Quote:
Originally Posted by dksuddeth
I wouldn't agree that the solution is regulating a minimum wage, but regulating the hiring practices of the employers. Start heavily fining those that hire illegals and they will stop hiring illegals. Then let the market place work as it should. wages will go up to attract legal workers.
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In theory, I actually agree with you, DK (oh the horror!). Businesses are always going to try to pay the lowest wage possible for the highest quality of worker that they can get. There needs to be more enforcement of existing laws to curtail illegal immigration. That said, there are industries like agriculture, that depend on illegal immigrants to do the work. Agricultural contract work has always been the bottom rung of the ladder (think
Grapes of Wrath ), and Americans love their low food prices. The last statistic that I heard had something like 2/3rds of all harvesters being illegal. That's scary since it's the folks that we depend on to bring in the harvest. That's one of the reasons that I agree with the President (again with the horror!) on the guest worker program. It just makes sense for some industries.
By the way, there's an estimate that 60% of all homes in California are built with illegal labor. This is a systemic problem.