Immigration agents arrest 114 in landscaper sting

a reply to: Assassin82

Most of these guys are here doing jobs most Americans are to fat or lazy to do.

speak for yourself

downing fellow americans to justify your mortgage

pricless

a reply to: luthier

I can promis you this it isn’t about “people willing to work”... it is about people willing to work at what price.

Americans are not willing to work for what some buisnesses are willing to pay.


If picking oranges paid 50k a year there would be no shortage of people willing to pick oranges..


That doesn’t take any studies or math to know it is true..


The real question is SHOULD Americans be willing to work for the same rate as illegals are working???


What is the least an American should be willing to work for in America???


Less than could ever possibly support just one individual living in the worst conditions??

Enough to feed a family of 4??


The answer is supposed to be the minimum wage, but that is set below the threashhold for just feeding, clothing and sheltering one person...


So it isn’t hard to see why people wouldn’t want to work to lose ground financially..

a reply to: Mandroid7

Corn isn't really a bioavably nutritious food. ...

Point is cost would go up unless you only eat beef and corn.

California is a huge state not a wasteland. Down south sure. It's about what type of industry and how high the income. So please check your facts. Iowa requires federal money to operate. California does not. It pays in. It is the 5th largest economy in the world.

a reply to: luthier

Yup

originally posted by: JoshuaCox
a reply to: luthier

I can promis you this it isn’t about “people willing to work”... it is about people willing to work at what price.

Americans are not willing to work for what some buisnesses are willing to pay.


If picking oranges paid 50k a year there would be no shortage of people willing to pick oranges..


That doesn’t take any studies or math to know it is true..


The real question is SHOULD Americans be willing to work for the same rate as illegals are working???


What is the least an American should be willing to work for in America???


Less than could ever possibly support just one individual living in the worst conditions??

Enough to feed a family of 4??


The answer is supposed to be the minimum wage, but that is set below the threashhold for just feeding, clothing and sheltering one person...


So it isn’t hard to see why people wouldn’t want to work to lose ground financially..

It really isn't about that. It's about controlling the cpi. If people got paid 50k to pick apples nobody would buy apples and nobody would get paid.

None of these are fast solutions. Any fast solution would have dire consequences. Economics don't work by jarring levers. The more you intervene in the current natural state of the market the more damage you will do. So baby steps.

a reply to: Assassin82

Yeah, IDk, I have nothing but bad luck in construction with illegals.

As a contractor, I've hired drywall subs that send out the clean cut white guy, then the illegal crew shows up with one guy who is barely bilingual.

The problem isn't so much they don't work hard, it's that they can't communicate semi-complex sequencing.

I built a law office for one of the top ten lawyers in the country, in a high end area.
The crew showed up, hung and finished it, "over-mudded" all the spots for interior windows, drove the lift through a wall, left my lift covered in drywall, broke the door opener off the top of a commercial door, and left bottles of piss everywhere in a nearly finished office where I was doing a walk through with the owner.

The communication breakdown and reputation thing was enough for me to stop dealing with them.

The simplest things can get you sued like wrong flashing application on a roof. Not many people have what it takes to balance the labor, with the sequencing and get it all done right.

If you go and throw something as serious as a language barrier and no training on top of it, you are asking for problems.

It's not just the job either, it's a huge liability if you aren't on the ball. People die in construction and you don't want that on your property, because you are liable for their safety.

Most of the illegals are not insured, so they are a liability just walking on your property, let alone sweating pipes in your wall, or falling off the roof.

That's another massive issue not addressed in the illegal discussion.

It sounds like you have some hard workers, just make sure they are monitored by the boss for the small details.

a reply to: Mandroid7
I addressed all those points.

In Texas there is no contractor licence...let that sink in.

No bonding nothing. Yeah cheap work is cheap work. Illegals don't use blueboard either.


