Here’s an idea that should appeal to left and right both. Double the minimum wage for all illegal immigrants in the United States.
That is, guarantee them double the minimum wage of American citizens. By setting the minimum wage for illegal immigrants at a handsome $14.50 an hour, several problems would be solved.
* It would encourage foreigners with more education and training to come to the United States. If they’re going to sneak in illegally, it wouldn’t hurt anyone if they bring high-level skills.
* It would encourage foreigners who already are here illegally to get more education and training. Otherwise, they know, few employers would be willing to hire them at such a high minimum.
* It would encourage employers to check thoroughly whether their employees are illegal immigrants. If an employer pays the American citizen’s minimum wage and then the worker turns out to be an illegal immigrant, the employer would have to pay the missed wages and heavy penalties, and worse, he might have to go to jail for theft.
* It would help foreigners who are here illegally to pay for the medical coverage, education and retirement security that, because of their illegal status, they aren’t entitled to from the U.S. government.
* It would help foreigners who are here illegally to pay for legal advice on their illegal status and on how they might comply with all U.S. laws.
* It would end forever the stereotype of illegal immigrants taking only low-skill jobs, as if they were somehow unworthy of better jobs with better pay.
Addition: * It would encourage U.S. citizens to take the dirty, heavy jobs once considered too painful for the pay. America would no longer have “jobs Americans won’t do.”
10-year limit. There would have to be a 10-year limit to each illegal immigrant’s 200 percent minimum wage. The time limit would encourage the immigrant to take steps toward legal status and U.S. citizenship.
Congress is about to raise the minimum wage for Americans to $7.25 an hour, in three stages over the next two years. (Right now, the minimum is $5.15 an hour.) The House has passed the increase. The Senate has not yet voted.
Before it’s done with this legislation, Congress should add a section phasing in a $14.50 an hour minimum wage for illegal immigrants. This would pay off big.
Frank Warner
Commenter JJ Mollo asks:
Not to belabor the obvious, but if we can't get them to pay illegal immigrants the minimum wage, how are we going to get them to pay twice the minimum wage? How about enforcing the laws against hiring illegals?
Well, JJ, the obvious is that there are some laws too unpopular to enforce, and some laws too popular not to enforce.
Generally, the case has not been that employers hire illegal immigrants to pay less than the minimum wage. The argument has been that, at the minimum wage, “Americans won't do” certain kinds of work. That will change if the minimum wage is higher. (That's a benefit I initially neglected to list.)
The fact is, minimum wage laws are much easier to enforce than laws against hiring illegal immigrants. No employer wants to be caught paying less than the minimum age. Government agencies enforce the minimum wage laws with gusto.
Economics for politics. A 200 percent minimum wage for illegal immigrants applies solid economics to the unfortunate politics of law enforcement. This would work in many good ways.
FFW
SEE ALSO: Doubling the minimum wage for illegal aliens, as a ‘modest proposal.’
BRILLLIANT! Frank Warner for President (if he promises not to raise taxes of course:))!
Posted by: Kevin | January 15, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Not to belabor the obvious, but if we can't get them to pay illegal immigrants the minimum wage, how are we going to get them to pay twice the minimum wage? How about enforcing the laws against hiring illegals?
Posted by: jj mollo | January 15, 2007 at 11:06 AM
The obvious is that there are some laws too unpopular to enforce, and some laws too popular not to enforce.
Generally, the case has not been that employers hire illegal immigrants to pay less than the minimum wage. The argument has been that, at the minimum wage, "Americans won't do" certain kinds of work. That will change if the minimum wage is higher. (That's a benefit I neglected to place on the list.)
The fact is, minimum wage laws are much easier to enforce than laws against hiring illegal immigrants. No employer wants to be caught paying less than the minimum age. Government agencies enforce the minimum wage with gusto.
Posted by: Frank Warner | January 15, 2007 at 02:31 PM
How bout if we just put a bullet in the back of their heads instead?
