Si
Ernie the Attorney thinks the Southeastern Legal Foundation is full of crap. I agree.
Shortly after Katrina's aftermath, contractors visited various evacuation shelters looking for people to hire for reconstuction efforts. They got few replys. Apparently the evacuees were quite happy with their $2,000 check and government housing. Now with those New Orleaneans who still have their job (like me) and most of the rest moving to seek better opportunities, contractors were forced to choose between turning down work because of a shortage of labor or hire Mexicans.
Most chose the Mexicans and it's a good thing too. Were it not for the illegal Mexicans, most peoples homes would still be mold-filled heaps of soggy furniture. And as people were able to gut their homes, haul away the dibris, rebuilding is now able to take place.
Normally I'm opposed to illegal immigration but I also know that it fills a void in the labor market. Preferable, local people would do the rebuilding work, but if they are unwilling, we'll get someone else.
The rebuilding process is too important to be worried about a silly thing like border control.
UPDATE: An interesting article on the immigrant labor situation in the city.
1 comment:
Although I'm no champion of uncontrolled illegal immigration, I can definitely tell you that as unskilled workers, Mexicans work hard and never complain. They suffer from a few major social pathologies, but otherwise tend take care of their own without wanting government to do everything for them. N.O. will be a different place with this new influx, but I tend to take the long range view that the history of the city has been one in which different ethnic groups have prevailed at one time or another. Sure they won't be producing jazz musicians anytime soon, but I suspect the current black underclass in New Orleans was hardly doing that either.
Post a Comment