NASCAR and the sign on the car dealership across the street from city hall said it all — "se habla espanol." It really is about the economy. It's the employers and the business community of the state that are eager to attract Mexican workers and consumers so they can increase their profit margins over their competitors and, in some instances, avoid paying market wages and benefits.

The Utah business community sees the growing Latino population as a cash cow, while the financial community is in high gear profiting on the transfer of millions of dollars sent back to Mexico each year.

Our state's elected leaders have taken a first step in trying to find a workable solution by striking a balance with the human element and the economy. Illegal immigration is simply that — illegal. And so is illegal hiring. Both policies need to be fixed so they can realistically and equally be enforced. While immigration is a national problem, it is states that often provide the solutions that Washington politicians eventually adopt.

Our state elected leaders must call upon the private sector that stands to benefit from the growing immigrant population to help solve the problem. Industries, including restaurants, manufacturers, hotels, tourism, meat and poultry processing, packaging, construction, homebuilders, farmers and growers, ought not to remain silent and let their employee pool become the scapegoats for the problems surrounding illegal immigration.

Religious groups, unions and human rights organization leaders, who care about their community and human rights, need to come forward as well.

As our state strives to remain competitive in today's global economy, we must stop finger-pointing and start practicing the values that made this nation great — opportunity for all, the desire to be free, and the willingness to work and to risk. We just need to begin pulling together the talent and good will of all segments of our community to solve our problems.

We tend to forget this nation is made up of people who found no problem with having two patron saints, from different countries, join in the same parade.

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Utah native John Florez has founded several Hispanic civil rights organizations, served on the staff of Sen. Orrin Hatch and on more than 45 state, local and volunteer boards. He also has been deputy assistant secretary of labor. E-mail: jdflorez@comcast.net