Hope for Nicaragua

Submitted by Billy Bob on 15 May, 2008 - 14:38.

One of the members of the extended family just talked to his uncle in the States. The uncle told him that there is a woman running for president and, if she wins, not only will she legalize all illegal immigrants but she will give them citizenship without having to wait the 5 years.

Will the last person to leave Nicaragua kindly turn out the lights?

‹ devaluation of currency How Lack of Public Transport Effects People ›
( categories: )

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

Not likely

Submitted by fyl on 16 May, 2008 - 14:39.

As much as I think that would be a great idea, it won't happen—even if that woman wins which seems very unlikely. But, let's think about the concept.

Nicaraguans (and Mexicans, and Guatemalans and ...) go to the U.S. to work and seem willing to do jobs at low wages. The unemployed usanos I know of wouldn't do these jobs because "they don't pay well enough" or "are beneath their dignity". They find handouts (government and private) more desirable.

Well, as the U.S. economy continues to die, the number of handouts is going to have to drop. So, maybe this will be good motivation. If I was an employer and could legally hire a Nicaraguan with 5 years of U.S.-based work experience or a usano with 5 years of welfare experience, I would pick the Nicaraguan.

But, maybe the "don't want to work" usanos can move to Central America. For the most part you can be homeless and not die of exposure, food grows on trees year-round and you can actually get free access to medical care. Maybe everything will work out soon.

low wages

Submitted by Billy Bob on 20 May, 2008 - 20:06.

Immigrants help lower wages for US workers, making bottom end or temporarily displaced US workers uncompetitive in their own country.

Case in point, the construction shop where my mother worked as a bookkeeper for the last years of her life. The bosses discovered that they could get rid of $20 an hour plus fringes iron workers and replace them with $7/hr with no fringes illegals.

Worked fine for the bosses, a bunch of middle income americans were out of jobs, and of course the taxpayers pick up the balance of the costs through ëarned income credits, free medical, etc.

And what about some young US worker growing up in the neighborhood who wants to ¨get a start¨in the building trades? Not a chance; once an employer has tasted cheap immigrant labor he will never hire an American, not even at the same low wage.

¨pata de perro¨