Posted by: Lucinius Antonninus | January 16, 2007 at 04:25 PM
Now the non-murderers may comment.
Posted by: Frank Warner | January 16, 2007 at 05:12 PM
There are many illegals who are abused by employers because the workers can do nothing about it. Employers are given carte blanche to do what they want with illegals because they are usually important people in the community. When a raid is finally scheduled, these employers are often the first to find out.
Posted by: jj mollo | January 17, 2007 at 12:08 AM
My proposal would remedy that.
Posted by: Frank Warner | January 17, 2007 at 12:14 AM
More comments at No Left Turns on doubling illegal immigrants’ minimum wage.
Posted by: Frank Warner | January 17, 2007 at 12:22 AM
The enforcement of immigration laws is actually very popular. It is only a minority of people that complain about it -- i.e. cheap labor employers, ethnic activists, the occasional libertoid.
And of course many times the hiring of illegals, esp day labor, is in fact to avoid paying payroll taxes, etc. So for that section of the illegals, this proposal will not work.
Finally, the economics is still wrong at 14.00 per hour. That is about 28,000 a year. There is no way a Mexican with a couple of kids in school is not costing us money at that wage -- his taxes in California would not even come close to paying the bill for 'educating' his kids. Two decades or so ago, the minimum wage was for high school kids working at McD's , who were still at home, on their parents health insurance, and of course no kids of their own. Now, in Cali at least, we have Mexicans getting minimum wage at McD's -- difference is we are all paying for their kids, their health care, and so on.
Posted by: Mitchell Young | January 18, 2007 at 01:34 AM
how about letting them work and do what they can. The united states is so damn worried about having too many illegals here that they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars deporting good people every year. Let people live where they have a future, let them love and marry who they want, and let them make their best future possible. This place is ridiculous. Illegals work their asses of doing so many things - that actually benfit americans.. they are building houses for people without them, they are buying our food and clothing- helping out or economy as well. Ridiculous... let them be.
Posted by: whit | May 31, 2007 at 11:26 AM
The social cost of illegal immigrants far outweighs the contribution that each makes to our society. You are right. They are good people and I hate to see them deported, but we are just enabling unjust, inept and corrupt Latin American government, mostly oligarchies, by accepting this unending influx. There are just too many of them. Whatever it was that made our society successful is being washed away by the numbers.
The current situation is equivalent to a secret tax which is being used as a subsidy for our own unlawful elite. The common stock of America is being diluted to subsidize another country's population explosion and pamper people who are too "important" to mow their own damn lawns.
Posted by: jj mollo | June 01, 2007 at 11:43 PM
Accept the foreigners who already are here and want to become Americans, but let's get 100 percent control of the borders so we can let these 12 million new residents assimilate.
I want those who have behaved themselves to stay, and I don't believe the overwhelming majority of Americans have the heart to deport them anyway. Whit, where are we spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to deport peaceful illegal aliens? My guess is, deportation of foreigners is fairly rare.
But let's put a guard at the door. First, let's create a door that can shut as well as open. Let in those new immigrants whom we've agreed to allow in. Do it at a generous pace, but not at an uncontrolled pace.
If we don't want to control U.S. borders, then we might as well declare the whole world the United States of America. Some people call that idea Manifest Destiny-Plus. Other people call it over-reaching. If everyone has a right to be here, then everyone is an American.
I hope we're all open to new ideas, but if we're planning to give the whole world U.S. citizenship, let's debate it first.
Posted by: Frank Warner | June 02, 2007 at 02:21 AM
Problem with letting illegals stay is that they drive down the wages for honest legal americans. Skilled laborers are making half what the used to (drywallers, roofers, etc) because contractors hire illegals to do this work and drive down wages. Ok, so the homes become more affordable. NOT! The contractors then pocket the difference, and the only ones who benefits are the ones hiring illegals. I like Frank's idea, that might actually work if you could enforce it.
Posted by: Preevyet | June 04, 2007 at 01:02 PM