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191 Comments
- peregrine, on 10/12/2007, -12/+57Sure when your parents came over the FIRST thing they did was learn the language? No. The first thing they did was get a job, they would've cared less about learning a new language, they wanted a better life for their children. Do you think that when all those Germans came over their weren't German stores and German signs accepting German money? What about the Chinese? How about the Italian? The Russian? The MAIN differences here with the Mexicans is that:
A they don't have a ocean to cross so they can get here.
B they do farm work and jobs that are spread out all over the country that YOU DONT WANT TO DO. Hell if you want to come out to the farm down the road and pick pickles for less then minimum wage and live in the mobile homes the farmer brought out so they had someplace to stay, fine by me I'll tell him your interested.
You guys need to grow up and accept these people, 'there taking our jerbs' is no longer a good excuse, and the excuse that "I'm getting real sick and ***** tired of pressing 1 for English and such, you know what I mean? " is dense. The adults also have no time to learn English, cause they are too busy picking the pickles, mowing your lawns, prepping your food, and building your house; in order to to put food on the table. The parents are not here to improve themselves they are here for their children who in turn will become Americans and assimilate.
I don't care what you say, the Mexicans coming over here have the same intentions that your ancestors did and that was for a better life for their posterity. You cannot say they tried to do this or they at least were proud, because you were not there, and nor was I for that matter. But at least I have the sense to stand up out of the Mexican hating crowd and say hey I've read the history books, I've seen the pictures, I've read the diaries, this is how it was. Only basis you have is movies and your prescious faux news. - RockMyMonkey, on 10/12/2007, -10/+48I just got back from a shift cleaning toilets. There is no job an American won't do.
- sicc, on 10/12/2007, -52/+89It's not that we WON'T do them, the Mexican invasion has made it so we can no longer AFFORD to do them. I'm sick of hearing about the jobs "we won't do". Funny, we were doing them 20 years ago, I wonder what could have possibly changed all that? Oh yeah, illegal immigrants.
- Gir53457, on 10/12/2007, -24/+57Wow sicc, you really believe that? My ancestors came here with hopes of equality and better lives, were met with hostility and ended up in the five point area with the other Irish immigrants doing unskilled labor for an eighth of the pay that a native born man was payed. We stayed close to other Irish and it took four generations of children to finally assimilate into American culture.
- argoff, on 10/12/2007, -3/+30OK. I live in San Diego. We are flooded with illegals, but the funny thing is that it isn't the illegals that are hurting us. The white and black welfare moms and public project families just south and east of the city are killing us, as for the illegals - it is clear that they are working their buts off. Everywhere you go there are illegals busting their ass in construction, gardening, auto repair, car washes, grocery stores, and so on and so on.... Ever hear of the city hall scandals down here? I am convinced that if not for the illegals, the whole city would have suffered a financial collapse by now.
One morning I got up early to go to the grocery store. Standing out front were dozens of illegals waiting to be picked up for odd jobs. Then I drove down the road a bit to the freeway entrance, and standing there were a bunch of white people soliciting for a handout. If that doesn't say it all, I don't know what does. Even though, being white, it is nervracking to be out numbered by so much. I for one am very thankful that they are here. I think that what's happening is that the government is screwing up the economy, and every body wants to blame the illegals. Please don't do that, they are part of the solution, not the problem. - halavais, on 10/12/2007, -17/+44The idiocy in this thread is palpable. City of San Diego has funded three studies to show how the "Mexican Invasion" is hurting their economy, and they have each concluded that illegal immigrants improve the economy, and the lifestyle of "legal" Americans.
And no, I don't believe that Americans will pick strawberries. If they would, they could get hired. Because many Americans think that making zero an hour is better than making $7 an hour.
