I think two main things have led us through inflation and rising costs.


1. Coming off of the gold standard, thanx Nixon.


2. Minimum wage.


Why in a free market economy should the government dictate what one side of
an open trade should receive?  If a person is willing to work for next to
nothing, should they not be able to?  Also, to return to a place where we
can compete in a world economy as not just a service provider, but an
industrial base, we need low pay low skill employees.  As long as law
requires us to meet and exceed basic standards we cannot do so.


The only other answer would be to severely penalize countries and companies
that don't meet the same requirements that we impose internally.


We start by exactly matching tariffs imposed by other nations against our
goods.  Add additional tariffs to nations that don't afford their employees
the same minimum standing of living, add even more for nations that don't
have basic human rights.


It would be painful, maybe even start a war or two, but I think it would be
worth it in the long run.

--
Timothy Heald
Web Portfolio Manager
Overseas Security Advisory Council
U.S. Department of State
571.345.2319

The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S.
Department of State or any affiliated organization(s).  Nor have these
opinions been approved or sanctioned by these organizations. This e-mail is
unclassified based on the definitions in E.O. 12958.

-----Original Message-----
From: Simon Horwith [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 8:58 AM
To: CF-Community
Subject: RE: More Breaking News

Hey - I like cutting my own lawn.

I'm no economist, bu i wouldn't hold your breath on seeing minimum wage go
away.  Quite honestly, as far as I know it shouldn't go away.  The goal
shouldn't be to do away with it so that companies can hire Americans for as
cheap as they can get illegal labor, but to legalize all of the labor to the
extent that it all falls under minimum wage law.  That way there'd be no
benefit to hiring an illegal labourer as opposed to a legal one (they'd cost
the same).  Without minimum wage, what would protect the workforce -
especially unskilled and manual labour?  Of course, this would most likely
result in even more work being outsourced to countries like India... any
work that can be, anyway.

~Simon

Simon Horwith
CTO, Etrilogy Ltd.
Member of Team Macromedia
Macromedia Certified Instructor
Certified Advanced ColdFusion MX Developer
Certified Flash MX Developer
CFDJList - List Administrator
http://www.how2cf.com/ <http://www.how2cf.com/>

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Heald, Tim [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
  Sent: 07 January 2004 13:36
  To: CF-Community
  Subject: RE: More Breaking News

  >We have 10.5 million illegal workers in the United States right now,"
said
  US Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue.

  >"If they went home, we'd have to shut down the country."

  Hehe, or we'd just have to learn how to cut our own lawn again.  :)

  Immigration is probably where I am furthest from libertarian.  At this
point
  I am almost isolationist.  I would much rather see work-fare  programs
that
  get people off the rolls of welfare and into low and no skill jobs.
Really
  if we could do away with the minimum wage and make it so that these
  companies that hire illegals because they can't afford Americans, can
again,
  it would be good for us all.

  Also isn't this going to encourage MORE illegal immigration, as people
will
  see the "success stories" of people who got legal recognition.  Plus the
way
  many state governments are set up, don't immigrants, even non-citizens,
then
  become eligible for social programs, like welfare and medical benefits?

  Yeah I can't see how any of this is a good idea.

  --
  Timothy Heald
  Web Portfolio Manager
  Overseas Security Advisory Council
  U.S. Department of State
  571.345.2319

  The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S.
  Department of State or any affiliated organization(s).  Nor have these
  opinions been approved or sanctioned by these organizations. This e-mail
is
  unclassified based on the definitions in E.O. 12958.

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Erika L Walker-Arnold [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
  Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 8:27 AM
  To: CF-Community
  Subject: More Breaking News

   http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3375327.stm
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3375327.stm>
  <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3375327.stm>

  Cheers,
  Erika
    _____
  _____
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