I am fed up with the immigration issue.  I am fed up with the attitude that the are doing the work that we American's won't.  I am fed up with the lies and misconceptions.

Living in California we are hard hit by the illegal immigration issue.  Everyone is making it about farming - and it's not.  You know where illegals are working?  They are working in factories for unions making union wages.  They are working for construction companies - making upwards of $25/hr.  They are working in hospitals, hotels, schools - everywhere.

So lets look at the real cost of immigration.  Before this job, I worked for the school district as a part-time secretary, waiting for a position to open up.  Now for all the nay sayers let me begin with, I was a highly respected employee, never given a bad review, had gotten my annual increases like everyone else and enjoyed my job.  So after putting in 8 months as a part-timer, a full-time position finally opened up.  Did I get the job?  No, and I didn't even apply.  You know why?  I don't speak Spanish.  This job, like many in my field, requires you to speak Spanish.  Now was the person they hired illegal?  No, but I happen to know her parents were.  So they come here illegally, do not learn our language, have a daughter and then we give that daughter preference (not just equal opportunity but preference) because she speaks their language and they don't speak ours?

What's worse is I am bilingual - just not in Spanish.  And the icing?  She gets a monthly stipend above and beyond her counter-parts for speaking Spanish.  Again, not for being bilingual, but for speaking Spanish.  A teacher at the school speaks French, but she doesn't qualify for the stipend.  Hmmm.

Why would any want to learn English when they know if they don't their child can earn $250 more per month.

Do you understand how many state jobs I do not qualify for because I don't speak spanish?  Don't tell me their not taking our jobs, because they are - and if they are not their now American children are - and it's only getting worse.  Where will that leave us 20 years from now when this huge influx has children who are now citizens?

The cost is far beyond the government handouts.  Do you know the time and money spent by the school district to accomodate parents who do not speak English?  From monthly stipends to sending out every form in two languages - the cost adds up, and it adds up quick.

I am now a secretary for a large farming corporation.  I would say that less than 50% of our field crews are of Mexican origin.  We do everything we can to make sure our employees are here legally and we are still very able to compete price wise with our competitors.  Illegal immigration is not about field hands anymore.