Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Who will care for Grandma?
"Who will care for the elderly if the border closes?" "Who will fight the forest fires if the border closes?" "Who will pick the grapes if the border closes?" "Who will bus the tables at my favorite restaurant if the border closes?" Don't you just about gag on these news stories?
Hello! How about higher pay and training for American or legal workers in the home health care industry? Here's an idea. Go back to hiring teen-agers and college students who need temporary jobs. Mexicans have been fighting forest fires in the U.S. since the 1940s and 1950s--have they all been illegals? We've known since 1950 that someday the boomers would get old and feeble. Has no one planned for this? Do we need a 21st century slavery system to take care of our elderly?
Here's a tip. If ever Mexico gets with the program and develops a viable economic system and a middle class (I know it's a stretch, but it could happen), those workers will not be coming across the border to change Grandma's Depends. Only then Grandma will be a Gen-X-er. So let's start putting some money into the labor programs we need--if we're smart we'll leave the labor unions out of the loop who just suck up money from the workers and try to bring in more illegals to pay dues.
And here's another tip. All of western Europe is also looking for cheap, third world workers to take care of their aging population and pay into their SS system.. This is a really, dumb, short sighted direction for people who are supposed to be educated and smart.
Hello! How about higher pay and training for American or legal workers in the home health care industry? Here's an idea. Go back to hiring teen-agers and college students who need temporary jobs. Mexicans have been fighting forest fires in the U.S. since the 1940s and 1950s--have they all been illegals? We've known since 1950 that someday the boomers would get old and feeble. Has no one planned for this? Do we need a 21st century slavery system to take care of our elderly?
Here's a tip. If ever Mexico gets with the program and develops a viable economic system and a middle class (I know it's a stretch, but it could happen), those workers will not be coming across the border to change Grandma's Depends. Only then Grandma will be a Gen-X-er. So let's start putting some money into the labor programs we need--if we're smart we'll leave the labor unions out of the loop who just suck up money from the workers and try to bring in more illegals to pay dues.
And here's another tip. All of western Europe is also looking for cheap, third world workers to take care of their aging population and pay into their SS system.. This is a really, dumb, short sighted direction for people who are supposed to be educated and smart.
# posted by Norma : 7/26/2006 08:56:00 AM
