My Husband and I had owned a business in the construction industry since 1984, and closed it November 3, 2008. We, at one time had 5 employees. Most people think the banking crises was the cause of so much of what happened to the home building industry. But that is not the case at all. Let me share our story with you.
In the beginning Illegal workers were brought in to do low skilled jobs, not because Americans would not do the work, but because they were cheaper. They are often paid with cash, under the table, and at 1/2 to 1/3 of what their American counter parts were paid. We were often asked by illegal workers how they could get paid. They were telling us they had worked for their employer for over a week, and had not been paid. They were also often charged 10% of their low wage for a, so called, "processing fee." It sounds so much like what coal miners went through in the early 1900's. It is, in reality, slave labor. This slave labor was replacing mostly young people in the beginning. So you see it is abuse of the foreign and domestic worker. Soon they were replacing more skilled labor. ..roofers, slab layers, block layers, framers..... That is when construction problems became rampant. Examples:
1. In the dry climates, like in Mexico, roofers use what is called a "California Valley". In the valleys of the roof the shingles are not over lapped, but meet end to end. It is very noticeable, if you know what to look for, because you will see a straight line down the valley. In the wetter climates, like in Florida, it does not give a problem until we get heavy rains. Whole subdivisions have been built this way, and home owners are not being told the truth about why their roofs are leaking
2. We installed windows, and sliding glass doors. (Note: we had two top quality installers, and the rest of our employees were under their supervision) One day we began having problems with the way slab work was being done making it impossible to make proper installations. Three times my husband explained to the slab man what he needed to do before we could make the installation. The man shook his head as if he agreed. Finally we figured it out: He could not read or speak English. They were putting houses together without even being able to read the blue prints, or communicate with others.
3. Homes were being build in swampy areas without putting pilings under the foundation thus the homes are settling, and flooring cracking. And these are multi million dollar homes we are talking about. These are but a few examples of the illegal work we witnessed.
You would think these things would not pass city inspection. But they were. We noticed some of the inspectors would simply exit their car, open the inspection box, and check it as OK, even though they never entered the home. We also sometimes saw them then drive to the office, load up some building materials, and drive off. I do not know if that was a pay off, but it sure looked suspicious. Builders also threatened inspectors who were strict about the building codes. They were told the builder would hire independent inspectors causing city inspectors job loses. Some builders actually did so.
4. One window company would have a higher grade window approved, and then install something much cheaper that should not have passed inspection. This was hard for inspectors to detect.
We had worked for a major window and door supplier for eight years. One day they approached us with an offer. They said that if we would hire two illegal companies under us as subcontractors (meaning they hired illegal workers for less than what we paid ours), they would pay us 1000.00 per week for doing nothing. They would even pay the other two companies payroll for us. When we refused, we lost that work, and the illegal companies got the work. We do not know who they worked for since we were not involved. In other words there was great pressure from larger companies for the smaller companies to participate in the illegal procedures. One of the reasons we refused was because once one agrees to illegal acts, they have you under their thumb...all they have to do is turn you in to authorities if you refuse to do what ever else they ask. We saw this happen to one of our colleagues. They put him out of business in the end.
Illegal workers were being brought in by the buss load daily. If there was an ICE raid the coyotes simply brought in another bus load the next day. They even put them up in motels.
When we reported these things to authorities, we were told workman's comp was well aware of the problem but only had 8 agents to patrol the hole state of Florida...the problem is bigger than they can deal with. Most City and State officials seem to be more interested in promoting the cheap labor (slave labor) wanted by business, then they are in protecting the consumer.
In the State of Florida it was discovered that 3 % of the people who show up for jury duty are illegal aliens, which means they hold a valid drivers license giving them the right to vote in the State of Florida. It has also been discovered that many illegals hold as many as Five different driver's licenses. You can put 2 and 2 together here.
In the State of Florida police department is trained, legally positioned, and willing to work with ICE to solve the problem. All that is needed is the support of our Representatives, which they are not giving..http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4441/is_200610/ai_n17197791/
Having been in the position we were in, we saw abuses that many Americans are totally unaware of, and the news media is not reporting.
P.S.
1. My research indicates there are similar such stories effecting our food, medications, illegal drugs, steel, paint, bees, computers, genetically engineered seeds, toys, commerical airplane
repairs, and many other things that most consumers know little about.
2. I do not put blame on the illegal alien. I to would cross the border to feed my family. Given current conditions some Americans may be doing just that. The illegal employer is very much part of the magnet that draws him here. And, as Ron Paul points out, so is our government (IMF Policies). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdEIy38Qdms
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/story?id=3985423&page=1
3. Note: Not all of the illegal companies and workers were illegal aliens. The two illegal employers they wanted to put under us were operated by Americans, but they did not hold proper documentation because they had lost their drivers licenses and could not get the required liability or Workman's Comp. insurance due to DWIs.
4. The abuses the illegals have reported to us is much like my definition of slavery: Rape, work without pay, work without food, threats of deportation (or imprisonment) if they report abuses, lack of help in getting treatment (and total abandonment) if they are injured (to mention a few)...but I guess it depends on one's definition of slavery. There exists a whole underground world that most of us (including me) know little about. There are those who take advantage, and profit off of those trapped in this underground world.
http://www.usillegalaliens.com/impacts_of_illegal_immigration_abuse_of_the_guest_worker_program.html
Likewise, I would classify the conditions of the American coal minors during the early 1900s as slavery, as they reported similar abuses that few knew about for many years
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/7642
http://www.fairus.org/site/News2/274295583?page=NewsArticle&id=17191&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=1761
The following link is an impact study on current immigration polices
http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
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