Immigration Reform 2013: Reform Will Not Solve All Problems, But It Is a Start

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

For generations the Statute of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants on their journey to the land of opportunity. Whether it was for life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness, individuals throughout the world traveled to our nation in search of the American Dream. It was and is a simple dream: the promise that you will be judged on the basis of your character, and not on the basis of your race, religion, class, or creed. It is the promise that through hard work and determination you can achieve a better life for you and your family. This promise is what motivates immigrants, legal and illegal, to come to the United States. Today, it seems as though the American Dream is slipping away, but we as a nation can fight to reclaim it, and the first step is to pass immigration reform.

For those who do not believe economic inequality is increasing (and surprisingly, 58% of Americans do not), here are a few key statistics to help illustrate the gravity of our nation’s problem. Income inequality, as measured by the Gini index, has been on the rise since the start of the new millennium. Relatively stable during the 1990s boom years, the United States' Gini index has risen significantly since the Great Recession (1.6% in 2011 alone, compared to 5.2% in the prior 17 years combined). 

Our economic “recovery” exceedingly seems to benefit the richest Americans, while the poor and middle class are left behind. The top 1% received 93% of the income gains in the first year of the recovery. Poor and middle-class wage stagnation is a major reason for this. Deregulation, privatization, globalization, erosion of the social safety net, and the destruction of unions have all contributed to an economy that values corporate profits over rising middle-class wages. Corporate profits are 22% above their pre-recession levels, while employee compensation is 3% lower. The result of these trends is the dreadful fact that 80% of American adults will face joblessness or reliance on some sort of government welfare program. 

So you may be asking, what does all of this have to do with immigration reform?  Organizations from across the political spectrum, from conservatives to progressives, claim that immigration reform will benefit the American economy, and low-wage Americans in particular. Illegal immigrants and low-wage workers are in perpetual competition for jobs.  When an illegal immigrant can work for less than the federal minimum wage, this puts poor Americans at a distinct disadvantage. According to the Cato Institute, legalization of low-skilled immigrant workers would increase the U.S. GDP by 1.27%, or $180 billion, largely because immigrants are more likely to start businesses than non-immigrants. A Small Business Administration studyfound that immigrant-owned businesses tend to have higher sales and are more likely to export good and services than non-immigrant-owned businesses. 

The United States of America is a nation of immigrants that was built upon the millions of individuals who traveled here in search of a better life.  We need to change our immigration system to one that can fulfill the requirements of a 21st century economy. Reform will not solve all of our nation’s problems, but it is a start. It will renew a promise: the promise that together we all prosper, the promise of a thriving middle class, and the promise that America will always be home to the hardworking, the tired, and the poor, yearning for an opportunity to succeed.  

The Fiscal Cliff

           Ahh the fiscal cliff, the result of last summer's debt-ceiling debacle.  Rather than try to work together and solve our nation’s debt problem, our fearless leaders in Congress kicked the can down the road once again.  Democrats and Republicans in Congress decided our debt crisis could not be solved until after the election.  Unfortunately for the American people, the Tea Party needed to be sure we “solved” this issue before they allowed the US Government to raise the debt ceiling and pay off the bills we already incurred (which has no affect on future spending). 

            The solution Congress came up with was automatic tax hikes and spending cuts that take effect on January 1^st, 2013.  To make matters worse, these sequestrations happen across the board without rhyme or reason.  The general consensus among economists is that if the fiscal cliff is not lifted the US will head into another recession.  If you paid attention to the presidential campaigns, watched the debates, or followed the numerous Congressional elections you might not have any idea about the fiscal cliff or how to solve it.  As I stated before, we had 3 presidential debates and not once was there a serious discussion about the fiscal cliff. 

            We are concerned about the anemic growth in the post-financial crisis economy.  Many Republicans point to the slow growth in 2012 as why Obama should not be re-elected.  It is important to understand the detrimental effects the fiscal cliff has on our economy.  This summer, for the first time ever, Standard & Poor’s downgraded the credit rating of the United States.  Other agencies plan on doing the same if we do not solve the fiscal cliff or our debt issues.  With the national debt at $16 trillion, another downgrade could lead to higher interest rates, which would equate to billions of dollars a year in payments.  Unfortunately for us, there is another, more complicated, effect of the fiscal cliff.

            The stock market is up, the housing marketing is rebounding, and consumer confidence is rising.  So where are the jobs?  Uncertainty is a huge obstacle to corporations large and small.  Uncertainty prevents many CEOs from making decisions about the future.  The failure to deal with the fiscal cliff has sown the seeds of uncertainty in CEOs throughout our nation and the world.  I’ve read reports from SPDR funds, Envestnet, and numerous big banks and investment firms urging Congress to do something, anything that will provide them with some direction.  The financial sector just needs some direction from the government so they know where to invest their money. 

            And it is not just the financial industry.  American corporations hold about $1.7 trillion on the books and my guess is that they are dying to spend some of that cash.  Defense contractors, such as, Lockheed Martin, Northtrop Grunman, and General Dynamic are sitting with cash on their books to brace themselves for cuts in defense spending.  The CFO of Siemens, the German industrial giant, has admitted that they are delaying new investments and expenditures until the fiscal cliff is resolved.  The CEO of Legrand, a global manufacturer, has stated that they are holding off on hiring until we are in a more stable environment. 

            It is time for Congress to stop holding back our recovery.  Consumer confidence and spending is bouncing back, and Congress needs to provide businesses with a clear direction so they can begin to benefit from this.  Some may argue that Obama’s policies have slowed down our recovery, but I believe the real culprit is the uncertainty created by our horrible Congress.  Whoever wins the election will need to tackle the fiscal cliff in order for America to truly recover and transition into economy of the future.  So as I finish this post I will leave you with this.  The CEO of JP Morgan, Jamie Dimon, said last week that many on Wall Street would be fine with a rise in taxes as long as it was part of a concrete plan to deal with the fiscal cliff and our debt issues.