[lit-ideas] Re: Immigration
- From: "Andy Amago" <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2006 19:47:55 -0500
Why don't Mexicans demand better pay in Mexico? Strikes, marches.
Corporations listen when people strike. Yes, Reagan fired the air traffic
controllers, but an entire country pulling together can get results. It
worked here in the first half of the 20th century. Instead, they demand
changes in a neighboring country.
> [Original Message]
> From: Andreas Ramos <andreas@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 3/26/2006 7:38:30 PM
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Immigration
>
> > Andreas is the one stating that his area does not have things like Labor
> > Ready--they have the trucks that pick up illegal immigrants who are NOT
paying
> > taxes and that they are just FINE with not paying taxes.
>
> For several years, Catholic Social Services (CSS) rented an office space
at the intersection
> and used it as a sort of hiring hall. The Mexicans had a place to be off
the street. There
> was free coffee. It was first-come, first-hire. They show up, "clock in"
and list their
> skills. You come in and ask for someone to paint your house, and the
first housepainter on
> the list was called up. CSS also set the $12 rate, which prevented people
from driving down
> the pay for the Mexicans. By registering, this also protected the
Mexicans from a few
> employers who refused to pay at the end of the day.
>
> The employers are indeed okay with avoiding taxes: they avoid the
paperwork. They also avoid
> taxes. The dayworkers get the full amount: $12/hr.
>
> This is the situation for day workers on the street corners, and most
farm workers as well.
>
> As for the workers in McDonalds and so on, taxes are paid to the state.
>
> The Mexicans aren't here to slack off. They work. A remarkable 95% of the
11m illegals are
> working (stated on NPR a few days ago). In the general US population, not
even a third of
> Americans are working.
>
> The Mexicans would much prefer that the system be legalized. They have to
take risky routes
> through the desert, where people often die. They have to pay high fees to
smugglers. They
> are abused and exploited by the US police, who harass them or steal their
money. If they
> could pay taxes and work legally, that'd be better.
>
> One reason they come here is NAFTA. The US and Canada are flooding Mexico
with cheap farm
> produce, which shut down Mexican agriculture, so they come here to work
so their families
> can survive.
>
> yrs,
> andreas
> www.andreas.com
>
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