I understand your situation, and I'm sure it's shared by many. Not being critical of you, because I do sympathize with your situation, but do you recognize the actual cost to society for that illegal labor? I note that you don't provide health insurance - I'm helping pay for that, and schooling, and all other necessary/mandated social services. To save a few bucks on an Xmas tree? Or a few cents on a head of lettuce?
You do bring up something of interest. Around here, illegals also make ~$10-15 and hour, under the table. I'm old and tainted, but that pay rate seems outrageous to me for unskilled labor. I'm not saying that these folks don't work hard for their money for the most part, but: 8hrs X 15 X 5 X 52 = $31K/yr (if the work was consistent, with no over time/bonuses). $31K plus free benefits. Here I criticize the "legal" people you mention. That just seems like pretty darn good money - too much to pass up. Is it that our unskilled (due to poor education, primarily) workforce doesn't know how much can be made?
But I think of this: If you paid even $10 more an hour for that six weeks of intense labor, how much does it really effect your bottom line? And how much would your unit cost increase? This is obviously the perceived deal-breaker...but I'm just curious.
Actually, rather than pay them $10 more per hour, with the status quo (i.e., illegals here working), I'd rather see that money somehow flow to fund social services, in the USA. How? To protect, to a degree, people like yourself, maybe it's time to start taxing food (no, I don't eat Xmas trees!)
My other big irritation is that the vast majority of the money paid illegals goes straight to Mexico. It's not spent here, except primarily for food (which is not taxed). The inherent economic benefit of creating a job is almost totally lost.
In job creation, there is a huge side benefit called the Multiplier Effect. Way back when, when I was in college, the textbooks said that for each new job created "out of the blue", 10 other jobs are created for people to "service" that new money-maker. Of course this is in the "macro" view.
This effect was obvious in my work in the aerospace industry. A new program in a new region, bringing in 5,000 new skilled workers. General workforce population grew exponentially, as the new money made was spent, primarily, locally. Jobs beget jobs, unless the money earned goes elsewhere (like to prop a corrupt government).
Again, I do understand your predicament, but I find the whole thing, in the grand scheme, just ridiculous. You did hit another aspect of this whole fiasco - trade policy. But that's just another (though integrated) gripe.
Though I'm sure our fathers and their fathers all thought that things were going to hell in a handbasket, I (and I bet they) would have never conceived how insane things have gotten, on these fronts and so many others.
What to do? I'm changing to Independent status (for what little good THAT does). I got the form to effect the change. It's in English and Spanish.
JMHOs,
SGE