However this also doesn't address the real labor shortage if you waive a wand and they all go away.

originally posted by: howtonhawky
a reply to: Assassin82

Most of these guys are here doing jobs most Americans are to fat or lazy to do.

speak for yourself

downing fellow americans to justify your mortgage

pricless

I don’t make the prices. I don’t hire the labor. I don’t work work in the field though I know my way around a construction site. It’s not my fault there are ton of financially unstable American citizens who think construction work is beneath them. I don’t blame illegals for seeking income they wouldn’t otherwise get in their homeland. And I don’t write or enforce immigration policy.

What I can control is managing a budget to buy a home. Appropriately looking at all available options. And deciding what the best option is for my family and I. I try to be honest about it all and understanding that you’re going to sacrifice on some values and morals to take advantage of a market that is far bigger than anything I can control.

Could have bought an older house, but with our budget it would have been a 50+ year old home that needs any combination of a new roof, new HVAC, new flooring, new paint, new landscaping, etc..etc. or I could have purchased a home in a dangerous neighborhood riddled with drugs and crime. I’m not going to expose my son or my wife to that. But we are in a neighborhood with a great school system, kids running around peacefully, tucked far enough away from the city that there’s no traffic. And we will be able to comfortably afford it all.

Meanwhile, how many people are about to get outed from McDonalds because of electronic ordering systems? Are they willing to do the hard work? In 10-20 years, millions of people who drive for a living will be replaced by automated vehicles? Are they able and willing to work out in the sun? I’m just calling it as it is. American loves their carbs, sugars, video games and cable tv. (Not all, of course...mostly looking at the lazy bums and fat blobs who don’t contribute to society but still feel entitled to everything)

cpi has nothing to do with illegal workers are you crazy?

cpi has to do with interest rates and government subsidizing industries that otherwise wouldn't be competitive therefor driving up taxes and cost

cpi has nothing to do with illegal immigration

a reply to: Mandroid7


You are far more knowledgeable than I am on the matter. But with building homes, does a lot of that get sorted out with home building? Especially in neighborhoods where they are building similar style homes for several years with the same people? Or is the turnover so high that it becomes problematic as you mentioned?

Our neighborhood is nearly done. There are a hundred or so homes and we were the fourth to last to buy our lot. Their are only 3 left. So I might assume that the majority of the crew has ironed out any communication issues and improved their skill set.

There’s a ton of housing out here going up. They’re all the same when it comes to their workers. Mostly Mexicans with a few typical American teenagers and a foreman/project manager overseeing everything. Options are pretty limited when it comes to a new build. Out here anyway.

a reply to: luthier



That's just feed corn. Never had Iowa peaches and cream hybrid sweet corn? Damn too bad.

Cattle, hogs, corn, soybeans, chicken is what we produce.

Iowa could feed it's own population, I think cali would be screwed.

The problem of too expensive will sort itself out when business are forced back down to the values they provide.

If no one is paid enough they will be screwed too. But exchanging our labor value for those that will do it cheaper just screws us whil large corps keep yachting it up.

They will have to decide to make the adjustment to their rediculous profit margin, or fail.

Us moving into little houses isn't going to fly.

originally posted by: Mandroid7
a reply to: luthier



That's just feed corn. Never had Iowa peaches and cream hybrid sweet corn? Damn too bad.

Cattle, hogs, corn, soybeans, chicken is what we produce.

Iowa could feed it's own population, I think cali would be screwed.

The problem of too expensive will sort itself out when business are forced back down to the values they provide.

If no one is paid enough they will be screwed too. But exchanging our labor value for those that will do it cheaper just screws us whil large corps keep yachting it up.

They will have to decide to make the adjustment to their rediculous profit margin, or fail.

Us moving into little houses isn't going to fly.

It isn't that simple. It just isn't.

I wish it were but it isn't. I now live in a state with under a million. I would be "fine" plus I am a decent field hunter. But the country would not. Nor would it's place in the world.

a reply to: toysforadults

The cost of goods and labor has everything to do with the cpi.

