Immigration.. Who is to blame?

Since our elected officials can not seem to come to some sort of understanding about the immigration issue, I figured I’d take a stab at it.  I will have a mini-series on immigration (3 – 4 entries).  These are my thoughts on the subject do not reflect the thoughts of my employer, friends, and family.  In this entry I want to talk about who is the blame for the immigration problem in U.S. and across the world (except for France…personal vendetta).  Before I go any further, I would like to state that I’m an immigrant.  I’m originally from the beautiful country of Cameroon, located in central Africa.  In three days, I will celebrate my ten year anniversary of my arrival in this great country.  So who is blame for the immigration?

1.  You and I – go ahead go take a look in the mirror.  How you ask?
   
   
   
   •    We want more money in our pockets.  When we buy cheaper jeans, cheaper cars, cheaper computers, and etc… most of the times it’s not because some company has come up with a more efficient/innovative way to make the product that we are buying, it’s because they were able to find labor for less than a $1 a day.
     
   • nbsp;We don’t invest in a socially irresponsible matter.  When you pick your funds for your 401k, 403b, IRA, Roth IRA or if you just buy stocks, you obviously buy the highest yielding stock/fund.  When is the last time you asked yourself how come company X or Y is outperforming everyone?   Again it most likely because they are found cheaper labor in some foreign country.  In some sectors of the economy those questions are not relevant, but in others they should the first thing that we ask ourselves/financial advisers.
   
   
2.  Our political System.  The way our political system does not have give our law makers enough time to do anything about the immigration. Immigration as well as most social issue will take more than a decade to solve. Our elected officials are short sighted whenever they attempt to craft a solution to the problem because about halfway through their term they have to have start worrying about the next election.
   
3. Law enforcement.  There are laws in the books that would penalize any employers of illegal immigrants.  But these laws are not enforced.  Local police refuse to enforce them because they claim that it will create a wall between them and the immigrants.  Valid point… But they are still not enforcing the laws and therefore immigrants already here encourage their family members to also cross the border.  And we all already know most federal agencies are just a big waste tax payer’s money.  However the paper pushers know where all the good happy hours are. So that’s something.
   
4. Corrupt Foreign officials – It’s okay to skim of the top for foreign aid, everyone does it.  But really it would nice if at least 50% of the aid makes to the people of the country.
   
   
5. Stupid NGOs.  As exotic as it sounds to go to some remote African/South American village to build a church and school for a tribe that primarily rely on hunting to feed themselves; it is seriously one of the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard/seen. It’s what I call the discovery channel effect.  The money would better spend teaching the urban population of “major” cities how to build low cost water filter and pumps.  I digress…
   
6. nbsp;The immigrants – Why are they to blame?  They take the “easy” way out. As miserable as conditions are in their respective country, there is something to be said about staying in your country and trying to improve things.  America and the rest of the developed world did not become this way by everyone bailing out.  Every country has to go throw its growing pains.  And it’s people to stick around and come up with solutions on how to make the country better.

There you have it so now you know who to blame for all the immigration problems.  Next episode… “Immigration: a deeper look”.