Advocates of harsh immigration laws and policies continue to fail to see the benefits immigrants(legal or illegal) bring and without them they readily dismiss the economic penalties imposed on local governments and business. Two arguments central to the debate include illegal immigrants are taking jobs Americans want and need and that insuring only US citizens can utilize state services.
The first argument is almost a joke and if wasn't for over 50% of Americans not being able to get out of high school this would not be up for discussion. Georgia has one of the harshest anti-immigration laws on the books and it also has one of the highest unemployment and lowest high school graduation rates which makes it fertile ground for stewing hate and condemn a whole ethnic group. Georgia unemployment has not changed since trying to run out illegal immigrants but what has occurred are jobs no one willing to fill. Three reasons for this exist; lack of training for desired jobs, Georgians not really interested (not capable) in doing the type of work illegals perform and the unemployment generosity of the government sucks out any incentive to work. Initially when Georgia enacted its first round of anti-immigration laws farmers were left empty handed when it came to hard manual labor usually performed by illegal immigrants. Georgia officials came to rescue but no one showed up until they bussed in prisoners to do the work. They lasted less than one week. OK who wants to do manual farm work anyway. But what about construction jobs. Prior to the recession in 2008 I can not tell you how many white, tobacco chewing, overweight, uneducated, white men Georgia officials paraded in front of TV cameras in commercials and announcements deriding illegals for taking what were once high paying construction jobs. Please note that the high flying build out of America prior to the recession would have been possible without the low cost labor brought in from Mexico and other countries.
Fast forward to June 2013 prior to passage of the new immigration reform bill and the far right has a new argument supporting Americans not taking jobs once performed by illegals. After driving out many illegals over the last 4 years America is left with no workers and certainly no young workers to perform much of the work. With mounting evidence Americans will not perform many jobs illegals once performed for example manual farm labor, due to of difficulty is all wrong. The new argument is "The pay is not sufficient". The new argument suggest if pay was high enough American would perform the work. Illegals drove the price down so low Americans will not work for such depressed wages. The right sure gives illegals a lot of credit and sway over our economy. As long as America fails to take responsibility for their presence the problem will never be solved. As long as America refuses to have dialogue with Mexican Americans over Hispanic issue the problem will never be solved. As long as the right believes all illegals once naturalized with vote Democratic. They fail to understand Russians, Irish, Canadians, and other non-Hispanics are here illegally as well in very large numbers. Texas and Arizona both boasts large Hispanic populations but yet Republicans win the governor's mansion. If the right really understand they would focus on the 50% of legal Hispanics that do not vote and convert them and not worry about voters that will not be eligible for at least 10 years or two almost three presidential election cycles.