It's what people pay.

a reply to: JoshuaCox

The vast majority of illegals pay taxes

Only in the form of local sales tax. They cant pay State or Federal as there cannot be a record of them. Except the ones with stolen IDs
Illegal alien - crime
Not paying State and Federal taxes - crimes
Stolen IDs - crime

"Those Republicans , they think anything illegal is against the law"
Debbie Wasserman Schultz - ex Chair of the Democratic National Convention

Debbie , is that really you ?

a reply to: Gothmog

Employing illegals and cheating taxes bigger crime.

No employment no workie no come.

a reply to: luthier

cost of goods and services is directly linked to the value of the dollar and competition in the marketplace

it's pretty clear you have an agenda here, Ill have to keep my eye on your post to see if you fit into the partisan narrative that's been getting pushed everywhere on the internet since 2016

originally posted by: toysforadults
a reply to: luthier

cost of goods and services is directly linked to the value of the dollar and competition in the marketplace

it's pretty clear you have an agenda here, Ill have to keep my eye on your post to see if you fit into the partisan narrative that's been getting pushed everywhere on the internet since 2016

Really lots of libertarian philosophy on the Internet?

My agenda is to solve the problem not push a narrative. That appears to be your job.

The libertarian perspective on immigration is often regarded as one of the core concepts of libertarian theory and philosophy.[1][2] Some libertarians assert that "[e]fforts by the government to manage the labor market are as apt to fail as similar efforts to protect domestic industries or orchestrate industrial policy. [...] If an immigrant seeks to engage in peaceful, voluntary transactions that do not threaten the freedom or security of the native-born, the government should not interfere".[

a reply to: Assassin82

The biggest problem with large development I have seen are rubber stamped inspectors.
They check one, then walkthrough the rest with little attention.

The other problem with the process, is that most inspections are an informal bs process, meant to collect fees for the county. They are using your benefit as an excuse.

They claim safety etc, but most don't care, they want it closed out and paid.

It's kind of sad.

Your best bet is to have a contractor you trust, or try and get a second contractors opinion and address any issues befor final inspection on each phase of the project.

Emphasis on roof and flashing, then framing, then mechanical before closing in walls.

I wouldn't be too worried, if they are doing that many houses. I'd just watch for poor quality components like the AC where the developer can cut major costs after starting.

My advise with inspectors would be to ride on their back like a monkey during the inspection.
Ask question directly. A few things to consider....
Does this roof look right?
Is it flashed properly?
Did they put all the required hurricane straps on to attach the roof?
Is the insulation sufficient?
Did they fire-caulk or fire-foam the wire runs at the too of the framing so air and dust don't blast out of your outlets and switches, as well as cause a blasting attic fire if there's a in-wall elect issue?
Is the frame anchored to the slab or basement properly?
Does the grading around the property look like it's done properly as to divert runoff?
Is the overall development drained properly as to not over fill your properly drained lot?
Are the gutter downspouts diverted far enough away from foundation, tying into lot drainage properly?
Is the driveway the right thickness and won't crack in a year?
If a deck is there, did they use joist hangars along the house, did they flash under siding then over board attaching deck, so you don't get backfow of water into house?

You are paying the inspector in your cost, so make him work for you.

Stroke him a little. "Wow you must see some sh!t, I really appreciate you coming out here, does anything stand out I'm overlooking?"
Then you can "what about this" through your list.

It may be the same or a different inspector for each phase of so you need to be ready with your list of questions for each.

Good luck, it's a fun process, start w that list and you should be a-ok!

So if by some act of sorcery or the wave of a magic wand, all illegals doing manual labor were sent back home tomorrow, please explain, in detail, the positive effects you would see on your daily life. Your life. Immediately. In detail.

a reply to: Mandroid7

Outstanding!! Thanks for that! I love getting advice like that. I hate being a fish out of water so stuff like this helps me stay afloat!