| In the 1980's the Reagan Administration supported | | | | night, co-mingling with drug couriers, rape, murder, |
| passage of the Simpson-Mazzoli Act as a way to, | | | | robbery and kidnapping of illegal immigrants is |
| once and for all, to end the vexing cauldron of | | | | widespread and tolerated. |
| problems created by illegal immigration. Obviously | | | | Under a labor co-operative system these abuses |
| Simpson-Mazzoli was not successful. In fact, the law, | | | | would be virtually stopped. Job seekers could visit their |
| and it's particularly fuzzy enforcement mechanisms | | | | town hall or a labor co-operative office and use a |
| only served to accelerate and fuel the problem. | | | | computer to apply and peruse job listings. They could |
| Today we have a mess. Rational solutions are | | | | review online, conduct a search of positions listed by |
| paralyzed by our politically cancerous left versus right | | | | job description and location and then apply. If for |
| cat fighting. Even reasoned discussions of potential | | | | instance, a farmer in Earlington, KY is seeking 8 |
| solutions to a problem that all parties agree must be | | | | laborers for 9 months, the deal can be cut and travel |
| settled are reduced to sloganeering and name calling. | | | | organized without ever having to risk one's life dodging |
| Let me propose a simple set of solutions that could, | | | | snakes in Central American jungles or crossing bleak |
| really should, settle the matter to a high degree of | | | | deserts and being dumped in an arroyo by extorting |
| satisfaction benefitting all sides in this crucial, heated | | | | "coyotes". The thousands of dollars in fees paid to the |
| debate. | | | | illegal human transporters would be far better utilized |
| We really have three sets of distinct interest groups | | | | by the very poor who so desperately seek work in |
| involved: the illegal immigrants (mostly Hispanic and | | | | the United States. |
| Mexican) and the Mexican government, the American | | | | Latin American governments, the very governments |
| business community that requires a massive supply of | | | | that do not recognize the rule of law, property rights |
| labor and the citizens of the United States who are | | | | and the importance of free markets, callously |
| being exposed to the costs and liabilities inherent in | | | | encourage illegal immigration. This black movement of |
| supporting public services for millions of people that | | | | their citizens acts as a pressure release valve on their |
| have entered the country illegally and are forced to live | | | | societies. The billions of dollars in remittances that are |
| in the shadows. | | | | returned to family back home by illegal immigrants to |
| First let's address the business community. Any | | | | America serves as a lubricant to quieting social |
| employer that needs field workers, gardeners, | | | | tensions and financially supporting populations locked in |
| restaurant workers, whatever, would have to | | | | poverty and despair by the incompetence and |
| advertise the positions in local print media two times, | | | | corruption of the governments under which they must |
| stating pay, benefits, location of employment and a | | | | live. |
| description of labor to be performed. This will also | | | | Under a labor co-operative system these bureaucratic |
| prove or disprove the theory that Americans will not | | | | ogres would still enjoy the benefits of billions in annual |
| perform menial jobs. | | | | remittances returning to their countries. Families could |
| If the positions are not filled with local, legal American | | | | continue to subsist, albeit in grinding hopelessness and |
| job seekers, then the employer would have the option | | | | poverty. Government's duty to protect its citizens |
| to address their labor requirements through a labor | | | | would at least be celebrated a bit less cynically. |
| co-operative. This would NOT be a new government | | | | Finally, how would the American citizen benefit from an |
| bureaucracy, but would be under the jurisdiction of the | | | | organized labor co-operative system? Labor would |
| Dept. of Labor. Private staffing firms like Manpower, | | | | finally be organized, free to come for a set period of |
| companies with experience in the field of matching | | | | time, return home and pay a small tax to cover the |
| employee and employer needs, would be contracted | | | | minor cost of the services they would consume. This |
| to act as clearing houses. They would staff offices | | | | would over time lighten the burdens on social services, |
| along the Mexican border, and in countries such as El | | | | hospitals, police forces, school systems, local, state and |
| Salvador and Guatemala. | | | | the federal government. As long as immigrants commit |
| The employers would pay a small fee to the | | | | a crime the first time they step foot into the country |
| government for each person hired and to the | | | | illegally there will be a parallel universe inside our |
| contracted human resource, Manpower-type firms for | | | | society of crime, evasion and a lack of integration into |
| their time, expenses, background checks and matching | | | | society. |
| applicants to positions. The employer, by participating in | | | | Cities would be safer. Businesses would be able to |
| such a labor co-operative, would no longer be | | | | provide the goods and services that the society has |
| committing a crime and risk serious fines and legal | | | | come to expect. The millions of illegal immigrants |
| jeopardy that can occur when hiring illegal workers. | | | | currently here in the country would be able to |
| The employer would provide the co-operative with an | | | | participate in the labor co-operative system, but they |
| order for a specific number of workers, copies of the | | | | would be granted no benefits beyond what any other |
| print advertisements run locally seeking American | | | | applicant would receive. Anchor babies would no |
| workers, clearly post pay, locations of employment, | | | | longer be given the rights of an American citizen. Any |
| benefits, housing and the length of the work | | | | employer who is caught employing illegal workers after |
| engagement. There would be time limits on service, not | | | | the labor co-operative system is functional would be |
| to exceed one year. After a minimum return period of | | | | subject to exponentially larger fines and seizure of all |
| three months to their home country, a foreign worker | | | | business assets. |
| can re-sign for another tour of employment. | | | | Finally, the border must be sealed. No country can |
| The employer would be required to handle any medical | | | | survive the causal entry and exit of its border by |
| costs incurred by the co-operative provided worker | | | | millions of people at will. Our border is a particularly |
| and provide travel to, and from, the point of | | | | enticing target for illegal crossing because it separates |
| embarkation at the beginning and end of the contract. | | | | a wealthy country with a too-generous welfare state, |
| The employer would pay a significant fine if the | | | | from a group of countries with dysfunctional |
| worker does not return to the embarkation point, on | | | | economies where poverty is the rule, not the |
| time and sign-out on their way out of the country. A | | | | exception for the masses. Understandably, it is a |
| small tax would be withheld from the workers pay to | | | | magnet, but it is long past the time when we must |
| support the program and it's policing. A card dated and | | | | close the border while responding to the needs of |
| signed by the employer and the worker, and describing | | | | illegal immigrants to work, businesses to have |
| job particulars would be used for identification. | | | | employees to do manual labor and citizens to be |
| This would provide American farms and businesses a | | | | relieved of the burden of supporting a stupefying drain |
| simple, affordable, easily negotiated system of filling | | | | on the public purse caused by this solvable problem. |
| labor needs. Now let's address the illegal immigrants | | | | Politicians seeking to curry favor with a new group of |
| and their government's interests. The first duty of any | | | | voters or see their populations rid of a mass of mostly |
| sovereign government is to protect their citizens. And | | | | young, hungry laborers seeking what they cannot |
| yet, illegal immigrants are the targets of the most | | | | provide, will not like this plan. They prefer to keep the |
| corrupt, dangerous and cynical forms of abuse | | | | issue and not find a solution. If the government will only |
| enabled by the very governments that encourage this | | | | allow a private enterprise solution, one where markets |
| form of immigration from Latin America. Crooked | | | | rule, not bureaucrats, we can finally settle these |
| police and border patrols shake down poor, frightened, | | | | problems. It is time for a little common sense. |
| confused travelers. Dangerously hopping trains in the | | | | |