Great piece on illegal immigrants in being paramount in Seattle building construction

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It doesn't matter that it's here as much as just any city in the country really. But it's the first article in a paper at least as big as a daily city paper I've seen that doesn't use the tired sound bites of the Big Illegal Immigrant Debate purely for the sake of aggravating the debate itself.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003262377_imdrywall17m.html

Most telling lines:

"They don't mind doing the manual work, whereas my son wants to run a computer."

..and...

"[...] many contractors are quick to praise immigrant workers.

"They work harder than most of the white guys I know, and they're willing to take less money," said Tommy Johnson, a superintendent for Kirkland-based Spartan Concrete, which is building parking garages below condominiums at Issaquah Highlands.

...

None of this is shocking to us at all. That's the point. This probably highlights just how weird it is that it's so rare to see pieces like this in major publications, from what I've seen.

― the dow nut industrial average dead joe mama besser (donut), Sunday, 17 September 2006 16:26 (nineteen years ago)

How dare you try and destroy America.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 17 September 2006 16:29 (nineteen years ago)

kudos to the seattle times

― ath (ath), Sunday, 17 September 2006 23:39 (nineteen years ago)

Not to say that there's no fucked-up-ness being displayed and quote in the article. There is. And that's part of the point. I meant this was a great article in that it's relatively objective, unfiltered, and well edited. It paints the issue as neutral a shade of grey as you can imagine.

― the dow nut industrial average dead joe mama besser (donut), Monday, 18 September 2006 01:09 (nineteen years ago)

yay for cheap labor, yay for increased profits for contractors.

― random exploiting fuckhead (pompous), Monday, 18 September 2006 01:14 (nineteen years ago)

yay for market economies!

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Monday, 18 September 2006 01:29 (nineteen years ago)

Washington state is one of 10 states where immigrants can get a driver's license without proving they're here legally.

good for washington state. in california at least it's very controversial that a bill has been introduced in order to allow illegal immigrants to get a drivers license. i really don't understand why anyone would be opposed to granting illegal immigrants accountability on the roads, where they're going to be regardless. it seems like the most common gripe with the proposal is that it would be the taxpayers funding services for non-citizens, but people tend to overlook the fact that licenses are paid for by the applicant. and that these migrant workers, on top of contributing to the labor force, are pitching into the state tax coffer by DMV fees alone.

another criticism i heard was that a government department like the DMV shouldn't knowingly aid "criminals" like this, if it's understood that their mere presence is a "crime." but then why is it that illegal immigrants can still get access to public schooling, emergency healthcare, access to various forms of public welfare, and sign up for and pay for public utilities?

― ath (ath), Monday, 18 September 2006 05:18 (nineteen years ago)

I really shouldn't say any more, since I have illegals post here for me.

I mean, do you really think I have THAT much time to post here?

You don't want to know about Ned's sweatshop of illegal ILX posters

― the dow nut industrial average dead joe mama besser (donut), Monday, 18 September 2006 08:01 (nineteen years ago)

OK, seriously, I'm not happy at all about the things talked about in the article. What passes as a quasi-happy/happy situation for contractors and illegal immigrants seeking work is creating this fissure here. I probably missed a lot of preceding articles on the matter, but was just relieved to see something talk about it, that's all.

You don't know want to know the things some legal latino friends of mine have said about the situation, especially those who have been assumed to be "illegals" just because they're Mexican. (These are folks back in Southern California I'm talking about.. although I don't doubt it's an issue here too.)

― the dow nut industrial average dead joe mama besser (donut), Monday, 18 September 2006 08:05 (nineteen years ago)

Part 2

― the dow nut industrial average dead joe mama besser (donut), Monday, 18 September 2006 20:45 (nineteen years ago)

The thing is, the business owners who exploit OF COURSE want the system to remain exactly as it is. strict immigration laws but no enforcement. the illegal immigrants are third class citizens and air game for every kind of unsavory type.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Monday, 18 September 2006 21:45 (nineteen years ago)

Part 3: consumer prices apparently don't differ too much no matter who did the labor work for the end product

― the dow nut industrial average dead joe mama besser (donut), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 12:30 (nineteen years ago)

You don't want to know about Ned's sweatshop of illegal ILX posters

I pay 'em in pennies and they create bon mots! (Or not.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 12:35 (nineteen years ago)

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