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Mexican influx may be good for U.S.

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GO HOME | 5:00 p.m. April 4, 2008
We do not need or want the 500,000 or so illegal lawbreakers coming. Seems only Mexico thinks its a go deal for them to come. If it were up to me, I would put active military on the border with strick orders to intercept them all.
1st generation American | 5:08 p.m. April 4, 2008
The tolerance and sympathy shown for these hispanic illegals is reprehensible to those of us who came to this country legally. I am VERY INCENSED at this!!!
I doubt it is really true | 5:43 p.m. April 4, 2008
tho it is a mantra of the amnesty crowd, that there are jobs Americans will not take.

If, in fact, we are too lazy to mow our own yards, bus tables at restaurants, roof our own houses, slaughter our own poultry, etc then I say we deserve to live with unkept yards, dirty tables, leaky roofs etc etc.

In fact, however, if there were not an abundance of (often off-the-book) illegal labor eager to take those jobs I am sure they would somehow be filled.

America has a too high high school drop out rate, exactly what jobs do those people take? Surely they aren't all on welfare and if they are it's high time they got a job.

it is a chicken-egg question, do illegals come to fill empty jobs or are jobs empty because illegal labor drives the pay rate down too far?
the latter.

Employers found they could hire illegals for a lot less (and provide no benefits leaving social welfare services to pick up the cost) and make more profit. the system feeds on itself as word gets back home and we find ourselves where we are. (TO BE CONTINUED)
Comments continue below
We don't have to deport | 5:43 p.m. April 4, 2008
12 Million illegal aliens.

CONTINUED

We didn't bring them here and we won't have to take them home.

Once we start prosecuting employers of illegal aliens the jobs that attracted them will dry up and they will go home the same way they got here.

It would be heartbreaking to round up poor, hardworking illegals and forcibly deport them, they truely are the victims in the entire mess.

But we don't/won't have to.

Lock up a few suit wearing CEOs and Human Resource executives, lock up a few socialites who hire illegal domestic help and word will get out quickly to those who hire illegals. Once they start obeying the law the problem will take care of itself.
Patriot | 5:58 p.m. April 4, 2008
Let's here it for Attrition-Through-Enofrcment!!! This is how we solve the problem.

Go after the employers and politicians and the problems start to go away.

Illegals self-deport and business raises wages.

Poor uneducated Americans start to fill the role they have always filled, taking the lower paid jobs and working their way up. It really is a simple concept.
BobP | 6:14 p.m. April 4, 2008
A relative of mine went to the US illegally from Canada. His first job was working on a home expansion and renovation for the chief of police for the small California city where he was.

The chief was made aware he was illegal and the chief's comment was. I don't care he's not a Mexican.
elisabeth | 6:10 p.m. April 4, 2008
Who benefits most from undocumented immigration? The employers and the consumers.
Patriot | 6:23 p.m. April 4, 2008
Who is this Jeffrey Jones? Sounds like an American. Is he a U.S. Citizen? How dare he go to work for a foreign government and then come back here and lecture us about how great and good Illegal Aliens are for us. The gall of this man is disgusting.

If he is a U.S. citizen every one of us ought to be ashamed. Where is his loyalty? He's nothing more than a pimp for the corrupt Mexican government that shoves it's problems onto the the American people and uses it's poor to invade our sovereign nation, destroying our borders language and culture along the way!
Sad | 6:33 p.m. April 4, 2008
It saddens me greatly to hear the comments on this article. I see suspicion, paranoia, and distrust of those who are seen to be �diluting� our �pristine� culture stealing our jobs and welfare. Sometimes the distrust even sounds like hatred. We have many sad examples from past world history to show that when a group that is different from the majority is blamed for all the ills of a society, bad things happen.

What distresses me most is that my experience tells me that most of the venomous remarks are coming from my fellow Mormons. We Mormons should be counted among those who show love and compassion to those who want to make a better life for themselves and their families.
Sad | 6:36 p.m. April 4, 2008
May I offer the following:

1.Any financial stress that immigration results to our society is caused by socialism, not by the immigrants. Don�t leave a saucer of milk out and get upset if a stray cat shows up.
2.I welcome those who come want to come here to work hard and improve their lives. I don�t want to see freeloaders come here for a handout. I don�t want to see �citizens� get a handout either. Take away the incentive and the freeloaders will go.
3.Don�t get too caught up in the phrase �ILLEGAL� and �THE LAW.� It was ILLEGAL to live free as a Jew in Nazi Germany. It was against THE LAW to hide a Jew in your attic.
4.The English pilgrims diluted the Native American culture. The Irish diluted the English American culture. My ancestors, the Scandinavian immigrants, diluted the culture of the predominately British immigrant society here in late 1800s Deseret.
5.Making immigration illegal only keeps a few of the upright people out and almost none of the rest. In trying to �crack down� on immigration you will turn this, my beloved country, into an ugly, ugly police state.
uritaata | 10:55 p.m. April 4, 2008
�Immigration increases the incomes of U.S. residents by allowing the economy to utilize domestic resources more efficiently.
Immigration generates extra income for the U.S. economy, even as it pushes down wages for some workers. By increasing the supply of labor, immigration raises the productivity of resources that are complementary to labor. More workers allow U.S. capital, land, and natural resources to be exploited more efficiently. Increasing the supply of labor to perishable fruits and vegetables, each acre of land under cultivation generates more output. Similarly, an expansion in the number of manufacturing workers allows the existing industrial base to produce more goods. This yields extra income for U.S. businesses. In the United States it appeared equal to about 0.2 percent of GDP in 2004.

