Increase Minimum Wage - Decrease Illegal Workers

Okay - while commenting on Mr.T's desire to increase the Federal minimum wage amounts, I touched on the idea of minimum wage increases as being counterproductive to importing illegal immigrants.

PS: This is OPINION folks - purely suggestive with but a few probable facts. But I think it does bring out an issue others have yet to discuss.

I propose the following:

"If you increase the Federal Minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 in two years, you will reduce the need for illegal immigrant workers."

You hear time and time again the classic Immigration Mantra "jobs Americans won't do". Well, there are few jobs - and I mean few - that lower economic-class Americans wouldn't do for $7.25 an hour.

They WILL take those jobs. But wait!

Increasing labor cost is counter-productive to stimulating an economy. After all, LABOR COSTS are a part of the equation when calculating how much to charge a potential customer for a product.

As labor costs go up (forced by gov't mandated minimum wage levels) so does everything else - with the potential for an actual decrease in consumer buying power. Translated: "You mite git more but you gits less."

If current immigration reform goes the way "some" want it to go, we're going to have 8-14 million additional "legal" residents. Do I hear a "booyah"?

The cost of hiring those new "legal" residents "could" go up don't you know; because Teddy Bear and buddies are pushing for a mandatory increase in minimum wage. And an election year is fast approaching us. Suppose they get the boost in minimum wage, okay?

Now the 8-14 million will not only win on the immigration issue - they're going to get a pay increase too! Way to reward LAW BREAKERS - give them status AND more money!

Now...

I imagine those who really need the cheap labor will find "some method" of still obtaining it - right? But how? Where?

Like uhm... "Federal Guest Workers". Uh huh - and want to bet they will be EXEMPT from Federal Minimum Wage Guidelines but will HAVE to pay ALL Federal, State and Local taxes? Reciprocity you see...

To recap:

• 8-14 Million illegals become legal residents in-waiting (hee hee).
  
  
• Minimum wage guidelines apply to those 8-14 million, resulting in a potential labor cost increase of $16 to $28 MILLION PER HOUR to be absorbed by other legal citizens.
  
  
• New foreign workers, via the Federal Guest Worker Program, will NOT qualify for Federal Minimum Wage guidelines - as they are temporary visitors. They WILL have to pay ALL Federal/State/Local taxes.

So tell me - who's the new "illegal" in terms of economic power (money)? Why none other than the new Federal Guest Workers, that's who.

Then tell me this: How long will it be before Federal Minimum Wage Guidelines are applied to the Federal Guest Workers?

When that happens - the corporations, companies and organizations seeking cheap labor will have to turn to the only remaining, untapped force available.

Americans - or Robots. Wanna bet they choose robots?

Read more!

KENNEDY NEWSLETTER: What Were You Thinking?

What WERE you thinking Senator Kennedy, when you wrote your "Dear Friends" letter? Here, let me quote your very first sentence:

"Over the past ten years, Members of Congress have raised their own pay by $31,000, but the minimum wage hasn't gone up a cent."

Aren't YOU a "member of Congress" Senator?

Did you - or any of your fellow Democrats stand up before other "members" and renounce the pay increases?

Did you REFUSE TO accept the pay increase - purely on moral grounds?

Did you standup and say - nay, shout, "We should be ashamed of ourselves for increasing our pay at a time when minimum wage for a year's work is $6,000 below the poverty line for a family of three!"

If you DID standup and reject the pay increase but it passed anyhow - why not mention this in your letter to all your "Dear Friends"? Don't you think your "dear friends" would like to know if you did?

"Presuming you didn't", then why did you remain silent?

Why didn't you raise a hot and louder commotion over the wage increase than you did the Dubai Ports deal? (After all - it DIRECTLY effects a sizeable portion of America's voters.)

Senator - you and your fellow Democrats missed a great opportunity. What's $31,000 a year to you or any other "member of Congress"?

Imagine the impact if you, and your fellow Democrats were to make this speech on the Senate floor:

"My fellow Americans, I refuse to accept the past few years' pay increases of nearly $31,000 for myself. I will accept it on behalf of my dear friends, you who are struggling against ridiculously low minimum-wage pay scales. Therefore, I will randomnly choose ten Americans working at minimum wage and contribute $3100 to each of their yearly salaries this year."

"You coulda been a contender..." good thing I'm not working as one of your handlers or you would be $31,000 poorer. But I digress... (but its still not too late to do this you know.)

