Are Native-Born U.S. Workers a Dying Breed?

Before you start hanging me in effigy over the headline, just read what I have to say.

Not that I am a stranger to being hanged in effigy over my views. You see, back in 2010 when I ran for political office, one of the issues I spoke about often was illegal immigration. And, for sharing my viewpoint on the subject, I was called everything from a racist to a Neanderthal—all because I felt that illegal immigration would continue (and get worse), leading to consequences that will divide this nation.

I seem to think that the current state of affairs confirms my worries from three years ago.

This was made more apparent to me recently. As I was standing outside my district polling place, I had a conversation with a man who appeared to be in his early 30s. We engaged in a chat, and I asked him what he did for a living. He told me that he was a painter, with the key word being was.

I pressed for more details, and this young man told me that he had been (again, the operative past tense) a painter for Pittsburgh Paints for many years, but the company let him go. He explained, in a foretelling voice, that the company “cleaned house” of all the American workers and hired workers that he called “illegals” that work for half the price and do not require benefits.

It was heart wrenching to say the least, and foreboding to say the not-so-least. Here was a man that had invested years of blood, sweat, and tears into his occupation in order to make a living wage. But, suddenly, the company sent him on his way to, as the saying goes, save a buck.

Sadly, this has been a growing trend in our country. (Go ahead and click on the link to see the reality of what is taking place. You’ll see that this is not just my opinion, or a figment of my imagination.)

Today, the division over immigration has taken the form of political stances, hidden agendas, and the dreaded old “political correctness” hot button. Unfortunately, it seems that the hot button now has been pushed, and the scandals—like ugly warts—are surfacing in the hallowed halls of Congress and the White House.

I hate to say, “I told you so,” so I won’t.

The ripple effect of illegal immigration has a wide reaching effect on our nation. Quite frankly, the proposed “Alien Amnesty” legislation paints a cold hard truth that will be very difficult for us to face. This legislation, once enacted, forever will change the face of this community, as well as our nation.

My encounter with the now ex-painter is just the beginning, and things are looking to get a whole lot worse.

The alien amnesty issue is now impacting our black community, whose leaders have organized a protest in Washington regarding the unemployment plight of black workers, as well as the employment “crater” that black workers will face if the immigration legislation goes through.

It appears as though I am not the only one who believes that, thanks to illegal immigration, the American worker quickly is becoming a thing of the past.

This issue is already impacting our local community, as evidenced by this listing for of one of our county executive’s friendly developers, found on a site specifically for the Latino community. Is the developer looking to take the same route as the painting company and save a buck? I believe that I witnessed this firsthand back in May when a fire destroyed a house under construction. The day of the fire, I went down to the building site to take photos, but I saw no workers. I was told they were suddenly given the rest of the day off.

A day off, or a longer layoff? That is the question.

Senator Ben Cardin is pushing hard for this liberal immigration deal, yet he admitted that he may not be able to read the entire bill. (Baffling, isn’t it?) Senator Cardin’s expectations for the bill may be a bit of a stretch considering the fact that, in many parts of this country, the English language is becoming a thing of the past.

Again, the reality of the true situation is quite different from the perception. The Sun also provides a look at the immigration reform issue, in case you still need some information from another viewpoint.

The truth about Americans losing jobs seems to be setting in—the President just pushed back parts of his new health care law in order to prevent more workers from joining the ranks of the unemployed. After all, election time is coming, and the politicians are looking to avoid facing the scrutiny of the public regarding the real cost of Obama Care. Don’t believe me? The see for yourself: Congress is attempting to opt out of the program.

Congress not wanting to participate in the health care system it enacted is rather telling, isn’t it?

By now, I am sure that everyone that was up in arms about my stance on illegal immigration three years ago is back on the warpath for everything I have pointed out in this blog. Just for them, I’ll wrap up this post with some food for thought, or a strong dose of what the pandering reveals … or doesn’t reveal.

·         On the national level, immigrants coming into this country are ill equipped to contribute to society, as evidenced by this study. Simply put, having less than a high school education means that a person will be a drain on the economy, taking more money in services than his/her salary would put back into tax coffers.

·         Here in Baltimore County, immigration is having a significant impact based on economic figures and the population shift. The Baltimore Sun put it in perspective with this article showing the decline of our area, as well as the impact to other jurisdictions in the county.

·         Finally, making things even more complex, consider the fact that the ICE is suing the U.S. Government for not allowing the agency to do its job.

Those, ladies and gentleman, are the cold hard facts. The “Gang of 8” needs to wake up and smell the roses … or the weeds, depending upon your point of view on the issue.