The cheap business owners or the illegal immigrant,who do you blame ?
813050
I actually don't blame either one. Both are victims, in a way. Our economic system seems to demand the illegals and the economic system of the illegals seems to demand that they sneak in here and take the jobs. We're all messed up. Sorry, I have to tell the truth according to how I see it.
650354
If the illegal alien is getting paid cash to undercut the competitor's bid, then how does the corporation account for the expenditures? Where did the money go? \n(10,000$ toilet for remodeling of the employee break room)
1013148
I agree. the companies that hire them should be punished not the poor people that just want food on their tables. but shame on the presidents of all those countries were illegal immigrants come from because they dont do anything to stop the problems they have in their countries and no wonder why people leave their countries trying to find a better life for their families.
340522
Bravo, Liz. Kudos to you!!!!! I think we need to remove all incentives for illegal immigration, but it's not going to happen because US businesses need cheap labor, and workers who have no rights!!!
681314
Thank you Thank you Thank you for the question....and the last answer that you provided. Your analysis is dead on perfect.\n\nThese entry level jobs (a pessimist calls them dead end jobs) could easily be done by those sitting on the couch collecting welfare.  But they will not work because they don't have too.\n\nIn addition to Immigration reform we need Welfare reform too.\n\nAs far as blaming employers...that is absurd.  First MOST are small mom and pop companies that can not afford a payroll department to verify documentation (you can buy a SS card for $150 on many street corner in some neighborhoods.)\n\nSo we put grandma in jail and let the worker go?\n\nI was in San Diego last year saw a news story about a farmer who walked into a unemployment office and offer them all a job if they showed up on the farm the next day...only one did but quit by noon.
876483
I do not an ax to grind with the illegals. If I was living in a corrupt sewer like Mexico with no future I might like to cross. I do not have anything against them I just value my own countryman more.\n\nI blame the politicians from both sides of the aisle. The Democrats believe they can snare them in their web of social services and provide themselves with perpetual voters. The Republicans want the free labor for their corporate sponsors. I also blame the greed of the employers who do not want to pay market rate for employees.\n\nI believe the answer is to treat the employers who knowingly hire illegals like drug dealers. Give them long prison sentence and confiscate all of the property that was supported by illegal labor. I believe the first time a beef plant went to the government and the plant manager went to prison I believe illegal immigration would halt overnight. The illegals would go home without the jobs. If after that we found we needed labor we could devise a program for that. They would be the workers we chose.\n\nI believe this would work, would be cheap and would remove the onus from the illegal workers and place it on the greedy where it belongs.
421487
do you think Mexicans are the only illegals in the US?  Illegals use Mexico to cross the boarder - including Russians, Salvadorians, Guatemalans and many others.  What about the Asians which arrive in shipping containers and hide out in the Chinatown's all over the country?\nWouldn't it be better to track those within the country and have them come in legally?\nDidn't you hear what happened to Walmart who hired a cleaning company who hired illegals?  We all benefit from having illegals - how do you think you get your cheap produce?
531130
Its not the illegal aliens fault that WE don't enforce our laws.\n\n\nIts not their fault that most HOME OWNERS will hire an illegal to mow the lawn, take care of the kids, or paint the house.\n\nIf AMERICANS were more responsible for themselves, we would not have this issue because no one would hire an ILLEGAL.
655821
Yes, I believe that is the answer to the illegal problem, go after the employer, arrest the people that do the hiring and put them in jail, make the company's pay a huge fine per illegal, that would get the message out to the employers that it will not be tolerated. \n\nNO WORK = NO JOB = NO MONEY = NO REASON TO BE HERE.
1140273
Urban Legend.  I am an immigrant and I started my own business, and I NEVER heard of that.  It's just hate speech to make you hate immigrants for being hard-working and successful.  Before I was naturalized, I had to pay even more taxes than now, and I had to pay social security even though I was not entitled to collect it.
641222
Yes, employers of the illegal immigrants are the problem, if you take away the employment there would be no reason for them to be here. They the elected officials are suppose to uphold the law not break it and there are laws against employing illegals. I think they should be arrested and treated no better or worse the any other employer that decides that they do not have to adhere to the law.
1162740
well, this illegal problem has been brewing for yrs, even since the last amnesty. this has been an issue that politicians hav avoided for at least 10-15 yrs, but since no one wants to focus on IRAQ & GAS prices, the immigration prob will do for now. this problem has been the cause of our gvmt & employers who indeed make it easy for illegals to work & stay here. ppl r just p*ssed off cuz it has been blown up & its easier to hate & assimilate than it is to hav a voice & an open mind. personally, i think that the honest, hard working non-recipients of public assistance should b able 2 stay if they pass a background check, etc.. after all, the blame should b placed on the American gvmt & Americans. people will treat u the way u allow them to treat u- & dam we've let it go on 4 so long we as americans r to blame. but that's me & we're all entitled to our own opinion-or lack there of.