Instead you post a fairly impotent "Dear Friends" letter on your website to remind us ALL that YOU, that all "members of Congress" have received (in total) nearly $31,000 in pay raises. Then the salt in the wound - proposing minimum-wage earners would get a whopping $2.10 HOURLY increase (in total) TWO YEARS from now.

Lemme see now... let's say it works out this way: The first year: 2040 times $1.05 equals $2,142. The second year would be 2040 times $2.10 or $4,284. In total, (over two years time) the increase would be $6426.

Your recent pay raise (alone) would cover the first year's wage increases for SEVEN people!

Or you could cover almost five people's entire TWO YEAR wage increase. I'm sure that will make the minimum-wage earner in the US jump up to support you!

And a note to all those talking about cheap illegal immigrant labor. Do you think there's ANY job in the US that legal residents would NOT do for $7.25 an hour MINIMUM? If you do - you'd be wrong.

So take note - this proposed increase in minimum wage would decrease the need for illegal immigrants. Senator, are you SURE its the right time to push the increase? Maybe it'd be better to wait, eh?

The KENNEDY NEWSLETTER: Senate Democrats work to Improve America's Competitive Advantage:

Dear Friends:

Over the past ten years, Members of Congress have raised their own pay by $31,000, but the minimum wage hasn't gone up a cent. It's still just $5.15 - $10,700 a year for a full-time worker. No one can live on that. It's more than $6,000 below the poverty line for a family of three. In the wealthiest country on the face of the earth, no one who works for a living should have to live in poverty.

That's why I've fought time and again to increase the minimum wage. Yet, time and again, Republicans in Congress have refused to give hard-working men and women the pay they deserve.

One thing I've learned in this ongoing battle is that the American people understand what this Republican Congress does not - that a fair increase in the minimum wage is long overdue. People see their friends and neighbors struggling to survive on poverty wages, and they want to help.

I'm working with community activists, religious leaders, and workers around the country to obtain citizen co-sponsors for my Fair Minimum Wage Act, which will raise the minimum wage to $7.25 over two years. With these signatures in hand, I'll demand a vote on the minimum wage as soon as possible.

To help make this effort a success, I am asking each of you, as friends and supporters, to stand with us. Please sign on as a citizen co-sponsor of the Fair Minimum Wage Act, and encourage others to do so. With your help, we can succeed, and give minimum wage workers a well-earned raise.

Technorati tags: Sen. Ted Kennedy

Read more!

Immigration: Problem Solved - Mexico, our 51st State!

Here's the best solution to the US Immigration problem:

Instead of giving away the right for illegals to remain legally within the US borders, let's face reality. Mexico is not an island, detached from the US mainland. Things would be much easier if it were.

Granting amnesty to those already here will not stop the crossings. Border patrols, the National Guard, walls - there's nothing alone or together "in concert" which can stop the flow of people illegally into this country from Mexico.

The flow of people is not the problem - it is a symptom of a problem.

We'll be revisiting the issue again in less than ten years and we'll be looking at another 8-12 million people. Only next time the numbers will include temporary foreign workers brought into the country on H class visas. I say this because congress will somehow add the requested 400,000 H class visas to the current immigration reform package.

There's only one real solution - and it WILL solve all the problems in one, fell swoop.

Mexico must become the 51st state of the United States of America.

Seriously - think about it - follow through this with me first before you condemn it.

Mexicans' sense of nationality will erupt against such an action. They won't want to give up their national identity - until we point out just a few of the benefits for our new US Citizens:

• You'll be an American citizen and you'll get all the rights - the "whole enchilada".
• You'll be able to return to your hometown and earn the same wages you'd earn in the states - and most likely, a whole lot more. After all, you'd be legal - anywhere in the US.
• Of course, people from the other 50 states would have a right to live, work and prosper anywhere within the 51st state too. But you, or your family, already own land in Mexico - right?
• The problems within Mexico's current gov't structure would evaporate within days, weeks at most. Why? US Law would be coming to town. Every US Federal agency would locate within Mexico in the first few weeks - think of it. Corruption would be put on a horse and run out of town.
• No more "el presidente" - instead, there would be a governor. And believe you me, those elections would be monitored for years to come. And as a bonus - the Mexican politicians would have to conform to US law or face fines and possible jail.
• American (and world) investment in Mexico would skyrocket. Imagine the potential for investment in every aspect of society. Real estate, manufacturing, infrastructure; social, legislative, judicial - on and on - and on! Every possible aspect of modern life would flow into Mexico.
• Federal matching funds alone would stimulate Mexico - it would be one helluva shot into Mexico's bloodstream. Imagine the freeway, state and secondary road projects alone! Hundreds of billions, perhaps trillions of dollars would be invested.
• Drug smugglers, coyotes and other criminal elements would be major US targets in the first year of statehood. They would be prosecuted or driven from the state. Period.
  