U.S. cities with larger inflows of low-skilled immigrants experienced larger reductions in prices for housekeeping, gardening, child care, dry cleaning, and other labor-intensive activities, locally traded services thus raising the disposable income of American families.

Immigrants pay income, payroll, sales, property, and other taxes, with lower-skilled immigrants making smaller contributions�
how much does it cost | 6:23 a.m. April 5, 2008
�Calculating the fiscal consequences of immigration, while straightforward conceptually, is difficult in practice. To estimate correctly, one needs to know many details about the income, spending, and employment behavior of the entire population of immigrants. The National Research Council (NRC) has conducted detailed fiscal case studies.

For the nation as a whole, the NRC estimated that in 1996 immigration imposed a short-run fiscal burden of 0.2 percent of U.S. GDP. In that year, the immigration surplus was about 0.1 percent of GDP. Given the uncertainties involved in making this calculation, the resulting estimate would be statistically indistinguishable from zero�
No gain no loss.

George W. Bush�s budget proposal for 2008 calls for spending $13 billion to strengthen border security and immigration enforcement including $1 billion to construct fences and undertake other security measures on the border with Mexico.(or 0.10 percent of GDP).

How much money would be required to reduce illegal immigration to zero? Even far short of sealing the borders, the funds spent on extra enforcement would vastly exceed the income gained from eliminating the net fiscal transfer to households headed by illegal immigrants"
Come to Arizona | 9:21 a.m. April 5, 2008
Do I mind hearing Spanish spoken in public�.no
Do I mind someone trying to make a better life for themselves....no

However, I do mind seeing endless numbers of people entering our country illegally and being told I am "not open minded or bigoted" because I think it is wrong. I am also sick of seeing the Mexican flag hanging of every business a Mexican owns. It is one thing to be proud of your heritage but not to embrace the symbols of our great nation shows that many illegal aliens look at America thru blinders �only seeing money and not loyalty to anything else.

I am tried of seeing the illegal aliens not embracing the USA...if you want evidence of this watch a home soccer match between the USA vs. Mexico or any other country south of our borders. You�d swear you were watching the game from a foreign country.

My kids are getting sick of seeing fellow students whose parents are illegals not standing during the playing of the our National Anthem or standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Illegal immigration is going to Balkanize the USA.

Anonymous | 11:07 a.m. April 5, 2008
Search Aztland on google and bubble gum immigration on youtube.

The law as written now states that immigration from one country cannot exceed 7% of the total amount of immigrants each year. Mexico is trying to circumvent our laws and drain our resources by getting more of their people accepted. Immigrants sending money back to Mexico hurts our economy in the long run. We need to assure the bulk of immigrants in the future re-invest in our country, and are from a diverse selection of countries. Not just one.

Go Home??? | 2:37 p.m. April 5, 2008
"And now they are coming to our country in great numbers. Few of their children know English. They bring much of their own reading from their homeland and print newspapers in their own language. In some parts of our state, ads, street signs and even some legal documents are in their own language and allowed in courts.

Unless the stream of these people can be turned away from our country, they will soon outnumber us so that we will not be able to save our language or our government. However, I am not in favor of keeping them out entirely, All that seems necessary is to distribute them more evenly among us and set up more schools that teach English. In this way, we will preserve the true heritage of our country."

Ben Fanklin 1751

It seems the last person on the submarine always wants to close the hatch.

A friend of mine came to this country illegally as a 5 year old boy, and now is a principal of a highschool in Southern California. Another received his PhD and is a Professor at UCLA.

The thugs should be dealt with, but we should not paint with such broad strokes.
Anonymous | 4:36 p.m. April 5, 2008
We really NEED millions of illiterate, under educated people in the United States? Doesn't the US public education system already pump out our fair share?
Phil Hotchkiss | 6:13 p.m. April 5, 2008
To bad everyone Is not color blind.

I was brought up in a racist environment. But as I got older and saw for myself that it's wrong!!

I am white but find it disgusting that even today
not all are equal, because of the so called master race keeps others down and are not willing to let them advance.

In the town I grew up in Mexican people were not treated well and the majority of them felt safer to stay on the other side of the tracks, whether they had wealth or not. If they had wealth, they were accused of stealing it. That's the main reason I will never go back.

Diversity Is great. Individuality is the greatest.
Get to know them one on one.

Some here think we can't learn from immigrants. They are sadly mistaken. Open your eyes and show what Jesus tried to teach us...compassion and charity.
RE: pure bigotry | 6:49 p.m. April 5, 2008
"...The companies that have hired them need the workers because US workers don't work..."

