Did you just hear Ed? Made a kind of convincing argument to have an amnesty

[gateley]

for all undocumented workers currently in the country -- shazam -- you're now a citizen.

He cited all those employers would now have to pay minimum wage, we'd get a jump in our tax base, and it's the right thing to do.

[grantcart]

1. yes but that is never going to happen

The Republicans are not going to cooperate in giving the Democrats 10 million more voters.

They are going to fight tooth and nail.

[The Northerner]

4. +1

[elleng]

2. Surely not citizenship.

[RB TexLa]

3. Yes citizenship. No roads or path towards. This should have been done 6 or 5 years ago.

[msongs]

5. only if everyone in the US gets amnesty for whatever they've done nt

[county worker]

6. They already have to pay minimum wage.

Everyone assumes the illegals all work for farmers and get paid under the table or something. Some do but most work for employers who obey wage and tax law.

I use to be controller of the largest labor contractor in the San Joaquin Valley. The farm labor is contracted for and the contractor obeys wage and tax law. The workers may have false documents though.

[gateley]

7. I admit, that's what I assumed (under the table). nt

[county worker]

9. The growers who are usually corporations do not want to pay for workers comp insurance.

The contractor has enough money to be self insured for workers comp. Also he trains the workers and supplies the tools saving the grower the expense. We had a payroll of over 3,000 workers a week. The grower does not have to carry people in the off season either. He pays the wage rate plus an amount to cover payroll taxes and a profit for the contractor who can get any number of trained workers to any site at any time.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. And, as citizens, they could organize, join, or form unions for better wages. Win/Win.

[Naturalist111]

10. Totally disagree with this! Amnesty to do it right maybe, but that

is all. Give them a chance to start the process the right way. A window of time. If they can't pass what the legal qualifications, then they have to go back.

[WillyT]

11. Too Bad The Native American People Didn't Think Of That...

:evilfrown:

[Naturalist111]

12. I couldn't agree more!

[Lasher]

13. Yay, let's replace border fences with waterslides!

Everybody across gets a Medal of Freedom and a green card. Come one come all!

[kelly1mm]

14. Agreed. Is a country without borders a country? nt