Comments on: More Thoughts on Bush’s Immigration Plan

By: andrew

andrew — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 16:29:54 +0000

Earnest,

I don’t think it’s as easy as you state for the poor to maximize their purchasing power. The sad thing is that it takes money to maximize your purchasing power. Lets say for instance I want to buy a gallon of milk. I have a car, I can go to any store in seattle to buy milk. I probably won’t drive 10 miles to buy one gallon, but I will drive 10 miles to do all my grocery shopping if it does save me a good amount of money. Now lets say I don’t have a car. Most likely I’ll be living in a neighborhood with many other people who don’t as well. We’re limited in the places that we can shop. It seems silly that things would be more expensive in poorer neighborhoods, but that’s the way it works. You can also combine this with my ability to buy things mail order, over the internet, etc that some one of lower finacial means just don’t have. The result is that it’s hard to maximize your power unless you have the money to do so, or can organize a large group of people to work together.

By: josh

josh — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 15:27:18 +0000

so, let’sget this straight. employers have a fresh crop of labor every three years? no one can legally stay long enough to get any tenure or demand serious pay raises or benefits? and i dont have to worry about ins breathing down my neck?

sounds like a winner.

By: Earnest

Earnest — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 13:35:25 +0000

There need be no minimum wage reforms– California’s is already at least a third higher than most of the rest of the country’s minimum wage. You just have to increase purchasing power, and if Californians allow Wal-Mart in, then that will happen automatically. Between 99 Cent Stores and Wal-Mart, California’s immigrant labor force would be pretty well off. The 99 Cent Store’s most profitable location is its Beverly Hills location. The rich already know how to maximize their purchaisng power– it’s time for the poor to figure it out.

By: Darth Jittery

Darth Jittery — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 11:57:10 +0000

If Bush’s efforts were paired with meaningful Minimum wage increases and enforcement of labor standards, then he might have something. As it stands he’s just legitimizing cheap, non-union labor for corporate consumption.

By: Earnest

Earnest — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 07:19:44 +0000

I think you’re confusing cause and effect here. Wal-Mart success is what led to their exploitation of migrant workers, not the other way around. Their ability to work with enormous volume is what led to their ability to charge low prices, and their need to perpetuate and build on their successes is what led the company to seek out cheaper labor. You’re right, thought, that management does need to be reined in. The biggest worry we should have is that employers would exploit their migrant workers, using the threat of revoking their work visas as blackmail. Now that migrant workers will no longer need to fear going to the cops, the government should make it illegal for employers to use an employees’ immigration status as any kind of bargaining chip. Further, charges of that nature should be overseen by the Equal Opportunity Employment Comission, and victims should be able to seek punitive damages.

In a large number (probably a majority)of these cases, money these employees make is going to Mexico whether we have immigration reform or not. Let’s not imagine that it isn’t. This immigration reform will just make it easier for many of our neighbors from Mexico to improve their lives there, and maybe, in the long run, it’s better in terms of immigration to have a healthy, vital Mexico from where fewer people will feel it necessary to immigrate.