The benefits just keep pouring into this deal. Liberals would be all for it - they'd able to not only throw cash at the problem, they could live amidst the 51st state's population and really get something done ;-).

Mexico would be looking at an incredible upward growth for years and years to come.

And what about benefits to the US?

• The Federal border problem moves a long ways away. The neighboring states will have regular state-controlled border entry points where there are currently Federal crossings.
• The Federal gov't would move its border control to the waters east and west of Mexico. They'd also move their land-based border patrols much farther south; to a smaller border with Guatemala and Belize. A border far more maintainable.
• Tax income from the new citizens.
• Savings within the Border Patrol and the Immigration-related branches of the US gov't.
• The DEA would gain the same benefits (A & B) and therefore need less money to operate.
• Nafta for Mexico would evaporate when Mexico became the 51st state.
• Untapped natural resources (oil, minerals, land).
• The Colorado could be uncorked and water could flow into our newest state, stimulating agircultural growth. (A benefit to Mexico as well).

And look at the anguish it would save both sides.

No more need to quantify individuals as illegals. The only true illegals from this point forward would be entering from either Mexican coast or the southern Guatemala/Belize border - which can easily be militarized - or at the least, controlled. Why that alone could be a huge construction project.

Some preliminary legal work would be required; reviewing current incarcerated individuals (people in jail), current outstanding court cases, all such things of a legal nature. And a date would need to be chosen for all current cases to finish.

IMHO its a win/win situation and one worthy of mentioning to the US and Mexican population.

Why do it? By doing it, we're adressing the real problem and not the symptoms. A better life would be had by ALL Mexicans instead of just those willing to break US immigration law, risking fines, jail and the possibility they could never become legal.

Who would be against it?

Only those having a vested interest in cheap, Mexican labor - everyone else would be for it.

And don't worry about Mexicans leaving Mexico in droves. IMHO, that's unlikely. Even if they did, think about the millions who would flow south to take their place. Arizona would no longer be the best place to retire, now would it? :-)

Think about it - and pass it on! And remember - Hawaii was once an island nation.

And for those who are against it:
We (the Federal government) ought to consider building a 750 mile long, 1/2mile wide and 500 foot deep moat between Mexico and the US.

It would work far better than a wall - and you could easily patrol it with watercraft: jet skis, small boats, heck - with a 500 foot draft, you could run light cruisers up and down the moat!

Read more!

Sen. Cornyn, Texas Instruments, Immigration - Where's the proof?

Where's the PROOF?

The Hindu News Update Service:

"We don't have enough homegrown scientists and people who are well-trained in math and science, and what happens is those jobs are offshored or outsourced to places like India and China," Senator John Cornyn, Texas, said as the Judiciary Committee debated the issue on Monday. "It represents a real challenge to American competitiveness."

Two BIG problems here, Senator.

1. US Citizens are sick to their very core of hearing the "Woe is me, I can't be competitive because I can't find enough CHEAP FOREIGN WORKERS. PUH-LEASE!

2. Exactly how many jobs, what specific jobs, what are the KSA (knowledge/skill/abilities) required for those jobs? Oh - and how many LEGAL US Citizens were interviewed for these positions?

Senator - US Citizens aren't the dummies every politician thinks they are - we want DETAILS!

Texas is home to Texas Instruments, right? Maybe you ought to have touched based with the President of TI first:

Richard K Templeton, president and CEO, Texas Instruments, on a visit to Bangalore said: “The enormous consumer population here, combined with the intellectual capacity available in this country, will impact markets all over the globe for years to come. All of us at TI recognise India not only as a strong and growing market for semiconductors, but also as a place where new ideas are helping shape the direction of technology.”

And how many people does TI need?:

...Texas Instruments India, which has about 1,200 working on high-end chip design, pays a stipend to take care of the broadband and phone costs at home.

And to think - that is just on high-end chip design.

TI has been in India for over 20 YEARS so please Senator, spare us your weak talking points - nay, your Immigration Mantra and just state the obvious.

Its all about votes, getting re-elected and feeling powerful.

Technorati tags: Sen John Corny Immigration

Read more!