As for the language issues, the fact that Americans are proud that they are one of the most uni-lingual nations on the planet is really, really sad. - sicc, on 10/12/2007, -70/+96@ peregrine
You know what the difference is? When my ancestors came here they were happy to be here, they were proud to be an American. They actually learned the ***** language and didn't attempt to bring their country with them. Mexicans have no intention of melting into the melting pot. They want to bring their third world ***** hole with them to our country and refuse to blend in with us and be Americans. And that's the issue I have with them, it's safe to say that's also the issue most everyone else has with them. If they would make an attempt to become American, I would have no issues with them. I'm getting real sick and ***** tired of pressing 1 for English and such, you know what I mean? - anvilon, on 10/12/2007, -2/+24Whenever this subject raises it's head, I just go watch Discovery's http://www.discoverychannel.ca/dirtyjobs/ and confirm, yet again, that there's no job American's won't do.
- BlackCow, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17"Spending your days tethered to a computer is also work that many Americans avoid. The Information Technology Association of America notes that 77 percent of companies it polled said there was a shortage of qualified IT talent in the United States."
Well yeah, us geeks have such horrible reproduction rates no wonder we aren't inheriting the earth yet. - Bortoni, on 10/12/2007, -5/+20Idiot. Your broad statements show your ignorance. Maybe you have a third world education. I'm a Mexican that's now US citizen. I speak perfect English and Spanish. I have blended perfectly. Please don't make blanket statements that are clearly not representative of all Mexicans. Oh, and my brother-in-law is from Guadalajara Mexico. He speaks better English than you.
- belfastbiker, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15Bollocks. Americans are NOT lazy. And they're one of the best countries when it comes to setting up your own business.
- headzoo, on 10/12/2007, -6/+20"They actually learned the ***** language and didn't attempt to bring their country with them."
No, not really. Most immigrants still held strong ties with their "home country" all their lives. They were still very proud to be German, Italian, etc. It was their children -- born in America -- that finally cut ties with the old country. - hackwrench, on 10/12/2007, -8/+21It's not that they're lazy, it's that they're taught self-victimizing values.
They are taught by their parents things like "The rich man is keeping us down" - tobyjoe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13Penalizing businesses who hire illegal workers and having unions and a minimum wage seem like good ways to ensure that jobs are filled by legal workers.
- jerfoo, on 10/29/2007, -4/+15Replace "illegal immigrant" with "legal immigrant" and all of my bitching would go away.
- halavais, on 10/12/2007, -6/+17@pcgeek101, I can see why you might be upset, if that were really the case.
The truth is, most illegal immigrants pay into the tax system (through fake SSNs) and will *never* see benefits from that. In fact, they are subsidizing your benefits. Study after study have shown that they add to the economy, not take away from it.
Now, if you decide you want to spend your tax dollars building a stupid Wall Across The Continent, that's hardly their fault. I only wish you would do it with your private donations and not my tax dollars. - BigSlacker, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12Lazy? The $43,000 per capita GDP seems to say otherwise. Someone is out there doing all that stuff.
- Mu99ins, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14
Corporate America has the public duped again. Mexicans are hired because
they work for less. They live in barracks conditions until they go home and spend
their money. There are plenty of high school dropout who need jobs, and allowing
Mexicans to lower the wages in the lowest wage sector is especially cruel. - tobyjoe, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13Does government policy apply to illegal labor? Does it apply to illegal *anything*?
Penalizing businesses heavily for hiring illegal labor of ANY type - underage, unapproved for work, etc - should be policy. - sfacets, on 10/12/2007, -4/+14You work hard, but alot of that work is not done for the community, but for businesses. Cleaning toilets is an example of community work, raking up leaves, and other such crappy jobs.
It's not so much that you won't do it, it's that why would they hire you when they can hire a cheaper illegal immigrant, or a legal one who doesn't know he/she is getting ripped off? - slothlovechunk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9That's funny, all of the second-generation mexican americans I know are just like all of us other ***** americans.
- Comatose51, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12It's ***** BS for people to say Americans won't do this or that. Compared to other developed nations we work our asses off. The problem isn't that we don't work hard enough. The problem is that we work way too hard. The 40 hours work week is a myth. We've become so attracted to consumerism and materialism that we would gladly work those extra hours for that end of year bonus to buy that new SUV. All the while our children suffer from the lack of parenting and we keep asking the government and other entitites to take over that role for us by imposing ratings on movies, music, etc. We wonder why our teenagers are so problematic. My personal observations have been that the children of successful people usually don't have these problems because one parent stays home and have the time to actually participate in their children's lives. It's really insulting for people to turn around and call us lazy.
