The real criminals in the immigration debate are the CORPORATIONS

[Nikki Stone1]

Agribuisiness, Wal Mart, Halliburton (in NOLA) and any other big corporation who is trying to depress American wages by encouraging the immigration of undocumented workers and hiring them for less than minimum wage. This is the reason the illegal immigration problem will never be solved. I don't blame the workers for coming here from poverty conditions. I don't blame American workers for being furious at being undercut in the job market. I DO blame the corporations who not only benefit from illegal labor (subsidized by the American taxpayer in the form of government programs) but who benefit from our own INFIGHTING over the issue.

If you really want to stop illegal immigration, tax corporations for their use of illegal labor to make the cost greater than that of hiring American citizens. That would turn the tide faster than any fence at the border.

Of course, if our politicians are corporate whores, then there is no chance of this happening.

Fight the real cause--whoring politicians and their corporate Johns--not the poor immigrants or the working class Americans who are set against each other in this brutal cock-fight over low wage jobs.

[stepnw1f]

1. YES, YES, YES... and the Super Rich

KICK!!!!

The powers to be are trying once again to divert our attention away from their own complicity.

On edit... their own design.

[msongs]

2. you could also stop financially supporting those evil coporations

by not spending any money on anything or going to work for them. quit buying food would be a great start :-)

that way you are not part of the problem as you have expressed it.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[Nikki Stone1]

4. Well, I don't shop at WalMart and I try to buy organic

Any other suggestions?

[NanceGreggs]

3. Welcome to DU, Nikki Stone 1!

That was extremely well-said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Division of the American people has been the weapon-of-choice of this administration. It's time for all of us to stop fighting with each other, and TURN on the corporate-owned government that is the PROBLEM, not the solution.

:applause:

[bullimiami]

5. everyone who exploits these people with slave wages, poor conditions

and no benefits is the root cause of the problem.

if there were no ocean of illegal employers there would be no sea of illegal immigrants.

[PsN2Wind]

8. That starts the "chicken and egg" argument

The corporations didn't go to the other nations and kidnap their citizens to come here and work as the slavers did in our past. The illegals came, business say a great opportunity and started hiring them.
Then the flood began and a million or more a year come now.
The proposed amnesty will increase those numbers just as the 1986 amnesty did. Then we have to have a "guest worker program" to find workers to do the jobs the freshly-minted legal residents will no longer do. Then family reunification kicks in and the population of the U.S. has suddenly grown by a great percentage. Unfortunately the job numbers won't keep up so wages decrease even more.

[bullimiami]

16. if you want to raise chickens you need both chickens and eggs.

if you want to have illegal aliens working for slave wages you have to permit both the border crossings AND the fraudulant employment.

[PsN2Wind]

18. Like I pointed out in my post

The illegals pouring into the country are voluntarily entering this country to work, they aren't being kidnapped and forced here.
The corporations, and others, who hire them are indeed criminals but the illegal immigrants are also.

[mccoyn]

17. "the job numbers won't keep up"

What makes you so sure the job numbers won't keep up? Legalized immigrants will have more money and spend more money. This will increase demand for things they are likly to buy and create more jobs. The vast majority of people in our country work solely to support the people in our country. Our economy mostly consists of people who produce and consume some amount. Illegal immigrants produce more while consuming less. This allows for the concentration of wealth. When they are leagalized and can earn minimum wage they consume more, which drives away the concentration of wealth.

[PsN2Wind]

19. I'm not an economist but

I don't believe we can all make it taking in each others laundry.
Just as the 1986 amnesty caused the huge influx of illegals, the 2006 amnesty will do the same.
How do the illegals produce more while consuming less. Arizona spends about $6,000 a year per student in our public schools. Are you saying that the illegals here pay in more than that?
In the last two days there have been two serious accidents with smugglers having wrecks causing some deaths and many injuries to illegals coming here. The tax-payers of Arizona will have to foot the bill, once again for treating them. Don't know if you have been into a hospital lately but it's getting quite expensive to provide trauma care for these individuals.

