Election 2024

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

If Trump is successful in deporting all the undocumented workers in the USA the US economy will collapse.

[CF DolFan]

Didn't florida pass a fairly strict immigration thing a few years back. It caused a bunch of migrants to leave the state and not work in agriculture or construction in florida. The thing that i remember from that was a republican house member or two telling migrants that they shouldn't leave florida ..they were only doing it for votes.

It really wasn't too big of a deal although everyone acted like construction would come to a halt in Florida. It required employers to check their employees' immigration status through E-Verify by those hired after the law went into effect in July 2023. If found illegal the worker must be fired. It also made fines for people hiring illegals although we all know illegals who work in construction under other people's social security number. I just had FDOT do onsite interviews and found a couple working for a sod company.

DeSantis' new law would give authority to Sheriffs to arrest and work directly with ICE. The law the legislature recently passed would make everyone have to get permission every time from the Commissioner of Agriculture before they could arrest, detain, or work with ICE. It also has basically a catch and release clause. In Florida the AG Commish is either Democrat or Republican with ties to the big corporations. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson would be put in charge of immigration after he already exempted himself from e-verify to confirm his employees' legal work eligibility.  

[CF DolFan]

If Trump is successful in deporting all the undocumented workers in the USA the US economy will collapse.

I know, right? I mean  ...  who will pick the cotton if we release the slaves? Hahaha ... same old Democrats.

[Dave Gray]

I know, right? I mean  ...  who will pick the cotton if we release the slaves? Hahaha ... same old Democrats.

This is a fair criticism, however, it's not really rooted in the heart of the argument.

The argument against slavery is that it is a fundamental wrong.  So, while true that the economy for everyone else will suffer if we free the slaves, it is a cost worth paying.
The argument for kicking out the immigrants itself isn't based in right/wrong, but it's based on economics.  It's possible, if not likely, that it will have the opposite effect of what it hopes to achieve.

Immigration is a net positive to America.  I agree that it needs to be better controlled/paced/monitored, etc.  But we need it, but for skilled and unskilled labor if we want to maintain our status quo.

[Dave Gray]

I just want them to do some shit about housing here.  Why don't they do any kind of legislation at all?  They have all the levers of power in the State -- just pass a few bills to try to quell the issue.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I just want them to do some shit about housing here.  Why don't they do any kind of legislation at all?  They have all the levers of power in the State -- just pass a few bills to try to quell the issue.

Deporting half the people who built houses is the plan to solve the housing shortage.

There is a solution to having so many undocumented workers.  Make it easier to get a work visa.  Still have the same folks in the country they will be documented

[Fau Teixeira]

There's no such thing as unskilled labor

[Sibster]

If Trump is successful in deporting all the undocumented workers in the USA the US economy will collapse.

No it won't.   Everyone says the undocumented workers do jobs that no one else is willing to do.   Give those jobs to prison inmates and the problem is solved. 

[Dave Gray]

There's no such thing as unskilled labor

I tend to disagree.  I understand your sentiment, but colloquially, I'm referring to labor that is general in nature and doesn't require experience or formal training.

[Spider-Dan]

No it won't.   Everyone says the undocumented workers do jobs that no one else is willing to do.   Give those jobs to prison inmates and the problem is solved.

The convenient part of this plan is we already have a blueprint for how to handle inmates who aren't working hard enough!  You put a correctional officer in the field with a whip.  And for the particularly unruly inmate-worker, you just throw them in a box with no water for a day and they'll straighten up.  America has literally centuries of experience in how to handle insufficiently productive forced labor.

And if this new workforce ever starts to run low, all we have to do is criminalize "vagrancy" and suddenly we have thousands upon thousands of homeless people in our inmate labor pool.  Fortunately, there's an existing blueprint for this strategy, too.

[Sibster]

The convenient part of this plan is we already have a blueprint for how to handle inmates who aren't working hard enough!  You put a correctional officer in the field with a whip.  And for the particularly unruly inmate-worker, you just throw them in a box with no water for a day and they'll straighten up.  America has literally centuries of experience in how to handle insufficiently productive forced labor.

And if this new workforce ever starts to run low, all we have to do is criminalize "vagrancy" and suddenly we have thousands upon thousands of homeless people in our inmate labor pool.  Fortunately, there's an existing blueprint for this strategy, too.

No.  If they don't work hard enough, they don't get credit for that day towards their sentence.   Kinda like if you don't do your job INSIDE THE PRISON, you don't get credit for that time served.   Besides, if you pay them a decent wage, they'll have enough money on their books when they get out to get a decent start on finding a place to live, then get a better job.   Not to mention that they'll be so tired by the end of the day, they won't have enough strength left to buttfuck or shank each other.

[CF DolFan]

I just want them to do some shit about housing here.  Why don't they do any kind of legislation at all?  They have all the levers of power in the State -- just pass a few bills to try to quell the issue.

I'm curious as to what you think can be done to help the housing market as I really don't know how they can. Are you thinking interest rates, government down payments or if they should add more government housing for low income people? I have 27 year old kids so I know the hardships of buying a house these days but I honestly have no answers. I just hope the feds lower rates enough to help. 

[CF DolFan]

Deporting half the people who built houses is the plan to solve the housing shortage.

There is a solution to having so many undocumented workers.  Make it easier to get a work visa.  Still have the same folks in the country they will be documented

Lol ... I'm pretty sure illegals aren't buying up the houses. Rentals, maybe but not houses. One of the crews I'm very familiar with has them staying with family.

As for the solution ... it has always been my understanding that once we secure the border we will look to increase way to get in legally. Serve in military for 4 years, job sponsors or whatnot. Politicians on both sides have blown that off because they said no way to enforce it if they did. Ok .... maybe not Democrats today but prior to Obama that was their stance too.

[Spider-Dan]

Lol ... I'm pretty sure illegals aren't buying up the houses. Rentals, maybe but not houses. One of the crews I'm very familiar with has them staying with family.

He said building, not buying.

As for the solution ... it has always been my understanding that once we secure the border we will look to increase way to get in legally.

I'm sure this will happen right after all the increased Republican support for childcare, pre-K, etc. once abortion has been banned.

More to the point: as long as a single illegal immigrant remains in this country, the border will not be "secure."

[Spider-Dan]

Those posts are from Trumps last time in office and they aren't currently enforcing that.

Here's another agreement during the Biden Adminstration, where Mexico pledges to "maintain" 10,000 troops at the border without being issued a threat to detonate North America's economy.

But hey, at least Trump did force Canada to spend $1.3B on border security!
Oh, wait, they agreed to that with the Biden Administration, back in December.

Art of the Deal!