- tobyjoe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10I agree entirely.
There seems to be an opinion floating around that goes something like this:
* If a worker can't survive in adverse market conditions (low-wage jobs) they should adapt, educate themselves, become more qualified and compete!
* If a company can't survive in adverse market conditions (higher minimum wages, unionization rights), we should do everything we can to change those adverse conditions so their profits are higher and easier to come by.
I see those as incompatible views, yet they're often held in tandem by people. - culbeda, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8"1,804 hours per worker for the United States in 2005, compared to 1,434 in Germany and 1,535 in France"
They obviously didn't factor in IT people into these figures... - Brewno, on 10/12/2007, -8/+16@sicc
"They actually learned the ***** language and didn't attempt to bring their country with them."
Are you ***** kidding me?
I don't remember them learning Cherokee, and I'm pretty sure they brought their country's religion/customs/language with them.
Don't give me this integration *****, America is one of the most diverse countries in the world, and that is something to be proud of, not to deny. - elnerdo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10Ahh yes, you certainly got it, ALL Americans are lazy, great observation.
erikf, based on your beliefs, the only morons I can see is you. - RITMaloney, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12Labor is a resource.
Massive illegal immigration is increasing the supply of that resource and depressing the price point.
Economically this is good for the those who need to purchase labor. American Business.
Economically this is bad for those who need to sell their labor. Low Skilled American Laborers.
In deciding its immigration policy who should the government protect? - sicc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8So what? Big business can revert back to paying real wages for all jobs, like it used to be.
You think I give a ***** what a companies bottom line is or how much their stupid CEO is able to make?
If I someone said to me: O.K., you can either pay 40% higher prices and have no illegals in your country or you can keep all the current prices real low but all the illegals stay.
I would choose higher prices and no illegals in milliseconds. - tobyjoe, on 10/29/2007, -10/+16Threads like this are a great way to bolster your block list!
- wm2010russ, on 10/12/2007, -10/+16as long as theres people on welfare in this country, collecting unemployment checks, i say that there plenty of people who should be doing these so called "undesirable jobs." Its not that americans refuse to do their jobs, it that people dont want to start at the bottom and work their way up. they want to immediaely be handed a high paying job, and if they arent, then all of a sudden its the rich people being "unfair" to them.
- tobyjoe, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8"If this statement is true then it means that we have been failing miserably with our boarder control"
No, it means we've been failing miserably with policing our companies and ensuring they comply with labor laws.
Choosing not to focus on the companies and shifting blame to immigration policy is coddling the companies, pretending that they're defenseless in the face of a horde of illegal labor, taking the onus off of them entirely.
Gee, I wonder if there has been much lobbying and PR towards shaping this scenario... - adam84a, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Think again, did it for four years and all of my coworkers were also legal citizens of America.
- Clp727, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7What ever...
Halavais, you are truly misled my friend. Corporate greed is the ONLY reason that illegal immigrants are able to remain here in the first place. I don't see these corporate leaders moving their families to these third world countries and setting up a home. The wealthy don't even buy the crap that is imported from Mexico or China. They are simply taking advantage of those who have nothing.
I don't hate any of these people. I do however want to see the America that my parents grew up in. I don't want to live in a three bedroom apartment with four families like the illegal immigrants do. Do you? No? Then stop supporting those who take advantage of them. Either make sure that they take the necessary legal steps to gain citizenship, or STFU. The LEGAL immigrants in America want the same salaries and lifestyles as those who have been here for generations. The illegal immigrants are here for as long as they can be, and sending their income back to Mexico to their families.
