Heres a conspiracy I can actually believe in: the conspiracy to keep workers earning far less than their productivity rate. Workers work more efficiently? Shareholders will take the gains, making money in their sleep. While not all shareholders are the 1%, the vast majority are. Which brings me to immigration. Rather than be angry at President Obama for his action on immigration reform, you should be angry at the culture of big business in this country, which has knowingly and consciously frozen wages for all American workers. This means that you and I are struggling due to flat wages, and whats more, the quality of jobs has gone down. Many of us must settle for subcontractor status, more travel, fewer benefits. Such a culture filters down to our most menial jobs. And theres no group that makes less than our very large undocumented work force -- hired largely through subcontractors to build our mansions, make our beds, and pick our vegetables on the cheap. Where we intersect with them, we dont want to know who they are because we are strapped to our limits -- more than ever. But this dont ask, dont tell policy must come to an end. President Obamas brilliant move is setting our priorities as a nation -- family, security, and justice for our hardest-working residents. In the 1920s, Arizona encouraged migrant workers from Mexico to work in the booming economy. When the Great Depression came, Arizona tightened its laws, and migrants who had been freely crossing for decades were put on notice that they were no longer welcome. We have used our mobile, efficient and cooperative labor force to the south for too long without respect and only at our convenience. Its time we acknowledge how we benefit from them, and bring them out of the shadows. And yes, those who are law-abiding will register. Most of them already pay taxes using a tax ID number, hoping and waiting for the day when they can contribute even more to the country they now call home. I should know. I covered this community for many years as a journalist. Those who complain about health care costs and education costs should point the finger at those who are benefitting the most from undocumented, subcontractor labor: the one percent, and also, ourselves. Since we cant afford anything more than what we pay this labor force, we also need to start fighting for our own properly adjusted higher wages -- the wages we deserve. We were strangers once too. President Obama knows whats up. Its always hardest to be the clear voice in the middle of the shrill voices on the fringe. So lets give him some credit for a brilliant move, and a move long overdue.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 07:24:27 +0000
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