Recent news articles have shown the effects of rising enforcement of new or existing laws on handling illegal immigrants. Some laws are targeting the capture of these illegals, while others are penalizing businesses that hire them. After all, our federal government has done little to curb the influx into our country of these folks so they are putting the burden of enforcement of our laws on citizens. Here in this venue we have heard a great deal about how bad immigrants (legal or not) are for this community; Crime, litter, taking jobs from locals, and more. Other issues are that whether the areparents legal or not ,the children born here are legal citizens.
Taking another tack, just for the moment, what would happen in our community should 70% or more of the immigrant population departs?
Oklahoma is facing that dilemma as they are enforcing the recently enacted House Bill 1804, the toughest state law targeting illegal immigrants. Being law abiding should be everyone’s goal, but there are consequences to these actions as well, as we shall see. One of the many aspects of the law denies illegal immigrants driver’s licenses and public benefits such as rental assistance and fuel subsidies, and makes it a felony to transport or shelter illegal immigrants. Parts of the law will kick in on July 1 of this year and will make it even more restrictive to hire illegal’s by having to check against a national data base, something the federal government has failed to provide in the past. Yes, some people don’t care if they hire illegal’s or not, but there is no real way of knowing today if they are legal or illegal.
It’s real easy for our local experts to say that illegals should be kicked out of the community, but if the federal government someday makes it possible that they are here legally; the suspicion is that many of you wouldn’t want them here anyway.
What is happening in Oklahoma and other states with these new laws? Employees are vanishing, the pool of workers is diminishing, wages are going up, product prices are going up, sales of goods and services are going down, and what about school enrollments?
The employment issue is interesting as it relates to Estes Park. In Estes Park we have about a 20% Hispanic population, with perhaps as many as 80% of them being here illegally. Some of our classrooms have as many as 40% Hispanic students. Many of the comments here think that is a terrible thing. You should be reminded that 10 years ago we had about 1,400 students in our schools, now about 1,100, or maybe less. Let’s drop that number, overnight, to 750 and still try to pay off that $20 million bond.
What about our service industry? Perhaps you are willing to cook your own food and buss your own tables in the restaurants, but most of us are not. Our immigrant population earns and spends a great deal of money in this community. Do they get services we don’t feel they are entitled to? Yes they do. We should fix that. Do they provide services that others in this community don’t or won’t do? They sure do. One thread of argument is that they are taking low paying jobs that locals would take if the price was right. You are so wrong. In talking with many employers we discover that they pay good money ($10-$12 an hour) for unskilled workers that local high school students won’t do. May we suggest that there are many local business owners don’t pay themselves that amount when the year is done. We’re told that locals will work for a day or two then the little princes and princesses walk, never having given even a good days work.
What’s to be done? Well, something. In most cases our Federal, State and Local governments are doing nothing and this will lead to bigger and bigger problems. Should Colorado enact legislation as strong as Oklahoma? Let’s see what effect the Oklahoma has. Already some legislators are saying “this will be the single most destructive economic disaster since the Dust Bowl.” Another says “…HB1804 is achieving its intended purpose, which is illegal aliens leaving the state of Oklahoma.”
What are you willing to support for our community? What will you do to make that happen?