If picking fruit for $2.00 an hour is a real issue...by some ***** farm equipment that will do it for you. Don't come off with some ***** about Americans won't do it. Would you do it for 2.00 an hour in a country where you can't survive on less than $10.00 an hour? Didn't think so. I can grow strawberries in a clay pot on my deck for God sake. This is America! If you can't afford to pay someone a living wage, then maybe you don't deserve to do business in this country! Guess if you lived 200 years ago you would've supported slavery too. We have standards in this country. We have labor laws. We have immigration laws too. - jasonlich, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Best quote from the article: "It's not so much that Americans aren't willing to pick fruit and become computer programmers. Rather, they aren't willing to do those jobs for the prevailing wages and benefits."
- Clp727, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6This story is inaccurate!
The fact is that inflation has made the salaries of many jobs become unattractive. When the cost of living exceeds your income you either sink or swim. People that actually want to maintain a decent lifestyle must either adapt to the inflated cost of living, or become bankrupt. You can't live on a McJob in America with out federal aid. Factories aren't willing to provide workers with an acceptable income because their board members and investors only see the labor force as an impedance to their profits. When NAFTA was passed in the late 90's, it gave many corporate giants the green light to set up shop in other countries where the workers salaries could be MUCH lower than that of the American worker.
It isn't that American WON'T do the jobs, it is in fact that Americans can't live on the low income from those types of jobs.
Americans should boycott the companies that have moved their manufacturing facilities off shore, or get used to a big change in our way of life. Wealth is shifting... - Frozo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Amen.
- webqaz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5tobyjoe I do agree with we've been failing miserably with policing our companies and ensuring they comply with labor laws
- jerfoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5@ halavais
You aren't looking at the whole picture. The American economy isn't all roses. In the last few years CEO pay has sharply increased while the average American worker's pay has decreased. The illegal labor "from the south" isn't helping America, it's helping American CEOs and hurting the average American. - jerfoo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7@tobyjoe : "Where is your proof that illegal immigrants carry more disease than any other traveler?"
Check:
http://washtimes.com/specialreport/20050212-112200-6485r.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigration_to_the_United_States
http://lungdiseases.about.com/od/tuberculos2/Tuberculosis_Signs_Symptoms_Treatment_and_Prevention.htm
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/5/8/230000.shtml
http://www.laborlawtalk.com/showthread.php?t=48951
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43275 - siszam, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7From the article:
"The failure here isn't in the work ethic of Americans. Rather, it lies with the CEOs, business owners, university and hospital administrators, and government officials—and ultimately, with all of us who benefit from cheap labor—to offer the wages and benefits necessary to attract sufficient numbers of legal workers"
EXACTLY! Just look how people reacted when they raised the minimum wage. They acted like the world was ending and everyone would starve because the working poor get the first raise in a decade. People are willing to work but companies would rather hire illegals so they can pay low wages, skip insurance and social security, and pay under the table. There is no shortage of willing, American workers. There is a shortage of honest, upright, respectable employers. The same people who speak out against raising minimum wage are the same people who would have slaves if they could get away with it. Illegals are their version of the modern slave and all Americans suffer because employers are cheap and immoral.
The article backs that up. - WyrdWolf, on 10/29/2007, -2/+740k is more than enough to survive and even prosper, assuming you are not living in one of the over-priced areas of the country, I do taxes for a livign and see people everyday living on less than 20k, and they have kids, yeah they suffer and do not save for the future, but if they can live on 20k, then with 40k you can live well and save, the problem is, people try to live well above their means.
- hackwrench, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6There's always something you'd rather be doing. If by doing something they'd rather do less than what they are usually doing, they can in turn do something they'd rather do more that what they are usually doing, there are people who take that exchange.
- wrongwayrob, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6It's less about the cost and difficulty of becoming a doctor and more about the cost and difficulty of being a doctor in a medical system that is being ruined by the US government and AMA.
- tobyjoe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6"Why on earth do you think you deserve to get paid *more* for work that someone is willing to do for less."
Labor laws, minimum wage, adherence to taxation, and the basic human rights protected by labor laws.
It isn't about the right to BE PAID a fair wage to me - it's about the right of companies to break the law and PAY a lesser wage. - tobyjoe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6"I'm looking at you Tyson Chicken."
