Posted on 03/17/2009 9:17:18 AM PDT by Chief Engineer
A B.C. sales representative who markets equestrian products in Canada was barred from crossing the U.S. border to attend a trade show last month by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer who accused him of trying to steal American jobs.
"He looked at me, and in a yelling voice he said, 'You're friggin' stealing jobs away from American citizens,' and I tried telling him that I wasn't," Joel Borsteinas told CBC News.
Borsteinas, a Canadian citizen, said he's been in business for 15 years, acting as a middleman between U.S. and Canadian suppliers of western wear and equestrian products and Canadian retailers who want to stock the products.
He said he goes to the U.S. half a dozen times a year, to attend trade shows and meet with suppliers who want him to market their products to retailers north of the border. They pay him a commission for every Canadian order he sends to them.
On Feb. 26, Borsteinas said, he was on his way to a trade show in Oregon when he was pulled over at the border and questioned for an hour before being refused entry. He said he's never been stopped at the border before, and he said he always tells the truth about where he is going and why.
Anybody that buys off an American distribution company or an American manufacturer company has some sort of a liaison in Canada," said Borsteinas.
'I'm creating American jobs' "I'm creating American jobs. The (U.S.) companies that I actually work for — I have been in touch with them all — and they still think that this is absolutely crazy."
Borsteinas said the border officer who refused to allow him entry to the U.S. was the supervisor on duty at the time, at the Sumas crossing in southwestern B.C.
"I said, 'Well I don't actually bring the products in. I just write the orders. It's all in Canada,'" said Borsteinas.
He says, 'Oh you are a consultant then.' I says, 'No — I'm just a salesman. I sell to Canadian stores.' And he says 'Nope, you are a consultant,'" said Borsteinas. "Once again, he says 'You are stealing jobs away from us.'"
Borsteinas said he was then fingerprinted and sent back into Canada. The border officer warned him if he tried to enter the U.S. on business again, he should expect to be prosecuted.
More at link.
His job wouldn't be "stolen," he gave the damned thing away!
As our Govt grows, yes, the FEDS will get more and more aggressive, but at the same time, there is still some responsibility in the system.
Why didn’t he get names and badge numbers, as well as written statements or other records when he was pulled aside. These should be readily available.
It is the guys the border patrol doesn’t catch that steal American jobs.
Hasn’t this guy been made aware of the new pay to play system we have here?
That was the first time I learned that Canadians really had issues with us.
Well, no, that's completely false ... you've got cause and effect reversed.
There are no jobs to "steal."
The jobs belong to American employers, and some American employers quite often employ illegals rather than Americans.
The roots of the illegal immigration problem (and it is a problem) are to be found on the demand side; the border-crossers (the supply side) are simply taking advantage of the opportunities given to them by American employers.
If you really want to take care of illegal immigration, you might do better to address the demand/employer side of the equation; the illegal immigration problem will go away as soon as you take care of the demand side.
My wife's daughter made some HAM sandwich's for me to eat during the trip. This was during the time that the importation of Canadian beef was prohibited.
My lunch was confiscated. I was told that beef could not be imported. No amount of explaining could convince the idiot at the Roosville, MT crossing that the sandwiches were HAM not beef.
P.S., I stopped in Missoula for lunch!
Au Contraire. It is illegal to hire illegal aliens. Legally, they don't have the choice to employ illegal aliens.
The roots of the illegal immigration problem (and it is a problem) are to be found on the demand side; the border-crossers (the supply side) are simply taking advantage of the opportunities given to them by American employers.
No doubt that jobs are the magnets that draw most of them here--approximately 7 million are working here. American employers can't offer such "opportunties" legally. The problem is that the USG is not enforcing its own laws.
If you really want to take care of illegal immigration, you might do better to address the demand/employer side of the equation; the illegal immigration problem will go away as soon as you take care of the demand side.
As a member of a grassroots organization that lobbies on the Hill and at the state level, we are trying. For example, we would like to have the E-Verify program be made mandatory for any of the stimulus package projects. It was in the House version, but the Senate took it out in the version that came out of conference. The E-Verify program will expire in September, i.e., the six months extension expires.
