PAY.

[justice1]

1. I don't understand...

Are you suggesting an open border but limited jobs?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

2. Limited jobs, when the option is

hire someone that speaks English for minimum wage, or someone that doesn't for minimum wage. Who do you think gets the job?

[shamrock]

3. In my opinion:

On the surface that sounds like a great idea, but.....we would probably have a massive increase in people who want to come here to work. Then we would need quotas, then we're right back to square one. Also, once the employers started paying fair wages and benefits you would have Americans competing for those jobs. There would also be a large number of workers who still choose to stay here illegally.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

4. "there would also be a large number of workers..."

I don't think so. They cross illegally because they can't get in any other way. They WANT to have rights.

Also, quotas have not existed for decades. And I thought that that is what Americans wanted? A "may the best man win" system?

[shamrock]

5. what I meant was

that once employers start paying fair wages and benefits, Americans would compete for the jobs. In other words, many of the jobs wouldn't be available for immigrant workers. Dont't you think they'll still come, and employers will keep ignoring the laws like they do now? We do have laws already to deal with this and they are ignored, so why would that change?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

6. That's the other half. We HAVE to punish the corporations.

Punish them big time. Right now, there is a loophole. Basically, a corporation can claim that they didn't know the person was illegal because that person had obtained fraudulent documents. Thus, they have NO reprecussions for hiring illegals. Should the borders be opened, a corporation can no longer claim this, because it is a non-issue. Since now, Mexican workers were legal, they also would be willing to report those that were undercutting them. And this is where the punishment comes. Once a corporation gets caught, there is a ZERO TOLERANCE policy. No loopholes. No second chances. You get caught paying "under the table" and you pay a massive fine.

[shamrock]

9. I'm not so sure about

the corporations being able to claim they didn't know about false SS#. I worked at a small nursery in Oregon a while back. Since I speak Spanish part of my job was to call the (mainly) Mexicans whose SS#'s weren't valid and explain to them that they would have to straighten that out then reapply for the job. My employer told me that since they were a small company they couldn't afford the fines, like the larger company's could.
That tells me that they were able to verify the documents and that it wasn't a loophole.

[TahitiNut]

7. How much of the workforce should be without voting rights?

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040106G.shtml
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/032706O.shtml

How 'motivated' will politicians be to raise the minimum wage when the people who benefit most can't vote? How 'motivated' will politicians be to enforce Federal Wage and Hours Standards when the people who benefit most can't vote? Isn't it bad enough yet?

:eyes:

[SemiCharmedQuark]

8. And how many of our low-wage earning citizens vote?

Again, those that speak english would logically be preferred over those that can't. Point: The majority of the workforce would remain American. Not that that would do any good, since we know how great Americans are at defending their own democracy.

That said, you raise a good point. I don't know. But it seems a better answer than "deport them all!"