Besides, if illegal aliens (and businesses who knowingly hire them) can break the law with impunity, why can’t the rest of us break laws we don’t like? Fair is fair!

Businesses that hire illegals bury the costs in other expenses. 1099s require social security numbers too. But some illegals will use numbers because they know it will never be spotted until the following year.

As an employer I don’t like being put in jeopardy because I didn’t enforce the governments laws correctly. I also don’t want to get sued by a potential hire because the government said they were not a legal resident.

” I suggest you be in the upper, upper class so you can fly to the US for health care.”

I’m not sure what your point is here. However, as you unwittingly reveal, the problem with health care in this country is precisely that: it is the best in the world… for the “upper, upper class”. For the working poor and, increasingly, for the middle class, healthcare is out of reach.

Sure, if you show up at the ER with an acute condition, hospitals must render care until you are stabilized. But there is no access to regular, preventative healthcare for tens of millions of Americans. You need only look at the health condition of the thousands of poor forced from their homes by Katrina – it was obvious that many suffered from the kinds of health problmes that plague underdeveloped countries, and that was *before* they were hit with the hurricane.

But I guess that is all the fault of illegal immigrants.

“Perhaps you could list (vis a vis anywhere else in the world) where the highways, dams, levees and ports in the US are falling apart.”

Are you serious? And do you really want to compare us to other countries? Have you driven lately? Have you been to a public school lately and seen the dilapidated state of the structures there? Have been to a government agency recently to see the vintage 1980 computers still in use?

A group of Dutch hydrologists toured the NO levee system recently, and reported that they were shocked by both how obsolete the technology was, and by their general state of disrepair. (As you know, most of the Netherlands is below sealevel). Do you really think this is only a problem in New Orleans?

But I guess that is all the fault of illegal immigrants.

“It so happens that the building boom in the US is so strong in this vibrant economy, that new construction outbids repair construction for the available labor.”

Interesting conundrum indeed. So how is it that on the one hand the economy is so vibrant that new construction is sucking up all the labor from repair construction, AND on the other hand, immigrants seeking such repair jobs are to blame for all that is wrong with America?

Could you show me where in the US people are being tossed into the street without comprehensive and necessary medical attention?

Perhaps you could list (vis a vis anywhere else in the world) where the highways, dams, levees and ports in the US are falling apart.

Your vaunted “blue tarps” in Pensacola problem is an interesting conundrum. It so happens that the building boom in the US is so strong in this vibrant economy, that new construction outbids repair construction for the available labor.

Before you leap to an illogical conclusion, contractors in new construction do NOT risk their capitalistic necks by hiring illegal aliens. That is pure stupidity. So the “jack legs” are left to do the repair jobs. Reliable repair contractors have a legal workforce, because they can not bear the costs of messing with “curb labor.” Furthermore, insurance companies are particular about who does their claims work, because they do not want further claims against them.

Perhaps you should reexamine your rant.

The immigrants picking our vegetables are not to blame for the sorry state of affairs in this country. On the contrary: they are a pillar of the US economy, and do much to reinstill the work ethic in this country.

You know, back in December I was flying over Pensacola, Florida. From the air, as far as the eye could see were blue tarps spread over the roofs of houses and businesses – and this was months after hurricane Ivan hit. Debris – including refrigerators and other appliances – was still strewn all over the place. Everywhere that I inquired about why the rebuilding was so slow, I got the same answer: with 4 hurricanes having struck Florida that year, there was not enough labor available for all of the rebuilding that was needed. Where there was some reconstruction going on, you can guess who the workers were…

But you folks just go right ahead and keep obsessing over illegal immigrants who are supposedly destroying this country. What a convenient diversion that is from what is *really* destroying this country: the long-time neglect of this nation’s people and public infrastructure.

Hurricane Katrina has laid bare the consequences of our long-term failure to invest in our future.

On a serious note, the more I think of the comment Vincente Fox said (about illegals doing the work Blacks won’t), in all actuality, a great a majority of that comment does not hold water. Case in point. When I moved to Northern VA in 1998, many of the companies that provided janitorial services to the big office buildings in Arlington that I would go to, were staffed by Blacks and Africans. Now these same buildings have contracts with companies that mainly employ “native spanish” speakers that speak very little english if any (this in no way means they are all illegal, just pointing out how the copmanies have changed). Now, some of them do a good job, some of them don’t (no different than what the other companies provided previously). What becomes clear is, a company employing illegals, can pay their employees LESS and therefore when they bid on a contract, they can greatly underbid their competitors (and still make a gross profit). La Shawn is DEAD on in saying that we should hold the businesses accountable and the penalties should be tough. As with anything, whenever someone messes up, others will be affected in some way shape or form (a normally not in a positive way).

I have a theory that Osama bin Laden is really hiding out in Hollywood, California (where they luuuuv him), and the INS has lost his paperwork.

Unless you think being an american means your life is worth more than someone who is not.

Is someone whose taxes have supported FEMA etc… entitled to priority rescue?, versus someone who’s contributed nothing tax-wise……?

As for the Employers who hire illegals: You won’t like this, but I say lower the minimum wage immediately. Give tax breaks to employers who can show 100% native born/native speaking/legal employees.

–Incentives.