It’s the same everywhere though.
Go into a restaurant - all the bus boys and waiters are immigrants.
My company cafeteria - all Honduran and Mexican
Landscapers - they’re affectionately called “little brown men”
They’re doing the jobs that no “privileged” American would stoop to do. And THAT is the bigger problem.
I’m all for kicking out illegals theoretically I guess. But selfishly, I’d rather not pay $5 for an avocado or $50 for a $20 bottle of wine because those CA industries will now have to try and employ Americans.
More nuanced than that, but that’s the counterargument the Dems will give. If we need more workers, fix the immigration laws so we know who is who. We have no idea who is here legitimately to work and who is here to work the system. There’s no border security to sort out who is who. We set up barriers to keep highly educated law abiding citizens from other countries out, but we let the riff raff in and roll out the red carpet for them in terms of social services.
But if we tied benefits to work it would help correct the problem. I live just north of the “water park capital” tourist trap, Wisconsin Dells. They always need help and pay above minimum wage. Even the local Walmart always needs help. They have a constant need to ship in foreign workers. Why work when there is rent assistance, heat assistance, foodshare, even disability (I’ve watched the handicap running and jumping into their new trucks) and the list goes on and on. Lets stop the gravy train.
My F-I-L was in the Agriculture Business all of his Adult life in California. We have discussed the things you mention.
He has always said that we need Immigrants here to do this work and we should use Work Permits to allow them in to do so. The Industry is highly Mechanized, but you can never get away from the Manual Labor required to get Product from Farm to Market.
He also knew Cesar Chavez, an avid Anti Immigrant Activist.
They didn’t like each other, but they respected each other, probably because they both served in the U.S. Navy.
The days of White Farm Laborers moving throughout the Country from Crop to Crop are over and done.
You do, however, pay for the indirect costs of all those "little brown men."
Piling on: The wage decline/worker replacement is THE reason for middle class frustration. 15-20 years ago a framing carpenter in my area was getting $15+/hr.
At the time of the 2008 crash that wage had dropped to $10/hr and the vast majority of the work crews were Mexican.
Same thing for house painters, concrete finishers, roofers, drywallers, carpet/flooring guys, etc.
Even licensed industries like Electrical and Plumbing have been invaded.
In the beach towns along the NC/SC coast the vast majority of hotel maids are Latin.
Landscaping too, everywhere.
Kitchen help, busboys too.
Practically everything in large agriculture is now Latin.
Illegal, law breaking, cultural destroyers. I’ll shed no tear when they have to sell their property and go back to their home countries.
“I’m all for kicking out illegals theoretically I guess. But selfishly, I’d rather not pay $5 for an avocado or $50 for a $20 bottle of wine because those CA industries will now have to try and employ Americans.”
If an industry can’t compete paying fair wages, then that industry shouldn’t be around anyway. We’ve been propping up losers for so long we’re all going to lose pretty soon if we keep doing it.
It is stupidity like this that makes the GOPe a "has been" party. The party of work Americanis won't do party. Is it hard to type with that bug up are a$$?