Conn Carroll
Illegal immigration: The income inequality factor liberals can’t talk about
But let’s take a look at that list of high-income-inequality states again. What do California, Arizona and New Mexico all have in common? I’ll give you a hint: Texas comes in seventh on the high-income-inequality state list.
That’s right: The three states with the highest income inequality also all share a border with Mexico. But what about New York? Or Georgia? Or Illinois (which is the sixth-most-unequal state)? They are all hundreds of miles away from Mexico.
Well, it turns out that all of those states have huge illegal immigrant populations too. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, every one of the top five unequal states also is among the top 10 states with high illegal immigrant populations.
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Well, that may be a problem on both sides though. I have a lot of conservative friends who are perfectly hiring illegal help for their lawns, and yet rail against “businesses” that hire illegals. It is pretty sad, though, that we have to take recourse to illegal labor to get basic odd jobs done at a price we can potentially afford.
peter_griffin on December 10, 2012 at 4:25 PM
Remind me why income inequality is a problem that government should solve?
The Rogue Tomato on December 10, 2012 at 4:26 PM
The Union of Texas Petrophysicists, Yard Trimmers, Astronauts, Hair Stylists and Auto Mechanics.
That ought to even out pay…..
tomg51 on December 10, 2012 at 4:34 PM
The core of the illegal immigration argument should always be discussed from this aspect…. they are line jumpers.
All the other stuff is important don’t get me wrong…. but this is the simple way to define illegal immigration. Nobody likes line jumpers. Nobody does!
Everything else is important.. yes… the aspects of terrorists sneaking across.. the strain on our social services, drug smuggling and all.. but at it’s core.. it’s all about people who jump in line.
Just another example of how the GOP has failed miserably at selling themselves and their ideas. Really.. it comes down to communicating the truth. And they can’t do it. Half of them don’t even want to because they are as afraid to tell the people the truth as the Democrats are afraid that people will find out the truth. The GOP is trying to fight a war of containment. They put rules of engagement on themselves while the enemy has none!
This is why we fail.
JellyToast on December 10, 2012 at 4:35 PM
It it difficult, when you hire companies for landscaping, roofing, painting, etc…., to determine that the people they have for employees are legal citizens.
Ditkaca on December 10, 2012 at 4:37 PM
Derek breaks it down
tom daschle concerned on December 10, 2012 at 4:39 PM
Well, maybe we should amend our labor laws so that all Americans could compete at such low wages.
Esthier on December 10, 2012 at 4:41 PM
You don’t. You just don’t live close to the US populations who would do that work for your price. I live in a very urban area in what many people would term “the ghetto” (with yards). It is easy to find people to mow the lawn; in fact they come and knock on our doors asking to do it. These are all American born people and are very willing to do the work for what I’d call a reasonable rate. (They usually set the price and I say yes or no depending on if my yard really needs it.) But I would be surprised if any owns a car. If you don’t live close by, the labor market can’t get to you.
alwaysfiredup on December 10, 2012 at 4:42 PM
Alot of the so called income inequality is totally bogus. Case in point, our Mexican upholsterer once asked us to start making the checks out in another name because she was approaching the cut off for CHIP (children’s medicaid in Texas). Of course we said no way.
These people (both illegal and legal) are the ultimate scammers. They play dumb but they know how to work the welfare system just as craftily as the native moochers.
mrsmwp on December 10, 2012 at 5:00 PM
Another one of the biggest sources of income inequality is inflationary monetary policy, which redistributes the wealth from everybody to the elites, who dole it out to their cronies, and it doesn’t trickle down anymore, like it used to, they invest it back in the government and collect interest and manipulate markets and the government in other ways. And the other is the national debt, which redistributes wealth from the future to the present, again to be passed out to the cronies at the top, thus increasing the income disparity.
FloatingRock on December 10, 2012 at 5:13 PM
It is really hard to negotiate a descent wage when you are competing with people who are accustomed to a far lower quality of life.
astonerii on December 10, 2012 at 5:13 PM
Crony capitalism is a huge factor leading to the growing income gap.
FloatingRock on December 10, 2012 at 5:14 PM
I know, I don’t want working Americans to have to live in a room with 10 other people and to eat beans and rice to survive. Nations need borders for the same reason people need skin, to prevent invaders from making it harder for our own cells/citizens to survive. Immigration is good if it’s at a reasonable and controlled level. There should be standards, immigrants that oppose freedom and liberty are unwelcome. The fact that our government and media has sold out to the illegal immigration lobby and supports the conditions that lead to all our jobs being outsourced would be inexcusable to people if the masses who watch the MSM actually knew how much they’ve been mislead.
FloatingRock on December 10, 2012 at 5:26 PM
Neither side will actually do anything about illegal workers, they are both profiting.
Cindy Munford on December 10, 2012 at 5:43 PM
When I hire a landscape company, as well as a house cleaning service, I put a clause in my agreement with them that they can not put anyone on my property that does not have a legal right to work in the US. They usually look at my pretty funny and then they do agree to it. I also state that whoever they send to my property must be fluent in English so I can communicate with their workers for anything I want done. So far, these companies have honored their contract. In that agreement, I state that I will not pay for any services performed by illegal workers. They sign it and agree to my terms.
Everyone should do the same thing.
Also, I would caution homeowners from directly employing help on their property unless they consult with their insurance agent. Usually hired help injuries can be a problem if you don’t have the proper clauses in your dwelling insurance policy.
karenhasfreedom on December 10, 2012 at 6:38 PM
It can be just as difficult for employers. If an applicant provides credible documentation, and passes the federal SS number check system, a prospective employer has to stop there. If they go any further with their suspicions that the applicant is in fact an illegal alien, the federal government can and will sue them for discrimination.
Folks don’t realize that employers are in a tough spot because the government boxes them in from both sides.
slickwillie2001 on December 10, 2012 at 6:58 PM
Holy cow FR. For as much as I’ve disagreed with you on other issues this is absolutely dead-bang-on. Everything from the first sentence on is 110% truth.
MelonCollie on December 10, 2012 at 8:11 PM