We Are The Problem

You know, we all talk a good game about keeping job
positions in America and stemming the tide of illegal
immigrants who pour through our borders at an alarming rate.
But are we really willing to change our lifestyle, to put
our money where our mouth is?

We love bargains so we buy the lowest priced goods from
clothes, to electronics, to household furnishings. We have
tags on everything we own: "Made in China," or "Assembled in
Mexico." We could insist on only purchasing items
manufactured in the United States but then we would have to
pay more, a lot more.

For Americans to be willing to take the jobs that go to
illegal immigrants, pay rates would need to be substantially
increased. If a living, above-the-poverty-line, wage was
paid for such work as restaurant helper, motel maid,
farmhand, day laborer, swamper, furniture assembler,
airplane ramp crew, custodian, and fast food worker, all of
our goods and services would cost more, meaning that we'd
have to give up many of the things we take for granted.

Companies have to maintain a robust bottom line to stay in
business. They adjust their prices according to the cost of
the goods produced. It may not be very philanthropic or
humane, but it is plain, basic economics.

When decent jobs are hard to come by, it is very tempting to
blame employers for sending their jobs overseas. It is much
more difficult to look at ourselves and admit that our own
consumption habits and needs are the driving force.

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