The Arizona Experiment

Immigrants are self-deporting from Arizona, showing that if we enforce the law immigrants will go peacefully.

It also provides a rare opportunity to test ideas. Anti-illegal immigration people are tired of hearing “...jobs Americans won’t do,” while others insist we need to import cheap labor. Will Arizona collapse without its cheap labor? Or will previously unemployed Arizonans pick up the slack?

Drastically reducing the illegal immigrant population by allowing them free passage home would put this nation to the test. Could we do our own dirty work? We have 10% unemployment in this country and college students who need money; I think we could. Unfortunately, we will probably never be able to test this question at the national level.

Americans Won’t do the Jobs because the Pay is Crappy!
Supply and demand works in the labor market as well. Employers compete for employees by offering pay and incentives. Bring in illegals who can be intimidated and abused into accepting poor working conditions and shabby pay, and the native born American workers are cut out of the market. Back in the old days, labor unions would have called these illegal workers scabs.

The Root of the Illegal Immigration Problem

Pure libertarianism is against immigration impediments. People, jobs and businesses should be free to flow where they will with no border controls. Sounds good, but the thinking person intuits that this will not work.

Milton Friedman explained why:

“You cannot simultaneously have free immigration and a welfare state.”

The difference in conditions between the developed and under developed world is just too great. Add in the enormous pay differential and lax law enforcement, and the US is a giant illegal immigrant magnet.

Ho Ho Ho! Green Jobs Scam!

• One report examining state and local efforts to encourage the creation of "'green jobs"' found that the subsidies sometimes exceed $100,000 per job created.
• Other analysts have pointed out that much of money targeted for "'green job"' creation is being sent overseas.
• ABC News reported that nearly 80 percent of the close to $2 billion in the stimulus bill dedicated to wind power went to foreign manufacturers of wind turbines. (ncpa.org)

Here is a collection of articles on the money wasting BS known as "Green Jobs." 
Read them and you will see why those who have studied it call it a scam:

President Obama announced this week that Washington will offer $2.3 billion in tax credits for "clean energy" jobs. Using his very own pie-in-the-sky calculations, it puts the cost of every job at a tax-financed $135,000.

The uncalculated part of the above equation is this: Bogus jobs kill real jobs. At Madrid's King Juan Carlos University, for instance, a study found that in Spain -- the very country Obama has held out as the exemplar of greening (and with only a 19-plus percent unemployment rate!) -- every green job created had destroyed 2.2 jobs in other sectors of the economy. (Harsanyi - Faux Recovery)

 Government-sponsored "Green Jobs" did even more damage in Italy:

They found that in Italy, the losses were worse than they were in Spain: Each green job cost 6.9 jobs in the industrial sector and 4.8 jobs across the entire economy.  (IBD - Green Jobs Myth)

Here in  America, 'green energy" actually destroys jobs and sends work overseas:

Despite all the talk of green jobs, the overwhelming majority of stimulus money spent on wind power has gone to foreign companies, according to a new report by the Investigative Reporting Workshop at the American University's School of Communication in Washington, D.C. 

Nearly $2 billion in money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been spent on wind power, funding the creation of enough new wind farms to power 2.4 million homes over the past year. But the study found that nearly 80 percent of that money has gone to foreign manufacturers of wind turbines. 

"According to our estimates, about 6,000 jobs have been created overseas, and maybe a couple hundred have been created in the U.S." (ABC News - Wind Power no Jobs)

The Washington Post  explains how smart grid work may be a boon to those who manufacture the pieces, but new technologies such as smart meters will throw thousands of utility company readers and technicians out of work.

Here's the real scoop on "Green Jobs."  Millions in political payoffs to SEIU: 

Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor announced $7.4 million in green jobs training grants to SEIU Local 32BJ and H-Cap, a national partnership of SEIU healthcare unions and major employers. These two grants are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will provide essential green training to help 5,200 Americans get jobs in expanding green industries over the next two years. (http://www.seiu.org)

As The National Center for Policy Analysis says, .  The Green Jobs obsession distracts from real economic recovery.  

The saddest part of this progressive travesty is the opportunity costs.  Billions spent chasing windmills could have been better used by real businesses to hire real people for real jobs.

Uncle, Can you Spare a Dime?

AmericanFirstPrinciples.org

The number of individuals employed under the Constitution of the United States will be much smaller than the number employed under the particular States. There will consequently be less of personal influence on the side of the former than of the latter. -- James Madison, Federalist 45

Another quaint idea stood on its head by 100 years of progressivism...

Senators John McCain and Tom Coburn, doing the job liberal senators just won’t do, have produced a catalog of “stimulus” waste.  Liberals and their press apologists are responding with howls of indignation.

Regardless of the value of exotic ant study, or the merits of giving monkeys cocaine, questions remain:

Why is the federal government providing money for private enterprise projects?

Why do the states have to go begging to the federal government to replace municipal sidewalks?

What if the federal government confined itself to its constitutionally mandated responsibilities instead of trying to “run the country,” running us all broke in the process?

