But there is a point to be made on the issue of American work force participation. But first, something stinks. Steve Dubrinsky, owner of Max's Deli, in Alabama, is complaining that the new Alabama law directed at illegal aliens is frightening his "legal" Mexican work force. On the surface, this just stinks. No legal alien has anything to fear from the Alabama law. That law affects only illegal aliens, not legal aliens. Others besides Dubrinsky are complaining, and they all either say that their "legal" workers are fleeing the State, or that their work force is impacted.

 

The Birmingham News October 12, 2011 By Roy L. Williams

Alabama Restaurant Owners Say Some Legal Hispanic Workers Are Leaving As A Result Of The New Immigration Law

"Some Birmingham area restaurant owners say they are losing legal Hispanic workers as a result of the new immigration law, or they fear an exodus is possible.

Steve Dubrinsky, [Email him] owner of a Jewish deli in Inverness, said he has pleaded with his nine-member kitchen staff, all of them legal immigrants from Mexico, not to bolt. So far, all have stayed, but Dubrinsky said is fearful that they will leave in the wake of what has been called the nation's toughest immigration law.

"They are scared and I can't blame them," he said. "It is affecting a lot of restaurants. It's a mess."

 

Well, yeah, if your work force is made up of illegal aliens, then it will be impacted.

Since the judges ruling, businesses in the construction and farming business have reported a big drop off in their Hispanic work force, and complained of job shortages due to a lack of Alabamians applying for openings. Opponents of the new law have said they will call on state lawmakers to help them find workers.

Rusty Creel, [Email him] co-owner of Michael's Steakhouse and Seafood restaurants in the Aloft Hotel in Homewood and outside the Riverchase Galleria, said he has lost two of his best employees, both kitchen workers with proper documentation, since a judge upheld the immigration law two weeks ago.

Todd Becker, [Email him]a co-owner of Frio en La Paz in Vestavia Hills and La Paz in Crestline, said both of his restaurants have lost a few workers who were legal and pay taxes, but had family members without proper documentation. He said the new rules are not affecting only restaurants that serve Latin cuisine.

"This law has caused us some major problems," Becker said "We're no different from the contractors and hotels that have leaned on Hispanic workers. I don't think the lawmakers who crafted this bill thought through the impact it would have on us as employers."

Clearly they are relying on an illegal alien work force. And then we get closer to the truth. First Dubrinsky claims that all his workers are legal and have proper documentation:

"Dubrinsky, who has operated Max's Deli just off U.S. 280 in Cahaba Mall Shopping Center on Colonnade Parkway for four years, said all of his Hispanic employees have valid work documents."

Then we get the inevitable modified, limited, walk back:

Ah, this, in the business, is called a qualifier, it is the beginning of an admission of guilt. Dubrinsky is playing the game. He accepted whatever documents he was presented by his obviously illegal alien employees. They know the documents were fraudulent, he knows they were fraudulent, we know they are fraudulent. And Dubrinsky can't make a straight forward claim that his employees are legal, so he modifies it. "So far as I know..." "I'm not a private investigator." Hmm, he knows that something is wrong, and that if a "private investigator," a strange choice of words itself, he should have said "I'm not an immigration agent." He knows that if someone investigates their status, the truth will be out. The employees are illegal.

But then we get to the truth, something that those on immigration enforcement side generally refuse to address, the huge numbers of Americans who are out of the work force due to welfare.

A 125 degree kitchen. Clearly those are job conditions designed for illegal aliens who have no recourse, either to welfare, or employment with better working conditions. How about some air conditioning in your kitchen. A fan or two perhaps?

But in the end, you can't have a welfare state either with or without illegal immigration. With it the native population leaves the work force and without illegal workers, nothing in a welfare state gets done. If you can still live high on the hog without working, then you aren't going to join the work force. And only illegal aliens are left to work. Alabama should add provisions to their State code requiring those on welfare or unemployment benefits to accept any offer of employment. And employers should make an effort to make work bearable. No 125 degree kitchens for a start. But the modern welfare class needs the discipline of work or starve.

And a note for Dubrinsky, some employers are having no problems:

"Not all restaurants have been affected by the new law. David Maluff, co-owner of the Birmingham-based Full Moon Bar-B-Que chain, said none of his restaurants' Hispanic workers have left.

"It hasn't hurt us at all," Maluff said "We run E-Verify and have not had any problems."

If Maluff's "legal" workers aren't leaving, then it is abundantly clear that Dubrinsky's "legal" workers aren't quite legal.