Take a Poll be famous (How to Protect Workers)

[techieMoe]

See, closing the borders is just impossible and people are always going to find ways around tightened laws. I still believe that it is far more practical to grant temporary work permits, tax that income and pay minimum wage.

This has been tried several times in the past. It didn't help then, and it won't help now. Amnesty is not a good alternative.

http://www.usimmigrationsupport.org/amnesty.html
http://www.cis.org/articles/2000/ins1986amnesty.html

These people are breaking the law, plain and simple. The US Government has forgiven them in the past and it actually made the problem worse. If the US Government is going to continually keep letting these people break the law I don't see why any other legal citizens of the US should have to obey the law either. Hell, why don't I just go on a killing spree and appeal to the government for amnesty? Think it would pass? Of course not. I don't see immigration reform any differently.

[DThor]

I'm lucky enough to live in a largish city, where I work downtown and live in a nice area with a lot of amenities. I'm probably lucky compared to those that live out in the burbs or the country where you might be able to count the available car repair facilities on one hand. I can see where having limited choices based on language can be frustrating.

I recently went to an Italian restaurant which had the dishes described in Italian-only, and the person loading up the food behind the counter wasn't Italian, didn't understand the names of the dishes, and couldn't really speak English. Well, actually, as I write this, that's hilarious, but it was the last time I went there.

To me that's just bad(and stupid) business. They don't need the government to shut them down.

DT

[daacosta]

.. that is where my problem with dual languages starts because here in oklahoma for instance i go to a mcdonalds there is a good chance i might have to know spanish to order my meal...

Awwww come on Carlos! I also live in Oklahoma and you don't have to speak Spanish to order at McDonalds or any other place... Sheshhh! That's plain BS

The problem of picking up a language as official is rather political and none of the major parties wishes to upset minorities and lose votes... That's just the way it goes...

Should English be the official language of the USA? I believe so and all legal documents should be in English (Citizenship tests in Spanish? Come on!) as well as transit signals

[daacosta]

This has been tried several times in the past. It didn't help then, and it won't help now. Amnesty is not a good alternative.

http://www.usimmigrationsupport.org/amnesty.html
http://www.cis.org/articles/2000/ins1986amnesty.html

These people are breaking the law, plain and simple. The US Government has forgiven them in the past and it actually made the problem worse. If the US Government is going to continually keep letting these people break the law I don't see why any other legal citizens of the US should have to obey the law either. Hell, why don't I just go on a killing spree and appeal to the government for amnesty? Think it would pass? Of course not. I don't see immigration reform any differently.

I see your point Techie. What I am saying is to consider what's practical and what is not in regards to ilegal immigrants. Please notice that I didn't mention amnesty as part of the solution in any of my posts but temporary work permits which is different [Has this been tried and failed before? I would have to research it...] Also, I am not saying to grant US citizenship left and right just because we can't cope with the problem [That would make everything worse and would encourage you to go on a killing spree and we don't want that ]

[techieMoe]

Also, I am not saying to grant US citizenship left and right just because we can't cope with the problem [That would make everything worse and would encourage you to go on a killing spree and we don't want that ]

Haha. No, we wouldn't want that.

[bryansmith]

This is a tricky question. There are many dynamics to the question and anyone can interpret the question in any way. I see two very distinct dynamics: protetcing the health and well being of the individual worker or protecting the economy at large (serving the economy through the employment of workers).

Since there are two very distinct ways of looking at it, I will answer from the point of view I see as more important. I feel that it is important to protect the well being of the individual worker by providing the means by which they can get health care. If you provide this, the worker is healthy and able to be productive in the workplace. Opening up the borders is not a problem - it is keeping these people happy and productive that poses the real problem.

Bryan

[carlosponti]

Awwww come on Carlos! I also live in Oklahoma and you don't have to speak Spanish to order at McDonalds or any other place... Sheshhh! That's plain BS

The problem of picking up a language as official is rather political and none of the major parties wishes to upset minorities and lose votes... That's just the way it goes...

Should English be the official language of the USA? I believe so and all legal documents should be in English (Citizenship tests in Spanish? Come on!) as well as transit signals

ok daacosta since you live here go to the mcdonalds on penn and 89th street. i sware about everyone that works there the last time i went spoke spanish as a primary language. even the manager. i sware that i was telling the manager what i wanted and she was translating to the guy on the register. the rest do however speak barely enough english to get an idea of what you order. now i exaggerate when i said you have to speak spanish to order there. but you know i think they would have an easier time understanding me if i spoke spanish to them. for one thing my english is very fast compared to most that live in oklahoma.

another time i was in walmart looking for the baby register so me and my wife could get something for my brother who had a child with his GF recently. when i asked someone it was this really hot looking girl who btw didnt speak one word of english at the super walmart in moore on 19th street. ( i know for the rest of you this locality speak is kinda wierd ). i asked her where the baby registry computer was located and she smiled and said something to the fact that she would go get someone. she brought another person over who didnt already know what i had asked because the girl just summoned someone without telling them anything. now i am not entirely sure she was of spanish speaking origin. but i do remember she was hot

[daacosta]

Carlos,

Can we agree that English is predominantly spoken in Oklahoma?

If so, yeehaw!

btw, I used to shop at Walmart Supercenter at Moore but since they built a Sam's in front of my apartment complex I don't have to go there anymore...

[Vergil83]

No, minimum wage laws apply to all legal workers.

No where in us labor laws does it say this applies to only "legal" workers. First, if that person is employing someone illegally, they are breaking the law themselves. And sceond, even illegal immigrants have protection under the law. The still have protections as in th 5th amendment.

Most day laborers do not receive a salary and are not "official" employees of the companies they work for, therefore the companies do not report their earnings individually. The foreman at a construction site pays them cash at the end of the day, and that's that. How do you suggest the government investigates that?

It will be hard, but it has to be much easier than sending 11 million people back to their home country, breaking up families, etc.....

[techieMoe]

No where in us labor laws does it say this applies to only "legal" workers. First, if that person is employing someone illegally, they are breaking the law themselves. And sceond, even illegal immigrants have protection under the law. The still have protections as in th 5th amendment.

Ok. You've got me on that point. I agree that yes, companies who hire illegal workers should be investigated and prosecuted accordingly. If there were fewer companies willing to hire these workers, there would be less work and less incentive for them to come over illegally in the first place, so that could help the whole situation.

It will be hard, but it has to be much easier than sending 11 million people back to their home country, breaking up families, etc.....

I could give a damn less about breaking up families. The kids that were born here are citizens, so they can stay. Give them a simple choice: leave the country with your parents or go into foster care as we deport them. As for rounding up 11 million people? Why not round up a few million every time one of these rallies goes on? Hello? INS? Mexican buffet right here.

::EDIT:: Looking back, there's a very good reason I didn't go into politics.