BRIAN CHATWIN
Staff Writer
There are quite a few different approaches to the illegal immigration problem in the United States. We hear different catch phrases being thrown around such as amnesty, documented workers and guest worker program. Ultimately, whatever the solution, both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans agree that the strain on social services provided to illegal aliens in this country is putting pressure on the state and federal coffers.
As an example, the Medi-Cal program in California, a health – care program that provides medical care free to the uninsured, is almost one third of the state’s budget. The education budget, which provides free education to all students kindergarten through 12th grade, regardless of their legal status, is nearly half of the California’s budget. These two programs are being crushed under the weight of the nearly 12 million illegal aliens who use these services, and pay no taxes to the state.
Amnesty, providing a virtual free pass to those who are already here illegally, is a socialistic approach that ignores the free market, from which taxes are collected to pay for California’s social programs.
Guest worker and documented worker programs are simply a compromise to amnesty. None of these approaches will successfully solve the illegal immigration problem.
While I can offer solutions, let me posit a way to solve the illegal border crossing – in a simple economic, supply and demand application. Obviously, there is an endless supply of who that want to cross our southern borders. To quell the illegal crossing of the southern border, a fence, 2,000 miles long, needs to be constructed. This line should be made up of three fences, creating two corridors that can easily be patrolled by border patrol agents. If an illegal alien makes it over one fence, he will be caught in the corridor, are easily picked up by our border patrol agents.
Clearly there will be those that circumvent the fence line, but slowing the supply side to this problem will allow the demand side to kick in.
The demand for illegal aliens comes from U.S. businesses that choose to use illegals as a means of cutting their costs. Business has always tried to cut costs in this country, but cutting costs is not a justification for breaking the law. The only way to put a permanent halt to the border crossings is to punish businesses for using illegal employees. I propose that businesses be fined $50,000 per illegal worker on their construction project, in their restaurants or in their fields.
Rest assured, the price of goods will not be dramatically affected. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 2 percent of the price of a head of lettuce is attributed to labor. From my last check, a head of lettuce costs me one dollar, meaning two cents of that dollar are for labor. If legal, documented worker were used to pick California lettuce, instead of illegals, the price of lettuce would go up to 10 percent making my lettuce 1.08. I would be glad to pay 8 cents more for my lettuce if it meant that I did not have to pay for the health and education of illegal aliens.
Ignoring the problem of illegal immigration will not make it go away. Millions upon millions of people illegally cross our southern borders to the burden of the taxpayer.
Either a dramatic cut in education and health care or a drastic tax increase, both of which will likely happen,will be the way our lawmakers will deal with this problem.
As college students become future tax payers, it is my hope that we will take a self preserving attitude toward the immigration problem, demand that supply of illegals are slowed by a decrease in the demand of their work.
04-13-2006