Liberal use of that phrase, “run the country” belies the progressive poison that has leached into our national bloodstream. To progressive anti-constitutionalists, we are subjects to be rewarded by paternalistic philosopher kings raining pennies from Washington.

This perversion encourages state subordination to the federal government and fosters dependency, and that’s just the way progressives imagine it should be.

Fight the Power!
Imagine a world where the states kept more of the tax money of their constituents and took care of their own issues, instead of Coloradans paying for a project in Washington.

At times like this it is helpful to read the founders, while pondering boiling frogs...

The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce...”

The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State. -- James Madison, Federalist 45

There is much wisdom in how the founders set things up. Local and state governments are better positioned to tailor their efforts to the needs of the people. At just under 5 million Americans, we were not a one-size-fits-all nation when the US Constitution was ratified, and we sure as hell ain’t a one-size-fits-all nation now.

“I see,… and with the deepest affliction, the rapid strides with which the federal branch of our government is advancing towards the usurpation of all the rights reserved to the States, and the consolidation in itself of all powers, foreign and domestic; and that, too, by constructions which, if legitimate, leave no limits to their power…  -- Thomas Jefferson to William Branch Giles, 1825. The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, (Memorial Edition) Lipscomb and Bergh, editors, ME 16:146

Imagine what Jefferson would say today...

Reagan vs. Obama (It's no contest)

Yes, the Great Recession started under President Bush, but economic uncertainty under President Obama continually gives it new life. Meanwhile, economic ignorance fuels progressive rage against the machine

Frank J. Donatelli provides a comparison that pushes back against progressive ignorance

He (Obama) has said that he inherited the worst recession since the Great Depression. He didn’t. The economies inherited by both President Gerald Ford in 1974 and Reagan in 1981 were far worse.

Obama has said the stimulus has saved 3 million jobs. It hasn’t. We have nearly that many fewer jobs than before the stimulus was passed in February 2009, and the unemployment rate is 1½ percentage points higher than what he claimed would be the high point once his program was enacted.

Obama has said he is doing all he can to revive the economy. Actually, he’s doing too much. The economic uncertainty that his “historic” health care and budget bills have created is doing more to hold back economic growth than anything else. Companies are hoarding cash rather than invest in Obama’s uncertain economic climate.

As a result, the recovery is anemic by historic standards.

So we have two historic presidents. Both inherited bad economies. One cut spending and taxes, and then, 17 months later, the economy boomed. The other increased taxes and spending. It’s now 17 months later.

Mr. President, we’re waiting.

Further Reading
Obama, Reagan, and the Economy
Peter Ferrara - Timeless Principles of Prosperity

Che Guevara Logo: The Red Badge of Stupidity

Conservative Pushback happens in the most unexpected places...

Those conservatives who despair that all is lost need to go here and read the comments criticizing the Che Guevara ring tone this Apple iPhone site is offering. This has to be the best pushback against liberal ignorance I have seen in a long time.

Here some of my favorite comments:

Mickey: Che was a murderer and a terrorist, and if alive today, if he had his way would have probably executed Apple executives. Ironic, the consummate Anti-Capitalist, is today a Commercial icon. “Hasta la victoria siempre” indeed!

Juandos: What sort of clueless, libtard asshole would want the rantings of this homicidal bastard on their iphone?

Fuckche: Ironically enough, the same rebellious youths who wear Che Guevara shirts most likely would’ve been targeted by Guevara had they grown up in Cuba. Guevara considered anyone who listened to rock and roll music, who wore his hair long, or who spoke up against him a delinquent. His very goal was to, “make individualism disappear from the nation!” He considered it, “criminal to think of individuals!” 

Perhaps these young American individualists should think twice before brandishing the picture of a man who persecuted “hippies, homosexuals, free-thinkers and poets,” and who employed constant surveillance, control, and repression.

I love it! Here are some actual Che Guevara quotes, proving once again that liberals in this country are ignorant dingbats for using this dogmatic sociopathic murderer as their symbol...

“The Negro is indolent and spends his money on frivolities and booze, whereas the European is forward-looking, organized and intelligent.”

“My nostrils dilate while savoring the acrid odor of gunpowder and blood… Crazy with fury I will stain my rifle red while slaughtering any surrendered enemy that falls in my hands! With the deaths of my enemies I prepare my being for the sacred fight and join the triumphant proletariat with a bestial howl!”

“Hatred as the central element of our struggle… Hatred that is intransigent… Hatred so violent that it propels a human being beyond his natural limitations, making him violent and cold- blooded killing machine… We reject any peaceful approach. Violence is inevitable. To establish Socialism rivers of blood must flow. The victory of Socialism is well worth millions of atomic victims!”

“The U.S. is the great enemy of mankind! Against those hyenas there is no option but extermination! If the nuclear missiles had remained (in Cuba) we would have fired them against the heart of the U.S. including New York City!”

“Mexicans are a rabble of illiterate Indians.”

The left needs to apologize to Pat Buchanan.

Humberto Fontova has written a great piece on liberal ignorance at Canada Free Press Go read it!

