Unions — particularly public-employee unions — support illegal immigration because it serves their interests to have a permanent class of people who are financially dependent on the government.
The sad secret about private-sector unions is that they are dying. There used to be a reason for private-sector unions — like, for instance, protecting people like my dad from inhaling the toxic materials at the munitions plant, which eventually killed him. But in today’s world, such unions have become basically obsolete. All they do now is drive up the cost of doing business, thereby preventing their own members from getting hired. Arizona is what we call a “right to work” state. As mandated by the Arizona Constitution, Arizonans are free to join a union or not — it’s their choice, not some union boss’s command. And interestingly enough, when employees are given the choice of whether or not to join a union, they increasingly say no. These workers understand that the rigid workplace rules and regulations that unions promote are bad for growth, bad for competitiveness, and bad for jobs.
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More and more workers recognize this. That’s why in the private sector, where employees have a real stake in the success of the businesses they work for, only 7.5 percent of workers are unionized. By contrast, more than 36 percent of public-sector workers are unionized, and more than 42 percent of local-government workers. That’s because public-sector workers in the federal government don’t have to worry about unemployment. Ever. In many federal agencies, the primary threat to job security is actually death. The job security for all federal workers in 2010 was 99.43 percent. It’s even higher for workers who have been on the job for more than a few years. With the government this bloated, the best guarantee of never-ending employment is a government paycheck. The average government worker has a tenure nearly twice as long as that of the average private-sector worker.
Democratic-party bosses love government workers because each of those workers must rely upon the health and growth of government to pay his salary and guarantee his benefits. If the government contracts or shuts down for any reason, those workers are out of a job. And public-sector unions love the Democratic bosses because they keep on growing government. The more people the Democrats can put on the payroll, the more voters they can lock up for their candidates.
That gives public-sector unions like the SEIU (which includes huge numbers of public employees) unbelievable leverage. Because the party bosses want to keep government workers employed and happy, they’ll give the unions just about anything they want. And the best part (for them) is that it doesn’t cost them a thing. The taxpayers pick up the tab. Liberal politicians spend taxpayer money to grow government; the unions keep voting for (and contributing to) Democrats, and the Democrats stay in office so they can spend more of the taxpayers’ money growing government. It’s a simple, corrupt, mutual back-scratching circle.
How does illegal immigration play into this? Most illegal aliens work hard. That is not in dispute. But the unfortunate fact is that most illegal aliens are also unskilled and uneducated.
Unskilled workers have higher unemployment rates and lower earnings. Many rely on government programs to help support them and their families. Either that or they rely on government jobs — if they can get them. In either case, they are more dependent on government than either legal immigrants or the native-born. Households headed by illegal aliens collect more welfare, due to their generally lower education levels and incomes compared with native-born households. Much of this access to the welfare system by these households is gained through their American-born children, who are U.S. citizens. That means more government, which means more public-sector-union members.
Too bad that we don't hear this from that other Republican Governor from the Southwest -- you know, the one who thought it better to give the illegals in-state tution and who wants to give them all work visas -- that is currently running for President. Unfortunately, Rick Perry, George Bush and far too many other Republicans want to play this game that Gov. Brewer so brilliantly points out as the self-generating loop of power that grows the Democratic Party and its base of support.
Well, actually, the dirty little secret here is that illegals are just that: illegal.
This means in practice that they are easily pushed around, ignorant of their rights, and underpaid.
That provides stiff competition at the bottom end of the wage scale, depriving many of our citizens of jobs.
And there you have it, the reason both parties of crony-capitalism are unwilling to close the border - businesses would rather employ illegals for any task they can do, because they can be treated in ways that no citizen could be.
This is a fantastic article. Gov. Brewer is a smart patriot with American citizens' interests in mind.
It horrifies me that our current "president" appears to be exactly the opposite, and it gives me great relief to see that Rick "Amnesty" Perry is doing everything he can to end his ill-advised presidential run.
Our future will either be determined by America or by Mexico. I for one would like to see the citizens of our country in control of their own fate, rather than a "post-American" elite and the criminal class of Mexico. We either have an America and a Mexico in the year 2100, or we have two Mexicos and no America. Guess what policies lead to which.
"By contrast, more than 36 percent of public-sector workers are unionized, and more than 42 percent of local-government workers. That’s because public-sector workers in the federal government don’t have to worry about unemployment."
Ok, so 42% of local government workers are unionized because public-sector workers in the federal government are nearly impossible to fire? How exactly does that work?
And how will policing immigration at the employer level, something that I agree with, affect the flow of narcotics north or money south?
The Great Wall of China worked for centuries. Its ultimate failure stemmed from the fact that on the east end it was not anchored on a terrain feature. We can anchor on the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Gulf of Mexico in the east.
I've still got a standing offer out to buy the first roll of fence and a stack of fence posts for anyone who wants to come down to the 1,250-mile Texas-Mexico border and start installing a wall. That way you could see for yourself what a fool's errand it would be.
It's also instructive how many of those same individuals who have a problem with eminent domain have no problem at all with building a fence that would require the greatest private land grab in history, since virtually the entire Texas side of the river is privately owned. Others who worry about boondoggle spending should ask themselves what a fence would stop that this terrain doesn't: External Link External Link External Link External Link
As someone who knows that border like the back of my hand, there are two things I can say with absolute certainty. Anyone who advocates building a physical wall along its entire length has no idea what they are talking about, and any politician who panders to those who want to build a wall is either clueless themselves or cynical to an extreme.
Of course, what would I know about a border I've hunted, rafted and hiked around for 35 years compared to all you experts living north of the Red River whose opinions are unburdened by either personal experience or actual knowledge?
Your right, the terrain is so rough the illegals must be coing in from Canada. I guess we can disband the Border Patrol in the south.
No problem with eminent domain as long as it is done in accordance with the Constitution (ie; take for a public use with fair compensation). Protecting the United States from invasion is undoubtedly a public use.
The Great Wall of China is over 3,700 miles and was essentially built by hand. You apparently have the same inefficient ancient construction method (by hand) in mind with your rolls of wire and fence posts. I was thinking we could use some more modern methods like heavy equipment, concrete, hexco containers etc.
Apparently the terrain has not stopped 12,000,000+ illegals from invading us. There are almost certainly more illegal aliens in the US now then there were US servicemembers during WWII. You may have to pay more for your field hands, gardener, nanny and maid but the rest of us will no longer bear the external costs.
Anyone you see whining about building a border fence wants the invasion to continue (for profit or ?), and the do their damdest to be convincing. The REASON that Arizona has led the nation in anti-illegal immigration legislation the past several years is because the FENCING built in southern California drove the cesspool flow into Arizona. Fencing works, and the scum of the earth know it.
Anyone you see whining about building a border fence wants the invasion to continue (for profit or ?), and the do their damdest to be convincing. The REASON that Arizona has led the nation in anti-illegal immigration legislation the past several years is because the FENCING built in southern California drove the cesspool flow into Arizona. Fencing works, and the scum know it.
