Tehachapi News

All > Forum
Guest Editorial: House divided
Topics:
Posted by editor Fri Apr 7, 2006 17:33:32 PDT
Viewed 497 times
0 responses 2 comments The Republican Party may currently be in the throes of its most rending internal conflict since its radical abolitionists fought with gradualists on the slavery issue a century and a half ago. Today’s divisive issue is immigration, mainly Latino, from Mexico and points south, and what to do — if anything — about the nearly 12 million undocumented Spanish speakers now living in the US.

The recently passed Sensenbrenner House bill, HR-4437 (slyly labeled “anti-terrorist”), seeks to make instant felons of them all, as well as of any good Samaritans who provide these immigrants with help of any kind. Cardinal Mahoney of Los Angeles may well be among the first to be arrested, tried and imprisoned under its terms, because he has publicly stated that he’ll continue to offer aid to the needy, green cards or no.

The GOP “base” is split. On the one hand are nativist white Angelo-Saxon Protestants who’d prefer that the 12 million would simply disappear (“go back where they came from”). An impenetrable Wall along our southern border, in the Soviet and Israeli manner, would suit some just fine. On the other hand are the GOP’s business leaders, the real power core of the political Right, who have come to depend for extra easy profits on exploiting undocumented immigrants.

No greater gift has ever been awarded employers in agriculture, manufacturing (what remains of it in the US), construction, and the hotel and restaurant business than this huge pool of “illegals.” Desperate for work, any work, at pay a fraction of what Americans expect, they’re afraid to complain of abuse, can be cheated with impunity, and expect no benefits or overtime or the ordinary protections of American law. And at the slightest deviation from total abject submission by any such worker, the employer has only to make a quick phone call to the local INS office and the
“problem” is picked up and deported, his unpaid wages pocketed by the boss.

Unprincipled American employers —hundreds of thousands of them — never had it so good. Which is why President Bush is pushing his “guest worker” provision as part of any immigration reform package. This is the gift that will keep on giving to employers by letting them use illegals for six years, then deport ’em, and hire a new batch for six more. Throwaway labor, and a depressing effect on US wage levels generally. Win/win for bosses everywhere.

The House bill’s instant felonization scheme, though it pleases our rabid nativists, won’t pass the more rational GOP-controlled Senate, which is no doubt a good thing for civil peace in this country. Our hefty Latino minority — now pushing 40 million souls — showed its displeasure in very mild form in the gigantic rallies in late March in cities across the land. These were peaceful, but that could change if nearly 14 percent of our population feels threatened with criminalization as a class.

Immigrants come here to get jobs. Employers (mostly GOP supporters) provide those jobs. If it becomes a violation of federal law — a law with teeth — to employ any undocumented immigrant, the jobs would dry up. There would no longer be any draw for Latin American immigrants to risk their lives to come here to be underpaid, overworked and treated like dirt. The outflow southward across the border would open up millions of jobs overnight for Americans, though at higher, legal wages. There might be a brief dip in the profits of exploiting employers, but the economy overall would surge, with US unemployment down and wages up significantly.

We all know which wing of the GOP base will win in this dispute. It’ll be the guys with the money, the power, the lobbyists, and the unquenchable appetite for cheap labor.

Send to a Friend

Report a Violation

Comment From: dhall

I have no problem with legal immigrants coming into this country. I have a problem with illegal immigrants. Let us focus on the word "ILLEGAL" as in against the law. Do I think it should be a felony to be here illegally, probably not. Something needs to be done. Oh and "the employer has only to make a quick phone call to the local INS office and the “problem” is picked up and deported, his unpaid wages pocketed by the boss." is silly. Any wages not picked up by the employee legally must be turned over to the state as unclaimed property. Comment From: jer72

I have said this again and again, Illegals are slapping the legal immgrants in the face each time they enter illegally. They are criminals. Should they be felons for this? I am mixed. I feel that if we make the illegals felons then the companies that hire illegals knowingly should also hold the same status. Their owner arrested and charged and the company fined hefty fines. Make it where just one offence would hurt the company so deeply in the pocket book that the other would change. I really don't want to see someone die because of the law, so I do have a problem with the humanitarian aid portion of the law. The problem is where does that stop if their isn't some type of law. Food and water okay, some first aid okay, but not room and board and I would want hospitals and other care giving service to call the authorities when an illegal does come for aid.