Max Sawicky, EPI economist, says immigration is good for the economy

[BurtWorm]

A few of his points:


http://maxspeak.org/mt/archives/002098.html

* U.S. policy, including so-called "free trade," has made such a huge mess of Central and Latin America, hosting some of their workers, who send home serious money, is the least we could do.

* The use of guest worker and H1-B visa programs to drive down wages in the U.S. should be opposed. But a controlled influx of workers over the long term -- even a large one -- in and of itself is not an economic problem, nor a labor market problem. If we had faster population growth and less immigration, nobody would be complaining, even though the labor market impact would be similar. More people means more consumers, more taxpayers, and more jobs, not less. By and large, immigrants are an economic plus for the U.S.

* A welfare state focused on contributory social insurance and work-conditioned benefits can afford immigrants, since properly structured these programs are self-financing: workers pay for them.

* There is good evidence of negative wage effects for less-skilled workers. This speaks to the uncontrolled nature of the present situation, combined with weakened enforcement of worker rights. This can be fixed.

* Immigrants have always been the most dynamic, progressive social force in the U.S., including the U.S. labor movement. Their alleged cultural conservatism -- Catholicism and evangelical Christianity -- is not different from the outlook of previous immigrant groups who later modernized.

* This looks like the mother of all wedge issues. The temptation of some in the G.O.P. to exploit the resentment will be irresistable. Some Republican George Wallace -- maybe Rep. Tancredo -- can do for the national Republicans what Pete Wilson did in California.

[BurtWorm]

1. Kick