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Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Ira Mehlman :: Townhall.com Columnist
With Jobs Disappearing, Congress Determined to Admit More Foreign Workers
by Ira Mehlman
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With the election just three months away, every member of Congress will spend their summer vacation feeling the pain of the folks back home and assuring constituents that they are doing everything in the power to protect the jobs and wages of American workers. In reality, back in Washington, many are doing just the opposite.

Given the complexity of the economic problems confronting this country there may be very little that Congress can do in the near term to bring back lost jobs – especially those that pay high wages and offer benefits. However, there is a lot they can do to make the situation worse for American workers. Failing to reauthorize E-Verify would be one of them. Flooding the already distressed labor market with hundreds of thousands of new workers by dusting off visas long past their expiration dates would be another.

Even if they can’t shake the economy out of the doldrums, Congress can cushion things a bit for American workers as the economy heads into recession. E-Verify already exists and is being used by some 75,000 employers. Eleven states already require or encourage contractors to use the system to verify the work eligibility of their employees. A vote by the full Senate is all that stands in the way of an additional five years of protection for thousands of American workers against losing jobs to illegal aliens.

All that is required in order not to flood the labor market with hundreds of thousands of new workers during a recession is for Congress to do what Congress does best. This is one time when a do-nothing Congress would be wise to do nothing. If there is one thing that American workers don’t need right now it is a congressionally mandated search-and-rescue mission for immigration visas that, for one reason or another, went unclaimed 15 years ago.

By any estimation, Americans workers are going to be in for a tough few years. The least people can expect from Congress is that they not make things worse by eliminating protections for workers and adding lots of new workers to compete for a dwindling number of jobs.

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About The Author

Ira Mehlman is the Media Director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

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Reply # 1
Date: Aug 15, 2008 - 2:27 PM EST
reply to redlac continued:
Part 2:
"At the same time, if the parties do nothing now - just what do you think they will do in the future as they become increasingly fixated on the votes of hispanics. Let alone the votes of the other immigrants whose entry over the last 20 years, when combined with those of the hispanics, has taken us to this point?"

What do you WANT to do in the future? Take the racist approach and BAN whoever isn't a WASP?


"Have no illusions. Hispanics will support increased and continuing immigration from their country of origin,"

Reply: Why foist your personal predicitions on the whole country? You could be very wrong. You forget most Mexicans love their native land, Mexico. They love it BETTER.

Same as you're wrong claiming anyone demands "open borders." Nobody wants that; not even American hispanics. It's a figment of your imaginations. You're obsessed with rejecting the poor; and especially ethnic minorities. In this society, nothing has changed. Racists never change.
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Reply # 2
Date: Aug 15, 2008 - 2:18 PM EST
rediac (AZ) post august 7th:
" . . . in another 30 years, hispanics will make up in excess of 25% of the US population, non-Europeans . . . 50%, and the entire SW, to include California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas will be at least 50% hispanic."

OK; I want to know what's wrong with that? If white families are happy raising 1.5 children per household, they'll necessarily drop demographically. It's their own choice, their own fault.

"The hispanic vote has fixated both parties - and both will do little meaningful - other than talk - to deal with these issues. We have crossed the tipping point."

REPLY: These are NOT ISSUES. These are merely demographical developments; and politicians take their votes (gratefully) where ever the may come from. DO YOU OBJECT?

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