The immigration debate is starting to heat up.  Activists and supporters on both sides of the aisle are drawing the battle lines.  On the right, we have the Arizona law, renewed calls for tightened border security, and several conservative candidates on the ballots in various states who support enforcing existing immigration law/opposed to amnesty.  On the left, we have Sotomoyer's appointment to the US Supreme Court (who has ties to La Raza), the US Labor Department requesting illegals file complaints against employers paying "unfairly", and Obama has appointed a "sanctuary city" lover Howard Hurtt to a key Immigration and Customs Enforcement post.   Cities and people are boycotting Arizona, while others are pushing to purchase goods specifically from Arizona, and Obama has said the President would not get involved in boycotts initiated by private individuals.  That did last long (not surprisingly).   The Depts. of Education and Border Patrol both have backed out of planned conferences in Arizona.  Seeing as those are both Executive Branch agencies or a sub-agency of larger agencies, then it would seem the President has indeed joined in the boycott of Arizona.

Furthermore, critics of the AZ law say that it's unconstitutional for Arizona to delve itself into immigration policy - which is the jurisdiction of Congress.  Yet, the Executive Branch - Obama - has been probing for ways to use its Executive authority via various federal agencies to find a way to "legalize" - read: grant amnesty - illegals thereby doing an end-around Congress (the ones with the Constitutional authority to do so, remember?).  Funny how that Constitution thingy only gets attention when it suits their interests.  Don't forget about Phil Hare (D- 17th IL Congressional) stating "I don't care about the Constitution".  By the way, vote for Bobby Schilling!

That brings us to today.  I see over at AP/Yahoo! that illegals and other immigrant workers who work the fields are daring Americans to "take their jobs".  Stephen Colbert has gotten involved as well.  Sounds more like territory for Jon Stewart, but he's too busy making fun of all the other non-Democrats out there.

In the article, Michael Rubio, Kent County supervisor, states:

"Our county, our economy, rely heavily on the work of immigrant and unauthorized workers," he said. "I would encourage all our national leaders to come visit Kern County and to spend one day, or even half a day, in the shoes of these farm workers."

As I have stated in previous posts, this is the same argument Southern slave owners and pro-slavery legislators used to use in combating anti-slavery legislation.

Also quoted in the article is Manuel Cunha, California Growers Association President:

"Give us a legal, qualified work force. Right now, farmers don't know from day to day if they're going to get hammered by ICE," he said, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  "What happens to my labor pool?"

Well first, half of your labor pool isn't supposed to be here.  Second, can you point out in the Constitution where is says you have a right to own and operate a business, no matter what?  You won't find it because it's not there.  Exactly why should one sector of business - growers - be allowed to thwart federal law in order to stay in business?  Other businesses can choose to ignore federal law just because they will go out of business, whether it's environmental laws or OHSA regulations. 

Part of the problem and answer was also addressed in this article:

Farm workers are excluded from federal overtime provisions, and small farms don't even have to pay the minimum wage. Fifteen states don't require farm labor to be covered by workers compensation laws.

Again, it seems to me that this problem is a being made not by people in Arizona, but by Congress in DC.  Like it or not, wages rise and fall according to supply and demand, not much unlike any product or good sold.  The higher demand, then naturally, the higher price paid, or wage offered.  It also works the opposite direction - lower demand, lower prices; lower demand, lower wages.  Take for example the Y2K scare.  Leading up to 2000, computer programmers were literally dictating to prospective employers what they will be paid and what benefits they will receive.  After 2000, the employee-employer paradigm shifted and computer programmers found themselves taking what was offered, instead of dictating the terms of employment.  Why?  Because the demand for programmers to fix the Y2K bug was gone, and as a result, wages and salaries dropped.  Another example is McDonald's.  Typically, McDonald's pays their employees higher than the minimum wage because in general, a higher wage produces a more stable workforce and you get a better quality of worker. 

The above examples could apply to the growing industry out west if these businesses were held to the same wage standards as the rest of the businesses.  Growers and Congress are artificially deflating wages in order to turn profit and to keep prices at the grocery down.  We see how this suppression of natural economic forces has played out on the national economy.  Congress and our President has decided that government will dictate economic forces through bailouts, stimulus packages, and the printing of gobs of money - and we see how that is playing out. 

When you boil it down, you are left with an industry addicted to low wages and cheap sources of labor, they have become the economic equivalent of a heroin addict.  The United Farm Workers of America (an industry trade union that caters to migrant workers working those fields) has also jumped on board to dare Americans to work the jobs illegals and migrant workers do now.  I suspect the UFW wants higher wages and legal workers to they can charge more union dues and have a new source of members, but that's just my opinion.  The problem with the workers' and UFW's dare is that the illegals and migrant workers are working jobs no American wants not because it's hard work, but because they are working jobs that are not comparable to other American jobs in wages or safety/work regulations.  Bring that industry in line with the rest of America, and then play the "come take our jobs" game and then see who shows up.