Our biggest nemisis has been the American Chamber of Commerce, which has bought many Congressmen. It is all about the bottom line. The businesses reap greater profits while the taxpayer subsidizes much of the expenses. Good deal for them, bad deal for us and the country.
So what ever became of the soft-ware issue...did the Canadians finally find some-one to fix it on their end..or did you have to get sent back again?
So? The jobs still belong to the employers. To "steal" a job is to suggest that jobs properly belong to the people whom the employers decide not to hire. "Stealing" jobs is clearly a nonsense idea.
Just as clearly, the matter of "illegality" has very little effect on the Americans who willingly flout those laws. There's much more involved on the demand side of the economic equation than the "no illegals" side of the argument is willing to address.
American employers can't offer such "opportunties" legally. The problem is that the USG is not enforcing its own laws.
The problem is that American workers cost too much relative to the competition; and American employers are looking to trim costs as much as possible. It is exactly the same problem that drives the out-sourcing of American manufacturing to lower-cost countries.
... For example, we would like to have the E-Verify program be made mandatory for any of the stimulus package projects....
Well and good -- but those are predicated on controlling the supply side of the problem, which is merely a response to the underlying economic issues that bring those folks northward.
Part of the problem is high overhead imposed by government, in the form of taxes, paperwork, and so on. Another, bigger, part of the problem is Americans' expectations: we demand more money and benefits as a condition of employment; and we have a welfare system that effectively places a floor on the wages Americans are willing to accept.
> That was the first time I learned that Canadians really had issues with us.
100% yes. I’m from BC originally and it’s the infamous “Canadian inferiority complex”. You see, we have been taught/indoctrinated since grade school to hate Americans. That’s what fuels Canadian patriotism, nothing else.
What’s not surprising is that the CBC, the propaganda piece for this hate-America mentality is reporting this like there’s no other news to report. Heck, I;ve already made bets with FReepers that in 2010, the American anthem will be boo’d incessantly at the Olympics. Canadians are a sorry bunch.
I think the terminology of the open borders types is "doing jobs Americans won't do." The jobs may belong to the employers, but they can't hire whomever they want, e.g., illegal aliens. The "stealing" refers to taking jobs away from those legally in this country.
The problem is that American workers cost too much relative to the competition; and American employers are looking to trim costs as much as possible. It is exactly the same problem that drives the out-sourcing of American manufacturing to lower-cost countries.
You are providing a phony justification. Wages are product of supply and demand. Americans and legal residents are not competing on a level playing field when illegal aliens apply for jobs. They are depressing wages.
Well and good -- but those are predicated on controlling the supply side of the problem, which is merely a response to the underlying economic issues that bring those folks northward.
We can only control what we can control. There are billions of people living in dire economic conditions and poverty around the globe. Most of them would love to come here. There is no shortage of applicants. And there are millions of Americans, many of them unskilled, who do not have jobs. The Bureau of Labor statistics for Februay 2009 show an unemployment rate of 8.1% with 12.5 million unemployed and the rate for blacks is 13.4% and Hispanics is 10.9%.
Part of the problem is high overhead imposed by government, in the form of taxes, paperwork, and so on. Another, bigger, part of the problem is Americans' expectations: we demand more money and benefits as a condition of employment; and we have a welfare system that effectively places a floor on the wages Americans are willing to accept.
People need more money to survive. American workers are not the problem. It all goes back to supply and demand. We are bringing in 1.2 million legal immigrants a year and 500,000 to 1 million enter illegally. And about a million more are brought in every year under non-immigrant work visas. Supply is driving down wages.
Our immigration policies will result in this country adding 135 million people in the next 40 years (75% due to immigration) just as those policies caused our population to increase by 100 million since 1970. Immigration, legal and illegal, has had and will continue to have a major and far-reaching impact across a broad spectrum of existential challenges that confront this nation, e.g., national security, the economy/global competitiveness, health care, taxes, energy independence, education, entitlement reform, law enforcement, social welfare programs, physical infrastructure, the environment, civil liberties, and a continued sense of national identity/shared sense of endeavor. In many ways immigration policy is the defining issue of our times with enormous implications for the future of this nation and the preservation of our patrimony. Yet, rarely will you hear immigration mentioned by our political and intellectual elites in connection with these challenges.
