Mexicans: Are They the Itch or the Scratch?
Posted on 22 May 2008 by Bobby Ozuna
I have seen an increase in responses to my articles posted here on CultureFeast.com and again on Gather.com and MySpace, with regards to the question about Illegal Aliens. It strikes me as odd that so many people are quick to judge the Mexicans based on statistics regarding money and costs associated with the people being here. I understand (and I want) we need to ensure everyone in this country is pulling their weight. I am also smart enough to know there is no real way of calculating that. In the end, we as a nation have opted to focus our attention on the Mexicans who cross the border as the basis of a “problem” in the country. My question is simple. Do you feel the issues regarding the Mexicans are the itch or the scratch?
I have always prided myself on being a thinker—an individual who evaluates a circumstance or setting—with insight into the cause or effect of the actual problem. Some say it’s a gift but I say it’s nothing more than common sense. Now, many won’t understand that because (and I am truly sorry to say this) there are many people in the world who don’t have any common sense. It’s a fact. No, I can’t provide statistics, but I can point out scenarios. That my friends, I am good at. So, I thought I would bring another interesting point to the CultureFeast table. Are the issues regarding the illegal aliens the itch (the original source of the “problem”) or the scratch (the after affect)?
For instance, we want them out. Americans want the Mexicans out of the country. Why? “They are taking jobs away from Americans”—that’s what people say. And that is a good reason. If someone came up to me (or my boss) and said, you have just lost your job to a person from Mexico who will do the same job for much less pay—that would piss me off. Who wouldn’t get upset? But I can’t say I have ever faced that. And forgive me for saying this, but I am glad it never happened to me. Why? Well, I can’t say I have ever worked in a fast-food restaurant, and I haven’t bussed tables since I was 16-years old and I don’t wash cars, do dishes, cut lawns or roof houses. So, with that understanding, no Mexican is taking my job. Now if you on the other hand are worried about someone taking your job—and we know what types of work they perform in this country—then maybe you should evaluate your own career and educational choices and opt for a better position within the American workplace.
Corporate America is screaming about this issue. Mexicans are taking jobs away from Americans. But I assure there is no member of Corporate America (in a suit mind you) losing their positions to someone from Mexico who no speakey de English. That’s a lie. If anything Corporate America (and medium/small business owners) have much to gain by allowing such cheap labor in the workplace. I mean, they reap the profits of such low costs of wages compared to the costs associated with running their business. Period. And that good people is a fact. We work to make money and the business owners of America are making money off the Hebrews of America—the people of Mexico.
The phrase “they are taking jobs away from Americans” is as pathetic as the African-American phrase, “the white man is holding me back.” Those statements are just not true. For instance, I have NEVER seen or heard of a white man, sneaking into a black man’s home (or neighborhood) and tearing up homework. If someone from an African-American home doesn’t graduate, it’s not because a white man took your school books, but because you probably didn’t take them home and use them. That is a fact as well. And on that note, I have never seen a group of illegal aliens, ambushing a business owner and forcing them to hire them instead of Americans. What I have seen however is the hoard of American business owners (or someone on their staff), soliciting cheap labor under the many bridges, in the many parts of Fort Worth, Texas, knowing full well, they want good work and they want it cheap, and also knowing they are the reason we have a problem with illegal aliens in this country. They my friends are the itch. They (American business owners) are the cause (the itch) of the problem. The scratch (the after affect) is the flood of people coming to America—from Mexico—to take the jobs Americans are giving away, right under our bridges, right under our noses. And let’s not forget the countless jobs that have been outsourced by OUR FELLOW AMERICAN BUSINESS OWNERS to countries in the Middle East? The only reason we don’t scream as much about that is because they aren’t bringing them HERE to answer support calls!!!
We are targeting the wrong people. We should be holding our fellow American responsible for the plague of Mexicans who are crossing the border—and willing to die for it—for the sake of higher wages than they will ever earn in their home country. It’s simple supply and demand. America wants them here, to make money off them. America wants them here so we can have homes built in less than three months, roofs repaired on our homes almost as quickly as mother-nature removed them, fresh cut lawns so we can brag at the next Homeowners Association meeting and “authentic” Mexican cuisine, coupled with “authentic” margaritas during happy hour. We love everything they do for us, we just don’t love them. And I can’t seem to figure out the real reasons why.
If we hate them because they cost us so much money, then after we remove them from American, let’s empty out our American prisons. I mean, three hots & a cot (three meals and a place to sleep for the rest of you) all provided by John Q. Taxpayer? How wonderful is that? But I guess we don’t mind since they are Americans, right? And if the problem is truly because they don’t pay taxes…then can the rest of us stop paying school taxes to districts where we have NO CHILDREN attending? I mean seriously, why should WE support others with OUR tax money? And again, if the problem is truly because they are not paying taxes, then how do they get paid? Are they being paid under the table? Are they being paid cash? If so, we are not focusing on the itch people (the ones paying cash and evading taxes themselves) but the scratch, the ones working for cash. I would agree with that if Americans would say they have never worked for cash—tax free money—but that wouldn’t be true now would it?
