Immigration's Economic Key

Problems With the Romney Plan
Mitt Romney's plan to end illegal immigration worries me. In particular, this point bodes ill for the economy:

Encourage Legal Immigration. Streamline the system to recruit and retain skilled workers and welcome the best and the brightest from around the world to our universities.

To begin with, we already get "the best and brightest from around the world" in our universities. Some countries suffer from substantial "brain drain" that largely goes to the United States. Also, I support the idea of making the legal immigration system work. The big question is, Who decides how many people from where get to come?

But the real problem I see here is two-fold. First, it is not only skilled but also unskilled labor that is in demand. Second, who decides what makes somebody skilled? Which skills are useful? The freewheeling illegal immigration that has been occurring lets the market determine the answer to that. Any other system is likely to suffer from attempts at micromanaging the economy -- a sort of outward-looking central planning system. Think of it as the Soviet Union take on immigration. Great.

Key Economics
The crux of the matter is the ability of illegal workers to undercut citizens/nationals by working for less than minimum wage. If we remove this ability by tighter border enforcement, active prosecution of employers who pay unlawfully low wages, and easier legal entry to help document and track those who come in to the country, then I believe we would have the following results:

1. Lower-class citizens/nationals would be better able to compete for jobs in the lowest wage range.
2. Increased prices of consumer goods due to higher labor costs for employers.
3. Decreased employment overall, but, at least initially, a higher proportion of those employed will be citizens/nationals, and those employed will be paid at least minimum wage.

If we as a nation decide that that is a desirable combination of outcomes, then let's do it.

Dance Party

I went to a dance party tonight. It was almost against my will - I figured I would probably end up going, but when the time came I didn't really feel like leaving the apartment. But, I had told some of the girls from the hosting apartment that I would see them there, so I felt like I needed to.

Well, it was fun! Back in high school and my freshman year of college I was a pretty enthusiastic dancer, but I've sort of lost the taste for it or something lately. But it's really that I don't have as much energy as I used to, since many times when I actually get around to dancing I remember that I like it. It's fun to move to the music and it's something that I naturally like to do -- unless there are people around. Then I have to overcome a bit of self-consciousness.

Crosswalk

I was walking home from the library. As I was nearing crosswalk, a guy coming the other direction pushed the crossing button for me just in time for it to turn green as I arrived. I said thanks and went happily on home. It put a smile on my face. So push the button for the unsuspecting pedestrians in your life :-)