[earthside]

6. Right On!

I am always amazed at how easily some liberals are turned into total tools by the manipulations of the elitists running the mega-transnational corporations. This so-call 'immigration' issue is a prime example.

The agents provocateurs of the corporatists inside certain leftist groups just throw out the words "compassion" and "equalty", and this in case "a world without borders" and "there's no such thing as an illegal person" ... and some liberals are immediately falling all over themselves to join a protest or a march or a rally.

But here's a clue. Bush and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce pretty much want the same things the marchers yesterday want ... HEY! Red Flag! It's all about creating a low wage world, no unions, no legally mandated benefits, and "free trade" everywhere -- the transnational corporation's and George Bush's dream come true.

Lenin, I think, coined the term "useful idiot" for these kinds of folks ... in other words they are the instruments of their own destruction.

Just wait till the Peak Oil depression or hyper-inflation hits. After they've lost their jobs, don't have any health care at all, and can barely feed their own families -- you'll see these same liberals escorting the 'undocumented immigrants' to the border themselves.

[Trillo]

7. The PTB seem to be creating a wedge issue.

So many other problems of a more serious nature are in play, like rigged elections, like the war, like the failure of Congress to reign in an Executive Branch that's out of control and it appears is breaking laws.

But, yes, the immigrants(!), lets get the flames blazin' high on this serious but subordinate issue to divide the citizenry. It almost seems scripted with its media saturation and is notable due to the lack of similar saturation coverage of the aforementioned issues.

Perhaps if we can get our votes counted accurately then some of these issues will be settled at the ballot box.

[Kansas Wyatt]

9. Massive fines for employers & corporations employing

Illegal workers. A three strikes law for any one corporation employing illegal workers, where the corporation and it's assets would be seized and sold off by the Federal Government. Thereby ending the corporation or business that continues to break the law and commit unfair labor practices, at the expense of society. Corporate officers and upper management may also be included in the penalty phase with personal fines and/or imprisonment.

An Extended Unemployment Fund, which extends unemployment benefits already provided, should be set up with the proceeds of the fines and seizures, after expenses, funding the Fund. Employers and Corporations would immediately halt working illegal workers and would find a way to determine whether applicants are legal workers, because they will not risk losing money or their entire corporation to the unemployed and under-employed blue collar workers (citizens and legal immigrants) they are cheating out of a fair wage and adequate working conditions, in the first place.

This proposal does nothing to impose additional laws against illegal immigrants themselves, nor does it grant any legal status, amnesty, or permission to stay. It specifically targets and penalizes the employers working illegal workers, and puts an end to the unfair labor practice. Illegal workers will stop coming, since their job prospects would disappear. Many would have no choice but to return to their native country, the very same way they entered illegally, on their own. These illegal workers already made this choice and accepted that fate when they illegally entered and stayed illegally.

[Nikki Stone 1]

10. interesting plan

Anybody propose it?

[Balderdash]

11. Excellent post!

:kick:

[Greyhound]

14. Only people like us.

[Wonk]

12. http://www.thecorporation.com/

http://www.thecorporation.com/

Excellent documentary video, I highly recommend viewing it if you haven't already.

[Nikki Stone 1]

13. Thanks. I'll have to see if I have the right software to download

:)

[OneBlueSky]

15. "Migrants Find Gold Rush in New Orleans" . . .

Word spread to Latino laborers as Katrina's floodwaters ebbed: There is work with good money and no questions about papers.

By Sam Quinones, Times Staff Writer
LATimes.com
April 4, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-labor4apr04,0,5618062.story?coll=la-home-headlines

snip

Thousands of men from Mexico and Central America were driving into the city. Word had spread throughout the Latino immigrant diaspora in America that the city had plenty of work, construction wages had doubled to $16 an hour and no one was asking for papers.

"It was like a Gold Rush," said Oscar Calanche, a Guatemalan immigrant who lived in New Orleans before the storm and returned as soon as the waters receded. "In one car there'd be three up front and three or four in the back, with suitcases and tools on top. It looked like a river of people from our countries."

- more . . .

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-labor4apr04,0,5618062.story?coll=la-home-headlines