A Mexican Border Wall.. what are your thoughts?

Oh, no?

You just made a broad sweeping statement, which you didn't back up with facts. You simply challenged us to go prove you wrong. If you have some point to make about education, then make it, back it up with some evidence, and let us draw some conclusions for you to consider.

I've been advocating legal foreigh workers and immigrants all along, did you forget?

Look, in a commodities market, everything sells at the prevailing rate. If US producers raise prices over that they can not sell product! and they will go out of business. What way to pick it cheaper? Tell us.

Technology is being used everywhere it can be. Harvesting grain is almost totally automated. But picking fruit is different, a decision has to be made on every fruit as to ripeness and they must be handled gently. Machines cannot do that. You talk about invention. What invention? Do you know of some technology that will replace fruit pickers? You can get rich if you do! Some awfully smart and well-funded researchers work on it every day. But farmers will go out of business if they wait on pipe dreams.

Now you are raving, JS, give me a break. SHow me where I mentioned NAFTA! Now you are trying to say that I advocate NAFTA. Well I never did and you are making it up. I have been talking about immigration.

And they are working at MacDonalds and Wal-Mart where there are plenty of jobs for them. But they are just not interested in picking fruit or being hotel maids. Too much like pickin' cotton or servin' massa and most can do better. The agricultural laborer segment are largely foreigners, both legal and illegal. I just want them all to be legal.

Not far, how far are you removed from reality? Let's can the cheap shots and get back to the debate.

Well, cite some of them and maybe you will influence my position. Broad sweeping statement, you know. :yelwink2:

You seem to be focused on "high-tech". What I'm saying is that Americans are educated and skilled and not available for agricultural and domestic labor because we have the lowest unemployement in many years in this country. Not all jobs are high tech, but they do require literate people with marketable skills and ambition. Skilled Americans all have jobs already, JS.

If we force the Mexicans to go through legal channels to get the work we can have our cake and eat it too. Secure borders and affordable, competitive agricultural labor.

 

I was saying what the video said . . . that Bill Clinton signed into federal law a provision which requires that federal housing be available only to legal residents and citizens. It is an interesting case though.

Clearly this Massachusetts court ruling is at odds with federal law and Massachustetts legislators are working to eliminate this loophole,thank goodness.

So, if your point is that some illegals can find a way to evade the laws and get public housing, I must agree. But I stand by my point that there are laws to prevent this and abuse isn't very widespread.

Perhaps in addition to holding employers accountable for hiring illegals, we must also hold government employees accountable for following proper procedures. In this case a judge made a ruling on based on housing discrimination that eliminated questioning someone about immigration status. It should have been overtuned by higher courts as conflicting with the law.

In Massachusetts, most hispanics are Puerto Ricans who are US citizens, not illegal Mexicans and some judge thought it was improper that they were being asked to prove citizenship just because they were Spanish speaking. I can understand protecting citizens, but not at the exense of breaking an public housing law to do it.

Good link.

 

I have a better idea. Make them work for a year on a road gang swinging a blade for zero pay, three basic meals, and a cot in an un-airconditioned barracks in a prison camp. Cool-hand Luis.

Even better, make then pick fruit for a year for US farmers, for zero pay, three basic meals, and a cot in an un-airconditioned barracks in a work farm camp.

Then deport them and make them ineligible for any future legal work permit. A policy like this would discourage illegal entry and send the workers to the US consuls to apply for legal work permits.

Putting them in a US Correctional facility like Hunt or Dixon with air conditioned dorms, television, good chow in clean cafeterias, gyms, sports teams, hobby rooms, a library, and medical care . . . would be a step up for many of these illegals fleeing poverty.

Of course, Mexico would retaliate and any Americans found gulity of non-violent crimes in Mexico (speeding perhaps) could find themselves on a Mexican work farm for a year.