Hi Dean,

I think your attribution of the 'blame' (and the same with many others, by the way) is mis-placed!

Those are the visible result of the real causes.

The real "blame" belongs squarely with business and the government that lets them do what they are doing!

Business now has free rein to do whatever it takes to reduce costs. If that means squeezing local and state governments for tax breaks, they do so. Wishing to keep those local jobs, local/state governments have no choice but to surrender to the blackmail. The result is less $$$ in local/state coffers to do the same services as always.
Then WalMart and other buyers demand lower costs yet! The result is first layoffs, then wage cuts, then benefits losses. The result - even less $$$ in local/state coffers (fewer taxpayers) to do the same services as always but for more people now.
Finally, under demands for even lower costs they close shop and move their operations - and now it is no longer just manufacturing - OFFSHORE. The result: even less $$$ in local/state coffers (fewer taxpayers) to do the same services as always but for more people now!

At the same time those of us workers still lucky enough to have jobs are being pressed to work longer for less pay and less benefits. No wonder we look for someone to vent our ager (at this) on! Aliens make the easiest target of them all!

I also hear that, in the majority of cases, business depends on aliens to keep costs down. They sure can push aliens around a lot more than they can non-aliens, such as paying less than minimum wage (who is an illegal alien going to complain to???) and such.

What it all adds up to Dean is cost displacement. Costs formerly borne by business are now the purview of state and local governments yet all the while state and local governments have less and less revenue because of the factors mentioned above.

So I think you should blame business run amok rather than illegal aliens soaking the system. Business has soaked far far more $$$ than those aliens. I'd bet you could give each illegal alien a mansion and an in-house doctor for what business has soaked from all of us in the past 10+ years!!

cheers

>I tend to put most of the "blame", (for lack of a better word), on the social benefits handed out to the illiegal aliens. From increasing property taxes to bankrupt SocialSecurity and healthcare cost. Too many going to the illegal aliens in this country. I think states such as CA and TX are hurting the most.
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>Last gov't estimate is there are about 15 million illegals in the main 48.
>That being said, there some industries that depend on illegals for labor.
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>So what do you do?
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>>Cecil;
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>>I do not think we are socialist – however we are paying more and receiving less. That has been an observation of mine since I was a child. I call it “The American Way”.
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>>I remember when I was seven years old that hamburger at Bruno’s on Mission Street was one third of a loaf of sour dough French bread and cost seventy five cents. The next year it was a quarter of a loaf and cost one dollar. The price kept going up and the portion got smaller. My mother began calling Bruno’s hamburger a “pimple burger”, as it was so small. It was also the most expensive hamburger in San Francisco.
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>>Just one case in point – Medical Insurance. For the purpose of this example forget the over 40 million United States residents who cannot afford such a luxury. What has happened to the cost of medical insurance in relation to annual inflation? At the same time what has happened to the coverage of such policies. Even though the cost goes up the coverage goes down.
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>> Government be it local, state, or federal, taxes us and we receive less from our “donations”. What we should do is have our employers direct deposit our paychecks into the federal treasury. The federal government will only use what is required. However, they will still need more then we are able to pay and will simply send us an “IOU”! :)
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>>Remember in capitalism it is not more for less. No sir – it is less for more! The beauty of our system is that many people are brain washed into thinking everything is great. For some reality is very different.
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>>Now strangely enough we do have a form of socialism but it is not available to all. No sir! If you are an illegal alien you receive free medical care. If you are a citizen or legal resident you pay or do without. Now that is the American way. Be rich or an illegal alien to really enjoy the system. As for the rest of us - we just pay our taxes and support all the wonderful programs that we rarely if ever get to hear of.
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>>Anyway, have a great weekend and enjoy life.
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>>Tom
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>>>Well, I guess I got a repsonse form my comment, but I didn't expect such an indepth one. Sorry if I offended you, but I didn't put that much analysis into the comment and that is why it is called shooting from the hip.
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>>>I just didn't like the way that guy was spouting off, plain and simple. Heck, even the US has gone socialist. Everyone thinks they get a free ride, but your taxes and mine pay the bill ultimately. Nothing is free.