884596
Look Schatzioma, you question is posed in a nice way so I will answer it in a nice way. As to question #1 and #2, it's not the Americans responsibility to give the poor of the world jobs.There is only so much room in this country, we can't take every poor person on earth. Our resources are finite. As for #3 I and others have complained in this forum many times about corporate greed and the immigration issue. Corporations share at least as much blame as anyone. #4 and #5: Many Americans would make much more money if not for being undercut by cheap foreign labor. I know, I know, the corporations are as much to blame as immigrants. We do blame our government, but it does not listen. #6: Politicians are bought and paid for, Republican and Democrat alike. No major party represents the true interest of Americans on this issue (this could change). Finally, we welcome all immigrants, as long as they obey the law and enter legally.
101937
What exactly is "handed off" to illegal immigrants?\nThe general assumption that illegal immigrants are here to take what's rightfully yours is as racist as it is ignorant.\nImmigrants (legal or not) come here looking for better opportunities and quality of life.\nIllegal immigrants are faced with hardships you couldn't understand unless you became one.  They are forced to work two and three different jobs making less than minimum wage and are taken advantage of because of their legal status.\nWhat's ironic is that they pay taxes just like you and me.\nSo... they work harder for less money and on top of that pay taxes that pay the salaries of those politicians so thirsty to kick them out of the country.\n\nGoing back to the original question; those that don't want illegal mexicans in this country are not racists.  They just find it hypocritical that a group of people braking the law (a federal one at that) are protected by some politicians just to gain popular acceptance.\n\nTo those of you that share the asker's opinion that illegal immigrants are a threat to "this country and its economy and security", I ask - how has illegal immigration affected you directly?  Did anybody get your dream job because they would do it for less money?  Did anybody get the low rent apartment you wanted?\n\n\n******  stoop_fer_lyfe ******\nI DO KNOW what I'm talking about.  I also live in a community riddled with illegal immigrants and am very close to many of them.\nWhat you fail to understand is that they buy new cars, buy houses or apartments and have credit cards - all things that need a credit report.  Banks have changed credit requirements to accommodate them because financial institutions are not immigration officers, they are in business to make money and are not braking any law by lending money to someone that can provide Income Tax Returns.  It may also be hard for you to believe that the government - regardless of the red flags it raises - accepts those Tax Returns and turns a blind eye to the migration legality of the issuer; again, the IRS is not responsible for policing immigration laws.\nMaybe you have never filed a tax return, but you don't need an employer to report and pay taxes for you.  You are then 'Self-Employed', and you don't necessarily need to report all your income since it can't be proved.\nIllegal immigrants know they can live very 'normal' lives as long as they don't break any laws other than immigration laws.\nIt seems to me you are the one that DOES NOT KNOW what you are talking about and are merely commenting on what is fed to you by alarmist media.\n\n**************\n\nI actually enjoy these friendly exchanges.\nI realized why we are talking about two different illegal immigrants.  You are talking about those that cross over illegally (sneak in the country) and I'm talking about those that came here on a visa (any kind) and overstayed.\nThe Social Security Administration used to provide SSN cards/numbers to people on temporary visas; they were stamped with a big 'Not for employment use'.  I don't have to tell you how easy those cards were to duplicate.  I even saw a used car salesman photocopy one, remove those words and photocopy again until he ended with a 'clean' copy before submitting the loan.\nOn the subject of taxes... during my college years I worked as a computer consultant, doing odd jobs that payed under $550 at a time, that way my 'employer' did not have to submit a 1099 for professional services.  I stayed under the radar and expensed every pencil, calculator, computer part, tool, etc. that I bought during those years.  Completely legal.\n\n**************\nDude... you had me at Hello.\nWell said.  I actually liked your latest update better; it didn't show a lingering anger.\nIn the words of Judge Chamberlain Haller (the late Fred Gwynne) in My Cousin Vinny; “that is a lucid, intelligent,
620109
I'd go for the corporations and businesses, they are the next in this pyramid of breaking the law, the last would be the illegals who have been getting away with coming here, getting jobs and staying without any contemplation whatsoever. The top of this pyramid is the government that doesn't enforce Immigration laws. Lately, we have many "real problems" that our President is just not equipped to solve, they just seem to get worse.
1015865
Legally or Illegally?
910524
the money we spend on "illegal immigrants" healthcare education etc. is a sliver of a fraction compared to what we spend in Iraq... acheiving nothing.... \n\nIf it's jobs everybody is worried about, perhaps they should focus on the real problem... which is proper enforcement of labor laws... and ending loopholes for the megacorps. profitting (and donating to  politicians) from using (exploiting) a cheap labor force.\n\nI read somewhere that every new imigrant population tries to rewrite what an immigrant is... to look down on the next person coming in... well if this is thee land of opportunity built on the wealth of ideas and richness of culture that a true melting pot would thrive on, move on, move up... \n\nbefore "we" blamed Mexicans, "we" blamed outsourcing to asia and india, "we've" blamed African Americans for hundreds of years, and before that "we" blamed eastern europeans, before that "we" blamed the jews, before that "we" blamed the Irish, before that "we" blamed the Germans, Before that "we" blamed the catholics, before that "we" blamed colonialist England, before that "we" didn't exist. \n\n"we" as in the collective group of illegal immigrants that have come to this continent in the last 350 some years.. The only people who ever got really screwed by Illegal imigrants were/ are the native americans.\n\nSo next, we'll probably b***** about all the middle-eastern refugees who are going to be fleeing that mess when it's all over, or whoever else comes to the land of opportunity to try to improve their lives.... or rather, whoever just makes a good scapegoat....