There is a simpler alternative. If we are really serious about turning back the tide of illegal immigration, we should start by raising the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to something closer to $8. The Massachusetts legislature recently voted to raise the state minimum to $8 and California may soon set its minimum even higher. Once the minimum wage has been significantly increased, we can begin vigorously enforcing the wage law and other basic labor standards.
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Americans will work at jobs that are risky, dirty or unpleasant so long as they provide decent wages and working conditions, especially if employers also provide health insurance. Plenty of Americans now work in such jobs, from mining coal to picking up garbage. The difference is they are paid a decent wage and provided benefits for their labor.
I don't think that Dukakis and Mitchell honestly believe this will work. Instead, I think they are trying to tie the minimum wage to a current hot topic, illegal immigration, because some Democrats are trying to make the minimum wage an issue to run on in 2006. I say this because they cannot seriously believe that this will work. It won't, and for two simple reasons. First, a higher minimum wage will increase the motivation for Mexicans to come here illegally, steal an identity, and work under the guise of legality. Second, the higher minimum wage will encourage more employers to dip into the pool of illegals in the undocumented work force who will work for less than the minimum wage. These employers of illegals will not be greedy, evil, capitalist pigs. They will be small business owners who operate on very tight budgets and who will face the choice of closing shop or breaking the law to save their businesses-you know, the mom & pop business that Democrats like to decry the loss of.
Dukakis and Mitchell are clearly trying to pull a bait and switch here, and I anticipate that we'll see more of this from Democrats in the coming months.
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