Are you daft? How do you think this nation functioned before the surge in illegals? How do you think it functions in many areas of the US that are still predominantly white? It isn't that US workers don't/can't/won't work, it is that the wages for traditional labor jobs have been depressed by the influx of desperate people willing to do it for almost nothing (which is twice as much as they could earn in the cess pools many of them came from); US workers can't support a traditional nuclear family on 'illegal' wages in many instances. I have white, US friends from Oregon that worked the strawberry fields in summers between classes, known US citizens (including myself) that grew up dragging concrete all day and throwing hay all summer long, etc. US citizens WILL work at anything, for a fair and decent wage. If what you say is true, these banana republics should be the envy of the world. They are not.
Yeah tell that | 8:55 a.m. April 6, 2008
to my son who is just getting into the job market. i busted my tail fighting for this country...then to have him competing against the illegals ...we might as move to mexico and sneak across the border as illegals as they get better treatment than we do!
what made america | 10:25 a.m. April 6, 2008
immigrants this is so stupid how we are so quick to attack immigrants what do they do? they do all the labor jobs that no wants to do, another thing is that who were your ancestors immigrants what you people are saying is what made america america they reason they do cross the border because there is no quick way to get in here what i think we should do is make buildings like the one in elis island to let the people in if they have any criminals records there not let in and they are made americans we did a hundred years ago why not now.
What is the impact? | 10:32 a.m. April 6, 2008
What is the real overall financial impact of illegal immigrants? Some take jobs that wouldn't be filled for the same price by American workers. Some may get benefits without paying taxes. Some are good and some are bad. Lots of strong words abound in this blog but without some numbers of the positive and negative impact, we really are just looking at a few examples and making general statements that may or may not represent the whole. If the immigrants became legal, then would that resolve concerns?
To: go back to mexico (1:30) | 12:10 p.m. April 6, 2008
its absurd that people continually say "learn English, you're in the USA" last time i checked, English is NOT the official language of the united states. we might as well all go and learn spanish...
To: Go Home | 12:19 p.m. April 6, 2008
wow. this is the reason i left Utah. bigots and racists like you complain of the stereotyping of Mormons, yet stereotype all Mexicans as "illegal lawbreakers". (i assume you mean lawbreakers that are illegal to this country, because all lawbreakers are doing something illegal). it is shameful that Mormons, who pride themselves as patrons of "brotherhood" and "equality" would ever say such a thing.
Welcome | 6:24 p.m. April 6, 2008
Please come and be productive members of our society. Please obey all laws and lose the tatts, bald heads, wife beaters and sagging pants. Please attend school everyday, do your work, be polite, get an education and give back.

Otherwise, if you are just here to be thugs, then please grab all of your thug friends, your Mexican flags, and get the hell out of our country.
The stereo typical guy | 5:07 a.m. April 7, 2008
anybody seen my stereo? I lost it.
Open Comment | 7:35 a.m. April 7, 2008
To those of your who think this is only what happens in Utah, get a clue, the whole US thinks this has gotten totally out of hand.

Go home, build your own country up, don't come here and tear ours down to your level.

Diversity comes from the root Div(ide)and does it ever divide a people.
Observer | 7:33 a.m. April 7, 2008
"illegal immigration will Balkanize the US"

Already has.
William Tyler | 8:33 a.m. April 7, 2008
I cannot believe all of HATE, RACISM, BIGOTRY, INTOLERANCE, and FEAR coming out of all these comments. If these comments are coming from regular and average Mormons, I am very dissapointed.

I am glad I am only living in Utah for 1 year and then I am returning to my homestate of Texas.

I have never seen and experienced so much HATE and RACISM only in Utah among the Mormons. I am black, and there is no place for me in this land of White dominated Mormon folks.
Show respect for laws | 9:46 a.m. April 7, 2008
I think the comments are coming from people in Utah, and not just members of the LDS church. People are fed-up! We are all tired of the trashy streets. Our city is starting to look like the slums of Mexico. We just want these people to abide by our laws. If they cannot live our laws than they need to go home. Quit trashing our culture. Show more respect for what Americans have built this country to be. No USA citizen has ask these illegals to come here. They have no rights if they are illegals! If they want to complain about our laws than they can simply leave the same way they came here.
GETTING OLD | 7:25 a.m. April 8, 2008
this topic is getting old have the illegal with no criminal Record PAY a fine and MOVE on. we have other issues to be addressed such as ECONOMY WAR HELTHCARE
Anonymous | 3:46 p.m. April 8, 2008
THIS IS NOT IMMIGRATION, IT IS AN INVASION.Close the border and then discuss the future of the criminals.
this is GETTING OLD! | 6:39 p.m. April 8, 2008
we need to move on!
the homosexuals are taking over our society while we bicker about illegals!
to the ramparts!!!

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Jeffrey Jones, undersecretary of agriculture and agribusiness for Mexico's Ministry of Agriculture, discusses NAFTA with students at the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah.

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