Oh come on, now! How would people get cheap, inferior meat filled with antibiotics and hormones they would NEVER, EVER take in pill form if the Tyson execs weren't able to buy new mansions with profits boosted by dodging regulations?
You're hitting too close to home. You'll have to pry the artificially-colored frankenchicken from the fat, cold, dead (hormone and preservative-filled) fingers of Americans!
SHAME ON YOU! - Desslok, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9The rise in rates of disease in areas heavily populated by illegal immigrants, especially with diseases that had previously been eliminated from those regions/states/countries. Anyone legally moving into or out of this country (U.S.) is required to have immunizations to numerous diseases; illegals, who go around this process, are carriers of diseases that would otherwise be curtailed, controlled, or eliminated.
- BentCorner, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7I'm tired of the federal government turning a blind eye to illegal immigration. It doesn't need to be reformed. The laws that are already in place simply need to be enforced. We paid lawmakers to make laws dealing with immigration. We also pay federal law enforcement agencies to enforce those laws. They simply choose not to do it. I wish they chose not to enforce our tax laws.
I was home sick the other day and there is new home construction going behind where I live. None of the construction workers speak English. It's one of the reasons they "accidentally" severed an underground cable that supplied my cable TV and Internet. For most of the day when I was home sick I was without cable TV or the Internet. Not that I felt like using the Internet.
When I first moved to Maryland 12 years ago, everyone at a construction site spoke English. Now, it's a different story.
Allowing illegal immigration to flourish is keeping the wages of working Americans artificially low. - dmoore764, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7I don't get why pintomp3 was buried, his comment was hilarious
- brokekneck, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6 This is *****. This is a spit at the common American workers face. People don't want these jobs for one reason. MONEY. These jobs don't pay enough and don't provide any long term advancement. That is why Americans "refuse" these jobs. When is the last time a construction job offered health benefits? I am someone who worked construction and I've seen the system of how they do things. I've seen good contractors and bad ones. The people who hire illegals know they are hiring illegals. And they do it cause they want to pay them less, cause its put more money in there pockets. This article makes it look like the American people are lazy and don't want to work. That's flat out bull *****. We want to work. I want to work. But I need to be able to make enough to live if I am going to work a full time job.
If we continue the allow builders, contractors, big business and foreign business to hire illegal immigrants and ship there stuff here with out tariff's. It will destroy America's blue collar work force. People don't work in factory's cause there aren't factory's in America to work in. They all went to place's that offer labor cheaper. Thousands of job shipped off sea's cause company's and get away with it. They can offer a cheaper product and make more profit. Every time you go to walmart. You ensure an American factory gets shuts down.
Oh and @ nero14
And guess what. Our economy wouldn't go to *****. You would see America's getting paid to what they should be getting paid.
Digg me down.... I really don't care if you do at this point. All I know is I was born in America. And I have no work cause the Fedaral interest rate was lifted in september last year. And now I'm to expensive. And a Mexican will do it for under minimum wage. - Desslok, on 10/29/2007, -7/+11I am constantly amazed that any opinion that is anti-illegal immigrant is immediately labeled racist. I work with many immigrants to America and i get along with and respect each and every one of them. Why? They are following proper legal channels, working hard within the system to become a part of our nation. Some of them had the same tough life that the illegals had and wanted a better life, but they chose to do it the proper way. One of my coworkers just got his nationalization papers last week and we had an office party for him to celebrate.
Why should I feel guilty that I HATE illegal immigrants, who are bringing in diseases to my country, lowering the wage levels of jobs, bumping up my auto insurance rates and health care costs (to support them!), and hedging out unskilled Americans for jobs-- Americans who, while not necessarily highly educated, are smart enough to know that being paid at sub-minimum wages is not just wrong but criminal?
We should be cracking down on companies who hire illegals with hefty fines and even jail time. We should not be pandering to the needs of illegal immigrants and giving them a free ride, we should be arresting and deporting their asses so they can wait in line like the honest and good people who are legitimately trying to enter the US (or any foreign country).
Most Americans are not anti-immigrant, they are anti-ILLEGAL immigrant! -
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