Subtle Glow

Living in Southern California, specifically in the greater San Diego metro area, there is a larger population of mainly Hispanic immigrants/migrant workers, etc.

Monday, May 1st was supposed to be a nation-wide protest/boycott to urge those in Congress not to pass additional measures against illegal immigration.

I’ll start by saying this:  I don’t agree with the laws that Congress is currently considering that would make an undocumented immigrant in the U.S. a felon.
Here’s why:  It seems to me that the focus should be on the employers who knowingly and willingly exploit the immigrant, specifically illegal immigrant, labor.  By hiring them illegally, they can pay them much lower wages than the federal minimum wage - which we all know will hardly pay the bills anyway, but at the same time if $6.75 hardly pays the bills then how can $2 and $3 do it?

If I support undocumented immigrants doing work for such meager wages so as to keep the cost of a basket of strawberries under $4, isn’t that the same as supporting the businesses who are exploiting this labor force?

I don’t understand the argument that says the illegal workers take jobs that Americans don’t want.  What if we made the job pay minimum wage, or more? More people would be willing to take those jobs - both legal and illegal workers.  Right now, there is a system in place where basically the person who will take the job for the lowest wage will get it.  But if the business hiring is forced to pay minimum wage then they wouldn’t be able to exploit those who are worried they may not get a job somewhere else because they don’t have legal documentation to allow them to do so.
Here’s the other thing -  Yes, by requiring businesses to pay people the minimum wage, the cost of things that I buy will go up.  However - when we’re talking about food it falls in the same category as gasoline.  I don’t have a choice about buying either one.  I NEED gasoline in my car, to get to work, so I can earn my paycheck, so I can buy food.

No matter how much gasoline costs - I still HAVE to buy it.  The same goes for food.  So if I NEED food, then I’m going to buy it no matter how much it costs.

So here is what I think:  Open the border.  Allow businesses to hire anyone who can and will do the job, BUT force them to pay at least the minimum wage, as well as providing their workers with safe working conditions, worker’s comp coverage, etc.

I have more thoughts on this but I’m out of time right now.  To Be Continued.