There are many great things we can do as a nation, once we kick them out. For starters we can learn how to get our hands dirty again and remember the value of an honest day’s wage. We can also learn how to pickup after ourselves, always pass English courses with A’s, make our own tortillas and margaritas, and appreciate that no self-respecting American will work for less than minimum wage (thereby raising the costs associated with EVERYTHING we buy) but at least we can say—it’s MADE IN AMERICA—by Americans. Just the way we want it. But we know that isn’t going to happen…because there will always be an itch…because there will always be a desire to turn a profit regardless of how the money is made.
~Bobby Ozuna
Texas Writer/Author
"Proud Souls", the novel
Now Available on Amazon.com
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May 22nd, 2008 at 11:25 am
The American small business owners (and big business for that matter) have certain notoriety for paying face value to the law and turning a blind eye to the actual goings on within their organizations.
Bottom line if cheap labor is available it WILL be exploited. So this particular issue can be fervently argued from both sides of the fence.
The only real solutions to this issue require sacrifice on the part of the taxpayer and the business owners. Unfortunately as Americans we don’t know much about sacrifice. We think punishing our children is taking away their Xbox 360 and IPod for a day or two, that is not sacrifice. We think sacrifice is giving up bread with our meals because we are on a low carb diet, again this is not sacrifice.
You want the illegals out? Here’s how you do it (and hold on to your wallet tight ass because this gets expensive fast). You offer incentives to business to hire ONLY American citizens and those who have valid green cards, of course these incentives come right out of the taxpayer’s pocket.
You create a regulatory body that must be given full access to all workplace areas and records. This regulatory body must be empowered with right to shut down / fine / imprison businesses and individuals violating immigration and labor laws. In a 2003 interview with Hector Barreto, then the Administrator of the SBA, he said, “There are between 23 million and 25 million small businesses in the U.S.” Apparently, even the SBA doesn’t have a handle on exactly how many businesses there are. So this organization will have to be VERY large just to police the small businesses in America. So again the cost out of the taxpayers pocket is enormous.
Now on to the increase in operating costs for businesses in the labor industry. Now that hector isn’t roofing your home for five dollars an hour and Carlos isn’t laying the concrete for your ne homes foundation it seems that that the cost for builders in labor has increased. Who’s going eat that? Not the builders I promise you.
Also after this immediate deportation so many are screaming for there will be other problems. “What do you mean construction of our new office has been delayed?!”, or “Why can’t I find anyone to clean my house?!”.
Wake up America, the people you want to get rid of affect your comfort level and you wallet in a mostly POSITIVE way. If you have a problem with “ILLEGAL” aliens either legalize them or enact the steps above. I call into question the stomach and conviction of the American people when this issue hits them in the wallet.
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Mr. Sneed,
You made very good points but if in fact there are that many busness’s in america today then the ones that are employing illegals should pay this group and if in fact there are that many that should more than cover the cost for as you say “police” these busness’s.
Next is the issue of having to do our own work as Bobby put it “get our hands dirty” we need to as american’s do what we did growing up and what our parents did before us have the younger generation learn as we did to work for a living but still get an education for their future!
July 8th, 2008 at 12:53 am
Its not just labor competition that makes illegals a problem here in America. It is the crime they bring http://www.dallascrime.com/immigration.html and amount of America’s unconstitutionally socialist giveaways they consume, like “free” births, “free” government schools, “free” welfare, “free” socialist insecurity, etc. The youth of America now find entry level jobs hard to get and engage in problematic or illegal avenues to fund their lives as a result. http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/06/chao-unemployment/
Ozuna mentions how a handful of us have worked occasionally for cash as if this is a significant portion of Americans but truthfully it is not. Few Americans do so for more than a summer job as a teenager. 99% of adults pay taxes ranging from 25% to 47% of our incomes (depending on whose sources you believe) in taxes. Illegals do not, period. All they pay is the sales taxes on purchases.
In truth I employ some immigrants from Mexico but I have required them to get their green cards if they did not have them when they arrived.
Is a wall the answer? Of course not; most illegals come here legally and just let their visas expire so a wall would be useless. Until America can realize its socialist policies are what brings the illegals here they will continue to flock here and bring crime and unemployment with them for REAL Americans to deal with. “Employer incentives” hell Sneed! Deport every last one as they are caught and give the jobs to the unemployed Americans! I can make my own damn margaritas.