Jobs: What Comes Around Goes Around

“The misery of being exploited by capitalists is nothing compared to the misery of not being exploited at all”. -- Joan Robinson, Cambridge Economist

“Are the American People Obsolete?”
Michael Lind in Salon Magazine asks, “Are the American People Obsolete?” It’s an interesting question.

The offshoring of industrial production means that many American investors and corporate managers no longer need an American workforce in order to prosper. They can enjoy their stream of profits from factories in China while shutting down factories in the U.S.

He raises some legitimate concerns about globalism, but he comes unglued talking about “privatized armies” and America’s elite “shutting down every factory in the United States.” Despite such broad brush hysterics, I still recommend my conservative and libertarian friends read it all to see the world through the eyes of the fevered left. 

As a bonus, this economic naif unwittingly answered his own worries about labor, wages, and worker displacing worker:

"And if Chinese workers have the impertinence to demand higher wages, American corporations can find low-wage labor in other countries."

Precisely! Well, almost... Supply and demand works in the job market as well. But low wages isn’t the whole story. There are other factors like productivity, technical skills of the workforce, infrastructure and taxes and regulations.  If wages were the only factor, unemployment would be over 60% in the developed world as every last shred of production moved to China and Bangladesh. .

China has problems of its own

"They seem less willing to “eat bitterness”, as the Chinese put it, without complaint."

Suicides, pollution, ageing workforce, social unrest, and workers demanding a bigger share of the economic pie are bringing changes to China, reports The Economist. As the workforce become more efficient and skilled, wages must rise, turning the Chinese into a consumer economy achieving par with the “developed” world, and that’s a good thing all around.

Bye Bye Cheap Chinese Labor

As China advances, the global economy will benefit:

Higher Chinese wages will have a similar effect to the stronger exchange rate that America has been calling for, shrinking China’s trade surplus and boosting its spending. This will help foreign companies and the workers they have idled. A 20% rise in Chinese consumption might well lead to an extra $25 billion of American exports. That could create over 200,000 American jobs.

China will have to increase its supply of skilled workers. That will require a stable workforce, which stays with its employers long enough to be worth investing in.(The Economist)

Put another way, employers cannot exploit their workers if they want to reap profits. By the same token, nations cannot exploit their companies; CEOs will simply pack up and head for greener pastures. Progressive dreams of punishing outsourcing corporations or holding them down and making them submit to burdensome taxes and regulations are a fervid mirage. Just ask California or Michigan.

I Thank God for the People in my Life

I thought I would take advantage of Ford's "No interest for 60 months offer" and buy an F-150 extended cab with  4-wheel drive and a towing package...  Until I saw that they start at $40,000!  Who the hell can afford that?

I got really down thinking about my lack of "toys" and other earthly possessions.  We live in a small house and drive old cars, live fairly frugally, but besides a modest amount of money in the bank, what do we have to show for it?  I don't know how people afford those big house and new cars...

Life is Not About Things
Papa Silverfiddle gave me a copy of Pastor Rick Warren's Purpose Drive Life.  I know, he's built up an entire money-making industry, he gave an invocation at Obama's inauguration, yadda yadda, yadda...

The man has written a very good book that makes a Christian think, and I'm not even an evangelical.  It got me thinking about where my life would be without those people who have helped me, shaped me, and seen me to the successful place in my life that I now enjoy.

It's Not About Me
I grew up in a Mayberry RFD kind of existence.  We ran around and played all day, and if you got into mischief, your parents would know about it before you got home.  My young life was full of uncles who taught me how to shoot, build bicycles and work on engines.  Grandpas who taught me how to build things, clear brush and chop firewood.  I learned the value of hard work from these great men.

I thank God for Papa Silverfiddle pushing me into the Air Force at the tender age of 17.  I had plans to go to California and become a rock star, but he was having none of that.  Without his guiding hand, I more than likely would have turned into a worthless hometown bum.

Tech Sergeant Hess taught me everything I needed to know about life in the Air Force.  His guidance laid the foundation for a pretty successful career.  Captain Blake is the man who challenged me to get my bachelors degree.  I was lazy, and I talked about it a lot but took no action.  One day he got in my face and poked me in the chest, telling me in effect to sh*t or get off the pot.  Enroll in a degree program, get to class, or stop talking about it!  Five years later I received a Bachelor of Science from the University of New York.

My wife (a common story among men) pulled me off of a bad and twisted road and showed me what true unselfish love was really all about.  The kids came along and I shed more of my cynicism and selfishness.

John, a trusted older friend, challenged me to aim higher in my job search when I retired from the Air Force.  The job positions he recommended looked so daunting, but I went for it and landed something good, and at a higher salary range than I had thought possible. 

My parents first, and later helpful friends and mentors, taught me the value of frugality and budgeting and warned me about the siren song of "easy" credit.

None of us got where we are on our own
Thanks to all these people, I have a wonderful family, a modest but nice home in a quiet working class neighborhood, and a well-paying job for a man of my modest education.

I have a clean conscience, a clean record, and owe nothing but a small monthly house payment.  We're healthy and happy and we know how to take the good with the bad, and we enjoy life's little pleasures. 

God may not bless me with a new pickup, but I thank Him all the same.