Immigration Reform Needed for U.S. Economic Survival
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Conventional thinking leads the likes of President George W. Bush to believe that 'immigrants take jobs Americans don't want,' but a new study by the Migration Policy Institute finds that in California, immigrants will be needed to fill jobs, avert a skills shortage in labor pool that could wreak havoc on state economy.
In case you have not by now, read the informative LA Times report published today, which in my view provides a basis for why fair immigration reform is necessary to our economic self-interest and therefore should be paramount to the crafting of any immigration-related legislation.
According to the LA Times, "The looming mismatch in the skills employers need and those workers offer could jeopardize the future economic vitality of California and the nation….Immigrants -- legal and illegal -- already constitute almost half of the workers in Los Angeles County and are expected to account for nearly all of the growth in the nation's working-age population by 2025 because native-born Americans are having fewer children."
That means, they are here, they contribute and our economy may fall apart if we do not increase their skill level.
In summary (my own), theMigration Policy Institute Studysuggests:
• U.S. immigration policy be based on economic self-interest as well as charity in order to address fiscal challenges posed by domestic demographic shifts and emerging global markets.
• We must strengthen federal agencies, organized labor and public education to provide adequate representation for immigrants in the U.S. workforce and upward mobility to close the skills gap which exists between our projected workforce and the jobs that will be available.
• Los Angeles, with its complex diversity should take the lead on behalf of the state and nation to integrate coordination efforts which could provide a smooth transition for migrant workers and businesses offering jobs.
I couldn't agree more. Simple truth is, outside of immigration patterns, the U.S. has a zero-sum population which ultimately will betray its growth-based economy. There are not enough American born citizens such as myself who can fill all the jobs that are available.
Therefore it is necessary for this country to allow for immigrants to fill those jobs. If we do not, our free trade policies will allow American companies to relocate overseas for better pastures, for they've got money to make whether it will be here or elsewhere.
Furthermore, we must have systems in place that can assure the proper education and vocational training of such immigrants who dare to save our economy as we know it.
Let it not be lost on us that public education is failing American citizens as well. It is a shame that leading Silicon Valley companies are begging to reform the current guest worker program to ensure the availability of foreign workers needed to do the jobs young Americans are largely not being educated to do.
In closing, we must understand that the world is not flat, American culture is not static and that we must become one with immigration for the sake of our economic survival.
Therefore comprehensive immigration reform that recognizes our nation's needs ensure fairness and equal jobs standards is sorely needed.
In case you have not by now, read the informative LA Times report published today, which in my view provides a basis for why fair immigration reform is necessary to our economic self-interest and therefore should be paramount to the crafting of any immigration-related legislation.
According to the LA Times, "The looming mismatch in the skills employers need and those workers offer could jeopardize the future economic vitality of California and the nation….Immigrants -- legal and illegal -- already constitute almost half of the workers in Los Angeles County and are expected to account for nearly all of the growth in the nation's working-age population by 2025 because native-born Americans are having fewer children."
That means, they are here, they contribute and our economy may fall apart if we do not increase their skill level.
In summary (my own), theMigration Policy Institute Studysuggests:
• U.S. immigration policy be based on economic self-interest as well as charity in order to address fiscal challenges posed by domestic demographic shifts and emerging global markets.
• We must strengthen federal agencies, organized labor and public education to provide adequate representation for immigrants in the U.S. workforce and upward mobility to close the skills gap which exists between our projected workforce and the jobs that will be available.
• Los Angeles, with its complex diversity should take the lead on behalf of the state and nation to integrate coordination efforts which could provide a smooth transition for migrant workers and businesses offering jobs.
I couldn't agree more. Simple truth is, outside of immigration patterns, the U.S. has a zero-sum population which ultimately will betray its growth-based economy. There are not enough American born citizens such as myself who can fill all the jobs that are available.
Therefore it is necessary for this country to allow for immigrants to fill those jobs. If we do not, our free trade policies will allow American companies to relocate overseas for better pastures, for they've got money to make whether it will be here or elsewhere.
Furthermore, we must have systems in place that can assure the proper education and vocational training of such immigrants who dare to save our economy as we know it.
Let it not be lost on us that public education is failing American citizens as well. It is a shame that leading Silicon Valley companies are begging to reform the current guest worker program to ensure the availability of foreign workers needed to do the jobs young Americans are largely not being educated to do.
In closing, we must understand that the world is not flat, American culture is not static and that we must become one with immigration for the sake of our economic survival.
Therefore comprehensive immigration reform that recognizes our nation's needs ensure fairness and equal jobs standards is sorely needed.
Problem No. 1 is that the entire issue is approached from the wrong perspective. The correct perspective begins with addressing the CAUSES not the SYMPTOMS. Instead of cutting off one's arm and putting a bandage on it, one tries to avoid cutting off one's arm. Our "leaders" and business community have failed to do so and have created this issue. Sadly, I tend to think that it was done intentionally, the purposes for which I won't go into here.
The Solution: In view of the fact that our business sector is determined to outsource so many jobs, they need to rearrange the manner in which they do so. This not only begins to resolve the influx of illegal immigrants, but makes them and us better off.
Here's how it works: Instead of sending manufacturing to places like China and then suffering the resultant problems it has caused, all future outsourcing must be placed south of the border. These countries are full of willing, hard-working people who both need and appreciate the work. They are our closest neighbors and should be treated as such.
How to avoid the same problems as experienced with China: U.S inspectors must be placed full-time on site and it must be made clear that our standards of safety must be met. Any corruption involved in this is to be considered treachery and prosecutable. Anything that diminshes the safety or stability of the U.S. due to greed is nothing less than treachery, and abuse of the entire privilege of outsourcing is indeed criminal.
There are very detailed points of discussion in my plan that can't be covered here.
Further, our country needs to begin to value education for ALL as it once did and no longer provides for properly. Our children do not value education as do so many in very deprived cultures. This is our own doing and it can be fixed. We can work with the immigrants that are here as you've suggested, but we also need to look out for our own. And nothing anyone else is proposing has any potential to accomplish what my proposal can.