They sent myself and another back. At the border we said we were just visiting friends before going to our next stop in Detroit or something. Took a day or 2 but we identified the problem and fixed it. A few months later I left that company.
And again ... those jobs are not being "taken away" from anybody.
You are providing a phony justification. Wages are product of supply and demand. Americans and legal residents are not competing on a level playing field when illegal aliens apply for jobs. They are depressing wages.
Ironically, your argument for saying that my justification is "phony," just happens to be ... my argument: illegals get hired because they cost less than Americans do.
We can only control what we can control.
And yet you apparently refuse to focus on the demand side, which is the real source of the problem.
People need more money to survive. American workers are not the problem. It all goes back to supply and demand.
Now you're just hiding your head in the sand. The demand is for low-cost workers; the supply of legal workers is asking for more money/benefits than the employers are willing (or able) to pay.
yes, I’ve heard from many in this situation that you only get yourself into trouble by telling the truth. If you LIE to them and say you are there to visit Aunt Penny or go to a casino there are no questions asked.
One gets the feeling that those who can’t cut it in drive-thru window school get jobs as Customs Inspectors. (and didn’t Hitler flunk out of Customs Inspector school?)
Was it lunch time? He probably wanted to eat your sandwiches.
Enforcing the law getting boring? Make up your own!
And again, you are wrong. You are making the phony assumption that none of those 7 million plus jobs would be filled if there were no illegal aliens to fill them.
Ironically, your argument for saying that my justification is "phony," just happens to be ... my argument: illegals get hired because they cost less than Americans do.
Of course they are cheaper. The only problem is that it is against the law to hire them.
And yet you apparently refuse to focus on the demand side, which is the real source of the problem.
Demand isn't the problem in this ountry. We have plenty of labor, skilled and unskilled.
Now you're just hiding your head in the sand. The demand is for low-cost workers; the supply of legal workers is asking for more money/benefits than the employers are willing (or able) to pay.
The employers might be willing (or able) to pay if they didn't have access to any more illegal workers. You just don't seem to get it. FYI: We are bring in both skilled and unskilled workers legally to the tune of about one million a year.
Q & A session with Milton Friedman at the 18th Annual Institute for Liberty and Policy Analysis (ISIL) World Libertarian Conference, August 20-22, 1999, in San Jose, Costa Rica. Co-sponsors: The Mackinac Center for Public Policy; the Atlas Economic Research Foundation.
Q: Dr. Friedman should the U.S.A. open its borders to all immigrants? What is your opinion on that?
A: Unfortunately no. You cannot simultaneously have free immigration and a welfare state.
Q: Do you oppose a unilateral reduction of tariffs and if not how can you oppose open immigration until the welfare state is eliminated?
A: I am in favor of the unilateral reduction of tariffs, but the movement of goods is a substitute for the movement of people. As long as you have a welfare state, I do not believe you can have a unilateral open immigration. I would like to see a world in which you could have open immigration, but stop kidding yourselves. On the other hand, the welfare state does not prevent unilateral free trade. I believe that they are in different categories.
Q: Instead of a green card [resident alien status], can the USA issue a blue card which does not give welfare?
A: If you could do that, that would be fine. But I don’t believe you can do that. It’s not only that it is not politically feasible, I don’t think that it is desirable to have two classes of citizens in a society. We want a free society. We want a society in which every individual is treated as an end in themselves. We don’t want a society in which some people are in there under blue conditions, others are in there under red conditions, others are in there under black conditions. We want a free society. So I don’t believe such ....
I haven’t really ever thought of that system. It’s a new question. I very rarely get a new question, but I must admit that’s a new question for me. And I haven’t really thought about it a great deal, but my initial reaction is that it’s a very undesirable proposal.
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