Friday, August 1, 2014

Land of the Free Policies and Immigration

The mid term elections are coming up.  And, I'm reiterating my stance that everyone should try to study their area legislators and the hopefuls, and to go vote their conscience.  Even if you don't like anyone, please don't make a mockery and write in Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny.  Your ballot will be tossed in full.  Write in yourself, or another real and living person, who you think would be good.  This at least says that you are protesting the current candidates, while still counting your ballot.

Anyway.  Here we are, living in the Land of the Free.  Land of Plenty.  Land of Opportunity.  We aren't known this way, in the good ole' US of A for nothing.  Since the beginning, when the settlers came in to this new country, that there was a lot of opportunity, here.  A lot has happened since then.  And we still have a huge potential to be that.  Seriously.

Yes, I know, I know.  Our country is struggling in many ways.  High unemployment.  So many low paying jobs.  Underemployment.  Taxes are also an issue.  Many people need assistance.  And we have this so called group, called illegal aliens stealing American jobs.  Really?

Chrysler had a plant in Kenosha, WI.  Many people made good money there.  It is one of many closed sites.  Here is what is listed for them, as far as open operations and closed plants.  Most of the ones closed are here in the USA.  And there are other car companies as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chrysler_factories

Name brand shoes such as Nike, have many locations abroad, as well as clothing lines.  So what does this mean?  Really?
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7480688/ns/business-us_business/t/nike-reveals-overseas-factory-names-locations/#.U9xeSSjG9jI

Okay, so seriously.  We have people saying we have to go where the jobs are.  But, then want to tell me that I'm being ridiculous, when I say that these high paying jobs went to other countries, and most Americans want the jobs back here, rather than to move out of the country.  And then don't want to explain how that is ridiculous.  These companies had high paying jobs, many with benefits.  Yet for some reason, they jump ship from here, and go to other countries where labor is cheep, and benefits are unheard of.

Because of these jobs to overseas, many people are unemployed, or just plain don't make enough.  In this day and age, to comfortably support a family of 3, which includes having a mortgage, a reliable vehicle, insurance on the house, car and health, well balanced meals, and a little to put away for a rainy day.  Hopefully, it will amount to something.  But, the type of jobs I see advertised, are either menial jobs that pay minimum wage and not much more.  These jobs are retail, such as gas stations, fleet type stores, etc...  And almost always, part time with no benefits.  For each of these part time jobs available, there are, depending on where you live in this country, there are up to 400 or so applicants.  The chances of getting hired are pretty slim against those odds.  So, what about the other jobs that these so called illegal immigrants are stealing?

Well, I'll tell you.  These jobs are back breaking jobs, such as being a migrant worker on various farms, that they need to literally travel from place to place to keep making a living.  No, you can't take your children with you.  Nor your spouse.  It only pays minimally, usually less than minimum wage, and because of the type of work, probably single men or even dads are being hired.  These are some of your "illegal aliens".  Other ones have to leave their families behind to be live in care givers for the elderly, because it's cheaper than paying a home care agency to staff them 24/7.  These people do not get paid very much, and are usually women, who have children living back where they came from, because their homeland does not have jobs for the men, nor the women, either.

Tell me, what American father is going to take a $2.00/hr to travel around the country picking tomatoes & peppers, pumpkins, and what ever is in season, literally around the country?  What American mother is going to leave her children behind, while she goes and works for an elderly person for $300/wk, while she misses the milestones of her own children, while doing back breaking aid work?  So no, these immigrants are NOT taking American jobs, they're taking jobs that no American wants, such as working at duck farms.

Now, about these immigrants...  They are itching to leave their countries for a reason.  They are risking everything.  Literally.  To come for a chance for a better life.  No, not all of them "follow the rules".  I know.  Rules are there for a reason.  And yes, people should follow the rules.  But, when these rules take 10 years to be put through, there is a problem.  A whole family could get killed by their own government, and keep going for a whole bunch more in this time frame.  These people are willing to die for their freedom, which is how this country got established.

Our Founding Fathers came over, and because of tyranny, revolted against their homeland.  But think about when the Puritans and the settlers who came over.  The Old World didn't know that the Americas existed.  The New World didn't know that Eurasia existed.  Did they have rules to come into this country?  We credit our Caucasian ancestors in building this country.  At what expense?  Thousands of Native Americans died, due to the diseases that were brought over.  Then there are the old cowboy criminals, shooting down whom ever.  Then, during the gold rush, many American Indians who were squatters and refused to give up their land were also shot and killed.  I'm not saying that everything of bad.  But, these reservations are often bad lands that are unfit for farming.  Warring tribes were often put on the same land, hoping they'd kill each other off, over the scarce food that was available.  And the taking still continues.

No one told the French, English, or Spaniards to leave because they are illegal aliens.  When many of the Eastern Europeans were coming over, there were rules, such as being clean and bug free, as well as disease free.  Those who didn't make the criterion were sent back onto the boat.  At least this is what I understand from stories that come from my Hungarian great grandfather.  But to say that we should close off the borders to this country is just absurd.  This isn't what this country is built on.  yet, many think that the American look is the blond-haired, blue-eyed-beauty.  Um, excuse me, that is a northern European, not an original American.

Sure, I agree that there should be protocol.  But to ship high paying jobs overseas, and expecting Americans to work 3 or more part time job to make ends meet, and closing off all of our boarders is not the answer.  Bring the factories back.  With those, with high tech  computers to assist with production, along with making medical supplies, we could hire even more high payed employees, because there will be more IT type positions than before.  Let the tired, poor, hungry, weathered people seek refuge.  This country can again be the land of plenty, without kicking out the immigrants and letting these companies leave.  By bringing high paying jobs, there is a broader and more higher tax base.  With these numbers, each group will see their tax rate fall, because more people would be working.  the debts would be paid.  crime will go down with more work available.  People would have better things to do, because they have money to spend.

Rather than party politics, we need real common sense applied to these issues.  Career politicians need not apply, unless they are willing to be independent thinkers.  While we work on this, we also need to ensure that there is equal pay for equal work.  To say women aren't deserving of as much pay for the same or equal position, we keep many working mothers/wives out of the loop and kept in poverty, rather than the house hold bread earner.  Yes, we exist, and we deserve the same respect as our male counterparts.

While they're at it, hey, where is the support for our current and past military families?  They totally deserve better, while our elected officials get paid swell, with Cadillac insurance plans, and gold plated retirement plans.  The veterans are getting chicken feed.  This totally needs to change!

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